Page 12 of Resisted

He stood and stretched. “You’re pretty damn prissy for someone who doesn’t have their driver’s license.” Vincent snorted but held in his snide remark. Wise decision. I wasn’t feeling in the best of moods after they’d forced me to change twice, making me late.

I got into the passenger seat and buckled up. Out of the three of them, Boyce was definitely the most reckless behind the wheel. It always felt like a daring adventure, unlike riding with Silas, who I swear intentionally went ten miles below the speed limit. I gave Boyce the address as he pulled out of the driveway, and the rest of the ride went by in silence.

I enjoyed the silence. I needed it, really. To say I wasn’t nervous would’ve been a lie. This was my first party. If I made a fool out of myself now, my life would be absolutely ruined. The butterflies danced in a rapid pace in my stomach the closer we got, and when Boyce pulled the truck to the curb and stopped for a quick second, I thought I might barf.

“No,” he said.

“Excuse me?” They’d used that word so much in the last few hours, you would’ve thought they’d learned it for the first damn time.

“No. You’re not going in there.”

“Why the hell aren’t I?” I leaned forward to open the door, but he was faster. His fingers hit the door lock.

“Why? There are boys in there. Loud music and…” He squinted. “Solo cups. Absolutely not. No fucking way am I letting you go. I thought this was a girly slumber party.”

“I never said it was a slumber party,” I pointed out. “It’s just some friends.”

“Oh? What’s his name?” He used his chin to point to a kid I hadn’t seen before. Probably a senior, if I had to guess by his sheer size.

Um… “Chad?”

He rolled his head in my direction. “It’s not fucking Chad. Just some friends, my ass.”

He put his arm behind the seat as he glanced back, before pulling back onto the street. “What are you doing? This isn’t fair!”

“Fair.” Boyce laughed. “Not that long ago, I was king of parties just like this, Bella-boo. You’re fucking crazy if you think I would let you walk out of this vehicle and into that building.”

“I hate you!” I growled out, and as an afterthought, I added, “All of you!”

“It’s a good thing our love isn’t based on whether or not you hate us, isn’t it? It is our job to do what we need to do to protect you. Can’t you see that, Bella?” His glance was quick before he turned his attention back to the road.

“It’s not your job to protect me, Boyce. It’s no one’s job to protect me.” I knew it was a pitiful statement, but sometimes, I felt like an outcast. I knew they weren’t my family, and that made me question everything. I wondered about absolutely everything. Was what they did for me out of pity or because they cared? How quick would they give me back? Were they even looking?

“It became our job the very second your mother’s soul left this earth, and if you don’t believe that, then I don’t know any other way to convince you. She asked us to save you, and we will save you from every possible situation that screams danger. Do you not understand that?” His voice was hard, and I didn’t know why that made my eyes water and tears fall to my cheeks. He’d never spoken to me that way, never once raised his voice in the direction I was standing.

“You were supposed to be the fun one,” I whispered, barely loud enough for a normal human to hear.

But we weren’t human, and our hearing was impeccable. “Fun has nothing to do with your safety. One day, you will realize that.”

The rest of the ride home was silent, of words at least. I could hear his heart pounding and the slight swish as his blood traveled through his veins. The creak of the steering wheel under his tightening grip would occasionally fill the cab. But I was afraid to speak. Afraid to respond for fear that I would cry harder than I already was. I wasn’t even sure what I was crying for at this point. Maybe because I wanted to go to that party like I wanted to take my next breath, but also because he made me feel so damn selfish. And maybe I was. But why was my safety so important to him when it wasn’t to me? When my own family didn’t bother searching for me, didn’t that make me worthless?

The minute he cut the engine, I was storming off, slamming doors as I made my way into the house and to my bedroom. I could hear a conversation being exchanged between them all, but I didn’t care to listen. I deserved to go to that party, didn’t I? What I did to be reckless with my own life did not concern them, and I would prove it!

The sun had already faded, the night consuming the sky with its dark overlays. I knew without a doubt that not a single one of them cared what I did or how I sulked, as long as I didn’t bother them. I flicked the lock on my bedroom door, tossed on a sweater, and grabbed my discarded tote from earlier. I shoved my blue dress into it, because fuck it. If I was already going to risk getting in trouble, I should go all the way, right?

I listened to the chatter outside one more time before quietly sliding my window open. With one last deep breath, I threw my leg through the window and heaved my body over the side until I felt the grass beneath my feet. I reached back through my window and grabbed my tote, flinging it over my shoulder as I turned.

“What’s in the bag?”

I screamed, the sound exploding into the night, causing nearby animals to scurry. “What are you doing?”

Vincent took another puff of his cigarette, the end glowing orange. “I actually don’t think you’re in a position to be asking questions, baby.” He was right, of course. But I would never give him the satisfaction of knowing that. “You know, when Boyce told us about tonight, I was sort of proud of the fucker for acting like an adult for once in his life. But as we sat around, I started thinking. What the fuck would I have done at your age? So here I am, smoking a cigarette outside your window, waiting for the inevitable to come to fruition. What’s in the bag?”

“None of your business, Vincent. It’s not like I’m toting around drugs. It’s personal.” I held my bag close to me. I mean, besides the dress, it was sort of personal. There were products in there, ones my brother’s friend should never see.

“Nothing is personal when you get caught sneaking out.” He dropped the cigarette, smashing the butt into the ground.

“Well this is.”

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