“Scarlett,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”
Sorry would never be good enough. I would never forgive him for what he’d done. He always seemed so mature and level headed. How was Noah in a cult?
Noah is part of Eternal Light. Shit.
“Don’t talk to me ever again,” I growled, sobbing around each word. I was done. No matter if he felt guilt or not we were done.
Sighing, he looked away, and I cowered back inside myself, burying my head between my knees and wrapping my arms as tightly as they’d go around my legs. Think. You can still get out of this.
I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I was going to get home. How stupid was I to go off somewhere without my parents knowing, even if it was with someone I trusted. I was so upset with them for lying to me that I’d compromised my safety because I was angry.
No one knows where I am.
All I wanted was to be home. I wanted to forget Noah ever existed. It was too good to be true. I should’ve known I wasn’t going to be lucky enough to find the one in school and marry my childhood sweetheart.
Noah’s betrayal was already killing me.
I had no one to blame but myself.
Noah
DAD PULLED UP to the commune and Scarlett tensed. For the thirty-minute car ride, she’d said nothing to either of us and stared out of the window in a daze. I was worried that she was in shock – of course, she was in shock. Before she turned into stone, she’d cried nonstop. Every sob was like a deep cut to my skin. I felt her pain like we were one person.
I wanted to ask if she was okay, but I knew I was the last person in the world she wanted to talk to. And I knew she wasn’t okay.
Her eyes, which were usually so full of light and happiness, were cold and empty. She hadn’t looked at me much but when she had it was with hate and contempt. That wasn’t the girl I knew and loved. But it was exactly what I deserved.
“Here we are,” Dad said. “Are you ready to be reunited with your parents, Scarlett?”
She glared at him. Her skin was pale but around her eyes was red and blotchy. She looked like she was going to be sick. I wanted to take her and run again.
“Scarlett,” I said softly, “It’s going to be alright.”
“How?” she spat, finally looking at me. I was momentarily stunned by how much darker her eyes looked. It was like a punch to the gut. She may well be The Light, but it’d definitely gone from her eyes.
I felt as sick as she looked.
People started to gather and walk towards the car, led by Donald and Fiona. They all looked so excited, our saviour was here. Only I wasn’t sure she was, not for Eternal Light anyway, but perhaps she was mine.
Scarlett saw everyone walking, and her eyes widened in alarm. “Please take me back. Please. I swear I won’t say anything, just take me back to town and I’ll find my own way home. Shaun, please.”
“Shh, it’s alright now, you are home,” Dad said.
She shook her head, eyes filling with more tears that took my breath away. I wasn’t at all ready for how I felt seeing her so upset.
Turning to me she whispered, “Noah, please.”
I’d never felt so low in all my life. Even after everything I’d done, she still turned to me. I knew it was only out of desperation, but she still relied on me.
“I promise you, it’ll be fine,” I said. I didn’t know how yet but there had to be a way. She didn’t believe my words. I wasn’t sure if I believed them either.
“Don’t do this. You told me you love me, and I loved you. Please don’t let them hurt me.”
That was out of my control entirely. I didn’t get to make decisions for the community. We did that as a whole, and there was no way I’d be able to convince them to postpone. They’d wanted this for years. It would be like asking a child to wait a week after Christmas to open presents.
Her door was opened by Donald. She shouted no and leapt into the middle of the backseat, wedging me against my door.
“Scarlett, it’s okay,” Donald said, staring at her in amazement. No one could quite believe she was finally with us again.
“Hey,” I said. “I’m going to get out my side, and I want you to follow me. It’s going to be alright, just come with me.”
She laughed without humour. “Why would I trust you ever again? Get away from me, all of you freaks just leave me alone!”
“Scarlett.” Donald’s tone was sterner. “You have nothing to fear. We are not going to hurt you. Please do as Noah asked or take my hand.”
She pressed back against my side, and I opened the door, grabbing her hand and taking her with me. Malc and Drew grabbed her so she wouldn’t get the chance to run. We were out in the middle of nowhere, and she didn’t even know which way was north, there was no way running would do her any good.