Wishing for Oblivion

A Free Man - Chapter 11

I'm excited to share this chapter so enjoy! Remember, this story is rated R. ;) xx

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Eve! 

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"Why is his tent so big?

I laughed at Jasper's indignation as he looked around Bellamy's tent. We were waiting for Clarke and Bellamy to finish talking to Jaha. I didn't know why Bellamy had finally agreed to speak with Jaha, he had left without a word after our kiss. Over the past few days he had avoided the communications tent with such determination so I had no idea what changed his mind but I was glad that he did. The Ark was going to come down soon and things would become vastly different. I wasn't sure to what extent the Ark would keep their promise of absolving us of our crimes, but I knew that we needed Bellamy regardless. Jasper, Monty and I were waiting for the news, to see if the Council was really going to clear us of our crimes, starting with Bellamy. I jumped a little, too engrossed in my thoughts to hear their footsteps when they returned.

Bellamy had an unreadable expression on his face as he dropped his pack and pulled off his jacket. Instantly my stomach clenched in nerves again.

"Well?"

"I'm pardoned."

We all cheered for joy. If Bellamy could get pardoned for shooting the Chancellor, there was no doubt that the rest of us would be pardoned as well.

Clarke smiled at the two boys who were congratulating Bellamy before calling their names to get their attention.

"Your parents want to talk to you."

Monty and Jasper broke into identical smiles as they followed Clarke out to the communications tent, leaving Bellamy and I alone.

"Congratulations Blake. You're officially a free man!"

I believed wholeheartedly, like Clarke, that Bellamy deserved to be pardoned. Despite what he'd done there was no way that a majority of us would be alive today. But after everything the Ark had done... I didn't expect it to actually happen. He nodded like he was still processing the information himself and I grinned at him.

"Yeah. I told him I wouldn't tell him the name of the guard who wanted him dead until he had me pardoned. After he gave the order to execute Shumway-"

"Shumway??"

My heart stopped. That's not possible. The name caused a shiver to run down my back as Bellamy furrowed his brow.

"Yeah, he's the guard who gave me the gun to kill Jaha... Wait how do you know him?" He paused before I sensed him piecing together the puzzle, "Eve, was he..?"

"I thought he was dead. There was so much blood... and they said I used lethal force. I thought I killed him."

I closed my eyes, expecting the memory to burst forth but it didn't. My mind was racing. He was really dead... and I didn't kill him! The man who starred in most of my nightmares was gone. The memory that had always lurked in the back of my head no longer fought to break the surface. I felt relieved... and happy? My whole life I had to live with the guilt that I had killed someone. But I hadn't. I wasn't a murderer.

I was free.

"Hey, you alright?"

I looked up at Bellamy's concern stare and smiled.

"Better than ever."

I crossed the distance between us and raised my toes to bring myself up and meet his surprised lips. When he parted his lips to take a quick breath, I took advantage of his open mouth and pulled his bottom lip between my teeth. I heard him groan in the back of his throat as his hand pushed my tank up to reveal a sliver of my skin. Goosebumps arose as I felt his large, calloused hands glide over my skin, leaving trails of fire in their wake. My hands copied his own but when I tugged at his shirt roughly, he sensed my frustration and pulled back to discard it. I followed suit, shrugging off my jacket quickly and throwing my tank somewhere before we resumed our passionate kissing.