Love Comes In Many Dangerous Forms

“Were going to stop soon, sweetie,” Zach told me quietly, his hand was resting onto of mine, which was still clutching onto Colton’s black fur for dear life.

I mumbled against Colton’s shoulder, letting Zach know I that heard him.

Shane was still humming, for what seemed like days now, when only probably only a few hours. And he never once broke the melody; he repeated the song over again when it ended.

When we stopped it was nearly impossible for me to untangle my fingers from Colton’s fur. I slid off his back and onto the cold damp floor. I curled up as tight as I could; my eyes darted around tunnel, making sure that no shadows came into the light.

“Why don’t you get some rest?” Zach murmured, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear.

“N-no,” I shook my head; the rocky ground scratched my face slightly.

“Cassie, you’re exhausted,” Zach sighed, “I won’t anything happen to you.”

“We won’t let anything happen to you,” Shane amended as he glared at Zach.

I bit my bottom lip, trying to keep my teeth from chattering. I looked around one more time before I forced myself to relax. I released the breath I had been holding in, and closed my eyes. It was then, I realized how tired I really was, but I couldn’t. He appeared behind my closed lids, I suddenly felt sick again.

And then I felt something stroke my hair, “That’s not fair,” I slurred.

I heard a low chuckle, “I know,” Shane whispered and started humming again. And even my monster couldn’t stop me from finding my peace.

***

(Shane’s P.O.V.)

I smiled as I saw her soft lips open slightly. Her hand would occasionally twitch as if she wanted to grasp something. Her eyes were closed, and were somehow peaceful, like she finally escaped from what was haunting her.

“Will you stop staring at her?” I heard Zach’s low growl.

I stopped humming, faintly aware of Cassiel’s unsettled expression as I glared at Zach, “Will you ever stop?” I hissed quietly, making sure I wouldn’t wake Cassiel. But if he did, I would probably rip his head off.

“I know what’s best for her, and I’m making sure nothing ever happens to her,” Zach stated venomously.

“I won’t hurt her Zach, and if you know what’s ‘best’ for her, then stop treating her like some kind of thing.”

“How dare you,” he spoke through clenched teeth. “I’m protecting her, unlike you.”

“Protecting her from what? That’s why Colton and I are here, to protect her,” I suddenly wondered how ignorant he really was.

“That’s the problem; you and that dog are here,” he explained it to me like I was the stupid one, and I heard Colton’s soft growl behind me.

“You’re jealous,” it finally all came together. Why he always hated us, any male that came near Cassiel he hated him immediately no matter who they were. And why he always hovered over her like an overly obsessed guard-dog. But I didn’t know why he was jealous of me; Colton was the one marrying Cassiel.

“You don’t know how long I have been trying to make her realize that she’s in love with me, just as much as I’m love with her,” he crossed his arms in front of his chest, his face was cold.

“She’s not in love with you, Zach,” I hissed, my mouth filled with the sour taste of my own venom.

I saw his fists clench, and I could tell that he was debating on punching me in the face or shooting me with Cassiel’s gun.

“You don’t know that, now shut the fuck up.”

“You’re the one that wanted to talk, then let’s talk, shall we?”

“I don’t have to answer to you,” he glared daggers at me.

“Admit it,” I pressed. “You’re jealous of Colton because he’s marrying Cassiel,” my throat stung as I spoke those words, it felt like someone forcing acid into my mouth and I swallowed a portion of it.

“It’s not the dog I’m afraid of. Yes Cassiel is marrying him, but she will never love him.”

Colton snarled, but I was too confused to care about his weak attempts to be threatening.

“What?”

“She does the opposite of what her parents tell her to do. She adopted Jimmy, she kept her scars, and she took all of us in. She will never love that fleabag.”

“No. What do you mean that ‘It’s not the dog I’m afraid of’?”

“I see the way you look at her,” his green eyes were locked onto her, “It was the same way I looked at her, the way I still look at her. And you’re very close to her, and I’m not happy about it.”

I blinked, trying to make sense of his words, “Are you saying that, I’m… in love her?”

He stared at me blankly, “What do you think?”

I didn’t know what to think, I forced myself to look back at Cassiel’s sleeping form. Her eyes were somewhat calm; her long golden hair fanned around her. She mumbled something incoherent and her lips pulled up into a faint smile, but only for a second.

I could see how someone would fall for her, she was beautiful and kind and most of the time I couldn’t put into words how amazing she was. I cared about her, almost as much as I loved Carly and my mother. And I knew that loved her, in a way. I just wasn’t in love wither her, not yet at least.

“Let me just tell you one thing, once you start to fall for her, you can never stop.”