Killing Me Softly - Teenage Assassin - aka Young Love Murder

KILLING ME SOFTLY - Teenage Assassin - Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26:

GABRIEL'S POV:

When we wake up from our nap, I have no idea how long we've been sleeping. My guess would be two or three hours. Our flight left early in the morning from Miami and it will take a total of twenty-two hours to reach Sydney.

I glance down to see the top of Anna's head, where it's resting on my chest. It's so peaceful, her sleeping on me, no fighting, no conflict. No her blowing peoples brains out. With her face in repose, she looks so deceptively innocent.

Then her eyes flutter open and, in them, I see something that I don't know how I could have missed before. Knowledge. Not the kind found in books, but the kind found in life. Annabelle has lived and seen things that other people our age couldn't even imagine.

She smiles tentatively at me and I see not Annabelle, but Anna, the girl I fell in love with. It seems like a lifetime ago, but was, in reality, only eight months ago. I can admit to myself now that I still love that girl, Anna. But what about Annabelle? Do I love her? Do I even really know her. I watched Annabelle shoot my father, then so easily slip out of my life. Leaving me to deal with the pain and shock.

Am I willing to deal with Annabelle in order to be near Anna? Did Anna really exist or was it all an act? The uncertainty is driving me crazy.

Most of all, should Anna die for the sins of Annabelle?

Do I even have the right of it?

"Why are you looking at me like that, Gabriel?" Anna asks as she pulls herself off me and into a sitting position.

"Just trying to figure out what's real and what isn't," I say cautiously.

Her eyes are downcast as she answer, "You basically know all of it now."

"Tell me more," I insist.

Her eyes dart up to mine, "What do you want to know?"

My next words come out more forcefully than I'd intended, "Who the hell is the fake Russian?"

She rolls her eyes, "Him again? Forget about him, Gabriel. Trust me when I say that you have ABSOLUTELY nothing to worry about when it comes to him. Unless you try to hurt me physically, of course. But then again, if you hurt me emotionally, he may have the right to be upset too."

"Why would he have a right to anything? Did you guys ever date?"

She makes a gagging sound, "Hell no. He's gross."

I give her a skeptical look, "I'm the farthest thing from gay that it gets, but even I have to admit that most girls would find him attractive."

The gagging sound again, "Believe me, I know. I've been unfortunate enough to witness it. And while I in no way understand it, I in no way agree with them."

"So you guys are just friends. But, then why is he so protective of you?"

"Cause he's annoying," she mumbles.

"What's his name?" I at least want to know that much.

She purses her lips, "What did he tell you?"

I laugh at the memory, "He told me to call him Cool."

"Dweeb," she laughs, "Sorry Gabriel, I can't tell you his real name."

"How about I call him Dexter? He seems to be enough of a sociopath for that name," I say resentfully. I don't like the fact that Anna has another male in her life that she's close to. Whether they are just friends or not.