Part Sixteen
Ray stared out the window for what seemed the millionth time that day. It was a longer trip than what she had expected, taking, in the end, nearly an hour. The trip was punctuated by Aspen's occasional moans followed by Bradley's joyous tossing of something heavy towards his immobile body. Ray tried, as stealthily as possible, to move as many potentially painful items out of Bradley's reach. She had the sneaking suspicion that her efforts were greatly entertaining him.
Despite her intent questioning Bradley had still remained quiet about his motives with Aspen. Ray was steadily becoming more and more infuriated.
"So, Brad." she began trying a different course of action, "Do you actually have a past with Aspen here, or were you just fueled by your incredible petty jealousy?"
Bradley smiled condescendingly, not taking the bait. "Neither, love," was his cryptic answer. Ray, infinitely frustrated, grabbed his arm.
"Pull over." Bradley laughed. "Pull over!" Still laughing he conceded.
As soon as they were on the side of the road, Ray jumped out of the car and ran around to the other side with intentions of dragging Bradley out of his seat. Bradley, further cementing in Ray's mind that he was the most difficult bastard ever, was not in his seat.
"You wanted to discuss something, I gather," came his (Ray thought) antagonistic voice from behind her. Ray turned around and marched towards him, stopping as close to him as she could get without actually touching him. Ray poked him in his nose, ignoring the sparks that flew. Bradley gave her a look of mock astonishment.
"Stop being a bastard," she said, and steeled herself. "Tell me what's going on now." Bradley simply stared at her, his limy-jewel eyes unfazed. Ray, angry at him for being so difficult (and even angrier at herself for not being able to get him to admit what was going on), locked eyes with Bradley for a little bit longer. So quick that Ray barely saw it, Bradley smiled his brightest smile (and Ray could have sworn later that there was a bit of warmth in that smile), and bridged the distance between the two of them. When their lips touched, everything disappeared in a haze of gray.
She'd been here before.
When they had first met, all those years ago, Ray had been here. Then she had been amazed by the aquiline jumble of Bradley's mind, had been amazed that she could be there at all. She had been horrified and amazed at the realization that she had a soulmate, and solely horrified that her soulmate was the infamous Bradley Redfern. But this was not then.
The times when their minds had touched had been few and far between, due mostly to their respective amounts of self-control. But this had happened enough due to the stubborn nature of the soulmate bond that neither of them were at a loss when it happened. Ray fought against it.
~What the hell?!~
She loved Bradley. She didn't have a choice. And while she appeared to be more or less comfortable with him to others, a little part of her still feared him and what he could do. It was these little forays into his mind that made her fear (and, much to her disdain, love) him even more.
All around her was nothing, just endless gray. His sociopathic emptiness surrounded her, and Ray was overcome with anger. She screamed at him again.
~Stop playing games, Brad! Show yourself!~
It echoed. In all appearances Ray was completely alone, but she knew better. She almost laughed as the thought of being the only one between the two of them with a soul. It was almost appealing, given some circumstances. At that moment, though it just seemed lonely.
'More bearable than having that bastard around though,' she thought, and she jumped as she heard laughter behind her. She turned angrily to see Bradley behind her, glowing slightly.
~Stop doing that!~ she exclaimed mentally. Bradley simply smiled.
~You shouldn't yell at me, love. It seems that I have the upper hand here.~ Bradley's mental voice sounded smug and arrogant, much like his real voice.
Ray decided to take the high road and regard him calmly. She sat down on the gray ground and gave up being angry at him. She just met his eyes and projected to him,
~I'm assuming that you brought me here because you decided to stop being a bastard and show me something, right?~ Bradley nodded.
~I'll look past your lovely little terms of endearment for now, love. Look.~ He pointed behind her.
She stood up and turned around to see a moving space on the gray wall. Bradley moved behind her and nudged her forward. ~Go on.~
Ray edged closer. She squinted at the space on the wall and was somewhat surprised to see that it was some sort of moving picture.
~It's too blurry, I can't make it out,~ she told Bradley.
~Closer,~ he told her. She moved closer still. She could make the picture out now. There was Aspen on the left, scowling. And in the middle, there was a girl, around Ray's age. They seemed to be talking, though the picture was silent.
~Still not able to see it, love? Perhaps you need a little help.~ And at that, Bradley pushed her into the image.
Ray's ~Wha-~ of confusion was cut off as she sailed through the image and everything went black.
Sorry to stop it right there, but I think that i'm in no shape to write anything decent right now. Review and give me motivation!!!!!! (me=needy)
Ray stared out the window for what seemed the millionth time that day. It was a longer trip than what she had expected, taking, in the end, nearly an hour. The trip was punctuated by Aspen's occasional moans followed by Bradley's joyous tossing of something heavy towards his immobile body. Ray tried, as stealthily as possible, to move as many potentially painful items out of Bradley's reach. She had the sneaking suspicion that her efforts were greatly entertaining him.
Despite her intent questioning Bradley had still remained quiet about his motives with Aspen. Ray was steadily becoming more and more infuriated.
"So, Brad." she began trying a different course of action, "Do you actually have a past with Aspen here, or were you just fueled by your incredible petty jealousy?"
Bradley smiled condescendingly, not taking the bait. "Neither, love," was his cryptic answer. Ray, infinitely frustrated, grabbed his arm.
"Pull over." Bradley laughed. "Pull over!" Still laughing he conceded.
As soon as they were on the side of the road, Ray jumped out of the car and ran around to the other side with intentions of dragging Bradley out of his seat. Bradley, further cementing in Ray's mind that he was the most difficult bastard ever, was not in his seat.
"You wanted to discuss something, I gather," came his (Ray thought) antagonistic voice from behind her. Ray turned around and marched towards him, stopping as close to him as she could get without actually touching him. Ray poked him in his nose, ignoring the sparks that flew. Bradley gave her a look of mock astonishment.
"Stop being a bastard," she said, and steeled herself. "Tell me what's going on now." Bradley simply stared at her, his limy-jewel eyes unfazed. Ray, angry at him for being so difficult (and even angrier at herself for not being able to get him to admit what was going on), locked eyes with Bradley for a little bit longer. So quick that Ray barely saw it, Bradley smiled his brightest smile (and Ray could have sworn later that there was a bit of warmth in that smile), and bridged the distance between the two of them. When their lips touched, everything disappeared in a haze of gray.
She'd been here before.
When they had first met, all those years ago, Ray had been here. Then she had been amazed by the aquiline jumble of Bradley's mind, had been amazed that she could be there at all. She had been horrified and amazed at the realization that she had a soulmate, and solely horrified that her soulmate was the infamous Bradley Redfern. But this was not then.
The times when their minds had touched had been few and far between, due mostly to their respective amounts of self-control. But this had happened enough due to the stubborn nature of the soulmate bond that neither of them were at a loss when it happened. Ray fought against it.
~What the hell?!~
She loved Bradley. She didn't have a choice. And while she appeared to be more or less comfortable with him to others, a little part of her still feared him and what he could do. It was these little forays into his mind that made her fear (and, much to her disdain, love) him even more.
All around her was nothing, just endless gray. His sociopathic emptiness surrounded her, and Ray was overcome with anger. She screamed at him again.
~Stop playing games, Brad! Show yourself!~
It echoed. In all appearances Ray was completely alone, but she knew better. She almost laughed as the thought of being the only one between the two of them with a soul. It was almost appealing, given some circumstances. At that moment, though it just seemed lonely.
'More bearable than having that bastard around though,' she thought, and she jumped as she heard laughter behind her. She turned angrily to see Bradley behind her, glowing slightly.
~Stop doing that!~ she exclaimed mentally. Bradley simply smiled.
~You shouldn't yell at me, love. It seems that I have the upper hand here.~ Bradley's mental voice sounded smug and arrogant, much like his real voice.
Ray decided to take the high road and regard him calmly. She sat down on the gray ground and gave up being angry at him. She just met his eyes and projected to him,
~I'm assuming that you brought me here because you decided to stop being a bastard and show me something, right?~ Bradley nodded.
~I'll look past your lovely little terms of endearment for now, love. Look.~ He pointed behind her.
She stood up and turned around to see a moving space on the gray wall. Bradley moved behind her and nudged her forward. ~Go on.~
Ray edged closer. She squinted at the space on the wall and was somewhat surprised to see that it was some sort of moving picture.
~It's too blurry, I can't make it out,~ she told Bradley.
~Closer,~ he told her. She moved closer still. She could make the picture out now. There was Aspen on the left, scowling. And in the middle, there was a girl, around Ray's age. They seemed to be talking, though the picture was silent.
~Still not able to see it, love? Perhaps you need a little help.~ And at that, Bradley pushed her into the image.
Ray's ~Wha-~ of confusion was cut off as she sailed through the image and everything went black.
Sorry to stop it right there, but I think that i'm in no shape to write anything decent right now. Review and give me motivation!!!!!! (me=needy)