Don't give up on me ✓

[22] No Kissing

Chapter 22: No Kissing

My bedroom was on the third floor of Maythorne Manor with a beautiful view of the forest outside. The room was big enough for an actual wardrobe, a desk, a vanity set and my bed. Even the carpet was a fancy import from Europe. It's just the wallpaper I didn't like.

The floral patterns made me dizzy if I stared at them for a while.

And I was here for a while.

Bedridden.

That monster had bitten into my arm and it looked like a chewed-up mess. I tried not to look. We had to clean the wound up and disinfect it every few hours.

What had become of my life? I'd just wanted one night out of this house. And look what happens. Do I deserve this? Am I so stupid to believe I could have one night away from this nightmare?

I shuffled out of bed, wrapping myself in a giant hoodie. I had borrowed it from Jesper a year ago and never gave it back.

"Good morning," I mumbled as I passed Hugo in the living room.

He lounged on the couch with his feet on an expensive chair, playing video games.

"It's the afternoon," he informed me.

"Whatever," I mumbled, dragging my feet to the kitchen.

"Hello sleepyhead," Emily said to me, coming over with her first aid kit, "Let's see how you're doing today. It's getting better. You know you heal faster than humans do. That's a perk isn't it?"

I didn't say anything. Nothing about this seemed like a perk.

"Your mother called again," she continued, "She said she's given up trying to reach you on your mobile. Will you call her back?"

"She traded me."

"She loves you. She did it because she understands that you need us here."

Do I?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I want to leave." I told Jesper.

We were sitting by the lake, taking a break from the prison walls inside. It was evening, and dusk was settling in around us. 

Instead of replying, he looked down.

"Jesper," I begged him, "Can we leave? I liked your first idea. Let's take your car and drive the hell out of here. We almost made it. We had a train ticket and we were so close."

He shook his head. 

His heart was breaking. So was mine. Our life was forever changed and we were trapped. I felt tears well up inside me again. 

Cut it out, Georgia.

"I want to leave," I said, trying not to crack, "Say something, Jesper."

"I'm worried for you," he answered finally.

"We can find somewhere safe-"

"No."

I stared at him. His tone was serious. He looked at me and explained, "Something changed in you after the lightning strike.  There is nowhere safe anymore. You need to stay here to grow into whatever it is you need to become."

"I don't need to become anything."

"I never thought I'd believe in aliens or zombies or whatever it is those people are.  But now I do."

"I don't-"

"I can't protect you, Georgia."

Those left a gaping hole between us. We'd come so far together. He was like a rock in my life. And somehow that wasn't good enough.

Who was strong enough anymore? Mohan... Mrs Maythorne... Hugo... Nathaniel... maybe me...

Could I even trust them?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

So we didn't leave. We stayed firmly in Maythorne Manor, eating the delicious food, working out at their internal gym and watching movies on their surround sound screening room.

It wasn't too bad.

Most of the time, I forgot how badly I wanted to escape.  I recognized that it wasn't in the cards for me anymore.  

I was getting cabin fever. It wasn't normal. I don't know why I kept longing for his touch. The more I tried to hate him, the more attracted I was.

Nate was still a player. He was out with other girls, messing around and using his irresistible smile to get him out of every bad situation.

Pure thoughts, I told myself.

It was hard to hide in Maythorne Manor. Sound travels across the floorboards. So I left my room and took myself to the library. The sinners I live with never go there. I held my paperback copy of Catcher in the Rye and headed to the south wing of the manor.

I passed by a gargoyle statue that was at the corner of the hallway and turned left. I didn't get far when I felt someone take hold of me and pull me into a room. In my surprise, I dropped my book.

"What are you doing?" I whispered when I came face to face with him. His chiseled features and tempting lips curled into a smirk. "We're pretending like nothing happened. That was the plan."

"It is the plan."

Nate brushed my hair to one side so that my neck was bare. I held onto him, my knees weakening as his lips came down on my neck.

"This doesn't feel like the plan," I complained.

"Screw the plan," he kissed my neck down to my shoulder and pulled my shirt down further, "You're too tempting..."

I leaned into him, "No kissing. Nate, we said no kissing."

His fingers ran through my hair as his lips kissed the curve of my shoulder.

"But then you got hurt," he mumbled, softly sucking my neck, and my own lips opened.

His fingers worked magic on my body, touching me in all the right places. He lowered his hands to my jeans, and in a quick motion, he unbuttoned them with ease.

"G!" Jesper's voice yelled, "Where did you go?"

I jumped back and pulled my shirt back over my shoulder. Nate smirked and opened his mouth to respond. I immediately put my hand against his lips and I felt his smirk widen underneath my fingers.

He pinned me against the wall, his body pressing against his mine. He didn't need his lips to get me feeling this way.

"G! Your book is here. Where are you?"

I lowered my hand from Nate's mouth and whispered, "For real, we are not doing this anymore. We have to stay away from each other."

I didn't leave time for him to respond. I reached for the door, but his body came behind mine. I froze, my skin already tingling in anticipation of his touch. He turned me around, pulling me towards him. He gray eyes captivated me as his hands went to my jeans. The breath hitched in my throat.

"You forgot," he whispered as he buttoned my pants back up, more slowly - intentionally slow - enjoying me squirm.

Inwardly, I was wondering what if he did the opposite. And when he was done, his hands released his hold of me. I ran, opened the door and quickly shut it behind me before Jesper could see who was inside.

"Hey, sorry about that," I quickly patted my hair as I saw him.

"What's in there?" he asked, walking past me.

"Nothing important." I said extra loudly.

I grabbed my book out of his hands and pulled his hands with me, "Oh you found it, thank you!"

A/N: Do you think Georgia should leave?  How about the hot-cold relationship with Nate? 

Please vote and I'll upload the next chapter ASAP.