The Wanderers Beginning: The Wanderers, Reborn, & Unforgiven

by Jessica Miller

  “No, but I know someone who might have one.” Josie smiled as if a light bulb just went on inside her head. “George! He carries a set of cuffs with him. He should have a key.”

  “Great idea,” I agreed.

  “Um...ladies, I prefer not to involve anyone else if possible,” Tristan said, voice pleading. We ignored him, too excited by our bright idea. We raced out of the room. “Ella! Josie!” Tristan called after us with desperation in his voice. Hoping we'd come to our senses and not involve anyone else, but that was not happening.

  When we asked George to help us, he was a little surprised at the request. We left out a few of the details. When we returned to the room with George, Tristan blushed, embarrassed. George didn't say anything. He just looked at us, then back at Tristan, shaking his head. Josie and I had a hard time containing our laughter, but we controlled it the best we could.

  George even chuckled a little when he un-cuffed Tristan and tried to hide it with a cough. He nodded at us on his way out still not saying a word. I closed the door and Josie and I started to bust up laughing.

  “Ha-ha, you got me. You're so clever,” Tristan mocked, rubbing his wrists. He walked over to what I thought was a closet.

  “No way! You got your own bathroom?” I got up to investigate closer.

  “And this surprises you?” he asked, raising a brow.

  “With you, nothing surprises me anymore.”

  “Care to join me in the shower?” he asked with a sly smile, pulling me into the bathroom with him.

  “Nice try,” I said, pushing him back and closing the door on him.

  “Someday Ella, someday,” he sang. I just shook my head and joined Josie over by the bar as she made herself another drink. She made me one and then we headed back over to the couch to have a seat to wait until Tristan was finished cleaning up.

  Tristan stepped out of the bathroom lipstick free and made himself a drink. “Alright, now it's my turn,” he said, looking at the two of us. Josie and I froze for a minute, worried what he could possibly come up with. “Grab your coat and shoes,” he smiled. “We're going on a little trip.”

  “Will we be coming back from this trip?” I joked nervously. Tristan laughed and finished his drink in one gulp, not making me feel any better. Josie leapt off the couch ready for anything. I, on the other hand, was not so eager. “No worries love. Trust me,” Tristan winked, extending a hand to help me up.

  I watched for a change of expression, one that would tip me off and let me know if he was up to something. But his face stayed the same. He wore a sweet and innocent smile that scared me more than anything.

  “C'mon Ella!” Josie called, already out the door.

  Tristan leaned in closely and whispered, “I dare you.”

  I stared him down and finished off my drink. Determined to prove to him I wasn't the prude he thought I was. “Fine,” I said, getting up from the couch. “Let's go.”

  Chapter fifteen

  I met Josie in our room and put on some shoes and my new jacket. Tristan waited for us outside in the hall where he handed us each a flashlight. I was starting to think this little adventure might not be a good idea, but Josie and Tristan we already out the door and I did not want to be left behind.

  We ran into Josie's new boy toy out on the quad. “Billy!” Josie squealed, jumping on him and almost knocking him over.

  “Hey, I was just on my way to see you,” he said, giving Josie a kiss. “Tristan, my brother.” He nodded and shook Tristan's hand. He turned to me and looked at me funny.

  “What?” I said, returning his awkward stare.

  “You look familiar,” he replied.

  “This is my roommate and BFF Ella,” Josie said, finally getting down.

  “Oh, that explains it,” he said, blushing. “We haven't officially met. I'm Billy.”

  “Ella,” I said, not understanding what he meant by officially. Josie cleared her throat and looked at me. I stared back at her wondering what the hell she was trying to tell me when it clicked. “Oh,” was all I said, now realizing. Billy was with Josie the night I walked in on them. I could feel my cheeks start to get hot with embarrassment. I looked down at my feet not able to meet his eyes anymore.

  “We're taking a little trip. Care to join us Brother Billy?” Tristan asked, sensing the slight awkwardness.

  Josie nodded her head like a bobble head. “Sure, I'm always up for an adventure,” he said, giving Josie an adoring look. She looped her arm through his and leaned up against him.

  “Let's go,” Tristan said, and we followed.

  The cold air burned my lungs and kept me at a distance. My toes started to go numb and it was getting harder to keep up with everyone. “Ella! Hurry up!” Josie called. “You're too slow.”

  “Easy for you to say, you're not walking,” I mumbled to myself. Halfway there, Josie was tired of walking and hopped on Billy's back.

  Tristan stopped, turned around, and jogged up to me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the front with him. “Are we almost there? I can't feel my toes,” I groaned.

  “Give me your flashlight,” Tristan said, holding out his hand. We walked around to the back of a building. Tristan put his finger to his lips for us to be quiet. “Wait here,” he said, disappearing around the other side of the building. Billy put Josie down as we waited. Not a minute later, Tristan shined his flashlight at us gesturing for us to follow. Around the other side was a door into the building, and conveniently, it was unlocked. Although I believe it was more Tristan's doing than convenience.

  Tristan shined the light down a set of steps and to another door. He took my hand and led me down the stairs. This door was also conveniently open. We stepped into a pitch black room. “Stay right here,” Tristan warned. “Don't move.”

  He tried letting go of my hand, but I wouldn't let him. I'm not a fan of the dark. “Ella, I'll be right back, promise,” he said feeling my tension. I took a breath and let go. He disappeared again. Only the dim light of his flashlight indicating he was still close. Then, one by one, lights flickered on exposing the contents of the room.

  An Olympic-sized pool.

  “Hey Tristan, how about killing some of those lights,” Josie called, shielding her eyes from the bright florescent lighting. He flipped a few more switches, creating motorized blinds to rise up from the windows exposing the bright glow of the moon which was now our only source of light. It shimmered through the uncovered windows creating a white glow across the water.

  Tristan jogged back over. “What do you think?” he asked me.

  Josie and Billy were already taking their clothes off and jumping in the water. I laughed at their over-eagerness. “It's pretty neat,” I said, playfully hitting Tristan in the stomach.

  “What are you waiting for?” Josie said, splashing me. I rolled my eyes and headed over to the bleachers to place my shoes and jacket. I sat down and rubbed my knees feeling a little shy about being in my underwear in front of Tristan who was already stripped down to his boxers.

  He noticed my apprehension and took a seat next to me. “We don't have to swim if you don't want to.”

  “No, I want to. I just...” I ran a shaky hand through my hair.

  “Afraid of drowning?”

  “No,” I said, annoyed at his comment and myself for being so silly. “I just...don't want you to...watch me get undressed.” I looked up from under a piece of hair that fell in front of my face, embarrassed at my request.

  He laughed kindheartedly, tucking the piece of hair behind my ear. “I won't.” He stood up and turned his back to me. I know it was such a silly request and he was about to see me in my underwear anyway, but I still felt better about him not watching me.

  I waited a minute to make sure he really wasn't looking. When I felt it was safe, I started to take off my shirt and caught him peeking over his shoulder. “Tristan!”

  “Alright, alright,” he laughed, turning back around. “I know now you are definitely eighteen,” he mumbled.

&
nbsp; “What did you just say?”

  “Nothing,” he said, playing dumb. I glared at him even though I knew he couldn't see me. Then I chastised myself for being ridiculous and took off my top and pants and folded them in a pile behind me. Then I stood next to Tristan. He took my hand and pulled me to the edge of the pool. When he thought I wasn't looking, he leaned back to check out my ass. Knowing exactly what he was doing, I pushed him into the pool and then jumped in after him.

  He pulled me into him and I pushed him away laughing and splashing him. Josie swam over and hung onto me. Then we both tackled Tristan before Billy pulled Josie away to a private corner. I tried to swim over to the edge of the pool, but Tristan pulled me back to him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I wrapped mine around his shoulders. “It's good to see you smile,” he said.

  “Well, I must say, seeing you helplessly cuffed to the bed did help a lot.”

  “Really,” he smiled, tightening his grip and making our lips dangerously close to making contact. “We could always go back to my room and play with the cuffs some more.”

  I dunked him in the water and swam over to the wall. I dangled there, arms hanging on the side, a teasing smile on my face as Tristan swims over to me. He puts his hands on my hips and presses his forehead to mine. His body so close, our bare skin merely inches from touching. “You still think I'm the same guy you first met?”

  “No,” I said breathless, too intoxicated by his close proximity. Tristan closed his eyes and slowly moved his hands up my sides. My whole body shivered. I had to bite my tongue to keep from letting out the moan that was rising in my throat.

  His thumbs stopped short of my breasts, afraid to push it too far.

  I could feel his hands trembling. “Ella.”

  “Tristan.”

  Our voices were but a whisper.

  Tristan pulled his head back and opened his eyes. I could feel him begging me to open mine. And when I finally did, I saw them. Those bright gold, glowing eyes.

  I screamed, horrified, and pushed him away. I leapt out of the pool and ran over to the corner, cowering and crying hysterically. I sank to the floor.

  Josie pulled herself out of the pool and came running over to me. “Ella what's wrong? What happened?” she asked shaking my shoulders frantically.

  “I saw them. His eyes. I saw them,” I cried.

  “Who, Ella who?” she asked worried.

  Tristan came up behind Josie and I jumped back, shaking. Josie looked back at Tristan confused. “It was you,” I said to Tristan shaking my head. I buried my head in my hands and pulled my knees to my chest tight. I was so confused.

  “Ella?” Josie said with concern in her voice. “Ella, open your eyes.”

  I slowly lifted my head and opened my eyes to see the look of worry plastered across everyone's face. Their expressions made me wonder if I was losing my mind. The person who looked the most frightened was Tristan. I could sense and feel everything he was feeling. I don't know how, I just could. He was feeling scared for me and scared that I would never be able to trust him.

  And worst of all, scared that his love for me would never be reciprocated.

  The last thought made my heart ache. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but was afraid he'd turn away. He believed I thought of him as a monster. Someone who wasn't capable of love. Someone who could choke the life out of another and not give it a second thought.

  I stared into those eyes; the same ones I could have sworn were glowing gold just seconds ago. Now I knew I was crazy. How could I have thought something so precious could be so evil? “I don't think you're a monster,” I said directly to Tristan.

  His eyes went wide with shock, but then he quickly regained himself. I turned my head curiously looking at Tristan. Wondering if I really did hear his thoughts, feel his feelings. The look on his face said it was as if I tore the words right out his head. How was that even possible? Was any of this real? No, of course it wasn't. This wasn't possible. It was my own emotions turned upside down.

  I looked back down at my crumbled self on the cold tile floor. “I'm sorry,” I whispered, lips trembling.

  “This is the second time you tried to run screaming from me today. I'm starting to get used to it,” Tristan said, making me laugh. I gave him a small smile as they helped me up, leading me over to the bleachers where we started to put our clothes back on. I decided I had enough excitement for one day.

  While slipping my arms through my jacket sleeves, I looked up and out one of the windows. What I saw before me sent my whole body into a downward spiral.

  I gasped, grabbing Josie's arm.

  I closed my eyes and said to myself over and over again, ‘I’m imagining this’, knowing when I opened them, there would be nothing there.

  When I looked I had to cover my mouth to keep from crying out loud.

  The eyes didn't go away.

  They were still there.

  Josie, not able to get through to me, turned to see what had put me in shell shock. “Holy shit,” Josie yelped. “Maybe you're not crazy.”

  “You see them too?” I asked frightened.

  She nodded, unable to use words to describe what was before us.

  Tristan and Billy followed our gazes, but by then they were already gone.

  Out of nowhere, there was a loud scraping sound, like nails on a chalkboard. We all turned towards the sound to discover a large crack going across all the windows. Not a second later there was a sudden burst, shattering every window and sending glass shards everywhere.

  I ducked down as Tristan threw himself over me protectively. When it was over, Tristan stood slowly, assessing the scene around us. “You alright?” he asked me, his voice panicked.

  I could feel my hands shaking. I looked and saw I had a piece of glass sticking out of the back of my hand. My right cheek was stinging from where a shard cut me. Tristan took my hand and carefully pulled out the piece of glass. I winced from the pain. He took off his shirt and wrapped it around my hand. “Everyone else alright?” He looked to Billy and Josie.

  “Yeah,” Josie said, voice shaky.

  “What the hell was that?” Billy asked, looking around at the glass covered floor.

  I looked to Tristan, hoping maybe he would have some reasonable explanation, but his expression was blank. I hadn't even realized until now that he had cuts all over his arms. “Tristan, you're hurt.” I reached for him but he shook me off, more concerned for my well-being than his own.

  “I'm fine,” he said, putting his jacket on. “C'mon, we need to get out of here.”

  “Agreed,” Josie said, grabbing on to Billy.

  Tristan threw Billy a suspicious look. His only response was a small shrug. One more quick look around the place and then we were all rushing for the door, careful of the glass that was crunching beneath our feet.

  I stayed close to Tristan until we got back to the dorms. “I have a first aid kit in my room,” I said, retrieving it and following everyone back to Tristan's room.

  “Is anyone else as freaked out as I am?” Josie asked. Tristan and Billy looked around blankly not wanting to comment. I caught a small exchange between them but wasn't exactly sure what it was about. I was still in shock from what just happened.

  “Oh Billy, you were so brave,” Josie swooned. She whispered something in his ear and then giggled. Billy blushed and had the biggest smile on his face. Knowing Josie I could only imagine what kind of words were exchanged. Not a second later they were off the couch and out the door back to Josie’s and my room.

  “They seem to be doing okay,” Tristan chuckled and I just rolled my eyes.

  He took off his Jacket and flinched at the pain his cuts were causing him. “Sit,” I said, opening up the first aid kit.

  “You clean up your hand first. I'll survive,” he insisted.

  “Sit,” I said again, more sternly. I walked to his bathroom and got a damp washcloth and then sat back down next to him on the bed. I carefully started to clean all the blood o
ff his arms. I watched his face as he struggled not to let me know how much it hurt. “You don't have to act so tough. I know this doesn’t feel good.”

  Using tweezers, I removed a few pieces of glass from his forearm. He continued to put on a brave face for me, but I knew better. “You might need stitches,” I said as I examined a deep cut.

  He looked through the first aid kit and pulled out a tiny plastic vial with a cotton tip. “Use this, this should be fine,” he said, handing it to me. I read the label and saw that it was a type of glue that doctors sometimes used instead of stitches. I snapped off the top, pinched the skin close together, and applied the glue holding my fingers there until it set. Once I was finished treating Tristan's cuts he led me to the bathroom to wash the cut on my hand.

  I flinched when he put my hand under the faucet. “Too hot?” he asked.

  “No, it just stings.”

  “I know, but we have to clean it.” He slowly put my hand back under the running water. I turned my head away thinking if I didn't look it wouldn't hurt. “All done,” he said. I looked and he already bandaged it. I had my eyes closed so tight, trying to distract myself, I hadn't noticed anything else he did. “It wasn't deep, so you should be fine. Just keep it clean and change the bandage daily.”

  I was so in awe of his tenderness that I was having a hard time taking my eyes off of him. His gentle touch was what got me every time. He tilted my head to the side to look at the dried blood on my cheek. I had to grip the counter to keep my hands from shaking. “It doesn't hurt. It's probably just a scratch,” I whispered. He cleaned my cheek revealing a tiny cut, just as I suspected.

  He gently brushed his thumb across my cheek and pressed his body closer to mine. When he looked into my eyes, I could see the passion burning inside them. The need to be close to me, the intense way he felt when he was around me. The way he struggled every time to keep a distance when what he really wanted was to touch every inch of my body. Consume me. But he didn't. He resisted.

  He held back for the fact that I'm different, special. He knew I wasn’t like all other girls he'd encountered. They were just there to pass the time until he met me and everything then changed. I knew this because I felt it, too. I closed my eyes and pressed my hand on top of his. Then I drew it away and let out a sigh. “I should go.”