Having Two Mates {2017}

Chapter Twenty-One

           
[THIS IS THE 2017 VERSION OF HTM! THE 2024 REWRITTEN VERSION IS NOW AVAILABLE!!!]

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

As the days went by, everything around me seemed colorless. As much as I wanted to sit at home and stay in bed, I decided against it. I had this dull, empty feeling inside of me and needed to distract myself from it. Only, everywhere I went, I managed to find myself in his presence. Whenever that happened, the ache felt bigger and when he wasn't around, it was still there but not as intense.

If anyone outside of the knowing circle knew about it, they didn't say anything about it. I did get strange looks and the gossiping increased but I blocked it all out. I was going to force myself through this because I wanted this and I was still too stubborn to bring it to an end.

Meanwhile, Luke had moved to Newport temporarily to continue tracking Sammie. He worked with Alex's trackers and he and Alex had gotten close enough that Luke often sent messages trying to get me to give into the ache inside. He'd tell me that it wouldn't end well if I dragged it out but I would then change to subject.

Nathan soon piggybacked Luke's reasoning, even though I could tell he didn't want to. However, the only reason why he kept bringing it up was due to the fact the separation was affecting him too.

According to the lecture Luke gave me, Alex, Nathan, and I were connected in a way. I was the center so whatever happened to me--depending on how strong our bonds were--the damage would take a toll onto them just as bad as it would on me. Apparently our bonds were strong enough to make us sick.

The end of the school week came and I felt at my worst. My skin was pale, my hands trembled, and I had cold sweats. I spent most of my morning in the nurse but left when the lunch bell rang. I figured if I ate something, it would ease the shaking so I grabbed something small; an apple. I didn't stay long in the cafeteria, too many eyes were on me and too many voices had too much to say. It was suffocating.

I sat in the courtyard alone. It was a bit warmer out with summer approaching. It was nice, feeling the soft glow of the sun on my skin. It tingled since my hands were freezing but nonetheless, it was nice. Being alone was nice too but my thoughts filled the silence around me.

"He's right," I teared up. "I am stubborn."

I buried my face in my hands, crying softly. The guilt was finally starting to eat away at me. I was confused though. I wasn't sure why I felt this guilty. Maybe because bad things were happening because of me. Bad things that I still didn't know about. I suddenly had a whole other world thrown onto me without any manual on how to get through it. I was becoming paranoid about the future, what was to come after this?

  Death, of course.

A chill ran down my spine. I didn't want that. I didn't want anyone to die, not because of me, not for me, not at all.

"But it's inevitable, isn't it?"

I jumped at the sound of the voice. My body chilled over when I took in the sight before me.

"A hybrid, huh?" Demetria said. She was sitting with her back facing me but I could tell it was her. There was no mistaking her voice. It was a complete contrast to her appearance. She looked innocent but when she spoke, she was cold and emotionless.

  "You got dealt a bad hand, Hailey." She says. "I know what that feels like."

I wanted to ask her what she meant but my mouth was so dry I couldn't even make a sound.

"But bad hands have to be played out too." She smirked over her shoulder. "Don't take it personal, okay?"

She was quick to swing her body over to my side of the table and pulling me down to the ground. I was too weak to defend myself as she grabbed my neck and jabbed a knife into the side of it. Immediately, blood poured out of the fresh wound and pooled around my head. Tears rolled down the sides of my face as I felt my hands falling limp. As I was dying, all I could ask myself was why.