The Chase

The Chase Ch. 27

Thad's P.O.V

Ginger’s footsteps echoed to my ears as I walked away. I knew what I was doing was sort of childish, but I just felt so jealous of Donovan and all the memories he had given her.

“What’s wrong Thad?” she said when she caught up to me.

“I am fine,” I said very stiffly, not even bothering to turn around. I could practically feel the aggravation seeping out of her. I turned to find her glaring back at me.

“You’re jealous aren’t you?” she accused without breaking away from my gaze.

I didn’t say anything.

“You are jealous” she smiled, her face softening. Was that supposed to be a good thing to humans?

“I am not jealous of Donovan.”

She hugged me and pressed her face into my chest.

“Yes you are. Just admit it, Thad. It’s okay if you are.” She mumbled into my shirt. I took and deep breathe and let it out loudly.

“Okay, I might be a little bit,” I grumbled.

“Why? And you’re really cold by the way.” She laughed breaking away from me.

“Well, I’ll freeze you to death then,” I growled playfully while grabbing her waist and pulling her back to me. I knew I was blatantly trying to change the subject.

“Just answer my question!” she wined while slamming her elbow into my stomach as hard as she could, a pitiful attempt at trying to hurt me.

I sighed and fell to the ground against the wall, simultaneously pulling her down into my lap.

“Because, he’s better for you than I am. He knows all your little secrets and has been with you through everything. What’s monster like me doing trying to compete with that?”

“Thad, you’re not a monster.” She said while trying to twist her head up to look at me. She said that like she was so sure of it. I didn’t think she should be, though.

“Well, this really beautiful girl whose opinion I care about a lot told me otherwise.” I laughed sort of bitterly. She must have noticed because her face turned red and she looked at the ground like it held some kind of answers.

“I’m sorry I called you that.” She muttered. I felt a pang of guilt stab my stomach. She shouldn’t be the one apologizing, I should.

“Don’t be, Ginger.” I kissed the back of her head and squeezed her tighter around the waist. She nodded like she knew what I was thinking already and relaxed in my grasp. I laughed to myself when I thought about what Enoch would say. He would probably be scolding me about how I could never keep my hands off of her. He had actually seemed happy when he found out what I’d done, not upset with me like I had expected.

I took a few strands of her dark brown hair in my hands and started to French braid it. After a minute she seemed to realize what I was doing and starting laughing.

“Why are you laughing? You’re messing me up!” I huffed while trying to keep her head still.

“You of all people can braid hair?” she gasped in between dramatic laughs. I quickly finished off the braid and let it fall down. It was messy but it would do.

“Yes, my sister taught me when we were little,” I said while thumping her shoulder gently, “What? Do you think it puts a dent in my manliness?”

“I’m sorry about, your sister,” she whispered while rubbing shoulder where I had thumbed it. I ran my fingers over it, thinking I might have done it too hard. She shivered under my touch and I laid my head down on her shoulder.

This time it was different than when other people had said it. I didn’t tell her it was fine or that I didn’t care. I didn’t shrug off her apology or act like it was no big deal.

For the first time I said, “yeah, me too.”

“Thad?” her whisper floated through the air.

“Yes?”

“What happens to us? Do I have to become…” I felt her muscles tense up and her heart speed up, her veins pulsating fast under her delicate skin.

“I-I don’t think so but I honestly don’t know Ginger,” I sighed, feeling guilty again, “I never paid very much attention to what Enoch said. I only know a few things that caught my interest.”

“He knew we’d have to go back to him, didn’t he,” she said, almost to herself. It was hardly even a question with the amount of certainty she had said it. I stroked her arm and traced my fingers over her veins.

“He always did do that. I think he did know.” I could feel her worry and it bothered me.

“Don’t worry, Ginger. Everything will be okay. We’ll all be okay.”

Someone cleared their throat above us. I didn’t even have to look up to know it was Donovan. Ginger slowly brought her eyes up to him.

“It’s about to get dark so let’s prepare to leave. I don’t want to waste any of our time.”

Ginger and I quickly nodded and got up. I could tell it was going to be a long night.