Taken By The Bad Boy

49 Alright, Smart Ass

+Liam's POV+

I hold Raleigh's hand as we sit on a log with a small fire going to keep us warm. The temperature dropped to about forty degrees when the sun went down about an hour ago. Raleigh lays her head on my shoulder and stares deeply at the flames as of thinking of something serious. Randy holds onto Zoey on a log across from us on the other side of the fire, even from here I can tell he's holding her really tight. He's probably scared that she'll disappear.

"Let's take a walk." I hear Zoey suggest and Randy nods his head, leading her away from the group.

Zaya remains sitting next to the empty spot where Zoey was just sitting. She doesn't say anything, just stares at the fire and back at her phone sitting next to her.

Ryder and Delilah sit against a tree a few feet from us, kissing. Even from here I can tell that they are talking seriously in between kisses. Delilah's eyes shift from us to Zaya and to the direction that Zoey and Randy went every few minutes. I shake my head and try to focus on the positives and the beautiful woman sitting next to me.

"Do you believe in God?" Raleigh asks. It's so soft that I second guess if that's what she said.

"I don't know. I remember as a child my father tried to convince my mother to let him take me to church because he was a Christian but she never let him. She always claimed that there wasn't one because if there was someone as mighty as my father described her life wouldn't be so awful. He always tried explaining that just because God existed it doesn't mean bad things stop happening. I never did understand but maybe I should start." I explain with a sigh.

Religion wasn't something my mother was fond of. She hated the thought of someone having more power than her. But also the fact that someone had all that power but did nothing to stop the bad things that happened to her. In a way I see where she's coming from, but at the same time why would God help her when she's awful?

"There was a young teen boy at the gang house that tried explaining some of it to me. I tried so hard to understand it but I-I couldn't. I didn't even think about it again after we left until the night of my birthday. I felt so broken and I missed you so much that I remembered that boy said 'just pray. Say what's on your heart', I remembered some of the verses the old guy talking said. There was so much emotion that I fell to my knees praying to a God I didn't even fully believe in. Yet, he somehow heard my prayers and gave you back."

Shock. That's all I can think of. She never mentioned any of this to me! I can't believe she never said anything! Maybe God is real. Maybe just maybe there is someone out there looking out for us.

"Right before I jumped through the tree, I heard the boy's voice that said 'God can get you through it'. I had thought 'He can't. No one can.' Yet, I survived and realized that if I have you, I can get through anything. In an instant my mind set changed. Now, I'm not religious but I'm starting to think that the boy was right. God is good and I need him in my life. It's just so crazy to me." Raleigh continues, looking up at the sky with a smile on her face.

     Once again, the only word I can think of is shock. I stare at her because I don't know what else to do or to say. What do you say to something like that? I have no idea. After what feels like forever, Raleigh nudges me, as if to see I'm still alive. I don't know. I don't know anything right now. I feel like my mind is racing a million miles per second. I feel like I can't keep up with all the thinking my brain is doing.

"Are you saying you want to...you know... go to...church?" I ask her, hesitant and trying to get all the words out. Raleigh sighs before answering me.