Jade (Wildflowers 3)

"'No thank you,' I said, edging toward the door. However, he kept himself smack in front of it, blocking it.

" `Go sit on my bed. It's comfortable,' he urged, nodding toward the bed. `Go on.'

"'I'd rather we went downstairs. The living room was nice,' I said.

" Um. He won't let us talk. He'll butt in and Sonny will want us to pay him attention. We're better off staying up here. Go on. Sit,' he ordered.

"I shook my head.

"'I really have to go,' I said.

"'Oh, you can't leave now,' he pleaded. 'You're the first girl I've had up here, ever. I've dreamed of it, but you're the first. C'mon. Sit,' he repeated, moving toward me.

"I jumped back, holding my backpack up in front of me like a shield now.

"He smiled.

"'Oh, you brought stuff. That means you're staying for a while. Good,' he said.

"'No,' cried. 'I've got people waiting for me. They're expecting me and will come looking for me.'

"His smile faded. It seemed to sink into his face.

"'I thought-you came to San Francisco to see me,' he said.

"'I did, but I can't stay. I'm late,' I said, edging around, hoping to squeeze by him.

"'You want to leave me, too,' he suddenly declared, as though he had come to some realization and it filled his eyes with anger. 'Just like her, you want to leave. You tell me you love me and you care and then you leave. That's cruel. That's selfish. Why don't you care about me? Was all that stuff you wrote just garbage? Why don't you mean what you say?'

"'I do,' I said quickly. 'That's why I showed up. You were the first person I thought about when I decided to come here,' I added.

His smile returned.

" 'I'm glad.'

"'But I have to meet some people, relatives.'

"'You never mentioned having any relatives here,' he said suspiciously.

"'I know. I had forgotten about them. They called and invited me and I came, but I told them I had to stop by and say hello to you first,' I added. I was thinking as fast as I could, heaving words and thoughts at him in the hope that he would be satisfied and step aside.

&nb

sp; "He didn't move.

"'I'll be back tomorrow,' I promised. 'We'll spend the whole day together.'

"'No, you won't,' he said, shaking his head. 'That's what she said before she left us. She said, I'm just going away for a little while. Don't be sad. I'll be back soon. I believed her and I waited. Every night, I sat by the window and looked out at the street and waited, but she didn't return. She just said she would.'

" 'But I.." I insisted. I'm not her. I'm Jade, remember?'

"He didn't look like he was listening to me anymore. His eyes were glassy and he seemed to be gazing through me at his memories now. He seemed frozen, almost catatonic, so I started toward the door, inching along. Then, I lunged for it and he reached around and seized my hair, tugging me back with such force, I fell to the floor.

"I screamed and screamed and he just stood there looking down at me as if I was some curious new creature. He wasn't bothered or afraid or even angry. He was just looking at me until my throat ached and I stopped, covering my face as I began to sob.

"He reached down slowly and first took my backpack out of my hands. He tossed it out the door. Then, he surprised me by seizing the backs of both of my feet and pulling my shoes off. He tossed them out the door, too." "Why?" Misty asked, grimacing.

"He didn't want her to leave," Cat said. It was as if her voice came out of nowhere, as if she was a ghost that had come to life.