eye.
“It really is.” He chuckled. “Don’t worry…it’s not that far.”
We walked deep into the forest with only the moonlight to guide us where we were going. I loved being here at night. All the sounds were more precise; the tree branches bristling against each other in the soft wind, the stream nearby, crisp water flowing calmly and smooth, making me want to go sit in front of it to enjoy it all the better. The walk was so peaceful that I had completely forgotten about Markus’ panic attack and the events that followed. I looked up at Ayden with a hesitant smile. He was very pensive and I knew what that meant; here it came. Whatever was on his mind was soon to come out and ruin my peaceful walk. But we had to get it over with.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked.
He walked a little ahead of me and leaned against a big tree. Actually, it was enormous! Half the size of my bedroom! I stopped in front of him awaiting his answer.
“Where are we right now Mindy?” he asked.
“What?” How should I put this? “Ummm…we… Are. Friends?” It was an unsure answer because I wasn’t sure where it would take me.
“You’ve been pretty distant.” He waited for some kind of answer from me. “Ignoring my phone calls.” He snickered. “And yet…you still want me.”
“Wait a minute. I never said that.” I blurted and crossed my arms in front of my chest.
“Your body did. On the couch. And when you grabbed my hand...” he cooed.
Crap! That was totally not why I did it. Mixed signals. How was I supposed to fix that? I couldn’t just tell him that I did it to get a reaction from another guy, especially another guy that was on the list of guys Ayden hated.
“It’s not what you think,” I replied. “I don’t have feelings for you Ayden. It’s over. It was never really…under.” I spat out. Thinking that was the end of that, I turned around to head back the way we came from. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s head back.”
He grabbed my arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Ayden demanded. He then yanked me up to him and held me tight up against his chest. I struggled to get free, but I couldn’t. He was too strong. At that moment, I hated being so much smaller than him because it made me feel completely powerless.
“Stop it. Let me go, Ayden!” I hollered. He remained silent. And I saw that determination was written on his face. At that moment, I knew why he had brought me out here, where no one was around. It wasn’t because it was too loud on Sixth Street; it was because of witnesses. He pulled me closer and brought his lips down to mine. I caught another whiff of alcohol on his breath and I jerked my head to the side, away from his mouth.
“Hold still!” he ordered. His grip on my arms got tighter. I wasn’t sure if he meant to hurt me by doing so, but I did feel the stinging in my arms nonetheless.
“Help!” I screamed out as loud as I could. But I heard nothing. Nothing but the panting Ayden and I were giving off, mine from being panic-stricken and his…his being from something else.
I was alone.
All alone.
My skin crawled at the thought, but then I gave off a louder scream. And in return…silence.
“No one can hear you Mindy…” he drawled.
He loosened his grip on one of my arms to reach for my head so he could force my face to be right up against his own. But I had other plans-I swung out my loose hand and punched him as hard as I could in the face. I had never punched anything in my life and the impact felt like I had broken something in my hand! Next, not wanting to lose momentum, I aimed my knee at his groin, but missed and hit his thigh instead. It still made him loosen me up a little, just enough for me to break free. I ran as fast as I could through the trees and shrubs. My boots weren’t letting me get that far and I knew he was going to catch me. A sickening wave of terror hit me at the thought and at the fast stomping I
“It really is.” He chuckled. “Don’t worry…it’s not that far.”
We walked deep into the forest with only the moonlight to guide us where we were going. I loved being here at night. All the sounds were more precise; the tree branches bristling against each other in the soft wind, the stream nearby, crisp water flowing calmly and smooth, making me want to go sit in front of it to enjoy it all the better. The walk was so peaceful that I had completely forgotten about Markus’ panic attack and the events that followed. I looked up at Ayden with a hesitant smile. He was very pensive and I knew what that meant; here it came. Whatever was on his mind was soon to come out and ruin my peaceful walk. But we had to get it over with.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked.
He walked a little ahead of me and leaned against a big tree. Actually, it was enormous! Half the size of my bedroom! I stopped in front of him awaiting his answer.
“Where are we right now Mindy?” he asked.
“What?” How should I put this? “Ummm…we… Are. Friends?” It was an unsure answer because I wasn’t sure where it would take me.
“You’ve been pretty distant.” He waited for some kind of answer from me. “Ignoring my phone calls.” He snickered. “And yet…you still want me.”
“Wait a minute. I never said that.” I blurted and crossed my arms in front of my chest.
“Your body did. On the couch. And when you grabbed my hand...” he cooed.
Crap! That was totally not why I did it. Mixed signals. How was I supposed to fix that? I couldn’t just tell him that I did it to get a reaction from another guy, especially another guy that was on the list of guys Ayden hated.
“It’s not what you think,” I replied. “I don’t have feelings for you Ayden. It’s over. It was never really…under.” I spat out. Thinking that was the end of that, I turned around to head back the way we came from. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s head back.”
He grabbed my arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Ayden demanded. He then yanked me up to him and held me tight up against his chest. I struggled to get free, but I couldn’t. He was too strong. At that moment, I hated being so much smaller than him because it made me feel completely powerless.
“Stop it. Let me go, Ayden!” I hollered. He remained silent. And I saw that determination was written on his face. At that moment, I knew why he had brought me out here, where no one was around. It wasn’t because it was too loud on Sixth Street; it was because of witnesses. He pulled me closer and brought his lips down to mine. I caught another whiff of alcohol on his breath and I jerked my head to the side, away from his mouth.
“Hold still!” he ordered. His grip on my arms got tighter. I wasn’t sure if he meant to hurt me by doing so, but I did feel the stinging in my arms nonetheless.
“Help!” I screamed out as loud as I could. But I heard nothing. Nothing but the panting Ayden and I were giving off, mine from being panic-stricken and his…his being from something else.
I was alone.
All alone.
My skin crawled at the thought, but then I gave off a louder scream. And in return…silence.
“No one can hear you Mindy…” he drawled.
He loosened his grip on one of my arms to reach for my head so he could force my face to be right up against his own. But I had other plans-I swung out my loose hand and punched him as hard as I could in the face. I had never punched anything in my life and the impact felt like I had broken something in my hand! Next, not wanting to lose momentum, I aimed my knee at his groin, but missed and hit his thigh instead. It still made him loosen me up a little, just enough for me to break free. I ran as fast as I could through the trees and shrubs. My boots weren’t letting me get that far and I knew he was going to catch me. A sickening wave of terror hit me at the thought and at the fast stomping I
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