SEVENTEEN

            Adrian’s back hurt, tired, his eyes sore. The gun he’d been carrying was rested across his lap. Soft breath came from his companions around the room. Richard was asleep in the chair, Richelle and Jake were bandaged up in their blankets; or so he thought. Rustling came from behind him. Jerking up right out of the chair, Adrian spun the gun around and faced his attacker. It was Jake. She stood in front of him, her arms down by her side. He couldn’t see her face.

            “Jake?” he whispered. Moonlight streamed through the glass front window. Jake took a step forward, towards him, throwing herself into the moonlight. The rich red color of her hair was bleached white in the eerie light. She looked normal, not a Returned. Just Jake. She gave him a small smile and put a hand on the barrel of the gun. Realizing that the weapon was still pointed at her, Adrian lowered the gun and stared at her.

            She looked strange, like a dream. Taking another step forward, their bodies were so close. He could feel the heat radiating from her body. Her hands snaked out, wrapping gently around the gun and pushing it aside. Adrian let her take the weapon softly from his hands, watching her as she knelt down, arms brushing his legs, and set the gun on the ground. A hand pressed gently against his chest guided him backwards to the chair he previously occupied. He fell heavily against it, back snapping against the metal posts. And then she was on him, her legs straddled him, wrapping loosely around his hips. His breath became uneven, blowing back strands of hair around her face.

            Her lips moved across his, just barely brushing his skin, taunting. She grabbed his hands and entwined them around her waist. Eagerly he grasped her hips, pulling her tighter against him. Now they were kissing, for real. Her lips were scorching his skin. Her hands fumbled with the edge of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. Her lips were at his throat, teeth brushing his pulsing artery. Hands moved around fumbling with the zipper of his jeans. Groaning he tore at her shirt, freeing it from her body at last.

            He couldn’t feel it. He couldn’t feel the pounding of her heart against his chest. He couldn’t feel the breath that should be rushing against his skin. His eyes shot open. Two red pricks sprung up on her neck. He could see the puncture marks close to his eyes. She pulled back, away from him. Her dark black eyes were focused on him. Her fingers managed to unzip and unbutton his pants. She was working on pulling at them when he stopped her, clasping her wrists in his hands. She didn’t relent. Her fingers stretched forwards to taunt him. Groaning, he pushed her hands farther away, tearing a part of himself away at the same time.

            He watched the anger tear through her body. She bared her teeth at him, black and red goop began dripping from her gums, sliding sickly over her teeth and darkening her sadistic smile. The humanity drained from her eyes, as her fingers curled into his throat.

            He tore at her claws, digging into the skin at his throat. Her legs tightened around him, pinning him to the chair. He scrabbled at her hands, his fingers breaking the thin, pale flesh at her arms. Moaning, she leaned forward, almost gently, and pressed her lips against his throat just as he got a grip on her waist, ready to push her off.

            “I love you,” she whispered against his throat. Ever so gently she pressed her teeth against his flesh. His heart plummeted as he threw her off and swept his gun into his hand, leveling it at her once pretty face. Crimson red blood trickled from her tear ducts, dipping onto her cheeks. He pulled the trigger. An explosion rang out over the room; a red puncture pierced her forehead.

            Jake crumpled to the ground, her head smashing hard against the floor. The gun fell from his hands, shattering against the marble. His knees hit next, cracking painfully. Jake lay at her feet, her eyes staring up at the ceiling. He killed her. The girl he loved. He killed her.

            “Adrian. Adrian. Adrian?” cried Jake.

His head snapped up. Jake sat delicately on his lap, the gun lying across her lap. Her bright emerald eyes stared worriedly at him. She reached up and wiped her finger across his face. It came away wet, wet with his tears.

            “You were crying,” she whispered. Without talking, Adrian reached up and pulled her against him. His arms wrapped around her back, holding her tight. Confused, Jake rested her head against him. He could feel her arms around his neck, gently winding thin locks of auburn hair around her slender finger.

            Leaning back, he stared into her eyes. They held their foreheads together, gently breathing each other in.

            “What was your dream about?” she asked quietly. “What made you so sad?”

            “You,” he whispered.

            “Oh.” Hurt filled her eyes. She dropped her hand from his shoulder and rested it in her lap. She turned her head away, looking down at the floor. Jake slid off his lap and stood away from him. He did something wrong.

            “No, no Jake.” Adrian scrambled out of his chair and stumbled towards her, his legs having fallen asleep. He grabbed Jake’s shoulders, spinning her around to face him. “I dreamed about losing you.” He rested his hands against her face, forcing her to look at him.

            “That’s why you were crying?”

            “Yes. I am terrified of losing you. There are so many things in this world that I have lost and there is so little time to prove to you, to show you how much I really care.” He wound his fingers through her hair, her eyes trained on his face.

            “I don’t understand,” she whispered. Adrian dropped his hand, pressing one behind her head, the other resting against her lower back.

            “I love you,” he said, loud and clear. He hugged her to him, gently kissing her. Hugging her tight, making sure not to let her go.