Cross My Hart and Hope to Die

Chapter 4

Warning: content may be offensive or disturbing to some audiences. It may be a trigger for some who suffer from PTSD or other mental health issues***

I stood in the corner of the room by myself. Everyone avoided me. We had walked in first, waiting for Rowan to return. He and Ethan had killed two of the biters no problem, and now he was moving the bodies behind the building with the others. Ethan had come in by himself and demanded I be kept somewhere shut up in case I changed.

Big John and Ryder had stepped in, everyone forgetting momentarily about the new guy, but I hadn't. I inspected every inch of him. He was tall. Taller than Rowan, probably about the same height as Big John. He was Asian with a buzzed haircut. His skin was smooth and olive. He was wearing army green baggy clothing, but I could imagine the body he had under them. I had to check myself to make sure I wasn't drooling.

First Ryder, then Rowan, now this new guy? Why couldn't I have met at least one of them before the world went to shit? He had watched the interaction before tearing his gaze away to look at me. Our eyes met. He was someone who had seen the world and didn't come out better for it. He was like me.

The front door open and Rowan walked in. He dusted off his hands. "Alright, now someone explain to me how..." Rowan stopped mid sentence the moment his eyes landed on the stranger. "Kaito..."

The two met in the middle for a man hug. They drew apart and grabbed each other's arms. No one said anything not even them. The looks passed between the two carried an entire conversation that none of us were privy to. "Well, I'll be damned. How'd you know I was here?"

The guy started signing, surprising me. He could obviously hear, or was a very good lip reader. Rowan laughed, a big belly laugh. The gravelly sound eased my nerves a bit. Angel made a small sound. I turned my head towards her only to find her eyeing me. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two signing men and myself. I wondered what they were saying.

"We still need to figure out what to do with her?" Ethan interrupted the reunion to point in my direction. Samantha's lip curled in disgust at my appearance. Lily was rubbing Tucker's back while he held ice to his black eye, curtesy of Big John.

Everyone watched Rowan as he slowly approached me. I grabbed the bat and held it in front of me.

"You really think I'm going to hurt you." He held his hands loosely by his sides, palms open towards me, taking smalls steps like you would towards a scared animal. Rowan was gently pushed out of the way. Ryder came over, not even hesitating. He grabbed the my hands over the bat, then slowly ran them up to my elbows, never breaking eye contact.

I was lost in the tides crashing in his eyes. He only broke contact when I relaxed my grip on the bat. "I should have checked on you sooner. I'm sorry. May I take a look at your shoulder."

I nodded and without touching the wound, or the blood on me, he looked me over. "How did you escape?" My voice came out in a rasp.

"Kaito, was it?" Ryder looked over his shoulder for confirmation, then continued. "Kaito broke a bottle across the street. It distracted the biters enough for me to climb down, but I noticed he was struggling holding them off, so I ran to help. Just so happened that someone had the brilliant idea to come save me at the same time. I was around the front of the building when you were attacked."

He looked remorseful. Big John shoved a glass of water into my hand and sighed heavily. "I was out back with her and still couldn't help."

"Guess this is just karma catching up from killing Blaise." I was really starting to hate Ethan. Angel frowned at him, then slapped him. The room grew quiet.