Don't Wander

Confession

Suddenly Micah flew off of me, crashing into a wall. I looked up to see Eden standing over Micah. His hair was wet and sticking up all over the place. He was wearing only long, baggy shorts. I was stricken by how gorgeous he looked. Eden’s muscles rippled beneath his shining, damp skin as he picked Micah up by his shirt. I had never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life. “I’m sorry. Did I interrupt you, you son of a b***h?” Eden growled.

Micah struggled and spat, “Let go of me, asshole.” At this, Eden laughed humorlessly and started punching Micah in the face. Micah howled in pain and collapsed to the floor as Eden crouched over him and continued to beat his face to a bloody pulp.

“Eden, stop! You could kill him!” I said frantically. He looked up at me, surprise evident on his features. He then turned back to the now unconscious Micah, wiping the blood from his hands on Micah’s shirt.

As Eden stood he asked me, “Are you okay?” He sounded genuinely concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine...because of you.”

“You sure? You’re crying.” I swiped my hand across my cheek and felt wetness. I hadn’t realized that I was crying.

“Oh, I guess I’m in shock or something.” I pointed at Micah, who was sprawled on the floor. “Is he alright?”

“How can you care about his wellbeing after what he did?”

“Just because he’s a terrible person doesn’t mean I want him to get hurt,” I whispered.

Eden barked a laugh and said, “You’re too nice for your own good. Now tell me what in the hell you’re doing here.”

I cringed at his bluntness and said, “I actually came to talk to you.”

“About?” Eden asked as he marched out of the room. I followed him without hesitation.

“Well…pretty much about…um…what happened in English,” I managed. Eden didn’t respond, but instead turned left and flicked on a light in what I could now tell was a bathroom. I stood there as he washed the drying blood off of his hands.

“I just took a freaking shower, and now I got blood all over my hands,” he complained as he scrubbed his fingernails.

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“It’s not all your fault. Just mostly,” he said flatly.

“Hey!” I smacked his shoulder and said, “How was I supposed to know that a psycho would answer the door?”

Eden said, “You couldn’t have known that Micah’s unhinged, but you shouldn’t have followed him. You shouldn’t be here at all.” He turned the faucet off and shook his wet hands at me, splashing me with water droplets.

I giggled and joked, “Ever heard of a towel?”

“Nope, never,” he smiled. Then his face turned serious and he said, “I’m gonna be in a s**t load of trouble when Drew finds out about this.”

“Is he the guy in charge?” I asked.

“Yep.”

“I’m really sorry. Won’t he understand that you were just protecting me?”

He looked at me solemnly and said, “See, that’s the thing. I’m already kind of on thin ice ‘cause of you. So no, he won’t understand.”

“Wait, I don’t get what you mean. What do I have to do with you being in trouble?”

Eden sighed and said, “Come on, we’ll talk somewhere else.” He went back to the bedroom. I stood in the open doorway while he put on a white t-shirt and a pair of shoes, then grabbed a set of keys. As he walked back down the hall, he asked me, “How did you get here?”

“My friend Kerry gave me a ride.”

“K. We’re taking my bike,” he said. I stopped walking and he turned to look at me quizzically.

“Your motorcycle?” I gulped.

“No, my tricycle,” he quipped.

“You don’t have to be rude. It’s just that I’ve never ridden a motorcycle.” I bit my lower lip nervously as Eden sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Look, it’s not hard. I’m going to be driving, so all you have to do is hold on.” He started walking again, so I tagged along. When we got outside, he mounted the bike and started it. When I didn’t make a move to join him, he said, “Well the first step to riding a motorcycle is to actually get on it.”

“Shut up, I’m not stupid. I’m just nervous. Don’t you have a helmet?”

He rolled his eyes and said, “No I don’t. Would you like me to toodle on over to the sporting goods store and buy you one while you wait here?”

“You’re such a jerk,” I huffed as I sat behind him. Part of me wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms tightly around his waist and feel his body against mine, but I was angry at him and didn’t want to touch him at the same time.

As if he could read my mind, Eden chuckled and took my wrists in his hands. I immediately felt the roughness of his callouses and the warmth of his fingers against my skin. Before I could dwell on the sensation, he wrapped my arms loosely around his torso.

“There, now we’re ready to go,” he stated matter-of-factly. He walked the bike a few steps back, and then took off into the front yard, making a loop out to the street. I felt my heart leap into my throat, and I impulsively tightened my grip around Eden. “If I was any less of a man, that would hurt,” he joked through the wind rushing past us.

“Aw, that’s too bad, I guess I should try harder then,” I shouted back. I could feel the rumble of his laugh and then we shot forward even faster. I squealed and leaned against him. I felt him laugh again.

Usually, the weather this time of year would be perfect for riding a motorcycle, but today was a little cooler. With my torn shirt, the fall breeze felt chilling against my skin. Eden was really warm, and I couldn’t help laying my head on his shoulder.

When we stopped at a traffic light, Eden turned his head over his shoulder and asked, “Comfy?” I instantly sat up and leaned away, blushing.

“Don’t let it go to your head. It’s kinda cold, that’s all.”

“This is nothing. It feels great right now.”

“Yeah, well I’m not used to riding like you are. Also, I might add that your shirt is perfectly intact.”

“I’m blocking most of the wind from you.”

“All the more reason for me to stay close, right?”

Eden gave me a knowing smile. “Just keep telling yourself that, babe.” I didn’t get a chance to argue further because the light changed and we were off again. After several more twists and turns, Eden finally stopped and we got off. I still felt like I was in motion, and walking felt odd.

I looked around and said, “Um, Eden, where exactly are we?”

“Just a place I like to go to think,” he said. We were in a tiny parking lot next to a gazebo and a few picnic tables. The only other things around were trees, trees, and more trees. “Let’s take a walk.”

I obeyed, and we walked side by side for a while. I enjoyed the silence while occasionally sneaking glances at Eden. He seemed like he was debating himself on something. “You’re not very crafty, you know. I can see you looking at me every five seconds.”

“I am not looking at you every five seconds,” I said, crossing my arms defiantly.

“Sure, you’re not.” Eden then stopped walking abruptly and said, “Alright, I’ve made up my mind. Ask me whatever you want and I’ll try to answer you honestly.” I stepped in front of him and looked him directly in the eyes. He seemed determined and I couldn’t help but believe him.

“I know you’re the one who wrote the note that I found in my locker. How did you hear what I said to that wolf last night? And why did you say I could repay you? I was talking to the wolf.”

Eden took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before answering. He said, “I knew what you said, and I wrote that you could repay me, because I am the wolf you spoke to.”