How... by Bethany Cook (primary phonics .txt) 📕

"To see Ace... are you coming?"

"Sure..." He walks to me and kisses my forehead and smirks. I laugh and he wraps his arm around my waist. We walk through the long hallway. We reach the main hall and someone walks up to us. Her red hair and green eyes shine in the light. "Well if it isn't soldier Archer and his show-off girlfriend Lydia."

"Go away, Anaconda." Her eyes looked at Archer with admiration but they glared upon me with hate. She then turned to me. "When he gets bored of you like everyone else, he'll be mine." I looked at her with a smirk and lifted up my hand showing the ring. She looked at me in disgust and walked off. We both collapsed into each other laughing. When we were finished we continued to Ace. Archer opened the door and Ace was laying in bed sobbing. I ran up to him and hugged him. He looked up and pushed me away. Archer runs up to me and hugs me, as I rest my head against his chest. "Lydia, get out of here!" Ace shouts. I look up at Archer and he looks down at me. I let go of Archer and slowly make my way towards Ace.

"Ace, I'm here for you..." Ace sits up and looks at my hand and, spotting the ring, looks at Archer.

"You really think that she's going to keep a promise that big?"

"I don't expect her too. She's not government, she's sector... I'm surprised she trusts any of us."

"I gave up job, family and friends to be with her... Now i only get pity." He stands up and wraps his hands around my throat. I gasp for air as my vision blurs in and out of focus. Tears fill my eyes as I close my eyes. Then I hear a gun click. "Get off, or I will shoot." I try to say something but the hands are still there. That's when I hear the gun fire and the hands are removed. I slump to the floor crying. A pool of cold liquid  touches my hand as I open my eyes to see Ace on the floor. The liquid is blood, Ace's blood. "What is... what is wrong with you people!?!" Archer pulls me to my feet. "No... not Ace." I look up at Archer, "let go of me!" I run over to Ace and pick him up. He is only shot in the knee, I smile and rush to the bathroom taking tons of bandages. I take Ace into my arms again and place him on the bed, then wrap up his knee, carefully. "Even... even after that... you still care for me?"

"Shh..." I kiss him softly on the lips as he smiles, "I have never stopped caring for you..." I break away and sit up. Then see Archer looking out of the window. I look back down at Ace and lift him up. I kiss him as he touches my hair. I hear Archer move and break away. "Lydia, I'm going back to the room, when Ace is able to do things for himself, come back." He walks over to me and kisses me on the forehead as he pushes a stray hair behind my ear. I smile up at him.

"I will, Arch. Love you."

"Love you too, sector." With that, he walks out of the room. Ace looks at me.

"This can't go on for much longer Lydia... You're getting married to him... Stay with him." I rest my forehead against his and I smile like an idiot. "But, I want you as well..."

"Get rid of that thought... you'll get hurt again." I lean in to kiss him, but he stops me. I remove the finger from my lips and kiss him. He relaxes and falls back onto the bed and he takes me with him, I lay next to him as he runs his fingers through my hair. He breaks away and I lay against his chest. "My beautiful Lydia, I want you more than anything in the world... but Archer needs you more..."

"I know, but we should keep this whole thing secret..."

"Not this again, Lydia... I have someone now... not as amazing as you but...someone." At that moment I hear a door open, but ignore it. I kiss his cheek and stand up to see Anaconda in the doorway. "Ohh...so first you date Archer and then you try to take Ace, what is it with you?" She runs towards me and kicks my metallic leg forcing her to fall in pain. I run out of the room and into Archer's room and hug him tightly. "Shhh.... what's wrong sector?"

"I kissed Ace accidentally and when I was laying on the bed next to him, Anaconda tried to attack me for sleeping with him." He looks down at me and starts to walk off. I finally catch up to him as he goes into the room. Ace and Anaconda are sitting there on the bed talking. Archer and I walk in and they turn around. " Well if it isn't the person who thinks she can sleep around... and her boyfriend." Archer looks down at me with his beautiful eyes.

"I'm sorry... but I have to do this..." He whispers to me and walks over to Anaconda. He kisses her for a minute then breaks away. "Happy, now?" He asks,she nods and smiles, "Now, leave Lydia alone..."

"Yes, soldier." She says as she looks at him lovingly.

"Now, let's leave Lydia..." with that he wraps an arm around my waist as we walk down the hallway back to the room.

 When we reach the room, Archer looks at me sternly. I look at the ground and put my hands behind my back. His expression softens, "I know you have been through a lot and almost everyone hates us now, but I love you." His blond hair shines as he looks down at me. "I love you, Lydia, I don't know if that is enough but I..." I silence him by placing a finger against his lips. "You still talk too much." I kiss him and he pushes me away. I fall to the floor and look up at him. "You still think that's going to work? No... Lydia I think I love you too much for that to work anymore..."

"What... what are you saying?" I knew exactly what he was saying. He lifts me up and kisses me as he takes my wrists and pushes me against the wall. He takes off my shirt and trousers, doing the same he places me on the bed. He lays above me and kisses me softly. That is when I choose to escape. I kick him using my metal leg and he falls to the floor, I put on a long t-shirt and run out of the room. I knock on the room next to me. No answer. Then the next and the next. No answer. I reach the fourth room and to my surprise someone answers it. Blake. This must be temporary housing. I hug him, thanking him for letting me in. I realise the room is bare and some bags are packed. "Blake? Where are you going?"

"Who?" I look up and realize that this isn't Blake but someone who looks like him.

"I'm sorry, but I was trying to find help... and I..." 

"Don't worry... you're that sector girl Ace dragged in. The one who is dating Archer?"

"Yes...yes... but Archer's the problem. You see..." He sat me down and I told him everything...

"When everyone said that you'd been through a lot, I didn't think this much..."

"Wait, you listened to me?" 

"Yeah, when I saw you while I was out I always wanted to learn more about you." I hug him and thank him some more. "My name is Blaze." I smile at him and he bushes.

"Why do I always have that effect on people?" I laugh. He looks down at my hands and takes them in his he realizes the ring and removes it. "This... this is beautiful... where did you get it?"

"Archer proposed to me a couple of days ago. I got it from him..." I sigh, and look down. Blaze places the ring back on my finger and smiles at me.

"Anyone who does what Archer recently did, does not deserve you." He takes me into his arms and he rests his chin on my head as I curl up to him.

"Stupid, isn't it? I've been alone for most of my life but I can't stand a night without anyone now. I'm useless."

"Believe me, I've been alone for years too, it's not stupid. You're amazing, Lydia." I blush and curse myself for doing so. "Sorry. I...I need to go." 

"Lydia, has anyone ever shown you kindness without wanting to kiss you?" I stand up and sigh. It's true. No one has ever done this for me. I take off the ring and look at it. It glows in the moonlight, "screw it." I mutter under my breath. I shove the ring in the pocket of my shirt and hug him. He seems taken back by this and then he wraps his arms around me. I smile. "Thank you...thank you..."

"No more thank you's are necessary. Look, I'll talk to Archer. If you're happy staying here..." he stands up as I lay down on th bed.

"Wait."

"Lydia?"

"Please stay with me... I can't bear to be alone."

"Okay, we'll talk tomorrow..."

"Are you sure?"

"Who wouldn't want to spend a night with a beautiful girl like you?" I sigh and laugh. He lays next to me, but far enough away so I cant feel him. So i roll over and wrap his arms around me, he blushes as i wrap my arms around him and he pulls me closer so that my head rests on his chest. I look up and smile at him and he smiles down at me as i close my eyes and fall asleep...

 I wake up and see Blaze sitting up with my head in his lap, stroking my hair. "You finally decided to wake up..." He leans down and kisses my forehead. I look at him as he takes my hands and sits me up. "You looked too peaceful to wake up, so I have been sitting here for two hours waiting." I blush and rest