Losing Eight Lives

12 | Glad You're Here

Jace and I walked silently back to my house. The need for talking grew smaller and smaller as the day got older. I didn't want to talk. I just wanted to think.

Nothing makes sense. It just doesn't make sense. I want answers, not more questions. I thought miserably.

My hands trembled in my pockets as I forced myself to put one foot in front of the other. My legs felt like they could fall out from under me at any second. My heart ached, my eyes had no more tears. The cold made my face hurt, and my wet hair didn't make matters warmer.

At least I'm not alone.

Suddenly I felt like talking. I felt like screaming hysterically and destroying something. I had the energy of an angry bull about to be let loose and yet I held it back. But now I didn't care. I was done. I didn't want to keep my feelings in anymore.

But right as my hands clenched to fists and I realized I might've actually done something terrible, I heaved a heavy sigh. If I actually did anything like that Jace would worry about me and I'd get nowhere.

I tried to think of something else. Anything else. Jace could help me get my mind off things.

"Jace,"

"Yeah?" he asked and turned his head to look at me.

I wanted to talk, but I didn't know what to talk about. All the topics of conversations that I could think of seemed devastating and nothing I wanted to admit out loud. So instead of saying more, I laced my fingers in his and leaned my head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad you're here with me."

He was silent for a second as we walked, but not for too long. "I'm really glad you're here too."

The ends of my mouth curved up a little. I couldn't imagine having to do this alone.

His hand together in mine gave me the slightest bit of hope. I held onto his hand like it was the last thing I had left. It felt solid, but soft. Warm and promising. I never wanted to let go.

-=-=-=-

The two of us walked for another few minutes until we arrived in my driveway. I was walking up to my front door when I realized Jace wasn't next to me anymore. And somewhere deep inside me, I panicked. But when I turned around, my eyes landed on Jace and a small sensation of relief flooded me.

"Uh, Jace? What are you-?" I began, but he stopped me.

"Does something feel . . . different to you?" he scanned the area around him expectedly.

I paused, embracing everything around me. Now that he mentioned it, something did seem off. The air felt oddly thicker, sanity almost felt just out of my reach, and it was a slightly warmer than it was before.

It just didn't seem . . . right.

I scanned my surroundings with Jace, coming across nothing unusual. But, my eyes then landed on the woods behind my house and stayed there. I just knew somehow, something was in there.

"Jace," I whispered.

He looked at me, and followed my eyes to the woods. After a few seconds of studying them, he gave me a look that spoke the words he didn't have to say: Do you think something is in there?

I didn't know. I didn't particularly want to find out either. But I couldn't, not find out.

My legs carried me slowly to the tree line of the woods behind my house. Even the woods seemed different somehow. Like, something was out of place.

Suddenly, a silent alarm rang through me that told me something I couldn't ignore.

Someone was watching us.