Immortal Souls (The Immortal Souls: Magic & Chaos)

Chapter 55

Jamie wandered through the woods, barely paying any attention to where he was going.

Last night kept playing through his mind.

He was still in shock over Sam running out the way she did.

The night had come and gone, and so had most of the day, but he barely noticed the time pass. It wasn't until the sun was almost in setting position that he realised how long he had been wandering for.

I should go see her, he thought. I should find out what happened. Find out what I've done wrong. Jamie continued walking through the woods, but now with a better sense of where he was going. It took him about twenty minutes to get from where he'd found himself to the street that Sam lived on.

As her house came into view, he saw that she was walking towards him. He froze where he was standing, and she appeared to do the same. She must have been just leaving to go somewhere and hadn't expected me to be here.

"Sam?" He took a hesitant step in her direction. She folded her arms across her chest and took a breath. Then she marched towards Jamie, looking slightly irate. He took a cautious step back.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Though it seemed like more of an accusation than a question. She was now less than an arm's length away, staring at him like she was trying to intimidate him.

Before Jamie had a chance to open his mouth to speak, Sam continued, "What the fuck gives you the right to be around me? What gives you the right to invite yourself into my life then mess it all up? Everything was perfectly fine before you came along. I was perfectly fine."

"Sam . . . I—"

"Who says you're allowed to make me cry?" she shouted. Jamie noticed her lips press together almost as if she were trying not to cry. "I never cry, who said you're allowed to do that?"

"I didn't mean to make you cry," Jamie said, feeling guilty. He felt his throat get tight. I'm just upsetting her more by being here. "Tell me what I did so that I can make it—"

"No!" Sam yelled in frustration. "Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"You know what! . . . Stop being nice to me! Stop liking me!" She looked like she wanted to either scream or burst into tears. Instead she just turned her back to him. "Just leave me alone. I was used to it being that way, so just leave me alone. I don't need you."

Jamie sighed. "Maybe you don't need me," he said. His voice sounded tired and sad. Jamie placed his hand on Sam's elbow, turning her around so that she had to look at him. "But did you ever stop to think that maybe I need you?"

He felt Sam shaking. That was the first time he noticed that there was something not right about her.

Her skin looked pale, she had circles under her eyes that were so dark they were visible through her make-up. Her eyes were red and bloodshot.

But not like she had been crying. More like blood was about to start leaking out of them.

"Oh my God!" Jamie stepped closer to her, filling the small space between them. Sam tried to move back, but he didn't let her. Jamie breathed in the air around her, it was dark and heavy, and felt as though it would suffocate you if you breathed it for too long. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She tried to pull her arm out of his hand, but she was too weak.

About three months ago she could floor me and keep me there and now she can't even push me away?

"Let me go!"

"How long?" Jamie shouted, the memory flooding back to him, just now realising what Sam had meant. "You asked that Faerie how long."

"Let me go," she whispered, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Sam . . . you're dying." Jamie said the words, feeling like he would cry. "What happened? What can I do to help? I won't let you die."

Sam pulled back again. This time Jamie let her go. "I don't want any help!" she yelled. "It's better this way. It needs to happen. So you just leave me alone!" Sam pointed to her house. "And move your fucking car away from my house! I'm sick of it being there all the time!"

Jamie looked towards the large black car that was parked across the road from her house in confusion. "What?"

Sam scoffed. "I know that's your car," she said. "It's been there forever . . . do you just sit around my house and stalk me twenty-four seven?"

"Sam . . . " Jamie put his hand on her arm and pulled her back. "I don't have a car."

She stared at him, her expression filled with confusion. "But the day we met, at the library, you pointed to that car and asked me if I wanted a ride home."

Jamie glanced towards the vehicle, now recognising it from that day. That night he had been so relieved she had declined his offer, that he hadn't stopped to wonder why there was a car in an otherwise empty car park, outside a completely empty building . . . and he also hadn't thought to check if there was anyone already in the car.

"I don't even know how to drive."

"But, you said—"

"Okay, listen. I will explain that to you later. Right now, let's focus on the fact that that is not my car. And it's been parking there for how long?"

Sam looked at Jamie, then back at the car, her eyes widening with fear. "A few months . . . I never see anyone get in or out, and you said it was yours so I never really thought about it."

He felt himself begin to worry, as it was the first time he had seen her wear such an expression.

Slowly she took a step forward.

Then another.

Jamie walked beside her, preparinghimself for the possibility that he would have to kill anyone who stepped outof the car since Sam no longer had the strength to protect herself.