In Love With the Enemies

Chapter Fourteen

Caleb sighed, looking painfully into her green glassy eyes. Her breath hitched in her throat as she stared at him, in both surprise and pain as well. Deep down, she felt something, but she couldn’t just forget Viva. She loved him. Always has and always will. 

Maroon opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She didn’t know how to respond to that. He couldn’t keep her there, sooner or later Viva would take her back and she’d go with him. How could she tell that to Caleb though? 

“Caleb,” Maroon stated, looking down sadly. She stopped.

After a moment of silence, Caleb just shook his hands lazily in her arms. “Forget it. I get it.”

“Caleb, please,” 

“No, Maroon! You choose your side. So maybe you should just go there. I’d rather you go there then him come here. Just leave Maroon. Go.” Caleb responded, looking down before sighing and walking towards her. Maroon thought for a second he would stop maybe, saying he was wrong for saying that, but he just walked right past her and left the room. 

A tear fell from her eye, but she quickly whipped it away. She breathed in a deep sigh and balled her hands into fists. “Fine. That’s what I will do then.” Maroon whispered to herself. 

She knew that she should probably wait for Viva like he told her to. But if Caleb didn’t want her there, then why should she stay. She walked to the back door and quietly opened it and snuck outside. 

Before her was a large forest, and knowing Viva, she decided to just walk into it, knowing sooner or later, Viva would come for her, even if she was in the middle of nowhere. 

She didn’t think. She just walked, and didn’t stop. 

About half an hour later, after walking over multiple rocks, branches, and fallen tree trunks, Maroon was exhausted. She wanted to carry on, but she couldn’t. Her legs hurt and she felt fatigued. She sighed as she fell onto a mossy rock and let herself rest. She looked around, not having any idea where she was, or how she would return if she needed. 

She rested her elbows on her knees and placed her face in her hands. All she wanted was to take a shower and fall asleep in silk pajama’s. That sounded like paradise. 

Her mind drifted to what Caleb had said before. Viva was protecting her. Although he occasionally drank from her, it never really hurt. Sure for a tiny bit, but never enough for her to get angry at Viva for it. And Olivia, she didn’t know what to think. Maybe Caleb had been lying like Viva said he was. Viva wouldn’t kill someone. Would he?

A small and distant noise alerted Maroon. Slowly, scanning  the area, she got up, turning in circles, waiting to see if anything or anyone would appear. After a minute and no one did, Maroon shook her head, laughing humorlessly to herself before walking off in a random direction. She didn’t feel like sitting. She had to keep moving. 

After another hour, it was starting to get dark and Maroon was getting worried. Why hadn’t Viva came to get her yet? Had she traveled to far for him to ever find her? Was she lost forever and would die out here? Had Caleb’s words driven her to her death? Why had she been so careless, leaving like that? When it got dark enough, would prey kill her? 

Crickets chirped all around her and she soon enough heard running water. A stream? 

Maroon picked up her pace and hurried towards the noise, only to find, what she interpreted. A small stream with clean water. She smiled and placed her pale, shaking hands into the water, lifted up some and placing it to her lips. Drinking down the water, she exhaled happily. The water tasted clean and fresh, not dirty and toxic.