Evol

chapter sixteen

author's note -

this is trash! enjoy!

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Monday 10th June, 2019

Julian.

I parked outside.

Brooke had been unusually quiet the whole journey. I looked over, to see her staring forward, a look of concentration on her face. She always looked like she was thinking hard - it drove me crazy that I couldn't hack into that pretty head and read--

"Is that it?" She asked me, pointing forward. My eyes followed her finger, seeing the all-too familiar row of buildings on the outskirts of the town. I tried to imagine it how she was seeing it; four big, abandoned buildings connected to each other, smashed windows and boarded-up doors, the bricks crumbling and littered with graffiti.

Admittedly, it wasn't pretty.

"You wanted to come." I reminded her.

"I guess it is you," she mused. "I couldn't expect anything classy now, could I?"

There was a burning cigarette in my hand. "Rude," I muttered, taking a drag to hide the smile on my lips. Always so blunt.

Remembering what happened earlier, holding her in my arms for the first time, made the air short in my lungs. It was ridiculous, really. The reaction I had to her.

I told myself it was because she might be The Atheist. Forbidden. That's what it was.

"Come on," I said, dropping the fag out the window and climbing out the car.

She did too, watching me carefully. "Is this seriously where you're meeting them?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"In there," I tilted my head to the building.

"Nice," she mumbled, limping next to me.

I felt the anger rise inside me as she covered up the pain.

"Should I buy you a crutch?" I mocked, so I didn't go and kill someone.

"Bugger off."

A breathless laugh escaped me.

"What?"

"Nothing," I said, regretting not having better control.

There was a nervous tug in my stomach as I led her around the back of the building. She was a quiet presence behind me, and I questioned my sanity for the tenth time for bringing her.

At the back, there was the usual steel metal door. I turned around, saw her staring at me with wide eyes.

There was a flicker of doubt in them, doubting me or herself I wasn't sure, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

"Don't look," I warned, reaching to put a pin in the keypad in the door.

"As if I'd come here without you." I heard her mutter.

Fighting back a smile, I opened the door and ushered her inside.

The dim light of the room inside turned her auburn hair bronze, and my chest clenched as I recalled how it felt to have my cheek on it, soft like--

Fuck. Stop it.

It was a normal, wrecked house at this point, but I saw the right door ahead.

"Brooke!" I called when she'd strayed too far. I gestured to the wooden door.

Next to me, her expression was cold. "I swear to God, Julian. If you're taking me to this house to kill me or something--"