“It isn’t just my friends...I live here too.”
I freeze on the spot and stare in shock. “I didn’t know that.”
“Oh, sorry. I thought I told you. That purple tent over there is mine. I’ll show you inside in a moment.”
Okay, that’s good news. If he wants to take me inside his tent then it still means things might progress between us. Not that I ever thought my first time would be in a tent.
Not that I thought Alex lived in a tent.
Still...I won’t judge.
“S...sure.” I shudder. With need, probably. Not nerves. “Where are we going before then?”
“To meet my friends. I told you that much.”
Eventually we come across a wooden shack which stands out among the tents. It’s almost like someone more important than anyone else lives here. An emperor or a king. I cling onto Alex tighter, freaking out even more now. My heart pounds violently against my ribcage.
“What is going on here?” I lean into my boyfriend closer. “Who are we meeting? Where are your friends?”
“Him.” There’s an awe on Alex’s face. On everyone’s faces actually. This is pretty weird. “He’ll be here in a moment. You are going to love him.”
A shadow steps out from behind the door and in an instant everyone drops to their knees, praying to him. Of course, I have no idea what the hell is going on. Alex has to pull me down with him.
“What the hell?” I demand. “What is this?”
“He’s our leader, Juliet. You need to respect him.”
“Oh sure, because this is totally normal.”
I shake my head to myself, but do exactly what Alex tells me to. Just because this is a little kooky, it doesn’t mean Alex isn’t the one. People do crazy things for love all the time. This can just be my cross to bear. No problem.
If it means bowing down to some dude I don’t even know, then I will.
“Children,” the man booms, causing a hushed silence to fall over the bowing crowd. I might be the only person left breathing. “You have proven yourself worthy over the last few months. Worthy of God’s words. Because of that, he has sent a message through me for each and every one of you.”
Oh God. This is crazier than I thought it was going to be. I cringe internally, trying to recall the promise I just gave myself.
Anything for Alex.
Anything for the one.
“Everything that we have been working towards as a group...it will all come together soon enough...”
I can’t help myself, I start to drift off. None of this is my bag, so I don’t need to listen in. I’m only here for him.
Instead, I drift off. I allow myself to think about the future that I so desperately want with Alex. Imagining me and him together forever is my happy place and I love being there.
Me and him, living in our house together somewhere beautiful in nature, me in a big white dress telling him that I will be his forever, the pair of us with our children living out our happy ever after...it’s everything I want and more. Me and him just need to get to that place.
I need him to see the dream as well, to want to work towards it just as much as I do. That’s the only way this will work.
“Miss, you are a new face, aren’t you?” The sharp tone of the man, who is seemingly in charge of this place, plus the jab in the side from Alex, drags me from my thoughts. “I am trying to locate all the new people here.”
“Er...well, I’m not exactly here,” I inform this guy because I don’t want him getting any funny ideas about me. “I’m just here visiting with Alex.”
“Ah, so you are the offering of Alex, I see.”
“Offering?”
The look I get shot my way chills me to the core. I guess other people don’t ever question him, but I’m not here to be another sheep in his flock. No way.
“Well, I just want to know what that means,” I continue defiantly. “Alex invited me to meet his friends.”
“And that is what’s happening right now.” He extends his arms wide as if he’s including everyone here in this. “We’re all meeting you. Alex’s friend.”
“Girlfriend.”
Screw this guy. Urgh, he’s such an idiot. How can anyone follow him? I always assume leaders are charismatic people with something likable about them, even if they have negative intentions deep down.
But this guy...
“Of course.” My attitude doesn’t bother him at all. If anything, I’ve turned him smug. “Girlfriend, how silly of me. What is your name?”
“Juliet.” I can’t stop myself from sounding like a sulky teenager. “My name is Juliet.”
“No surname?” The glare I give him is answer enough. “Right, sure. Juliet. Nice to meet you. My name is Cloud.”
I don’t want to shake his hand but there are too many eyes upon me for me not to. He’s clammy, sticky even, unpleasant to the touch, but as Alex watches me connect with this man who he clearly has a lot of love and respect for, he beams at me.
I’m making him happy and that’s the most important thing. I need to keep this up.
“I would love to have a word with you after dinner. Alone.”
That sounds terrible, I hate it, but Alex wants it, it’s pleasing him even more, so I find myself nodding along as if this is a good idea.
“Well then, let us get back to our evening.”
As it turns out, the evening consists of a dinner which mostly includes various lettuce leaves, a weird speech by two very pregnant women who I lose interest in almost immediately, and some dancing.
This is not what I thought meeting Alex’s friends would be like.
“This has been amazing,” Alex gushes as he holds me in his arms so we can sway to the music just like everyone else. “I have really enjoyed having you here.”
Huh, clearly he can’t sense my mood about it all. Maybe that’s for the best. I don’t want him to think I don’t appreciate him inviting me into his life, just because it’s weird. Soon enough, I’ll have him back to being just mine and life will be perfect once more.
“I like being here with you.”
At least that part is honest. I rest my head on his chest and listen to the beating of his pulse. I slide my eyes closed and block everyone else, putting myself back in my bubble, in my happy place.
Alex is the one, the man who makes me happy. Everything else is worth the hassle, as long as I get to keep him.
“Oh, we need to go and meet Cloud, don’t we?” Alex brings me back to earth with a hard thump. “Or at least you do. This is exciting, isn’t it?”
I say nothing. I want my silence to be enough, but it isn’t.
“Come on.” He tugs my hand and drags me away from the party. “Let’s go now before it’s too late.”
My resistance means nothing. It’s as if he doesn’t even feel it. Alex pulls harder, ensuring I can’t escape. The less I want to go, the more determined he becomes.
“Here we are.” He might as well be trembling in excitement. “Cloud is in there. I wish I could come with you.”
“Then why don’t you? It seems strange me going in alone. I would feel much calmer with you there.”