Forlot: Forgotten Forest - Book Eight {Completed}

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Mmm!"

I could feel him squirming, attempting to pull away his face, so I reached up and held the sides of his face, deepening the kiss. It was not before long that he stopped with his squirms and calmed himself down, enjoying the kiss.

I lifted my lips off his, ending such a passionate kiss, and poked his nose with my finger. "Well, Collin? Did you like that?"

Drops of sweat was covering Collin's entire face, and he seemed puzzled, as if he were dismayed.

"Oh...my goodness," he finally answered. "I kissed a girl. I, the geek, kissed a hottie. Kissed my crush."

I smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Did you refer to me as a hottie?"

"I kissed her!" He jumped all around the cabin. "My dream has come true!"

I giggled at his excitement. "What about majoring in science studies?"

He stopped jumping, hurried back to my side, and took my hands into his. He planted a kiss on top of each of them and smiled back, his eyes twinkling. "My precious Ari, my work is nothing compared to your beauty."

"Oh? So you only like me for my beauty?" I was joking, however, he did not realize that.

His face turned as red as a tomato. "Of c-course not. I love you for you. You are smart, kind, and helpful. I could not have asked for a better friend than you."

I smirked. "Actually...you are wrong about that."

"I-I am? Hold on. You are not any of those things?"

I giggled again and patted his cheek. "You are so funny. I meant that we are no longer friends."

"W-why? D-did I do something wrong? Do not tell me that my cousin, Caleb, confused your locker for his own."

I became a bit surprised. He never admitted to me that he has a cousin.

"You have a cousin?"

"Two, actually. Caleb Night and Joan Morning. They are brother and sister." He sighed, and it was a sad sigh. "I have not seen either of them for a long time because...they were kidnapped."

I gasped and covered my mouth with a hand. "Oh my gosh. I am terribly sorry."

"Two months ago, I received a letter from somebody. I am assuming that it is from the kidnapper or somebody who works for him or her."

I uncovered my mouth. "What did the letter say?"

"It was more of a ransom note. It said that if I do not give up my robot, Ironic, I would never see Caleb again. It said nothing about Joan." He began tearing up. "What if...what if...?"

I wanted to hug him so badly, and that is what I did. I wrapped my arms around him and brought him close to me.

"Collin. Oh, Collin. I am sorry for your losses," I said. "If I had known..."

"Even if you did know, you would be unable to do anything to fix it." He took my arms and unwrapped them. "I have been looking for them for years...and nothing. I...I have to call it. They...are dead."

"We will find them, Collin. We will find them."

"And what if we eventually find out that they are dead?"

"Then you, me, and both of our families will give them the proper funerals that they need. And you and I will uncover who took them away from you. From your life."

He shed a tear and quickly wiped it. "You would do that...for me?"

"A hundred percent. You have lost so much. Your brother. Your cousins. And now, our classmates are being killed off. Besides, I really want to help my boyfriend."

"Your boyfriend? I did not know that you have a boyfriend. Unless...it is that Kyle guy."

"Collin, I am talking about you. You are my boyfriend. That is why we are no longer best friends. We are boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Oh...oh!" He slapped his palm against his forehead. "That is a relief. But wait. What about Kyle? I thought that you had a thing for him."

My body slumped as if it were sad. That is because I was sad.

"I did. I had a crush on him. But it was not actual love. True love. I guess..." I rubbed my arm. "...I guess that my true feelings were fighting back. My true feelings...for you."

"You mean...you love me?"

"Very. From the moment that I first met you when my family and I moved to Forlot."

"Ari, why did you not tell me? It would have saved both of us a lot of time."

"Believe it or not...I thought that you were out of my lead."

"Really? I thought that you were out of my lead!"

"You are such an intelligent boy. I am only smart and assumed that you would like a girl who was as intelligent as you."

"You are pretty and cool. Your social skills are through the roof! I am the opposite. Nerdy. Weird. And my social skills are in the toilet."

"Well, you know what they say. Opposites attract."

He chuckled. "That is a scientific fact."

Before I could ask him if he would like another kiss, we heard crying. It was coming from outside. Confused - and nervous - Collin and I rushed outside. The boys and girls stood in front of the counselors' cabin. Even the counselors were there.

Except Melinda.

Collin and I hurried to them.

"Where is my sister?!" I demanded.

"In...the counselors' cabin," Belinda replied. She was going to say more, but I ran into the cabin.

And felt my heart drop.

There was my sister, Melinda. Tied up in a chair and gagged. Bruises all over her skin as if she were beaten. Her eyes were shut.

No. Sewn shut. So was her mouth.

Her eyes and mouth were sewn shut, and blood was seeping through them.

"Nooooooo!" I cried out.

Whoever was responsible...was going to pay now.