Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(82)

I answered by pulling him closer, wanting to be as close as possible to his soul. He picked me up and carried me to my bed. I did everything in my power to get as close to him as humanly possible, and the tighter he held me, the easier it was to forget a past that should remain forgotten. That wasn’t him; it may have looked like him, but that wasn’t the boy that was holding me - the boy I would end my existence for. I let my thoughts grow numb and focused on his touch, his energy.





Chapter Eighteen


I woke up all alone. Next to me on the pillow was a flower – but not an ordinary flower; it was flower from the field in Chara. A note was beside it read: ‘ I’ll see you in a few hours – love you.’

I rolled on my back and pulled the flower to my nose, taking in the sweet aroma, imagining living in such an untouched, beautiful world. I assumed that Draven had gone to Chara using my memories, and I could only hope he was more convincing than I was – that maybe he walked the few extra steps to Landen’s house.

I had no idea what time it was. I knew the sun had risen long before Draven and I had finally fallen asleep. I looked to my nightstand to see the clock screaming five PM at me. I sat up quickly. I couldn’t believe I’d slept the entire day – like nine straight hours. I flung the covers off me and ran down the stairs. My old room was empty, but I could hear a house full of people downstairs. I ran to the closet and grabbed my clothes, then locked myself in the bathroom.

As I showered and got dressed, I tried not to think about the horrible images I’d seen last night. I vowed never to let Draven see them; I knew him well enough to know that he’d never forgive his own soul. I dried my hair, then pulled on my black tights and purple skirt. I then layered a tank top on before adding a lace shirt, then covered it with a short black jacket. I took a deep breath, then leaned forward and stared at my complexion. You can do this...you can win this before it begins, I promised myself.

The moment those words left my lips, I heard my father’s guitar come to life. I looked at the thin air around me and nodded once before I opened the bathroom door. I ran upstairs to grab my phone and bag. Night had come, and the only thing that was lighting my room was the rock lamp. I swear, I could feel the hum of energy as I grabbed my phone from my table. I thought about turning it off, but I wanted to feel this calm energy when this night was over.

I stopped in my old room to grab my black boots and slid into them just before I ran down the stairs. I couldn’t make out the voices, but I knew there was at least one man down there. When I got to the base of the, stairs laughter erupted. I could see my mom and Evan at the table with cups of coffee, laughing at something Kara had just said. Monroe and Madison were there, too, but they didn’t seem as relaxed; they carried the same nervousness that I did.

“There she is,” my mother said when she saw me walking closer.

“I didn’t mean to sleep all day. When does this concert start?”

Evan looked at his watch. “I better get back. The first band plays in an hour.”

“Are you hungry?” my mom asked me.

“Too nervous.”

Evan grinned slightly. “You sound like the boys; I couldn’t get them to eat either.”

“Is Draven already there?” I asked.

He nodded. “He’s been there since around noon…really proud of that sound you guys came up with – never heard anything like it before.”

I let out a jagged breath. “Can’t wait to hear it all together.” I looked at Monroe and Madison. “You guys wanna ride with me? I’m gonna head over there.”

“We’ll all go,” my mom said. As she stood and hugged Evan goodbye, she whispered, “They’ll be fine,” in his ear, which made him smile and hug her tighter.

Madison helped Kara clear away the coffee cups and shut down the house. I caught my mother’s stare. She winked at me, but I knew she wanted to say more. “You OK?” she asked as she came to my side.

“Nervous,” I said as I opened the door, eager to leave.

“It’s your birthday concert. Have fun, OK?” mom said as she pressed the unlock button on Kara’s car.

I nodded, then briskly walked to my car. Madison climbed in the front seat, and Monroe in the back. We didn’t say much until we were almost at the school.

“You didn’t come home last night, did you?” I asked Madison.

“I went to my mom’s after I left Britain’s; all this talk about leaving me made me want to see her.”

“How did it go with Britain?” I asked, not knowing if I still had that to rely on.

“Alright, I guess. We really don’t talk much; it’s a lot of awkward stares and a battle of wits - but I like trying to figure him out.”

“You do like a good mystery,” I mumbled.

I looked in my rearview mirror. “How did you like New York?” I asked Monroe.

She didn’t answer me; she just continued to stare out the window.

“I tried to get Monroe to let me borrow that purple lipstick, but she wouldn’t let me,” Madison teased, turning to look at Monroe.

I glanced in my rearview mirror to see Monroe trying to hold back a grin. “It looks good with all that eyeliner,” I said as I slowed down. We’d managed to find ourselves at a standstill, and I couldn’t figure out why.