Control » l.h

Chapter Twenty-Nine

L U K E

We didn't dare move Jemma so the boys and I sat watching her. Ashton played with the throw blanket as he watched her eyes flutter with her dreams. He was a little freaked out about what just happened to say the least.

"Are you okay?" Calum wondered.

Ashton just shrugged, keeping his head hung like he was a tired child.

"I'm telling you, Luke, something's up with that girl." Michael nodded.

"Not now, please," I sighed, rubbing my face. "When she's awake and we know she's better, maybe we'll talk."

"Maybe? Luke, this is important! She's like you!" Calum insisted.

"She is not!" I growled. "Trust me, Jemma is no freak or a monster like me."

"Well, if she's a mind reader like Ash thinks, she might be a freak." Calum mused quietly, but I didn't bother yelling at him for it. I was too tired for this shit.

"How does this even happen?" Michael wondered. "How do people develop shit like this?"

"Hell if I know." I shrugged.

J E M M A

There was a girl smiling and laughing and she twirled around in the kitchen, her orange hair flowing around her like it was a dress. I knew her as Kathrine, although I could swear I'd never seen her before in my life. But somehow, I knew everything about her. I knew that she always smelled of strawberries and mint, that she aced in math, that she could dance like a pro, and that she loved to laugh and smile. This unknown girl lit up my entire life.

"Let's go do something," she giggled as she stopped spinning once she was facing me. She put her hands on my waist and pulled me towards her, resting her chin on my chest. "We should get ice cream or something."

I kissed her nose, but my smile faded. "I can't. I have to help-"

"The boys, I know," she sighed, completing my sentence. "You know, Ash, it's a pain in the ass never seeing you because you're too busy covering up for something."

Ashton? 

"We're not covering up anything," I insisted as she moved farther away from me. I followed behind her. "We've just got things to take care of."

She spun around to face me as we stood in the middle of the hallway. "Honestly, it doesn't matter what it is; it's always something bad. You've either killed someone or you're planning to. I can't take it anymore!"

She turned swiftly and sped up the stairs. I stared after her, not knowing where the sudden outburst came from. She was fine only a minute ago, and now she was saying she hated the way we were living? I followed quickly after her, jogging down my side of the hallway and pushing my bedroom door open. She was packing things into her dance duffel bag.

"Kat, what are you doing?" I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"Packing," she snapped, not looking up at me. "What the hell's it look like?"

"Why?" I groaned, flopping down on the bed next to her half-full bag. "Where did all of this even come from?"

She threw a bundle of shirts into it before popping her hip out and giving me a look. "You're not serious, Ashton; you can't be fucking serious right now. Where is this all coming from? Look around you! I've been living like this since I moved in here! It was pretty bad when you'd blow off dates because of something Luke did, but living with you and never seeing you? And being put into the middle of it all! I can't do it anymore!"

"You were just fine until I said-"

"I'm never fine, Ashton!" she shouted. "I've never been fine since I moved in here! And I'm tired of being scared all the time."

She grabbed more clothes from the drawers and closet. She didn't fit all of her stuff, but she obviously didn't care as she zipped up the bag and slung it over her shoulder. She walked out of the room with me following behind, begging and pleading, but she continued toward the door, grabbing her keys from the hook by the door.

"Kat, please!" I cried, knowing the boys could probably hear me from downstairs. "I love you!"

I was suddenly in the room I shared with Luke, staring at...myself. My eyes were glowing blue, staring over at me. All I could think was, "I was right! She's special; I was right!"

My eyes locked on me. My expression was calm and content. "I know you were."

My eyes flashed open to meet the looks of four confused and very concerned boys. Luke was kneeling by my head with Ashton sitting criss-cross next to him. Calum looked at me from over the back of the couch, and Michael stood behind Luke and Ash.

"Are you okay?" Luke wondered softly.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah," I breathed. I looked to Ashton, who stared back quizzically. "Was her name Kathrine?"

His eyes widened as he realized I was talking about his ex girlfriend. "Y-yeah. But...h-how'd you know...?" his voice trailed off.

"I dreamed it," I explained. "Well, I don't think I dreamed it exactly. It's like what happened the other times, you know? Do you remember what happened when she left?"

He stared at my stomach as he spaced out, thinking back to the moment. "No," he finally choked out. "She was dancing around the kitchen as usual, and next thing I know, I'm on my knees at the front door."

"What about what happened before? When I did that weird thing?" I asked, fishing for words to explain what exactly it was that I had done. Although, I didn't even remember that happening.

"What are you talking about?" he wondered, his eyebrows pulling together. "The screaming thing?"

"No, when I woke up." I pressed.

He shrugged and shook his head. "I don't remember anything."

I sat up, resting a hand on Ashton's shoulder. "I might be a mind reader, but I think it's more than that. I think I can take memories too."