The Forsaken (The Chosen Series Book 2), Patricia Bell [e textbook reader .txt] 📗

“They didn’t teach you how to catch either, did they?” She giggled.

“I will show you what they did teach me.” Jonathan scooped up the keys and chased her.

“Stop!” she screamed, running and laughing. As she hit the curb, she lost her balance and fell forward. Before she could face plant into the concrete, she was hauled backward by the neck of her shirt. Firm arms came around her, and before she knew it, she was in his embrace.

He bent down and kissed her gently.

“Is that what you learned in a school full of boys?” she whispered breathlessly.

“Very funny.” He kissed her again, then carried her to the car, and deposited her into the passenger’s seat.

She beamed as she watched the big strong man walk around the car to the driver’s seat. At first, she’d worried that her feelings for Jonathan were precipitated from her situation. Being held as a prisoner in a crazy community does very little for a person’s self-esteem.

But as the months had come and gone, Luna found herself falling more and more in love with the crazy ex-Chosen boy. He was sweet and kind. He worked hard at his new job with the moving company and came home without a single complaint. He was tough as a boar yet gentle as a lamb. And he was a horrible liar. She could read his feelings like a good book. But one thing about him she couldn’t figure out was his stubborn refusal to speak too deeply about the people they had left behind.

As they pulled into the driveway of her mother’s house, Luna decided to press the issue. If she didn’t, no one would.

“We have to go back.” Luna opened her car door, got out, and folded her arms around her chest.

“Where?” he asked as if he didn’t know.

“You know where.” She stared. They’d had this conversation a million times, and each time, she gave in. This time she would stand her ground.

“Come on.” He tugged at her shirt. “It is hot out here. Let us go inside.”

She didn’t budge. Instead, she stared at him unmoving.

“We will talk about it . . . inside,” he said firmly and then smiled. “I promise.”

“Did you—” Luna grinned and threw her hand to her mouth in mock horror. “Just make a promise?”

“Come. Or do I have to carry you into the house, too?”

Luna softened. She just couldn’t stay mad at him. It was no use. But the conversation was far from over.

“IT IS MERELY A DREAM, Luna,” Jonathan answered as Luna grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator.

“But what if it means something? What if she’s not okay? Jacob promised to come back for her.” She handed him a bottle and sat down next to him at the table.

“Jacob is gone. And he should not have made that sort of promise. If we go back there, it will defeat the purpose of us leaving. You know they will not let us simply walk back in and take Abigail. Besides, it has been months. Maybe she does not want to leave anymore.”

“But—”

Jonathan gave her the death stare. “I will not go back. I cannot.”

“Okay, fine. If you don’t care about Abigail, I’ll go back and get her myself.” Luna stomped off.

Maybe she hadn’t matured all that much, but the fact remained that those nightmares would not go away. They hounded her nightly. Abigail calling out to her, begging for her help. She couldn’t ignore it anymore.

“Come on, Luna,” Jonathan called after her as she walked out the front door and slammed it behind her. “Luna! Luna, wait!”

Jonathan followed her outside.

Luna sauntered over and pointed into Jonathan’s chest. “We have to go back. And if you don’t go with me, I. Will. Go. Alone.” She poked him in the chest with each word. And she was serious. She would go back, with or without him.

Jonathan raised his hands in defeat. “Okay. Okay. We will go back.”

“Soon. We have to go soon.”

Before Jonathan could answer, the hairs on the back of Luna’s neck raised. She turned around quickly. “Someone is watching us,” she said and rushed back into the house.

Jonathan was right behind her.

Luna pulled him inside and locked and bolted the door behind them.

“I swear I saw Naaman yesterday on my way to the store. And what about the other day. You said you saw someone in the backyard. You said it was them.”

“I was wrong. It could not be them. No, Luna. You are mistaken. Our — The Chosen do not spy on people, and they do not stalk them. Most certainly not my father. He is not that kind of―”

“Oh yeah? Well there’s always a first time, isn’t there. For instance, The Chosen do not let outsiders in, yet your father did. I lived there for four months. Oh, and how about having sex before marriage? They would never do that, yet Rachel is about to burst. And what about throwing people out into the desert to die? Is that what The Chosen do?”

Jonathan shook his head. “I do not know anymore. Something has gone very wrong. I just do not think—”

“I’m sorry, Jonathan, but we don’t have time to think anymore. I saw Naaman yesterday. I didn’t want to admit it because it didn’t make sense. And you saw something too. You just won’t admit it because ―” Luna went to the window and lifted the blinds. The rest of her sentence got sucked up by the lump in her throat. A man stood across the street and stared back at her. “It’s him,” she whispered.

“Who?” Jonathan looked out. “Wha— It is my father. What is he doing here?”

Naaman stood as still as a statue and stared back at them.

“I’m going out there,” Luna said as she crossed the room for the front door.

“Are you crazy?” Jonathan followed her.

“He’s just standing there! He must want us to see him! Maybe he wants to talk to us.”

“Or maybe he doesn’t realize you are watching from behind the