Avenging You

Chapter 11

Ryan

It’s been two days since we had the run in with the Aberrations and Tom wouldn’t allow any of us out of the bunker. I understood why, but without my daily run I was beginning to feel anxious and I could tell that Skye did too. That was something we always did together and there’s not much room for us to do an intense workout in here, so we are beginning to get on each other’s nerves.

Parker for the most part has stayed in her room or just watched AJ whenever he came out to be around us. I swear she isn’t even trying to be with our group anymore.

Jasper and Tom sit down in the living room and Tom says, “I want you to stop it.”

My eyebrows furrow in confusion as I ask, “Stop what?”

Jasper answers, “Being rude to Parker. You guys were best friends. What’s done is done it’s time to move on.”

I huff, “I’m not being rude to her.”

I hear Skye laugh from across the room and she walks over and joins us and says, “Come on, that was a joke, right?”

I glare at her and she says, “You’ve been really harsh to her, Ryan, and I understand why. She left us. She abandoned me but even I’m being kind to her and trying to get close with her again. You’re just keeping her at arm’s length.”

I cross my arms and lean back in my chair and say in a harsh tone, “I don’t want to get close to her again. She’s just going to leave again.”

Everyone looks at one another with confused looks and Tom asks, “What makes you say that?”

“Why would she stay here? She’s just going to take AJ and run off at some point.”

Jasper shakes his head, “No, she won’t.”

“Yeah, she will. What reasoning do you have to think that she won’t?”

I hear Parker’s voice ring out, “What’s the point of leaving?”

I look towards her and she has her arms crossed as she looks me up and down and now I’m worried we will get into yet another argument.

Parker

I’ve been staying in my room with AJ the majority of the time. Things have been tense with me and Ryan and Skye seems to side more with Ryan now. I don’t blame her- the two of them have always been close and with me no longer around it was inevitable that they would get really close.

I hear my door shut and look up to see Emma and Ava walking in. Ava immediately crouches down next to AJ and starts talking to him about something to do with Ashton and it caught his full attention immediately. Emma sat next to me on the bed and asked quietly so she didn’t distract AJ, “So, why are you hiding out in here?”

I answer softly, “I’m not hiding out.”

“Yes, you are. Does it have to do with Ryan, or does it have to do with your run in?”

I shrug, “A little bit of both, honestly.”

She sighs and puts her arm around me and I lean against her feeling as if I was receiving the motherly love I’ve always craved. She plays with my hair and says, “You and Ryan will never get back to the way you used to be. I think you’re just going to have to accept that. But you will never be able to get close again without being around one another. I know it’s awkward and uncomfortable, but you can do it.”

I nod, “You’re right, Em.”

“Of course I’m right.” She says playfully and then her voice takes a serious tone as she says, “I don’t know how to comfort you about the run in with Hunter. But I know that together we will all be able to tear him down. You don’t need to be worried about that. We can all do anything we set our minds too and the longer we’re around and working with each other again the better team we’ll be.”

I smile at her and say, “You’re the best, Em.”

I hear Ryan’s voice as he gets mad in whatever conversation he’s having and he says, “Why would she stay here? She’s just going to take AJ and run off at some point.”

My eyebrows furrow and I look at both Emma and Ava. Ava’s eyes meet mine, but then she goes back to focusing on AJ to distract him from whatever is going on. I walk towards the door and I quietly walk out and shut the door, so AJ won’t follow.

Someone said something during this time, but I’m watching Ryan as he says, “Yeah, she will. What reasoning do you have to think that she won’t?”

Immediately I know I have to stay.

I cross my arms and speak up, “What’s the point of leaving?”

Ryan looks back at me surprised and I walk towards him looking him up and down and say, “Seriously, Ryan, what’s the point in me leaving? I’m staying around until Hunter is dead and at that point the threat is gone. The whole point of me leaving to begin with was to keep AJ safe. The whole point of me coming back was because I needed to make sure all of you were alright and that if you needed my help this time, I would succeed in killing that bastard.”

He looks at me skeptically and asks, “So, once he’s dead you’re not going to leave?”

I come closer to him and wrap my arms around him tightly and say, “Ryan Carter, I’m not going anywhere.”

He actually hugs me back and my heart warms at the fact he is reciprocating my affection. I hear AJ’s voice ring out, “Mama, are we going to leave here?”

I turn towards AJ who is looking at me with worried eyes and I say, “No, love, I was just telling RyRy that we are here to stay.”

“Yay!” He yells as he runs and jumps into my arms.