CHAPTER 18

172 26 29
                                    

I know I'm in deep sleep with I smell the aroma of blue berry pancakes. I squeeze my eyes tighter, just to savor the smell in my dream.

"Wake up." A voice whispers. I hear the sound of a plastic box scraping. I open my eyes and see Jospeh with a box full of pancakes.

"IHOP pancakes?"

"Shush." Jospeh points to everyone sleeping and he motions for me to follow him. It's early summer fog setting in. I follow Joseph to a doc and we sit at the edge our feet dangling just above the water. I can see the sun ready to rise over the tree line, turning everything slightly pink.

"Beautiful huh?" He says and I nod. "So is this okay for breakfast? Near the water? Not too cold?" He asks.

I look out into the lake, the green trees and the rising sun. After everything that happened last night this was better than any fancy restaurant and the most thoughtful thing anyone has done for me.

"Couldn't asked for anything better, it's perfect. Thank you." I tell him.

Joseph smiles, "Good, If it wasn't I would have blamed Sawyer."

"Blames Sawyer?"

"He's the one who suggested to bring you out here, breakfast was his idea. When we were  looking for food he saw that breakfast place and he thought you'd like a peaceful breakfast away from everyone."

So Sawyer picked this spot? Was he hoping I would go blind from the  sun and somehow fall  into the water and drown.

"I have pancakes and hash browns and eggs." He places the trays in front of me. "Which one do you want?"

"Which ever you don't want the rest will eat."

I take the tray of pancakes and warm honey. He lifts two bottles of something.

"Orange juice or chocolate milk?"

"Chocolate milk, please."

Jospeh smiles, "I knew you'd like that."

"Thank you.." I wake at everything around me, "this is really nice."

"You deserve it after your shitty night. By the way, there is a deep cut on your cheek. We need to get that cleaned, later." He takes a bit out of his food. "I know Sawyer gave you an ear full last night..."

I stop him, "It's ok." I shrug.

"No it's not. Him going after you like that, it was out of line even for him. He just been..."

"Crankier than usual?"

"Yeah. I think it's because.." Jospeh stops talking and clears his throat. "Anyway he's out of line?"

I look at Jospeh, confused. Sawyer has been crankier, but why?

"Sawyer says we should stay here another day. It's too dangerous to move."

Sawyer wants to stay? That doesn't sound like him. 

Both Sawyer and Avery steer clear of me all day. And I haven't seen much of Jospeh either. Everyone is gone and I'm stuck in a alley way Sawyer chose for me to stay in. I heard foot steps and walked to the edge to meet Jospeh. Sawyer stomps around the corner, scowling. I crash into his chest and he looks down at me.

"Were you about to leave?" He questions. He has a newspaper rolled in his hand.

"Bad Opal." I whisper and roll my eyes.

"What?" He questions, clearly hearing what I said.

"Bad Opal." I point at the rolled up news paper and stuck my hand out. He treats me like a dog is he gonna hit me like one?

ELUSIVE (Book 2)Where stories live. Discover now