Ice Cold

Chapter Seven

I sat on my bed thinking about how Hayden had actually smiled. It was one of those charming, yet shy smiles. I'd never seen Hayden smile since his parents died. I could hardly remember what it looked like until now.

Dinner was awkward between Hayden and I. Hayden didn't talk, as usual, but he kept looking off in the distance. Hayden seemed to be deep in thought most of the time during dinner. I wanted to ask him what was wrong but I already had a feeling that I knew. Hayden had smiled and he never does that anymore since his parents which probably meant he was beating himself up about it.

When Hayden got done he placed his plate in the sink and walked back to his room. I watched him go down the hallway before I got up and placed my own plate in the sink. It was my night to wash dishes so I washed all the dishes and then my parent's plates before I walked back to my own room. I flopped down on my bed and sat there for a few moments.

Eventually, I turned over and stared at my ceiling. "Hello, beautiful," someone said darkly and I practically jumped out of my skin.

I looked over to my door where someone was standing. I'd never seen this guy in my life but he looked like he was around my age. He started walking towards me and I opened my mouth to speak.

"If you say a word then I'm going to kill you," he said and I shut my mouth.

I was scared and I didn't know what to do. I instantly started looking for something to use as a weapon. I saw a glass cup on my nightstand. That'll have to do, I thought to myself.

As he got closer I snatched the cup up and threw it at the intruder with all my might. He turned his face and the glass shattered to pieces. When he started chuckling I was thrown off. Then he looked at me and something about his eyes and cut skin looked different. "You can't hurt me," he said cautiously between chuckles.

He quickly reached out and pulled me to him and turned me around so that my back was to his chest. He had an arm around the front of my shoulders holding me against him and using his other arm he put a hand over my mouth. I was struggling against him and kicking at him but every effort felt useless. I reached up and tried to pry his hand from my mouth.

He wouldn't budge so I continued to struggle against him and I tried to hit and kick as much as I could. "I must admit, your pathetic attempts to save yourself are very amusing, but I'm still going to have to kill you," he said quietly. "Why, you might ask? Because, you are the closest thing to Hayden Wolfe we can get to and you can't fight back as well as he can," he continued and then paused, "and quite frankly, killing you would get to Hayden and make him weaker and we need that," he finished.

I elbowed him in the side and he grimaced and loosened his grip around my mouth and I was able to snatch his hand down for a couple seconds, "Hayden! Mom!" I shouted to the top of my lungs.

The intruder growled in frustration and turned me around and pointed a finger at me, "you're going to pay for that," he said and swiped a hand across my face.

I put a hand up to my face as my face started to burn. Just then I heard my door slam against my wall as Hayden busted in and he was immediately on the intruder. He punched him in the face and then he was on top of him, "who are you?" Hayden shouted at him.

"All you need to know is I am from the rogue clan in this area and we're here to take your territory," he said.

Hayden punched him again and then the intruder looked up at me and lunged for me. Hayden grabbed him from behind and kneed him in the back before putting him in a headlock. When the intruder broke free from that Hayden punched him in the face and then the intruder turned to my window and bounded out of it as quick as lightning.

Hayden followed him all the way to the windowsill. He stayed there for a few more seconds to make sure the intruder didn't come back before he shut and locked my window. He stayed there for a minute and then slowly turned around and started staring at me. I still had my hand up to my face since the intruder had cut me.

I pulled my hand away from my face and looked down to see a pool of blood in my palm. "It's just a cut," I said.

I looked up to see Hayden looking at me curiously. He started to take a few steps toward me but something about him seemed off. Then I heard my parents in my doorway as they rushed in. My dad looked between Hayden and me and then towards the broken glass on the floor. My mom looked between Hayden and I next and then she saw my cut.

"Oh my," she said and then turned to look at Hayden worriedly, "Hayden, get out of here, now!" she shouted, worry lacing her voice.

Hayden basically ran from the room and was gone before my mom could get the last word out of her mouth. I looked after him in curiosity, wondering how he and the intruder had been so fast in their fight and how fast Hayden had run from the room. I also wondered why he'd been so quick to leave. I looked back to my parents before they guided me into the bathroom.

"What happened? Did Hayden─," dad started.

"No! Hayden didn't do anything. He practically saved my life," I said.

"Well tell us what happened, honey," mom said.

"I walked in my room and there was a stranger in there. He said if I talked he'd kill me. Then he told me that I was the closest thing to Hayden they could get and by killing me they'd hurt him. When I got him to loosen his grip I called for Hayden and you. While the intruder and Hayden were fighting the intruder said something about him and the rogue clan taking over Hayden's territory," I said, confusing myself as I repeated what the intruder had told me.

I looked up at my mom who looked very worried and scared. "What did the intruder mean by the rogue clan? And what about Hayden's territory?" I asked.

"Probably just a gang or something wanting to take over where Hayden hangs out or something like that," mom suggested.

I wasn't so sure I believed it and my dad not saying anything meant they were hiding something from me. I looked up at my mom again and by the look that passed over her face I could tell she knew I didn't believe her. I let her clean the cut and then my dad put butterfly bandages over it.

"I need to find Hayden," I said but my dad stopped me.

"He's probably thinking this over in his room just as hard as you are. Just leave him be until tomorrow and then you can ask him questions," dad said.

I waited a few more seconds, looking up at dad, before I nodded and headed to my room. As soon as I closed the door I heard loud whispering and I knew they were arguing about what just happened. When I was certain that my mom and dad had gone back to their room I quietly opened my door and walked over to Hayden's room. I was sure to be very careful since I knew my parents would be on edge.

I opened Hayden's door to see that Hayden wasn't there. I instantly wondered if he'd gone after that intruder. I was hoping the most he'd do was teach him a lesson. I couldn't see Hayden killing anybody.

I went back to my room and shut the door and was careful to look around my room before I got into bed. I thought about everything that had happened. I couldn't help but wonder if Hayden was okay. Also, I knew that I wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.