Return ↠ Argent [2]

15. Deceit

Allison runs her free finger tips across my hand while the other clasped onto it, sending chills up my spine. We were now sitting on the edge of her bed in her hotel room, neither of us saying a single word yet. However, we didn't need to say anything, because with every touch from Allison, it felt like she was saying a thousand words.

Finally, she did speak. "It wasn't his fault, Corey."

"I get that," I say, remembering the look on Scott's face when I pulled him away from Allison earlier. "But what would he have done if I wouldn't have gotten here?"

Allison's hand tightens it's grip. "Nothing. He wouldn't have laid a hand on me-"

"You don't know that," I state, only thinking about the one thing I wanted to erase from my mind, which happened to be Allison not being able to defend herself. First there was Matt to stalk her, but now Scott was randomly going for her when she's naked in the shower? It sickened my stomach. "You don't know what he would have done."

Allison sighs, finally accepting that I was right. She lowers her head onto my shoulder, continuing to intertwine her fingers into my own. "Corey, I only love you. You know that, right?"

I swore my heart skipped a beat from the L word. It wasn't like this was the first time she said it, same with me, but every time I heart it come from her lips, I stopped thinking straight. "Of course I know that."

"Good," she smiles as she nuzzles her face into my neck, her soft lips reaching up and pecking the side of it gently. She only does this for a moment however before she hisses, seeming to be in pain.

I turn my head. "What's wrong?"

Her head lifts from my shoulder as her free hand goes to the back of her neck, rubbing it softly. "I forgot that when the alpha pack took Stiles and I that Jade had pressed her claws a little too hard on the back of my neck-"

"Wait, she hurt you?" I say, my heartbeat rising. Why didn't Allison tell me sooner?

Allison shakes her head. "Yes, but I'm fine. I promise. It just aches every now and again."

"Let me see it," I say as she lets go of my hand, turning on the bed and facing the wall. I swiftly grab her hair, which smelled like strawberries, and brushed it over the side of her shoulder. She was right; Jade did get her with her claws.

It was a little to the left from her spine; four little red dots that appeared to have been deep before they healed. My heart aches for Allison as I lean my face closer, seeing that one of the dots had a little bump under it from the swelling. I wanted to be mad at Jade for doing this, but right now wasn't the time. It wasn't like I could do anything about it right now.

"Is is bad?" she says, her eyes trying to look around back at me.

I didn't want to lie. "It's not that bad; it's healing for sure."

"It only hurts when I move my neck a certain way," she says as I bring her hair back around, allowing her to turn back and face me once again. "Jade didn't mean to, I know she didn't. It was when she was taking us inside of the mall when we first got there."

"Either way, she hurt you," I say, vowing to myself that she wasn't going to go unpunished.

Allison's eyes trail down to the floor as she's silent, searching for the words to say or just basking in the sweet silence, I didn't know. After a couple of seconds, she looks back up at me, her eyes wandering. "How...How close were you and Jade? I never have really heard much about her."

I was surprised by her question, but not by her curiosity. "We first met in second grade. She moved from Washington and didn't have any friends, which is how she found me. I can't remember how it happened or when exactly, but it was like we became best friends over night. We were the outcasts of the school, which I guess was the reason we fit together like puzzle pieces so well. We made each other laugh, we stayed up too late talking on the phone, and we stuck together. Granted, I got a little lost when I started dating Kaitlin, but eventually we found each other again."