Delicate ✔

Chapter Twenty-Three

  I should be use to this. I always get left behind in the end. Someone always dies or leaves me. Listen to me... feeling sorry for myself. I just need to suck it up. I am so pathetic. This girl is dead because of me, and I'm thinking about how bad my life is. I'm such an ass. But how do I get us out of here? Jeff and Sylvia won't let me live in their house after killing their kid. Where will I go? I clench my fists in anger. All these thoughts... all these questions.. I just want to break something.

I feel something in me besides guilt and worry. I know that I am not this angry because of what Aubrey's parents did. Or even what Lee did. I am angry because that  girl over there means something to me. I will genuinely miss her. Which pisses me off. I'm not use to these... --I wrinkle my nose up in disgust--.. "feelings".

She's just a stupid girl. We kissed a couple times, but I've kissed other girls. Sure, I think she's cute, but that's all. There is nothing special about her. She's just some girl that has been holed up in her parent's house. What do I find so special about her? There is nothing special about her.

Why are you hurting so much, then?, I ask myself.

 Anger flows through me. I glare at Aubrey's frail body in annoyance. I eye a tree branch, ready to snap it in half. I wonder if I can tear down all of these trees before morning?

"Stupid girl," I mutter to myself as I approach the fallen branch. "Little brat."

 Before I can turn into a complete savage, I hear a soft voice ring in my ears. It makes me wonder if I'm going crazy.

"What did I do now?," the quiet voice asks, annoyed. She is cut off by a coughing fit.

My ill thoughts and words towards her come back and hit me like a boomerang to the face, which probably wouldn't feel too good. I turn to look at her, to make sure she really is there. She is struggling to sit up. Her doe-eyed stare makes me drop the branch I am holding. The light has returned to her blue eyes, and I think I am lost.

There is something special about her.

--Aubrey--

What did I do to make him mad now? He remains silent. Really? He is so frustrating. He drops the tree branch in his hand. I take in my surroundings. I remember I was stabbed. I felt so numb. I felt... nothing. I thought I was dead. 

We're still in the woods! But I saw Justin get taken away. What happened? I try to sit up. A fire is illuminating the area so I can see his face. He rushes over to me. My head suddenly begins to feel heavy, and I think I am going to faint. I remain sitting, his hand at my back. He kneels beside me, gazing at me.

I raise an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I thought you were dead," he murmurs, suddenly crushing me to him.

I frown. "How long have we been out here? What happened?"

I find it difficult to breathe with him crushing me to his chest. I tentatively wrap my arms around him when he doesn't release me. He remains quiet. "Justin?," I whisper at his ear.

"Hmm?"

I pull back, and he does too. He gazes down at me in relief. I smile reassuringly. He finally speaks. His voice his hoarse. "Now that you're awake, we should find a way out of here."

"My phone," I exclaim, searching in my pockets for it.

He holds it up, smiling sheepishly. "Dead."

"Oh," I frown.

After a moment, I try to stand. He stands up quickly, holding his hand out to me. I take it. He swiftly pulls me to my feet. I look up at the very few white stars that dot the sky. We're in a clearing, allowing me to see the sky clearly. It is looks like it wants to rain again. The Autumn rain is quite cold-- I assume. Temperatures don't register as easily for me.