Part B: Chapter 27

“Carter? Carter?”
I rolled over to my side and went back to sleep. Why was that voice trying to annoy me? I hadn’t slept for two days and now when I finally find some sleep, someone decides it’s a good time to wake me up.

“Carter? Are you there? Is there anyone there?”

The voice called out, making my head thud from the alcohol I had taken the previous night. I grabbed the nearest pillow and covered my head, hoping that I would be able to mute out the sound and go back to sleep.

“Anyone there?” the voice called out again and this time, I rolled myself from the couch making me land on the floor with a loud thud and my eyes fully awakened. “Carter is that you?”

I groaned as I slowly stood up, holding onto my backside that hurt from the unexpected fall. Everything felt like it was spinning, my mouth felt completely dry and I could hardly keep my eyes open long enough to see where I was going. But nevertheless, I found my way to the bedroom where I could barely see a figure laying on the bed.

“What do you want? Could you yell a little louder next time, I’m sure Mars couldn’t hear you the first few times,” I groaned in annoyance, gently rubbing at my eyes so I could focus them on what I was looking at.

“Jem, thank the Goddess you are here,” the voice sounded oddly familiar but I couldn’t place where I had heard it. I knew it but from where. “Can you come over? I really need to talk to someone because I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

I internally groaned, still rubbing at my eyes trying to get everything to focus but all my body wanted to do was fall back asleep. “What do you want from me? I’m really tired and hungover from last time. I made my way over to where the voice was coming from with my eyes barely open.

I felt someone take a hold of my hand and gently pull me to the bed and into really warm arms that engulfed me whole, feeling like a gentle lullaby as the warmth caressed my skin. “This feels nice,” I murmured, snuggling further into the warmth.

“What did you have last night?” the voice asked, sounding much quieter and smooth up close.

“Whiskey and Bourbon, finest alcohol I’ve ever tasted in my life,” I muttered, feeling sleep calling to me. “Who knew alcohol numbs everything and makes you forget things.”
I felt the person caress my hair, smoothing it back and forth in a gentle pattern that all I could do was keep my eyes closed and enjoy the sensation. “You’ve never tasted alcohol before?”

“No, but I wish I had sooner when I woke up with that letter from Aidan after he left me.”

“*Fuck*, I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s not your fault, sometimes he can be a real pain in the arse but I love him,” I snuggled even further into the warmth, not sure when I would ever feel something like this again. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Yes.”

“The night I was kidnapped was the same night I planned to run away and go somewhere really far where he couldn’t find me. I was upset that he’d left me the way he did, not even a goodbye, only a stupid letter which I ended up ripping apart and burning.”

The person stopped moving their fingers in my hair but I didn’t care. I was too sleepy for some reason.

“I’m sorry I made you go through all that, I promise to change,” he whispered and gently kissed my forehead before everything went dark as I succumbed to the depth of sleep.

*****
I slowly opened my eyes and adjusted to the light in the room. I felt hot and it didn’t look like the living room couch I’d fallen asleep on earlier this morning. Once my eyes were adjusted to the light, I turned on my side and almost screamed. I was laying in a sleeping Aidan’s arms. His hair was matted to his forehead and his skin looked more tanned than usual, making it look a golden brown.

Oh no, How did I find myself in his arms? Was I that desperate that somehow during my drunken haze I’d crawled into his arms?

I watched him sleep and a pain filled my heart. I’d missed his touch, but I’d missed waking up next to him even though it had only been for a week. The best week of my life when he and I had been alone in the woods, not knowing what the future had to hold for us.

Sighing, I gently tried to remove his arm from around me. I had to get up before he woke up and got angry with my actions. But instead, his eyes fluttered open.
“Hey beautiful,” he said smiling, his breath smelling of mint. His eyes bored into mine that I had to look away.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” I said, quickly getting up from the bed only to be pulled back down by him. His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me in place. “Please don’t hurt me, I was drunk and I...I wasn’t thinking straight.” I could already feel my anxiety levels rise at the prospect of upsetting him again and going through the motions again.

Aidan stilled against my body and made me turn around so that he was looking at me. “I’m sorry for what I did, I don’t remember anything which is odd but I figured I must have done something to make you afraid of me. And trust me, that is the last thing I ever want to do to you,” he said, sounding so sincere that I truly wanted to believe him but I couldn’t find it inside me to forget what had happened three days ago. Where was the soul-numbing alcohol when you needed it the most?

“I...I have to go,” I said, trying to get out of his hold. “I’m sorry for everything I did and I’m also sorry about the tranquiliser I had to use on you.”

Aidan’s eyebrows creased in confusion at my admittance. “What are you talking about?" he asked as his hold on me loosened enough for me to slip out of his embrace. “Is that why I feel funny? Did Carter put you up to it as a way to get back at me?”

I was already by the door as he stood up, fuming. “That *fucking arsehole*, how dare he make you do that?” he said, as he walked over to the door and I quickly left the room, not knowing how stable or unstable he was at the moment.

We were now both in the living room, Aidan about to find Carter just as the door opened and in walked Carter.

“You’re finally awake, you gave us a scare,” he said, then proceeded to make his way to the mini bar where he poured himself a glass of wine. “Are you two now on speaking terms or do I have to intervene....again?” he asked, turning to face us.

Aidan’s eyes narrowed into thin slits. “You are dead Carter,” he said, taking steps towards him.

“What did I do now?”

“You made her tranquiliser me, what the hell man?”

Carter raised his hands up in surrender, taking small steps backwards. “Man, I had no choice because you almost marked her and then tried to kill me. It’s all I could think of at the moment,” he said, shooting me a look asking for help but I didn’t know what to do.

“Now you’re about to be dead.”