Taken by My Forever | ✓

Chapter #18

We left the room after I sobered up, and changed into shorts, and a loose shirt, with my swimsuit under. When I opened our bedroom door, I expected to see Zack on the floor, waiting for us, and then scrambling to his feet when he saw us. But there was no one.

So if I screamed, would he actually have heard me or would he be on the other side of the world? I thought to myself, deadpanning.

I snorted out a small laugh, earning me a confused look from Ethan, who was walking ahead of me.

"What's so funny?" He asked me curiously, a beautiful spark of mischief in his eyes, that brought life to his bruises and the small scratches scattered across his face. Instead of relapsing about David asking me the exact same thing he said that prom night, I let it go. For the first time, I let it go and I didn't feel a heavy feeling in my chest.

I shook my head, "Nothing." I said, smiling at the ground.

He shook his head in defeat, smiling a wider smile, "You're a strange one."

I quirked my eyebrow as I watched him from behind we walked down the hallway, "Yeah, but you like this strange one." I mocked his words as I motioned to myself.

Suddenly, he spun on his heel to face me, stared me dead in the eye. His hands reached out for my wrists, and I was surprised at how well they fit on my wrists, he yanked me forward, as I almost knocked into him.

But right before our bodies violently smacked, his lips collided with mine and I was engulfed in his arms, as they snaked around my waist, hugging me closer to him. I pulled my arms from his grip, still molding my lips against his, and gently let my fingers sneak at the back of his head, as I twisted and played with his hair.

He made a strange sound, before he pulled away, much to my dismay, "I do like all of this..." He said, ravaging my body with his eyes from top to bottom.

What? I frowned at him tilting my head to one side.

"I like this strange one." He repeated more surely to himself, looking at me with his big green eyes. I looked back at him in awe, "You're so whipped." He chuckled.

"Wha—I am no such thing!" I faked a gasp.

"Oh yes you are." He nodded to himself, in big exaggerated nods and a smug smile pulling at his lips which turned into a smirk.

"You're the whipped one..." I mumbled to myself.

"What was that?" He asked, playfully squeezing my sides.

"Huh?! Nothing!" I quipped.

He laughed a little, and then pulled me along with him as we made our way downstairs. "Where's everybody?" I asked when we saw there was no one in the kitchen, but right on cue I heard cackling and the loud laugh of no one other than Stacey and Annabel and I laughed a bit.

Oh... There they are!

Ethan and I padded to the patio, where everyone had found places across a long oak table. It was like a smaller version of those really long banquet tables you'd see in movies.

Ethan pushed the sliding doors open, still holding my hand as I walked through.

"Well, well, well... we meet again." Francis said like one of those mafia leaders, as he crossed his arms over his chest like a macho man.

"We do." I frowned, giving him a 'what's your point?' kind of face.

Francis cleared his throat, straightened himself out, laced his fingers together like businessmen would and then puffed his chest out, "I see my apprentice has been of very good company." He said, referring to Ethan.