The Town of Anton

Chapter Seventeen

Winter was slowly approaching, yet it felt like fall has barely begun. The idea of red, orange, and green leaves descending to the ground as I breathe in the crisp air was like heaven to me. It helped gather my thoughts and remain calm through hard times. I wanted nothing more than to eat roasted marshmallows by the fire and have Deacon sing me a song on the guitar.

But it wasn't meant to be.

As I walked along the gravel ground, I watched as Alex took giant steps towards the gazebo. He was giggling with such delight, which made me smile, but how long until those laughs turned to tears of dread? How long until the hunters rip away what little happiness he has left? The thought of losing his only sibling would devastate him.

Thinking of the future brought bitterness and uncertainty that tore me up inside. I never asked for these thoughts, yet they still haunt me deeply.

Focusing on Alex, I noticed him shiver when a part of his skin was exposed to the wind that was so desperate to blow us away. He quickly wrapped himself in his jacket of heavy padding and continued to take giant steps, hitting rocks as he went.

"Hey, Sis?" Alex asked sternly. "Do you go to school?"

"Not yet," I said, realizing how uneducated I was. And with everything I went through these past few years, the thought hasn't occurred to me until now.

After I answered, he plopped down on the bench in the gazebo and stared at its top, looking peacefully into the white paint.

"I miss mom and dad." There were slight tears in his eyes as he spoke, but I had no clue what to say back. Saying "I miss them too" had no emotion.

Holding him close to my chest was the only way he was ever going to believe me, because words can't always define how someone feels when actions can make them real. It was the way he wrapped his arms around me like a child that allowed tears to form in my sapphire blue eyes.

"At least I still have you," he said moments later, causing more tears to trickle down my cold but red cheeks.

...

Alex and I headed inside for warmth. The fireplace was lit and there were blankets of fur waiting for us on the couch. I curled him up in wolf-like skin and made my way upstairs for a nice bubble bath that I knew I deserved.

I grabbed a towel out of the linen closet and began to undress in the nearby bathroom upstairs. I allowed the water to run and threw my clothes in a hamper to my left. The steam filled the air with intense heat, sending goosebumps up my spine. It felt incredible against my body.

My eyes were closed for only a second when Deacon walked in. I immediately covered myself in the towel and yelled at him.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were taking a bath."

"Did you not hear the water running?" I was so angry with him that it made keeping myself covered a little difficult to manage. I'm just glad he didn't see anything.

He glanced from the floor and then back at me. He was about to say something, but he kept quiet, probably realizing he should have knocked first before entering.

The towel was starting to slip from my grasp, revealing my upper thigh and the peak of my breasts, not that he cared. He was too busy admiring my figure to even notice my struggles. And although I didn't mind him staring, it was awkward standing here with only the sounds of water spouting in the tub.

"Is there something you wanted to..." I went to turn the handle and shut off the water, but my body froze. "What's that in your hand?"

He pulled it out in front of me. "I was about to ask you the same thing. It was in your room."

My eyes widened as I gulped. He knew just as much as I did what it was and who it belonged to. The hoodie was an easy giveaway.

"Don't get mad. He just wanted to talk to make sure I was okay." There was also the kiss, but should I tell him that or wait on it?

"Did you see his face?"

"I did."

"Did you like what you saw?"

"You're sounding like a crazy person right now." I grabbed the hoodie from him, not bothering to see the pain he was in and said, "It's just a stupid hoodie that belongs to a stupid guy, alright?"

"And did that stupid guy lay a hand on you?"

"Are you serious? He would never hurt me."

"But he hurt your parents. In fact, he killed them. He killed them to get to you. He's just trying to get inside your head, twist your thoughts around, all so that he can kill you too. Have you ever wondered why he wears a hoodie? Because he doesn't want anyone to see his true form: a monster. Only a few people have seen him and died before they could tell us what he looked like. He's a danger to us, Saige, and we must eliminate him."

"You can't kill him." That was all I could say without revealing what happened. I was hoping it was enough to silence him, maybe even change the subject, but it wasn't even close. I practically told him everything with just four words.

"How could you be with him when you were with me? Did you ever stop to think about what your parents would say as you laid in bed with the one who killed them? You honestly have no respect for me or them."

"That's not at all what it was."

"It sure sounds like it."

"And this is why I couldn't tell you! I knew you wouldn't understand. You're the one getting inside my head and twisting my thoughts around. I will never be able to gain your trust like I gained his."

"Trust can't be made from sex."

"I also didn't sleep with him, I kissed him." My saying this only made matters worse. I was trying to mend his pain when I should have just been honest from the beginning. "He wasn't letting me see his face, so I told him I would kiss him if he showed me. And when he did, I knew I could trust him...which is more than I can say about you right now."

"How am I the one who can't be trusted when you kissed another guy? I thought you loved me."

"I do love you." God, this was getting so hard to explain. Why is being a teenager so difficult? "I may sound like I'm lying, but I promise I do. When I moved to Anton, I barely knew what life was let alone the feelings that came with it. Love, hate, pain, hope had no definitions. Before I saw you that day in the grocery store, love was just a word. But after a few chats and discovering who you were, I knew what love meant. I'm still trying to learn my feelings and how life works, but one thing is certain: I do love you."

He pulled my body against his, his arm around my waist as he threw his lips on mine. I wasn't sure what I said or did to make him want to kiss me, but I'm glad I said what I said. It was the most honest thing I have ever said, and my feelings were finally free.

He released his lips and left with a smile, leaving me to take off my towel and relax alongside the bubbles and warm water. I felt at peace, at ease, like nothing could ruin this moment.

I leaned my head back, closing my eyes. I wanted to dream a beautiful dream; one of happiness and family, one of love and passion. I wanted it to feel real...be real.

...

I awoke to the alerting sounds of heavy rainfall creaking at the window and the clock above that read: 7:30. I awoke in my bed wearing nothing but a towel. I must have had such a good bath if I didn't even bother to put on clothes before my nap. There were huge droplets on the glass of the window when I sat up, making for a beautiful sight.

The pitter patter of the rain filled my mind with tranquility and the memory of how Deacon kissed me earlier.

I threw on whatever clothes I could find and headed downstairs to see Deacon on the couch, drool falling from his lip. It was the first sight to ever make me feel genuinely happy and alive. If that makes me sound selfish, oh well.

I stood next to him, my shadow hovering over him as he opened his eyes and grinned. "Good morning, beautiful."

"It's not morning." I laughed and let out a small grin, then kissed him directly on the mouth. He combed his fingers through my hair, pulling me over the couch and beside him. Time must have flown by as we laid together, since it was 8:00 by the time I said, "We should check on Alex."

He nodded. The fireplace was still lit when we decided to get up and search for him.

"Alex?" I called out.

"I'm in here," he said from a distance.

Deacon guided me over to the kitchen where Alex stood by a wall at the door. There was enough blood and scratches to make street art in the alley.

I walked up to Alex and yanked him gently by the arm. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"It's not my blood."

Deacon sniffed the air. "No, it's Pansy's."