Red

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Aprilynne Pike. This story was inspired by Taylor Swift's song "Red." As soon as I heard this song, I thought that it fit prefect with Laurel and Tamani!

Time: Illusions

Characters: Laurel and Tamini

P.O.V: Laurel

Date Finished: October 27, 2012

Genre: Romance and Angst

Loving him was nothing like I had ever experienced before. It was not like being with David. He understood me completely and was willing to do whatever it took to protect my well-bring. He was willing to take up arms for me. He was willing to lay down his arms for me.

But I was with David.

I could not be with him. I was not supposed to be with him. I was not supposed to be stealing kisses from him. I was not supposed to let my heart race at the sight of him. I was not supposed to feel anything for him. I was supposed to have eyes only for David. I was not supposed to have eyes for him.

I miss him whenever I cannot see him. When with him, I dread it. I do not dread him, I just dread what could happen between us. It does not matter if nothing happens between us, what matters is that it hurts someone else who I care very much about.

The thought of losing him makes me blue. The world would be covered in a blue darkness. Dark grey would be a better fitting for losing him. The thought of loving him is red. Our love is burning red. Red meant passion and sin. Being with him was both.

I was already free falling. It was too late to change my mind. It would probably lead to a dead end street, but I did not care. He made me feel something. I was not sure what that something was.

Maybe it was red.

Red was real. Red was a strong colour.

I walked over to the door. The cabin was a good place to seek alone time. The boys had just gotten in a fight over me. I was honoured to have someone fight for me, but horrified at what they had done. That move had made it impossible for me to be around either of them for a long time.

I walked up to the cabin. I just needed to be alone for a little while. I just needed sometime to clear my head. I do not know why my mind kept on thinking that I was still with David. I had just broken up with him in front of the whole school. I needed to forget about them both.

But that did not mean that I still did not love him.

On second thought, I was not even sure if I loved him. Maybe I had stuck the relationship out because of him. Maybe I had stayed with David because I wanted to deny the burning red between me and him.

I hear the crunch of gravel behind me. I turned around and saw him getting out of his car. For a brief moment, the anger I felt toward him melted away. He had come for me. It had to be a sign that it was meant to be. Then anger returned. Did he not understand that I did not want to see him right now?
He walked up to me with his head bowed. I knew that his eyes were probably downcast too. "Look, I just came here to tell you how sorry I am." His voice was small. It lacked the confidence that I was so used to hearing from it.

I looked down at him and sighed. I could not find in my heart to turn him away. He had driven out here to apologize to me. He had followed me and David had not. "Fine." I attempted to make my voice cold.

He moved up toward the steps. "Can I stay?"

I sighed. My heart was melting. "Sure," I said for the first time in my life to a boy.

He followed me in. After we were both inside the cabin, I turned to face him. He had a worn and defeated look on his face. He was not the confident boy who I knew and loved. "Laurel, I never meant to hurt you," he whispered. "I would do anything and everything for you."

I knew that was the truth, but I was not ready to believe it. I knew that I could not do as I wanted. I could not forget him nor could I not believe him. Trying to forget him was like trying to forget your best friend or your parents.

"Tam," I whispered as I took at step toward him.

He came toward me and soon we met in the centre of the room. I could not lose him. I did not want to feel blue. I ran my fingers through his hair. I wished that it was long and green again. I wished that he did not have to wear these human clothes. I wished that he could look like he did on that first day we met.

"Tam," I whispered again. I leaned in toward him. He followed my movements. "We really should not do this."

"Why not?" he asked. "You are a single woman now."

I liked how he called me a woman. "I know, but I am really confused right now."

"Then, why are you not moving away from me?"

"Because you have frozen me," I whispered as I kissed him. I was the moth and he was the flame.

He kissed me back and wrapped me in his wonderful embrace. Loving him was red, it was a kind of love that I should never feel toward someone. It was a good love, but it was also a wrong love. But it felt so right. My heart was saying it was right, while my mind was saying it was wrong.

I deepened the kiss and gave into my heart.