Fatal Attractions

Chapter Twelve

     Each breath I let out was shaky and uneven. My hands were trembling as I gripped the arms of the chair, blinking away tears that threatened to spill out at any moment. Everything that I knew about life was wrong. The knowledge I had of the world was crumbling down around me, and I was struggling the pick up the pieces.

     I felt like I knew nothing anymore.

     "This is ridiculous, how hard is it to find a teenage girl?" I heard a mans voice traveling through the hallway outside the library, and my body tensed. It wasn't Andrew or Alex.

     A tall, slender man emerged from the hallway and his eyes immediately snapped to me. He had raven black hair that stopped halfway down his neck and was parted to the side. His eyes were an icy blue then sent a sharp chill down my back. He only looked a few years older than me.

     "Well, I'll be," he spoke, stepping closer. A shorter brunette man with a faux-hawk and brown eyes came in behind him. They both looked the same age.

     "Wait, is this her?" the brunette asked, and the raven-haired man nodded his head, a smirk on his face.

     "I told you we'd find her first, Nate," the brunette said, a boyish smile plastered on his face. 

     "Shut up. I had doubts in you, not me. If it was just you looking, she would've never gotten' found," Nate said, walking over to me. I swallowed hard as they both approached me.

     "Come on, fun's over," Nate said, leaning over and grabbing my upper arm. As soon as he pulled me to my feet, I felt a sharp pounding at my temples and although I wanted to, I didn't have the strength to resist his grip.

     As we traveled through the hallway, I struggled to put one foot in front of the other, stumbling every few steps. 

     "I guess we can call the search off," the brunette man said, a smile in his voice.

     "Obviously," Nate mumbled, and although I couldn't see him it was almost like I could hear him roll his eyes.

     As we continued walking, I noticed a familiar structure to the left of me. It was the grand balcony. As we passed, I saw Alex at the bottom, coming through the kitchen doors with a glass of water. Our eyes met and he stopped for a moment, taking in the scene.

     "What do you think you're doing?" I heard him yell from the lower floor, and all of us turned in his direction. Nate's body tensed and he cleared his throat before speaking.

     "We found her, finally. In the library. We were just taking her back to holding," he said, his voice trim with nervousness. Alex walked over to the bottom step and began making his way up the staircase.

     "That won't be necessary. Neither will that," Alex said, motioning to Nate's grip on my arm. Upon realization, Nate immediately released my arm and took a step back.

     "I apologize. You said she was high-risk," Nate said, lacing his fingers together.

     "I did. How does that justify your hands on her?" Alex questioned, controlled anger laced through his voice. Alex must've taken his job very seriously. He was acting like Nate had just smacked me across the face. Just like you did, Alex, I thought.

     "It doesn't. Like I said, I apologize," Nate said, and he sounded like a five-year-old who was being scolded. 

     "Lena, I take it you met Nathaniel and Isaak. They're not our best staff, but I assure you, they're not the worst," Alex said, stepping between Nate and I and handing me the glass of water. I took it with shaking hands and held it to my chest. After Alex remained staring at me for a few moments, I took the hint and lifted the glass to my lips, taking a sip.