I've decided to move things along this chapter so they start getting on their way to finding the others! And for the future, I may or may not use some of the qualities that the other numbers posses from The Power of Six! I'll try to keep it close though(: So here's 11(:
After being rudely awakened by Six's yelling and pounding on the door, dragging Sam out of bed, eating a crappy hotel breakfast, and packing everything up, we're on the road. Again. This time we've decided to head further south towards the Georgia coastline. Six and I both agreed that we felt pulled more towards the coast more than anywhere else.
I can't explain it. It's like I start walking one way, but then without realizing it I'm walking the other way. I feel like I don't need a map at all to know where we're going. I can tell Six does too. Things are easing up between us due to the fact that we're agreeing on almost everything like when to move, where we're heading, what to pay attention to, what to research, and most importantly what our plan is at the moment. And we've stopped screaming at each other, well, for the most part.
We've decided that for right now it's best that we just do what we feel. Georgia feels right. Well, more like Savannah. We just drove until we found a nice place to stay on Tybee Island (A/N: Yeah, I did my research!). It felt wrong to drive through Savannah and not stay there, but we knew we had to stay off the radar. But one thing is for sure; Six and I both feel that a Number is in Savannah.
"Okay, so they only have two rooms left. They're suites so each has a pull-out couch, but there's only one bed. So, I think Sam and Four get one room and Sarah and I get the other," Six says. Sarah obviously looks uncomfortable and I know Six will probably kill her if they share a room.
"No, I'm sleeping with Sarah," I say. Six rolls her eyes at me as if to say 'Really?' I return her gesture with a glare.
"Unless you want me coming into your room every night just to go to bed with her, I suggest you let us sleep in the same room," I state. Six groans and throws her hands up.
Sam laughs and adds, "Yeah, and you'll have to hear them talk about all their lovey-dovey crap. And let me tell you, John sounds like he's reciting lines from a cheesy 80's movie. 'Sarah, darling, you're like the spoon to my soup. Without you, I cannot eat, I cannot-'" I shove Sam over while he and Six start laughing. He's rolling on his back laughing like a maniac and Six is just clutching her stomach. It's nice to hear Six genuinely laugh for once. I see Sarah smiling and stifling laughter. I raise my eyebrow at her and nudge her to the side before grinning.
"Okay, okay. You guys share a room. I'll share with, uh, Sam," Six says still recovering from laughing, but turns to face Sam and says, "You're sleeping on the couch." Sam shrugs and grabs his bag. Six hands us the keys quickly and turns away with a slight blush on her face. She sees me looking at her and blushes even more while quickening her pace to get away from us. Why would Six be blushing? It's not like she… oh, no way. This is too good to be true. I smile widely and shake my head.
"What are you smiling about?" Sarah asks and furrows her brow while watching Six walk away. I just grab her hand and lead her towards the elevator. I stand behind her with my back against the elevator wall and put my arms around her waist. She places her hands on top of mine and strokes them softly with her thumbs.
I kiss her head before whispering, "I'll tell you when we get to our room." She simply nods and leans back against me. I breathe in her perfume and crumble inside. Just the smell of her makes me woozy.
We get off at the top floor and find our rooms. Sarah and I find the one with the gold numbers 408 bolted to the white door. I slide the key in and walk into the room. There's a bathroom to the right, a couch to the left which is facing a TV, and the king sized bed just ahead. I put Henri's stuff on the table in front of the couch and unpack my things. I have an odd issue with hanging and folding all of my clothes while normal people would just leave them in their suitcases. But then again, I'm the farthest thing away from normal.
"So, I think Six has a thing for Sam," I say and chuckle. Sarah spins around with her mouth open.
"No! I don't believe it!" she says with wide eyes. I simply nod and tell her what I saw in the lobby. "Well, if the old prophecy about you guys falling in love with humans is true, they'd definitely be the most unpredictable," she says. I nod and finish unpacking.
Sarah decides to take a shower since we had no time this morning. I watch TV for a few minutes until I find myself looking out the window. The sun was going down and the reflection on the water was gorgeous. Intrigued, I slide a key in my pocket and walk out the door. I look both ways down the hallway and slink across to the roof access. Using my Legacy, I unbolt it and climb the stairs to the roof.
When I open the door, warm air greets my skin. I unbutton my white shirt and let the sides blow against me in the breeze. I walk down the steps onto the roof and sit near the edge of the roof closest to the ocean. I can see the surf hitting the pier, couples walking hand-in-hand on the sand, kids flying kites, vendors selling hot dogs and hamburgers, and fisherman sitting on the rails of the pier. It sends a strange sensation to my heart.
I look out towards the horizon. The sun is gradually going down and its colors are reflecting on the water. The pinks and oranges and yellows and even purples… they make me feel like I'm home. Maybe it's because I spent such a long time in Florida that I think this is home, maybe it's not. I just can't seem to piece it together. I wish I had a camera though. I bet Sarah would be able to take a beautiful picture of this.
I think I could marry Sarah. I could settle down and forget all about everything, but I know that it'll never happen. I have a duty to my planet and Earth. I have a duty to the other Numbers. I have a duty the other Cêpans. I have a duty to the other humans. I have a duty to Sam and Sarah and whoever else the others fall in love with. I have a duty to myself.
I reach into my back pocket and pull out a piece of paper. It's Henri's second letter. I had been waiting for some time alone to read it and now couldn't be more perfect.
Dear John,
Hopefully you read my last letter. I want to talk to you about your family. Well, your father was very brave and powerful. His name was Liren. He loved you very much. You were his pride and joy honestly. Even though I was supposed to be there most of the time, he couldn't stay away from you. You resemble all of him except the eyes. You have your mother's gorgeous blue eyes. Her name was Lara. I knew her very well and she certainly helped balance out your father's personality. He was reserved and shy, but your mom was always laughing, telling jokes, playing pranks, and practically being a kid. She loved you so much.
Your parents were best friends with one of the Numbers. I can't recall her number, but she was wild and had curly blonde hair. She has the power of the elements and to turn invisible. You two were best friends. Your parents used to joke that you would fall in love, but I doubt that now. Their names were Arun and Lyn I believe. Ask the others and see if they know. I'm sorry to leave you with this, but there's not much more concerning your family that I haven't already explained to you in person. Stay strong, John. I will always believe in you.
Henri
I look ahead and fold the letter back up. I slide it into my pocket and simply rest my arms on my knees gazing at the sky.
"How'd I guess you'd be up here?" a voice asks me. I continue to look ahead intently at the sun.
"Maybe because we just think alike," I say and glance over at her. Six is now sitting beside me wearing a white T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and has her hair down. She too is mesmerized by the sun. She nods and looks are her bare feet below her knees.
"John, do you feel this?" she asks. I smile at her softly.
"You called me John." Six shrugs and looks at me waiting for an answer as I turn back towards the ocean. "And yeah, I do feel it. I felt like we should've stopped in Savannah. I know we needed to get out of the city, but I know there's another Number here. It's either that or… I don't know. I feel like I'm… home."
Six looks back towards the horizon. I can tell she's thinking hard about something. I feel like she's debating whether or not to ask me something. I decide to break the silence before she has a chance to speak.
"Six, do you remember what your parents' names were?" I ask. With my peripheral vision I see that she looks taken aback, but thinks for a moment.
"Arun and Lyn, I think. Why?" she asks. I smile to myself and tell her about the letter. We end up talking about Henri and her Cêpan, Julianne. We finally make the connection about how they were married and talk about what is must have been like for them to have parted.
"Well, I'm hungry. I'm gonna go get some food. Wanna come?" Six asks. I politely shake my head no and she leaves me alone. I smile to myself and think about Henri. I know that he and Julianne are probably with each other now, at peace, protecting us. That thought brings a gentle warmness to my heart. I silent tear falls down my cheek, but I brush it away quickly.
"John, where have you been? Do you not answer your phone at all?" I turn around and see Sarah walking towards me. I hold my hand out for her and she takes it in her own. I lead her to sit down and pull her onto my lap. I wrap my arms around her and lay my head on her shoulder. Her hand reaches around and runs her fingers through my hair. I rock back and forth softly. I kiss her neck and put my chin on her shoulder.
"I'm going to marry you, Sarah. When everything is over and the world is safe, I'm going to marry you and we're going to live here. I want to walk on the beach with you, play in the water, and surf on the pier. I want to be here with you until I die. We can have kids and they can grow up here. A little boy and girl. I want them to have a home like I never did, a home like you had. I want to be with you forever," I say. She turns her head and plants a soft lingering kiss on my lips.
"I'll hold you to that," she says and kisses me once more. She leans back against me and I put my hands on top of hers, linking our fingers together. It couldn't be more perfect than it was right now.
When it starts to get dark, we sneak back down the exit and into our room. I have another dream about Henri that night. We walk and talk in the same meadow as before. I tell him about his letter and how Six and I were getting along. He told me how proud he was of me and how sorry he was that he couldn't be there. I told him I was sorry about Julianne and asked how she was. Henri said she was well and that it was good to have her back.
I slept well knowing that Henri was happy and still looking after me.
I left John upstairs and ran into Sarah right as I was walking down the stairs. "Hey Six, you wouldn't know where John is would you?" she asks. I nod and tell her that he's upstairs. She gives me a small smile before continuing up the stairs.
When I walk in, Sam is as I left him: sleeping. That's all he ever does. I turn off the TV and gently wake him up. He bolts up and falls off the couch before muttering a string of curse words beneath his breath. "So, John and Sarah are in for the night. You wanna get something to eat?" I ask and shove my hands in my pockets awkwardly. Sam's face practically lights up.
"Sure! I'm starving. You wanna find a place at the beach?" he asks before giving me that lopsided grin that makes my legs wobble. I agree and slide on some sandals. I grab my wallet and sunglasses before walking towards Sam.
"Ready?" I ask. He nods and we walk out the door.
When we get outside, it's completely silent except for the sound of crashing waves. It's peaceful and makes me smile to myself. Sam and I walk along the sidewalk until we come across a restaurant sitting on the sand. Sam holds the door for me and we walk to the front.
"Hello, welcome to Coco's. Table for two?" the waiter asks. He smiles at me and gives me a small nod so naturally I blush madly. He's really attractive, but I feel Sam's anger start to come off. Without thinking, I reach over and grab his hand.
"Yes, my boyfriend and I here for our one year anniversary," I say and look at Sam. His mouth is open, but he immediately shuts it when I look at him. The waiter shifts uncomfortably and looks down.
"Would you like to dine on the beach or inside?" he asks. Sam and I both say 'beach' without hesitation. He leads us to our seats and walks away obviously upset. Sam just stares at me before I look up from my menu.
"What?" I ask innocently. I slide my sandals off and run my toes through the sand. The setting was gorgeous. Our table as well as about nine others is sitting on a sand dune which drops off and goes towards the ocean. Palm trees are decorated with lights and there are flowers everywhere. A small candle lights our table.
"What was that about?" he asks. Quickly, I think of a response because honestly, I have no idea what that was about.
"The waiter… he was checking me out. I thought it would be funny to see his reaction."
"Oh." That's all Sam says before looking down at his menu. I realize now that it was the wrong thing to say. Damn…
After the waitress brings us our drinks, Sam and I make small talk.
"So, out of everywhere you've been, where's one place you'd want to go back to?" Sam asks me. I ponder the question and think back to all the homes I've ever had, but one in particular pops into my head.
"Italy. I had a beautiful house that overlooked the water and everything there was gorgeous. The people, the history, and not to mention the food, was all just amazing. I'd love to go back one day. Maybe after everything's over and Lorien is better," I say. I sip my drink and Sam looks me in the eyes. His warm, brown eyes melt my heart and he gives me a sad smile.
"So… you have to go back then? You and John?" he asks. I nod, but don't look him in the eyes. "It's not fair, S- I mean Jane. It's certainly not fair to Sarah after everything she's been through and it's not fair to me. I wanna go with you guys," he says. I snap my head up and look at his face. So many emotions are portrayed. Anger, jealousy, sadness, determination… and I can't even think about leaving Sam no matter how much I want to tell myself he doesn't matter. He does matter.
"Sam, we don't even know if you guys could breathe there," I say and look down.
"That's what oxygen helmets are for! Hell, my dad was there so why couldn't anyone else do it?" I can see the desire burning in his eyes. Honestly, it makes me want to… oh hell, it makes me want to kiss him. It makes me want to hold him and tell him how I feel even though I don't even know how I feel. All I know is I want him and as much as I hate to admit it to myself, I need him. I need Sam Goode.
"Sam," I whisper and start to lean towards him. He gently brushes a piece of hair off of my face and gulps. I give him a hint of a smile, not sure of what to do. He starts to lean forward, but I freeze. I look over his shoulder and spot a waiter collecting menus. He has jet black hair and is huge. His arms are cut as the rest of his body if I'm sure. He catches me eye and freezes as well. I immediately know who he is as soon as our eyes lock. My mouth drops. I found another Number.
Hehe kinda cliffy, but you'll get over it! Sorry Sam and Six didn't kiss, but you'll just have to wait and see what happens! Hope you liked it(: Please review and tell me what you thought. Thanks!