Marked or claimed (on hold)

Chapter 4: Reasoning With the Unreasonable

Okay now that Chapter three is edited, on to chapter four. I'm nearly ready to just delete the whole darn thing and start over And I have changed some of the chapter names. Doesn't mean the content is different but it'd definitely expanded and explained.

Chapter 4: Reasoning With the Unreasonable

Axen's POV

I started up the stairs and Aved followed me. I could feel his eyes on my butt and honestly considered just tripping but I had enough trouble walking normally so I decided against it. I led the way to my room and pushed open the plain white, wooden door.

"I need to change into something more appropriate so just give me a second." I said as I walked over to my dark, cherry wood dresser and pulled out a pair of fuzzy pajama pants and a t-shirt.

"Okay." Aved said turning away and looking around the room. In the two years we had known each other he had never been in my room and with good reason. He'd ask questions. I pulled off my shorts and pulled on my pajama bottoms and then my t-shirt. I had painted my room a neon orange when I had gotten here but you could barely see the orange now because of the many pictures and drawings I had pinned up. The pictures consisted of Jereni, one of my friends from back east, and I and my family. Others were of Aved and I. I glanced at Aved and saw that he was studying a picture of us on the beach that his dad had taken before he died. We were standing facing each other and the sun was setting so you only saw our silhouettes and we looked like a couple in that picture. I grabbed one of my stuffed animals and sat on my bed, facing him. 

"So why did you move here?" He asked glancing at me.

"Well, I used to have an aunt that lived here. I moved in with her an-"

"Used to? What happened to make you move here?" he asked before opening his mouth to voice more questions. I huffed.

"Will you shut up and let me speak?" I asked with frustration. How was I supposed to explain when he wouldn't be quiet long enough to let me.

"Sorry, I'll shut up now." he said before sitting down next to me. I rolled my eyes and faced him before continuing.

"As I was saying, I had an aunt who used to live here. She died shortly after I got here so I've been living here by myself for the past year an a half. When I was 15 or 16 I had a friend who enjoyed camping. Her birthday party was a camping trip and I was invited so I went. There was only a 30 percent chance of rain so they still went and the second day we were there a huge ass storm hit. We were in the pond messing around but when it started to rain we got out and went to the campsite. We huddled in the little cluster of trees and waited for the worst of it to go by but the wind was so strong and it was right above us. I was terrified and when we finally made a break for it, we had to go past the pond to get to the other side. It was just awful. When we got home they dropped me off and I went down my driveway and saw that my house had been burned to the ground." I whispered softly, swallowing hard. "Apparently lightning had struck a tree and it had toppled onto our house, causing my parents to be burned alive. I wasn't there and they died because I couldn't save them." I whispered as a sob caught in my chest. "I should've been there. I should've helped them." I said as I held onto my stuffed animal with an iron grip. I felt a strong pair of arms around my waist and I was pulled into Aved's lap.

"Shh, Axen I'm so sorry." Aved whispered. I sobbed and buried my face in his neck.

"I should've been there for them." I whimpered as the loss of my parents tore through me all over again. "I could've done something!" I cried.

"No you couldn't have. Listen to me Ax, you could not have done anything. It's not your fault so stop blaming yourself." he said firmly.

"b-but," I started to say.

"No buts. Stop blaming yourself sweetheart." he said softly.

"I just-" he gave me a firm look and I sighed. "Fine." I mumbled before wiped at my face.

"Good. Besides, think about it this way; if you had been killed in that storm I would have never met you." he said as he tucked a loose piece of red hair behind my ear.

"Well after I got past the shock of the death of my parents I had to hike my way back to town which took quite awhile since we lived in the middle of nowhere. I talked to the police and they found my aunt and shipped me out here. I got a job at a local restaurant and then a year and a half later my aunt died so I live alone now." I said with a shrug. "The house was broken into today when I got home and then you know what else happened. I don't know how it's connected but I just have a gut feeling that it is." I said softly.

"But how did Jayden know where you lived?" he asked with a deep frown, like he didn't like that Jayden knew where I lived.

"He dropped me off after school..." I said, wincing while I waited for the explosion. I knew that Aved couldn't stand Jayden. That's why we were such great friends. We both didn't like him.

"Why? I thought you normally walked." he said as he tightened his arms around me.

"Normally, I do. I'm not interested in him Aved. It started storming and I didn't want to get struck. He also wouldn't leave me alone." I explained.

"That's poor sentence structure." he said before standing up and pacing around the room. "and that's never stopped you before. Why give in now?" he asked with a scowl.

"I didn't want to be turned into a crispy critter!" I squeaked before crossing my arms and glaring at him.

"Alright, alright." he said relenting a little bit.

"So, what now?" I asked quietly, just wanting to curl up and sleep for the next month.

"Well as of right now I'm going to be staying here until this whole thing is sorted." he stated.

"Uh no you aren't. I didn't ask for you to stay here Aved." I said with a scowl.

"I don't really care. I'm staying." he stated sitting back down.

"I'm not going to let you stay here." I snapped angrily. "I don't need you to babysit me." I said.

"That's funny cause I'm staying." he said with a smirk.

"You b-" I started to say but he cut me off.

"Uh uh, let's not sasy something we'll regret." he said with a chuckle. I growled and threw a pillow at him angrily. Who did he think he was? Inviting himself over to my house for my 'protection'.

"You sleep on the floor, asshat." I snapped before getting up off my bed. He stripped off his shirt and I couldn't help but admire. I quickly looked away when he laid on the floor.

"You'll be answering all my questions tomorrow. By the way." he said. I turned out the light.

"Whatever." I grumbled, still not happy with him staying here. I 'accidentally' kicked him on my way back to my bed.

"Ow!" he yelped as I heard him move to rub whatever I had kicked.

"Oops. Sorry, maybe you shouldn't have been there." I said as I covered up with a blanket.

"You kicked me in a bad spot Axen. Not cool." he groaned. I laughed softly before closing my eyes and sighing softly, hoping I would get to sleep peacefully.