Chapter Seven

The silence that stretched out between Bramble and Airin lasted a lifetime. She didn’t know what to make of his revelation. She wasn’t even quite sure what he was implying his spark was. She found herself wishing she understood this man. Wished she comprehended how he astonished her at every turn. How he managed to catch her off guard and send her life spiraling out every time her life had begun to resemble something akin to normalcy. He had taken away her sense of safety in this town. He plagued her thoughts when he wasn’t there and made her head swim when he was. She didn’t know why.

“I know what people want,” His voice was deep and filled the silence, “like right now you want to understand me. My ability, I’m assuming.”

“You can read my mind?” This frightened her more than anything else. Her thoughts were sacred. They were the one thing that had always been hers and only hers. The only part of her life she felt she had any real control over. She would kill him if he took that away from her.

“No. Not at all. I only know what you want and only at the moment you want it.”

“What does that mean?” Wasn’t that akin to reading minds?

“It’s hard to explain but I’ll try,” He sighed, running a hand through his hair, “For example, when you attacked me. I couldn’t tell what you were thinking. I knew, however, that you didn’t want to hurt me. That doesn’t mean that you won’t, I can’t tell intentions, but I can tell desires, wishes, wants.”

This didn’t horrify her any less, “So you know what I want at all times?”

“Not at all times,” his raised his hands in the air as if to defend him from her, “I can only tell if you’re looking at me and the desire has to do with me directly. Or if I’m looking at you - it’s exceptionally easy when making eye contact.”

“What do I want right now?” She made herself think of a nice warm shower.

Airin laughed at her inquiry, “I don’t think you’d like the answer to that question.”

“Why not? I know what I want.”

“No, I don’t think you do.”

Bramble noticed that his smile made the lights in his eyes dance. It was quite distracting, “I wanted a nice warm shower. I don’t see the problem with that.”

“No. You were thinking that. Desire, wishes, wants -these are all subconscious. Most of the time, anyway.”

“I don’t believe you.” How absurd of him. To state that he knew what she desired better than herself.

“When you were watching me, the first day we saw each other, remember?”

“Yes.” Of course she remembered.

“You wished I would notice you. Look at you, per say. Then, on the night I confronted you-"'

“Attacked me.” Bramble corrected.

“No, you attacked me. I retaliated,” He shook his head at her, “That’s beside the point. When you were talking about being a possession you wished you could save my grandfather. You wished you had escaped with him instead of after delivering him. That is why I trust you. I want you to help me.”

Bramble eyes narrowed, “You might trust me but I sure don’t trust you.”

“I’m not asking you to trust me, Bramble. I’m asking you to help me.” His voice sounded almost desperate.

She crossed her arms and looked away, “And why should I?”

“I’m going to get him back, Bramble. I’m getting Cress back.”

Bramble eyes widened, “You are crazy. Suicidal. Do you even know where he is!” She hadn’t meant to, but her voice was steadily rising in volume.

“Bramble, stop insulting the paying customers.” It was Chance.

“Look, just think about it. I’ll come back when Chance has what I need. I won’t bother you until then. If you say no I promise I’ll leave you alone. You won’t ever have to see me again.” Her stomach tumbled as Airin finished his last sentence.

She felt desolate, lost. It was strange that the thought of not seeing someone should do such a thing to her, “Ok.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Airin quickly pushed the sleeves of his shirt back down and left without another word to her. As he passed Chance she heard a quick exchange of goodbyes.

Then he was gone.

That evening she found herself back at Buckshot Lake. She hadn’t showered in the lake since that fateful encounter with Airin. Instead she had begun to drag two buckets down to the lake. There she would fill them with water and then trek all the way back to the foreclosure she called home – only after catching a fish or two for diner. It was a lot of effort but a girl had to stay clean somehow. She was filling her second bucket when she realized someone was fishing in the pond. At first she assumed it was Airin and tensed, ready to turn on her heels and head home empty handed. She didn’t feel like talking to him at the moment. He had already filled her mind with so many questions and worries. She didn’t need more.

It only took her a minute to realize that it wasn’t a blonde man but instead a brunette -a brunette with slicked back hair. She squinted her eyes and wandered a little closer to inspect him better. The moment she realized that it was Chad, and thought maybe she should say hello, he had spotted her.

“BRAMBLE!” He hollered, waving his hands above his head for good measure.

“Hi Chad.” She sheepishly waved her hand. She didn’t really know what to do now. Did she walk over to him? Say hello? She only knew two ways to relate to people: fighting and obeying. Friendship, if she could even call Chad a friend, was something entirely different.

Lucky for her, he had enough social experience for both of them. Putting his fishing pole down he quickly closed the distance between them, “Whoa there beautiful, what are you doing with those buckets.”

“These?” Bramble glanced down at her buckets, “These are for me. To shower with.”

Chad’s jaw dropped open and his eyes grew double in size, “Now why are you showering with buckets of lake water?”

“Um,” She couldn’t tell him she was illegally residing in a foreclosure, could she? No, she couldn’t, “I didn’t have enough money to pay my water bill.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

“I see.” Chad seemed to be thinking of something, his hand on his chin, “I have an idea.”

“Oh?” She didn’t know what it was about Chad that made her smile. Perhaps it was the fact that he was always carefree and happy that it made her wish she could be like that too, “what’s your idea?”

“Come home with me!” At Bramble’s dubious expression he quickly clarified, “Not in my bed, or anything. Actually, yes, in my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.” He winked at her.

“I’m not so sure. I mean, I barely know you.”

“I have running water,” he bribed, “and I’ll behave. I promise. I have two brothers that live with me anyways. Trust me.”

Trust him? Now that was a new concept. Bramble didn’t trust anyone. But Chad seemed harmless. He really did. She just couldn’t bring herself to do it.

“No, I’ll pass.” She said slowly.

“Oh come on. Don’t you have a phone? Call the force on me if I do anything you deem inappropriate.” He was only half kidding.

“I actually don’t.”

Chad went scrambling into his pockets. A second later a phone was resting in his hand. He dialed something and then held it out to her, “Take mine then. I already dialed the number and everything. All you have to do is hit send.” He looked so expectant, like a puppy, that Bramble found herself laughing.

“Ok, ok. I’ll visit your house. No promises on spending the night though,” Bramble poked him in the chest, “and keep your hands to yourself.”