The Traitor

Chapter Seven: Forgiving the Unforgivable

"Teya, wait!" Jasper called, as he ran to catch up with me. I stopped suddenly and turned around to face him.

"What was that?" I yelled at him.

His face showed shock and a little bit of hurt. "What was what?" he asked innocently.

"'You're not going to arrest Teya, are you?'" I mimicked. "Are you trying to get me arrested? If he wasn't thinking about it before, he is now. Thanks a lot, Jasper." I turned away and started walking again, but he caught my hand, pulling me back. "Let me go!"I shouted as I yanked my hand from his grip. "Just leave me alone. You're worse than Connor!"

He looked hurt at what I had said, but I was too upset to apologize. At that point, I realized there really was no one I could trust. Jasper was just as bad as everyone else; maybe even worse.

"I'm sorry, Teya. I didn't mean to...put the idea in his head. I was just wondering. I don't want you to get put in prison." As sincere as his apology sounded, it couldn't make up for what he had said. If I get arrested, I'd never forgive him.

"Really? Because the way you said it, it almost seemed like you were trying to get me arrested," I spat back, sparing him no pain.

I began walking away again but stopped when he said, "I wasn't, I swear," he promised. "I like you, Teya. I would never try to hurt you." I stood there, completely speechless and immobile, as my brain processed what he had just said.

I was stunned. "You what?"

He looked down at the ground and fidgeted nervously with the bottom of his navy blue t-shirt, before returning my gaze. "I like you," he repeated. "A lot." If my mouth hung any lower, my jaw would have dropped off the face of the earth.

I was speechless. "I don't know what to say," I told him honestly, clearly struggling to get words out.

He smiled. "Then don't," he replied. He took a step forward and his lips met mine. I didn't move, even more shocked than I had been before. All the horrible, hate-filled emotions that swarmed my mind and body just seconds earlier flew away, replaced with a calm sense of security and peace I hadn't felt since leaving the Wens. Somehow, the person I had hated more than anyone just a second earlier had calmed me down and made me forget everything concerning the bombing. Somehow I was only in that moment and nothing else seemed to matter. I didn't want it to be over, but soon he separated. "Are you okay now?" he asked, as he took a step back.

I nodded, still in complete shock, and he laughed. I realized I had overreacted— I knew he wasn't trying to get me arrested and I felt a tinge of guilt for yelling at him the way I had.

"I'm sorry" was all I managed to get out.

"Don't apologize, I get it. You're scared, but don't be. We'll figure out a way to clear your name, OK?" I nodded and he continued, "Hey, do you want to hang out tonight? We could sneak out and go exploring. I could show you around a little bit."

My once frozen heart rate skyrocketed, but I was still shocked motionless on the outside. I nodded, unsure what to do or say. My mind and heart just did a complete 180.

"Awesome. How about I meet you at the bench by the pond, at say, 11:30?" he suggested.

"Sure," I replied, still partly speechless. I watched him turn and walk away, smiling. For some odd reason that even I couldn't understand, I was excited for that night.