AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That isn’t possible.
But then I think back to other times when I’ve lost my temper – mainly with Bhodi and the professor – and snippets of memories come back to me. Electricity surging. Lights glowing brighter. Bulbs blowing. Was I responsible for that? If so, how the fuck do I control it? I can’t just…not get angry for the rest of my life!
Your potentially very short life, Malia.
“Umm, no. Sorry. I think I did that.”
“It was probably just a buildup of static. It didn’t really hurt, it was more the shock than anything.”
“Haha, I see what you did there,” I deadpan. But when Cove grins at me like everything’s alright and reaches for my hand again, I slide it behind my back and give him a rueful smile. “Better not risk it. Listen, if we’re at home I want space until I’m ready to come to you. I know you still need to watch me when we’re out in public, so you can do that now. From a distance.”
With that, I turn and walk away, leaving Cove standing on the beach. I race towards the water, feeling the sand sliding and giving way between my toes with every hurried footstep. Once the cool water caresses my feet, I breathe in the salty air and let the sea breeze calm my nerves.
As I walk along the shore, I think about everything that has happened. The sudden headache, my conflicting emotions towards Cove, and strange dreams that have been haunting me. I’ve been trying not to think about those, but now everything is swirling to the surface. Feelings I don’t understand threaten to overwhelm and choke me, so I stop and look out at the vast ocean, feeling small and insignificant in comparison. The waves continue to crash against the shore, a constant reminder of the ebb and flow of life, and it helps to put things into perspective for me.
On the one hand, the guys might really care for me. All of this could be genuine and real and exciting…but it would still be short lived. We’re literally from different worlds and if the danger they talk about is as deadly and imminent as they’re making out, then we don’t have long to live in paradise anyway.
On the other hand, and perhaps a lot more likely, the bond between us is entirely fictitious, crafted by the magic of the prophecy to ensure we find each other so that I can fulfil my destiny as a sacrifice. In which case, what I’m feeling isn’t real and won’t last anyway.
It seems like whichever way I look at it, there’s little hope to be had. Just choices. Do I run and save myself and hope for the best? Or do I stay and either hope they find another solution or give in to the inevitable?
I don’t know. I wish I was still in contact with Summer. This is the sort of advice she loves to give. Obviously I wouldn’t tell her all the finer details, but she could help with the guy stuff.
I wonder, not for the first time, where she is. If she’s okay. What I did wrong to make her turn on me like that.
The wave of sadness that washes over me, on top of my frustration and confusion and fear, tips me over the edge and I break down in tears.
From his short distance away, I know that Cove must be able to hear me, but he stays back, giving me this time to myself.
I let the tears flow freely, not caring who sees me. I’m so tired of pretending like I have everything under control when the truth is, I’m scared shitless. I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how to feel, and I don’t know who to trust. I’ve never felt this alone before, despite being surrounded by these four guys who claim to care about me.
A hand on my shoulder startles me and I turn to see Cove standing next to me, his expression soft and concerned.
“Hey,” he says gently. “Are you okay?”
I shake my head, unable to speak through my sobs. Cove doesn’t say anything, just wraps his arms around me and holds me tight while I cry. It’s a strange sensation, feeling so comforted and so vulnerable at the same time, especially when only minutes ago I felt suffocated by his presence. But Cove’s embrace is warm and genuine, and for a moment, I let myself relax into it and forget about everything else.
“Guys, I’m worried about Summer,” I say, coming into the kitchen to find them all seated around the dining table.Well, I guess that makes it easier than calling a ‘family meeting’ as they call it.
It’s been a tense week since the professor dropped his truth bombs, with us all dancing around the issue and being overly polite and careful with each other. The professor has returned to downright ignoring and avoiding me, and the only time things feel normal is when one of the guys drags me into their bed. I’m exhausted by it all, but there’s no putting off this other issue that’s been eating at me for weeks now.
“Why?” Reef asks, turning his full attention on me immediately, even as Bhodi scowls and mutters something unkind under his breath about my best friend.Exbest friend. Maybe. I don’t know.
“I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something really wrong with her. Something’s going on. You heard how upset she was at the station. She seemed desperately sorry, and yet, since I got out, she hasn’t tried to speak to me. Not even once?” I shake my head. “That’s not like her.”
“I think she’s shown her true colours, Miss Van der Zee,” the professor says to me. I’ve been struggling to look him in the eye since I watched him surfing in the sea the other day and he caught me ogling him. Now though, that’s the furthest thing from my mind as I stare at him with stubborn determination.
“You’re wrong. There’s something going on. Her behaviour is completely out of character, and it’s weird that I haven’t even seen or heard from her. Have any of you guys seen her on campus?”
“No. Sorry,” Cove says gently.
“And we’ve been looking for her,” Bhodi adds.
That surprises me. “You have? Why?”
“We just want to talk to her about—” Reef begins but Bhodi cuts him off.
“You didn’t think we’d let that go, did you? What she did. Betraying you like that and making up Christ knows what bullshit and lies. No. She’s lucky we’ve not been able to find her,” he growls.
