The Descendants Series Vol. 2

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“You haven’t told me anything,” Rowan said.  “You didn’t talk all yesterday.  All you did was sit in our room with Maxi in your lap.  And this morning you haven’t said anything either.  You haven’t even talked to Kade.”

We were in one of the Division Sixteen’s helicopters.  Xander was in the pilot’s seat with Nash in the copilot’s.  He’d look back at me every few minutes, but I’d just ignore him.  Roth was sitting beside Rowan and had his head leaned back with his eyes closed, sleeping. 

Everyone else was in the other helicopter, including Kade.  He hadn’t talked to anyone all yesterday or this morning.  When we were getting ready to leave, he’d taken Luke aside to say something to him.  Luke walked toward Nash then, and said something.  And when we were getting into the helicopters, Nash went in the one I was in and Kade had gotten into the other.

I looked over at Rowan and I knew she could see something in my eyes.

“Tell me,” she said.

I took out my messenger from my belt – it was different from the ones that we’d had before, more advanced, but it was still just as easy – and pressed my finger tips on the touch screen, typing out a message.

Nash kissed me yesterday when we were practicing and Kade saw it.  He was in the control room watching the monitors.

I sent it to hers when I finished typing.  When she read it, her eyes widened as she looked at me.

Oh, no!  So that’s why the three of you haven’t said anything to each other.

Yeah, that’s why.  But the thing is…I kissed him back.

Her eyes widened again.  Why?

I don’t know.  I wish I hadn’t.  I slapped him though, so that’s got to make up for it.

I was surprised when she laughed.  I looked over at her and smiled just a little one.  She could always find humor in my humiliation. 

Yeah, I think it did.  But what are you going to do? 

Do about what?

She looked over at me with a ‘are you serious’ look. 

I tried.  Kade wouldn’t let me explain. 

Well, you need to try again.  Kade loves you and you love him.

I know.

I could feel her looking at me for a minute.  I kept my eyes down though.  But when I looked up, I didn’t look at her.  I looked up toward Nash.  He was looking at me.  We locked eyes for a second, and then I looked away.

Do you want to fix this with Kade?

I looked down at the message for a long second.  The cursor blinked back at me, waiting for me to type something. 

By the length of time it’s taking you to think about this, I’m thinking you might not want to.

No, I do.  I was just thinking about what would happen if I didn’t. 

That was what I was doing.  If I wasn’t romantically involved with Kade, would that be the answer to keeping him alive?  Slayter wanted me to get rid of him because we were close.  If we weren’t close anymore, would that keep him safe?

But the problem was I wouldn’t feel safe, not without his arms around me.  He was the one who kept me sane, kept me from thinking about anything else but him and me.  He blocked out the cruel world that we lived in and made me forget everything.