Being Grey (Beings Trilogy) (30 page)

He doesn’t move. Doesn’t get up and I’m feeling a bit stupid standing here with my fists balled and my legs apart.

“Get up Ian.” I insist.

“If you wish, but I’ve told you we can’t kill each other
Alice
and frankly it’s too beautiful a day for a murder in the park.” He stands up but doesn’t move.

I swing for him. Punch him straight in the jaw. It doesn’t knock him out but it does knock that stupid smirk off his face. He straightens up and that smirk just comes right back.

“You’re not going to fight me then this should be easy.” I swing my left arm this time and punch him on the other jaw. The smirk doesn’t even leave.

“Is that your best shot?” He says as he steps closer.

I can’t punch him now, he’s too close for me to get a good swing in so I twist, lean back and bring my heel right into his stomach. He plops down on the bench.

“Good one.” He wheezes.

“Thanks, now get up and fight.” But for some reason I don’t feel it anymore.

“I can’t and won’t fight you. I’m in love with you Alice. From the first moment you kissed me, even before that, I knew I would never hurt you. I have to remove the pure
Beings
and the ‘Gifted’ but I’ll make you see things my way. When I remove all of your friends, everyone you love and I am all you have left, we will be together.”

I plop down on the bench beside him; all fight has left me now. “See, that’s the part that’s never going to happen, Ian. I’m very flattered, honestly, and I see what you’re saying about it’s not easy to kill each other. But next time we meet I’ll have one of my friends with me. They won’t have this problem. You’ll die. You’ll never get to them through me.”

“Then I will return to my group of ‘Takers’. So remember
Alice
, next time I see you the same can be said of you. My group will not have a problem with your death.”

So now what? We shake hands and part. He looks sad and I’m feeling the same way. As long as no one was getting hurt it was kind of fun. But we know it can’t go on this way.
Battle
lines have been drawn and we both know firmly what line we stand behind.

“Well, I’d love to say it was nice meeting you but…” How to say goodbye?

“I wish it could have been different.” He says.

We both stand up and ridiculously I stick my hand out. He looks at it and laughs. OK, so it was stupid but I wasn’t exactly going to hug him was I now?

“So, this is it?” I ask.

“Yes, this is goodbye for now. Watch your back
Alice
.”

“Will do. Promise me you won’t do the same?”

Sexy chuckle again. Stop that because it’s making me want to do… this.

I grab him as he grabs me. My arms are around his neck and his are around my waist. This is better than either kiss before. Why can’t we run away? If everyone is safe why can’t I live happily ever after? What was wrong with my deserted island dream? I pull away for a minute and look into his dark eyes.

“Why?” I ask.

He shakes his head, he has no more answers than I do.

Chapter Fifty Eight

Have we been kissing for hours, days or weeks? I don’t care as long as it never ends.

I think of Annabel and Glen, how happy they were together at the party; Stefan and Poppy always teasing each other. They’ll all be fine without me. Luke will be safe so Robbie won’t have to worry about me anymore. I think of the look on his face as I walked down the staircase, him telling me he’d never seen anything more beautiful. That day at the park with Luke; him saying ‘I’ll never let him hurt you’ the other night as I fell asleep.

Why am I thinking of Robbie?

I break away. What the hell am I doing? I fall backwards off the bench in my haste to get away.

“Finally noticed I was here did you?”

I turn around and Jason is stood there. I scramble to my feet, my eyes darting between the two of them.

“No, no, it’s not what you think.” I say realizing how pathetic it sounds.

“Well why don’t you tell me what I’m thinking
Alice
?” He turns to Ian, “And some mate you turned out to be.”

“Sorry Jason, but you’ll never understand this one. But I will.” He says smugly.

“Shut up Ian. Look Jason, this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.” I’m walking up to him slowly but he’s walking towards Ian.

“Oh
Alice
tell him the truth. Tell him about you and me; tell him about how you killed Adam.”

“How did you..?” Too late I catch myself.

“What! What did you just say?” Jason is flipping his head between the two of us but it’s me his eyes rest on. “You killed Adam?”

Someone help me. I look at Ian and he’s enjoying this. I feel so much hatred inside me right now I’d be amazed if
my
Being
hadn’t turned dark.

“Jason you don’t understand. Step away from Ian and I’ll explain everything. Please.” I’m begging and starting to cry.

“Who
are
you Alice? What kind of monster?”

It’s not me it’s him. He’s the monster. I’ve got my arms outstretched. Please Jason. How do I explain?

“What is going on?” Jason asks Ian having got no response from me.

“I’m sorry about this mate. I really am. But this is how
Alice
wanted it.”

What is he talking about?

“To cut a very long story short, Alice and I will be together one day. We knew it from the minute we met. Unfortunately we’re two very different
Beings
,” he draws the word out, “which means there are going to be casualties along the way. Adam for instance.”

Jason is looking at us as if we’re both crazy. One minute he’s walking towards Ian, the next he heads in my direction. I think he’s trying to decide who poses the least threat.

“That’s not how it has to be.” I’m full out sobbing now. “Jason please let me explain.”

Out of the corner of my eye I see something glisten and time slows down.

Jason is still looking at me, begging me to help him understand what’s going on.

Ian has pulled a blade out of somewhere and the perfect sunshine is reflecting off it.

And I think of me. That stupid lie ‘I’m not in love with you Ian. I’m in love with Jason’ and his words ‘When I remove all of your friends,
everyone you love
and I am all you have left, we will be together’.

Jason is closer to Ian than he is to me.

“You needed to know the truth.” Ian says as he plunges the blade into Jason’s stomach. I see the blade tear up. I’ve been taught this technique. Jason will bleed to death before help can arrive.

Ian pushes Jason away and I catch him as he falls.

“Oh god no, please no. SOMEONE HELP ME!” I scream.

But there’s no one else around.

“Call an ambulance, do something.” I yell at Ian.

“I love you
Alice
, but let the games begin.” He says and calmly walks away.

Jason is looking at me and as he tries to form the question ‘why?’ blood pools from his lips.

“Ssh, don’t talk.” I’m holding his insides in with one hand whilst stroking his hair from his face with the other. “I’m sorry, Jason. I’m so sorry.” Tears stream from my eyes, but I can still see his
Being
, as pure as the day he was born, “I was just trying to save you. I thought I could save you. But in end, I may as well have killed you myself.”

He frowns at me, the life slowly ebbing away. I feel his hand tighten around my arm, “Forgive, me?” I ask.

His hand squeezes my arm again. A smile touches the side of his eyes, and I cradle him in my arms until the end. There is nothing more I can do. I can’t save him. I guess I never could.

I cradle Jason until his
Being
slips away.

 
Epilogue

The police released me a little after six. They’d called mum and dad and they’re here waiting for me. Mum rushes up and hugs me but I can’t hug her back. My arms are dangling uselessly at my sides. I don’t ever want to wrap them around anyone again.

Mum steps back confused, her hands go up to her mouth. I can see she wants to do something, make the pain go away but she can’t. Dad puts his arm around her and she starts sobbing. I can’t cry anymore and I envy her the release.

Dad nods at me and leads mum back to the car. I follow. Mute.

I look out of the window as he drives. Mum is sat beside me holding my hand but I can’t feel it. I can’t
feel
. People outside my window are carrying on with their lives. Jason can’t. And it’s my fault.

Poppy opens the door to my parent’s house. She’s been crying. She takes one look at me and turns to Stefan whose arms go protectively around her. The hug makes me want to scream. I see Annabel and Glen on the couch. She’s still crying. Just make them all go away.

Adrian
is stood in the corner. He takes a step toward me but something in my expression causes him to stop.

Robbie walks in from the kitchen. Has he been doing dishes? A tea towel in one hand and a plate in the other. Weird.

Everyone is looking at me with expressions of pity and sadness. What do I do, what do I say?

Robbie puts the tea towel and plate down on the side table and walks right up to me. Just holds my hand. No hugs.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” He says.

I sit on the edge of the bath in my underwear. I’m not embarrassed. Robbie washes Jason’s blood off me but it’s under my fingernails. I hold them up to Robbie and he understands. This should be Ian’s blood, not Jason’s. I climb into the shower and Robbie gets in with me, fully clothed, and washes my hair.

He wraps me in a warm fluffy dressing gown. It smells like mum. We return downstairs

Everyone is sat around the dining room table. Robbie won’t let go of my hand but that’s OK. He got to respect Jason so he shares my pain. Dad has taken Glen in to the study, he realises they shouldn’t be here.

“Now may not seem like the perfect time
Alice
,”
Adrian
begins, “but unfortunately there isn’t going to be a better one.

“Hierarchy has been notified. They’ve called a meeting. We don’t know how long Ian has been planning this. How many ‘Takers’ he has amassed. But
Alice
, know this, we are all one hundred percent behind you. He won’t hurt you or anyone you love again.”

Robbie squeezes my hand.

Mum looks as if she’s going to explode if I don’t say something soon.

“I want him.” I finally say as I look around the table. I see confusion in their eyes. “I want him and I want him to suffer. He’s signed his death certificate in Jason’s blood. I want to find everyone that he’s ever cared about and I want them dead. I want to rip his very
Being
out of him piece by piece. I want him to beg me to kill him. I’ll make him live for eternity knowing that he brought his pain and suffering on himself. I want him to know that I’m stronger… no
better
than he is and that he can’t break me.

“No, that’s not right,” I squeeze Robbie’s hand back, “that he can’t break
us
.”

Ian, let the games begin.