Ascend (Celestial Academy Book 1)

by Maya Nicole

  I stood next to him and leaned on the rail, my elbow brushing his. He looked over at me again, pushing his hair behind his ear when it fell in his face. I didn't speak, because I was at a loss for words again. He was a beautiful man. What do you say to someone you have such a deep yearning for?

  Instead, he broke the silence. "When I was younger, before the war, I used to spend hours lying in the grass, staring up at the night sky." He ran a hand through his hair and then leaned his arms back on the railing. "I'd lie there for hours and wonder what was up there. I didn't think I'd actually find out one day. I didn't even believe in heaven." I put my hand on the crook of his elbow and squeezed gently. "I still remember the day FDR declared war. I was eating lunch at work and we were listening to the radio. We all left work and signed up to serve that same day. That was the moment when staring at the stars never felt the same."

  I had watched my fair share of war movies, but had never really been around anyone who had gone to war. I couldn't even begin to wrap my head around what it was like or what it did to the mind.

  "It's no excuse for me being an asshole. I can stand here and try to tell you that I won't be an asshole again, but I can't promise you that. I'm messed up, Danica, and it'll be fine if you turn around and walk away." His jaw clenched and he gripped the railing.

  I kept my hand on his elbow and let the sounds of the evening wash over us. A car alarm beeped in the distance and the faint sounds of music and laughter drifted from down the street. The soft whoosh of wings flew overhead as birds, or maybe they were bats or owls, flew towards the trees in the distance.

  Once I felt I could trust my voice not to shake, I pushed off the railing and stood next to his hunched over body, turning towards him. I gently pulled on his elbow until he stood and faced me.

  "I can handle you being an asshole, Asher. What I can't handle is you ignoring me. You have to use your words, or at least give me some indication that it's not me." I searched his eyes for an acknowledgement of my words. They sparkled in the faint light from a single strand of string lights wrapped around the edge of the gazebo and the faint sliver of moon. "Running from things doesn't make them any better."

  He reached a hand up and brushed my hair behind my ear, his hand settling on my cheek. "I don't want to run when I'm around you."

  My voice left me in a whisper. "Then stop running."

  His lips captured mine as the final syllable left my lips. I leaned into him, and threaded my fingers through his hair. I could run my fingers through it all day and never tire of the silky texture. My tongue probed his lips, his mouth opening and our tongues colliding. He tasted like whiskey.

  His tongue retreated and his lips moved to my neck, leaving a wet trail. The chill in the night air made me shiver as he tilted my head to the side, exposing the skin and trailing his lips over it. Scooping me into his arms, never breaking contact with my neck, my ear, my lips, he walked us back inside.

  At the bottom of the stairs, he set me down and we backed towards the couch, or at least I think that was where he was leading me. I hoped that was where he was leading me. My nipples hardened in anticipation as he slid my jacket off my shoulders and it hit the concrete floor.

  I started pulling up his shirt, which he grabbed from the back of his neck and yanked over his head. He pulled off my shirt next, letting out an appreciative grunt at the sight of my breasts covered in lace. We stopped moving when his legs hit the couch and I pushed him back, our breaths the only sounds in the room. It was like the room was in suspended animation, waiting for the clash of lips and our bodies to touch.

  I lowered down on top of him, straddling his hips, my lips reconnecting with his in a bruising kiss. He groaned as he gripped my hips and his fingers dug into them. I leaned forward, my lace bra and his naked chest connecting. His lips stilled and I was suddenly ejected from my seat on his lap onto the couch cushion next to us.

  He sprang off the couch like a scorpion had pinched his ass and crossed to the other side of the coffee table, his back heaving with harsh inhales of breath. He didn't face me but his back muscles gave enough of a clue to know something was wrong.

  "What did I do wrong?"

  "Nothing. You did nothing wrong." His voice trembled with unspoken emotion. Unspoken pain.

  I stood from the couch and reached for his fisted hand. He let me take it, and standing close behind him, but far enough to not crowd him, I peeled his fingers back and threaded my fingers with his. He let out a shaky breath, his shoulders relaxing little by little.

  I put my forehead against his back and my head moved with his deep breaths. He was barely holding it together.

  "What's wrong?"

  "I don't deserve this. You." His voice cracked with his words and a sudden sob shook his body. "I can't keep feeling this way."

  My chest clenched at his words, but I didn't speak. What could I say to that? That it would be okay? I didn't know him well enough to even fathom what was plaguing him. We all had our demons, and demons weren't defeated by standing idle and watching them do their damage. I placed my other hand gently on his back, hoping the light touch would at least give him some comfort.

  We stood there like that for a while, with his sobs shaking us both. When they finally faded away, he turned to me, not bothering to hide the evidence of his tears. There was something so raw, so heartbreaking about seeing him like that.

  It only made the desire to be close to him flare inside of me. I reached my hand up and wiped the tears from his cheeks, his eyes shutting at the gesture, a sigh escaping his lips.

  "I'm sorry." He paused as if considering whether he should explain. "I get flashbacks."

  "From the war?"

  "That and the hours before my death." He kept his eyes shut. "You can't be on top of me."

  "Is it okay if I hug you?" He nodded and I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his chest.

  He let out a shaky breath. "I guess I ruined the moment, didn't I?" He chuckled and buried his face in my neck, his breath tickling my skin. "Thank you."

  I ran my fingers up and down his spine before tracing his shoulder blade and the muscles underneath. He moaned into my neck, his lips moving ever so slightly against the skin. I pulled away and grabbed his hand, leading him back to the couch.

  I bit my lip and reached behind me, letting my bra fall from my shoulders. His eyes widened slightly as he appraised my breasts, taking in the smooth skin and pebbled nipples.

  "You didn't ruin the moment." I grabbed his hand again and brought it to my breast, closing my eyes.

  His rough thumb swiped over my nipple, the sensation making my core clench. He stepped forward, moving his hands to my hips, and kissed me, working his tongue between my lips. Whatever had happened a few minutes ago seemed to float away and now I was his sole focus.

  His hands trailed to the button on my jeans, and in one flick he had them open and slid them down my hips, trailing kisses down my body as the fabric made its slow descent.

  He stopped and pulled off my shoes before kissing my inner thighs while sliding the jeans off the rest of the way. It was a slow, torturous journey he was taking to get to the final destination between my legs. He slid his hands behind me and palmed my ass, kissing right above my slit. He was driving me mad, on his knees in front of me, kissing everywhere except where I needed him to be.

  "You're a tease." I threaded my fingers in his hair and gave his head a little push.

  He chuckled against my skin, the action vibrating and pulling a moan from my throat. He finally slid off my panties before standing and capturing my mouth again, nipping and sucking at my lips. One of his hands kneaded my breast while the other sat just to the side of my pussy, rubbing in a circle.

  "Wait until I get you tied up to my bed. I'll remember you called me a tease."

  His index finger trailed along my slit. I could feel my wetness taking over, begging to be used. His lips went to my ear, biting and nibbling as he slowly worked his finger back and forth. I mov
ed my hips and he adjusted, just barely teasing the folds.

  "Would you like that?" His tongue flicked my ear and I went weak in the knees. "I think you would." He slid two fingers into me, burying them as far as he could before curling them and slowly moving them left to right.

  I didn't know what the hell was happening, but when he hit what he was searching for I gasped. He smiled against my ear.

  "Too much?" I nodded and his fingers began moving in and out of me.

  My breaths came out louder as his fingers slid in and out, the anticipation of his next move almost too much. I unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down, freeing his cock. I grabbed the base of it before trailing a finger underneath it and rubbing the head with my thumb.

  "Now who's the tease?" I breathed as his two fingers moved to my clit, sliding it between them before stepping away from me and grabbing two pillows off the couch.

  Excitement stirred in my belly as he put them on the floor and pushed the coffee table out of the way. He grabbed my hips and moved me towards the couch, pushing me down to lay with my lower half hanging off the edge, my shoulders and upper back still on the couch. My legs quivered as he lowered to his knees in front of me, adjusting my legs. The head of his dick teased my opening, and in one swift movement, he was buried inside of me.

  His hands massaged my breasts as he thrust in quick, deep movements. My orgasm was already building as he moved his thumb over my clit, his touch sending me over the edge. My muscles tightened and my legs tried closing but he pushed them back open as he moved faster and harder, small grunts escaping his lips.

  As my orgasm ebbed, his thumb returned to my clit, working it into an oblivion as my entire body felt like it ignited. His dick filled me, moving in with quick thrusts of his hips. I cried out as another orgasm hit me, and with two more thrusts, took him with me for the ride.

  "Well, fuck me," I managed to get out between breaths, scooting back on the couch.

  "I just did. You already want more?" He laughed and stood before walking to the kitchen and grabbing a hand towel.

  I watched with half-closed eyes as he cleaned himself and handed it to me.

  "I'll never look at your couch the same way again." I stood on shaky legs and made my way to the bathroom.

  After cleaning up, I returned to find him in a pair of boxer briefs, a beer in one hand and the remote control for the television in the other. I could see myself with him night after night, curled up next to him on the couch.

  I pulled on my panties and bra as he watched. Then I sat next to him, stealing his beer and taking a drink.

  "You spending the night?" he asked, taking the beer back from me.

  "If you want me to. It's getting kind of late so I should go if not."

  "Stay. I have a hard time sleeping next to someone, but we can try." He examined the controller for a few seconds before pointing it at the television and turning it on. "If it doesn't work out, I can just sleep on the couch."

  I put my hand on his leg and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Who said anything about sleeping?"

  Chapter Fourteen

  Falling asleep together didn't work out. We tried, even tried pillows in between us, but he just couldn't get comfortable. I understood, but at the same time was slightly disappointed I didn't get to cuddle with him, especially after he had worked my body like he owned it.

  Getting back to campus put a damper on my mood. I had so much studying to do and still wasn't sure what was going on with Oliver or what the meeting Tobias attended was about.

  Was it even worth my time to stay at a school that trained me to be something I wasn't? I was essentially just a human, with no angelic abilities as far as I could tell. I didn't plan on dying any time in the near future, so what was the purpose of me staying somewhere I was hated?

  I walked into the dining hall and was surprised to see Olly already sitting with Ethan and Cora at our table. I half expected him to be missing or even sitting back at the Divine 7's table without me there. After grabbing French toast, bacon, and a bowl of fruit, I joined them.

  "Where's Brooklyn?" I asked, sliding in next to Oliver and glancing at his plate of cantaloupe. I needed to ask him about that. It couldn't be healthy to eat that much fruit every day, although it wasn’t like he could die.

  "She should be here. Remember we're supposed to go study after we eat?" Cora turned and looked over at the Divine's table and then turned back to me. "She had her date last night, but never answered my texts about how it went."

  "She probably just overslept." I glanced over at Levi to see him with his arm slung around Betty's shoulders. What a douchebag player. "If she walks in and sees that, I hope she goes over there and punches him in the dick."

  "He's a player," Olly said, putting his fork down. "That's the right word, isn't it? In the last week he's been with four different people in some way."

  "I almost forgot that you have the inside scoop on their deepest darkest secrets," Ethan said and then motioned towards Olly's plate. "You've eaten that every morning for days. Isn't your stomach all messed up?"

  "It tastes good. Why get something else and risk it tasting bad? I don't want to waste food," Olly said, taking a defensive tone.

  "I'd probably eat a plate of bacon every day if I could, but then I'd probably..." I shut my mouth for once in my life. "Anyway, maybe when we’re done we should go wake Brooklyn up."

  "You were going to say die," Cora pointed out. "It's okay if you say it. We’re long past when we died. We wouldn't have been sent here if we were still grieving our old lives."

  It still didn't help me from feeling like an ass mentioning dying in front of angels that were essentially dead people.

  "Does bacon kill people?" Olly looked at the two strips on my plate.

  Ethan chuckled. "God, you're strange. Bacon in and of itself doesn't kill people."

  After we finished, we headed to Brooklyn's room. We knocked several times but she didn't answer.

  "Did you try calling her? Some people just don't like texting." I knew this wasn't true since Brooklyn texted about anything and everything. I pulled out my phone and called her, the phone going straight to voicemail.

  "Olly, maybe you can ask Levi if he knows where she is? I'm a little worried about her. She doesn't do things like this." Cora's brows pulled together in concentration. "Ethan and I will go check in the library, you two can talk to Levi and check in the gym."

  We headed our separate ways. Olly called Levi and he said he hadn't seen her since the night before when he dropped her off at her room. We walked across campus to the gym. She could have decided to practice her flying techniques since she was behind after helping me with hand to hand. The gym was empty.

  Brooklyn was nowhere to be found and I couldn't help the fear that filled my gut.

  Brooklyn was missing and the rest of us were asked not to leave campus. Olly, Tobias, and I were sitting around Tobias's table.

  "Do you think Levi is lying?" Tobias had a concerned look on his face. He knew both Brooklyn and Levi, but not enough to make any determination as to their character.

  Olly shrugged. "He might be. You think he has something to do with her being missing?"

  "I don't know but we can't just keep sitting here acting like she's not out there somewhere. She's not here on campus, so why aren't we out there looking for her?" I stood and walked to the window, pulling the curtain aside to look out. "Maybe Levi was a dick and left her in the city and she can't get back. What the hell?" I squinted through the window that had a reflection from the light in the room and then opened it so I could get a better view.

  "What is it?" Tobias came up behind me and looked in the direction I was staring.

  The same hooded figure I had seen before was sneaking towards the tree line before disappearing from view.

  "I think that's the same person I saw the other night sneaking off." I let the curtain fall and turned back to the room, putting my hand on Tobias's chest. "We need to go to the city and look for h
er. We can call Asher to help."

  "That guy scares me," Olly piped up, seriousness in his voice. He had only met Asher once and it had not been under the best circumstances.

  I rolled my eyes. "Seriously?" I crossed my arms over my chest. "If you plan on hanging out anymore you are going to have to get used to him."

  Tobias raised his eyebrows. "I thought he wasn't answering your texts."

  With all the worry over Brooklyn, I hadn't had the time to talk to Tobias about Asher. "I went over there last night."

  There. The Band-Aid was ripped off. Now I was officially dating two men at once. At least they already knew each other, although their relationship was strained.

  "You went to the city? You know that we're supposed to-" Olly started.

  "It's not like I was walking around. Besides, Asher clearly can kick ass. I'd be more worried about going to the city with just you two," I stated, smiling at them both.

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Olly looked offended. He was the one who almost got himself abducted and there were two of them.

  "She thinks we’re weak because all she's seen us do so far is academics. I'll have you know that before Asher fell, I used to be right out there with him. I can throw a punch. I can kick some ass. Maybe if you're lucky, I'll kick Asher's ass so you can see just how skilled I am." He looked smug, but I was doubtful. I had seen Asher fight before. "So, you and Asher are what now exactly?"

  I perched on the side of his bed and looked up at him. "I guess he's my boyfriend. And you're my other boyfriend. Is that going to be a problem?"

  "You're wrong. I'm your boyfriend and he's your other boyfriend. And no it's not a problem, we talked about that already. I can't say I have any experience sharing a woman, but we probably need to all have a conversation at some point."