“Where are we going?” Winter questioned while Cameron dragged her inside a parking garage.
“You’ll see,” he said.
She couldn’t really see his expression because he was in front of her... only the corner of his mouth that was slightly tilted up...
She could only imagine what he was planning...
But she asked again. “Where are we going?”
He glanced at her this time, brows raised, but the smile was still there. “I said, ‘You’ll see.’”
She shut her mouth when he faced forward again, dragging her up to the second floor of the garage.
But he pulled her over to a white sedan that had a hood sculpted around the lights...
It looked more like a race car...
A really expensive one... but she knew it was just a sports car.
Her eyes widened when he let go of her hand, pulling opened the driver’s door and sat in the front seat.
“Is this your car?” she questioned.
He ducked under the seat, pulling out a bunch of wires from under the steering wheel. “It is now.”
“You’re really stealing someone’s car right now?” she said angrily. “They must’ve paid hundreds of thousands for this!”
“Yep,” he said, chuckling as he peeled back some of the wire’s rubber. “And I get it for free.”
Her veins burned. “Cameron, we’ll get caught. There’s security cameras everywhere.”
“Not here,” he said, pressing two wires together, and the car rumbled as it started. “The second floor cameras are under maintenance.”
“How do you know this?”
He leaned back against the driver’s seat, eyes glowing with the lights above them.
Though she could still see the mischief swirling in there.
“I know everything, Winter Evans,” he stated. “The question is... what do I not know?”
She was silent at this.
He nodded to the passenger side then. “Get in.”
“You haven’t told me where we’re going yet,” she stated, crossing her arms.
“And I don’t plan on it.” He nodded to the side again. “Get in.”
“No,” she said, making him raise his brows. “Not until I get answers.”
He sighed. “Two seconds.”
“Until what?”
“One.”
“Cameron,” she said, “wha—”
He grasped her arm then, reeling her in the car.
She screamed when the world blurred, her stomach growing hollow.
Moments later, she landed in the passenger seat, and Cam had her buckled within seconds.
She was gasping, staring at the dashboard as he shut his door, rattling the car, and buckled himself.
“Ready?” he said, pushing the gearshift into reverse.
She looked to the clutch at his feet when he spoke, the panic settling, though she was still a little shaken.
Her eyes then moved to the gearshift. “Do you even know how to drive one of these?”
“I know everything, Winter,” he said, shooting her a smile when he repeated the same sentence from earlier. “The question is, do you?”
She opened her mouth to answer, then shut it again.
How was she supposed to respond to that?
But he hit the gas, shoving her forward until he pulled out of the parking spot, then he pushed the gearshift into first, slamming on the gas again as they shot out of the garage.
Winter pressed against her seat while her stomach grew hollow.
He kept the same pace... which was about seventy miles-per-hour... until they met a right turn to the interstate.
She knew what he was going to do right when she noted the interstate had barely anyone on it...
He slammed the gearshift into second, the car jumping as they sped up...
Winter watched the speedometer reach eighty, then ninety... a hundred....
He eventually hit the shift to sixth... and they were going a hundred and twenty...
“Cameron!” she yelled over the engine. “What are you doing?”
He only chuckled, though she couldn’t hear the laugh... she just saw his chest move with it...
“Cameron!” she screamed again, feeling her insides grow hollow.
He didn’t respond...
She watched the speedometer reach a hundred and thirty...
“Cameron! You’re going to get pulled over!”
“Does it look like I care?” he called over the engine.
“If you don’t want to go to jail or have a criminal record, then yes!”
“No one’s pulling us over, Winter,” he said, sounding too confident.
All the sudden, sirens wailed from behind them, and she looked to the rearview mirror to see a pair of red and blue lights beaming from behind them.
“Cameron!” she cried.
“Oh, shush,” he said, “stop overreacting.”
“I’m not overreacting!” she responded. “People aren’t supposed to go a hundred and thirty in a seventy!”
“Oh, relax,” he said, laughing, “we’ll be fine.”
“You’re going to get us both killed!”
“I know what I’m doing, Winter,” he said, glancing at the rearview mirror to see a second police car draw out from behind the first. “And the fun’s about to begin.”
“What?” she screamed.
But he made a sharp turn to the right, making Winter grip onto the handlebar as her body jerked to the left.
They sped down a ramp to another highway, the police following far behind.
“Cameron!” she yelled when he got close to the edge of a bridge.
She screamed in a high pitch when he drove off the edge, her body growing hollow when they fell down through the air, the highway beneath them coming into sight.
They landed on the ground, Winter’s head snapping back and nearly giving her whiplash as the car bounced.
But the car still kept its speed, Cameron shifting again until they reached hundred and forty.
“Cameron!” she shouted. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU’RE GOING TO GET US BOTH KILLED!”
“Yeah!” he said, ignoring her while rubbing the dashboard. “I love this car!”
She held onto the handle as he sped down the highway, taking a sharp turn to the left and she slammed into the door, crying out.
“You okay?” he called, speeding down a dirt road.
“No!” she responded, still pressed to the door even though they were going straight. “You’re killing us!”
“Don’t worry,” he said, leaning forward and smiling. “We’ve almost lost them.”
She screamed when he turned right again, heading straight for a cornfield.
“Cameron!” she cried. “CAMERON!”
But the field only got closer... and closer...
“CAMERON!”
She lurched forward when the car pierced through the plants, slowing down to seventy again in a second.
But he still kept going until they met the middle, slamming on the breaks and she fell forward again... the seatbelt catching her and almost knocking the breath out of her...
But they were stopped now, Winter and Cameron gasping for air...
“That was fun!” he yelled suddenly.
“What...” she said, “the hell is WRONG with you? We could’ve DIED!”
“You need to trust me more, Snowflake,” he said, smiling at her. “Now, come on. We got to get out of here before they find us.”
He opened his door and slipped out of his side, somehow unaffected by the corn stalks sliding across his skin.
He then stepped over to Winter’s side, opening her door. “Come on.”
She glared at him. “No. You’re psychotic.”
“I'm well aware,” he stated, smiling, “but I don’t care. And you can’t escape me, so come on.”
She unbuckled herself, her muscles feeling like jelly... and she scooted to the edge of the seat and shook her head, unsure if she could stand.
“Cameron...” she said.
“I know,” he said, chuckling.
He grabbed under her armpits and pulled her down onto him, holding under her hips.
He could read minds... that’s right...
“Ready?” he said.
“No.”
He chuckled in amusement. “Get used to going fast, Winter,” he stated. “Because this isn’t the last fun thing we’re doing tonight.”
She held onto his shirt when he launched into a sprint, racing away from the crime scene he made.
Fun...
He had weird definitions of fun...
And even though she acted like she was angry... she felt excitement warming her inside...
What else was he capable of...? Would it ever end?
She secretly wanted it to be endless...
40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQhuhGoiVx
*****
“What are we doing here?” Winter wondered curiously when Cameron stopped on Dunston River’s doorstep.
“You'll see,” he said, smiling.
“Can’t you just tell me?” she questioned angrily when he stepped through the front doors.
“Nope.”
“If we’re killing anyone,” she stated, “then I’m out.”
He only chuckled.
But he stopped by the front doors, stepping off to the side and looked to his watch.
“Two seconds,” he whispered.
She looked to him for a moment, studying his expression while he stared down at his watch.
Were they going back down to the training room?
All the sudden, the lights flicked out, and he launched into a sprint, once more.
She could hear him exhaling numbers, clearly counting down from three.
But this time, instead of stopping by the “employees only” door and stepping back, he just went straight into the room, stopping in the middle and holding her to him while she lurched forward.
One second later, the lights flicked back on.
“How is your timing always perfect?” she questioned while he scanned the room for witnesses.
He looked to her with a tilted smile when there was no one in the room. “What do you mean by that?”
“Every time we come here...” she said, “there's always a short amount of time before the lights flick out... And you said it flicks out every two hours... but... how come we never come here when there’s an hour left? Or thirty minutes until the power turns off?”
He chuckled stepping over to the bare wall. “Because my timing is almost always perfect.”
“Nobody’s perfect, Cam,” she stated while he tapped the wall in three places. “Definitely not you.”
“I take offense to that.” He looked to her with raised brows when the paint moved, once more. “I’m cute, handsome, and smart.”
“Just that comment you made, makes you far from perfect.”
“Then what does it make me, Winter?”
“Full of yourself,” she stated, trying to hide a smile creeping up. “You’re really self-centered.”
He studied her for a moment. “Not when it comes to you.”
Her stomach stirred. ”What does that mean?”
He only smiled, pushing open the hidden door and stepping down the stairs.
“Can you answer?” she questioned.
“Nope.”
“Why?”
“Because,” he said.
“Because why?”
“Winter,” he said, shaking his head, “stop asking for answers.”
“Why?”
He gave her a look before staring back ahead. “Before you ask for answers, think of the worst thing I can say that could be true, and question if you want to hear it.”
What was the worst thing he could say?
Also... what was the question again? He distracted her...
Why was he acting so closed off from her...? It was concerning... He only did this when he was afraid of saying something....
“I’m not afraid of saying it,” he stated almost defensively, responding to her thoughts. “I’m afraid of something else.”
“What is it?” she questioned then.
He stepped off the staircase, into the training room, looking down at her with dark eyes. “Your reaction.”
Her mind raced.
What?
Why would someone like him be afraid of her reaction?
What?
Also... what was the answer...? What was he hiding from her?
“I know you’re a vampire...” she said, “I know you were an angel, I know you were stalking me... I know that I’m an angel... So what else are you hiding from me that I’d have a terrible reaction to? Everything else, yes, has made me feel slightly insane... But what could you be possibly afraid of telling me when you’ve already told me all this?”
Also... why did someone as stuck up and self-centered as him care about her opinion? Don’t they usually care about themselves?
Wasn’t the whole reason why he took her to benefit himself?
“No, Winter...” he said, eyes darkening when he read her thoughts, “no... I took you because you’re in danger... It’s my job to protect you.”
“But...” she said, ”you’re not an angel anymore, right?”
He shook his head.
“Then it’s not your job... You’re a vampire now....”
He sighed in defeat, but she didn’t know what he was so upset about. “Winter...” he said, voice slightly shaking, “I meant it when I said you wouldn’t understand. The fact that you can’t even comprehend why I’m doing all this... It proves that you don’t.”
“Then tell me,” she urged.
He shook his head.
Anger burned her inside. “How am I supposed to know what you’re saying when you won’t tell me?”
“I can’t...” he said softly.
“Why?”
“I just can’t.”
“Why?”
He gave her a sad look, but didn’t respond.
“Cameron...” she said, brows drawing together, “why are you doing all of this? Why are you saving me? Feeding me? Teaching me? Why are you comforting me? If it isn’t for yourself... then why...?”
“I feel...” he said then, “very... protective over you....”
“Why?”
He shook his head again.
“Tell me,” she urged again. “I don’t understand....”
He was silent, swallowing hard.
“Cameron...” she whispered, “I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t,” he responded. “So let’s wait until you’re ready, alright? And then I’ll tell you.”
“No...” she said, shaking her head, “I want to know now....”
“You’re not ready,” he stated. “I guarantee it.”
“No...” she said, “I am ready....”
“Can you even guess...?” he said softly. “Or do you just think I have an ulterior motive?”
“I...” she whispered, staring down at his chest. “I don’t.... know... It’s not that I think you’re a bad person... I just have trust issues, you know?”
“I know,” he said a little too softly, then touched her navel through her shirt, where the scar rested. “I know.”
She ducked her head, shaking it moments later. “Maybe if you explain why you’re so protective over me... I won’t think you have an ulterior motive.”
“Why do you want to know so badly?” he wondered then.
“Because I don’t understand!” she yelled, looking to him then.
She watched his eyes reflect concern in them, and she looked away. “No one cares about me, Cameron,” she said then, whispering the words. “I’m the weird girl in school... The one everyone stays away from... I’m the troubled girl... the cursed girl... The one that kills everyone she loves... I killed my sister even though she killed herself because everyone at school hurt her... I killed my father because he never loved me... And now... what are they going to say about my mom? It’s almost exactly a year from my father’s death... and two from my sister’s... They call me a murderer... Or that I’m cursed... ‘If you be friends with this girl, she’ll get you killed.’ That’s what kids at school say about me....”
“Winter...” he whispered.
“I don’t understand you...” she said then. “Why you’re doing all these things...? You’ve saved me... you’ve cared for me... and I’ve hurt you... Mentally and physically, but you’ve never touched me... You’ve never hurt me back... and I don’t understand why... You claim you’re protective over me... I don’t know why either... You’re possessive... I don’t know why... I don’t understand you, and you won’t let me go even though everyone I care for dies... It’s my curse.”
“You’re not cursed,” he said then, setting her on the floor but she refused to make eye-contact. “There’s a reason why everyone you love leaves you, and it’s not your fault. Not even close.”
“Who’s fault is it...?” she whispered.
“Someone’s been hurting you,” he responded, “someone you don’t know, but they hate you. They want you to suffer, so they’re taking everyone away from you.”
She looked to him then. “The police haven’t found out how my father died yet...” she responded softly. “They always find evidence both ways... Suicide or murder... They can’t decide what actually killed him....”
“Your father, Winter,” Cameron said softly, “was murdered.”
Her eyes widened, blood rushing through her veins. “How do you know this?”
“Because the same person who killed your father, kidnapped your mother... It’s the same person who wants to hurt you.”
“Why?” she questioned, voice cracking while sobs caught in her throat.
“I don’t know,” he said then.
“Why do you take care of me?” she wondered then, voice shaking as her eyes burned with tears. “Why are you doing this if you don’t have an ulterior motive...? I don’t really understand, Cameron....”
“I know...” he responded, eyes glistening ever-so-slightly.
“Please... tell me....” she whispered, “I need to know... I’m going crazy trying to think about it....”
“I can’t....”
“TELL ME!” she yelled, sobbing the words. “I need to know!”
He looked at her, brows drawn together while studying her stance. “Do you promise...” he whispered, “you won’t push me away...?”
She looked at him quizzically, though her eyes were glistening with tears. “Why would I do that?”
“Promise...?”
She nodded numbly, mind screaming for answers.
“Winter,” he said softly, “I’ve been doing all this because... well...” he took a deep breath, “I love you....”
She froze, eyes widening while her heart pounded wildly against her chest. “You... you do...?”
He nodded softly, though was staring at his feet as if afraid of the look in her eyes.
“I can’t...” she said, making him close his eyes as if in pain. “I can’t believe I didn’t... It... it all makes sense now....”
He looked to her then, seeing her staring at his chest while her eyes glistened with tears.
“Winter...?” he said softly, watching tears spill down her cheeks.
“I...” she said, face slightly breaking, “I’ve... loved you, too....” His heat warmed at her words. “But I... didn’t want to admit it....” She pressed her hand to her chest as if her heart was breaking. “What’s... happening to me...? Why do I feel like I want to cry...?”
Cameron stepped over to her then, catching her arm and dragging her against him.
Winter clutched onto his shirt, holding her face into the nape of his neck while he rubbed her back, her tears slipping down his skin, into the fabric of his T-shirt.
“I love you, Winter,” he said again, smiling when she turned further into him.
“I love you...” she choked, tears sliding down her cheeks, “too....”
He pulled her from him then, tilting her chin up and staring down at her tear-stained cheeks and trembling lips.
She finally accepted it... She finally accepted that she loved him...
He knew these weren’t tears of sorrow... they were tears of joy...
So he leaned down, pressing his lips to her drenched cheeks and drying her tears with little kisses, all while the heat of his skin left hers fluttering... and lastly, he pressed his mouth to hers, lightly grasping her head and pulling her into the kiss even though she wasn’t resisting.
She could taste the salt from her tears on his lips... and he smelled earthy like mint and pepper... She leaned in closer, loving the tingles his lips sent through her body... warmth shooting through her veins like fire...
But he drew back, pressing his forehead to hers while she stared up at him curiously.
“You don’t know how long I’ve waited to say that...” he said then, brushing some of her hair behind her ear.
“I can’t believe I was too stupid to even think of it...” she responded. “We’ve even kissed... I feel like an idiot....”
He shook his head, his forehead rubbing hers. “You’re far from an idiot, Winter Evans. You’re one of the most intelligent people I know.”
“More intelligent than you?” she wondered softly, smiling now.
He chuckled. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here....”
“Do you mean it...?” she said then, eyes glowing with the torches in the room. “You really love me...?”
“I love you more than myself...” he answered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “And we both know that’s hard to accomplish.”
She giggled, making him smile.
“You want to continue our date?” he whispered, pushing her hair to the sides.
She nodded, smiling now.
“Alright...” he said, “I’m going to teach you how to shoot a gun, alright?”
She nodded.
40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAo85RKeK0W
*****
“Remember your fighting stance?” Cameron whispered in Winter’s ear while sliding his arms around her, pressed to her back.
She nodded, feeling his heat deepen into her skin, warming every part of her...
Even ones she didn’t want to think of.
“You have to relax...” he whispered. “Come on, relax into me.”
She only stiffened at his words, making him exhale a chuckle.
“Why are you laughing?” she questioned almost defensively.
“Because I saw where your mind went when I told you to ‘relax into me.’”
Her cheeks flushed.
“Cameron...” she said after a moment of him watching her face turn red, all while resting his hands gently on her hips, “I have a question.”
“Shoot.”
“So...” she said, hesitating, “can you ever... not read minds? Like... can you block others thoughts when you don’t want to hear them?”
“Yes.”
They stood in silence for a moment, him watching her in amusement while she struggled to find words.
“Wh...” she said, “what? Then why can’t you just block my mind?”
“Because,” he said.
“You don’t want to hear my thoughts all the time, do you?”
“Actually,” he said, “I kind of do....”
She gave him a concerned look before asking, “Why?”
“Your thought process is interesting, Snowflake,” he stated. “It’s different from most people....”
“Elaborate.”
He laughed softly. “Alright, but I’ll answer your question after you shoot the gun.”
“Fine,” she said, looking forward to the target in front of her, “but do you have to stand this close?”
“I’ve already answered that question, Winter,” he said. “And what was my answer?”
She sighed. “‘Yes.’”
“I also asked you if you were uncomfortable,” he stated. “Are you?”
“I honestly don’t know why you care about that,” she said. “I feel like your existence it to embarrass me.”
“‘Embarrass,’” he said, “not to make you feel uncomfortable. So answer, Winter.”
“No...” she said in a tiny voice, making him smile slightly.
“What was that?” he wondered, pressing his hand to his ear as if he couldn’t hear that well.
“Are you deaf?” she questioned. “I didn’t even shoot the gun in your ear yet.”
“One,” he said, “no, I’m not deaf, I just want to hear you say it louder. Like you mean it.”
“Why?”
“And two,” he stated, ignoring her, “ow. Why would you want to shoot my ear?”
“I mean the noise, dummy,” she said. “It’s deafening.”
“I see...” he said.
“Not if there’s a flash bang,” she stated, “or a smoke bomb. Then you probably wouldn’t see.”
“What’s with all this ‘deadly weapons’ talk?” he questioned. “And how do you know so much about weapons?”
“You’re a guy… who likes weapons,” she said, “and who also likes to kill people apparently, and,” she said, feeling him glare at her, “I watch a lot of crime shows.”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re using this language to state how it’ll hurt me. It’s pretty violent.”
“Says the vampire.”
“You’re saying I hurt you?”
“No,” she shrugged, “I’m saying you’re a vampire. Your very existence is violent in itself.”
“How is being a species of a magical-being considered violent?”
“You drink blood,” she said. “And you kill people.”
“Not all vampires kill people, Winter,” he stated, faking a snarky tone. “Gol. What a stereotype.”
“Ohhh...” she said, “so it’s just you.”
“Exactly,” he said despite the insult.
“Also... why did you say ‘gol?’”
“Because I can.”
She shook her head in defeat.
“Alright,” he said, “let’s get to shooting.”
“I’ll make sure to make us both deaf,” she said.
“Winter,” he said, chuckling, “focus.”
“Fiiine.”
He let out some kind of breathy laugh before lightly grasping her wrist. “Let me show you what to do,” he said softly, breath heating the tip of her ear. “This is the trigger,” he said, pointing it out, “and here’s the safety. With this gun, you see how it’s up?”
She nodded.
“That means the safety is on, but even though it’s on, never point it at someone unless it’s for self-defense, hear me?”
Another nod.
“Alright, now position your hand like this,” he said, guiding her. “Finger over trigger, but not on it, the rest of the hand on the handle, and your thumb should be able to press down the safety, can you do it?”
“Umm...” she breathed.
“It’s okay,” he said, “do it.”
She felt her heart pound wildly against her ribcage when she pressed her thumb onto the safety.
When she heard the click, a sudden uneasiness cast over her... Like a dark ocean washed through her body, replacing Cameron’s heat with frost...
“Relax...” he said, clearly noticing she was nervous, “just relax....”
“Cam...” she responded, voice shaking, “my dad died of a gunshot wound... I can’t do this....”
“Yes, you can,” he said softly. “I’m right here. Nothing bad will happen, alright? Not while I’m here.”
She nodded, exhaling a shaky breath.
“Now, aim to the bullseye,” he said, pointing to the target in front of them.
It was a zombie on a poster... an abnormally green one with bright white eyes and long arms reaching out to her creepily. The bullseye was right in the middle of his forehead... which was the color orange that stood out like a neon sign.
“What if I can’t aim correctly?” she wondered, shaking slightly.
“Here’s a tip,” he said, still holding her hand in place, “imagine you’re shooting someone you hate.”
She thought for a moment, and Cameron watched her eyes burn slightly...
With rage...
Before he could ask her if she was okay, three gunshots went off, rattling his brain...
But when he looked to the target, there were three bullet holes in the bullseye, forming a perfect triangle.
“Wow,” he said, “you’re a natural.”
“The person I imagined kind of angers me,” she admitted, lowering the gun when he let go of her wrist.
“Who was it?” he wondered curiously.
She gave him an evil look, mouth curving in a mischievous smile. “Your ego.”
And she stepped away from him then, leaving him standing there and watching her while she smiled innocently at him.
“‘My ego,’ as in, ‘in human form,’ or me posing as my ego?”
“I don’t think you want to know the answer to that,” she hummed, smiling still.
“Ahhh...” he said, reading her mind, “you’re joking.”
“Yeah, dummy,” she insulted, faking an eye roll.
“Be honest,” he said, a smirk curling his lips now, “you love my ego. It’s attracting.”
“More attracting than protons and electrons.”
“Science joke,” he stated. “Good one.”
“I’m not dumb, Cameron,” she said. “I know that was sarcasm.”
“What?” he said, dumbfounded. “No.”
She shook her head then, looking to the zombie.
He watched something dark pass over her expression before she looked back to him. “If you’re curious... I imagined my father.”
“I thought you loved him.”
“No...” she said, “the one that was murdered I considered my father... He’s really just a stepdad....”
“Oh?”
“My real father I’ve never really met... I’ve just heard of him... Do you remember how I told you I had a sister?”
He nodded.
“She used to live with him...” Winter murmured. “Years ago... due to custody problems with him and my mom... In order to solve it, they split us apart... We were really close, like... really close. We were fraternal twins.”
“I’m sure she’s not as gorgeous as you,” he responded.
“Was,” Winter corrected.
He was silent when she continued.
“After Child Protective Services found my sister with my father in a...” she shook her head, clearing her thoughts, “I’m not even going to say it... It was horrible... But they took her away and brought her back home, but she was a wreck... When she lived with me and my mom before my father took her, she was so happy and... lively... He... ruined her...."
“He was abusive,” Cameron stated.
She nodded slightly. “In a way that I thought that couldn’t be possible... But... of course she went in a depressive phase... suffering... and there were some people at school who supported her and loved her for who she was... but they were the wrong people... She told them the stories, they promised to keep it a secret... One day, when she came into school, kids made fun of her at the sight of her... Asked her what ways my father hurt her and if she deserved it... It got so bad that a week later... I came home and she was....”
Cameron’s gaze darkened when Winter’s eyes burned with tears. “It’s okay,” he said, “I know. You don’t have to continue.”
She shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself as if she were cold...
But he knew she did that as a sense of comfort... To comfort herself.
He was about to step up to her and hold her to him but she spoke first, voice slightly shaking. “You said I had to shoot the gun... and then you’d answer my question.”
He blinked at the sudden change of subject, but dropped it. “What was the question?”
“You said my thought process was interesting,” she said, “that’s why you don’t block it. I asked you to elaborate on the ‘interesting’ part, but you said to shoot first, and I kept my end of the deal, so answer.”
He looked at her quizzically, studying her stance.
Tense muscles, shoulders squared, arms shaking slightly...
She was scared.
Or maybe angry...
But he knew she wanted to focus on something else because of the pain stirring inside her, so he answered, “I meant that your thoughts are different from others in school.”
“Explain.” She still faced away from him, avoiding eye-contact.
“The way you think of others...” he said, “is just one big generalization, but it’s not really what you think, it’s a mask.”
She was silent.
“You reframe your thoughts to think that people are bad, backstabbing assholes, and they’ll only treat you like trash because that’s what people do... but that’s not what you really think.”
Silence.
“You just don’t want to get close to anyone,” he explained, “because you’re afraid to. Not because of them, though almost... because of yourself. Your sister died November fourth two years ago, and exactly a year later, on the same date, your stepfather died... and a couple days ago... your mother was kidnapped... and the exact date is coming up... I know from what you told me earlier, that you’re afraid you’re cursed... And I know this date feels like bad luck to you, but I promise you, Winter, that you’re not cursed, alright?”
Silence.
“That whole, ‘I hate other people’ was a mask...” he continued, “it’s what you tried to give off to me when I came up to you....”
“What am I protecting?” she questioned. “If it's a mask?”
“Yourself,” he explained, making her tense, “and others.”
“How can it be both?” Her voice shook slightly.
“You don’t want anyone to die,” he said, “and you want to stop feeling the grief of death, right? It’s an agonizing feeling.”
Silence again.
He stepped a little toward her. “Am I right, Winter?”
A small nod.
“You’re thoughts are so interesting,” he said, behind her now as he locked his arms around her waist, “because they’re framed to protect yourself... and others... You want friends and you want to love... But you don’t want to lose them, and you don’t want to feel the pain of losing them... but at the same time, you don’t want them to feel the pain of dying, right?”
Another small nod.
“Look at me,” he said, grasping her shoulders and turning her around so she faced him. Her eyes were puffy and red from the sting of tears, and she attempted to blink them away when he looked down into her eyes, but it only made them slip down her cheeks, and he kissed them away. “I love you, Winter Evans,” he whispered. “And I won’t leave you, and you won’t leave me, I promise.”
She smiled, eyes glistening more, and nodded.
“I’ll keep up both safe, alright?”
Another nod.
“Do you remember when I said, ‘I won’t hurt you?’”
She bobbed her head.
“I meant both mentally and physically,” he said in a soft tone, somehow calming her mind. “I know how much you’re hurting... And I won’t cause you anymore pain, alright? You’re mine to protect, Winter... all mine... Now come here.”
He pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her and squeezed her slightly to assure her that she was safe...
You’re safe with me, Snowflake...
Forever and ever... until the end of time...
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*****
“Boosh,” Cameron exclaimed when the knife he threw landed right in the middle of the bullet hole Winter made earlier.
“‘Boosh?’” she echoed. “What kind of expression is that?”
“One I created,” he said, shooting her a grin.
She only rolled her eyes.
“Your turn,” he said, holding a knife out to her, handle pointed out.
“I can just watch,” she said, pushing it away.
“You don’t seem like the girl to watch,” Cameron said with a little smirk. “You seem like the one to enjoy the sensual experience.”
Her cheeks burned but she managed a glare. “Okay,” she said, “just because I worded that wrong does not mean you can make it sound so much worse.”
“Isn’t that the point of my existence?” he said, tilting his head to the side innocently. “To embarrass you?”
“And stop throwing my words back at me,” she stated, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Are you the type to watch?” he wondered curiously. “Or are you the type to enjoy the experience?”
She glared.
He flipped the blade in his hand, catching it. “I want an answer, Winter.”
“And I want a million dollars. We all can’t get what we want.”
He gave her a slightly menacing smile, edged with playfulness. “Answer the question, or I’ll fish for an answer. Either way, I’m getting one.”
She was silent, just narrowed her eyes.
“Say it like a big girl,” he said, “or not.”
She should’ve snapped at him for the ‘big girl’ comment, but she decided against it. “I like the experience. Not,” she added, pointing an accusing finger at him, “in a sexual way.”
He only smiled.
“Give me that,” she said, snatching the knife from him.
He let out some kind of surprised grunt at the gesture, but she already had the knife in her hand when he spoke, “You know you could’ve cut me.”
“Aww,” she stuck out a lip, feigning sorrow, “poor baby. It’s not like you’re immortal.”
He raised his brows. “Alright, let’s play this game. Clearly you’ve been waiting to.”
She gave him a concerned look. “What game?”
“Throw the knife,” he said, “and hit the middle of the bullet hole.”
She couldn’t help it, he was too stubborn. “If I hit it?”
“I do something you want.”
“If I don’t?”
“You do something I want, and after that, it’s my turn.”
“Same rules?”
“You know it.”
She shook her head, looking to the wall. “Let’s play.”
He watched in amusement when she aimed for the bullet hole, drawing the knife back with one eye closed, and she threw it.
Sure enough, it pierced the wood behind the poster... right where the bullet entered.
“Not bad,” he said, nodding in approval.
She gave him a smug smile when he stepped over to the target. “Your turn, but,” she added, when he pulled the knife out from the wood, “I get to choose where you throw.”
He smiled down at the metal, sliding his finger along the blade to pull off some wood scraps left from the target. “Deal.”
“Aim for his left eye,” she said.
“Easy,” he said, stepping to her.
“But,” she added, smiling evilly now, “you have to stand back to where the stairs end, and one of your limbs has to stay in place.”
“Alright,” he said, smiling back at her, “now we’re talking. Which limb?”
“One arm or leg,” she said, “choose.”
He looked to his left leg, then back at her, smirking.
Oh, God... he was planning something...
“Left leg,” he said, “but, Winter, you have to hold it in place.”
Her insides flipped, and she could feel her cheeks heating. “That...”
“Deal or no deal,” he said. “And if it’s no deal, I win immediately.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again.
Maybe he was planning this, knowing he couldn’t win but he was just messing with her...
Or maybe he wasn't...
“Deal,” she said before she could think it through.
“Come here then,” he said, smiling still.
She made her way over to him, carefully but confidently, her heart pounding faster after every step.
“Can you not smile like that?” she questioned when she stood next to him. “It’s creepy.”
He only chuckled. “Then why are you looking?”
“It’s kind of hard not to.”
“Is it because I’m so handsome that you can’t avert your eyes?”
“Maybe,” she admitted, lips curling slightly.
“Hold onto my hip,” he said, catching her hand. “Don’t be shy.”
She shook her head in defeat, placing her left hand on his hip, feeling heat shoot up her arm when his jeans brushed against her palm.
“There you go,” he said. “Was that so hard?”
“Yes.”
He laughed softly, looking to the target again. “If I win,” he said, “you take off your shirt.”
She blushed.
“Oh, relax,” he said, “I know you’re wearing an undershirt.”
“It’s the way you said it,” she stated.
“I know.”
And he threw the knife, arm moving so fast she barely saw him move, but when she looked to the target after hearing a click... she saw the knife pierced through the middle of the left eye.
“Oh,” she said, feeling partly stunned.
“Our deal?” he countered.
She sighed, pulling her hand off his hip and turning away.
“Don’t look,” she said.
He sighed, facing the wall when she pulled her blouse over her head, leaving her in a cotton tank-top.
“You can look now,” she stated.
He turned back to her, seeing her cheeks redden while she stared at the floor. “I love it,” he commented, making her whole face flush. “And why did you tell me not to look?”
“Because I was afraid this shirt would catch on the top one,” she admitted. “And I didn’t really feel like flashing you.”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind.”
She shot him a look.
“Anyway,” he said, “what’s your end of the deal that doesn’t involve me leaving you be?”
She was silent for a moment, clearly thinking it over.
He could almost see her thoughts flash before her eyes before vanishing when she discarded them.
“Hmmm...” she said, “well... I guess to make it fair, give me your jacket.”
He looked at her for a moment. “I said you had to wear your undershirt.”
“No,” she said, “you told me to take my shirt off, and since it’s snowing, I want a jacket.”
“Fair point.”
She held her hand out to him, nodding her head to the leather jacket hanging from a kiddy sword in the bucket.
He sighed, picking it up and tossing it to her.
She caught it, shuffling it on seconds later.
It only took a moment before the scent of him that lingered on his jacket washed over her, somehow filling her senses with ease.
It was sweet, yet... spicy...
A warm feeling.
“Now I’ll be cold,” he said, sticking out his lower lip.
She would’ve responded with, You’re a vampire, you don’t get cold, but she kept silent, attempting to prevent herself from grabbing the fabric and inhaling the scent.
His eyes seemed to soften at this, and he smiled, stepping over to her. “Come on, Snowflake. There’s one more place I want to take you before we go back to the motel.”
He wrapped his arm around her and guided her up the stairs.
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