Revolutionary Love (The Revolution Series Book 1)

by Jessica Miller

  It was probably red and puffy from all that crying. I sat up and turned my back to him. Maps were scattered all over the floor. I shivered, missing the warmth from his body, but not wanting to rely on him or depend on him for anything. Even if it was for warmth.

  "I understand now." Adam's voice was husky with sleep.

  "Understand what?" My tone sounded blank. Empty. If I kept this up, I could be a seeker.

  "Who you are." He grunted in pain when he sat up with me. We were side by side, sitting on a wobbly wooden table, inside of some kind of cave.

  I gave a slight shrug of my shoulders. "I don't understand."

  Adam didn't speak for a while. He silently kept me company. "David explained it to me when they took you from the semi-truck. You’re not Evelyn. That's why you asked me to call you Brianna. You’re just in Evelyn's body." Adam said it like it was simple, but it really wasn't that simple.

  "You believe him?"

  Adam smiled at me again. When he smiled it went all the way up to his eyes. "Of course. I've heard stories of that happening before. People dying and waking up in bodies that look just like theirs but aren't theirs. Dr. Lynn is the same as you. I've heard things about David and a few other people. It's a little common here. Hard to comprehend, but common."

  There were others out there like me. Like David and Dr. Lynn. Maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought I was. Were they all coming from where my dad and I came from?

  Adam put an arm around my shoulders. "I guess I should have known. You're nothing like Evelyn."

  His words comforted me.

  I laid my head on his shoulder and sighed. "How could you have loved a girl like her?"

  Adam shrugged. "Good people do bad things. She wasn't always like that. I don't know what Stephan did to her, but when he took her away he changed her."

  Good people do bad things. Is that what Seth did? Was he a good person doing a bad thing? What was the cause for his actions?

  "How is your shoulder?"

  Adam chuckled. "Doesn't hurt at all."

  I knew he was lying. I could feel it. I sat up and peered at the bandage on his chest. It wasn't bleeding. That had to be good.

  I never noticed how sculpted his chest was. He had scars covering his body. For such a sweet young man, he really was banged up.

  "What happens now?" I asked, forcing myself to make eye contact with him.

  Adam slid off of the table and held a hand out to me. "Now we fight the war that you started."

  Was he blaming me? At my facial expression, he laughed. "Don't worry. It was inevitable. It would have happened sooner or later. We all needed a push in the right direction."

  I slid off of the table and watched him put his ripped up shirt back on. Adam glanced at me then the roof. "Can I ask you something?"

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I nodded.

  "What was it like before?"

  I knew what he meant. I thought for a few seconds before answering. "Different," was all I offered. I didn't want to give him false hope on a life he may never see. To have him dream about a difference he had never experienced.

  Adam accepted my answer and walked with me out into the tunnels. His movements were a little stiff, but other than that, you woudn’t be able to tell that he had just got shot. Bloody people were everywhere. Some were vomiting blood, others were passed out on the floor. Dr. Lynn was running between each person anxiously.

  "Is he the only doctor?" I nodded towards Dr. Lynn.

  "For now yes. We won't be getting more until morning."

  Not wanting to just twiddle my thumbs, I walked to a man holding his stomach. Blood covered his hands.

  "Were you shot?" I asked, moving his hand out of the way.

  I tore a piece of my dress off at the bottom and applied it to his wound. He would bleed out if it kept up.

  "No." He groaned in pain. "Just stabbed. By a kid for god’s sake."

  Had a kid done this? I didn't know how else to help. I looked around for Dr. Lynn and saw that he was taking a passed out person into the war room. The warm room... That was a fitting name for the predicament we were in.

  Although Adam had been shot, he was walking around and helping everyone. Bringing them water, bandaging them, and making sure they were okay. He must have been in immense pain, yet there he stood helping people.

  I copied everything Adam was doing. If people were bleeding out, I applied pressure to the wound. I gave the rebels water to keep them hydrated when I could. I was surprised when I saw Adam stitching people back up. I had no idea he knew how to do that. Hours passed. More and more injured people flooded in. The ones who weren't injured too badly, headed right back out when they got an okay from Adam.

  Where was Seth? He should have been here helping. He was supposed to be our leader, but the only person giving moral support was Adam.

  Handing an injured man water, I quietly left. Adam could hold his own for a little bit. I walked through the tunnels aimlessly. Half of me was searching for Seth while the other half of me was thinking. I got lost in thought. Everything felt unreal. One day ago, I found out that David was my dad. He left me like it was the easiest thing in the world. Two days ago, I would have trusted Seth with my life. I found out he was a liar.

  I always told myself that things couldn't get worse and they just kept getting worse. I bit my cheek and put myself in check. I was not going to cry again. I got it all out last night. I would not be one of those girls that were always crying. I needed to stay strong. This world was not nice enough for me to afford to be weak.

  I stopped in my tracks when I saw Seth sitting on the ground, head dropped in his hands. Before I had time to think, I ran over to him. He looked up when I knelt in front of him. I searched his body for injuries. He had none.

  I titled my head. "What are you doing just sitting here? You are supposed to be leading us." Anger simmered in my voice. Was he doing this while everyone else was risking their lives?

  Seth's eyes traveled my face and landed on my lips. "Has anyone ever told you that you are beautiful?"

  His question surprised me, then annoyed me. This was what he wanted to talk about? "Are you implying that I am ugly and nobody has ever called me beautiful?" I snapped. "You need to get up and help. There are too many injured people."

  Seth shook his head back and forth and laughed without humor. "We will never win. Stephan is too smart. It's going to be over soon. After he wins, there will never be hope."

  I pushed myself to my feet and looked down at him. What happened to the cool and confident man from before? He was cracking. "We won't win if you sit around on your ass all day."

  Seth was up on his feet in a flash and in my face. "I just got here. I was taking one moment of a break from this chaos, Brianna. Why are you so quick to jump to conclusions before you ask questions?"

  He took another step closer and I took another step back. "I did ask you. You didn't answer my question." The anger in his eyes scared me. He went from saving my life to this. I would never be able to understand him. It was like he had a split personality disorder.

  Seth's copper hair fell into his eyes. He looked disgruntled. Black clothes all wrinkly, knuckles bashed, and an eight o clock shadow growing. Sweat glistened on his tan skin. Seth stepped closer again. When I went to move back, he reached a handout and tugged on my arm. In a flash, we were chest to chest.

  I furrowed my eyebrows. "What in the world are you doing?" He was losing his mind.

  Before my mind had time to process what was happening, Seth tilted his head down and kissed me. Instantly my entire body burst into hot flames. My toes curled in my shoes and I pressed my body closer. He lightly nipped my bottom lip and slide his tongue into my mouth. He tasted like chocolate.

  The smart thing I should have done was push him away and maybe break his nose again. Instead, I deepened the kiss. I couldn't help it. My hormones shot through the roof. He wasn't the one for me and I knew it. He made me feel off balance, unsure, and afraid. He betray
ed me and his family.

  Seth shoved his hands through my hair and tilted my head the way he wanted it. In this moment, he had complete control. Over my body and my emotions.

  By the time he pulled away, I was breathless. I stumbled back a few steps and stared at him. It made me feel a little better seeing he was just as breathless as I was. His eyes were the darkest I had ever seen them. Seth ran his hands through his hair and turned his back on me.

  I felt unsure and off balance now. "Did I do something wrong?" He was the one who kissed me. Regret curled inside my body. How could I have kissed him back? I had no romantic interest in him, yet I was the one who had deepened the kiss.

  "No." That was all he said.

  Was he angry now? Who kisses someone like that then gets angry right after? My lips were still tingling from the kiss. I had never been kissed like that in my life.

  I shook my head to myself and turned to leave.

  "Wait." Seth demanded.

  I stopped. My back was still facing him.

  "I shouldn't have done that. Keep it between you and me."

  Pressing my lips together, I slowly walked down the tunnel. He shouldn't have done that. He kissed me then regretted it right after. I raked my hands through my hair and let out a frustrated growl. What was wrong with me? What was I doing? Why would I let him kiss me like that?

  He wasn't the only one regretting it. What I didn't understand was why he did it. Just to reject me right after, or had it been a while sense he got laid? His hurtful words sent a sharp pain through my heart. I don't know why I was letting it get to me. I regretted it as well. I wasn't the one who kissed him, though. He kissed me. I just responded. I was only human. A very hormonal human right now.

  When my eyes found Adam caring for another person, guilt ran through me. I was not blind. I knew he felt an emotional attachment to me. I knew he liked me. He cared for me. He was there for me. He was the only one willing to defend me when The Unit captured us. He was willing to die for me, yet there I was making out with his brother.

  I was a horrible person. Adam would be the right choice. The safe choice. He made me feel safe, sure, and like everything was going to be okay. He held me while I cried. He forgave me for everything even when he thought I was Evelyn.

  When Adam's eyes landed on me, concern filled them. He instantly stopped what he was doing and jogged over to me. Jogging must have made his pain even worse, but when he saw the look in my eyes he was willing to put himself through pain to get to me. It made my guilt worse.

  "What is wrong?" Adam's voice was laced with worry.

  I looked away. "Nothing." I made out with your brother and it was amazing. I felt like shit and wanted to fall to the floor and give up on life.

  Adam walked me over to a crate on the floor and pushed me down so I was sitting on it. I had to crane my neck all the way back to look at him. He crossed his arms, making the muscles in his biceps bunch up. "Talk to me."

  "No." I placed my hands on my knees and looked at them. Bruises covered my wrists from the ropes and the hand cuffs. My once white dress was ripped and bloody. I was sure I smelt horrible too.

  Adam knelt in front of me and made us eye level. "When you are ready you can talk to me." He leaned his forehead on mine and looked into my eyes. "I will always be here."

  Adam left me to ponder his words and went back to attending to the people. The guilt stung even more. Why was he such a good person? Why was Seth such a horrible person? How can two people be brothers, yet be so different from each other. Adam was loving, caring, genuine, and nice. Seth was sneaky, a liar, deceptive, rough, and malicious.

  I dropped my head in my hands and groaned. There was a war going on out there and I was comparing two brothers to each other. I needed to stop. I sat up fast when I heard screaming. Two rebels were dragging a tied up person in here. He was wearing a military uniform. I stopped breathing when I saw who it was. It was the soldier with the foul breath.

  I knew Adam recognized him when he marched over.

  "What is this?" Adam directed the question at the two rebels who brought him in here.

  One of them puffed their chests out. "A prisoner."

  "A prisoner?" Adam was annoyed now. "Well, this prisoner knows our location now. What happens if this prisoner escapes?"

  The other rebel looked at Adam like he was too slow to comprehend what was going on. "He won't escaped because we will kill him."

  Adam tensed. "We are not authorized to kill unless being shot at."

  The rebel looked around. "I don't see David here, do you?" He asked his friend.

  His friend looked around as well. "No, actually, I don't."

  I moved closer to Adam's side sensing trouble was about to start.

  "You brought him in here just to kill him?" I asked, looking down at the soldier. He had a gag in his mouth. His eyes were blazing with fury. They had tied a rope around his wrists and legs and were pulling him with it. It seemed inhumane. I felt bad for him.

  "We are going to torture him and get answers."

  Adam shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. We are the rebellion, not The Unit. We do not fight like that. We are searching for peace, not more violence."

  The rebel slowly nodded his head. "I see. You don't want us to torture him. You don't want us to kill him. I guess we should let him go."

  He reached down to untie the soldier.

  "Stop." Adam growled. He was angry. I had never felt so much anger radiate off of him. Adam clenched his fists at his side.

  "So we torture him...?" The rebel trailed off. He had a stupid smirk on his face that I wanted to slap off. He put Adam in a horrible predicament. Either way, the soldier had to die. He would be unable to defend himself.

  "Yes."

  I tensed at Seth's voice. I spun around and stared at him. He was leaning against the tunnel wall. I could tell from his eyes he had seen the entire thing. He looked at me when he spoke.

  "We all know how the soldiers like to burn us and brand us. Why don't we try it on them?"

  Adam made a noise in the back of his throat. "We are not doing that. This isn't what David wants." He looked at his brother like he didn't know who he was. I was glad I wasn't the only one who felt that way.

  Seth moved forward. "David is not here and he left me in charge. Not you. Stand down." It was a command.

  Adam's green eyes turned to fire. "This is how you want to win? By torturing people? Murdering people who cannot defend themselves."

  Seth's lips turned up into a false smile. "Brother, they do it to us all the time. Why not give them a taste of their own medicine."

  "Two wrongs don't make a right." I interrupted. "Just give him a quick death. There is no need to torture him."

  One of the rebels laughed in mockery. "Oh, Evelyn just doesn't want one of her precious soldiers to get hurt. We all remember how much you used to love floozing around with them."

  I clenched my teeth in anger. I looked at Seth and pleaded to him with my eyes. He ignored me.

  Looking at the two rebels who brought him in here, he spoke directly to them. "Follow me and bring him."

  The two rebels obeyed. Adam took a step forward, and I placed my hand on his shoulder to stop him. He didn't need to see that or to be a part of that. The tunnel hall was quiet now. There were no groans of pain, puking, and screaming. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch the exchange.

  Adam faced me and looked down at me. I couldn't read his eyes anymore. They were blocked off of all emotion. "Why did Seth look at you like that?" He asked.

  I bit the inside of my cheek and attempted to not look guilty. Adam nodded his head slowly. I didn't have to speak for him to know something had happened between his brother and I. I expected Adam to get angry with me, to be hurt, or something. He hid everything.

  He simply looked at me for a few seconds. "Okay." He said and walked away.

  He went back to attending to the wounded like nothing had just happened. Like his brother wasn't dow
n the hall torturing someone. Like he was unaffected knowing something had happened between Seth and me. He carried on like everything was going to be okay.

  I stood there and watched him. I couldn't get myself to move. The guilt from earlier hit me tenfold. He didn't appear to care about any of this. He laughed with the rebels and joked with them. He made them feel safe and secure. It was selfish of me to want him to make me feel that way.

  I knew he cared for me deeply. I knew it was wrong of me to use him as my emotional anchor, then turn around and make out with his brother. How could I have done that? Seth was a monster. It was confirmed when I heard the soldier screaming. It echoed down the hall. They had taken the gag out.