Her eyebrow rose yet again. “How can I trust you?”
I was waiting for that. “I have made a huge mistake, many huge mistakes actually. But you have to understand, Scarlett, my whole life I have believed what I was told. It is all I’ve ever known. I never questioned it, just like you never questioned your parents until you started remembering.”
Her eyes narrowed a fraction at the mention of her parents. “I need you to answer my questions honestly.” I nodded. “How did you meet them?”
“Your parents?”
“No, Donald and Fiona.”
“Right. Sorry. They arrived at our commune when I was a kid. Had similar beliefs but, like I said, theirs made more sense.” Scarlett snorted, and I couldn’t fault her for it not now I saw everything so clearly. “And it wasn’t long before they were running the place, maybe a week. They told us about the fire in the warehouse and how you were kidnapped.”
“How did they find me?”
Gripping the post at the end of the bed, I looked down and replied, “Scarlett, you were never lost.”
I didn’t look up to see her reaction but I felt it. “Every four years, once the yearly cycles of elements have been complete, they get a chance to… you know. When you were eight you were living in a flat and being home schooled, we couldn’t get near. Then you moved a couple of times and settled down.”
“You all knew where I was the whole time?” she whispered.
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
She took an uneven breath. “Why you?”
“I’m closest to your age. My family were to move to your town and I was to enrol in high school. Then I had to get close to you, make you love me and let me take you to Ireland.”
“Well,” she said, “You did that just fine.”
“I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you. I tried so hard not to but the more I did, the less I believed what I’d been taught my whole life. My dad always said that you know you are in love when someone comes along that makes you question everything. You did that, and at first I hated it.”
She didn’t react at all, just stared at me with empty eyes. “Things used to be so clear and so easy. Eternal Light came first, like any other religion. Being on the outside made me realise that religion is flawed. People twist things to suit themselves and their needs. It makes normal people fight and kill and hate. It’s supposed to be pure but people make it the most tainted thing on the planet. I didn’t see it until I saw the outside world…until I fell in love with you. Even if it were all true, I still wouldn’t let them touch you again.”
“Why?” she whispered, standing up.
I made the two steps to her, our chests almost touching. Reaching out, I tucked her hair behind her face. Just touching her again made everything slot into place. She is where I was supposed to be. We were made for each other; I was born to love and protect her and that was exactly what I was going to do. “Because your human life means more to me than my eternal one.”
Gulping, she lowered her eyes and replied, “Don’t, Noah.”
“I am so sorry. I know I’ve let you down so badly, but I won’t let them take your life. I will make it right, Scarlett. I promise. I understand that you can’t forgive me. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. Hell, I don’t deserve anything from you. But please trust me one last time, so that I can get you out of here.”
“Why can’t you call my parents or the police?”
“No phone,” I said. “I ditched it when I got back. We don’t get reception out here anyway. If I leave and they put two and two together… Scarlett, this is so dangerous. I don’t want to risk raising their suspicion. I’m terrified that they will take you and that’ll be it. We get one chance, and this is the only way I can think of that stands a shot.”
“I don’t know…” she said, trailing off and frowning. “This could be a test. You could be lying.”
“Why else would I get you to run, Scarlett?”
She gripped her hair and sighed sharply. “I don’t know! I don’t know anything anymore. Everything is so screwed up and I…I…” She burst into tears and fell against my chest.
I hadn’t expected that. I didn’t think she would ever want to be near me again.
For the first time in days, I held her again. I was complete. I had to get her away from here. I needed her to live a full life the way everyone was supposed to. Sacrificing someone for your own sake was selfish, no matter how it was dressed up. Scarlett deserved everything she wanted. She didn’t owe us her life. We had no right to take hers.
I held her close, burying my head in her shoulder, breathing her in. It was very likely to be the last time I’d have my arms around her. I memorised everything, the way she clung to me, the way she fit perfectly against me, the softness of her hair, the perfect scent of her skin.
“Shh, it’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. Trust me, beautiful girl. Trust me.”
She pulled away first, and I resisted the urge to grab her back.