Forbidden

~Chapter Twenty-One~

Quick A/N: Just gotta love my erratic, irregular updates, right? :-) I am so sorry for taking so long, but I can say that later. I'll be quiet now, so you can actually read. Enjoy!

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~Chapter Twenty-One~

Meaghan crouched among the foliage, shrugging leaves off her shoulder. Irritated, she pulled a watch out of her carefully concealed purse and examined it. She slammed it shut. “Ugh!” she cried, aggravated: he was over a half hour late. She didn’t have enough time to waste it, sitting in the mud of the park, brushing her hands along sharp branches and remnants of dead worms. If he truly wanted to aid their cause, he would show up soon. Otherwise, Meaghan decided finally, she would leave him in the dust.

            She shifted in her position, perfectly comfortable kneeling but decided against it, due to the dirt that was seeping into her expensive jeans. The clothing held no meaning to her, but to her human parents, it would be an outrage.

            Meaghan sighed, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin on the platform they provided. Too much time alone had given her too much time for contemplation, reminiscence of the past. She had combed over her mistake hundreds of times, wishing for a second chance and knowing that one would never appear. She had tried so hard, so horribly hard, to win out over fate, to protect that precious being from disappearing, but it had all been in vain. Ari was right in his assessment: Meaghan was worthless, the only failure that her family had ever had.

            She squeezed her eyes shut against the tears, commanding herself not to cry. Weakness—fear, sadness, sentimentality—were cause for shun in her dark world. If only she could still live on the other side…

            Meaghan’s head shot up, fearfully scanning the area for signs of life, for anyone who could have overheard her treasonous thought. When no one jumped from the surrounding greenery or passed by her cat-like night vision, she relaxed, leaning against the tree behind her and letting its leaves curtain her face. She was careful to only press the tips of her shoulders against the rough bark, knowing how painful it was to have other parts of her anatomy scraped along the wood. She cringed simply remembering the feeling.

            Meaghan exhaled, trying to compose herself. Closing her eyes, she focused on the easy rush of wind that tickled her earlobes and caressed her hair, the crackling of the plants as the breeze brushed their green bodies. Anything to pull her mind away from agonizing photographic memories.

            “Hello.”

            Meaghan yelped, flinching at the sudden noise. How could she have missed his footfalls entering the area? Licking her lips, suddenly irritated, she turned towards the noise.

            “Hello. Long time, no see, friend,” she greeted him warmly, letting sarcasm linger on the last word.

            “Yes, indeed,” he agreed, stepping into Meaghan’s vision.

            Her breath caught, catching sight of the face that had so long haunted her dreams at night. His blonde hair was mussed in a dashing fashion, his brown eyes twinkling mischievously, a playful smirk alighting his perfect lips. His hands were thrown carelessly into his pockets, his rebellious leather jacket gracing his medium build and accenting his muscles. His entire body emanated a sense of carefree, of power, of pure beauty…in summary, he was Meaghan’s Prince Charming, her everything.

            And he was someone else’s special someone.

            Meaghan’s heart managed to both drop and flutter simultaneously at the gorgeous picture he made. He chuckled, striding forward and offering a hand. She ignored it, remaining in her reserved persona, and pushed herself up. He shrugged absentmindedly, dropping his hand back to his pocket.