INNOCENCE (Completed)

Chapter 16

I just gave her a small smile and shrugged.

"What are you going to do?" she asked with much worry.

"Honestly, I don't know." I answered, troubled.

"Don't worry. I'll help you figure something out." she said as she reached for my hand and gave me a comforting smile.

I grasped her hand tight and smiled back saying, "Thank you."

~

The rest of the afternoon went by lazily. I spent most of my time grooming the horses in the stables. I was brushing Orion while staring, dazed at the wall before me. I was thinking about what Zia and I had just talked back then. I was too pre-occupied that I was startled when Orion suddenly whinnied and shook his head away from me.

"What's wrong boy?" I asked as I soothingly stroked his neck.

When I turned my head to look around, I found Daniel casually standing by the main stable doors. His hands were in his pocket and he smiled at me but something was a bit off.

He walked slowly towards me and stopped before greeting, "Hi."

"Hi." I replied back, uneasily.

"I've been looking all over for you." he said, starting a conversation as he leaned on a pole.

"Well, you found me." I said, trying to make it sound funny but it didn't.

"That I did." he said, chuckling a bit. He stood back straight and cleared his throat. "I want to talk to you about something."

"I'm listening." I said as I stopped brushing Orion and tried to listen to what he had to say.

"Good. It's about Jonathan." he said with much seriousness.

I gulped, feeling a bit distressed. 'What now?'

"He told you something about me, correct?"

"How did you know?" I asked, bewildered.

"I figured as much." he said, smirking.

"Oh."

He went back to his seriousness and asked, "He probably told you something that might change your view about me; and to stay away from me, am I right?"

"Yes." I answered, weakly.

"Do you want to?"

I looked into his blue masked eyes but all I could see was doubt.

"Do you want to stay away from me?" he asked again, more clearly.

We were both silent. He stood there and anticipated my answer but I was still confused and undecided.

With a faltering voice, I tried to find words to say but only ended up saying, "Daniel. . . I-"

"Don't say anything more. I already know what it will be." he said, harshly cutting me off.

His expression was stoic. His eyes weren't the same soft blue carefree eyes I was enchanted with when we first met. They were dark and nonchalant. His tone was indifferent. He looked coldly at me like I meant. . . nothing. He felt so distant from me. I didn't like it at all. This wasn't the Daniel I had met before.

"You are just like everyone else. I'm disappointed. I guess I had you wrong." he said, coldly, then turned around and walked away.

Before he could leave, I pulled his arm to make him face towards me. I didn't want him to think I had nothing to say, because I do.

"Then you're wrong. I am not the kind of person who easily judges people and gives up on them without proper reason. If you think that I would doubt who you are, then this would be the time to say that because I guess I also had you wrong." I said, wounded.