So I think this may be the biggest chapter I have written so far it was a few pages on my laptop more than I usually do.
Thanks to everyone that has reviewed the past chapters you guys are amazing I cannot believe I have 72 reviews I never thought people would like my story that much so it is great to hear from so many of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
The usual; I do not own The Host or any of its characters they belong to the talented Stephenie Meyer I do however own the plot :D
Chapter 14
Wanda's POV
Things didn't exactly return to normalcy but we had adapted to a new routine in the caves now.
Melanie and I were on speaking terms again. I still found it hard to deal with the jealousy but I couldn't stay mad at her forever and so although we weren't as close as we once were, we were civil to each other.
I had also learnt to cope with Ian running off every five minutes to do something for Mel. If it wasn't to help her with one of her jobs so she didn't strain herself or hurt the baby it was fetching her food and drink and so I learnt to get used to the company of my new companion – Jared.
I felt sorry for Jared as I knew he had to be suffering from the same emotions as me. He had gotten Melanie back and now he was losing her all over again to the new baby and Ian. He spent most of his time with me now; for comfort or normality I don't know but everyone else at the moment treated him differently and made him feel sorry for himself when I knew Jared hated ever feeling weak. Therefore I tried to leave the touchy subjects of Melanie and Ian and the baby out of our conversations.
It was lunch time in the caves and people were piling into the kitchen area to get their food. Kyle was elbowing Aaron and Brandt out of the way to get to the front of the queue with Sunny attached to the end of his arm. I could see her shrink away from Aaron and Brandt's looming figures and quiver into Kyle's side and I smiled at the easy way in which Kyle accommodated her.
Jared and I sat together with our tough bread rolls and cabbage soup in our laps after a long morning planting potatoes. People didn't stare so much at the two of us now after getting used to seeing the two of us spend so much time together what with Mel and Ian busy with the baby.
Speaking of Ian and Mel and they appeared in the doorway Ian's arms laden with Melanie's laundry.
"Wanda" Ian exclaimed and he deposited his load and came and sat down next to me pulling me into his lap.
"I haven't seen you today" Ian stated. "You left the room pretty early and I didn't have time to come and find you"
His eyes darted to Mel as if to indicate where he had been caught up.
"Its okay" I retorted. "I had to hurry to the field Jeb really wants us to finish with the planting today"
Ian sighed and started playing with my hair which I usually loved but I didn't want to be distracted so I wriggled out of his reach.
"Wanda, is everything okay?" Ian asked confused.
"Yes" I replied quickly. I moved back over to him careful of Jared's eyes following me. Why should I care what Jared thought? Ian met me halfway and kissed me softly on the lips.
I heard Jared stand up and move to the other side of the kitchen and I felt bad for him. I knew he and Mel were drifting apart and it probably hurt him to see that Ian and I were still going strong.
Or at least I think we were?
Eventually Ian let me go satisfied and leant back on the palms of his hands. Mel drifted over to the two of us and sat down next to Ian. Her bump protruded from under her shirt and I couldn't help the flood of jealously that coursed through me.
Jared accompanied her so at least I knew where he had gotten too but a mask replaced the easy humour that had covered his face only minutes ago.
"Hey Jared" Ian chortled. "Not see you around much lately. What have you been getting up too?"
Jared grimaced and then pointedly looked away. What the hell was the matter with him?
Ian looked hurt and I gently stroked his hand to reassure him.
"Jared" Mel said from Ian's other side.
Jared turned back to the three of us and his face looked wiped of emotion.
"Sorry Ian" Jared said. "I was just going over the plan for another raid in my head, turns out where running low on supplies" he indicated the tough bread rolls and soup that Mel had placed in front of Ian when she'd come over.
"Oh right" Ian replied the slight tension forgotten about. "When are you headed off?"
"I was actually hoping to leave tomorrow" Jared exclaimed turning to me. "You up for it Wanda, Burns isn't available at such short notice him and Nate have gone on a quick run down to Tulsa."
I was itching to get out of the caves and was readily agreeing when I noticed Ian tense up beside me.
"Actually Jared" Ian stated. "I'd rather Wanda stayed here where I can keep an eye on her. You know I don't like her going out without me"
"So come" Jared retorted. "You usually join us on our little escapades" he laughed. "We need Wanda now you know that"
I was nodding along with what Jared was saying.
"I can't"
I quickly stopped nodding and turned my gaze on Ian whose sapphire eyes stared back at me.
"Why?" I asked.
Ian looked at Mel sheepishly.
"Mel is in no fit state to come along on this raid and I cannot leave her and the baby alone. I don't think I will be coming on any raids anytime soon"
Oh. That was why; why did I even ask.
"I will look after Wanda" Jared replied. "But Jeb agrees we need her now"
"I agree with what?" a voice shouted from behind me. I jumped startled and landed in Jared's lap who had moved closer to me as the conversation had gone on.
Jared looked surprised that it was he I had jumped at and not Ian who just sat staring at the two of us. A felt the treacherous blush creep up my neck and cover my cheeks as I quickly scrambled out of Jared's clutches and back to Ian apologising.
"I'm so sorry Jared" I exclaimed.
Jared chuckled. "Don't worry about it Wanda"
Jeb joined the four of us kneeling on the floor and eyed us all suspiciously. We were silent for a minute until Melanie broke it.
"Speak of the devil and thee shall appear" she laughed.
Jeb laughed as well.
"Now there's one I haven't heard before. I have been called a lot of things but have never been referred to as the Devil."
"I guess people are too afraid of the shotgun" Jared laughed.
I smiled at the easy humour my family could use with one another. Souls were always so formal and I pondered the fact that I didn't include myself with the souls anymore. Now it was us versus them.
"Jeb, does Wanda really need to go on this raid; is it not possible for her to sit this one out I mean we never used to need her."
"Yeah that's fine Ian but then were gonna need you and Kyle to accompany Jared, if that's okay with you" Jeb replied.
Ian looked stricken; he had to make choice between me and the baby and even though I knew what his answer would be it didn't hurt any less.
"Well who else is going with her because I want her to be looked after?"
Ian had chosen the baby just as I knew he would. My head dropped but before my head was fully down I could see Jared looking at me in sympathy.
"Well Jared of course, and then Kyle and Sunny as well; with two souls should be a breeze, no need to worry at all." Jeb answered.
For the rest of the afternoon Jared and I helped plan for the raid. We got together everything we would need for the journey and packed the van with all the essentials.
I bid farewell to Jared at nightfall and then made my way to mine and Ian's room. I looked forward to curling up in Ian's strong arms and staying that way until it was time for me to go.
I entered the room and my face fell when I found it empty. Ian must still be with Mel and so I got changed and fell into the bed and decided to read one of Ian's old tattered books until he got here.
The book was called 'To kill a mockingbird' and although the book was amazing I fell asleep after waiting for around an hour.
When I woke up in the morning the first thing I did was reach over for Ian but found myself clutching at nothing but air. Ian wasn't there and by the looks of it he hadn't been back all night.
I got up and dressed quickly since Jared said he wanted to leave early and left the room in pursuit of him already resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to see Ian before I left.
I found Jared, Kyle and Sunny packing some provisions into backpacks and they all looked up as I entered.
"Hey Wanda" Sunny exclaimed clutching the smallest backpack in the pile. Kyle had four in his arms and he was obviously compensating for Sunny's lack luggage. I couldn't help crack a smile at the two of them.
Jared beckoned me over and joined him grabbing two bags from the pile.
"Wanda" Jared sighed. "You can't possibly carry the both of them, you just picked up the two heaviest packs that even in Mel's body you wouldn't be able to carry"
"There fine" I panted even though he was most definitely right.
"Yeah sure" he laughed pulling the two from me and replacing them with two smaller ones.
"Thanks" I said.
"No problem"
We were just leaving the cave when Ian came running through the tunnel.
"Wanda, wait!" he shouted clutching his side.
"Ian"
"Sorry, I didn't get chance to say goodbye, I fell asleep in Mel's room talking to the baby" he smiled lost in thought.
"It's okay Ian, really" I answered automatically. "But I have to go now we are on a tight schedule"
"Oh okay, sure, of course you do"
"I'll see you when I get back okay"
"Yeah" Ian leant down and kissed me quickly on the forehead. "I let you go now" he said sounding resigned and my heart ached all of a sudden.
"Bye Ian"
I watched him go and until he was out of sight and then followed Jared and the others out of the caves and into the desert.
We had been on the road for about eight hours and the sky was darkening. It was time to turn in and we were on the look out for somewhere to sleep.
"Can't we just go to a motel" Kyle begged. "I'm sure between Wanda and Sunny we can get two rooms"
Jared and I exchanged looks in the front. Kyle had warmed to souls a lot since Sunny has come along and it was funny how easily he accepted the fact that Sunny and I wouldn't turn him in anymore. So much so he was willing to go to a motel.
"Erm...That's really up to Wanda" Jared stated.
"Why is that?" Kyle asked.
"Well she might not want to share a room with me"
"Are you afraid of what Mel and Ian will think Jared" Kyle laughed.
"No of course not" Jared exclaimed. "I'm thinking about Wanda"
"I don't mind" I answered. "If Kyle would be more comfortable I'll be quite happy to get a room"
Kyle grinned. "See! Someone here talks sense."
Jared turned the radio up to drown out Kyle's voice and we set off the nearest motel.
We ended up at the 'sleep and easy' and Sunny and I went in to make the bookings. The soul behind the desk looked up expectantly.
"Hello there" She smiled. "My name is Dancing Petal, how may I help you"
The soul had fair hair and skin and I immediately felt at ease in her presence.
"Greetings Dancing Petal, my name is Lightens the Ice and this is my friend Fires the Flames" I indicated Sunny. "We would like to book two twin rooms please"
The soul entered some information into the computer on the desk in front of her and then looked back up at me stricken
"Oh I am sorry" she said. "I only have one twin room left and one double, I do apologise"
Sunny looked to me for assurance and I smiled at her to put her at ease.
"That's fine thank you we will take both of them please"
Dancing Petal handed me both of the rooms' keys and Sunny and I left the reception and headed back to van where Jared and Kyle sat waiting expectantly.
Before we reached the van Sunny turned to me looking scared.
"Erm...Wanda" she asked timidly.
"Yes Sunny"
"I hate to ask this but would it be okay if Kyle and I took the twin room; we have never slept in the same bed before and I don't want to pressure him and let him think I am presuming too much"
Oh. Well then that meant Jared and I would be left with the double. Sunny looked at me and I knew that I would do as she wished, it didn't matter what I would have preferred, Jared and I would work it out.
"Sure thing its fine"
"Thank you Wanda"
The guys had started a thumb war while we had been gone; they really had started to relax more while out in the open although I suspect that Jared would ever be careless and had his eye on things. It seemed like Kyle was trying to cheat and use his other hand to get Jared's thumb but Jared wasn't having any of it and if Sunny and I didn't intervene this thumb war was going to become a real one.
"We got the rooms" I spoke loudly while opening the van door. Kyle and Jared looked around startled and then turned back to each other; Kyle with his hands out in front of him as if in surrender.
"Okay man I give" he brushed his hair out of his eyes. "I don't want to show you up in front of the girls"
Jared just laughed and got out of the van heading to the tail end to get the bags out of the back.
"Erm...we do have a little problem" I said.
"What's the matter?" Jared asked urgently. "Do we need to leave?" he asked again scanning the area for people. There was just an old couple leaving the car park on the other side, they didn't look our way.
"No – no nothing like that" I gasped. "It's just with the sleeping arrangements"
Jared looked relieved and Kyle's shoulders relaxed as he stepped away from Sunny who he had jumped in front of at the first sign of danger.
"Oh okay – good, what's the matter with the sleeping arrangements then. Are two of us stuck in the van or something?"
"I dib the room" Kyle shouted sticking his hand up in the air as if in school.
"No we have two rooms" I spat out. "Erm...Jared and I just have a double that's all" I blushed uncontrollably.
"Looks like you've scored Jared man" Kyle chortled. "I promise not to tell Mel"
Kyle snatched the door key for his and Sunny's room and they both headed off in the direction of the room Kyle laden with bags again. Sunny smiled apologetically as they retreated.
"Don't listen to him Wanda, you know what Kyle is like"
"I didn't" I replied. "And it's okay Jared I don't mind the floor. You have the bed."
We said this as we made the way to our own room, locking the van as we went.
"Know what kind of gentleman I would be if I let ladies sleep on the floor" he laughed. "There's a reason it's called a double Wanda, it means it's built for two people"
He raised his eyebrows at my insistent blushes.
"Erm...I don't know Jared I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable"
"I wouldn't be uncomfortable Wanda" he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Your one of us now"
Warmth spread through my body. What Jared had just said was all I had ever wanted; to belong with the Humans.
We reached our room and I unlocked the door quickly bundling Jared inside. The room was spacious with a TV and love seat; a door led of the room to which I assumed was a bathroom.
Jared dropped the bags by the door and dropped into the loveseat closing his eyes. I sat on the edge of the bed watching him relax for the first time since we had left the caves. As if sensing my gaze Jared opened his eyes.
"You okay Wanda" he asked a frown forming between his eyebrows.
"Yes" I replied. "It's nice seeing you relax once in a while."
Jared grinned and sat up slightly.
"Yeah – well, it's been tense at home the past few months"
I couldn't agree more. "I'll say" I laughed.
"Wanda" Jared asked his face serious. "Now we're out of the caves can I ask you something in confidence?"
"Sure you can Jared – anything!"
"How do you feel about all of this?"
Jared was staring at me intently. I could see he wanted the truth and I think I wanted to give it too him. I had been holding in what I had been feeling all of these months; all the jealousy, the hurt and slight rejection, I felt neglected.
"I don't know what I feel Jared, well I don't know how to say it. It's all a bit much but I guess the biggest thing is envy. I made that baby and yet I don't feel part of it all. Ian spends more time with Mel than he does me and I feel forgotten about..."
Jared got out of the loveseat and pulled me into his arms as he sank onto the bed next to me. The tears started flowing and I cried into his chest for I don't know how long. Jared murmured softly to me; comforting me and I sobbed harder and harder months of tears.
Eventually I cried myself out but I couldn't lift my head. I had just broken down in front of Jared and I didn't know what that meant now.
"Wanda" Jared whispered.
I mumbled something incoherent and I felt Jared laugh. He pulled me up so that he could see my face and I cringed at the thought of what I looked like; probably red-eyed and puffy.
Jared just looked into my eyes like he was seeing somebody else, his hands still held my cheeks so I couldn't look away and so I just stared back.
I knew what was going to happen before it did but I didn't try and stop it. Jared's face leaned into mine and as his soft familiar lips met mine I just sighed into them responding like I used to when Jared kissed me.
So let me know what you think...I know a lot of you love Ian and Wanda together but I really like the chemistry between Jared and Wanda and so I want to see how this goes. I'm hoping to write some more this week as I have some time off college by the way I GOT ACCEPTED TO UNIVERSITY so all the time I was updating late because of interview prep etc paid off and wasn't for nothing PLEASE READ AND REVIEW I really want to know what you guys think