Amidst Crimson Kisses

Chapter Thirty Five: My Bleeding Heart

Asher's POV

The pavement expands before me in a wave of cornflower blue as the ocean lays beneath us in madness. I came on this trip to escape Juliet, but I still find myself thinking of how the sea couples her vibrant eyes. A part of my mind wonders if I'm obsessed with Juliet's death, and within an instant, a stray bullet propels through the atmosphere. I silently gasp for air as the car blazes down the highway, speeding over taunting waters. A sigh escapes my lips as the wind hits my face, reminding me no matter how numb I feel on the inside, I'm still alive to inhale a breath of fresh air.

I glance in the rearview mirror as Margo rests her head against the leather seat. Her eyelids close as the road runs alongside a mountain top struck with autumn. The roadway curves down a vast expanse of luminous trees littering with leaves of marigold and scarlet erupting around orange leaves. Andre raises an eyebrow as he observes an array of trees surrounding the two lane street in different brushstrokes. The clouds paint above the leaves in a swirl of radiance when blush pink and light blue graze over the horizon.

"How did you even find this place," Andre questions, fawning over the beautiful countryside in a gentle tone like he's afraid he might disturb the land. "It's breathtaking, like inhaling a deep breath of peace. I always wished I grew up away from the city and in a small town with no skyscrapers and more decent people. Even though New York City is the heart of big dreams sometimes those desires make you numb to the world around you, and the people suffering."

"I figured we could use a break away from Manhattan and all our problems. Like Mateo working for Elijah, and David nowhere in sight. Then Gwendolyn had a meeting with Lynn, and one of my migraines overpowers me until I can barely remember whether I saw them arguing, or if my mind was playing tricks on me. Lately, I've been questioning my judgment a lot, and it boils down to what Lynn said about my mind conjuring fake memories that never existed." I mutter, approaching a sign welcoming us to a different state.

"I'm only sixteen, and sometimes I wonder why God even allows people to live who just cause pain. I think of my dad, and I wonder if he'll ever change. Sometimes, I think of the man he used to be, and I wonder if it was all an act. Then Gabriella shows up, and I can't stop myself from imagining a world where she never left us. I want to hate her with everything that's in me, but I don't know if I'm ready to let her go." Andre trails off as he stares at the sign welcoming us to Vermont as silence takes over him and Ajiona rests her head on Margo's shoulder.

"Trust me; this is going to be good for us," I mutter, trying to ease Andre's worries of the future as he looks into the rear view mirror. "You can finally take some time to think about everything that matters to you, and whatever you decide I'll always be here."

We drove for another fifteen minutes with soft snores expelling on the fresh gravel leading to a secret road hidden behind the mountaintops. A plethora of autumn leaves cover the ground as they mimic individual blades of grass and conceal the dirt in a sunburst of burnt orange. I released the rooftop hours ago, but only now has the wind blown with a freshness more invigorating than the air in New York City. I can't believe it, even the breeze in Vermont is different from the atmosphere in Manhattan. A smile breaks across my face as I pull in the driveway of John Kennedy while our conversation from several weeks ago replays in my mind.

"Pumpkin, it's me," a man muttered over the phone with gravel in his voice. "I just called to hear your voice and to tell you how much Charles misses yah. I caught that doggone fox curled up in an old blanket you had when you were as high as a June bug. I had half a mind to yank it from his ass, but then I saw him resting on it as if he lost his best friend. I guess what I'm saying is it wouldn't be so bad if you came to visit him. I could use the company, Charles, I mean."