Burdened (A Burdened Novel) (62 page)

He takes a breath. “I didn’t kill him. He didn’t want to tell me what I wanted to hear. He smelled like you. I wanted to kill him, but couldn’t. He made his threats. I made a few promises.” He shrugs. “He’ll try to get you, take you—whatever—and when he does, I’ll do my part.”

“Doesn’t seem like you are angry about that.”

“I am,” he says, just as calm.

“Is it a good or bad thing that I can’t tell?”

“It’s good for you.”

“You want to talk about what just happened?”

“This Scott and Glen shit is really pissing me off. All in one day, Scott tries to kill us, and because he is too stupid or negligent to tell Glen what’s going on, she can’t control herself.”

He shakes his head
and continues. “If Scott would have just been open with her, this likely wouldn’t have happened. Hell, they’re living here now—why wouldn’t he introduce her to everyone, knowing she may run into someone, considering it’s a house full of people—both men and women? It’s like he’s not thinking anymore.”

“What should we do?”
I ask, rubbing his arm.

“It makes it hard
, because Glen is your friend.”

“And if she wasn’t my friend?” What does that have to do with it?

“I’d kill both of them.”

I shoot him a look of disbelief. He’s serious. “Nathan, you cannot be serious. That’s your family.”

“My family, huh? Multiple times
my family
has tried to kill you—knowingly and unknowingly. And we removed two of the knowing ones. What do we do about the not-knowing ones?”

“Nathan, we have to get them to know. Scott needs to tell Glen
everything
. She needs to know, even if that means the four of us sit down and tell her. Scott is weaker than you, and you know that. You need to be there for him, help him through this. Glen hurting me
was
an accident. Scott hurting us was
also
an accident.”

I pull him to a stop so we can sit down in the sand
with my back to his chest. I watch the moon dance in the water, holding Nathan’s hands in my lap until he’s fully calm.

Tracey
, is Nathan calm
?
Glen and I are coming over
.

“Scott and Glen are coming. You ready?” He
gives me a ‘how did I know?’ look. “He just told me. I’m going to tell him that you’re calm and they can come over. Okay?”

“Okay
, love.”

I smile
.
Yeah, Scott, he’s good
. I turn to Nathan and pull his face by his jaw to me, kissing him. “Stay calm, okay?”

He raises his left eyebrow
. “Maybe.”

“Nathan!”

“Tracey!” he mocks.

Glen and Scott walk up
, sitting a foot away from us, just as we are sitting—with Glen in front of Scott.

Glen smiles
. “Hi Nathan.”

I hear nothing
, so I turn to look at him. “Hi Glen,” he responds dryly.

Scott takes a loud
, deep breath. “Look, you two. I’m sorry. I really am, about earlier,
and
just now.”

Nathan and I don’t respond.

Scott continues. “I know that everything happening has been my fault. But honestly, I am scared of the shit that you two have to deal with.”

And what is that? I turn to Scott
, and I feel Nathan do the same.

“What do they have to deal with?” Glen asks
, turning to Scott.

He takes another deep breath and I turn back to the water. I have to admit that Scott is pissing me off too. It’s good
that Nathan can heal me so that I
do not
die. But I still feel the pain when it happens, and it hurts
like
I’m dying.

“Okay
, let me just say this, and I may be out of line, but the next time either of you try to kill me, I am not going to try to stop Nathan from killing you. That shits hurts, and if it wasn’t for him, I’m sure some of us would be dead by now.” I turn back to Scott. “I mean, seriously, Scott, is it not enough that he, and now I, have everyone else trying to kill us? Do you really think we want to fight you too?”

Nathan rubs my arms.

“Tracey, what are you talking about, and don’t talk to Scott like that. We have never tried to kill you or Nathan. How dare you accuse us of doing that!” Glen’s voice is covered in shock and disapproval. Her face shows resentment.

If this girl throws me again, it will be Scott stopping
me
from attacking her.

“Glen
, we did,” Scott interferes. “I almost did this morning, and you didn’t try to kill Tracey on purpose, but you could have, when you all were eating dinner.”

She looks at Scott like he’s lying to her. “What?”

“Glen, there is a lot I haven’t told you. And if I would have, the things that have happened today wouldn’t have.”

“And what happened today?”
she asks with an attitude.

He takes another loud breath
, which is starting to piss me off. Stalling isn’t just a Nathan trait. I lean my head against Nathan’s chest, turning into his scent.

Scott goes over today’s events. Glen shouts, curses, and yells
, repeating over and over about Scott being a liar. Nathan and I just sit back as they argue, and Scott begs Glen to listen and calm down.

After the water washes up
to the shore fifteen times, Glen finally calms down and Scott talks about him being burdened and why it’s a danger. Then he discusses the things that have been going on with me and Nathan.

Glen starts yelling again and I have had enough. I turn
towards them to speak, and Nathan rubs my arms. He moves his head near mine and kisses my cheek.

“It’s okay
. Let them talk. We’re just here for his comfort,” he whispers quietly.

I turn
back, staring at him. Turning my body slightly—to get a better look—I take him all in, his eyes are brown—dark in the night. He needs to shave, but his scruff still looks nice. He looks tired and I can’t blame him.

My days
that are full of him are shortly coming to an end. I’ll be back at school soon—eight to nine hours waiting for the time to pass until I’m able to see him. Thinking about it, my heart skips a beat and I feel my panic rise.

I lean forward to kiss him and he closes the distance. My
kiss is innocent. And again, I don’t know how much I need him until I have him. His arms wrap around me and my hands grab onto them. I want to be surrounded by him. Place my body inside of his and have him cover every inch of me.

I have never wanted anything or a
nyone as much as I want him. I move my hand to touch the back of his head, letting the hair cover my fingers. It’s longer.

He pulls back
, staring at me. I love for him to look at me—to watch me. He looks me over while moving his hand under my ear, and his fingers push through the back of my hair, holding my head.

He pulls my head back a little
—I assume, to get a better look. He licks his bottom lip and bites it lightly. I lick the corner of mine and bite back the temptation to go back to him.

“You can come back whenever you want
,” he whispers to me. And I do, kissing him, maybe too forcefully. I calm, putting intimacy into it.

I hear nothing but his soft breaths
; I feel nothing but his lips, tongue, and hands on me. His kisses say ‘I love you,’ his tongue sweeping over mine says ‘I want you,’ and the slight pressure he applies to the back of my neck—trying to bring me closer than I can go—says I’m
going
to have you. And all I can think is ‘me too.’

“Hello! Are we interrupting something?” Glen says with aggravation. I pull back reluctantly
, forgetting they were here. “Should we leave you two alone?”

“Yes
,” I say quietly against Nathan’s lips. I move, turning around to her. “What, Glen?”

“Can we talk? I mean, you’re here making out with your boyfriend
, while Scott’s here feeding me this bullshit.” She talks with her hands and arms flying around. Very over-exaggerated. “And you’re not even backing me up! Do you hear this? Did he—” She points harshly at Nathan. “—tell you the same crap?” She puts both of her hands on her hips. “And did you just believe him?” She turns to Scott. “What the hell, Scott! What is really going on, and why are you feeding me this bullshit?” I’m so tired of this conversation.

I’m done. I seriously have had enough. “Glen
, shut up! He is
not
lying. If you would just listen to the boy and hear what he has to say, instead of complaining and arguing with him about it, maybe you would see that for yourself.” I stand up. Nathan stands with me. “We have already gone through this.” I turn to Scott. “Or did you happen to make her forget that too!?”

Scott stands
, and Glen yells, “Tracey, don’t talk to him like that. He hasn’t made me forget anything!”

“So what
, Scott,” I say, not as loud as Glen, “you tell half but not all? Get your shit together!” Nathan pulls my arm, trying to get me to sit back down. I’m getting pissed.

“Tracey, do not speak to him like that.” Glen gives me a serious look.

“Maybe
you
should not speak to him like that. You spend so much time yelling at him. Again, just listen to him. He is not lying. He has just messed you up so much in the head, you can’t tell the difference.”

“Tracey
, you’re going too far,” Nathan says from behind me, pulling me to him.

“Yea
h, Tracey. Listen to Nathan. You
are
going too far,” Glen retorts, her hands starting to shake like they did at the table.

“Glen
, we
are
friends, and I love you. But if you throw me
again
, you
will
regret it,” I warn her, readying myself.

“If we are friends, why are you at Nathan’s side instead of mine?” She glares at Nathan.

What is wrong with this girl? “Glen, what is your problem?” I turn to Scott. “And why aren’t you checking your girl? You can see she is about to spaz out and she doesn’t even know it. You’re just standing there watching her, knowing she is wrong about everything she’s saying. Why haven’t you interfered? You—”

“Tracey!” Glen yells
. I look at her and I can see the air move around her. Nathan starts to pull me behind him. I push at him, not wanting his protection.

My hands heat
. “What, Glen? What!?” I’m in a pushing match with Nathan. I turn to him. “You—stop.” He does. I turn back to Glen. “Glen, what!?”

She stares at me and I look at Scott
, standing off to the side. I turn back to Glen and her face has hell on it again. I know how I’m going to prove this to Glen, since Scott doesn’t or won’t.

“You feel that
, Glen? Notice how Scott isn’t trying to make it better? You’re mad at the wrong person, Glen.” I stand straight, squaring my shoulders. Glen can get whooped too.

“What are you doing
, Tracey?” Nathan grabs my arm.

“I got this
. Just catch me if she sends me flying.” I keep my eyes on Glen.

He steps closer.

“Why would I be mad at Scott?” she asks, taking a step closer.

“Ask Scott. Tell her
, Scott. She should know.” I turn to him. “Tell her!” I yell. “You love her, right? How much do you love her? We’ll see what happens. That will tell us.” I’m truly tired of this Glen and Scott situation.

“Tracey
, do not talk to him,” she threats. The air around her stands still.

I feel Nathan tense
, probably reading my mind, because shit is about to hit the fan. “Fuck you, Glen.” I turn to Scott. “And fuck you t—”

A forceful thrust pushes against me hard
, but before I can fly backwards, Nathan has me in his arms. “I do not like this, Tracey.” He places me back down.

“I got it.”

My hands heat, and I send a blast at her chest. She flies back several feet—it hit her dead-on. Scott rushes to her side. “Tracey, you are really taking this too far!” Scott is fine, which tells me Glen is fine.

“No
, Scott, you took this too far,” Nathan says, stepping back to my side while Glen is getting up. “If you would have handled this correctly from the beginning, this would have been avoided.”

“You too
?! I thought you had more sense than the rest of them,” Glen says, stepping in front of Scott. She takes on the face of hell again.

Nathan takes a step forward. “
You do
not
want to go down that road. Tracey may take it easy on you. But I won’t. And note—when I knock you off your feet, Scott is going with you.” His voice is deep and threatening.