ELUSIVE (Book 2)

CHAPTER 22

How could I have been so blind? It's so obvious. It's sad and pathetic.

I close my eyes and pull the covers over my head, ignoring him.

"Opal." I hear the floor boards creak. "I need to talk to you."

I don't answer.

Another creak but this time it's the squeak of the door opening. I shoot up in bed as he slips into the room.

"Hey!" I say, "Get out. You can't just barge in here."

"Sorry." He mumbles. He moves into the moonlight on purpose. He wants me to see his eyes burning with fever. His skin pink, his hair drenched in sweat. He wants me to run to him and ask if he's okay. To leap out of bed and help him. Just like the last time.

I look at him and lie back down.

He steps forward, "Opal..."

"What?"

"It's happening, again."

What exactly is happening again? He won't tell me.

"I see that." I sit up and swing my legs out of bed and stand. I hear Sawyer breath a sigh of relief and I walk to the window.

"While Jospeh and I were walking, I saw a path and I know there should be a clearing there. So if you need to be alone, there should be good."

Panic ignites his eyes. After how he treated me today I should tell him get out, leave. But I don't, can't and it takes everything in me to climb back into bed.

"Opal..."

"What?"

He scratches the back of his neck and his arms. He glances at me and the look in his eyes tells me he's miserable. I clench my jaw shut, stopping myself from telling him I'll go.

"What?" I quickly say.

"I..." He swallows, licking his lips and he tries again. "I..." He stops again. Even him trying to ask me is too much. He never really had to.

"I...need." He swallows again. "I want...For fucks sake, will you come with me?"

I glare at him. "How can you ask me that?" You curse me out, make me feel like everything is my fault."

....sometimes it is, but still.

His eyes widen from my sudden burst. "That was not my intention." He pushes his sweaty hair up. "If I hurt..."

"How can you not hurt me? This morning after the mall. I thought you'd be there to help. But all you did was make me feel worse than I already did. And again tonight with Jospeh. You acted like it was my fault. You could clearly see how upset I was, how bad I felt." I take a deep breath. "I thought you showing me glimpses of your past...I thought we were friends."

"We are."

"Nope." I meet his gaze. "Clearly we aren't."

The look on his face, miserableness, anger, and confusion. It makes me feel awful, but only makes me angrier. He has no right coming in here expecting help then making me feel guilty for refusing.

"Opal.... fuck...please." His breathing is shallow, he rubs his hands over his throat. I can see his veins popping out. And the sweat beads dripping from bis forehead. "It's getting worse." He says.

"Then you should go. I don't want to catch a fever." I tell him with a shrug.

"Opal..." He swallows hard and looks at me. The fever making the edges of his eyes red and he closes them before he looks back at me, "Please."