Inhuman

Chapter 19

It was too bright, it shouldn't be so bright. I groaned and rolled into Keghan's pillow, inhaling his scent, an unpleasant reminder of last night. I was aware someone was shaking my shoulders and calling my name. I slapped their hand away and they sighed, shaking me more.

I opened my eyes to glare at the person the hands belonged to, John was staring down at me, a dissaproving look on his face. "Wake up, we are leaving soon." He said.

"Go away," I groaned up at him. I hated the way he closely resembled Keghan. "I need to sleep." I turned back into the pillow but John plucked me up and made me sit up.

"Get up, now." He said pushing my backpack into my hands. I looked down at my backpack before getting up and hobbling into the forest to change. I stripped and then pulled on a new pair of jeans and a soft sweater.

I limped back out of the trees and went to help Rosalie with the sleeping bags again. "How's your ankle?" Rosalie asked gently.

I shrugged. "Hurts a little to walk on, but it's fine." I said, hooking the straps around the bag.

Rosalie looked at me for a second not helping me, then she shook her head. "Can you finish this?" She gestured to the other two bags. "I need to change." I nodded and she grabbed her bag and ran into the forest.

I turned toward the voices that suddenly rose out of the forest. I watched the tree line as Keghan and John emerged, arguing.

"Why did you leave last night?" John asked, his arms on Keghan's shoulders.

"I needed space. So I got it." Keghan shrugged, only looked mildly annoyed while doing so.

"So you just stormed off?" John yelled. "You had no jurisdiction to just walk off like that. You just left us."

"I came back didn't I?" Keghan asked, glaring at John, but keeping his voice below a yell.

"You just left her, you left Kensley, god Keghan, she kept me up a long time with questions."

"Well damn you John, it's not my fault." Keghan laughed at John.

"I hope," John said, stepping close to Keghan, "that you have a good reason to explain the reason you left."

Keghan sighed. "And I do." He ran his hands through his hair, his eyes flicked over to me and I quickly ducked my head before he could catch my eye. "I did it because I love her and I didn't want to hurt her and I would have hurt her if I-" I got up quickly and moved away from them, where I couldn't hear them.

I rummaged in my bag for a hair tie, I found one and knotted my hair up in a bun on the top of my head. I sat on the ground, fiddling with blades of grass until Rosalie came and told me we were leaving.

I held up the back of our line and Rosalie was in front of me. She kept glancing back to make sure I wasn't falling behind. But I was, I was getting tired, and falling behind slowly. Every time my right foot hit the ground I winced. Rosalie looked back and slowed, waiting for me to catch up with her.

"What?" I asked rather painfully.

"Are you okay? We can stop." She offered.

"No, we don't need to stop, it'll slow us down." I said, waving away her concern.

"Then I can get Keghan to carry you."

"No, I don't want Keghan to help me, he could hurt me." I said, venom coloring my words, but I was in too much pain to care.

"Then I can get John."

"I really don't need help." I told her, speeding up my walk to get away from her and to prove my point.