Mr President's son -BoyXBoy- *ACTIVELY EDITING*

Chapter Twenty- Two*

It's like every single bit of the sunshine fades with his request. "How- why would you expect me to know where he is?", I ask, a scoff ripping through my throat. "Hell, I didn't even know him, did I?"

   A sympathetic looks takes over his face and he pats the spot beside of him. I finally take a seat, the overwhelming filling of betrayal hitting me again. I didn't know where he was, he didn't trust me enough to tell me. He was gone to join his rebellion, and left me here. With the people who want to kill us.

"Why did he leave?", he asks, his voice quite as I bury my face in my hands. "I've asked myself that a million times. But we've never got along like the two of you. I haven't seen him smile as near as many times as you, and I've had a lot more time. Setting aside everything we're not saying, you were friends. I didn't expect him to run".

I drop my hands, turning my head to see him. His expression was puzzled, and I furrow my eyebrows. Did he really have no idea what his son was involved in? "He didn't tell me where he was going", I restate, my voice quiet.

"I know", he says. "But what I don't understand is why it's harming you so much. I know he was your friend, but maybe I expected a search party?". The last of his question ends in a chuckle.

  When I don't reply, he clears his throat. "What I don't seem to understand is why the two of you left the house, and you're the only one who came back", he says, tilting his head.

  There it is, the boulder in my stomach. This wasn't a harmless interrogation. They did suspect me of something. "You know I don't know where he is", I say, starting to stand up.
  

"I know there's more to the relationship that you're letting on", he says, and I once again feel his hand on my shoulder. He towered over me, but I didn't dare look up. I didn't move, in fear he'd feel my evident snake skin under my shirt. My shame. "I know you went into that forest last night and only you came back. What I don't understand is why? Why didn't you just go along with him?".

  He surprises me by jerking me around to face him. His face was red, searching my face frantically. My face crumbles as I remember his words, the way he ran, his threats. As much as I try to hold back, he reads me. "He didn't ask you to", he whispers, letting go of me.

I shake my head quickly, a tear dripping down my cheek. He doesn't let up. "He told you! He told you everything and you couldn't trust him. You couldn't cope with who you'd fallen in love with"

"No" I whimper, shaking my head. I wanted him to stop. Please stop.

"But he didn't love you enough to stay, did he? He had to go join his group of gay goons", he says, his tongue flashing to wet his lip. He looked manic, like he was in the verge of something just out of grasp. "He left you to the dogs while he went to play pretend war".

  My heart shatters and I have to grab his arm to keep myself up. I didn't want to hear it said back to me. I didn't want to remember any of it. How his kiss felt, or how his hair felt in my hair. "I-I can't" I whisper, closing my eyes.

There's a hand on my back that moves to my shoulder, that slowly turns me around to face them. My dad stands with his arms opened. "You can let it all go", he whispers.

"What?", I ask, my eyes going to meet his. He had a soft, welcome smile. It melted something in me, the scared little boy yearned for that smile.

"We've found where they're hiding. They've taken up camp inside an abandoned zoo not far. Might've been planning something, but we got them", he says, putting his hand on my cheek. "Because of you. When you and Gale went out to the woods, we followed. And we had men follow Gale to where they were".

It was my fault they were found.

Good

No, not good. They haven't done anything wrong. I haven't done anything wrong. All I did was... love the wrong person. And they did me dirty, they betrayed me. My eyes find my fathers. "What're you asking me to do?", I ask.

"Join us. Put an end to this, an end to a side of you both of us know you hate", he says, moving his hand from my cheek.

I see Melanie and Addison step out of the door. I look back at my dad. "Join us in ending Article1, permanently", he says.

Everything I've been through. Every night I prayed to be different, prayed for things to be different. This was my chance. I tried it my way. I could do it this way. This was the way I'd overcome this

"Okay", I whisper.