Sworn to Secrecy

Chapter 39 - Clay

Lili's POV

In front of me lies the Forbidden Forest. The very forest that have killed me or at least made me a murderer. Memories flood back - Ty stabbing me, Clayton attacking Mitch, Clayton getting what he deserved by me. I look down at my arm and I see the scars that the knife left when Ty attacked me. A lot of things have happening in this very meadow.

I know I shouldn't go in, but I also know Clayton's in there. Even though I shouldn't, something beckons to me from within. Giving in, I inch closer to the forest, soon at the very edge. "Here goes nothing," I whisper to my self then plunge into familiar surroundings. Right away, I remember the direction Clayton's hideaway is. Something's just stick in your head I guess.

I push away branches and twigs, but every once and a while, they get caught on my shirt, snagging it, or cutting my arms. Nothing to serious though, or I would have stopped by now. Well... I think it's not serious.

The tree that I leaned against comes into view. I don't understand why I recognized that particular tree out of all the rest, but I do. I stop right next to it, but Clayton isn't anywhere to be seen.

"Clayton!" I cup my mouth and shout his name as loud as I can. No answer. "Clay! Clayton Harrison!" I shout louder. It strains my voice, but I need to find him. Rustling comes from a direction, I can't tell which. "Clay!" I yell a little quieter. More rustling follows, then I hear and see scurrying animals. I remember when I first met him; all the animals were running away, but I couldn't. Now I can, but I don't. Clayton steps out from behind a tree and walks up to me until he's about a yard away.

"Why do all the animals run away from you?" I ask him.

"Hello to you too," Clayton smiles and walks over to a tree. He takes out a knife and starts carving.

"I'm serious. It's like they know who you are," I walk behind him. He nods his head and I can tell he's smiling.

"They do. I've lived here from awhile."

The sound of the knife scratching against the tree rings in my ears. Maybe him with a knife isn't so good to be around... I turn around and walk over to the tree I was stuck at only a few months ago.

"So, why are you here?" Clayton asks me as he scratches away on the tree,

"Why wouldn't I be?" I answer his question with a question.

"Because I'm me," he turns around and glares at me, knife in hand.

"Maybe that's why I came."

He walks up to me until he's a yard away. He levels the knife to my head, but I'm not afraid. He would never hurt me, well.... He would never kill me. Clayton must sense that I can see his bluff, so he shoves the knife as far as he can into my head. I mean, next to my head. I turn to my left and see it sticking out.

"We both know perfectly well that you came for a reason. Spill it," Clayton gets a bit closer and puts his hand on the right of my head, leaning on it. He's only a few inches from me now.

"When you brought me he-" I'm cut off by my phone ringing. Clayton stares at the pocket, waiting for me to answer it. I do and Sophia starts yelling.

"Mitch is on his way!" She shouts loudly.

"What! You guys had one simple job! What if he hurts Clayton? I need answers first! Stall him?" Clayton's eyes widen.

"I'm not sure if we can keep him back!" Sophia sound really worried.

"Find a way," I say a lot calmer than before and hang up.

"What the f-" I cut Clayton off before he can finish his sentence.

"So... Mitch is coming..." I shrug and try to play it off as no big deal. I obviously fail miserably.

"And why is that?" Clayton narrows his eyes and gets closer. Now he's about three inches from my face.

"Because when you brought me here to make me evil, you succeeded... At least for a little while. Then after you kissed me, Lola pointed out that it's possible I'm not evil anymore from True Love's Kiss. Mitch is really mad and is coming to attack you or something."

"Let's see him try," he smirks while pulling the knife from inside the tree, but he still doesn't move away from me.

"You can't hurt him!" I whisper-shout at him. Clayton shrugs.

"Why can't I? If you're not evil anymore, that means you love me, not him," he smirks wider.

"Because what if I'm still evil? Then I don't love you! What if I love you both? What if I love neither?" I shout at him. Just as I say that, I hear more rustling coming from next to us. Lola comes running through some trees.

"He's... Here..." She says between tired breaths. Mitch comes running from behind her with a knife in hand. He comes running at me, or more-so Clayton. Clayton grabs my shoulders and throws me to the ground, protecting me from whatever Mitch is about to do. Mitch tries to stab Clayton, but Clayton dodges him. I notice that Mitch's knife is aimed at Clayton's heart.

"No!" I scream and jump at Mitch, knocking him to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Mitch yells at me.

"Saving someone from dying!" I yell back. Clayton pushes me away from Mitch. I give him a questioning look.

"I can fight him myself," Clayton says calmly as he wipes his knife clean on his shirt.