taken Ⅱ [jason mccann]

t h i r t e e n

[ A U B R E Y ]

"Boom."

I jerked up in my bed to the loud awaking noise and was met with a pitch black room. I couldn't see anything at all except my clock light which told me it was three in the morning. I was full of fear and was wishing my dad or one of my brothers would run into the room to save me. I sat up still searching the dark room with my eyes when a hand was thrown over my mouth, sparks igniting on my lips and face. My stomach dropped to the ground and my eyes widened. Muffled screams came from my mouth and tried to pry the hand off of me.

"Breathe baby girl breathe." A soft raspy voice told me while stroking my back. I tried to hold in everything I had to not breathe, I tried so hard I felt myself become dizzy in the process. It wasn't long before I couldn't hold my breathe any longer and had to breathe. "There you go baby, you're safe now." he whispered into my ear before darkness surrounded me.

Darkness was all that surrounded me and I felt like I was laying down while being rocked back and forth and a car engine in the back ground. My body felt so weak and my head pounded in agony. I heard slight music in the back ground while someone whistled along to the beat.

I opened my eyes slowly and saw nothing but blurryness then everything became clear to me. I was in a car and bushes surrounded the vehicle, it looked as if I was in the woods. I could see the car headlights shine in the dark and reflect on the trees.

I tried to gather my thoughts when I suddenly heard the familiar voice ring through my ears "Finally you're awake babygirl." I heard that soft voice again.

Wait...I recognize that voice! That voice was from the guy at the beach. The voice of the guy that was in my dream a couple of weeks ago! I continued to stare at him but I couldn't see his face, I couldn't see anything of him at all. Just all black clothes and tattooed arms. "W-who are you?" I asked with a shaky voice. I was frightened by this man in this dream. I could feel my nerves breaking in my body. But in the other dream, I was perfectly fine. I wasn't scared of him at all. I actually felt safe in his arms.

Just when he was about to answer my question, a knock was heard.

My eyes instantly opened up and I let out a gasp, finally gaining my breath back and could feel my heart beating in my chest furiously. Sweat dripped down my head and my nerves acted like they shut down. It was just a dream. It was all a dream.

I looked at my clock and saw it read "8:53 P.M." I breathed out in relief and wiped my forehead free of the disgusting sweat I now had all over my body. I laid there, slowly gaining my breath back when another knock was heard. I furrowed my eyebrows and waited to hear the knock again when I heard Nolan's voice say "Aubrey it's me!"

My eyes bulged and I jumped out of bed, peeling my sheets and covers off of me. "I'll be right there!" I yelled running around my room to my restroom. I grabbed a bottle of expensive perfume and sprayed it on the bed and around the room. I ran back into the bathroom and grabbed a wet towel, wiping the sweat off my body and then spraying the perfume on me. I quickly fixed m hair in the mirror and sprinted to the front door.

I opened the door wide and saw Nolan standing there with pizza and movies in his hands and a smile on his face. "Hey Nolan, what are you doing here?" I asked, gaining my breath back and panting.

Nolan furrowed his eyebrows and looked at me weirdly "Don't you remember? I asked you if you wanted to hangout and you said yes, come over." Nolan awkwardly said.

I shut my eyes tight and cussed at myself, remembering what Nolan had told me. "I'm so sorry, I fell asleep right after to you texted me. I feel horrible, here come inside." I smiled and let him inside of my house.

Nolan set the pizza and movies down on the table and smiled at me. "It's no problem. But are you ok? You're panting and your face is red." Nolan tilted his head and looked at me with concern.

"Yeah-um-this might sound silly but I had a nightmare." I spoke quietly, my cheeks turning red as a tomato. It sounded weird to me that I could be eighteen and still have nightmares. I was embarrassed to even mention anything to Nolan, he probably stopped having them when he was fifteen.

Nolan let out a chuckle and shook his head. "It's not silly at all. I still have nightmares, a bunch of them. You shouldn't be embarrassed, that just means you have imagination." Nolan shrugged, making me feel better.

"You have nightmares? What are they about?" I asked, taking a seat on my chair and opening the pizza box while the TV played in the background.

Nolan took a piece of pizza and stuffed it in his mouth before answering. "Normal stuff. Never graduating and getting my business degree, spiders in my bed, coming to school in my underwear, wearing a speedo to graduation." he joked and shrugged with his mouth full.

I giggled at his joke and leaned on my hand for support. I stared at Nolan as he ate his pizza and only focused on the food. I felt horrible for forgetting our "date". Was it even a date? I have no idea. I don't even have an idea of what we are. Were we dating? Were we talking? Were we just good friends trying to express each other's feelings for each other? I have no clue.

I do like him, I like him a lot. I just have no idea what we are. I would like us to be something possibly; for his sake and for mine. His sake because he changed for me. He remodeled himself all for me just like him, notice him in a different way. He could've had any girl he wanted with his changed self but chose me. I was the girl he wanted and changed for. I would feel guilty if I just ended it with him after all he did for me.

For my sake because I basically have no life. While I was in my coma, people moved on with their life's. They got a head start while I was asleep in a bed, clinging onto my life. I use to be the one that was ahead of everyone. I was the first one out of my friends to get a job and grow up. Now...I don't even know who I am. I'm the lost girl I was a year ago.

"Nolan...what are we?" I asked quietly, breaking the awkward tension and staring at him with curiosity. I had to know what we were. I needed answers. I needed to know what we were so I wasn't so confused on everything else.

Nolan set his piece of pizza down on the plate and crossed his arms with his elbows on the table. "You know Aubrey, I've liked you since we were kids. Sitting here and talking to you was a dream for me. I'm nineteen and I still have a huge crush on you. So now that we've gone on a date, I want to continue with this. I want us to be something." Nolan whispered.

I faintly smiled and looked at him with happiness. "I'm glad we're on the same page." I whispered, staring at him with a smile.

It was like he had just received the best news in his life. His face lit up and he jumped out of his seat. He walked over to me and brought me into a sweet kiss. Our lips moved together in sync and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he continued to kneel down just to kiss me. We pulled away from each other and our foreheads leaned against each other. "Let's go to bed, yeah?" Nolan asked in an almost whisper.

I hummed and nodded my head with a slight smile on my face. Nolan and I stood up and walked hand and hand together into bed. I quickly got into bed and brought the covers over my legs as Nolan took his shirt off. He set his shirt to the side and climbed into be with me. I smiled at him and I placed the comforter over us before I curled into his chest and his arms wrapped around me. And that's how I fell asleep, in his arms.
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hello my lovely readers,

so I know that I haven't been posting as much as I regularly do, which there are so many reasons for. ever since starting this book, i haven't really felt it since early June. and in order to write a really good book, you have to have inspiration and feel the book you're writing. like this book has to be the only thing i think about and it hasn't.

that doesn't mean im going to stop this book but im just going to update very slowly. I really hope you guys understand and I am so so so sorry. but it's better than nothing right?

i love you guys forever