Companion

Chapter 17: A Power Struggle

"What was it about? Your dream, I mean. What happened?"

"It was about my Mission," Edge confides. I nod.

"What happened?"

"I can't tell you."

"Can't? or won't?" Geez, Hunter. Way to be comforting.

"Both."

"It'll make you feel better," I say, trying to soften, "I'm sure it will help to just let it out and tell me. I won't judge. I promise. And it won't scare me, whatever it is."

Edge shakes his head.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

We just sit there like that. Staring straight ahead at nothing in particular, with Edge refusing to talk to me.

"I should go." I mean to speak softly, but my voice is so tired that it comes out as a whisper. There's a pause. I shift to get up and leave, but Edge grabs my wrist.

"Stay," Edge says. He sits up further.

"Are...are you gonna tell me about the dream?"

"No."

"Then why should I stay?"

"Because I want you to be here. I want you here with me."

I shake my head and take my wrist from his grasp, finally standing up and walking out of the room. Edge stops me when I get to the door.

"Why are you leaving?"

"If you really needed me, you would let me know what was going on so I could actually help you. But if you really do need me, you know where to find me." I leave the room, and gently shut the door behind me.

Once I'm back in my bed, under the blankets, I stare straight up at the ceiling. Maybe he'll come get me. But he never does, and I fall asleep.

+++++

Edge makes me study guides when he can. Violet and Nate help me interpret them. Nate edits my essays, Violet pairs up with me for labs. In a matter of three weeks, I earn eighty credits instead of my pathetic fifty. I nearly cry.

The three of us celebrate by going to the grocery store to surprise Edge. For the first time since we received our cards, I did the grocery shopping, and it felt so great it was actually pretty pathetic.

Violet and Nate help me bring home the groceries since, unlike Edge, I cannot carry them all in one go. I unlock the door and burst inside.

"SURPRISE!" I cry. Edge rushes out of the kitchen. His face is scarlet.

"Where the hell have you been?" he shouts. I hold out my bag and gesture to Violet and Nate.

"I got eighty credits today and we celebrated by doing the grocery shopping!"

Edge rolls his eyes and storms upstairs, and I fight the urge to burst into tears. All of a sudden, I felt as stupid as I had in school just a few weeks ago. And I've always hated that feeling. For a while, I had gotten to the point where I just couldn't be bothered to care. But now that I've found that I enjoy success. And I want to experience it more often. But not if it's going to be like this.

Violet and Nate help me put the bags in the kitchen, and the three of us start putting the groceries away, and I try to keep myself together. Maybe he just had a bad day. I've been quite the bitch lately, after all. I guess I just deserved it, right? But he was also really involved in helping me. This doesn't make sense. Maybe he's just tired. Or hungry. Or maybe he just had a bad day.

I absentmindedly put the groceries away, trying to think up reasons for why Edge is mad at me. Violet and Nate I guess know not to talk to me. I don't really pay attention, but they find where we put things. After all, they're the smart ones. They leave quietly when they're done, and I hardly notice. If I had, I would've thanked them. If I had thanked them, I might've cried.

Nevertheless, once they're gone, I numbly walk into the living room and sit on the couch. I just sit there and feel the sting of guilt in my stomach, and the rise and fall of my insides as I breath steadily, trying to keep composure.

Then, he comes down the stairs.

As soon as Edge comes down, I can't stop staring at him, waiting for a reaction. It doesn't have to be positive or negative. Just something to confirm one of the million scenarios that have gone through my head so far.

"Look, Hunter," he starts, "I'm really sorry for blowing up at you. That was really stupid of me. Like really shitty. Can you please forgive me?"

Can I?

Then, for what was probably the first time in my life, I realize that I have a choice. Forgiveness is a choice. A choice that is mine. And I can choose if I want to forgive a person or not. And, for what is probably the first time in my life, I feel powerful. Finally, I have an advantage over Edge.

"No," I decide.

"Excuse you?"

"No, Edge. I do not forgive you."

And with that, I gain all feeling back in my body, get up off the couch, and storm past Edge, up the stairs, and straight into my room, where I slam the door.

I stay inside, and consider going up into the attic as I hear Edge's footsteps coming up the stairs. I hear him sigh, and then he knocks.

"Hunter?" He calls from outside. "Hunter, look. I get that you're mad at me. I'm just trying to say I'm sorry about it. That's all."

I don't move. I don't dare. I just sit and wait for him to leave. But he doesn't. Instead, he hits my door with such a huge force, I'm shocked it doesn't break. I jump, thankful that he can't see me.

"DAMMIT, HUNTER! Stop being so fucking sensitive and get your sorry ass out here!"

"Why?" I demand, standing up off my bed. "So you can be an asshole to my face now? No, thank you. I'd rather not."

"HUNTER!" Edge yells again. But I can tell even from behind the door that he's at a loss for words.

I hear him leave, and I throw myself backwards onto my bed and let out a deep sigh.

++++++++++

A/N: Hey so it's been, like, a reallyyy long time since my last update...yikes. Sorry, guys. But...I am currently on summer vacation so updates won't take that long anymore since I don't have as much work to do (but I still have a fair bit, thanks AP Lit).

PLUS I've been working extra on this story to bring it to its end soon, meaning I've been responsible and written advanced chapters, hopefully to publish within weeks of each other! (In fact, this has been saved as a draft for like months. I'm not quite sure what I've been waiting for? Again, sorry.)

I don't know if it seems kind of short, but there is most definitely going to be a sequel. I'm obviously going to finish this one first, though. But there's so much more I want to happen, but I just don't feel that it should be in the same book. However, the way my plans are going at the moment, there may even be three. We'll see.

If you feel so inclined let me know whether or not you'd be at all interested to see a sequel? I mean, it'll probably happen regardless, but it's just nice to know.

Okay! So! Quicker + more updates! Sequel(s)? VOTE! SHARE! FAN! And, of course, THANKS FOR READING!