An Undiscovered World

Chapter twenty-three: Aching...

Jeff's POV

     I shot into a sitting position, my eyes snapping open. Ron! I need to get Ron! Instantly, I regretted moving at all. Pain shot through my whole left side, causing me to gasp and growl at the pain. Shot... I was shot... Slendy!

"Stop moving, dumbass..." A soft voice sounded from my left, "You'll reopen your stitches."

Slowly turning around, I came face to face with a familiar girl. I blinked at her, staying silent. Her green eyes searched my black ones for something. Anything. My chest ached with an unfamiliar feeling. She's not hurt... They didn't hurt her...

"You're okay..." I finally choked out.

"I wish I could say the same about you..." Alyx laughed softly, gently placing her hand on my wound, "I... I thought you were going to..."

I stared at her intensely as she trailed off, biting her lip and fighting back tears. I grabbed her arm that was on my wound, pulling her closer with a grunt. My stomach twisted as her tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Slowly, I wiped them away with the thumb of my free hand. Her beautiful jade eyes sparked with something I had long lost forgotten how to say or feel.

"Shh... Go to sleep with me..." I said cheesily and softly.

It took me a second to realize that we were on my bed, in the Slender Mansion. My room... Hm... I haven't been in here for a while... It was just an ordinary, empty room. The only thing in it was my mattress, since I traveled a lot. We both settled down. I was halfway on my back and halfway on my side. Alyx was partially on top of me; she was sure not to touch or brush my wound.

"I love you..." She blurted out after a while of utter silence.

I stayed quiet. My chest ached with an unfamiliar feeling as the silence remained. She felt this strong affection for me. Why...? I almost killed her when we first met. I could kill her now, despite my wound. Why does she love me...? What makes me so special?

"Why?" I questioned with a growl.

She had no right to love me. She didn't know me. Yes she does... Stop being an ass... An obnoxious voice in my head argued back and forth with me. It's been nearly a month and a half since I've met her. You both are inseparable, it's almost adorable! The annoying voice sang.

"You're so different than I imagined..." Alyx said softly, "You have a soft side... You're protective... I just - I don't know how to explain it, Jeff... I will tell you this..."

I stayed silent, staring at her. Our eyes locked. I felt something flutter in my stomach. God damn it... She stared at me, silently asking if I wanted to hear it. Honestly, I did want to hear what she had to say.

"Go on," I nodded, keeping our eye contact.

"You make me smile..." She whispered, "My heart beats so fast when you're around... You make me nervous, not in a bad way... I hate to admit this, but... I love it when you check me out..."

A wide smile played across my lips. I enjoyed the fact that she was open to me. In fact... I enjoy that fact that I was her first... I marked her... I took her away from him... Stole her... She's mine now...

"I know," I said casually, instantly regretting my words as her face went crestfallen.

We laid there in a painful silence. Her head rested against my chest, my arm thrown limply over her waist. Our legs were in a tangled mess, just the way I liked them to be.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to freak you out... I think I just really admire you..." Alyx nuzzled her cheek further into my chest.

I looked down at her as she looked up at me. She was hurting. I could tell by the agonizing look in her eyes. God... Her eyes... I could stare at them all day... They were the perfect shade of green. Not too light, or too dark. They were perfect.