Resistance (The Institute Series Book 2) (5 page)

Cyrus stops the car and takes the keys out of the ignition.

“Well, this is it,” he says, getting out of the car.

I hesitate for a second. The liberation I felt when Paxton turned up with Shilah has left me. This is it, this is my freedom. I should be more excited but the anticipation of this moment happening has been building up for so long, I don’t know if I can truly believe it.

I open the car door and slide out, joining Shilah, Chad and Drew who are all standing, watching shadowy figures make their way down from the house.

As the two figures emerge, I suddenly feel like we’ve walked into a trap. Two officers in military uniform are approaching and my first thought is to flee. But when the headlights of the car illuminates their faces, elation crosses mine. Not only am I met by my mother, who I was expecting to see anyway, but standing next to her is a face I’ve been longing to see ever since I was arrested. Tears of happiness fall down my cheeks as I take him in my arms.

“Dad!” I scream.

Chapter Four

“What the hell is
he
doing here?” Dad asks pointing at Drew. My brief euphoria comes crashing down.

“It’s a long story,” I respond.

Dad looks at me, confusion crossing his face. “Please don’t tell me you two are still—”

“No! God no. It’s not like that,” I say.

“I’ll take Drew up to the house,” Chad says, leaving us.

“I’ll move on,” Cyrus says, getting back into the car.

The surreal feeling I had when I arrived is nothing compared to what I’m feeling right now. Mum, Dad, Shilah, and me all together. 

“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry,” Mum blubbers, bringing Shilah and me in for a hug. Great, now my tears start again as well.

Dad just shakes his head as he joins in on the group hug. “Women. Right Shilah?” he jokes.

Shilah tries to sneakily wipe tears from his eyes. “Yeah. Women,” he says with a croaky voice, making us all laugh.

“Come on,” Mum says. “We’ll take you two up to the house. We’ll sleep here tonight, and move into our own quarters tomorrow.”

We walk up the small hill to the double story weather board house. It smells of pine and a little stale, like the house has been closed up for a while. Chad and Drew came in here just moments ago, but they aren’t in the main areas. I can’t see them anywhere. Mum and Dad lead us to a living area with a fireplace and leather bound couches. Shilah and I sit down across from Mum and Dad. Seeing them together is just weird. It’s really odd to see them being affectionate towards one another. They aren’t being completely obvious about it but it’s the little things like Dad placing his hand on her lower back as she walks by, both of them sitting that little bit closer to each other than necessary, the quick looks they give one another. It’s nice, but weird.

“I guess I should start,” Dad says. “I’m sorry I ever agreed to that harebrained idea about the woods. I knew I shouldn’t have let you go, Shilah. I’m so sorry.”

“Dad, it wasn’t your fault. It was mine. I brought Drew into our lives,” I say.

“Neither of you were to know that boy was working for the Institute. For all you knew, he was just another Defective person looking for refuge from the same fate,” Mum interjects.

“What do you know about it?” I ask a little more hastily than intended.

“Only what Chad and your father have told us,” she replies.

Okay, now I’m weirded out for another reason – Chad talking to my mother about my totally messed up relationship with Drew. I actually let out a little laugh at the idea of it.

Taking in a deep breath, I look at my mother as I build up the courage to ask something I’ve wanted to know the answer to for three months, ever since I found out about the Resistance and her still being alive.

“Why didn’t you come for Shilah?” I ask her, but it comes out so quietly I don’t know if she heard me.

“There’s something you have to understand, Allira,” Dad answers. “I wouldn’t have allowed it.”

“You knew? You knew Mum was alive this whole time?” I ask.

“Allira, don’t,” Shilah says, his voice pleading with me not to get into it.

“He was doing the right thing,” Mum says. “As a parent, you only ever want the best for your child. A life on the run can be lonely, stressful, and dangerous. I wanted better for you two. I wanted Shilah to have a normal life. If we had known that it was both of you that needed protection, I would’ve brought you both with me.” Mum grabs a hold of Dad’s hand. “I would’ve brought all of you with me.”

“But how was running away with Drew different to running away with you?” I press.

“Drew was offering a life of solitude,” Dad answers. “You can’t become a part of an organisation like this without sacrifice. There will always be an element of danger living here, more so than just running away to the woods to hide. You’re responsible for not only your safety, but the safety of others. At the time, I chose what I thought was the better option. But I was wrong, and I’m going to have to live with that decision for the rest of my life. You were both locked away because of me and I couldn’t be sorrier.”

“But—”

“Allira, enough!” Shilah interrupts me.

“I just want answers, Shilah.”

“And you will get them,” Mum says. “But emotions are running a bit high tonight. We’re all tired, it’s been a long day. We should all get some sleep.”

“I’ll be fine here for the night,” I say, looking at the fireplace. “The fire is thawing me out.”

“Me too,” Shilah says.

“I’ll go get you some blankets,” Mum tells us.

Mum leaves the room and I can’t hold back my questions. I just need to know.

“Where did you go?” I ask Dad.

“What do you mean?”

“Drew said the Institute lost track of you after I was arrested. Whenever Chad gave me updates about the Resistance, he never mentioned that you were here. So where were you?”

“I originally set off to find the cabin in Boyce Forest where Drew said he would be with Shilah. It took me a while to work out it didn’t exist. I think deep down I knew as soon as I started looking that it wasn’t real, but I didn’t want to accept the truth. I finally went to your aunt. I wasn’t entirely sure she was a part of all this but she was the only hope I had. She led me here, back to your mother.” He pauses, holding my gaze. “The reason Chad didn’t tell you was because I asked him not to. I didn’t want you to jeopardise your plan to get Shilah out by trying to get to me.” 

He knows me too well. I had been tempted, so close to leaving Shilah. If I knew Dad was here too, I may have done it.

Mum comes back in with some blankets and a pillow each for us before I get a chance to respond to Dad’s words.

“Get some sleep,” she says, kissing Shilah and me on the forehead. It’s almost like the last eight years didn’t happen. She’s fallen straight back into the mother role. But it’s not as easy for me to fall back into daughter mode with her. Dad follows her out, and Shilah gets up and moves to the opposite couch.

“You don’t think they are … you know … sharing a room?” Shilah asks.

I shiver in disgust. “Eww, I hope not!” We laugh briefly but a small smile lingers. I wonder if this is what it feels like to be a normal teenager – being totally grossed out by your parents. I’ve never had that, not that I can remember anyway.

Shilah and I are silent as we stare at the yellow and red embers flickering over the fireplace. Lying down, I bring the blanket up to my face.

“Can’t sleep?” Shilah asks after a while.

I shake my head, “I think I’m too wired.” I turn to face him. “I’m just trying to take it all in.”

“Same here. But I think that may take a while,” he replies. “Apart from all of that, are you okay?”

I shrug. “I guess I’m just in shock. I’ve been thinking about this moment for three months. It just doesn’t feel real.”

“Things will be good here. It will be different. It won’t be like the Institute,” he says.

“I know,” I reply. I really do want to believe that. “How are you doing with the whole, Mum ‘Hey kids, I’m alive’ shock?”

“It’s weird, but strangely normal. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“It’s just straight out weird for me,” I say. “I don’t want it to be, but it is.”

“Speaking of weird – what’s the deal with you and Chad?” he asks.

“Really? You’re already asking me about that?”

“Well … you called him your friend back in the car. I thought you would’ve sorted your shit out by now. Especially after seeing what I saw when I arrived tonight,” he says, smiling.

“I don’t know what’s going on there.”

“What do you
want
to happen with him?”

“I don’t know. I can’t stop getting angry at him for lying to me.”

“Lying seems to be a way of life,” Shilah says flatly.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re angry about everyone lying to you, but it’s not like you’ve never lied, right? In this world, lies are a necessity for survival. Especially for people like us.”

“How are you handling this so well? How are you not as angry as I am?”

“You really need to let go of your anger,” he says.

“Oh, okay then, Zen Master. Just how am I meant to do that?”

Shilah shrugs, “The way I see it, I’ve just been handed a gift. The gift of never being trapped inside a dark, windowless world for the rest of my life. I’m not angry at anyone for lying, I’m not angry about finding out Mum is alive, I’m happy. Happy that everything I’ve ever wanted is right here … well, almost everything.”

“Almost?” I ask, one eyebrow raised.

“Yeah. Almost,” he says, blushing.

“Okay, I so need the details of
that!
You’re seeing someone?” I ask.

“I was. Well sort of. I’ll explain another time. It kinda hurts to think about it too much with them still being back at the Institute.”

I nod. No – I need more. “Sorry, you have to tell me.”

Shilah smiles. “Tomorrow,” he says. “I’m going to try and get some sleep.”

I hear footsteps coming into the room. Sitting up, I see Chad walking towards us. I pull my legs up and make room on the couch for him to sit.

“There’s a room at the end of the hall that’s free if you want to take that, Shilah,” he says.

Shilah smirks, “Sure.” He gets up and leaves and my heart starts beating a little faster.

“Hey,” he says. I just nod my head. “How are you going? You doing okay?”

“Why does everybody keep asking me that like I might crack at any moment? I’m fine.” It comes out a little less than fine but I can’t help my tone.

“Yeah. Sounds like it,” he mutters.

“So where’s Drew? Not escaping, is he?”

“We wouldn’t want that now, would we,” Chad replies sarcastically, slouching down on the couch further like he’s pissed off. “He’d be stupid to try. We’re a day, day and a half’s walk away from anywhere in every direction. Even if he was to get out, we’d get him before he’d even reach the Institute or civilisation of any kind.” He laughs, “And I locked him in his room.” He still seems annoyed, but at least the arrogant smirk that I know so well is present.

“Are we ever going to be able to have a conversation without an angry undertone ever again?” I ask, looking at the fire and not him.

“I hope so,” Chad replies. “I suppose you’re angry now because I kept your dad from you?”

“Well I’m not any
angrier
at you, but yeah, still kind of angry.”

“What if I promise that from this moment on, I will completely tell you the truth? About anything,” he says.

“Complete truth?” I ask turning to face him.

“There’s no reason for secrets anymore. I’ve got what I wanted.”

“And what’s that?”

“You, me, here,” he says reaching for my hand.

Our hands find each other in the dark as a small smile crosses my lips.

“And Tate?” I ask, glancing back towards the fireplace.

“What about Tate?”

“Aren’t you going to cover yourself now by saying it’s what Tate always wanted?”

“Did you mean what you said in the car before?” Chad asks, ignoring my accusation.

“I said a lot of things in the car. You might need to be more specific.”

“When you found out Drew thought I was dead. You said I was just your friend. Is that what you want?”

I hang my head. He chooses
now
to have this conversation? At 3:45am?

“I didn’t think calling you my friend was all that shocking, but I guess it was considering Shilah brought it up and now you. What else was I meant to call you? That’s what we are, aren’t we?
Friends?
Or do you just see me as some kind of assignment?”

He lets out a sigh, throwing his head back to rest on the couch. “I’ve never seen you as an assignment.”

“Then how do you see me?”
Damn my shaky voice.

He sits up and moves his head closer to mine. My heart skips a beat as he cradles my head and pulls me in close. His eyes pierce mine and my breath catches in my throat. Bringing his mouth down, he presses his lips gently and briefly against mine. “Does that answer your question?” he asks, breaking away just an inch. He doesn’t give me a chance to respond before he takes my mouth with his again.

Is this actually happening?
Yes, I’m definitely kissing Chad. His tender touch becomes firmer when I start kissing him back. I kiss him harder and he holds me tighter. My heart races and I wonder if he can feel it too. Months of avoiding taking this step has led to this; pawing at each other in hopes of squashing any residual sexual tension between us. Pulling myself onto his lap without breaking our lips apart, he wraps his arms around me, embracing me. His hands slide down the middle of my back and rest firmly on my hips. All I can think is,
Why haven’t we been doing this the whole time?
I want more
.