Page 58 of Red Obsession

“Care to explain?”

Gabriel likes to push my buttons. He thinks it’s hilarious to wind me up. He’s like a little brother I never wanted and dream about punching in the throat. Repeatedly until he can’t get up. Like right now, I can feel my eyes twitching, the struggle to not punch his teenager face and watch him cry.

“You seem to be upset.” Popping a hip, he takes another large drink of the coffee I just made for Izel.

That little shit.

“You’re pushing my buttons,” is all I say, because I don’t trust myself not to say some shit to him. Something that will make him cry and run away.

“You like when I push your buttons.”

Grinding my molars, I take a deep breath while keeping my eyes trained on him. But that little fucker just smirks because he knows exactly what he’s doing.And he knows I won’t really do anything. I won’t risk losing Izel over it, plus the little fucker just does it to annoy the shit out of me.

“Gabriel.”

“Zion.”

That’s it. Fuck the consequences. Surely, Izel will understand.

Taking a step forward, he throws his hands up, almost dropping the coffee I made for Izel, and sobers up.

“Alright, alright. No need to get angry. You kill people when you get angry and listen if Izel finds out you did something to this pretty face, she’d kill you, and then be upset because she killed you,” Gabriel rambles on. Just like fucking Izel, they both talk too damn much. “Stop twitching your eye, it’s weird.”

“Gabriel, if you don’t get to the point anytime soon, your face is going to become good friends with my fist,” I grunt.

“Yeah, Izel won’t like that too much either. But hey, hold your horses!” he hisses as I round the island towards him. “She’s outside,” he finally tells me.

“Okay.” I sigh, feeling relieved. Only for a moment until thunder nearly shakes the house. “Outside! It’s fucking pouring,” I growl, heading towards the back door, nearly missing the puddle of water.

“Yeah, she does that.” He laughs.

“Does what? Does crazy things?”

But of course, she does. That’s Izel. Since the moment I saw her, she’s been nothing but a major thorn in my side, a pain in the ass.

“She likes it when it rains,” he says, shrugging his shoulders, as if it’s not a big deal.

Growling, I open the back door and slam it shut. It’s pitch black out. I can barely see two feet in front of me. Within seconds I’m soaking wet. The things I do for her.

“Izel?” I call out, listening for her answer. Only it never comes. Searching around I begin to walk around the porch, skipping over the fireplace and sitting area.

“Izel!” I call out once more, walking down a few steps of the porch until I round the house.

“Iz–” Shit. I could barely make out her frame lying on the ground. “Red, what are you doing?” I ask, making my way to her.

“Lying here, what’s it look like?” She laughs, eyes closed.

It takes me about a minute before I say fuck it and lie down next to her. Grabbing her hand I intertwine our fingers. Rain pours on our faces, but I slowly find myself relaxing.I never thought to lay outside when there’s a thunderstorm happening.

“It was raining the day we ran,” Izel says into the air. “It was raining sort of like this, thunder and lightning.”

I don’t say anything, letting her open up in her own time.

“I was so scared they were going to track our footprints; the mud was making everything difficult. We could barely run, and when they let the dogs out, I’ve never been more scared in my life. Even when Dan beat me, I knew it would end. But when we ran, I knew it was going to be worse. When we get caught, it’s going to be hell. I’m not going to make it out alive.”

“They’re not going to catch you, Red,” I declare. Though I have no idea who they are, or anything. I won’t let “them” touch a single hair on her head, or Gabriel’s.

“Dan has people, no matter where we go, Zion. Someone is going to catch up to us, and eventually we’ll be found.” Izel shifts, her eyes opening as she peeks at me through her lashes.

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