The Words

Chapter 12

"Raven, what the hell is this?" Cayden asks.

I glance at Kyle and see that we both share the same mixture of fear and shock. I don't know about him, but even so much as a nick on my knee from a rock sends an ample amount of pain throughout my entire body. I don't even want to imagine what all that supplies will rank it up to.

"Relax, my buddy needed them for this thing he has Saturday, and I told him I'd buy it so long as he agreed to give me one of his guns in return," Raven sighs, as if bored.

Kyle and I both release a sigh of relief which she notices.

"Dang, did y'all really think I was about to torture you or something?" She asks. "I'm not that heartless."

I roll my eyes at that. Of course she's that heartless. She knew the moment we saw that kit of supplies our minds would go to torture, and when your mind goes there, your heart rate jumps from 80 to 200 in 2.3 seconds.

Raven begins to unload the grocery bags, and Cayden helps her. Romen Noodles, macaroni, and chicken nuggets seem to be the bulk of her load, which needless to say, isn't that bad compared to my bread and water scenario I was preparing myself for. I think I watch too much tv.

"I'm gonna go take a shower and lay down for a while. Cayden, would you fix them something to eat so their stomachs don't blare out my tv?" Raven asks in one of the sweetest voices I've ever heard. The sound almost makes me gag.

"Yea, sure."

"Thanks love," she replies, planting a kiss on Cayden's cheek.

Cayden seems to be captivated by Raven, but I'm completely stumped. Before she was all hard core and bad ass, but now she's sweet and manipulative. Something isn't right.

I look over at Kyle, but he's passed out again. Oh well, he's probably better off unconscious than conscious.

Even though pain shoots up my arm, I begin to wiggle my wrists between the rope, and just as I thought, Cayden begins to notice, especially when I wince. At first he ignores it, taking out a pot and putting water in, but I can see the concern in his eyes. Just like Layla, he can't stand to see people he cares about in pain.

"Struggling makes it worse," he says, taking the bait.

"Cadyden please, hear me out."

"Why should I? Why should I even trust you now? I'm a...ashamed, ashamed to be your soulmate. I give you what you've always wanted, and you just leave. You leave without hesitation, and I let you because I didn't wanna force you into anything. I didn't wanna force you to have to be with me, your soulmate. But then you go and betray me? You help the cops because you think I stole? You don't understand Alaska; I would've waited for you."

Cayden stares at me, locking his eye with mine. I can see so many emotions within them: his pain, his anger, his longing, his compassion, his hurt. It almost makes me burst into tears because I know he's right. I'm the one who ran away, away from him, away from the life we were supposed to have together. It's my fault we're in this situation, and now I wish I could take it all back.

Cayden is the first to look away, unable to keep eye contact, and I look down at my lap.

"I like you Cade...I like you a lot," I whisper.

"Just stop, Alaska. It doesn't matter what you say because I can't even trust a word you're saying to me."

"You're right. You can't trust me, and I can't forgive myself for allowing that to happen. But what am I supposed to say? I was wrong! Wrong about everything and you can't even -"

"Just shut up okay?!"

By now he's yelling, not even trying to complete the macaroni he barely started. Hurt and anger begin to boil within me because he can't even forgive me over something so significantly small.

I decide to counter. "Or what?"

"Alaska please stop," he says, leaning over the sink.

"No, what would you do if I didn't stop? Hit me?"

"You know I would never do that!" He exclaims.

"Then why does it feel like you're about to kill me?"

Cayden sighs heavily and walks over to me, kneeling down and undoing the ropes around my wrists. As they fall to the ground, I look at where the skin has peeled off from the burns and cringe. They won't stop stinging. Cayden's face becomes serious, full of compassion, and he takes my hands in his, bringing them up to his face, and kisses them.

"Alaska, I'm so...I'm so sorry," he whispers, slumping into my lap.

I take his hands and stroke his cheek, kneeling down so we're somewhat face to face. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I should've trusted you from the start. I should've stayed with you."

"Yea you should've," he chuckles. "Then we wouldn't be in this mess."

I smile and we sit like that for a second, soaking in each other's breath, but eventually he stands up.

"What now?," I ask.

"Help me make some macaroni?" He asks.

"Only if you let me make a double batch."

"What, is your boyfriend used to a three course meal?" He snorts.

I roll my eyes. "No, I prefer the three course meal, and he's not my boyfriend."

"Then why do you seem to care so much about him?"

"I don't care about Kyle," I state.

"Well that's not what it looks like," Cayden snaps back.

Crap, he can tell. But now I've fallen for Kyle too? How does everyone else seem to know how I feel before I do?

Cayden notices my momentary pause, and I know I'm caught.

"What are you not telling me?" He asks.

I stay silent, watching the water boil in the pan.

"Alaska."

"I...I think Kyle's my soulmate, too," I stamper.

~~~~
I apologize for the incredibly long delay in an update. This summer has been super crazy for me, and I honestly have had no free time to write. Now that school's starting though, I should have a more regular updating schedule. Thanks for your patience!

Things are starting to pick up now, and we're coming close to one of our climaxes so I'm super excited :)

Please vote and comment because I love to hear y'alls feedback.