Unforgiven (Wanderers #3) (44 page)

“Did you get done early today?” he asked, before
lifting my chin and turning to look at my cheek. “What happened?
Where’d you get those scratches?” His eyes started to glow with
rage.

I didn’t even know Mackenzie had left any marks until
Roman had said something. Seriously that bitch had to pay. At least
I knew who scratched Dean. “Mackenzie and I got into another
fight,” I said, trying to keep my temper in check.

“Ella,” he began.

“Look before you start lecturing me, I just want to
let you know she started it.”

He chuckled softly and pulled me close to his chest.
His smell was a mix of sweat and dirt, but I didn’t care. I calmed
the minute our skin made contact. Despite the small electric
currents that shocked me every time we touched, I always felt
better when Roman held me. “You want to tell me what happened?”

“Not particularly…just Mackenzie being Mackenzie and
me having enough of her.”

“I thought you said you didn’t start it?”

“I didn’t,” I yelled, pulling back in protest. “She
did. She just kept sitting on her skanky ass all week not doing
anything,” I said in a huff.

“Sorry I asked,” Roman joked. I glared at him. “We
all know how Mackenzie can be. You just have to know how to
tolerate her.”

“You’re talking like I started it.”

“No. I’m just saying that you have to learn to not
let her get to you.”

“Would you have let her sit there and not do any of
the work?”

He sighed, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “I
think maybe we should talk about something else before we get into
a fight.”

I let out a sigh and leaned back into him. “I should
probably go. I don’t want you to get into trouble,” I said,
noticing how Bart was looking over in our direction. “I also need
to clean these scratches so I don’t get some weird, freaky
Mackenzie disease.”

He smiled softly and kissed my forehead. “How about
we do something special tonight? Just the two of us?”

“Sounds perfect. I’ll see you later.” I took in one
final look at him and locked that image into my mind.

Since Ms. Kraft had given us the rest of the day off.
I had an hour before training so I decided to take a nap in order
to stay awake for Roman tonight. All week when we hung out all we
would do was talk and kiss. I knew we agreed to take it slow, but
this was getting a little ridiculous. I wanted to take it further
and I knew he wanted to also, but when I would give him the go
ahead he would pull away and say it was time to leave. I admired
his restraint, but at the same time felt a little hurt. I didn’t
know if he was trying to keep with taking it slow or he was still
holding back because he couldn’t get over the fact that I slept
with someone else. Regardless, I didn’t want to spend another night
of just kissing. Tonight I was going to try to push my limits and
see how far I could get. Honestly I didn’t know too many guys who
could keep saying no.

When I got back to my room I saw Cameron pacing
outside my door. “Hey Cam, what’s up?”

“Oh hey, you busy, can we talk?” she asked
nervously.

“Sure, come in,” I said, opening the door for her.
She plopped down on the bed and let out a breath. “Is everything
okay?”

“Yeah fine. Why do you ask?” she said, sitting
up.

“Because you look like you’re about to throw up.” I
looked at her paler than normal face.

She ran her fingers through her hair and when she
looked up at me she made a funny face. “Did Mackenzie do that to
you?” she asked, pointing to my cheek.

“Yeah,” I rolled my eyes. “That bitch seriously has
to pay. I’m tired of her shit.”

“Good news is that Sienna and Dixon still followed
through with our operation destroy Mackenzie while we were
away.”

“Really?” I perked up.

“Sienna told me she kept a journal of
everything.”

“Awesome, do you have it?”

“Yes I do. I can get it and we can go over it after
training if you want?”

“How about after dinner? I can think better on a full
stomach.”

Cameron laughed and agreed. “Perfect, I’ll see you
then.”

“Oh hey Cam, wait. Didn’t you want to talk to me
about something?”

“It’s not important,” she smiled and left. Since she
didn’t seem too worried anymore neither was I. I curled up on top
of my covers and took a much needed nap.

At first I thought I was just having a nightmare, but
when I felt him, I knew this was his doing. I knew he had pulled me
into this dream. “You have a lot of nerve,” I said, not bothering
to turn around.

“I needed to see you,” Tristan said.

It hurt to even hear his voice. “You want to see me
look at a picture,” I said, trying to force myself to wake up.

“Ella, look at me, please,” he pleaded.

“No!” I yelled, forcing myself to wake up. I sat up
in my bed and looked around the room. I was alone. I covered my
face in my hands and cried. I cried myself back to sleep.

“Tristan please,” I begged when I found myself on a
beach in a white sundress.

“Ella please, look at me.”

I closed my eyes and turned around. I braced myself
for the heartache I would feel when I saw him. My heart dropped to
my stomach at the sight of him. He looked amazing. He wore a dark
blue shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. “I miss you,” he
said.

I took a step back as if he slapped me. “Don’t.” I
turned away from him, refusing to let him see me cry. “You have no
right. You left me…again. It was your choice.”

He grabbed my wrist and tried to make me face him. I
ripped my arm from his grasped and spun around giving him my icy
stare. “I made a mistake.” He grabbed me so fast I had no time to
react. His lips slammed into mine knocking the breath out of me. I
tried to pull away but I was weak. The moment his lips hit mine I
melted into his embrace. His hand slid down my back and onto my
behind. He pulled me into him. Then he lifted my leg and slipped
his hand up my dress, tugging at my underwear. His sudden
abruptness threw my off. Something wasn’t right. Tristan didn’t
like to rush like this. He preferred to take things slow. He said
it was so he could enjoy every single moment.

“I want you Ella. I never wanted you so badly in my
life,” he whispered against my lips. His tongue forced it’s way
into my mouth and thrashed around wildly. He was being too
aggressive. That wasn’t him. I tried to pull away. “Don’t,” he
said, holding on tight.

“Tristan,” I mumbled against his lips. He tore down
the strap on my dress and cupped my breast. I got a sickening
feeling in my stomach. When we kissed, I didn’t feel like I was
kissing Tristan. I felt like I was kissing a stranger.

Tristan hooked his thumb underneath the side of my
underwear, trying to rip them off. This was not Tristan. I put both
hands on his chest and shoved. He gripped my shoulders trying to
hold on. I kicked my heel into his knee, knocking him to the
ground. I jumped back a few feet. “What the hell is wrong with
you?”

He looked up at me and laughed. “If you wanted to
play rough all you had to do was ask.”

I stood up and dusted the sand off of my dress. I
glowered at him before I turned around to walk away. I tried to
wake myself up, but I couldn’t. “Oh come on Ella. I was just
messin’.”

I spun around so fast I dug a hole in the sand with
my foot. “You don’t have that right. I’m with Roman now.”

“What?” he growled. “You went back to him?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You told me to!” I
yelled. “You were the one who told me I was better off. So for once
I took your advice and I moved on. It’s time you did to, because
this,” I pointed between us. “Is long gone and will
never
, happen again.”

He threw his head back and laughed. A laugh I never
heard before. One that made my skin crawl. He stood up. “Who are
you trying to fool? You’re not over me and you never will be.” He
took two long strides and he was in front of me. “You and I both
know that there will always be that thought in the back of your
head. In that tiny little space you will always be thinking about
me. No matter how many times you try to get rid of me I will always
be there.”

“Stop it.”

“Stop what? Stop loving you? I can’t. I wish I could
but I can’t!” he spat, getting in my face. He grabbed my shoulders
and kissed me again. This time I didn’t kiss him back. I could feel
the bile in my stomach rising up my throat. I pushed him back
forcefully. He tried to hold on but I knocked his arms away with my
elbows.

“Stop acting like you don’t want me.”

“I don’t.” I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn’t like
this version of Tristan and I had no idea how to get back the real
one.

“How long did it take?”

“Excuse me?” I looked at him wondering if he had lost
his mind. He was so back and forth I never knew in which direction
he would take the conversation.

“How long did it take you to spread your legs for
Roman?” I took a step back in shock. “Did you tell him how many
times I slipped myself in between your thighs? How easy it was for
you to give yourself up to me?” I slapped him hard, across his
face. He turned his head back slowly, a sadistic smile on his
face.

“I’m done with this,” I said, turning to walk
away.

“Well I’m not,” he said. I kept walking, picking up
my pace as I went. “I’m not done with this!” he shouted. “Ella, get
back here!” I risked a look over my shoulder. He started walking
toward me. I picked up my pace. When I looked back again he was
running. “Ella!” he cried. I took off. I ran hard and I ran fast.
The look in his eyes scared me and I no longer wanted to be trapped
in this dream. I tried my hardest to wake up, but I couldn’t.

I looked back to see how close he was. I wasn’t
watching where I was going and tripped over a piece of driftwood in
the sand. I fell to my hands and knees, but when I looked up,
Tristan was gone. He just disappeared and then there was nothing
but thin air. Soon the beautiful beach before me started to
dissolve and there was nothing but black. I froze, not knowing what
to do.

I felt something slither across my hand and looked
down to see a snake. I pulled back my hand and fell backwards onto
what was now a pile of snakes hissing and slithering beneath me.
The light got brighter and I could see I was in a dank, damp cave
surrounded by snakes.

My heart began to race and I tried to remind myself
this was just a dream and I could wake up at any moment, but I
couldn’t. I tried and I tried but I couldn’t wake up from this
nightmare.

“Tristan stop!” I screamed. This couldn’t be him. He
couldn’t be this cruel. “I’m sorry, please stop this,” I cried.

It didn’t stop. Soon the snakes were joined by
spiders and other creepy crawlers. I screamed at the top of my
lungs crying out for help. Panic surged through me. I heard a
malicious laugh in the background and shuddered. I screamed again
when a spider fell on my shoulder. I jolted awake and sat up in bed
gasping for air. There was someone pounding on my door calling my
name. I couldn’t make out the voice. Everything was still so hazy
and my vision was blurred from the tears that were now streaming
down my face.

I tried to call out to the person, but I had no
voice. My screams had left my throat sore and dry. I still felt
like they were crawling all over me. I couldn’t shake the dream. I
swiped at the invisible spiders and snakes scratching at my arms
and trying to claw my way out.

I found my voice to scream again.

The door was busted open and someone rushed to my
side. “Ella, Ella.” It was Gabe and he was shaking me.

“Get’em…get’em off of me,” I called out in
terror.

“Ella, get what?” Gabe asked confused, as he
struggled to keep me still.

“The snakes and the spiders they’re everywhere!” I
shouted, clawing at my skin.

“Ella, you’re dreaming. Wake up! Wake up!” Gabe tried
to snap me out of it.

I couldn’t. Even though I was no longer in the
nightmare I couldn’t stop imagining them everywhere. I curled
myself up tight into a ball and started to rock back and forth.
Gabe swept me up from the bed and out of the room. He carried me
out into the bright sun and across the quad. I heard Roman in the
distance and then soon he was by my side. “What happened?” he asked
Gabe.

“I don’t know, but I’m taking her to the infirmary,”
he said.

I managed to get a word out. “No,” I said, never
wanting to see that place again.

I felt Gabe stop. “No what, Ella?”

“No. I don’t…want to go…to the nurse,” I managed to
get out through all my sobs.

“But Ella I insist,” Gabe pleaded.

“I’m…fine,” I choked out, not sounding convincing.
Roman and Gabe exchanged a look, not sure what to do. “Put
me…down,” I said, trying to take a breath. Gabe hesitantly put me
down.

“If you insist on not going to the nurse then will
you at least let me get Ms. Kraft to look you over?”

“Yes,” I said. I wouldn’t mind talking to her. Maybe
she could help me figure out how to block someone from getting into
your dreams.

“Ella, are you okay?” Roman asked, worry written all
over his face.

I nodded. “I just need to lie down. I want to go back
to my room.”

“Are you sure?” Gabe asked.

“I’m sure. I’m sorry I scared you, but really. I’m
okay now.” I could tell Gabe didn’t totally agree with me but he
let me go and told me he would go get Ms. Kraft.

Roman walked me back to my room. I took his hand and
he held me close to him. Once we got there I took a hesitant step
inside. Roman glanced at me from the side, concerned. “Are you sure
you’re okay?”

“Yes, I just had a bad dream,” I replied with a
whimper.

“Must have been one hell of a dream,” he said, gently
coaxing me into the room. “Hell was the right answer,” I
thought.