Ch. 1 - Smoking Gun
She was vibrating with rage, practically on fire with it. They had yet to find Wanda a body, they had only just found each other and Jamie had been hurt twice within the last month. First with the accident in the field and then on a raid that Jared had been leading. It was inconceivable how Jared thought he could just lead another one, take her brother along and not even consult her about it? No, he had only told Jamie about it and now she would look like bad guy for turning him down when he was oh so excited about it.
“Hey, Mel—”
She came at him, food tray in hand because it was all she had been able to find that wouldn’t permanently damage him, and berated him by smacking it at his chest repeatedly.
“Whoa, whoa, hey, what the—”
“Don’t ‘hey Melanie’ me!” She yelled at him.
Kyle and Ian, who had previously been talking with Jared, backed away from the scene and looked torn between laughter and serious confusion. It was hard to tell, but it looked like they were succumbing to both.
Finally Jared got the tray out of her hands and pinned her arms to her sides. She fumed up at him. The thought flittered through his mind that she looked adorable when she was mad like this, but he sensed it would be the worst thing in the world to say right about now.
“Mel, what is going on?”
“You tell me, Mister let’s-invite-Jamie-on-every-dangerous-mission!”
Ian and Kyle’s eyes widened and very discreetly, though Kyle very much tried to stay, they made their way out of the room, aided quickly by the forceful other occupants of the room who were much more understanding about the need for the couple’s privacy.
Jared waited till they’d all exited the room before he answered her.
“The raid. Jamie told you?”
“Shouldn’t you have?” she deadpanned.
He hesitated, then nodded. “Yes, I should have. I’m sorry.”
“Why didn’t you?” she demanded. He was silent one beat too long. “Because you knew I’d say no, didn’t you?” She broke her arms free of his grip. “Well, you’d be right. Jamie’s not going with you. He’s not. We’re not risking his life again just because he wants a little adventure and think the last two scares are no big deal.”
Jared sighed. “The last time was an accident. I’ll be more careful this time. You can’t treat him like a child, Melanie. He’s thirteen, not…three.”
Her jaw dropped. “He’s my younger brother,” she spat.
He nodded. “I know.”
“I don’t like you going on all these raids either, but I don’t try to keep you from doing them because I know you have to and that you’re good at it.”
“Don’t you trust me to take care of him?” he asked softly.
She sighed, finally gentling some.
“Of course I do. It’s just…you know what happened last time. The last two times.”
“Mel.” He put his hands soothingly on her arms that had now gone limp and lost some of their venom. “I promise you I will watch him like a hawk.” He moved closer so they were almost falling into each other. “He’s family, just like you. I wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Last time was just…one of those things.”
She tensed suddenly and he knew immediately he’d said the wrong thing. He also knew there was no way he could take it back. She was already prepping for a war. He could feel it.
“Just one of those things? You mean, like me being taken? That was just one of those things too, right?”
His face paled and released her, as if burned. The question was written plain as day in his eyes, even though he didn’t say it.
You blame me for that?
The first inklings of regret were simmering inside her, reminding her to be careful, that she was walking on eggshells now, but she was still fuming over the audacity Jared had in taking Jamie on another raid so soon. So, she ignored them.
“Mel-” he choked, unable to even finish her name.
“All that talk about not being able to give me up, about always finding me, about us never losing each other…it was a load of bull, wasn’t it? When I got taken, you just gave up. And when I came back for you? For Jamie? You abused me. You refused to believe Wanda. You didn’t even consider it as an option that I was still alive in here, until you kissed her. Twice.” She scoffed, disgusted. All the minor fears and disappointments she’d had concerning Jared that in the big scheme of things didn’t matter came rushing back to the surface as if they were the most important things in the world.
“I am the only one willing to risk anything in this relationship,” she carried on, more fiercely than ever. “If it wasn’t for me, I wouldn’t even be here. How can I possibly trust you to rescue Jamie if he gets taken on your little raid?”
Melanie’s heavy breathing was the only thing that could be heard in the empty room. Jared’s piercing gaze was the only thing that shattered her passionate outcry. Too little, too late guilt started to seep into her skin, eating away at it. Frustrated or not, she had probably just confirmed all of Jared’s fears that she’d spent the last month telling him were not warranted.
Jared found his tongue before she did; and with it, he spewed his own venom.
“You’ve made your point,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “Jamie stays here. After everything you’ve said, I wouldn’t trust him to me either.” His tone turned sarcastic and that made Melanie wary. Jared was rarely sarcastic, and when he was it was a pathetic attempt at humor, not the beginning of a nasty insult.
“It’s amazing that you found it in your selfless heart to love me at all,” he continued sardonically. “I am forever indebted to you for the restraint you must have in sending me into the very teeth of those who stole you from me. Though perhaps,” he eyed her down from her frightened face to tense legs, “you were glad to be rid of me.”
He turned and stalked out of the room.