Page 26 of Rebellion of a Kingdom

“Does that mean I won’t be accepted into heaven?” I wonder aloud.

Two small hands grip my face and drag it to theirs, “What the hell are you on?” A fraction of recognition flows through me.

“Taylor?” I grumble in questioning.

“Yeah, it’s me. What the hell are you doing out in the park in the middle of the night?” she scolds me in accusation, as she takes in the empty bottle of whiskey on the floor beside me, the stubbed-out joints and the discarded bag of coke. Empty bag.

I try and fail to stand as I slur back, “Fucking dancing how about you?”

“I was running,” she replies simply.

“From who?” I slick my gaze around, determined to find her tormentor.

“No one,” she frowns. “I run recreationally, like when I’m stressed and shit.” She shrugs like that is a totally normal explanation for why she is out. Who the fuck runs for fun?

I snort, “Sounds terrible.”

“It’s about as bad as getting high in the park alone.” Her scold is slightly playful, and it warms me on the inside. It’s a feeling I want to grab onto and never let go.

“Touché,” I say with a smile, lighting up another joint.

“Is everything okay?” She gives the mean eyes to the joint in my hand as she talks to me.

“Fucking peachy!” I snap.

“Why aren’t you answering your phone?” She points to it, and when I look down, sure enough, I watch a call that I didn’t hear go off, and then the phone lights up with twenty missed calls and eleven text messages. My keepers no doubt trying to bribe me into another waste of time bullshit mission. I ditched my tracker and turned the location app on my phone off, before I started my little pity party.

She huffs at my response and when the phone starts ringing again, I actually hear it this time, she snatches it off the ground before I can protest.

“Hello,” she snaps in irritation, “Marcus?” She listens for a second and then adds, “It’s Taylor, yeah he’s here.” She looks around and then back at me, “we are in Riverside park, yeah by the bike course.” She continues to listen to whatever the fuck he is saying before she finally replies, “Yeah sure, see you soon.”

“They’re coming to get you,” she says matter of factly.

“Great,” I drag out sarcastically. I can’t wait for whatever fucking lecture I am going to get.

I finish the joint before snorting the final line of coke I had lined up. Even a hot girl in yoga pants won’t change how I fucking feel right now. God, I bet Donovan would fucking love her, tear her apart until she was begging and bleeding. The thought turns my stomach. I jump up and grip her wrist tightly.

“Ow,” she cries out at my tight grip, but I don’t relent, I can’t. She has to know exactly what kind of fucking town we live in.

“Promise me you will be safe, that you won’t let them take you!” I plead with her, trying to use every ounce of convincing I possess.

“Let who take me?” She tries to pull her arm back, but I don’t let up.

“The Devil and his disciples, you’re just their type.” I release her wrist and she pulls it back, rubbing it with her other arm, as I start to pace.

“It just got all fucked up. I finally found a family, a place where I felt loved and at home and now it's been taken from me again.” I stop in front of her and her eyes lock with mine, “I just want it back Taylor. Why does everyone always leave me?” Her eyes soften at my words.

She reaches out and palms my cheek and I close my eyes at her soft touch, “No one is leaving you, Jace. You have amazing friends and even me, I’m your friend too.”

I drop my head and pull her into my arms, just needing to be close to someone. Just to feel a little less alone in this fucked up world. Her arms come up around my waist, she can barely reach. We stay embraced like that until headlights break the moment.

When I look up, I see Marcus storming towards us, with Linc not far behind him. He doesn’t stop until he is right in front of me and grips my jaw in his fist. “Fucking high as a kite,” he sneers, but I can still see the relief in his eyes.

“Hello to you too.” I toss back.

He is so angry right now, “Hello? Fucking hello? Do you not think we have enough fucking shit going on right now without me having to be out looking for you too!” He yells in my face, and then shakes his head in disappointment.

“What’s going on here?” Taylor asks and I can see her trying to work out what the hell is happening.

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