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

his look matched hers perfectly. "Sierra could I talk to you for a minute?" He asked sitting down beside her. As much as she hated doing it she watched his every move. It was something she always loved to do and she couldn't stop even now.

"I'll just go to my car and call everyone. Tell them we found you and to stop looking." Teri said as she walked away. Putting a skip in her step. They both watched her until they couldn't see her anymore. Sierra dropped her head to look at the sand once again.

"How did you know where I was?" He asked.

"You've taken me here before. After my parents died. You said this place helps you think and you thought it would be good for me too." She whispered while playing with sand in her hands. Changing the sand from one hand to the other. Something to do to keep her mind off of what she really wanted to say. A distraction at the very best. But just remembering her parents death made her shiver. She closed her eyes so she couldn't see his reaction to this and saw once again her nightmare replay in her mind.

"Sierra talk to me." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him. The warmth from his body did nothing to stop her shivering. It wasn't the cold that was making her shiver but the memory that, now she alone had to bare.

"Why did you come here?" She asked instead of telling him what was bothering her. She hated talking about her parents and knowing the whole time that he once knew everything but never asked her to repeat it. He always had a way about him that never needed explanation.

"I called Tanya and she said we are no longer dating. She has a son now and is in a new relationship. She's happy." He looked down at the sand when she looked up at him. Seeing the sadness on his face she couldn't help but feel it too.

"That doesn't make sense. Why would that make you upset?" She asked looking at the side of his face. He turned his head slowly then looked right at her. Their eyes locked onto one another and she felt herself leaning in to him.

"She said that I left her for you. Why would I do that?" He asked seriously, stopping her from leaning in further. Getting upset herself for the way he'd said that she pulled away from him, unwrapped his arm from around her and leaned away.

"To tell you the truth I don't know anymore. I thought you loved me but you don't even know who I am. That is killing me, that you don't remember anything we've done together. The love we shared, the passion, the nights. But it doesn't matter anymore because you don't feel that way. What you don't understand is my heart breaks every time I'm around you. And then knowing you don't feel the same way about me. I can't keep pretending, it's to much." She said pushing further away from him. These words she spoke were harsh but she needed to say them.

"How do you feel about me?" He asked. Looking at her face while she stared out into the water. Why did she have to start this, why couldn't she have kept it simple and not heart breaking?

"I love you, Travis." She whispered then stood up. Wiping the tears away from her eyes while she started to walk away. Wrapping her arms around her chest to support the hole where her heart used to be. Only stopping when she reached the water's edge. The coolness of it brushing over the tops of her feet only brought on more tears.

"Sierra wait. Where are you going?" Teri yelled. Sierra heard her footsteps in the sand so she didn't need to turn around. Only slowing down soon after and sitting in the sand. Still holding herself together as she looked at the water through her tear soaked eyes. "We're ready to go back now. Sierra." She was at Sierra's side now and kneeling down to look at her face. Cupping her hand under Sierra's chin, Teri lifted her face to really look at her. "What happened?"

"Teri, I'm going to stay here. But you need to take him home before someone comes looking for you as well." She said and looked back to the water. Sierra saw from the corner of her eye, her looking at Travis then back to Sierra. "I'll be fine. I always am." Sierra smiled a quick smile then let it fade.

"I'll be right back." Teri said then she was gone. Whatever was going through her mind was beyond Sierra.

"Sierra get up right now! We are going home! If I have to, I'll come over and pick you up!" Travis yelled. Shock run through her. Why was he yelling at her? And did he believe that was the way to talk to her?

She stood up and faced him with tears running down her face. "Travis just stop! You yelling at me is not going to end with me coming to you! You of all people should know that!" She yelled back. Digging her feet deeper into the sand to stand her ground. The last argument they had she left and right now she will do it again.

"Your acting like a child! Just get in the car so we can go!" He yelled back. Walking closer to her now but she didn't move. No way was she going to get into him.

"A child hm! Is that the best you can come up with! No one is stopping you from leaving! Just go and stop being such an ass!" Sierra yelled back. The tears that fell down now where because of the memories of the last time.

He was right up in her face now. "I said a child! I didn't stutter! And we are not leaving you here so come on!" He yelled in her face. For the first time she felt fear. She had never had him yell in her face like this before.

"You've left me before so now shouldn't be any different. Just go Travis and stop trying to make a scene out of this." She whispered. Her fear had gotten the best of her and now she was co-warding inside herself.

"I did no such thing!" He yelled again. She shuttered at his words and the closeness that they were. "Sierra I'm sorry." He whispered putting his arm around her. But there was no comfort in this action.

"You can't be serious. You think just because you say your sorry that I'll forgive you. Your sadly mistaken buddy." Sierra said louder, stepping away from him. Putting distance between us because she knows him all to well and her words just now will have consequences.

"Now I know why I can't remember us being friends because we aren't. I would never in a million years fall in love with someone like you." He said with venom then stepped away. He might as well have slapped her in the face because his words surely did. She fell on the sand like a crumpled up paper and stared at his retreating back.

"Caedman, I'm ready to go now." She whispered knowing he'd come and get her. She never wanted this to end this way but it's better for both of them.

A minute later her spirit tiger walked out from behind the rocks and over to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his fur. After a short while, she pulled herself off the sand and stood next to him. Taking one last glance at the man she loved so much, she was more than ready to leave. "Lets go." Sierra whispered and started walking with him. The minute she saw the door she turned around once more and saw Travis staring at her. His was crying.

Stepping forward she touched the door to open it and stepped one foot inside. Doing this all while still looking at him. His arm reached out for her but she didn't reach out for him. His words still nagging at her heart. "I will always love you no matter if you believe me or not." She whispered to him but knowing that he would never hear her. That's one reason why she said it.

"SIERRA, NO!" Travis yelled then disappeared. The door closed shortly after I stepped through it, thankful he couldn't follow me. Turning her back to it she followed the tiger down the dark hallway and to her new beginning.


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Publication Date: 10-28-2010

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