The Chase

The Chase Ch. 20

 Ginger's P.O.V

                His words rang in my ear. No one else had noticed he whispered to me. I, almost imperceptibly, shook my head no. Rather than taking no for an answer, Thad pulled me to my feet.

“Well Ginger and I are going to call it a night,” he announced.

“I’m sure you will,” Sadie said with a wink.

                Luke sighed and got up as well, taking Sadie into his arms.

“I’ll take her back to her room,” Luke informed us.

“It’s almost time for my watch so I guess I’ll take a quick nap,” Emma said, watching everyone depart.

                Back in my room, Thad shut the door behind us and sat on my bed, awaiting my story.

“I should get some sleep,” I yawned.

                Thad smirked and stretched out on my bed with a fake yawn. I futilely tried to shove him out of the way but he was practically made of stone. Huffing with the effort of pushing him, I planted my hands on my hips and glared at him.

“You’re taking up the whole bed,” I said matter-of-factly.

“You can always lay on me.”

“No thanks. Scoot over.”

“Tell me your story first.”

“I don’t have one.”

“Guess you don’t have a bed tonight either.”

                No fair. I rolled my eyes and tapped my foot.

“You have two seconds to move,” I threatened halfheartedly. He stared at me expectantly but otherwise stayed put. “One,” I began. He laid there, watching in amusement. “One and a half.” Still there. “Two!” I pounced on him making as much of an impact as a mosquito on an elephant. Our faces were inches apart, his breath gently brushing my face. My heart began racing.

“Are you nervous?” Thad inquired.

“Why would you say that?” I asked evasively.

“I hear your pulse.”

                I couldn’t lie; he could hear it after all. While I’d been trying to think of something to say Thad had closed the distance between us. He gently pressed his lips to mine.

“Please tell me your story,” Thad whispered.

                I nodded and dreamily laid my head on his chest. He stroked my head as I tried to figure out where to start.

“I don’t have a family,” I began. “I didn’t know who my parents were. I grew up in an orphanage, Donovan too. He was like my best friend in that place. We’d always bet on who’d get adopted first. Donovan won. He got adopted when he was ten, ironically, on my birthday and we sort-of drifted apart. He came back when he was fourteen and we basically picked up where we left off. I guess we started dating at fifteen. When the orphanage closed down, the younger kids were sent to a different facility but everyone fifteen and up were pretty much left to fend for themselves. No one wants to adopt a teenager after all. Donovan thought it’d be fun to find our real parents. He can tell you how it went with his but with mine, it wasn’t so great. It turns out I had a sister, a twin, and they chose her over me.” I felt a tear trickle from my eye. “I met her. She’s pretty much like me but with friends and parents and money. Her name…I think it was Melanie or Melody. Something that starts with Mel. Anyways, she didn’t like me much; I was an orphan, not her sister.”

                I stopped there. I could practically see the dirty look what’s-her-name gave me when I showed up at the door asking for my parents. I shut my eyes, trying to block out the amused laugh she graced me with when I said we’d finally found each other. She was never looking for me. No one wanted me. I was just something extra that was given away. I was useless.