Branded

by Keary Taylor

  Oddly the rest of the night passed in a relaxed and comfortable way. Neither of us seemed to know what to do about the situation with Cole at the moment and I plain and simply did not want to talk or think about it anymore. The rest of the day and night was spent watching a few chick flicks, painting toe nails and eating take out Chinese food.

  For once, I just needed a night to be a normal twenty-year-old woman hanging out with her best girlfriend.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  The morning dawned clear and with the promise of a beautiful day. Despite how my body ached, some from still being sick and some from Emily’s not-as-comfortable-as-it-looks couch, I felt oddly good and clear. I still didn’t know what to do about the situation with Cole but I didn’t feel like my brain was so fogged I couldn’t even think.

  I may not have known what to do about Cole but I did have one plan of action.

  As I had been lying on the couch that night, staving off sleep, I realized that today would be the day my family was supposed to be flying into Seattle. I had to call my dad and tell him not to come. It was too dangerous right now. Who knew what could happen. Cole had already gone after Sal. I couldn’t imagine what he might do to my family.

  Knowing my chances of catching him before they left were slim, I borrowed Emily’s phone and called just after six, grateful for the time difference and that it wouldn’t be so early there. Luck had not been with me however and it went straight to his voicemail. They must have already been on the plane, catching the earliest flight. Feeling frantic, I told him the name of a restaurant and a time to meet me. I made sure it was very clear that he was to come alone.

  Emily was still asleep when I was ready to go. I couldn’t help but feel both a pang of jealousy and fear mixed with pity, each in warring portions. I couldn’t be angry at her any more for not telling me how to make the nightmares stop. While I was glad to finally know, she was right in not telling me what she had done. I left her a note thanking her for letting me stay and telling her that I would keep her updated on anything that changed.

  I must have finally been getting the hang of the motorcycle as I made my way home. It felt almost exhilarating and if my mind had not been reeling with what to do so bad I might have actually enjoyed it. The feeling of the wind whipping my hair around and feeling it part on the front of the helmet was a new feeling of freedom I had never experienced.

  The fact that my father was on his way here jarred me from my momentary elation, encouraging me to push the bike all the faster.

  “What are we doing here?” I asked my dad as we pulled into a car dealership. “Aren’t you afraid of being attacked by the wolves?”

  He chuckled as he stepped out of the car and closed the door. “Come take a look with me.”

  I didn’t understand what was going on. After I had gotten home from school I was prepared to sulk around the house all day. No one had remembered it was my birthday all day. No one cared. But as soon as I got home my dad had drug me out into his car and told me we were going for a drive. And here we were at the biggest car dealership Idaho Falls had to offer.

  I followed behind my dad a few paces. He seemed certain where he was going. He walked to the end of an aisle and stopped in front of a shiny blue Toyota that looked nearly brand new.

  “What do you think of this one?” he asked as he eyed it, his hands in his pockets.

  “What’s wrong with the Honda?” I asked as I stood next to him and folded my arms across my chest.

  “Oh nothing,” he said as a hint of a smile tugged in the corner of his mouth. “This just kind of screamed

  ‘Jessica’ at me when I saw it.”

  It took me a second to realize what he was saying. He had pulled a set of keys out of his pocket before it fully hit me.

  “What? No… you…?” I stuttered.

  “Happy birthday, Jessica,” he said with a smile as he handed the keys over to me.

  “Are you serious?” I squealed like the sixteen-year-old girl I was.

  “Why don’t we go for a drive? Give the new wheels a spin?”

  “We can just take it? You already got it?”

  “Technically you’re not driving, since you don’t have your license yet,” my dad said as he glanced around to make sure no one was watching.

  A few minutes later we had worked our way out of the city and switched.

  “Dad, seriously, this is the best present. Ever,” I cooed as I started down a quiet road.

  “I knew you’d like it,” he said as he settled back into his seat. He didn’t even seem nervous that I was driving, without a license too. “I wanted you to have something nice. I know life hasn’t exactly been easy for you.”

  “Thanks dad,” I said feeling my throat tighten a little.

  “It really does mean a lot to me.”

  “I know you don’t like to talk about it and I know your mother hasn’t made it easy for you, but if you ever do want to, you know, talk, I’m always here.”

  “Thanks dad,” I said as my eyes filled with moisture.

  “I know.”

  But no matter how bad I did want to tell him, to tell anyone how terrifying my life really was, I could never tell him. He would never understand.

  Shaking off memories of the past that hurt me more than I cared to admit, I pulled into the driveway and got off the bike. I felt incredibly jumpy and scared as I keyed in the code to the garage and waited anxiously for it to open far enough to push the bike in. I felt only slightly better when the door closed again; sealing me inside what I hoped and didn’t hope was an empty house. Considering Alex’s truck was still gone I knew it should be silent.

  The house that had been so familiar to me for the last year and a half now seemed foreign and intimidating with its dark corners and hidden spaces. I crept from room to room, turning on every light as I went along even though it didn’t do much, the sun was streaming through the windows with wondrous glory.

  Finally satisfied that the house was indeed empty, I climbed into the shower. The enclosed space seemed pathetically calming and safe. I could see every corner in the shower; nothing could be hiding in there. I did however keep the shower curtain open as wide as the water would allow. Just in case anything or anyone tried to sneak up on me.

  Nervousness again settled upon me as I shut the water off, knowing I was going to have to go back out into the rest of the house. I took at least a tiny bit of comfort in the fact that I had locked all the doors as I checked the house earlier.

  I pulled a towel around me and tried to relax a little as I started rummaging through a drawer, looking for a spring shirt I had bought last year. I heard the footsteps only a moment before a pair of strong but gentle arms wrapped around my waist. I barely even jumped at the unexpected touch. I knew this embrace well enough to know there were no sinister intentions behind it.

  A pair of lips touched only briefly onto my bare shoulder before I twisted in his arms, my own lips searching for Alex’s. My arms tightened securely behind his neck and as I strained to stand on my toes to reach his face, he placed his hands on my hips, hoisting me up and I wrapped my legs around his narrow waist.

  Our lips parted and a soft moan of nothing but pleasure escaped them as Alex carried us to the bed. He half tripped as my back landed on my bed, his body a comfortable weight on top of me. His lips moved from my lips down to my neck, moving rhythmically as his hands slipped from my waist down my thigh all the way down to my ankle. I was glad I had taken the time to shave in the shower just barely.

  I couldn’t think of anything else in the world as Alex’s body pressed against mine. There was no such thing as condemned and exalted beings. There were no sinister more-than-man just two doors down, probably after me.

  There were no such things as angels besides the one in my arms.

  Alex rolled, pulling me on top of him. Somehow my towel managed to stay wrapped around me just enough to not show anything important. His fingers traced from the scar on my neck, down my spine to t
he wings, hesitating momentarily at the new raised portion. Graciously he did not stop to ask any questions as his fingers continued their greedy inspection of my skin, a moan of both desire and slight frustration slipping out.

  A few moments later we both seemed to realize we were going to go too far at any moment. With Alex’s fingers still knotted in my hair, he pulled my face just slightly away from his own ever so gently.

  He stared intently into my eyes and I was surprised at how serious and clear his expression was. He seemed to be considering something very important, as if trying to make some significant decision.

  As I stared back, I marveled at the man who held me so tenderly. His miraculously blue eyes burned with sincerity and intensity. His gaze seemed to reach down into my soul and whisper every word I desired to hear into my very core.

  “I love you, Jessica,” he whispered as he continued his intense gaze. “I never have and I never will love another woman like I love you.”

  My pulse skyrocketed and my stomach fluttered in a wonderful way as his words spread through me. I realized then that it was the first time that he had said those words in that exact way. “And I love you, Alex. More than you could possibly imagine. And I will never stop loving you. I promise you that.” As the words crossed my lips I knew they were true. The intensity of them should have frightened me but I had never felt so right saying any words in all my life.

  A small, content smile spread on his lips just before he pressed them to mine briefly. “We should go do something special today. It’s a beautiful day and I want to spend every second of it with you.”

  I couldn’t help but smile as I thought of how ridiculously cheesy we sounded. And I couldn’t have cared less. I loved it and couldn’t have been happier to hear him say the things he did. I marveled at how it was possible to love someone so much. It seemed a miracle that my body didn’t simply burst from the effort of trying to hold it all in.

  “Actually,” I said as I sat up, sliding off of him and adjusting to make sure I was decent enough. “I need to go down to Seattle today. Maybe we could spend the day down there?”

  “That sounds great,” he said with a wide smile. He pressed another quick kiss to my lips before he stood. “Why don’t you pack an overnight bag? I have something in mind.

  I think you will really like it.”

  I smiled and nodded, feeling slightly relieved that he had not asked why I needed to go to Seattle. I hadn’t really thought yet about what I was going to give him as the reason why I would need to disappear for a while today.

  “I’ll finish getting ready, you go shower,” I said with a slight chuckle.

  “Oh sorry,” he said as he blushed and sniffed at his arm. “I bet I reek. We trekked straight through the woods to get to our camping spot.”

  I just shook my head and laughed. “Just go get ready,” I said as I waved toward the door. “I need to get dressed before we do something stupid.”

  He gave a little impish grin. “Good idea.” He then headed for the door and closed it behind him.

  A girlish little squeal erupted from my throat as I jumped to my feet, pure joy and contentment flooding through my veins. I quickly stifled it when I heard a chuckle from somewhere outside my door.

  I dressed with care, making sure everything looked perfect and just right and took the time to make sure my wild curls stayed in just the right place. It really could look nice if I took the time to try and tame it. I tried to pack light but ended up with twice what I would probably need. I had no idea what to prepare for. I was sure Alex would surprise me, he always did.

  Just an hour after he had come home we were loaded in the truck and on our way to the big city.

  While I had no desire whatsoever to live in Seattle, I loved to visit the city. I felt so small there with its towering skyscrapers and it was so easy to blend in and get lost with the thousands of people walking the streets. It was a nice change from the quiet secluded life of living on Lake Samish.

  The day could not have been more perfect with the flawlessly blue skies and temperatures that had to have been pushing seventy. A perfect spring day. It was made all the more perfect having the man I loved more than I could have possibly imagined by my side, his fingers intertwined with mine.

  Despite all the horror and chaos that had been revealed in the last day and a half or so, I somehow managed to keep all of that pushed out of my mind. I was bound and determined to enjoy the time with Alex that I had. No escaped angel was going to take that from me. Nothing would ever take Alex from me and I was willing to do anything to keep him.

  I couldn’t help but wonder at exactly how much money Alex had inherited when his grandparents died. Not that it mattered one little bit but the way he constantly tried to buy me things as we wandered from shop to shop and finally down to Pike’s Place Market made me wonder. I had to be careful to limit the time I looked at anything or I would be in danger of having it gifted to me only a few minutes later. I actually felt proud of myself for having come out of our wanderings with only a few items of clothing, a pair of earrings, and a cheap ring that I was sure would turn my finger green in a few hours. Alex had insisted on the last one for some strange reason.

  The time was approaching when I needed to head to the restaurant I had told my dad to meet me at. I had been trying to not think of how I was going to explain this to Alex all day and now the time had finally come. I decided to be as honest as I possibly could.

  “Do you remember how I said I needed to go to Seattle this morning?” I started as we walked hand in hand up a pier.

  Alex nodded as he licked at his ice cream cone. “You did say that. I didn’t want to push you to tell me why if you didn’t want to.”

  I gave a little half smile at this. “Um…”I scrambled to know how to word what I needed to say. “My family is in Seattle today. Right now somewhere.”

  Alex suddenly paused mid-step and looked at me.

  “Really?” he said with surprise evident in his voice.

  “Ya,” I said uncomfortably. “I’m supposed to be meeting my dad in twenty minutes to talk.”

  Alex considered this for a long moment. “And you want to do this?”

  “Not exactly,” I said honestly. “I haven’t seen the man in over four years. But there are some things I need to say to him. It’s been so long and I just think it’s time I actually talk to him.”

  Alex looked as if he was debating asking me to explain what exactly I meant by that. I was glad when he didn’t. “Is there a chance I could meet him?” he blurted out.

  The color drained from my face as I thought of having him there when I talked to my dad. “No!” I said too quickly.

  “Um…I mean…I think I need to talk to him alone. Like I said, it’s been four years since I’ve seen him. I have no idea how this is going to go. There’s a good possibility this might not be such a pretty and lovey-dovey reunion.”

  “Okay,” Alex said as he nodded his head and continued walking back up the pier.

  A slight sigh of relief blew through my lips. I was so grateful Alex was so relaxed and willing to give me my space when I needed it. Thankfully he was also slightly clueless. Either that or I was a really great actress. I seriously doubted that.

  We parted a few blocks from the restaurant with a quick kiss and plans to meet back up in an hour and a half at the same location. Finally letting go of his hand felt like leaving a part of me behind. Like a hand, or a leg. I didn’t feel whole when he was away.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  I stood in the half full lobby for a few minutes after checking to make sure my dad was not already there. My hands twisted around each other and my head started throbbing slightly again. My heart jumped in strange erratic patterns as my eyes stayed glued on the door. I’d already mapped out an escape route should I see any sign of my mother with him.

  Thankfully, he was alone as he walked through the door. Our eyes found each other almost instantly and I rose to join him at his side
. Not a word was spoken as we followed the hostess through the crowded building.

  When we were finally seated, neither of us seemed exactly sure of what to say to the other. I was surprised at how much older he looked. His hair was the same dark brown color as mine when I left but it was now streaked with grey. Crinkles seemed to be permanent fixtures in the corner of his green eyes and his handsome face seemed softer all over. It seemed he had aged ten years in the four since I had seen him.

  “It’s so good to see you, Jessica,” he finally broke the silence, his voice filled with emotion. As he spoke, moisture welled up in his eyes. He reached across the table and took one of my hands in his.

  I tried to give a little half smile. “You too, Dad.” My mind was drawing a blank on where to even try to begin.

  “I can’t believe you’ve become such a woman. You look so grown up now.”

  At this I did give a little bit of a smile. “Ya, I guess there’s a bit of a difference between how you look at sixteen and how you look at twenty.”

  He gave a little chuckle and a tear rolled down his cheek. He gave a little bit of a sigh as he continued to look at me. “I didn’t tell your mother I was meeting you. I’m supposed to be getting her a special present while she and Amber go to a chick flick. Guess I have to do a little shopping when we’re done.”

  “Thanks dad,” I whispered. I should have known I could trust my dad to keep this a secret. He had always been the one who I could trust.

  The waitress then showed up to take our drink orders.

  I only asked for water and my dad asked for his usual Mountain Dew. Some things never change. The man had drunk at least one a day for as long as I could remember.

  “So how have you been lately?” he asked, the pain of our long separation in his eyes. “You don’t say much in your letters.”

  I debated on how to answer, wondering if I should pad the truth or if I should simply be honest. Honesty seemed the best route. I only had so much time.