Born Wicked

XLVII

 "Are you going to go home?" Georgia asks me, peeking into the spare bedroom. Her house is a clusterfuck of nonsense, but this one room. She has it set up as a spare bedroom with an antique double bed and big, ornate dresser. There's a TV mounted on the wall, I have it muted, and it casts an eerie blue glow in the otherwise dark room.

I shake my head. "Naw," I hug Jayme closer to my chest. "I texted my mother and told her I'm crashing at Mike's. He'll cover for me. I want to be here when she wakes up."

She nods. "Okay. Let me know if you need anything," she offers before shutting the door.

When I got here, the first thing we did was bring her in here. I put her down on the bed and Georgia forced me out so she could change her into some pj bottoms and a tee shirt. We sat together for a while, Georgia and I, hoping Jayme would wake up. "She's in sensory overload," Georgia explained while she unpinned her hair.

I've never seen someone pass out after using their abilities, but I know it scares the shit out of me. This is the second time it's happened to Jayme. It has me worried. Her phone had gone crazy for a while, until Georgia texted Ethan, letting him know she wasn't up yet.

Georgia slipped out after about an hour. Since then, I've stripped down to my undershirt, a black, ribbed tank and my boxers. I climbed under the covers and gathered Jayme's small, slender frame to me. She's been cradled into the apex of my chest and shoulder ever since.

She breathes evenly. Her eyelids are shut, her lashes dark smudges on her beautifully pale cheeks. I've already healed her scrapes and bruises. She had one hell of a welt on her face. If I see Shane anytime in the next ever, I'm going to fucking kill him. That's a promise.

I don't know how long I've been lying here, holding her, but I'm afraid to fall asleep.

Eventually, I don't have a choice. My eyes slowly sink shut around three...

Slowly, I open my eyes to the pale green of Georgia's spare room. I blink away the floaties blurring my vision and I stare up at the ceiling for an untold amount of time.

I peek out of my peripheral vision and am met with clear, blue sky.

Julian doesn't move. He doesn't blink. He just stares at me like he's afraid if he so much as breathes, I'll disappear. He looks exhausted. And sad. Oh, so sad.

"Hi," she grins. She's lying here next to me. Awake. Alive. Beautiful. My heart squeezes painfully.

"I didn't think you'd ever wake up."

She slowly turns toward me. "I know. I've been trapped in there for a while. The darkness. I can hear your thoughts though."

"You can hear them now?"

She nods her head.

"What happened?" I ask softly.

She shrugs and looks over my shoulder at the wall. "Shane attacked me."

My expression darkens. "I know that. You know that I know that," I accuse softly, "What I want to know is what exactly happened? Did he..."

She shakes her head. "No," her voice is husky and sad. "He didn't. He wanted to. He was trying to. But... he didn't."

I feel my face crumble into pure sorrow and grief. "I'm sorry."

She looks over at me and extends her hand. I take it.

"You came for me," she says tracing the veins on my hand with her fingertips.

I frown. "Of course I came for you. Why wouldn't I?"

"I thought I was going to die in that room, alone," she replies softly. "That was his plan. He was going to kill me while you and Ethan were distracted fighting each other."

My face distorts with regret and pain. "I'm so fucking stupid."

She shakes her head. "It wasn't your fault."

"I shouldn't have kissed you."

She shrugs. "It wouldn't have mattered. Your father is the one who sent him."

I gasp, horrified. "What?"

She cringes, clearly sorry for me. For me. Ridiculous.

"That's what Shane said. That he knows you're in love with me and he wants to protect you. The Guild already knows I'm practicing, Julian, he told them already. Someone's going to kill me eventually, either way."

"No," I say, my jaw setting stubbornly. I clench it so hard, I can feel the muscle start to tick at the base.

She gazes up at me sadly, her grey eyes filled with storms. "I'm not saying I'm giving up. I will fight, Julian, but I won't fight with you. I won't fight for you. I'm going to need you to let me go."

"No," I refuse, panic building in my chest. "I can't let you go."

"You have to," she says softly. "You can't have me. You can't feel the things you feel for me."

"My father won't hurt me," I try to convince her. He wouldn't, would he? No, he may be a coldhearted sonofabitch, but he loves me.

"I'm not fighting your father," she says simply. "My fight is with the Guild. And they will kill you, Julian. I can't take you with me."

"That's a suicide mission," I growl.

She nods. "Which is exactly why you have to let me go."

"Never," I say, I can feel the determination winding through me, strengthening my spine. "I love you, I won't let you go."

"You will," she whispers. "Please don't make me hurt you, Julian."

"Isn't that what you're doing?" I sneer, anger taking root. I yank my hand from her soft touch. She's driving me crazy and killing me and gutting me and I'm going to lose it.

She shakes her head, tears filling her eyes. "I don't want to hurt you. I never want to be the one who hurts you."

"Why is that, Jayme?" I demand. "Why not just break my fucking heart and get it over with?"

She sobs, "Because I think I love you, Julian."

I spread my arms wide in disbelief. "And this is how you tell me? When you're ripping my goddamned soul out?"

"Shhh," she soothes, rubbing a small hand against my jaw. "Don't you see? I'm setting you free."

"Freedom," I spit scathingly, "Is letting me choose, Jayme. At least let me fucking choose. I've never taken your choices from you. Everyone else maybe, but not me." I dig my thumb into my chest and she flinches. "I've never gotten that. Not from you or anyone else." I push the heels of my hands into my eyes. "This is such fucking bullshit."

She nods sadly. "You're right, Julian. You did let me choose. My choice isn't you."

A yawning hole opens in my chest. There's goes my fucking heart, my soul and whatever else I had holding me together. I nod my head bitterly. "I see. Well, congratulations, Jayme. I've got nothing left."

I close my eyes. He stays there for a moment, silent, waiting for me to take it back.

I can't.

If the Guild is coming, I need to get the hell out of Salem. Before anyone else gets hurt. I'm not willing to die, but I also don't want anyone else dying in my place either.

When I open my eyes again the bed is empty. Julian's gone. I knew he would be.