Finding You

chapter 21

"I was so scared, Zay. He said he-"

"Shh. You don't need to talk. It's fine now," I say soothingly. "I'm going to take you home."

I guide her in the direction of our houses, but she doesn't move. "No, I need to go back to school," she says.

"For what?"

She sniffs. "I told Savannah I would be back to hang out at her place."

"Can't you just call it off?"

She looks at me with a little sass. How can she be so adorable? "You can't have me all to yourself. I haven't spent time with her for a while. I miss her."

"Ok.. call her and tell her I'll drop you off."

She nods and makes the call. I put my arm around her waist, enjoying the contact. We walk back to my house mildly, not really talking.

My car is parked in the front. I open the door for Amber and ask where Savannah lives.

"Close. The neighborhood behind the school." I nod and start the engine.

"Are you okay? You just had one hell of a fight," she asks timidly.

"Yeah, all healed. Though I do have a headache," I say truthfully. My jaw is sore but that will go away in time. "I'm so sorry Amber. I should have been there-"

"Don't apologize. I'm just glad you heard me."

I don't reply. I don't know how I heard her. I had been listening to music when I heard her voice. And it was soft, not a shout.

It felt, in a way, like she was mind linking with me. Which is impossible. But how can I explain that rush of terror that accompanied her voice entering my mind?

I contemplate this until Amber points out Savannah's house. "That's it."

We walk to the door and she knocks on it lightly. Savannah immediately opens the door. I wouldn't be surprised if she was sitting right behind it.

"There you are. It took you... forever." Her excitement disappears when she looks at Amber. "Oh my God Amber, what's wrong. You look terrible; are you crying?"

Amber has started to cry fully now. It kind of hurts when Amber goes to Savannah for a hug instead of me, but I deal with it. Maybe she needs a girl hug.

"Hey, whatever it is, it'll get better. It always does." She squeezes her compassionately.

Savannah glances at me. "Was it because of him?" she whispers to Amber. I know I wasn't meant to hear that, and she whispered it really quietly so I wouldn't hear it; but damn, I'm standing right here.

To my relief, she shakes her head.

"You can come in Zyler. Don't stand there like a Twinkie."

Twinkie? I ignore her weirdness and step in with them.

The walls of her house are warm colors, and the carpet is a quiet creme color. It gives it a calming effect on the mood of her house. Unlike Amber's house which puts my being in a frenzy.

We walk through a room with couches and go through a hallway with a closed door. When it's opened, I get a whiff of some strong perfume.

I cough a little bit dramatically but the two girls don't notice. Or just ignore me. I have to force myself to walk into the fragranced room.

I shut the door behind me and watch silently as Savannah sits down on her bed and hugs Amber. Again.

"Hey. Amber look at my eyes. What's wrong?" Savannah says seriously.

Amber sniffs and closes her eyes. "I'm just, going through something."

"What is it? You can tell me Amber. Nothing that's going on will change us. Is PMS? I told you last time that's normal."

"No it's not PMS. I...it's-" She tries talking but gets nowhere.

I can't handle the distance anymore. I stride over to her, kneel by the bed and take her hand. Her distress and pain leak into me.

"Amber it's ok. Talk when you're ready."

She meets my gaze and I try to decipher the look she gives me. But before I can, it's gone, and she faces Savannah.

"I need to tell you something, important." She takes a deep breath. "About Zay."

I swear inwardly. "Uhm, no. You don't have anything you need to say."

"Zay, yes I do," she says.

"Noo, you don't. Um, give us a moment, Savannah. Please."

I don't wait for her agreement. I pull Amber out of the room and close the door. "What are you doing?"

She wipes her eyes and looks down, but not in shame. "I'm going to tell her."

She can't be serious. "Tell her what?"

"About you."

I search for any signs of a joke but find none. "You..but you promised you wouldn't tell anyone."

She sighs. "I know. Yeah, it's possible for me to lie to my mom even though I don't like it. I can lie to my teachers and those random people at school who I rarely talk to. But lying to Savannah? That's like lying to myself. She knows me, and knows how I act. She knew I liked you before I did. She'll start to suspect something," she explains.

"Well now she definitely suspects something." I come really close to growling. But I really don't want to argue after what just happened to her so I push back my angry emotions.

"When I said you can't tell anyone, I was referring to all humans. Are you really going to just go back on what you told me?"

"She'll find out eventually. I would rather her hear it from me."

I can't believe it. I really can't. She would really do this? "Amber, you promised. You can't tell her."

I don't want to force her not to. I can't do that for the life of me. But there's no way she can tell.

"Please, just explain it to her with me. She won't tell."

"Just like you said you won't tell? I guess I can't trust you."

"Sorry." She doesn't even look at me before she walks back into the room.

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So that's the choices for the new cover!! I'm going to put one of them up a little later but what do you think?

Comment color or b&w

Also, don't you think Amber is acting so stupid? ugh, she needs to stop. Hope you liked this chapter! bye bye