The Cruel World

by Scarlett Haven

  “No.” West points at a bed in the opposite corner from Ian’s. “You sleep here.”

  I don’t argue. I just make my way toward the bed he says. He claims the one beside me. Nobody questions his decision, but I do see a smirk on Kal’s face. I know he wants to say something.

  When did things get so messed up?

  Oh, right. Because Jensen, Rook, and Cole asked me to join their team.

  I sigh, sitting on my bed.

  Seven days.

  How am I going to survive?

  Monday, December 18

  We have to work together.

  Saturday evening was uneventful. And Sunday… well, it was downright boring.

  Our two teams have definitely stayed apart. Rook, Cole, and Jensen won’t even talk to me—I try not to take it personally. I know they’re doing it because West asked them not to talk to me. It’s keeping the peace, but I don’t like it. Still, I follow orders, not wanting to defy West.

  Ian has stayed as far away from me as possible, which I expected. I did hope that being here would help him forgive me. The last time we were dropped off in the woods, we started to get along. Despite the fact that I was the reason he broke his leg, that was when we first became good friends. I thought we had an unbreakable bond. I was wrong.

  Monday, so far, has been just as boring as the weekend. I should be grateful for the quiet because that means nobody is fighting. But I might prefer fighting to this, just because I want something to do.

  When Ian sits on the couch, he drums his fingers against his cast. I know he misses his computer. Here, there isn’t so much as a TV—no electronics whatsoever. I’m sure he’s feeling antsy, wanting to get out of here. Normally I would sit down next to him and try to distract him, but if I even attempted to sit next to him, he would get up and storm off. Instead, I sit down between Kal and West, completely ignoring Jensen, who is sitting across from us.

  It feels weird to ignore the guys, but I will not defy West.

  “Where are Cole and Rook?” Kal asks.

  West glares at Kal.

  “They went out for a run through the woods,” Jensen answers, ignoring West and his dirty looks.

  That sounds nice. We’ve done all of our running on the treadmill in the living room, taking turns. Going outside would be nice—I don’t know why we haven’t.

  “We should do that,” I tell West, hoping he’ll say we can get out of the house.

  West gives me a noncommittal shrug, probably not wanting to admit that Cole and Rook have a good idea.

  A noise outside captures my attention. At first, it sounds like an animal, but then I realize it’s somebody screaming. I jump up from the couch, running toward the door. Nobody follows me until I open the door, that’s when I can really hear the yelling.

  “Help!” A voice yells. It’s too far away to hear who it is, but it’s a guy. I take off running in the direction of the voice.

  “Roxy, stay with us,” West yells from behind me. I listen to him, only because he’s my team leader. It’s his call and I know better than to ignore him.

  I pace between West and Jensen, all of us running as fast as we can down the path. The yelling gets louder as we get closer and I realize that it’s Rook that is yelling for help. I pray that he’s okay as we pick up our pace.

  As we pop over a hill, Rook comes into view. He’s sitting on the ground, next to Cole. Cole is lying down with blood oozing out of his head. My heart races as we run forward. I get on my knees by him, Jensen and West both kneeling beside me.

  We’ve all had first aid training—it’s a mandatory class at Spy School. But this injury goes beyond first aid training.

  “We were running and Cole tripped over the root of a tree. He hit his head.” Rook pulls at his hair as he talks almost faster than I can follow. “I’m pretty sure it’s a concussion, but I don’t know how bad it is.”

  “We have to go for help,” Jensen says.

  “I’ll go,” Rook insists. “I have to do something.”

  “You can’t go alone.” Jensen looks at West. “I have to stay with Cole.”

  West looks at me. “Ian has to stay here too.”

  “I’ll stay with Ian,” Kal volunteers.

  I didn’t even notice that Kal ran with us, but I look back and see him and Alek. Ian isn’t with us, but we were running. There is no way he could’ve kept up on crutches.

  West nods. “Then it’s settled. Rook, Alek, Roxy, and I will go grab an emergency pack from the cabin and head out now. You, Cole, Ian, and Kal will stay here.”

  “It’s already midday and it’s a good day walk to the closest gas station.” Jensen looks at Cole, who is still lying on the ground, his eyes closed.

  I watch his chest move up and down, taking comfort in the fact that he’s breathing really well.

  West gets up from the ground. “Let’s get a move on.”

  “Rook,” Jensen says.

  Rook turns to Jensen.

  “Listen to West. While you’re gone, he’s your leader, okay?”

  Rook nods. “Yes, sir.”

  All this fighting and hating one another and it doesn’t even matter, not anymore. We have to work together if we want to save Cole.

  Kal stays with Rook, probably trying to help carry Cole back to the cabin. The rest of us follow West toward the cabin. There are eight emergency packs in the closet closest to the door, in case of an emergency. When we got here, I noticed them, but never thought we’d need them.

  My heart is racing as we run toward the cabin and it has nothing to do with the fact that we’re running fast. I’m terrified for Cole. I hope he will be all right.

  When we get back to the cabin, Ian is standing on the porch, his face pale with worry.

  “What happened?” Ian asks.

  West, Rook, and I walk past him, Alek staying outside with Ian, probably explaining to him everything that happened. West grabs a pack, passing one to me first, then Rook. He grabs one for himself, putting it on, and then grabs one to take to Alek. Once we’re outside, we start off on our journey right away. West isn’t running anymore—we can’t run the entire way or we will run out of energy. It’s a long way that we have to travel.

  My mouth feels like cotton as we walk, but I don’t think it’s because I’m thirsty. It’s because I’m scared. I’ve never been this worried before. Ian’s leg was bad, but it was just a broken leg. We don’t know how bad Cole’s head injury is. Is it just a concussion or is it something worse? Is he bleeding on his brain? There is no way for us to know. He needs to get to the hospital.

  None of us say anything as the cabin disappears behind us, but it’s clear that we’re all very worried. West leads us at a fast, steady pace. Rook walks directly behind him. It’s clear he wants to run, but he won’t defy West. Jensen told him to listen to West and he will—it’s part of the reason he’s a Royal. He listens to orders.

  Alek and I walk side by side down the path, keeping up with the two ahead of us. I glance over at him and see that my pale Russian friend is even paler than normal. He smiles when he sees me looking at him, but I can tell it’s forced. He’s trying to comfort me.

  I have to believe that everything will be okay. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure Cole will be all right. I push forward, determined not to have a breakdown right now. That can wait until after we get help for Cole. Right now, our fellow Royal needs us.

  We need you.

  Since everybody remains quiet on the walk, it gives me time to think. And by think, I mean worry. I can’t stop worrying about Cole. I know his color was good, Rook said his pulse was good, and he was breathing well, but I would feel better if I knew how he was now.

  I just want to get to this gas station and I want to get help back for Cole as soon as I possibly can.

  Guilt eats away at my chest as I realize that this is all my fault. Wasn’t I the one who inadvertently alerted Michael Sinclair to the fighting between the two teams? I’m sure he knew before, but maybe he
didn’t know the extent of it. If only I had just kept my mouth shut at the hospital.

  Maybe all of this is a sign. Maybe my mom was right and that I’m not good enough to be a Royal. I just mess everything up for everybody. If it weren’t for me, West, Kal, Alek, and Ian would be at the condo in Florida right now, or maybe they’d even be on a mission. Ian would be happier if I weren’t around. Jensen and his team would most likely be on a mission and Cole would be all right. Instead, we’re all stuck hiking through the woods to get help.

  “You okay?” Alek asks.

  I look ahead, just to make sure Rook and West can’t hear us—I’m certain they can’t. They’re a way ahead. Then I turn to Alek and shrug.

  “What’s wrong?” He frowns.

  I push a limb out of my way as I walk past. “Just feeling like a failure.”

  He furrows his brows. “Why?”

  I look down at the ground as I answer—partly because I don’t want to trip over something, partly because I don’t want to look at Alek while I answer. “Maybe my mom was right. Maybe I’m not good enough to be a Royal. I think when we get help to Cole, I’m going to tell Michael Sinclair that I want to just be an elite agent.”

  “Why in the world would you think that?” Alek’s voice sounds practically lethal. I look up and see that his face is bright red. “Your mother is an idiot, Roxy. You’re the best agent I’ve ever seen. You can’t quit just because things are hard. I know that West and Ian are mad, but West is always mad. As for Ian, he’ll get over it eventually. That’s how he is. Our team needs you. It’s why we all rallied to make sure you would stay when you were in the hospital, even Ian.”

  “Really?” I look at him, shocked that he’s saying this. “I didn’t know that. I just thought you guys didn’t want me joining Jensen’s team.”

  “Because we need you.”

  I trip over my own feet.

  Alek chuckles, reaching over to grab my hand. “West might kill me, but I’m not going to let you trip and get a concussion too. The last thing we need is to have two agents down.”

  “Why would West get mad that you’re holding my hand?” I ask. “It’s not the first time we’ve held hands, or even more.”

  He smirks. “I think we both know why West would be mad. Things were different then. You were fair game until you weren’t anymore.”

  I scoff. “You know that makes no sense to me, right?”

  “It’s just the way it is.” He shrugs. “You wouldn’t understand. You’re a chick.”

  “Then explain it to me,” I insist. “Because as far as I can see, West doesn’t even like me.”

  “I suppose you would see it like that.”

  I expect him to say something else, but he doesn’t. He just paces quietly beside me, holding onto my sweaty palm. I let out an exasperated sigh.

  Alek glances over at me. “Did I break your heart, Roxy?”

  I raise an eyebrow. “How?”

  “Because now you know that we can’t be together.”

  I press my lips together to keep from laughing. After a moment, I say, “I am absolutely heartbroken Alek. How could you do that to me?”

  His eyes widen as he looks at me in complete horror. But then he sees the smile on my face and he relaxes, shaking his head. “You scared me. I thought you were serious.”

  “At one point, I thought I could like you like that. But I think we’re good as friends,” I say.

  Alek nods. “We are great as friends. I was a little disappointed at first—you’re kind of awesome. But I don’t want to be with a girl who has already given her heart to somebody else.”

  I suck in a sharp breath. “You know?”

  “That you have feelings for West?” he asks.

  I nod.

  “Oh, yeah.” He waves his free hand. “Everybody knows, Roxy. It’s not that hard to see.”

  I lick my lips, which are suddenly feeling very dry. “Does West know?”

  Alek snorts. “No. He’s the only one who doesn’t see it. It’s why he panics every time another guy looks at you. It would kill him to watch you date somebody else.”

  He’s wrong. He’s so wrong. But I keep that opinion to myself.

  I wish Alek were right. So badly do I want West to feel the same as I do, even though I know it’s for the best that he doesn’t. I shouldn’t have feelings for a teammate. That is bad.

  West and I would never work out, not long term. We’re too… explosive. We fight all the time. And even if we could work out, we’re young. West is nineteen and I’m eighteen—we would probably end up breaking up in the end. It would be awkward to be on a team with an ex-boyfriend.

  No, I can’t date a teammate. Not unless I am one hundred percent sure that I’m going to stay with them, which how could I know that at this age? It’s why I told Ian no in the first place—because even if I did feel the same as him, we can’t be together. There are too many uncertainties.

  “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  I turn to Alek. “Not even a little.”

  “I’ll just have to prove it to you then.” Alek grins mischievously at me before turning forward. “Yo, West!”

  West turns around, glancing at Alek and me. He narrows his eyes when he sees Alek and I are holding hands.

  “Princess, get up here,” West says.

  Alek raises an eyebrow as if to tell me, ‘I told you so.’ I just roll my eyes at him and run to catch up with West. He doesn’t say a word as I pace beside him. He just looks at me and then turns his attention forward.

  No, Alek is wrong. West doesn’t like me like that, he just wants to make sure the rest of us follow his no-dating rule. I want to tell him that he has nothing to worry about with Alek and me, but I keep my mouth shut, liking the idea of him being jealous.

  I glance over at West and see him watching me from the corner of his eye. I wonder what he’s thinking, but I probably don’t want to know. He probably thinks I’m pathetic, like I’m trying to flirt with Alek or something.

  Turning my attention forward, I try to keep my mind on getting into town. Cole needs help. My obsessive crush on West can wait until later.

  As long as you don’t flirt with Roxy.

  West keeps me by his side on our walk, making sure that I stay far, far away from Rook. Rook doesn’t seem concerned by it, but I’m a little frustrated that West is acting like this.

  Rook is a nice guy and a great agent. We have to work together on this—Cole, a fellow Royal agent, needs us. It’s pointless for us to argue when Cole’s life could be at risk.

  I wish I knew what was going on back at the house. I wonder if Cole has woken up and if he’s doing okay. If he’s awake, I can imagine Jensen making him stay in bed and him arguing, wanting to get up. I hope that he’s all right. I’m worried about him.

  Rook quickens his pace and comes to walk by West. West huffs, glancing over at Rook. I don’t have to see West’s face to know that he’s glaring.

  “Can we call a truce?” Rook asks.

  He’s got courage, I’ll give him that. If I were him, I’d be terrified to talk to West. Though maybe that’s not exactly true. West has never liked me very much and I’ve been on the other end of his glares quite frequently. We never can seem to get along for very long.

  West turns his head to look at me. I tilt my head to the side, wondering why he’s looking at me. Then slowly he grins, turning to look back at Rook.

  “As long as you don’t flirt with Roxy,” West answers.

  Rook looks at me, raising an eyebrow. His lip turns up slightly in one corner. “You okay with that, Roxy?”

  My jaw drops open. “I… uh…” I look at West. “Why am I a contingency on you two getting along?”

  West shrugs. “It’s just the way it is, Princess.”

  I huff. “Fine.” I glance at Rook. “You already know how I feel anyway. So, to appease West, don’t flirt.”

  Rook turns to West. “Fine, I won’t flirt with Roxy.”

  “Good.” West
visibly relaxes at Rook’s promise. I hadn’t even realized how tense he was before, but I wonder how I didn’t notice. Maybe because he’s been tense almost since Jensen, Cole, and Rook moved in next door.

  I wish I knew what West was thinking—he seems so mysterious to me. The more I get to know him, the less I feel like I understand him.

  West glances toward me. “The same goes for you, Princess. I better not see you flirting with Rook.”

  I cross my arms over my chest. “Since when have I ever flirted with anybody?”

  He raises an eyebrow. “You always flirt with Kal.”

  I can’t argue with that. He’s right. Kal and I do flirt. But we only play flirt with one another—it’s not serious. Despite how much I try to hide how I feel about West, Kal knows.

  “Kal knows where he stands with me,” I argue. “We’re just friends.”

  “If that’s the case, maybe you shouldn’t flirt with him.” West stomps ahead, leaving me with Rook.

  Rook scoots closer to me, shaking his head. “Is he always that dramatic?”

  I roll my eyes. “You can’t even imagine.”

  He chuckles.

  “But he’s a great team leader,” I say, not wanting Rook to think badly of West. It’s important for me to make sure Rook knows that I am happy.

  Rook just grins, not saying anything.

  “What is that smug look for?” I ask.

  He turns to me, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.”

  I cross my arms over my chest. “You’re infuriating, you know that? You can’t just give me a look like that and not say something.”

  “It’s just very obvious that you have serious feelings for West.” He furrows his brows. “Well, obvious to everybody except West. At least now I know why you turned me down.”

  “Why does everybody keep saying that?” I throw my hands into the air.

  “Like I said, it’s obvious.” He smirks.

  I sigh. “It doesn’t matter. West doesn’t feel the same. So keep your thoughts to yourself around West. I don’t want him to think I like him like that.”