Home || Enoch O'Connor

06 // Enoch

"What in God's name is your problem?" I hissed furiously, barging into the room.

Enoch had his back facing me, and I shoved him roughly.

He whirled around instantly, grabbing my wrists.

"What do you want?" He growled, eyes clouding over.

"I want you to leave Jake alone," I told him, menace evident in my tone. "He hasn't done anything to you."

Enoch laughed bitterly, "Really? Well, he's friends with you."

He sneered out the last term.

I pushed away from Enoch, giving him an incredulous look.

"What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry?" I questioned, livid.

There was no reply.

I let out a laugh, hysteria bubbling up. "Well, I'm sorry, Enoch," I snapped. "I'm sorry you're upset that you're basically immortal. I'm sorry, that you're pathetic, and that you don't get to live your life! I'm sorry, that no one likes you. And I'm so sorry, that everyone you ever loved left you!"

The words were barely out of my mouth when Enoch slammed me against the wall.

"You don't get to say that to me!" He yelled, bringing his face close to mine.

I shoved him, but he didn't budge.

"You don't know me." He said darkly.

I narrowed my eyes, "I don't? So I don't know how angry you have been for the past fifty years of your life because you're not able to go out and live your life like every other normal being? I don't know how you struggle with that emotion, so you take it out on everybody else? I don't know how you've entirely lost the ability to appreciate and love, because nothing matters to you anymore? I don't know how you've just decided to be mean your entire life, because no one's going to ever bother to love you, because they'll just die one day, and you'll still be here, still be sixteen. I don't know, do I?"

Enoch had his lips pressed into a thin line at my words, his hands by the sides of my head, trapping me in.

Emotion swam in his eyes, glistening.

I think I've just hit a nerve.

"You don't get to take that out on me, or Jake." I told him softly.

But to a certain extent, I felt his pain. I ached, with him. For he couldn't really live. He couldn't grow. He was just as stuck as a prisoner.

I glanced down at my balled-up fists, pressed against Enoch's chest. I flattened out my palms, and gently pushed Enoch away from me.

He took a step back, and retreated back to a corner of his room. He turned his back to me, but I saw.

How he raised a hand, to wipe his eyes.

To contain his heart.

I turned away, and slipped out of the room.

×

We got to stay to watch the reset.

It was spectacular, just like everything else here, but my mind had wandered off elsewhere.

Beside me, Jake was watching the reset.

From my peripheral view, I saw a certain boy turn to look at me. I kept my gaze forward.

When the reset was over, we said our goodbyes. The kids asked Jake and I to return, but I barely heard them.

I looked up, and my gaze fell upon dark eyes.

He stood by the door of the mansion, leaning against the frame. His arms were crossed, and his gaze fierce. He was staring right at me.

I held his gaze for a few moments, before I turned away, following after Emma and Jake.

I left a distance between them. I knew they'd like time to themselves, and besides, I needed to think.

I didn't regret approaching Enoch like that. The words had come out harsher than intended, but they weren't any less true.

When I finally stepped into the cave, Jake and Emma were already waiting.

"I've got to go back," Emma told me urgently. "We found an injured Ymbryne. I have to get her to Miss Peregrine."

I smiled and nodded, and we bid our farewells.

"Jesus, Jackie. You walk really slow." Jake grumbled.

I rolled my eyes, before we stepped through the loop.