Chapter 16: Dead Girl Walking

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That was not a tree.

Scrambling back, I looked up to find a face.

A human face.

This was not good.

It was hard to make out whose face it was in the pale moonlight. But I knew one thing. I wasn't waiting around to figure who was standing before me. As fast as I could, I turned around, ready to run back into the woods. But before I could take even one step, a hand reached out to grab me. It wrapped around my forearm with a grip like a viper. Alarmed, I whipped my head back, desperately clawing the hand on my arm, "Let go of me!" Nick would definitely return me to the orphanage if he found out that I snuck out behind his back. We were just starting to get along, but no, I had to go and ruin it, just like I ruined everything else in my life. Snapping out of my thoughts, I was surprised to see that the police officer in front of me hadn't uttered a single word.

"Julia?"

No.

No way.

This could not be happening.

I immediately stopped moving, my heart pounding so hard I thought it'd burst. Why, of all the people living on this godforsaken planet, why did it have to be him. I didn't dare utter a single word. Harshly, he yanked me towards him until his face was illuminated in the dark rays of the moon.

Nick.

Fuck. I guess I finally realized what Nick does for a living.

He looked at me, emotion whirling in his eyes like a tornado. But I could see one emotion brighter and more violent than the rest. Anger. It danced across his face and filled his eyes. The feelings that had been there; worry, surprise, relief, were gone, long replaced by anger. I had never seen him before like that. He was always a patient person, understanding even, and he never looked at me like that. Like I was disgusting. He looked away as if it was physically unbearable to look at me any longer.

"Look, I can expla-" Nick turned away and started to drag me across the woods, his hand never leaving my arm. I could feel the shame burying itself deep in my stomach like a worm. "It's not what it-" He pulled harder on my arm, almost causing me to stumble. It felt wrong at first when I felt the tears prick at the edges of my eyes as Nick kept pulling me along. I didn't cry. Julia Foster cried. But then again, Julia Foster was dead. I was Julia Adler now, and she never cried. But here I was, tears running down my face, being harshly dragged through the woods by a man who couldn't even look at me. "Please, if you could let me explain!" I choked out the phrase, legs aching from all the yanking.

Nick whirled around, eyebrows furrowed and his lip set in a frown, "If you know what's good for you, you'll shut up." He spat out the words, his face mere inches from mine. He held my gaze, paying no attention the tear tracks down my face. "Don't you dare cry right now." My eyes widened. Nick was never like this.

Grabbing my chin, he squeezed it, "Do you understand me?" I shakily nodded, stunned by his change in personality. He let go, once again turning around. This time, however, Nick traveled at 

a slower pace.

Once we reached the clearing where the party took place, Nick loosened the grip on my arm. He led me to a cop car, where another cop was stationed.  

When he saw Nick approaching, he quickly straightened and adjusted the hat on his head. "I-Is she one of them boss?" He stuttered, intimidated by Nick's hard expression. 

"Yeah. Make sure she doesn't get out." He shoved me towards the man and walked back into the woods with so much as a glance my way. It cost me something to admit that it hurt.

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