by Willow Rose
"You went out with him. Why did you do that?" he asked.
"Because you stood me up, remember?"
"That was a mistake."
"You never even told me you were sorry. You just stopped coming," Jazmine said.
"Because I saw you with that…with Logan."
Jazmine looked into his eyes. They were blazing with fury. His touch was spreading coldness through her body, and she shivered. She knew she still loved Adrian, but this couldn't go on. She didn't dare to continue to be in a relationship with him when he left. She didn't want her heart broken. But right now, as he was standing there looking at her that way, she found it hard to resist him.
Adrian knew it. He could see it in her eyes. He leaned over and planted an icy kiss on her lips. Jazmine closed her eyes and kissed him back, longing for his touches and for being close to him. She had missed having him here with her every day like he used to be, especially after she had found out about her mother. She needed him; she craved him.
But she couldn't.
Jazmine pushed him away.
"What? Why?" he asked.
"I can't do this. Not anymore."
"So what if I am going away?" he asked. "I'll come visit. You can come out there. We'll be together whenever we can. I can move fast in the night, remember?"
"You'll meet someone there; I just know it. Someone who’s like you," she said, holding back her tears.
"I won't. I could never find anyone like you, not like my Wild Rose. There is no one out there anything like you. I don't want to lose you. Let me stay, please? I just want to be with you, to smell you."
Jazmine sighed. She considered it for a few seconds. Having him at the house made her feel safer somehow. The past few weeks had been so incredibly lonely. Telling her friends today had lifted a huge load off her shoulders. Being with Adrian right now made her feel so many things; she wasn't strong enough to not give in.
She looked at his gorgeous face, grabbed it between her hands, then pulled him in close and kissed him. He lifted her up in his arms and carried her to her bed.
Chapter Thirteen
Kipp came over when Amy had just gotten back from the diner. Melanie was in Amy's room, listening to some rock band she was crazy about when he knocked on Amy's door. Amy opened it and let him in.
"You hungry?" she asked.
"Always," he said with a nod. "I am a growing boy."
That made Amy smile. She too was starving even though she had just eaten a burger at the diner a few hours ago. Her mom had told her it would happen. It was something about the dragon and burning off a lot more energy when changing and flying. Maybe that was it, or maybe it was just because she was happy. Yes, she was happy. For the first time in a very long time, Amy was very, very happy. Not that she really understood why, but she just felt that sensation inside of her, and sometimes she simply wanted to burst into laughter. She felt like a child again, so trusting and a little silly.
She found the leftovers of the meatloaf in the fridge and heated it up for them. It was a little burnt but not so bad that it wasn't edible. And Kipp had liked it, a lot. At least he had said he did. She wasn't sure she believed him. And that was the thing, the only thing that troubled her lately. It all seemed a little too good to be true.
They ate while chatting. It was so liberating for Amy to be able to talk to him about herself and her secret life, as well and not having to hide it. Kipp enjoyed listening to her talk about it—at least he said he did—and she had even taken him out flying a few times, letting him ride on her back. It wasn't easy for her to fly with the extra weight, but she was getting better and better at it. It was mostly the landings where she still needed more training. And then getting better at transforming back to human without getting hurt.
"I brought my guitar," he said when they were done eating. He picked it up from the counter where he had put it when he came in. "I thought I could play for you. What do you like?"
Amy removed the plates. "Do you know anything by Imagine Dragons?"
Kipp looked at her, his pick in his mouth, a smile spreading across his lips. "No pun intended?"
Amy tilted her head. "None whatsoever. I loved them before I knew what I was."
He smiled again. "Okay. Smoke and Mirrors?"
"One of my favorites."
They sat on the couch. Kipp started playing and singing. It sounded so beautiful that Amy couldn't help but smile. There was just something about that voice of his that made her forget everything around her. She just wanted to look at him and listen to him all night long. The world could fall apart around them, and she wouldn't notice. All she needed right now was that voice, that silky smooth voice.
Without realizing it, she soon chimed in. Kipp looked at her and continued his singing. When Amy realized she had been singing along, she clasped her mouth in embarrassment, remembering how Kipp had reacted when he heard her sing the first time.
He stopped and grabbed her hand. He pulled it away from her face. "Don't. I like to hear you sing."
"But I sound awful," she said.
"I like your pitchy singing and even your completely-out-of-rhythm clapping. You want to know why? Because it's not perfect. It comes from the heart because you truly enjoy the music."
Amy looked at him, then chuckled. "You know all the right things to say, don't you? Does that line usually work for you?"
He grinned. "Sure. Did it work on you?"
"Kind of."
She leaned back on the couch, running a hand through her hair. It might just have been a line, but he had said it to her. Kipp continued singing, and Amy hummed along, enjoying the moment, when she noticed a huge bruise on his arm when his sleeve slid up while playing.
"What happened?" she asked and pulled the sleeve away, so she could see it properly.
"New foster parents," he said with a shrug. "It happens. I know the drill. It's the same every time. They're nice in the beginning, but then after a few weeks, the novelty of having you in the house wears off, and they start getting annoyed with you. All you can do is stay out of their sight the best way possible and hope they won't hit too hard."
"That's awful, Kipp."
"I'll live. I only have two more years; then I’m a free man."
"But you can do stuff," she said. "I’ve seen you do things with water; can't you make them pay?"
He chuckled again. "I try not to use my powers for things like that. But I have had the desire to, believe me. I have wanted to many times. I just don't think anything good will come from it."
Amy nodded. He was probably right. He was a better person that she was because she would have punished them long ago. She admired his restraint. "Do you ever wonder about them? About your real parents?"
He shrugged. "It happens."
"Do you know anything about them?"
He shook his head. "Nope. All I have is this."
He pulled out a necklace from underneath his shirt. It had a beautiful blue rock at the end of it.
"Wow. That's gorgeous," she said and touched it.
"They found me on the streets when I was just two years old. I was naked, wandering around when a woman found me. I was wearing this necklace and have never taken it off."
"Wow. You must be curious. How did you end up there; where are your parents? Who are they?"
"I’ve been wondering for my entire life, but at some point, I realized I had to start looking forward to the future instead of behind me since that was where I was going. I couldn't get stuck focusing on them or my past."
"I bet they're out there looking for you as well," Amy said dreamily.
"That's a nice thought," he said and stared at her.
Amy felt flustered by the way he was looking at her and blushed. Kipp saw it, then leaned forward, grabbed her by the chin, and moved toward her. They looked into each other's eyes. Amy was holding her breath when he closed his eyes right before he placed his lips on top of hers.
Chapter Fourteen
"Ruelle is here."
Barely had Jayden come back from his shift at the diner before his mother yelled at him from downstairs. His hair was still wet from the shower as he rushed down the stairs to see her standing there, her long light brown hair lying heavily on her shoulders. His heart skipped a beat, and a smile spread across his lips.
"I'll be right there."
He grabbed his dad's car keys and a jacket then approached Ruelle, pulling her into a kiss.
She smiled. "Someone is in a better mood," she said.
"I think I am," he said. "You wanna go out?"
"I thought you'd never ask," she said.
Jayden yelled at his parents that they were leaving, and his mother yelled something back that he didn't hear. They were probably sitting in the living room watching some boring show as usual. His dad hadn't been doing so well since the death of his firstborn son, and most nights he just sat there in his recliner staring into the darkness. He barely slept, and he didn't go hunting either. Neither did his mom. Jayden hadn't seen either of them leave at all since it happened.
"So, what do you want to do?" Jayden asked, putting on his jacket as they walked to the car.
"How about a movie?"
"Sounds perfect," he said.
They got in and drove off. In the movie theater downtown, they watched The Shape of Water. Jayden didn't care much for it, but Ruelle loved it. It wasn't that he didn't like it, he just felt uncomfortable with the entire “monster loves human” storyline. It somehow felt a little too close to home for him.
As they came out, it was getting late. Yet Jayden didn't feel like going home. He had a late shift the next day and enjoyed being out of the house. It was like time had frozen inside of it, and his parents were barely alive anymore.
"You hungry?" he asked.
"I could go for a slice of pizza," she said and pointed at the pizza place next to the movie theater that had a sign out advertising pizza slices for only two dollars. They bought one and shared it. Jayden looked at the stars above them as they finished it, sitting in the chairs outside. It was chilly out, but he didn't feel cold at all.
"How about we go for a drive?" he asked as they walked back into the parking lot. "I don't feel like going home just yet."
She chuckled lightly. It sounded like little bells. He couldn't stop staring at her. Ruelle was so incredibly cute it was hard not to want to kiss her. And he did. He did want to. He wanted to be a part of her world. She was so alive and so easy. She bore so much hope for the future, and he knew being with her meant an easy future for him. Robyn would be nothing but trouble. It was way too complicated. Everything about her was. So, why couldn't he just be happy with Ruelle? Why couldn't he just let go of Robyn? He realized that seeing her today and talking to her was what had made him feel a lot better. He told himself it was also talking to Amy and Jazmine that uplifted him—and they did—but deep down inside, he knew that it was all Robyn. But he had also realized he had to let her go. He wanted her to be his friend, and that was all.
They got into the car, and he was about to start the engine. As he turned to look at Ruelle, wanting to ask her where she wanted to go—hoping she would say Make-out Mountain—he looked straight into her deep brown eyes. She was right in front of him and, seconds later, she was kissing him deeply. They made out in the car and never even realized the clock had passed midnight.
Chapter Fifteen
Veronika and I were hanging out, watching some show on TV, when Duncan texted me asking me what I was doing this coming Saturday. I wrote to him that I had plans with the girls, then looked at Veronika, who had fallen asleep. She was mumbling in her sleep, and her hands were moving. I wondered if she was dreaming about her parents and whether she knew what had happened to them. She still wasn't speaking to me or anyone else, but I had the feeling her eyes had seen more than most kids her age. They had a depth to them that I had never seen in a child before.
I turned off the TV when Duncan texted back that he wanted to take me out Friday then. I glanced out the window toward Jayden's house and sighed. Seeing him at the diner earlier today had made me so happy and, when he sat down with us, I felt a pinch in my stomach. I tried to ignore it, but I had really enjoyed being with him again. It had given me hope that at least we could be friends.
ARE WE ON? Duncan wrote.
SURE, I wrote back.
Seeing Duncan was one of the things I looked forward to during this break. He usually took me nice places, and I enjoyed that. I even enjoyed him a little as well. Well…that's not the entire truth. I enjoyed him a lot. His devotion to me was remarkable. He made me feel like I was truly special. Did I love him? I tried not to focus on it. I liked him. I was attracted to him like crazy. There was something handsome yet a little dangerous about him that I devoured. And his kisses were so…well, amazing. His lips were so soft that kissing him felt out of this world, which I guess it was. He was. And that was my problem. We belonged to two very different worlds, and I was never going to be a part of his. Ever.
I put the phone down and closed the bag of chips that I had snuck inside, after buying it on my way home from the diner. I had also bought a packet of cookies for Veronika, thinking she needed something to comfort her. I felt so bad for her. Not only had she lost her parents and become an orphan, but she also had to live at my house, under my mother's rules, and eat her terrible health food. As if her life wasn't tough enough.
I placed the bag of chips and the cookies in the back of my closet, hiding them behind my shoes in a place I knew my mother would never look. I closed the closet, then returned to Veronika. She usually slept on an air mattress in my room as she had been since she got here, but tonight she had fallen asleep in my bed. I approached her and grabbed her in my arms with the intention of moving her down to the air mattress, when she started to tremble and soon was flickering in my arms. It went on for a few seconds, when suddenly she was gone.
"What the…?" I said, staring down at my empty arms, then at the floor beneath me. "Veronika?"
I searched desperately around me. I looked on the bed and the floor; I even looked toward the closet, wondering if she had somehow crawled in when I was in there with the food, and I had just dreamt or imagined grabbing her.
"V-Veronika?"
I felt something touch my arms and looked down to realize she was back. She flickered a few more times, then completely returned.
Mouth gaping, I stared at the child in my arms, not quite knowing how to react. My heart was pounding like crazy in my chest as I decided to put her down and tuck her in. The girl was still heavily asleep and didn't wake up even once during all this. I stood for a long time watching her sleep, wondering what I had just witnessed, when I heard a door slam shut. I looked out the window in time to spot Jazmine's mom leaving her house by the end of the cul-de-sac, jumping onto her broom, and taking off. Remembering what Jazmine had told us earlier, I closed the window in a hurry, shuddering lightly.
Chapter Sixteen
Her kisses were gentle, and her skin smelled like sweet perfume. Jayden touched Ruelle's cheek, let a finger roll down her nose, then leaned forward and kissed her again. They had never really made out before, but now they were, and it felt amazing. She was so soft, her skin like silk, and the way she giggled or mumbled his name in French was so enchanting he completely forgot about Robyn and Logan and his parents' silence.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered under his breath, holding her face between his hands. She felt so fragile, yet so strong at the same time it seemed impossible. She was everything a boy could dream about and, right now, she was all he wanted.
"Jayden," she said, staring into his eyes. She ran a hand through his thick hair. It felt good.
Jayden couldn't stop kissing her, tasting her warm lips. He felt so many things in this moment it was almost like he was about to explode.
"Oh, Jayden," she moaned under her breath.
"Ruelle," he said when he pulled his lips apart from hers. He held her face between his hands again, staring deeply
into her eyes, when a wave of sudden emotions rushed through him and overpowered him.
"I…I think I…love you."
She stared at him, her smile stiffening slightly. Jayden felt the blood leave his face.
Why did you say that? You idiot!
"I…I mean…I am…"
He tried to save it, but it was too late. The words had leaped from his lips, and there was no turning back now.
"Jayden…I…I…" she said, grabbing his wrists and pulling his hands away from her face. She looked down at them and not at him. Her fingers were playing with his.
Oh, God. She doesn’t feel the same way. Tell her you didn't mean it. Tell her it was too early!
It was. It was too early to say something like that, and he knew it. There was no reason to say such a thing now. Then why had he done it? He had no idea. It was like he couldn't control it.
"Jayden…we're just getting to know one anoth…"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry…I didn't…"
He never made it further before a shadow rushed past the window behind Ruelle. Jayden gasped as the shadow disappeared. He looked around him and found that the shadow was now behind him, moving quickly past the window, before disappearing once again.
Ruelle looked alarmed. "What's wrong?"
"I thought I…saw someone…"
She shrieked. "Outside the car?"
Jayden looked around to see if he could detect the shadow again, but it was gone.
"Maybe we should leave," he said and found the keys in his pocket.
When he looked back up, the shadow was standing behind Ruelle in the window, looking in. And now he could see a face. A face that terrified him even more than anything he could have imagined.
Chapter Seventeen
When the glass shattered, and Jazmine's mom poked her head inside, Ruelle started to scream. It went by so fast that Jayden didn't even have time to react. Jazmine's mom growled, reached inside, and grabbed Ruelle.
