Gravity (36 page)

"Wish I could
confirm that. I tried to read Red, but he's locked like Fort Knox.
Wish I could do that. I feel like an open book when I'm around
him." Alex says.

"Join the
club." Dash says.

"Maybe Grey's
out of the picture for good. He's truly more fucked up than you,
Gabriel." Alex says.

"Thanks."
I bow my
head.

"If I were Red
and Grey's out of the picture, then I'd take Violet." Alex
says.

"W
hy is he pushing her
away?" Gabriel says.

"He's the
G
uardian. It's his job to
protect us." Dash says disappointingly. "He can't be with her, it's
forbidden."

"What?"
I
perk my head up.

“No shit. Are you
serious?” Alex’s eyes widen. “That’s awesome!”

The prickling
feeling spreads around my head again.
"You feel that?" I drag my fingers through my
hair.

Dash and Alex
rub their heads too.

"It's Red."
Alex looks to the cabin. "He wants to talk to us."

"He must have
heard us." Dash frowns.

"Great.
Time to pack my backpack."

***

Violet

One by one
they’re called into Red's room. Each one comes out more distressed
than when they went in. Without talking to each other and without a
glance at one another, they go to separate areas of the living
room. Alex is looking out of the window biting his fingernails and
zoning out into the glass. Gabriel is face down on the sofa with
his face mushed into a pillow. Dash sits on the stair with his head
down between his knees. What did Red say for such worrisome auras?
I'm finally called in and I'm relieved. He hasn't said a word to me
yet.

The atmosphere
in Red's bedroom feels dramatically different
. There's heaviness to the air and his strong
presence takes residence again. The light pours through the terrace
door but he rests just out of the sun's ray. His black clothing
blends cleanly into the shadow. His belt shines as he moves out of
the darkness and into the stream of light, revealing his unreadable
gorgeous face. His eyes are flashing in a kaleidoscope of color, a
clue that his emotions are hidden away behind those Guardian eyes.
I long for the Red in my memories to appear as I remember; his
voice to speak to me; his eyes to turn back to the lovely sapphire
color I loved since I was a child; his arms to embrace me once more
so we can be together forever.

“Sit.”

The stern sound
of him brings back so many memories but not the right ones. I've
been scolded by this tone before. I sit in his chair at his writing
desk. I'm in awe of him even if he seems not pleased. My dark angel
stands tall and majestic before me. I want to reach out to him. I
inch to the edge of my seat.

"You'll have to
leave tomorrow."

I
wait for the words to translate into
something endearing; something different, but instead the words
sink in deep to the pit of my stomach. Uninvited tears flood the
rim of my eyes. I'm terrified of what the words mean. Maybe I heard
him wrong.

Red's stoic
expression is an indication of the nightmarish meaning of those
words
. They unfold in my mind.
His arctic stare stabs me without a single spark of warmth, cutting
into me. My heart is now bleeding out. What have I done to deserve
such a cold Red.

"I don't
understand," I whimper.

Red is
emotionless. There must be a reason for the icy
demeanor.

“Red?”

“
Arrangements
have been made. You'll be on your own." He says this while looking
me in the eyes.

I
sob
, confirming my
understanding of what he means. He’s decided to throw me away. "I
have to leave? What arrangements? I-I don't understand. Did I do
something wrong?"

"No, you did
everything right. I thank you for that." Red steps into the
sunlight, but he's so luridly unsettling that even the sun can't
erase the darkness he emanates. His overwhelming strength is hotter
than the sun; more commanding than I've ever felt him before. "Your
leave is what's best for everyone. You need time, Violet. We all
need time. This is my solution."

"
Solution? Am I a
problem?"

He doesn't
answer. I sob
, waiting for his
eyes to turn back to blue, his face to soften, but the Guardian is
overruling his human side. "The boys?"

"I will keep my
promises to them."

Promises?

He turns his
back on me
, receding into the
shade. "You'll need to pack tonight. The sooner you go the sooner
you can be."

Be what? I can't form another word.

"Just
be,
Violet." He turns his head
slightly. "You may go."

I
take a step toward him. Alex wraps
his arms around me. He pulls me away as if Red summoned him to do
so. I reach out to Red, but Alex drags me out. I wrestle in his
arms. "Let go of me! Please, don't do this! Please, don't do
this!"

Dash and Gabriel
stand helplessly crying in the living room. Were they ordered to do
nothing?

"Violet, calm
down!" Alex continues to drag me to Grey's room, where he lets go.
My body collapse to the floor. Alex kneels beside me.
"Violet—"

"Go away!"
I
curl up into a ball on the
rug Grey once touched me—the fur rug Red held me safely in his
arms. My fingers dig into the soft fur. His embrace—will I ever
feel his love again?

Violet

I
open the door a crack. The boys are
sitting except Gabriel who's pacing. I've never heard Gabriel shout
before. "This is ridiculous. There's nothing out there." Gabriel
stops to face Alex who sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed
and Dash with his head down. "She can't go. Grey will go after
her."

"Red will watch
her. He said it was for the best." Alex sounds confident as
usual.

"He's fucking out of his mind to let her go,"
Gabriel shouts.

"Gabriel, your
voice," Dash raises his head.

"I don't care
if he hears me," Gabriel growls.

"Keep it down
for Violet's sake," Dash sighs. “H
ave faith that Red knows what’s best."

"Why?" Gabriel
voice trembles. "Anything she does out there she can do in here. Is
it because of me?" Gabriel rubs his elbow.

Poor Gabriel;
he always thinks everything is his fault.

"Red says she
needs the time on her own to grow." Dash says softly. "I agree with
that. She hasn't experienced the real world on her own. Red said
it's necessary. She needs something linear."

Linear?

"It will be
good for her."

What else did Red
tell them?

Gabriel shakes
his head. "I don't believe this. It looks like he could care less
what happens to her. It's obvious he doesn't want her." Gabriel's
words hang in the air. Dash and Alex are unable to hide the
hopelessness on their faces.
They want me to stay.

I
shut the door.
It's obvious he doesn't want
her...
Could Gabriel be right?
Has Red changed his mind? Maybe he doesn't want me. Maybe I'm too
much trouble. Maybe that's the real reason why I have to
leave.

A knock at the
door makes me jump back.

"Vi, it's me." Alex
says. "I know you heard us."

I let him
in
with tears streaming down
my face.

"I'm sorry." Alex says. His amber eyes
glisten in the light. He's holding back. He looks to my bed where
my packed bags sit.

"I'll get
them." He walks pass
me. "So
this is your room..."

"Yeah, my
room." I turn to Alex. The empty room I hadn't seen since Red and
Grey left had come back just for me to leave it again.

"You know, it won't
be forever, Vi"

"Did Red tell you
that?"

"Not
exactly."

The little hope
for ever living in the Sanctuary again is doused. I leave the cabin
with Alex close behind. Red and the others stand outside. Dash
stares down at the dirt and Gabriel hides in his hoodie. I worry
that Red's unreadable face seems to be the only face I get to see.
It's just as terrible as Grey's cry for me, which I'm haunted
by.

We
begin our walk to the gate. Alex
places his hand on my shoulder, but his warmth doesn't reassure me
anything. The sight of Red's back to mine feels so uninviting. I
stare at the side where he bled and I healed him. Those arms at his
sides wrapped around me once, will they ever again? We pass the
lake reflecting the clear sky. There is no sign of an unhappy Red.
Is he not sad to see me go?

She turns to
see Dash and Gabriel dragging their feet. They don't want this
either. Gabriel looks up briefly and the sight of tears on his
cheek brings me to tears. This isn't fair. Alex walks at my side.
His golden hair and his amber eyes bring a small smile to my face.
His warm smile says it's okay. But is it? What will I do by myself?
Who will help me out there? I'll be alone again and that's so
frightening.

Red halts at the
gate. His eyes are blue but don't hold that special sweetness. Why
is he doing this?

I
know what comes next. I have to say
goodbye to my new friends so soon. Their somber faces look back at
me. It tears my heart to pieces.

Gabriel resorts
to
disapprovingly crossing his
arms. His twisted mouth is the only thing I can see. I don't want
it to be that last thing I see of that beautiful boy.

"Gabriel."

He unfurls his
arms
and removes his hood. His
face softens for me and his eyes grow expectant. I turn to Red for
approval to approach. He shakes his head. I can't touch him and he
can't touch me. Looking back at Gabriel, our eyes lock. He begs for
something, anything. I approach anyway.

"Violet." Red's
cold deep voice warns
me with
a chill up my spine.

I
stop in my tracks. I mouth to
him
I'm so
sorry
. Gabriel turns to Red
with a resentful glare.

Red sighs. He's
touch me before.
What's one
more hug going to do?
Gabriel
goes to move to me but Red stops him and pulls him back. Gabriel
yanks free of Red's hand. For a moment It feels like the pressure
in the atmosphere changes. Red's blue eyes flicker
darkly.

"But
he's hurting," Violet
says.

Red says nothing.

Gabriel
scornful eyes Red as
another
reason to resent him makes his list.

My
heart aches for a proper goodbye as
Gabriel places his hood back on. He quickly walks away heading
straight for the Black forest.

"Gabriel."
I whimper.
Gabriel runs until he disappears into the forest.

He'll be fine.
Alex tries
to sooths.

Dash
stan
ds with his hands in his
pocket. He looks as awkward as the day I first met him. But behind
the glasses his hidden olive-green eyes meet mine and I can see he
holds so much inside of him. Red will help him bring that out. I go
to him and I don't hesitate to embrace him. He trembles. I squeeze
him tighter. A tiny whimper and kiss on his cheek before I pull
away. His cheeks are flaming red. He quickly places his hands in
his pockets and his body stiffens again.

"Goodb
ye
Dash."

He blinks and
his tears fa
ll down his cheek.
"Bye."

"Violet." Red's
voice is softer than it has been. The hardness in his eyes are been
replaced with sadness. He takes my hand pulls me closer but it's
not close enough. I want to fall in his arms. I want an embrace,
but he keeps me at arm's length, ignoring everyone that's watching.
I melt instantly. "You'll always be a part of this family. You will
always be part of me. I'll never leave you." He strokes my cheek,
"But you must understand I want you to grow."

All the doubts
vanished. He loves me still. I can see it; feel it under my skin. I
smile up at him. He wants me to see people, life, he wants me to
live, to work and play. "How long?"

"However long
it takes." His lips kiss my forehead gently. The energy serge is
more like lighting striking my skin; a fast burn and a pleasurable
after shock. I forgot what I was sad about. His kiss sends me waves
of comfort. I refocus.

"What about
Grey?"

"Don't worry
about him. I will be watching over you. You'll be protected." He
sweeps hair from my face with an adoring smile. "Grey will be
protected."

It's exactly what I
wanted to hear.

Alex
picks
up my suitcases,
displaying a curious smile. It isn't a goodbye smile. His lips curl
as if he can't wait to tell my something. His amber eyes widen with
excitement. I can't help but smile back. His happiness is
contagious but not lasting. The emptiness inside of my chest is
growing by the second. I'll need another kiss from Red, but that
will be impossible.