Resisted Attraction

Part 25: Love Hurts But So Does a Knife

Part 25: Love Hurts But So Does a Knife

-.-.-

"I wanted to get you sooner."

The room had been silent as Heath and I ate our meal, until I decided to open my big mouth.

Heath looked up at me.

"But they said to get the broadcast out first. And I was scared. We wanted more people on our side to help us, to know the truth. But everytime I thought of you, it was like a string pulling me closer and closer."

Still silence. A heat rose to my cheeks from embarrassment. I continued to ramble.

"Then, they tried to make me stay home from the mission. And I couldn't get them to stop in time," I said.

I take in a shallow breath.

"Why did you run off that day?" I ask.

The question had been eating at me for awhile now. I had to ask, but I assumed I'd be met with silence again. I hated the silence. I wanted to hear him, banter with him. Heath is the only thing holding me to sanity.

Heath took a bite of his bread. He blinked slowly at me as if in thought.

"Because I'm the villain. That's what villains do. They do the wrong thing that makes everyone else hate them."

His words echoed through the room, and they sunk into my heart.

I run a hand through my hair.

"Heath, do you think I hate you?"

"You do. I'm the reason this happened."

My eyes looked him up and down. My shoulders sagged at his words.

"You're not," I snapped.

I shook my head, my lips forming into a thin line.

"You're not. The association's the reason this happened. Ed's-" I said the name with bitterness on my tongue,"-the reason this happened."

Heath squinted his eyes at his portion of food. His voice came out grave and dark.

"What?"

My cheeks tinted pink.

"I- Ed turned us over to the association. Aaron insisted I stayed home while they broke me out, but Ed confessed some things to me before they left."

My eyes met the floor with shame.

"I couldn't stop them, Heath. I could save you, and I couldn't save them."

I'm useless. The words repeated in my head. Useless, weak, coward. It was all true.

Heath stood up from his food. Walking over to the stone wall enclosing us in this room, his fist made rough contact with the wall.

I swore I heard multiple bones break.

Heath cursed, shaking his hand in pain. And then, with the most absurdity, he laughed.

"Shit," he swore, still laughing. "So you're telling me, the little kid that had a crush on you this entire time, the one we told you liked you, turned on you?"

I bit my lip, and nodded. I blinked at Heath a few times as he sat back down. A crazed look hid behind his eyes. It wasn't the Heath I knew.

"What did Ed confess to you then?"

"He found out about our kiss."

Heath unconsciously bit his lip. His eyes drifted to my lips. The look on his face was familiar, too familiar.