Shadow-Land by Heather Parsons (best books to read for teens .txt) 📕

had stayed here plenty of times before and felt safe in here. Her clothes were soaked and she started feeling the coldness from them. Without another thought she walked into the bathroom and shut the door, climbing into the tub. Wrapping her arms around her legs and cradling her head on her knees, Sierra cried softly. Knowing Phillip and Kathryn and possibility Jake were still in the house somewhere, she didn't want to draw attention to herself. The coldness from her clothes had her body shaking more now and her teeth were chattering too. Why did I fall for his charms? How could I be so stupid?

"Sierra, dinner's almost ready." Kathryn's concerned voice sounded so sweet. She was probably standing on the other side of the door listening to her sobs. Sierra didn't want sympathy from anyone right at this minute.

"I'm about to take a shower then I'll be right out. Thanks Kathryn." She whispered unable to make her voice any louder.

"Okay dear, I'll see you in a few." Sierra heard her footsteps as she walked out of the room. She felt guilty for not talking to her but I really didn't want her to have to witness her pain anymore. This pain was harder than anything she has ever been through before.

She unwrapped herself and stood up, taking off her wet clothes and turning on the shower head. Stepping into the water before it was even hot and washing away as much of the evidence as she could. Sierra ended up washing her hair as well as her body and then turned the water off. She didn't have a towel and felt stupid for not getting one before hand. So she stayed in the shower longer, standing there naked with only the shower curtain covering her. Tried and worn out from today's events and shrugging her shoulder's she climbed out of the tub and saw that someone had put a towel on the counter for her. It shocked her a little to know someone was in here while she was in the shower. She wondered if they had heard her crying. Sierra hoped they hadn't because it would just end up being something else she would need to explain. Right now she really didn't want to talk to anyone. Wrapping the towel around her waist and exiting the bathroom. She found a set of clothes on the edge of the bed waiting for her. Kathryn was the first person that came to mind, that would do something like this and for her. God Sierra loved her like she was her own mother. Just thinking of her brought on yet another on sot of tears but this time Sierra was able to hold them back.

She dried off and dressed quickly so she wouldn't be late for dinner. Forcing a smile on her face as she made her way down the stairs and to where everyone else was. She couldn't look at Travis for fear that she would start to cry again and she didn't want him to see my pain. Sierra did manage to smile at Phillip and Kathryn though.

"Sierra is there something you want to talk about?" Kathryn asked and reached over to grab her hand. This question brought her eyes up from the table and made the mistake of looking right into Travis's eyes. For a minute she thought she had seen hope in his eyes but it quickly left. Leaving her to fight back the tears even more.

"Thank you Kathryn for a lovely meal. I'm just tried that's all but thank you for asking." Sierra took a deep breath and excused herself from the table. Walking as fast as she could, until she couldn't see them anymore and then she ran from the room. The tears spilling over when she reached it. Opening the door then closing it just as fast, while she slid down the door, pulling herself together and rocking.

"All I've been doing since I left home is cry." Sierra whispered to herself. "This heart breaking will take a lifetime if not more to get over." Saying this out loud only made it harder. Picking herself off the ground, to stretch her legs and walking over to the bed. She didn't bother taking off anything, just threw herself on it, grabbing the pillow to muffle her cries.

"Sierra can I come in." She heard his voice but didn't know if she was dreaming or not. He stood on the other side of the door, sighing deeply.

"Come in." Sierra whispered, her voice cracking over the words. She knew she would have to get over it soon enough but right now she didn't feel like it. She laid on her side so she could torture herself further by watching him walk into her room and sit down beside her.

♥`♥`♥

TRAVIS walked to the front door and yanked it open, stepping outside and looking frantically around, not seeing her close to the house had him panicking. Where could she be? His hand left the door knob and he took off. He searched the grounds and found her dancing in the rain. She looked happy, smiling even as the rain soaked her clothes. She looked like an angel, laughing and soaring her arms in the air.

He walked slowly up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. His thoughts were on the conversation he had with Jake just moments ago. And he fought within himself for a way out. Travis didn't want to tell her about her brother but also he didn't want to keep anything from her. Secrets were never his strong point when she was around. He was so lost in his own internal battle that he couldn't focus on her face. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her. He knew she'd want a kiss but he didn't know if he could give her one, at least not until he sorted through everything first.

"Travis," she whispered but it sounded like he was in a tunnel and only the wind carried his name. Travis felt her body press up against his and he held her tighter, scared of any distance between them. Clasping his hands behind her back, to make sure he had a hold on her. He didn't want her to leave him again. "I don't know if it's possible to be happier than I am right now. Travis look at me, please." Her words once again were floating on the wind. A voice screamed inside his head, that he couldn't tell her now. She so happy and he didn't want to see her cry again. But still he couldn't focus on her face, afraid the truth would spill out without him even thinking about it first. Travis needed time to sort this out first. Maybe he will ask her if she wants to know. But he can't, that's like baiting a fish.

"Love, I was so worried something had happened to you." He whispered, hearing his own voice brought him out of the tunnel he was in. He looked into her eyes and longed for her love. He needed it to breath, to live another day.

"Something has happened to me." He saw her smile a little but his mind was focused on what happened. Had he been to late on coming out to her? Something had happened when she wasn't in his arms and this upset him. Taking quick glances at the surrounding grounds to find whatever it was that hurt her. Travis was scared more than ever that now she would hate him for not protecting her.

"What happened to you?" His voice was shaky and when he looked, her head was dropped. He was scared to death at whatever she was hiding from him. Tears were building in his eyes as he cupped his hand under her chin to lift her face back up. He needed to see her face, to see what had happened. He needed to make her feel safe again, if it's the last thing he did.

"I've...fallen...in...love...with...you." Again her words were carried by the wind. His heart was beating so fast, echoing in his ears and for once he was speechless. His mind keep screaming at him to say something but he couldn't form the words to speak. Travis was soaring in the clouds but with his feet firmly on the ground with the one person he could see spending the rest of his life with.

Travis starred into her eyes trying to form words but nothing come. The words he had always wanted to here from her and only her and here he stood like a idiot not saying what he really wanted to say. He loosen his grip on her as she pulled away from him. His heart beating out of his chest and his arms longing to hold her but for some reason he couldn't move.

He saw the tears rolling down her cheeks as she turned and ran into the house. What has he done? His knees gave out on him as he hit the ground hard but it didn't compare to what he had just done. His own tears were falling now and he screamed into the wind. "Why couldn't I just say it?" Travis now was whispering, "Sierra, your my life now and forever."

Sitting on the wet grass and not caring that he was soaking wet. He deserved much more than just rain, maybe lightening would strike him dead where he sat. That would be better than what he had just done. He had hurt her more now than ever before and this time he can't see her ever forgiving him. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid.' His mind keep repeating and for once he agreed. Balling his hands into fists and hitting as hard as he could into the ground. Hiding his face from view as he heard his mother calling for him.

"Travis dinner is ready." Her voice was full of concern and that made him feel guiltier. She didn't need to see or feel his pain, she didn't deserve it at all. She deserved a happy home with loving, caring people, not him. Who only makes life miserable for everyone.

"Coming mom." Travis let the wind carry that to her, in hopes that she couldn't and wouldn't hear his cries. Placing his hands on the grass and edging off the ground. He carried himself back into the house and up to his room to change clothes. Travis heard the shower running and thought about going and talking to Sierra but then thought against it. What if she doesn't want to talk to him? He couldn't blame her if she never did again.

Travis changed slowly, dreading going downstairs and having to look at her face and see the fresh scars that he had just put on there. But he couldn't let his parents know something was wrong and he didn't want to call attention to himself that way either. So, he walked downstairs and entered the dinning room and took