Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(48)
“I can’t do anything about the past - especially one I can’t recall. I have to figure out what to do with my future…how to end what I’ve begun.”
She didn’t bother to say anything in response; instead, she calmly stared forward. I let my eyes follow her gaze and saw two figures walking closer to us. I instinctively put my arm around Monroe and asked in my mind a simple question: Who are you? As that thought emerged, images of Grayson and Winston danced in my mind. They weren’t letting me see beyond the surface of who they were, only telling me not to be alarmed.
Grayson stepped closer, and Winston held back. I was sure he wasn’t excited to come face-to-face with me.
“I’m not sure how much longer I can make excuses for you,” Grayson said as he reached me.
“Excuse me?” I replied with a heavy, sarcastic tone.
Through the shadows, I saw him smile. “Sorry…I guess that sounded rude…I meant that everyone is starting to doubt that we’ve spent the afternoon sightseeing; they’re looking for us to come back.”
“You told them that?” I asked bleakly, wondering why he felt compelled to lie on my behalf.
“It was insinuated that saying such a lie would be wise,” Grayson said as he tilted his head toward his baby sister.
I looked to my side at Monroe. “An alibi – nice. I wonder how you knew to do that?” I mumbled.
“Who knows?” Winston said shortly.
Grayson glared over his shoulder, telling Winston to watch his tone. Then he looked back at me. “I learned long ago not to question the notions Monroe has.”
“I thought you said she doesn’t speak to you?”
“She doesn’t; she shows me what she thinks.”
“And today she told you to lie?”
Grayson nodded as he stared at Monroe. It was easy to see that he lived in awe of her. “The moment you left her today, she sent a text to me, asking for me to come to her – and when I saw her, she showed me you sitting here and gave me every reason to believe that you needed to be alone this afternoon…so yeah, I made up a story.”
I looked to my side at Monroe. I knew there was no way I could have made it to this place by the time she had shown Grayson that I was here. I was starting to believe that this little girl who hid behind this Goth image could see the future.
“I don’t know if that was a good idea…you might want to come clean before Draven sees you – you don’t deserve to take the heat for what I did today.”
“Like he could see us,” Winston spouted.
Grayson glared at him once more before he looked at me. “We block each other fairly well – no worries. You ready? It’s freezing out here.”
I stood up slowly, and Monroe followed my lead. I walked silently past both Grayson and Winston. I could only hope I was as good at blocking Draven as they were. I weaved around the stones, careful to watch where I stepped. Just as I reached the gate, I heard a sinister laugh. I looked to the direction of it – and from behind a Celtic cross headstone, Bianca stepped into my view. “Leaving so soon? I just got here. You know what that means – the party has officially begun.”
Anger engulfed every part of me as I charged toward her. I’d almost reached her when I felt arms go around me and hold me back. I looked up to see Grayson holding me. “Let me go! I’m gonna kill her!”
Winston came to my left, and Monroe to my right. Bianca looked at Winston and winked; he laughed in response, like he wouldn’t dare step into her trap. I instantly developed a newfound respect for him. Bianca’s alluring looks were the one thing I feared the most. She rolled her eyes at him, then looked back to me as I continued to struggle to get free from Grayson. It didn’t matter that he was thin and rather lanky; he managed to show an immense amount of strength.
“Aww, my best friend is mad at me,” Bianca said as she stepped closer to me. I stopped my struggle so I could glare into her. “That’s a shame. If anyone should be mad, it should be me; you’re the one who’s ignored me.”
“I didn’t ignore you; I just refused to play your games – this illusion. I know what you are, what you’re capable of - and I’m not afraid of you. Go to hell.”
“My favorite place,” Bianca said as she glanced to my side at Monroe. “Well, well, well...looks like you’ve made some new friends.” She tilted her head as she looked at Monroe. “Does daddy know where you are? I’m sure he’d want to see you.”
Grayson’s arms fell from mine as he pushed me behind him. Winston reached to hold him back, finding it harder than he thought. I used that distraction to push Bianca against the stone she was in front of. She tried to fight me, but I was either stronger than her or too full of rage to be stopped.
“You stay away from my life! From everything and everyone in my life! Do you hear me?!”
A wicked smile came to the corners of her lips. “You started this. At least I can agree that you have good taste in men.”
I braced my forearm across her chest and watched as she struggled to breath. “You came to me...you could have moved on to another couple...you – walked – into – my – life!”
She smirked. “No – you have this all wrong. I found someone, someone I wanted to be with that I actually gave a damn about - and what do I discover?” She tried to push me back, but I refused to budge. “That he wanted you, that he regretting not listening to you in a wicked past, and now he was waiting for his chance to know you, to have you as his own, to repay you for saving him from Silas - and he had the audacity to make me help him do just that.”