Hidden Embers

by Amanda Perry

  “Shhh, baby, please stop crying,” Caleb begs of me. I didn’t realize I started crying until he asks me to stop. “I would never hurt you. Please, don’t be afraid of me. I can’t handle it when you have that look of fear in your eyes. Please, baby girl, stop crying. You’re safe with me, I swear.”

  I remain tense for a moment before reality sets in. This is Caleb. He may get angry sometimes, but he’s sworn to never hurt me. I can trust him. My heart tells me he’s safe. As I wrap my arms around his neck, I feel all of the tension from the past few days boil over. I melt into his embrace, not caring he may be upset with me still. I need him right now.

  The tears don’t stop, but I’m not afraid.

  “Take care of her, Caleb,” Jaxon whispers softly from behind me. “Come get me if you need me.”

  My body shakes from the adrenaline wearing off. Caleb lifts me up and carries me toward his room. I don’t ask any questions. I simply let him carry me. I’m not sure I could speak even if I wanted to. There’s no energy left in me.

  He sets me down on his bed and goes to his closet, pulling out a plain black t-shirt. He grabs a pair of black and gray boxers from a drawer and hands them to me. I guess he wants me to put them on. I dropped my change of clothes in the hallway, and right now, my closet seems a million miles away. I glance over to find Caleb’s back turned, giving me some privacy.

  I quickly slip off my wet clothing and pull his t-shirt over my head. I stand to put the boxers on and notice the shirt falls to my knees, covering the boxers. It looks like I’m not wearing anything under the shirt, and the thought makes me blush.

  I clear my throat and whisper, “I’m done.”

  The sound barely comes out, but in the quietness of his room, Caleb hears me.

  Without a word, Caleb comes over to the bed and pulls back the covers. He motions for me to climb in, and I quickly comply, crawling under the warm black and gray blankets. To my complete and utter shock, Caleb climbs under the covers with me. I gape at him, but he ignores it, scoots closer, and pulls me into his side. I curl up to him instinctively and can’t help the contented sigh that escapes my lips.

  “Sleep, baby.” He places a soft kiss on my forehead. “We’ll talk about all of this in the morning.”

  “But what about Cassie’s bedding?” I ask through a yawn. Instead of letting him answer, I continue on voicing my thoughts. “I know you’re upset with me because of something I did last night. Is that why you got angry with me about Cassie? I don’t know what I did, but I’m sorry I upset you.”

  He tenses beside me. He lets out a frustrated huff and pulls me impossibly closer to his body. “No, baby, I was never mad at you. I was worried for stupid reasons, and I’m mad at myself for it. As for Cassie, she’s my little sister. Jaxon takes care of her, and I never really have to worry with the two of us looking out for her. Kind of like Jaxon never has to worry about you since I’ll always protect you. But, we always know what’s going on. She and I always tell each other if we have plans that will take us from the house. That way, we don’t worry about each other. I panicked when you told me she wasn’t here. I thought she left without telling anyone.”

  “I’m sorry I made you worry,” I whisper, trying to hide another yawn.

  His chest vibrates with a quiet chuckle. “Sleep, baby, we’ll talk in the morning. I’ll protect you from bad dreams.”

  I think I say okay before drifting off, but I’m too tired to be sure.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Someone giggles from far away. Everything is foggy and dark. I can’t see who it is or why they’re laughing. For some reason, I feel warm and safe, though. That never happens in my dreams. Wait? Is this a dream? The giggling sounds too real, and it’s getting closer to me.

  Suddenly, something around my waist tightens.

  I startle awake and blink to clear the sleep from my vision. It takes me a second to remember I’m snuggled up to an incredibly bare chest… Caleb’s incredibly bare chest. The tightening around my waist was his arm.

  Giggling echoes through the room, again, and I try to search for the source.

  As I wiggle to sit up, Caleb’s arm pulls me closer to him. I peek up to find his eyes closed and his breathing even. He must not realize what he’s doing. Should I wake him?

  Before I figure out a game plan, movement at the foot of the bed draws my attention. The thought of someone being in the room without knowing who it is, has me letting out a loud squeak as I jerk away from Caleb, scramble to sit up, and press my back against the headboard.

  It only takes a second for four things to happen at once. First, Caleb jumps from the bed like it’s on fire. Second, Jaxon puts Cassie behind him in a protective gesture as they both take a few surprised steps backward. Third, I let out the breath I sucked in when I realize who’s in the room. Finally, Leanne sprints into the room with a rolling pin in her hand and flour all over her clothing and face.

  Absolute silence for about ten seconds stretches through the room while everyone works out what happened. When our minds catch up, four worried sets of eyes train on me. The only thing I can manage is to cackle like a crazy person. Soon, Cassie and Leanne join me, followed by Jaxon and Caleb.

  “You…should…have…seen…your…face!” Jaxon snorts while pointing at Caleb. “I was ready to grab Cassie and bolt!”

  This sets us all off again and it takes a good five minutes for any of us to be able to breathe through the laughter.

  As we all calm down a bit, the night before catches up to me. Leanne gives Caleb and me a curious stare. Without thinking, I blurt out the first thing that pops into my head. “Nothing happened!”

  My outburst makes everyone stop and stare at me.

  “Erm… I mean between Caleb and me. We went to sleep,” I finish with a whisper and gaze down at my hands. I broke a rule by staying with Caleb last night, and I’m sure there will be some sort of punishment for it. It’s the first rule I’ve broken in this house.

  “Uh, oh,” Jaxon and Cassie murmur at the same time. I assume it’s because I admitted to sleeping in here, but then Leanne lets out a big sigh and surprises me with her words. “Riley, you aren’t in trouble. We have a few more things to talk about today. I assume something happened last night that had you ending up in here. Let’s go get some lunch started, and we’ll chat while we eat.”

  “Lunch?” I ask, a little confused. Shouldn’t we eat breakfast first?

  “Yeah, you two slept in.” Cassie smirks at us. “It’s 11:30 already.”

  I gape at Caleb in shock. I don’t think I’ve ever slept so late in my life. Around nine hours with no nightmares! A first for me, but now that I think about it, my body feels refreshed and well rested. Leanne, Cassie, and Jaxon head down to the kitchen to start on chicken Caesar salad. I focus on Caleb, who comes back to sit by me on his bed.

  “You all right, baby?” he asks softly while tucking my hair behind my ear. “You scared the hell outta me when you yelled like that. I almost set Jaxon on fire.”

  He looks down at me with humor shining in his eyes.

  “Maybe Cassie would have been able to put the fire out?” I try to joke back. It must work because his eyes light up, and he chuckles.

  “Let’s get dressed, baby girl.” He pats my thigh before standing. “We have a lot of crap to talk about today.”

  I groan as I pull myself out of the bed. “I’m really not sure my poor mind can handle more information, but I’ll do my best,” I grumble as I head for the door to get changed.

  “Riley?” Caleb calls, making me turn back to him.

  I’m a bit taken aback by his use of my real name. He almost never uses my name anymore. He always calls me baby or baby girl. I never really thought twice about it, though, since that first day he started using nicknames. He makes it seem perfectly natural. I raise my eyebrows and wait for him to continue.

  “I really am sorry about how I acted last night.” He speaks so softly, I barely hear him. “I was an ass, but I was just
really shocked at your reaction to my family’s money situation. I’ve always been chased for my money, and I didn’t want you to be that way. It’s stupid to think that because I know you, and you aren’t like other girls, but I guess it was just a knee-jerk reaction to be on guard like that.”

  “I…don’t understand.” I stare at him, genuinely confused. “Why would it matter to me what your father does and what he makes?”

  “I… Because… I mean… Shit,” he stutters and rubs the back of his neck while trying to collect his thoughts. “Because Jaxon and I will be taking over when our dads retire.”

  Part of me wants to be upset he would think I’d try to go after him for his money. But a bigger part of me knows why he would be concerned. He’s cautious about it. It’s only normal for someone in his situation to worry about being used.

  Caleb must take my silence as confusion because he lets out a frustrated huff and plops down. “Baby, that means I inherit a lot of money along with a huge, worldwide company. Most people, most girls, are attracted to that kind of thing.”

  “Caleb, that kind of thing has never and will never mean anything to me. I grew up with nothing, I’m used to it. I can live on top ramen and second-hand clothing. What I don’t think I could ever go back to is feeling unwanted and unloved. You all give me that. Now that I have a taste of what it feels like, I’m not sure how I would ever be able to go back to the way I grew up. But money… It means nothing to me. Sure, it would buy a fancy house and nice things, but it can’t make you feel safe and protected by the people you live with, and it can’t make people love and care about you. I don’t need it.”

  He gawks at me, completely stunned.

  Before I process what’s happening, he’s up and pulling me into his arms. I tense for a second, wondering what his intentions are. When I realize he’s only giving me a hug, I melt into his arms and sigh with contentment.

  “You really are perfect, baby.” He kisses the top of my head.

  Before I protest his praise, he shoos me out of his room, giving me no other choice but to go find clothes.

  “We have a lot of talking to do over lunch, baby. Go get dressed, I’ll see you downstairs.”

  Heading to my room, I wonder what more there could be to tell me.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  I go straight to the bathroom to grab a fast shower to complete my morning—well afternoon—routine. Once I get my hair blown dry and brush my teeth, I head to my disastrous bedroom.

  Stepping around the construction materials, I make my way to the closet, hoping to find something in the bags that don’t smell like smoke.

  Instead of having to dig around, I’m able to dress in the outfit Cassie—not so subtly—laid out in the closet for me, complete with a sticky note on top reading: WEAR ME. She picked out a gray tank top with a black vest to go over it and a pair of blue jeans with a brown belt. A long necklace with a key on the end lays next to the outfit. Somehow, jewelry keeps showing up in my closet, and Cassie always grins mischievously when I ask where it comes from. No one will give me an answer to its origins, though.

  I go straight to the kitchen after dressing and find everyone waiting on me to eat. Based on Caleb’s wet hair, he took a quick shower as well. He looks especially handsome in his gray V-neck shirt and blue jeans. I can’t help myself from admiring him, but Jaxon clearing his throat brings me out of my Caleb haze.

  I blush while silently shuffling to my seat at the table. No one says anything as we all dish up our salad and eat. It seems as though everyone’s waiting for someone else to begin. It’s odd not having my dad here for an important discussion, but I know he needed to work. Leanne will fill him in later.

  “Riley, can you tell us what happened last night?” Leanne finally asks after the silence becomes too much.

  “Well, I was having a bad dream, like usual, only with this dream, I knew I was dreaming. I was watching my life, all of the bad parts, play like a film reel. Then, it slowed down, and I saw Samael m-m-murder my mom. I didn’t want to watch it, but I couldn’t turn away. I tried to wake myself up, but nothing was working. Finally, I ran to the sink in my… dream kitchen, I guess it was. Anyway, I splashed a bunch of water on my face, trying to wake myself. The next thing I know, I’m sitting up in Cassie’s bed, soaked and the bottle of water I brought to bed with me was lying empty on the floor,” I finish and turn to Cassie. “I’m sorry for ruining your bed, Cassie. I was washing the bedding, but then…” I trail off, not really knowing how to continue.

  “No! It’s totally fine, Riley.” Cassie waves me off kindly at me. “You didn’t ruin it, and the bedding made its way to the dryer and back on my bed just fine. No worries.”

  “Riley, when we finish eating, I think we need to test you more,” Jaxon chimes in, changing the subject back to me. “It seems you have an affinity for water as well. Unless Cassie was playing a mean joke on you.”

  A thump echoes under the table, and Jaxon pulls away from Cassie with a yelp. “Ouch! Did you just stomp on my foot?”

  “I would never play a mean joke on her, Jaxon.” She glares back at him.

  He rolls his eyes. “Yes, you would, just not as mean as the shit you pull on Caleb and me.”

  “Bite me,” Cassie snaps, crossing her arms and glaring at Jaxon.

  Jaxon smirks. “Anytime, sweetheart.” He ignores Cassie’s tiny gasp and turns back to me. “Anyway, I want to know how far your abilities go before we meet with the council. We may as well try you with Earth as well. Maybe you’re—” He stops mid-sentence; his gaze darts around the table.

  Everyone’s eyes widen with shock and awe.

  “What? Maybe I’m what!” I shout, panicked.

  “It’s nothing, baby.” Caleb recovers first and puts a reassuring hand on my back. “We’re getting way ahead of ourselves. Let’s see what you can do first, then deal with the what and why.”

  I don’t protest because I’m not sure I want to know what Jaxon planned to say. Instead, I switch the subject. “Leanne, I’m really sorry for breaking the rules last night. It won’t happen again, I swear.”

  “Honey, there’s something we should tell you.” Leanne studies me, her face full of worry and regret, making my nerves skyrocket. “Before we do, we want you to understand our need to wait.”

  My heart skips a beat, but I remain silent for her to continue. “First, we weren’t sure why it was happening. I mean you didn’t show any signs of being an Elemental and you were really closed off. We just weren’t sure what was going on. We planned on waiting until you were more comfortable around us before we decided anything. We thought maybe once you trusted us, trusted Caleb, we could call the council and speak with them. Then yesterday, with the fire and everything, we didn’t want to overwhelm you with more news—”

  “Leanne,” I mumble softly, interrupting her. My body goes rigid, and I do my best to stop myself from shaking. “You’re scaring me. What didn’t you want to tell me? What does trusting Caleb have to do with it?”

  “Baby, please understand,” Caleb begs. “You just told me you trust me. Part of me wanted to tell you right when you admitted that to me, but I didn’t want to upset you.”

  Shaking my head in confusion, my eyes dart around the room, hoping someone will take pity and tell me what’s happening.

  Leanne finally tries to explain the situation better. “Riley, in our world, there’s one person out there for each of us. We all have a second half; they’re always an Elemental as well. It’s believed the gods did this to prevent confusion amongst humans and Elementals. Can you imagine finding out the love of your life could control an element? Not exactly the easiest thing to tell someone. Though, I have to say you’re taking this whole thing quite well.” Leanne pauses for a moment and glances over to Jaxon.

  “Sis, the reason Mom and Dad said Cassie wasn’t allowed in my room is because we didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. She actually lives with me in my apartment when I’m at school. She’s my other half, and I�
�m hers. Neither of us will ever love another person like we love each other. We usually call them Soulmates. When a person has gone before the council and been blessed, they’re able to sense when their Soulmate is near. It’s such a hard feeling to explain. You can suddenly breathe. When you touch them…” He pauses and sends Cassie a look filled with such unconditional love, I have no trouble believing they belong together.

  “I just knew in my soul the second I touched her, her heart belonged to me and mine belonged to her. Some elementals never find their other half. My mom never thought she would, and that’s why she and my birth father were together. He died before I was born, and my mom found Mark a few years later. They’re Soulmates, too.”

  He smiles fondly at his mother as he talks about her. “It’s actually really rare for us to find our Soulmates after we reach around thirty years old. That’s why most of us give up the search in our mid-twenties. But, anyway, Mom and Dad know Cassie and I will be together forever. So, they have no problem letting us share a room. They know it isn’t just a teenage crush or lust or whatever. Just like Cassie’s parents are fine with her living with me. Though she’s eighteen, so she can be with me legally, now, anyway. It wasn’t an issue with our parents when we first started dating, though.”

  “That’s…” I can’t really find the words to express how I feel about all of this, but at the same time, I’m not sure it matters. “Why are you telling me all of this? I mean, I don’t mind hearing the ins and outs of this world, but what does it have to do with—” I freeze mid-sentence as what Jaxon and Leanne explained to me sinks in.

  “Oh, no,” I whisper, almost to myself. “You… you’ve… and I… Why didn’t you tell me, Caleb?”

  Tears form as realization dawns, and I hate it. I don’t want him to see me cry. Logically, I know I shouldn’t really be mad at him. He’s been nothing but considerate and kind to me. But to not tell me this, to let me be completely in the dark, and find out this way. Why would he do such a thing? This isn’t the Caleb I know. I thought he cared about me.