Touched

Sixteen, The First Sacrifice

"If you love something, let it go"

I wake with a dark feeling of dread settling into the pit of my stomach, I also wake up alone, I knew that it was likely they wouldn't be in the room when I arrived last night, but I never expected them to ditch me completely. Especially after all their words about not abandoning me no matter what, I figured the three of them would be having a meeting but even when I got in bed, intending to stay awake for them, I had a feeling they weren't coming.

I truly tried as hard as I could to stay awake, but it was to no avail as neither Selena nor Kyle returned, my outburst of power scared them, more than they would ever admit to my face but I can feel it. How what happened and the way I had changed in that moment. There was no way that Rhydian thought his plan would work and I justified every fear that he had, all those moments of tenderness beforehand feel like stabs in the back now.

We may have been able to ignore the concerns by masking the fears and anxieties with empty words of reassurance and faking stability as if it would become real. We kept pretending that everything was okay, even though I knew deep down that it wouldn't be that easy, and I know deep down that they thought the same thing.

The door to my room swings open roughly, hitting the wall with a loud bang that draws me out of my head and gets my eyes to focus on who did it, my heart skipping when I see her. I jump out of the bed and rush over to a sad looking Selena in a flash, halting just before her in fear of rejection but when she stares at me with vacant brown eyes, and her lips turned down in a frown. I cannot help needing to wrap my arms around her body and press my body against her's in a tight hug.

"Are you okay?" I mumble, pulling back to look at her, keeping my hands on her shoulders when she continues to stand there numbly, so silent, her skin covered in a thin layer of sweat that makes me more anxious than I was previously.

"I don't know what's happening..." she mutters distantly, my heart picks up its pace at the sound of her exhausted and sad voice. With slow movements I pull her slowly to the edge of our bed before sitting her on the edge and examining her body, falling to my knees in front of her as I watch each of her reactions carefully.

I can't seem to find any external wounds, but I know the worst one's can be the ones the naked eye can't see, and I can feel the gaping hole inside of her, one that only Kyle would be able to fill; alas he seems to be missing in action.

"Explain to me what happened after I left yesterday?" I prod carefully.

"We argued because Rhydian didn't expect it to work nor for you to run off which was stupid of him and he should have known better, then Mady came and asked to speak to Rhydian about a threatening letter she got. Cole asked for Kyle's assistance in the kitchen and he was so calm that even though you had just taken off we couldn't say no to them. Couldn't let them think something happened and I haven't seen either of them since and I can't find them, I have been searching all night"

"Everywhere?"

"Something feels wrong E" she confesses, eyes filling with tears as they finally find mine, her brown eyes duller than I have ever seen them. "I can feel it, the pain and the danger, it's lodged itself in my heart"

"Why didn't you come to me earlier?" I question, moving away from her body to change out of my sleepwear as fast as I can.

"I thought you would be mad and tell me to go away, your very powerful and I didn't want you to snap" she answers vacantly, "It scared me seeing you like that, and I hate myself for it!"

"You know I wouldn't hurt you; my power is not dangerous to you because I love you, you know this, but I refuse to be mad at you for something that scares me as well"