Taken into the Unknown (Complete)

Confusing New Beginnings

While my head was becoming less groggily as I walked down, my thoughts drifted towards the conversation I had with Damon earlier. I wondered if I made the right decision telling Damon everything. I worried that I had just signed my soul to the devil. I had no idea what I was getting caught up in. What by telling him I was endangering someone?

No. That’s ridiculous. I’m thinking too much about ‘what ifs’. If I hadn’t told him, my own life would be shredded to pieces.  I shuddered at the brief image of being forced to be someone’s possession, someone’s whore. I closed my eyes and tightened all my muscles when I thought about what might be happening to Jayden.  No one deserved that kind of lowly treatment. It was absolutely repulsive.  Maybe teaming up with Damon wasn’t such a bad thing. After all, if I kept my eyes on the goal maybe having an ally could be helpful.

I walked into the pantry and pulled out a box of Coco Puffs. When I walked back out I noticed a dark hunched-over figure in the darkness.

“Alaure?” it said, putting its head up.

I jumped and let out a small yelp of surprise.

“What are you doing up this late Bax?” I asked, turning the light on, one hand still over my erratically beating heart.

“I couldn’t sleep. You?”

“I just woke up.”

“Oh,” he said before we both returned to silence. I grabbed a bowl and a carton of milk and poured the contents in, feeling the gaze of Baxter’s eyes on my back. I sat down in my usual spot by the window, getting lost in my thoughts as always, when Bax wordlessly came and sat down next to me.

When he didn’t say anything I turned to look at him. “Can I help you?”

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it again. Then he opened his mouth again, but before he could close it I blurted, “Just spit it out already or leave me alone.”

“I’m sorry,” he said nervously.

“For what?” I sneered. Rejecting me, playing with my heart, or bringing me here just for eavesdropping?

“For not liking you back.”

I laughed mirthlessly, “You don’t have to like me. You’re not obligated to like me or be my boyfriend just because I like you.  You don’t have control over that. But what you do have control over is playing with my feelings. You had control over leading me on. You had control over kissing me. You had control over flirting with me. You could have left a clear line between friendship and something more but you didn’t for whatever twisted fun you had over it.”

“I don’t get why you’re getting so upset over me kissing you. Plenty of people kiss for the hell of it.”

“Yeah well I’m not one of those people.”

“I’m sorry for hurting your feelings, Alaure. I never meant to.  I’m not the bad guy here. I don’t want you to antagonize me.”

That got me thinking. He was partially right. Honestly, other than leading me on, what HAS he done to me?  Was that really such a bad crime? Sure it was rather heartless, but it’s my own curse that I have such a weak and timid heart. I never tasted love. I was never good enough. Eventually I had just given up, lost myself in my books. It was easier that way.

Could I really hold so much over Bax for such a small thing where I was teaming up with Damon who had done so much more. I was just being bitter. Wasn’t I?

“Please forgive me Alaure. There’s not enough room in this house for hate,” he joked, a light smile playing on his lips.

I offered a small smile but also thought back to the vicious look on Bax’s face when I woke up after the accident. Suddenly my mind led me to another thought. What if Damon really was the bad guy? Okay, so he wasn’t the leader of the whole human trafficking thing, but I didn’t know a whole lot about Vanguard Industries and maybe Bax stopping him was a good thing. I honestly couldn’t trust either of them fully at the moment. I had to be careful until I was sure.

I sighed. This is why I hid myself in textbooks. It was much easier. There were straightforward answers and it was safe. After everything I had endured in my life all I wanted was safety and assurance. I didn’t want to play this game of risk.

“Baxter, I can’t forgive you just yet, but I can choose to be less cold. You’ll have to prove to me that you deserve my forgiveness and trust and that will only come with time.”

He sighed, “I can work with that. I really am sorry though, Alaure.”

He stretched out his arms and leaned in. I smiled slightly and returned his embrace. He got up to leave, but stopped at the door frame. “Thank you, Alaure. I can finally go to bed now.”

I smiled and nodded in acknowledgement, but as I turned back to my cereal to continue eating I couldn’t help the thick fog of confusion that suffocated my brain. I didn’t know what to think or who to really trust anymore.

Whatever. Let me just get Jayden back first and I’ll go from there.

Once again I am SO SO SORRY for making you wait 2 freaking months. Please forgive me. :( I know this chapter isn't the best but I'm still trying to regain my motivation and drive. I'm slowly getting there so just bare with me.
Also THANK YOU once again for being so patient and loving!