To Learn To Fall (Sequel to the Other Side)

Chapter Twenty Eight

I laid in my bed, staring up at the unmoving ceiling. I don't know what I was expecting, what I was waiting for, but I couldn't bring myself to turn on my side and fall asleep. Not after the events of the day.

I just wanted to talk to him, more than anything else in the world.

So do it, urged that simple voice, as it had been doing for the past hour or so. And it was becoming more and more difficult to not give in to those temptations.

So difficult that I gave up all together.

He invited me to see him, right? It's what he wanted. He wouldn't ask for me to go and see him if he didn't want me to go and see him. But then again, so many things have changed since then. What if he doesn't want me anymore?

Find James, the voice echoed, and I wasn't sure if it was mine or Thomas's, playing again and again through my mind.

I through the blanket off of my body and rose to my feet, hugging my arms to keep myself warm. Everything will be alright in a couple of minutes.

The hallway was unburdened by the whispering and murmuring of people, letting me here only the crickets chirping and the occasional bird singing even in the late hours of the night. I kept my footfalls as quiet as possible so I wouldn't wake anybody up.

I wandered around the corridors and back to the room where the tree was held. I had no where else to go, and it was the only room to which route I remembered, so I hoped that I could find James or at least somebody who knew where to go inside there.

The tree didn't look as amazing without the crystals wrapped around its trunk, but I still kept my distance away from it. It was hard not to respect the thing and all it could do, especially after seeing it for myself. I sighed and approached it, holding out a hand. I was curious, nothing more. Maybe I would feel what Thomas felt.

My fingers barely brushed the trunk of it when a voice from behind called out, making me jump and spin. "Alexander. There you are." I recognized the outline of James standing in the doorway. He didn't ask what I was doing, didn't comment on it at all. "Come on. It's this way."

"What's this way?" I asked, quickening my pace to catch up with him as he turned and started in the other direction.

"You wanted to see Thomas, right? Thomas is this way."

"How did you know?"

"He told me to find you."

"What if I didn't want to be found?"

James stopped calmly and turned to look at me. His voice was even, unfazed. "Well, do you want to go to him or not?"

"I—" I sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Yes. I do." Those three words didn't fully encompass how much my hands ached to wrap around his body, how much my skin longed to feel his touch.

"Then he's this way." James started walking again, and he didn't say anything at all. He led me up endless flights of stairs and down hallways lined with birds perched sleepily anywhere there was space. I tried to memorize the route as best as I could, but the castle was far too expansive for me to have any bearing on anything.

Finally, James stopped outside a door. He nodded to me and left without so much as a goodbye. His intention was clear: I would have to make this decision for myself.

And it wasn't much of a decision at all.

As soon as he disappeared down the hallway, I drew open the door and slipped inside as quietly as possible, so I didn't wake him up.