Honor (Kickstarting My Heart # 1) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

13~ In The Dark

I watched Andy pace back and forth in front of me, my headache growing worse.

"Can you please just sit down?" I finally asked. He stopped pacing for a moment and glanced at me.

"D. . . do you not understand what this means? It's murder, Ari. It's. . ." He was cut off by the loud knock on the door. I rushed over to it before he could process what was happening.

"Ariel? Are you okay?" A very soaked Ryan asked as I let him in. I nodded and shut the door behind me.

"I'm fine." I replied as I watched him pull off his jacket. He lifted his head with a smile that faded when he saw Andy.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice suddenly cold.

"I picked her up and helped her in here before she could get hypothermia." Ryan looked as if he didn't believe his cousin and gestured toward the door.

"Well, she's fine now. I'm here. You can leave." He said quietly. Andy stared at him before letting his eyes flicker to me.

"Ry, it's pouring out there. I don't want him driving and. . ."

"He'll be fine, Ari. Let him go." Ryan snapped. I stood in front of the door, locking it behind me.

"Absolutely not. I. . ."

"Ariel!" I jumped at the anger in Ryan's voice, Andy moved forward and shoved him.

"What the hell, Man? Stop acting like you're her fucking father. . . you. . ." Just as they were about to get into an argument every light in the house shut off and I let out a whimper.

"Ari? Where are you?" I felt a cold hand touch my arm and was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of Andy's cologne.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, his other hand resting on my shoulder.

"I. . ." I had always been terrified of thunderstorms and the dark. I thought it had just been a normal childish fear, but as I grew older I realized it would never really go away. And now I was standing in the middle of both.

"Ariel." Andy repeated. I smiled weakly even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"I'm okay." I whispered. I felt his hand leave me and footsteps walk away, it was probably him looking for a candle. I took the oppurtuity to let my mind drift back to Bren's fifteeth birthday.

"Brendan?" I whispered, hugging my bear to my chest. I jumped when I heard another rumble of thunder.

"What do you want Ariel?" I heard my brother yell from the other side of the door.

"I. . . I'm scared." I replied, tears streaming down my cheeks. I lifted the lantern in my hand as the door opened. Brendan stood in front of me, a candle in his hands. I could vaguely see Andy on the ground, holding up a candle to see what was going on.

"Ariel, it's fine. It's just a power outage." I let out a cry as a loud rumble of thunder cut him off.

"Just let her in here, Bren. She's scared." Bren glanced over his shoulder and frowned.

"Why? She needs to learn how to sleep without our parents and during a storm."

"Brendan, just let her in." Andy demanded. Bren sighed and shivered as I passed him.

"I swear to god if you two do anything I will go bash my head into a wall." I blushed at his words as he shut the door behind me.

"Here, Ariel. I'll sleep on the ground." Andy said, moving from where he laid in his sleeping bag. I thanked him and slid into his sleeping bag. I laid there awake for a few minutes before turning to Andy who was sitting with his back against Bren's trophy case.

"You don't like thunderstorms either?" I guessed. He smiled, nodding.

"No. They remind me of my sister. The one that died in the car accident. That night it was pouring and she. . . nevermind." I stared at him, waiting for him to go on, but he never said anything. My eyes lingered on his bare chest, at his still developing muscles. And slowly they made there way up to his perfect lips.

"Bren said you guys were going to try outs tomorrow." I whispered. Andy smiled again.

"Yeah. He told me you got accepted into that elite school. Congrats." He replied. I sat up and held up the lantern so I could see him clearer.

"I'm not going." He dropped the piece of cloth in his hand, surprised.

"What? Why not?" He asked.

"Because I don't want to leave home." Or you, I meantally added. He crawled over to me and grabbed my shoulders.

"You have to go, Ariel. It's a chance of a lifetime. A chance to get out of this boring town." I stared at his hands on my shoulder's, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach.

"Andy. . ." I lifted my head slowly to meet Andy's intense gaze.

"I. . ." I trialed off when his eyes traveled down my face and to my lips. I could barely breath once I realized what he was about to do.

"A. . ." He touched his lips to mine hesitantly, almost as if he were scared of my reaction. I, being the freaky thirteen year old girl that had never been kissed, sat there like an idiot. After a second of my mind screaming at me, I kissed him back.

"Please. . ." I whimpered as he pulled away and moved across the room, shaking his head to himself. Suddenly I wasn't scared of the thunder that nearly shook the house, no I felt hurt and rejected. I was repulsive. Andy didn't want me. . .

"Ariel?" My head snapped up and I was immediately blinded by a lantern.

"Ouch!" I gasped, covering my eyes.

"Sorry. You were scaring me, Ari. I thought you passed out with your eyes open or something." Ryan responded, trying to lighten the mood. I smiled, walking into his outstretched arms.

"No, I was just thinking."

"Hmm, about what?" He asked, leading me back to the couch.

"About Bren. His birthday almost four years ago." This caught Andy's attention and he nearly dropped the candle in his hand.

"Why? Was there a thunderstorm?" He asked.

"Yeah." And in that dark room I met Andy's eyes and I was brought back to the night when I had felt so rejected, so insecure, and I suddenly felt angry. But that anger drained from my body when I saw the look he was giving me. It was a look that told me that the conversation we had been having before Ryan came wasn't even close to being over.

***AN***

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~ChasingMadnesss24