The Bounty Hunter

Chapter Thirty-Two

Alright guys, as much as I hate to say this, this will be the last chapter for The Bounty Hunter. I hope you guys enjoy the final chapter, and I apologize since it's a little short.

I must have fallen asleep because I woke up in Lloyd's room, lying on his bed. I sat up quickly, scanning the room but I didn't see him anywhere. He picked me up when I was sleeping? I thought. I got off of his bed and walked to the door. I jiggled the handle and found it locked. Of course he locked it. I looked around the room, at a loss of what to do. Lloyd just left me in his room randomly, and I couldn't figure out why he stole me from my room in the first place. I put my ear to the door, wondering if I could catch any sounds outside the door. The house was completely silent which meant I was stuck with Lloyd without any help from Luke or Caleb. I would seek help from Hailey, but I had a feeling she would just help Lloyd out since she thought this whole ordeal was hilarious. I made my way over to the balcony and opened the doors, letting a nice cool breeze into the room. I walked out and saw the night sky. They were filled with stars and it made me remember a night when Shawn took me to a window in the orphanage, pointing out every star and naming them, starting from Irons Belt to the Big Dipper. The stars decorated the sky with an amazing shine, almost like diamonds. I felt so relaxed looking at it I didn't even hear when Lloyd came up. I stood with my hands leaning on the railing of the terrace when Lloyd put his hands beside mine, my back against his chest. I looked up at him and noticed he too, was looking at the stars. He seemed relaxed and happy, the smile on his face wide. I couldn't help but to just smile up at him. His eyes glanced down at me and I quickly looked away, my face getting hot with embarrassment.

"You really miss your brother, don't you?" Lloyd sounded sad but happy in another way. I looked back up at the stars, and sadly smiled to myself.

"I just wish he were able to experience the life I have had. He would've liked this much more had he been here."

"I'm sure he is happy, knowing you have found a happy place. That is what he wanted right?"

"He wanted it for Hailey most of all, since I was already pretty much scarred. I don't know if he ever thought about me having a normal life."

"But Hailey also wants you to be happy."

I got irritated and I huffed. "And I am happy. I never said I wasn't," I said with a hint of pride. I held my breath as I realized what I just said, my eyes widening a bit. I said I was happy, and I had to say it right in front of Lloyd, the one man I hated admitting things to. Lloyd's arms wrapped around me and held me there, chuckling under his breath.

"So you are happy."

"I didn't mean that," I said irritably. "I just said it so you would leave me alone."

"Now you're lying to me."

"How do you know if I'm lying?" I growled and Lloyd tightened his grip.

"Because I just know you so well. You don't like to admit things to people, especially me since you know I'm right." I froze as I knew he was right. What else did he know about me? I tried to free my arms but quickly gave up as I knew Lloyd wasn't about to let me go. I hated Lloyd was always so much stronger than me, because it meant I couldn't get away from him when I wanted to. "I want you to know I'm happy, just standing here with you." My body tensed up. Why was I feeling scared now? Lloyd turned me to face him and he looked down right into my eyes. I looked away, not knowing what to think and not knowing where to look. "You still hesitate, you know? You still can't decide whether or not to fully trust someone. You hesitate to let someone in."

"It hurts to be betrayed by someone you care about," I whispered. Lloyd was silent for a moment, his eyes studying mine as he realized what I was talking about.