Run

Chapter 25

Has anyone mentioned that Aidan is a great cook. Like really. Like, he could grow up to be a chef. He made a squirrel taste good. And without any spices or anything, just meat and a campfire.

Well, I guess I'm the only one noticing it because a) there are only three of us here, one is the chef and b) the boys are just looking at each other, not actually eating the food in front of them.

Me, who hasn't eaten in who knows how long except for a few granola bars, wolfed down like three squirrels already. Plus, a couple berries. I savored each bit, like it was my last. But honestly, you wouldn't understand how hungry I was.

I'm actually really shocked that the guys didn't notice me eating like an animal. Especially since us females tend to be the "well-mannered" bunch. Stereotypically.

I sat in between Spencer and Aidan, so I'm there if one of them decides to attack the other, or well in case Aidan decides to attack Spencer. Since he's, like, superhuman and all that. I managed to convince Aidan to trust Spence for the time being, but the staring is telling me that it isn't going to last long.

"So..." Aidan said after eight minutes of silence. "This is Spencer."

"Yes, Aidan." I reply. "This is Spencer."

"And he's your brother?"

"Yes, he's my brother." I replied, taking his hand.

"And I'll break you in half if you try anything with her." Spencer mutters under his breath.

Aidan shot him a dirty look. "What did you say? For all that we know, you could be evil."

"He's not evil. I checked." I explain. "Do you think I'm stupid and would trust him at first glance?"

Spencer looked hurt, but only for a second. "At least believe her. Aren't you two friends?"

Aidan and I look at each other. Are we friends? There's never been any sort of official agreement between the two of us. We're just there when the other needs help. Most of the time.

If that isn't the definition of a friend, then what is?

Aidan doesn't reply to Spence. Instead he turns to me. "Lauren, can I talk to you?" He asked.

Before I could reply, he grabbed my hood and started pulling me away. I knew I really had no choice. I stood up but he didn't let go of my hood. I let him "drag" me to wherever he wanted me to go.

"What?" I asked when he stopped, a couple meters away from camp. It was far enough that we couldn't see Spencer but close enough that I could hear him muttering about Aidan. Or is that just my super hearing?

"Are you just going to let him stay with us?" Aidan asked me. He had his arms crossed in front of him.

"He's my brother."

"He works Institute." He countered.

"Correction, he worked with the Institute." I shot back. "He helped us, remember?"

"He just didn't report us to his boss and didn't try to stop us." He said. "That's it. He could've helped more but he didn't."

"He helped a lot actually. We probably wouldn't have made it out without him." I clutch my hands into fists. "We would still be stuck in the Institute."

"Please, with those arms, I could knock him unconscious." He boasted. "And so could you."

I pulled up my sleeve and rubbed the stitches on my left arm. Aidan noticed and for the first time since we came back, and reached for my arm.