Chapter 8 - Josette
1349 Words
I sat there, my eyes clenched shut, bracing for the worst. The sound of my own scream still echoed in my mind. I waited for the pain, for the wolf's teeth to sink into my flesh. But it didn't come.
Instead, I felt a grasp on my arms, shaking me gently. Startled, I struggled until I heard, "Hey, hey, it's me."
Slowly, I opened my eyes to find myself staring up at Evander. He crouched in front of me, his eyes filled with concern and his face inches away from mine. I tried to speak, but my voice caught in my throat. Every fibre of my body trembled.
"D-did you see it?" I stuttered, my eyes scanning the surrounding area frantically.
"What?" he asked.
"Did you see the wolf?" I whispered, my gaze darting back to him.
His gaze flicked to something behind me, and his expression darkened. I clung to him, following his gaze, but there was nothing there. No wolf. Nothing.
His expression was calm. "What wolf, Jo? There's nothing here."
I shook my head, convinced I hadn't imagined it. "No, no, it was right there! I saw it." I pointed to a spot a few feet away from where we sat.
"It's nothing, Jo. You probably just had too much to drink." His movements gentle as he scooped me up into his arms. I laid my head against his chest, my mind racing. I'd barely had a cup, and I was sober enough to know he was lying to me. What I didn't get was why.
"Let's get you home." He whispered, and I nodded quietly.
As he carried me out of the woods, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. There was no way he hadn't seen it. No way.
I remained silent as he carried me to my car; the music flooded back into focus. Vanessa's voice cut through the noise, her concern evident. "Josette, where were you?" She exclaimed, rushing towards us.
Evander's grip on me tightened, and he pulled me closer. "I'm taking her home." He stated firmly.
Vanessa's eyes narrowed, but she nodded, her gaze flicking to me. "Okay, I'll grab her stuff."
Vanessa retrieved my purse and rummaged through it, producing my car keys. He took them from her, unlocked the passenger door and settled me inside before closing the door.
Vanessa leaned in and mouthed, "Call me."
I nodded, still feeling dazed.
Evander got into the driver's seat, and the engine roared to life. We pulled away from the party, the sounds of the music fading into the distance. The rest of the ride was silent, the only sound the hum of the engine.
I opened the car door and stepped out, my legs feeling a bit shaky. Evander followed closely behind me. I walked to the front door, fumbling for my keys in my purse.
As I unlocked the door and pushed it open, I stepped inside, flipping on the light switch.
"Are your parents home?" He asked, his voice low.
I shook my head. "No." My dad was away on a business trip, and Mom took the night shift this week.
I walked upstairs, my legs feeling a bit steadier now. He followed closely behind me.
I reached my room, and he followed me inside, taking in the small space.
It felt weird to have him in my room. I'd never had a boy in here. Nervous, I stood awkwardly, unsure of what to say. I cleared my throat and tucked a stray hair behind my ear.
"Thanks for bringing me home." I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Anytime, Jo." He said, his hands resting in his trousers. His large presence made my room feel even smaller.
We stood awkwardly, staring at each other, the atmosphere thick with tension. The silence stretched out, making me feel even more uneasy.
Evander broke the silence, his deep voice cutting through the awkwardness. "I'm, uh, I'm gonna go." He said nervously.
But I didn't want him to leave. "No." I blurted out, stretching out my arm as if to stop him. I immediately dropped my arm, feeling a bit silly.
I took a deep breath and asked. "Can you just stay? I don't want to be left alone."
But he remained silent. Then I rushed to add, "For a little bit." I could sense his hesitation at my request. He probably had things to do, and yet I was here pushing it.
I felt so stupid; what was I thinking? He already brought me home; that was more than enough.
"But you don't have to." I quickly add, shrugging. "I mean, if you don't want to," I rambled on.
At this point, I refused to meet his eyes, afraid of rejection.
But he took a couple of steps towards me, standing barely a foot away. I sneaked a glance at him, biting my lips nervously.
Our eyes locked, and I swallow hard. He nodded. My eyes widened slightly as I bit back a smile.
I quickly took off my shoes and headed to bed. I glanced back at him and saw he did the same. I pulled back the covers and settled in.
The bed dipped as he settled at the furthest corner of my bed without pulling back the covers. We faced each other, our eyes locked in an understanding.
He had such beautiful eyes. This close, I could see his eyes more clearly. I'd always thought they were black, but it was actually a very dark blue with flecks of indigo and a hint of purple around the edges. I could stare at his eyes forever.
We were silent for a while, the only sound the soft rustling of my bed sheets. But I couldn't forget what I saw. I broke the silence, my voice barely audible.
"I saw it, you know."
My fingers played with a stray hem of my bed cover, a habit I did when I got nervous.
He scrubbed his hand across his face, his eyes pleading with me to drop it.
"Josette." He warned. But his reaction only added to my suspicions.
I sat up. "You saw it too, right?" I asked, waiting for his reply.
But he refused to answer, his eyes avoiding mine. I sighed, frustration etched on my face.
"I really don't get it, Evander." I whined, throwing up my hands. "Your dad mentioned that there were wolves around here; why do you insist on denying it?"
He sprang up from the bed, pacing, his jaw clenched. "Josette, you're right." He gave in, and I nodded. Finally he agrees that I'm not crazy. "Just forget it, okay?"
I was a bit confused about why he denied it, but I nodded. There wasn't much I could do anyway.
The tension was broken by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. I rushed to the window, surprised to see my dad's car. "s**t, it's my dad," I whispered urgently, pushing Evander away from the window. "He can't know you're here."
I quickly scanned my room, then turned to Evander. "Just stay here. I'll go talk to him." I locked my room door and headed downstairs.
"Hey, Dad. I wasn't expecting you tonight," I said, trying to sound casual.
He opened his arms for a hug, and I obliged, burying my face in his chest.
"Hey, pumpkin. Did I wake you?" I shook my head.
We pulled back, and his eyes took in my outfit.
Shit!
I still had on the dress from the bonfire. I subtly tugged the hem down, but he'd already noticed.
"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked, his eyes teasing.
"You can say that," I replied, trying to brush it off.
He laughed and kissed my forehead. "It's late, pumpkin. Get some sleep."
I nodded and rushed upstairs, eager to return to Evander. We'll just have to keep our voices down and keep the door locked. But when I opened my room door, he was gone.
The loneliness I'd felt during the break returned, and I realised how much I'd missed him.
- Writer
