Avenging You

Chapter 19

Ryan

Parker hugs me tightly as she sobs. Tonight, is going to be rough. I watch as Ava takes over and says, “It was shortly after Ashton moved in with them that Jasper and I joined them as well.” She smiles softly as she looks at the others then continues, “Emma and Tom were getting kind of comfortable with their life, but at the time I was teaching at a school and that’s when I saw Nikki.” Her eyes flickered over at me and I know exactly the story she is about to tell.

She looks back at everyone as she continues, “Nikki had her powers young and she enjoyed using them to her advantage. Whether that meant embarrassing someone else, defending someone, cheating on a test… you get the picture. But I saw her outside and suddenly she disappeared. She turned invisible and I watched Ryan panic as he was unable to find his sister.”

I smirk at the memory and Ava continues, “I knew that they would fit in with our group well and I convinced Jasper to talk to Tom to try and bring the two of them home.”

Jasper chuckles, “Tom originally yelled at me for the suggestion, but after speaking with Emma he realized we were right and that we needed some more kids to complete our family. I ended up joining at the school and that’s when we found Parker and Bella.”

I look down at Parker and she’s repositioned herself in my arms to look at the others.

Jasper says, “Parker, I honestly did not anticipate you joining our group. It happened by coincidence because you were a human, but you just so happened to be in the regular foster care system.”

Emma says, “When we found out you caught Ashton, Nikki, and Ryan all using their powers and we learned you were in the system we jumped on bringing you home. Part of it was to keep our secret, but part of it honestly was because we felt like we needed an extra girl to our group.”

Parker moves out of my arms and walks to Emma and hugs her and says, “You know Ryan, I was there the first time you saw Bella.”

I look at her curiously and nod for her to continue and she says, “I was trying to skip class. I had just seen Ashton use his powers and I was a little panicked. In the hall stood Bella, with her beautiful auburn red curls spread out everywhere. She was looking at her class schedule and trying to find out where to go. I was about to go help her when I heard footsteps.”

I smirk, “I was running late for class.”

She nods, “You ran right into her smacking both of you onto the ground.”

I smile softly at the memory and Parker says, “She was about to tell you off for not paying attention, but then she saw your face and just stopped talking because she thought you were so attractive.”

Everyone laughed softly about the memory.

We stayed up for at least three hours everyone just swapping stories and we ended our night with a prayer over everyone- dead and living.

Parker

Skye fell asleep at some point and now Jasper and Tom are trying to figure out how to bring her into the bunker without waking her. It’s so sweet how careful they are with her.

I watch as everyone leaves, but I make no movement to leave. Instead, I sit with my knees pulled towards my chest and my arms wrapped around them and I look up and admire the sky.

“Can I join?” I glance up towards Ryan and I nod.

He sits beside me and neither of us say anything. Until I speak, “Can I show you a memory?”

He looks at me curiously and nods. I sit up on my knees in front of him and I breath out as I put my hands on his head and rest my thumbs on his temples. I focus on the memory for him to watch.

Bella ran into my room frantically. I was surprised as she never really ran to me for anything. I ask, “You okay, Bella?”

“Yeah, yeah, just um, I came to a realization and I couldn’t be around Ryan anymore and this was the closest room so here I am!”

I stood up and walked towards her and grabbed her shoulders forcing her to face me and I ask, “What’s the issue here? I thought you could tell Ryan about everything.”

She sighs, “Parker, I think I’m in love with him. And I almost said it and I don’t want to scare him off! We’re only sixteen! Like we don’t know what the future holds.”

I bust out laughing and she scowls at me, “It’s not funny.”

“OH yeah, it is and you’ll find out soon why. Stay here, don’t move.”

I walk out of the room and see Ryan and Ashton standing in the kitchen and they both look at me as if I just caught them with their hands in the cookie jar.

I walk towards them looking at them skeptically and ask, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” They both answer simultaneously.

I roll my eyes and say, “Ryan, how do you feel about Bella?”

His eyebrows furrow in confusion and he says, “What do you mean? She’s my girlfriend.”

“Do you love her?”

His eyes widen and he looks back towards my room and back at me and whispers, “How’d you know?”

I smile, “Go tell her. Stop being scared. I’ll leave y’all alone I’ll just hang out with Ash.”

I look at Ashton, “Cool with you?”

He nods, and Ryan breathes out and walks towards my room.

 I focus on the memory that is now playing in his head and I try to make it more realistic for him, but it’s almost like I’m watching a movie.

Ryan walks into my room and Bella is sitting nervously on my bed and she looks up at him and he says, “Hey.”

She bites her lower lip and whispers, “Hi.”

“Um, Bella, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’ve been keeping something from-”

She cutes him off, “I’m in love with you.”

She sits in shock because she can’t believe she said and Ryan’s smile widens and he says, “I’m in love with you.”

Her eyes begin to tear up as she says, “Really?”

He nods and rushes towards her and grabs her face and pulls her to him as they engage in a passionate kiss.

I begin to phase out of the memory when I feel lips on mine and it makes me jump back.

Ryan is looking at me in shock and I’m sure I look like a deer in headlights and he stutters, “I-I did-didn’t mean to do that.”

I nod in understanding, “It was the dream. Um, I think it’s time to go to bed.”

“Parker.” He calls my name and I want to run away from him, but I know that’s not the right move right now, so I look back at him. He sighs as he walks towards me and says, “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry. The memory seemed so realistic it’s like she was right in front of me.”

I smile softly, “I get it.”

“Don’t rush off, please, it’s been a crazy night. Let’s not end it on a bad or awkward note.”

I nod and sit back down, and he hesitantly sits beside me, but makes sure to leave a foot of space between us.

Ryan

I kissed her.

How could I have kissed her?

And like that?

I want to groan, but I don’t want to alarm her. I begged her to stay here with me and she did and I’m so grateful for that. I just… I haven’t even decided how I feel about her and then she puts that memory in my head, and it was so realistic I forgot that it was in the past and… ugh.

A few minutes pass and she says, “If we’re not going to speak then I’m going to go to bed. Okay?”

I nod, “Yeah, yeah, okay. Sorry again.”

She shakes her head, “Forget about it, Ryan. I know how realistic those moments are. I know you didn’t realize that it was me or you never would’ve done it in the first place.”

I chuckle, “Yeah, totally.”

She stands up and looks towards me, “Are you coming?”

“Nah, I’m going to stay out here for a few more minutes before coming in.”

She looks at me with worry in her eyes and she hesitates to go to the bunker and I smile, “Go, Par, I’m fine.”

She nods with a small smile and walks away.

I sigh as she leaves and look up at the sky and mutter to myself, “How could I be so stupid?”