SkyexJill: To Catch a Maiden 17

I wrapped an arm around my Jill's waist, placing my other hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream. I started leading her to my previous hiding place when I realized that spot only worked if there was one person. Jill was struggling in my arms and I realized she probably didn't realize it was me. How could she not know it's me? She was just calling for me! I had to keep from laughing and whispered into her ear, "You, my lovely Jill, would make a terrible thief." I kept leaning over her shoulder and slid the hand over her mouth down to her waist. I hugged her to myself. I'm so happy you're here. This means you really must care about me.

"Skye," Jill said, ruining my happy moment and pulling out of my grip.

She turned to face me and I quickly covered my disappointment with a smile. At least I get to stare into her eyes this way...

"What happened tonight?" she asked.

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself over," I said, waving her words away.

"Yes! It is something I need to concern myself over!" Jill stamped her foot like a child that was preparing to throw a temper tantrum. The expression on her face was similar to an angry child's, too.

"Oh? You have concern for me, is that what I hear?" I laughed, grinning down at her.

Jill made an angry face.

She definitely cares. I smiled.

"N-no! I just want to know what you did! If it was really awful, then I'll... I'll-!" Jill said, trying to cover her feelings.

"You'll what?" I asked, leaning closer to my darling Jill.

She hesitated, temporarily absorbed in the moment before she pushed me away and crossed her arms stubbornly. "I'll turn you in to the mob."

I eyed her suspiciously. "Liar," I said, hoping I sounded confident, "You're far too interested in me to see this beautiful face behind bars. Aren't you?" You've been so dead-set on capturing me. So why didn't you do it when you had such a great opportunity?

"Try me," Jill stated, putting on one of the worst poker faces I had ever seen.

"You received my note, didn't you? I was just going to teach Rock a lesson, but it didn't go quite as planned, that's all. Those friends of yours were quite determined to catch me. But I'm always one step ahead, don't you worry." I winked at her reassuringly.

Jill scoffed. "I wasn't worried."

I raised an eyebrow. Now, that's definitely the worst poker face I've ever seen.

"I don't believe you," I spoke quietly and stepped closer to Jill, "Because I told you to stay away, and you came. However, you were not with that mob that was after me. You hid me from them. I'm not entirely sure why, though. You had the perfect opportunity to catch me, but you let me get away. Why, Jill?" I was somewhat pleading with why her actions were confusing me so much. Are you just as confused about all of this as me? Do you feel the same way that I do? I stared into her amethyst eyes, begging for an answer. I held her in place by gripping her arms. I didn't realize that I was leaning in closer to her until she spoke, waking me from my trance. I was just inches from her face when she finally spoke.

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself over."

I stared at her. Nothing for me to concern myself over? Don't you know? I concern myself over everything you do. I let out a small laugh at this thought and stepped back. She really knows how to keep me on my toes...

I could hear the angry mob from earlier approaching. Both of us looked to the west side of the area we were standing in where the voices were coming from. Jill's eyes widened with concern. She's worried about me. How cute. She actually thinks they might get the great phantom thief. I knew she didn't want to capture me. Like I haven't been chased around here before. I grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the rocky spot opposite to where the mob would be coming from.

Hearing them come closer, I quickly pulled Jill down with me as I tucked into my usual hiding spot. I wrapped an arm around her so she wouldn't try to move as the others approached. Some of them were right next to us and Jill took in a sharp, deep breath. I placed a finger over her lips so she wouldn't try saying anything to me. I knew from experience that nobody would see us here.

It wasn't long later that I realized my predicament. I hadn't taken into account how small this spot was and that I had pulled Jill on top of me. My darling Jill was laying on me. I felt my blood pressure almost instantly double and tried to calm myself down. Jill had her face right next to my chest and could probably hear my heart. She was probably disgusted with me right about now. Oh, goddess... Should I tell her that it was an honest mistake? ... This really doesn't improve my idiot-stalker-thief status... When I looked at Jill, she didn't seem too concerned with our position. Perhaps she was used to laying on top of attractive men... This thought made my heart ache with jealousy again. I quickly calmed myself and pretended like it was normal for me to have beautiful maidens lay on me.

I almost gasped when I recognized Cliff among the angry villagers trying to hunt me down. His eyes almost instantly locked on my position and he turned to the others. What's he doing here? He wasn't supposed to get involved... Cliff said something quietly to Ruby and she nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Ruby declared that it was late and that everyone should go home. Like magic, everyone left.

I stared after them, somewhat dumbfounded. Not only had he succeeded in rounding up so many people, but Cliff had joined them. He made them leave... Why does everyone feel the need to intervene when they find out that I'm doing something? I told him that I wasn't doing anything... Then, I wondered if he saw me with Jill. Oh, crap... After what I told him, he probably thinks we're laying here, making out! Oh, please don't spread any rumors about Jill, Cliff... She'll be so mad at me...

Jill squeaked and shifted around in my arms.

"Hm?" I looked back at her, suddenly remembered what position we were in, and put on my best poker face. All in an instant. "Oh yes, hello there, Jill." I released my grip around my Jill.

Jill sprang to her feet and brushed off her clothes. "I don't see why we couldn't have just kept running," she said bitterly.

I stood up. "Because, Jill," I cooed, placing my hands on her shoulders and circling my thumbs to calm her down as I explained, "We've already covered this. You'd make a terrible thief. You can run, yes, but you cannot run quietly. That is a skill reserved to only the finest thieves, like myself."

Jill broke from my grasp and started heading homeward. "Fine, whatever. I'm going home. Goodnight!" she waved over her shoulder at me. She was leaving in a huff.

Wait! Don't go! Why are you so mad? I caught her by the hand and pulled her back towards myself, making her look at me. "Is something wrong, Jill?" Whatever I did to upset you, I'm sorry. I promise to be genuine. I'll do whatever you want. Please just... Don't go...

"No, I'm fine," she shook her head "It's not your fault, I just, I can't..."

"Can't what?" I instinctively reached to touch her cheek, but she dodged my hand. My heart cracked. I can't touch you? Why..?

"Nothing, um," Jill was speaking nervously, "I… I can't stay here. It's been a long night. I just want to get home. So, if you'd just…" She tried to break from my grasp. Like I would let her off that easily.

Don't go... I'll do anything...

"Far too dangerous for a beauty like yourself to walk home alone, you know," I insisted, prepared to use any excuse to stay by her side.

"So I've heard. Wouldn't want a thief to steal me away," she teased, a coy smile dancing on her lips.

I chuckled. I was relieved that that stupid line worked.

As we silently walked to Jill's house, I held onto her hand so she couldn't run away. Why can't you see how much your touch means to me? I would occasionally give her hand a slight squeeze to see if she did anything. Does it mean as much to you as it does to me, or are you just bearing having me around? Jill was completely stone-faced about the whole thing. Doesn't any of this matter to you?

Holding your hand means everything to me. It makes my heart soar. What about you?

In case I hadn't been previously sure, I thought about it only for an instant before deciding that I was definitely in love with Jill. She was everything to me, and I wanted nothing more than to make her happy. Jill was a hard working, beautiful, generous, caring, and an all-around amazing young maiden. I wanted nothing more than to make her happy.

But what was I to her? I was just... A no-good stalker-thief-idiot. She was a master temptress, and she didn't even know it! She planned to turn me in. Only, she didn't. Why wouldn't she turn me in? Jill didn't act like my touch meant anything to her, so did I myself mean anything to her? No. I'm just the thief that she plans to capture in her own good time.

She didn't realize that she had already succeeded. I had become a slave to her, trying to follow her every wish. I wanted to protect her from the world. I wanted to lock her in a tower guarded by a dragon and surrounded by a lava moat like in the old fairytales and keep her all to myself. I was ready to surrender myself to her whenever she said the word. She merely had to snap her fingers for me to do her bidding. I was willing to give up my life of stealing for her. I would give up everything for her.

When we reached the farm, I pulled her into a hug, wishing my feelings could reach her. "Thank you for tonight, Jill. You've never looked lovelier."

Why can't you understand? I wanted her to know how I felt. I wanted her to love me back more than anything, but she wasn't giving me anything to work with. I had fallen hopelessly in love with her, but she still didn't get it. Jill was torturing me emotionally, and it almost seemed like she was doing it on purpose. Sometimes, she acted like she loved me back, and sometimes she'd push me away. It ticked me off. But I couldn't get mad at her, because part of me believed that she wasn't doing it on purpose and that she was just as confused about all of this as I was. I wanted this to be the case so badly, but I knew it couldn't possibly be. Why don't you understand? Because nobody loves a no-good thief.

"Why?!" she suddenly shouted. I looked at her questioningly.

"Why what, Jill?" I asked, absorbed in her words. Are you as confused as me? Please...

"I…" she said slowly.

"What?" I urged her to explain. I stepped closer to her and gazed into her eyes, as though they held the answers to all of my questions. Why do you always draw me in close to you like this? Why do you treat me like this? Don't you understand what you're doing to me? It isn't fair to control my heart so easily when I can't even tell what you're thinking...

"Why can't I catch you? I have had endless opportunities, but I just… don't. Why?" Jill spat the words out at me angrily, "Why do I feel like this around you? I know you're a womanizer, and I know how to deal with them. So why, WHY can't I deal with you? Why can't I see past your façade? Why do I keeping falling more and more in-" she suddenly cut herself short with a gasp.

My heart shattered. What are you saying? You think this is a game?

"And why won't you leave me alone?!" she dealt me another painful blow as she shouted once more. She pulled away from me and ran to the door.

I shook my head desperately. No, don't run away from me. Don't say something so cruel and then leave me hanging. What do you mean? Why do you keep toying with me? I caught her and slammed her against the door. I held her by the shoulders so she couldn't look away. Don't run away... Not now, not when I need you...

"What are you saying, Jill?" I said, barely able to get the words out, "Do you really feel that way? You think this… is all an act?" Why are you doing this to me?

"I know it is," she stated coldly.

Her words stabbed my shattered heart painfully. "Jill, I don't know how you can think that," I murmured. How is it possible for you to think that? After everything that's happened. How could you say that? Why would you say that to me? I don't understand...

"Skye, I think you should leave. But not just for tonight," Jill said. Her words stung like thousands of paper-cuts all over my body. And they kept pouring out so smoothly and coldly, like ice-water. "I need you to leave me alone for good. I won't fall for you, but I won't catch you either. Just go, please."

I looked down, trying to steady my breathing. My heart was pounding so hard that I could barely hear her words. This can't be happening. Why are you doing this to me? I was getting dizzy from the pain she was causing me with her words. "Jill…" my thoughts were racing as I spoke, screaming at me that it couldn't end like this, she had to know what she was doing to me. "What if I told you… that I was falling for you?" I stared into her amethyst eyes desperately. Please understand... How could you not know this? Don't end it like this...

Jill looked away and shook her head, ignoring my desperate pleas.

This can't be happening... She shrank back as I leaned in desperately. "Jill…"

"Just go!" she screamed, closing her eyes.

She doesn't understand... Of course she doesn't. Because I'm a no-good thief. She whole-heartedly wanted me to vanish from her sight. I see... This is what Jill wants... A thief like me could never make her happy... I gave her a kiss on the forehead before retreating. That's that. Claire said that I'd win Jill's heart if I was genuine, but it only pushed Jill away. Jill doesn't want to see me again. I just want Jill to be happy.