Change of Heart 2

Chapter 21

"I thought you only come when I absolutely need you?

"I do." She said softly sitting on dry grass next to him. Whenever she came in the woods she was always a bit tense; she didn't know why. Maybe the fact that any creature could come out and maul her to death was the reason why. The sound of a stream running continuously down its course was the only thing she heard, accompanied by a few birds chirping here and there. She rolled down the sleeves of her black jersey to cover the beams of sunlight that was hitting her arms directly. After surveying the area around her once more, she gently slid her hand up his arm and held his shoulder.

He looked at her hand. "I don't think that's gonna work this time." The blue in his eyes finally blended with the brown in hers.

"Aiden, I'm so sorry about what happened with A−

"No!" He said out loud causing her to jump. He stood up. "Don't say you're sorry. It makes no sense when people say they're sorry. It's stupid and it doesn't change a thing!"

She stood up next to him. "Aiden please just−

"No, look I stood there and watched them take him. I couldn't do anything to help him. I stood there and watched them drag someone who was like a brother to me out of the house and disappear with him. I don't know where they went. I don't know if I'll ever see him again!" He shouted. "I'm tired of just sitting back and watching things happen. I have to do something!" His anger was getting the best of him.

She backed away from him and held her hand closer to her with a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong?" He asked finally cooling down. His mouth dropped open when he saw the blood. "Did I− did I do that?"

"It's ok it's just a scrape." She said but he could tell she was in pain.

"How did I−

"When you were shouting you lashed out. You didn't even notice."

"Oh my God." He walked to her. "I am so sorry, let me see it."

"It's fine−

"Give me your hand." He said quietly taking her injured hand which was covered in blood. She flinched when he touched it. "This is gonna hurt just a bit." He said to her. He grabbed onto her hand tighter and she let out a soft cry in pain, burying her face in his chest while her other hand grabbed a handful of his jersey and squeezed it.

"Is it over?" She whispered, her face still buried in him.

"I'm done." He said being careful with her hand. "How does it feel?"

"I'd think nothing ever happened it weren't for the blood." She smiled at him.

"Come this way." He said taking her to the stream which wasn't too far away. He knelt at the edge getting a handful of water and gently washing the blood off of her hands. "Wait." He said before she took her hand, taking his jersey off and drying her hand. "Now it's as though nothing happened." He smiled.

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me. I'm really sorry; you know I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know." She said. He kissed her hand softly before letting it go.

"I wish I could make you feel better now." She whispered.

"You can," he whispered back, his breath brushing her face. "if you stay." His forehead pressed hers.

"Aiden, I can't."

"Right." He said moving away from her and he could tell he was mad.

"Don't be mad, please." She held his face. "I just need you to understand."

"Understand what?" He raised his voice. "You come and you make me feel better. You make me think that finally, maybe she'll open up to me. And then you just leave." He pushed her hands away.

"Aiden−

"You don't care about me."

"I don't care about you?" Now it was her voice that was raised. "Do you think it doesn't kill me every time I have to walk away from you?"

"Then don't."

"It's hard Aiden. It's really hard." Her voice was cracking. "I wish I could stay with you and never leave you, ever. I care about you, more than I should. More than I was supposed to. So don't you dare stand here and say that I don't care about you because you're the person I care most about in the world Aiden." She shouted.

"If you really cared so much about me then you'd do anything to be with me; to stay with me for just another hour or two. You'd break the rules.

"I already did." She said, turning around and walking away without looking back even once. He stood and watched her until his werewolf eyes couldn't see her anymore.