‘You have to tell me what happened,’ he said, moving my hair back from my face.
The tears came again. He didn’t say anymore as he stroked my back and I started to feel normal again.
‘We need to get you dry.’
It wasn’t a certainty but I was sure he touched his lips to my hair. He let me go and stepped out of the shower. Throwing a towel around his shoulders, he reached back in. The water snapped off, before he wrapped me in a towel and pulled me out. He started to rub the material over my skin vigorously. He moved the towel over the whole of my body, even down my legs.
‘You really need to take these off now,’ he said, rubbing my butt with the towel.
Jolting back, I almost slipped over. I had accepted his help with everything else but I couldn’t let him see me completely naked.
‘Calm down, I’ll leave you to it.’ He chuckled, standing up. He stretched before he backed out of the bathroom.
I quickly stripped off and wrapped my hair in another towel. When I came out of the bathroom, Antony was wearing his jeans and nothing else. His shirt, underpants and my dress hung by the radiator.
‘Quick, get in the bed.’
I did as I was told. My body hadn’t fully recovered yet and I needed warmth.
‘We need to dry your hair. I found this in the drawer,’ he said, holding up a hair dryer.
Sitting up, I released my hair from the towel and discarded it on the floor. The hair dryer burst into life as Antony climbed onto the bed behind me. He aimed the hot blast in my face, making me choke. He laughed and turned it to my hair.
‘Sorry, I’ve never dried someone else’s hair before.’
‘Do you do your own?’
My hair flew everywhere which made me smile. He wasn’t a very good hairdresser.
‘Only sometimes. Not very often,’ he said, turning the dryer on his own hair for a second.
‘So you don’t sit in front of a mirror, styling it every day?’
He pushed my head gently forward so he could dry the underneath. He unfolded his legs so they were either side of me.
‘Nah, I get up and let it rest how it does.’
It was nice to joke together. His hair would never need drying or styling. It was too short.
I yelped as he held the dryer in the same spot for too long. He moved it and rubbed the sore area on my head.
I remembered that his shoulder was still mending and wondered how bad it hurt after lifting me. ‘Is your shoulder sore?’
When he didn’t answer, I turned towards him but he shook his head. He was lying but I didn’t push him.
‘I wonder what our neighbours think about us making so much noise,’ I said, feeling bad.
‘You’ve got to stop worrying about others so much. Just worry about you.’
My muscles started to shake again. My hair was almost dry. Antony switched off the dryer and put it on the side. He climbed out from behind me and wrapped me tightly in the duvet. I froze when his hand delved under the cover and took hold of the wet towel that was around me. He pulled it away. I gasped as it unravelled and came free. I was cocooned but the intimacy of the action sent a hot bolt through me. He threw the towel on the floor and cuddled his body around my cocoon.
‘Go to sleep. When we wake up, we’re not leaving this room until you tell me what happened,’ he whispered.
I felt safe in my protective cover. I thought about revealing all the details of my encounter with the enemy but I instantly drifted into sleep.
Chapter Ten
‘Why didn’t you ring us?’ Aries growled.
I faced the mob in our living room with Antony by my side. I had told him about the previous evening as soon as we woke up. He hadn’t said a word but listened intently. As a woman, that meant more to me than anything.
‘I was freezing to death. It wasn’t like you were bothered when you left me behind!’ I shouted as Aries went into the kitchen. It was his coping technique. If he didn’t walk away, he was going to blow. It was obvious from the way his back muscles were completely straight under his tight T-shirt.
‘We thought you’d jumped into the river,’ Scorpio said, watching the way Antony stuck close to me. When we had turned up on the doorstep, Leo had denied him access. I argued that Antony was the one who’d actually saved my life, and if they didn’t let him in, I was never coming back.
‘I did jump in the river but only after I was confronted by the man who’s trying to stop us.’
The sofa caught me as I sat suddenly. Antony looked at me before taking a step back. He realised that I needed some space. Cancer on the other hand, didn’t care.
‘Who was it? What did he say?’ she said, almost sitting on my lap as she grabbed my hand.
‘Aries you need to hear this,’ Leo called before I could answer.
The others were on stools, cushions and sofas. They all stared at me, waiting for me to tell them what had happened. When Antony had first seen everyone, he had stumbled over his words. We were quite a collection of diverse individuals.
Aries came back into the room and leant against the doorframe, his bulging arms folded across his chest. He had a scowl on his face but it wasn’t directed at me.
‘This grey eyed man followed me and said he’s going to stop us from uniting with our twin flames. He says that if we’re successful with our mission, we’ll bring more love to the planet and he isn’t prepared for that to happen.’
I tried to disconnect Cancer’s hand from mine but she gripped tight. Her intimacy was foreign to me. When she wouldn’t let go, I just let her hold on. It seemed to comfort her in some way, which made me feel better.
‘Any idea who he was?’ Leo asked.
My head shook, giving them my answer. I had never seen him before…although…
‘I recognised him but not from this lifetime. Father said that the Dysfunctionals were originally made up of darker souls that keep coming back. They claim they need to keep things balanced by eradicating true love until it’s extinct.’
Antony shifted on his feet. He was nervous around my brothers and sisters. I glanced up to see him looking at the women. There were six of us and each one was attractive in their own way. I ducked my head when his gaze landed on me. I wondered what he saw and who he thought was the most attractive. Cancer had noticed me staring and now smiled up at my bodyguard.
‘I knew our enemy would be back.’ Aries pushed away from the doorframe and strode into the room. ‘Thank you for helping our sister.’ When Aries offered his hand, Antony nodded once and shook it. The tension broke when Aries released him.
‘What are you going to do?’ Cancer asked.
I sneaked a peak at Antony to see if he was watching her but his gaze was on me. My cheeks flamed as I looked away.
‘Now that Pisces has found her flame, we need to be extra vigilant. Will you consider coming back here?’ Aries turned to look at me directly.
‘Are you talking about the man from last night? I’m sure he wasn’t my true flame, although…’
A flashback to the dance I shared with the handsome stranger made me blush all over again. The room went silent and I sat back on the sofa as everyone watched me.
‘No, I mean him.’ Aries pointed at Antony.
A gasp left me as Antony raised his hands. Antony wasn’t my twin flame! We had done nothing but argue since we had known each other.
‘I don’t think so,’ Antony said when Aries frowned.
The sting in my chest vibrated through me. I didn’t blame Antony for denying it but it still made me bite my tongue all the same.
‘Seriously…? You don’t see it?’ Cancer blurted.
Antony excused himself and went into the kitchen. Aries looked at me before he followed. I wanted to call him back but he wouldn’t listen.
‘You need to step back a bit and feel with your heart…instead of your head,’ Cancer said, stroking my hair. I almost pushed her away. It was getting too intense. I didn’t enjoy the attention.
Everyone exchanged looks. Even Scorpio had a frown on his face. Although, to be honest, Scorpio frowning wasn’t uncommon.
‘You’ll be all right, Pisces. Just go with the flow and if he wants to get in your knickers…’
‘Leo, shut up!’ Sagi launched herself at our playful brother.
They wrestled to the ground. She managed to pin him down. He loved to laugh and joke about with the other lads but he was usually serious with us. I could take him in small doses. At least today he took the attention away from me.
‘I can’t believe Pisces has found her twin,’ Aquarius said.
I couldn’t take anymore. I needed space. I escaped to the kitchen. Antony and Aries were talking around the corner in the hallway so I stopped. I should have gone straight into another room but I couldn’t help listening.
‘I can’t be her soulmate. I’m not in a position to be in a relationship. It’s not like that with us.’
My hand came to my chest at his words. Why did they bother me? I didn’t see him in that way either…or did I? The remembered kisses came back to me. Seeing him laugh made my heart sing. I always looked for him when I got up in the morning.
‘Are you sure?’ Aries said.
‘I’m sure. I’m just not able to be everything she wants me to be.’
I tried to swallow the lump that came to my throat but it was no good. The tears flowed down my cheeks silently as his words sunk in.
‘Do you know what she wants you to be?’ Aries’ voice was soft. He was pretty understanding when he had to be.
‘She wants a dream man. The type of man that would slay dragons for her. You know…all that knight in shining armour, crap. I’m not that man. I’m just a bodyguard.’
Being so wrapped up in listening, I hadn’t realised they’d moved until they rounded the corner and came into the kitchen. Aries had an arm over Antony’s shoulder. They both froze when they saw me. I made my escape by running across the room and out the front door, wiping my cheeks as I hurried past. I didn’t know where I was going but I needed to be away from everyone. Especially Antony.
There was a park nearby so I made my way over. It was small and quiet. I sat on a swing and let myself rock back and forth. The childhood memory of my mother pushing me, forced its way into my mind. I wished she was there to advise me on what to do. Her practical way would help me put my emotions into perspective.
‘The universe never fails to surprise me,’ a voice said.
It was my dancing partner from the night before. I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts, I hadn’t seen him approach. His eyes crinkled as he smiled. My own lips lifted as I tried to see the sign for what it was.
‘The universe works in mysterious ways,’ I replied, knowing it wasn’t true.
The universe worked in a concise synchronistic way and that was why I had thought that he could be my twin. However, the others thought it was Antony, so now I was just confused.
‘How are you this morning?’
He came and sat on the swing next to me. He wore a smart suit and his hair was ready for the day.
‘I’m…’ I didn’t really know what to say. Should I tell him that I was confused? That I was sad because the beautiful relationship I had been expecting wasn’t there yet? That I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life? That I was being chased by a gun-wielding enemy?
‘I really enjoyed our dance last night.’ He grinned at me.
I ducked my head when he winked at me. In the light of day, the intimacy of the dance seemed a little embarrassing.
‘Me too,’ I replied. Why did I sound so meek? Why did I get all emotional and attached?
‘Can we do it again?’
My cheeks warmed. At least it seemed like he was ready for a relationship. He also showed an interest in me. Although, I had no idea why.
‘Yes, I’d like that. Let’s hope we don’t get gunned down again.’
‘Yes, I read in the paper he got away… I don’t know what this world is coming to.’
I sighed heavily in agreement.
He took out a business card. I read it as he handed it to me.
‘Daniel,’ I muttered.
‘Yep. My name is nowhere near as cool as yours, I’m afraid.’ He stood and started to back away.
‘I’ll expect a text, or phone call later,’ he called, waving as he started to jog.
I assumed he needed to get back to work. My phone was lost but I would go and buy one. Pushing my feet on the ground, I swung into the air. As I came back down, I saw Antony hovering by the entrance to the park, watching me. Daniel ran past him but he didn’t move. The silly grin on my face dropped when Antony came into the park and approached the swings.
‘Should you be talking to strangers?’ he asked.
He didn’t look amused but it didn’t bother me. I wasn’t going to let him bring me down.
‘He’s not a stranger. I danced with him at the club last night.’
He leant against the pole with his hands in his pockets. I dragged my feet on the ground and brought the swing to a stop.
‘And he just happened to find you here? That seems a bit suspicious.’
Looking away from him, I was glad to see Aries approaching us. He had my handbag over his shoulder. I almost cried in relief.
‘Grabbed this last night. Forgot to tell you,’ he said, throwing it when he reached us.
‘The man she danced with was just here,’ Antony told him before I could say anything.
Aries went still and looked between us. ‘He just happened to be passing?’
Scowling, I got up from the swing. I was about to walk away when Aries gently took my arm. ‘No more running. Your safety is on the line now.’
‘She’s good at running,’ Antony said.
What was his problem? Why was he so grumpy all of a sudden? It wasn’t as if he liked me so why the sulkiness?
‘I know. I don’t know anyone as good at running.’ Aries laughed.
‘I do…’
The female voice cut through the mirth. Aries stiffened beside me. I turned to see a tall athletic female standing with her hands on her hips. She had dark brown hair just past her shoulders.
‘Hello,’ I greeted.
The way she glared at Aries could only mean that he had used her at some point and probably let her down.
‘Hi,’ she replied, looking to where Aries held my arm.
He let go of me and stepped back. Antony covered his mouth with his hand. When our gaze met, we couldn’t help but share a secret smile.
‘What are you doing here?’ Aries snapped.
I blinked at him. He had never spoken to a woman like that before. Well…other than his sisters, anyway. He was usually a charmer. A natural flirt that made the ladies feel special.
‘It’s been a while. I was just going for a jog.’
Sparks flew between them.
‘Pisces, this is my ex-girlfriend.’
My eyebrows shot up. As far as I knew, he’d never had a girlfriend. He attracted lots of women but he was a player. I had never known him to settle for one woman.
‘You’re called Pisces…? Seriously…?’
My hands fisted at my side as my skin flushed. How dare she judge our names?
Aries stepped forward and led her away.
‘Don’t be offended. It is weird,’ Antony said.
Shoving the business card that I’d been clutching into my bag, I started to walk back to the house. I was going to say goodbye to my siblings and head home back to Father. When he got back from his business trip, he would tell me what to do about the men from last night.
‘Where are you going?’ Antony followed me.
‘Home,’ I snapped. ‘Why don’t you go and make up for lost time with the girl you were with last night?’
I was being a bitch. I couldn’t help it. My ego was
bruised by his earlier words but I wasn’t sure why.
Father would know. He would confirm that the new man was my twin flame, not Antony.
‘I was bored of her anyway. We already—’
‘I don’t want to hear it!’ I shouted, putting my hands over my ears. I hoped he would get the hint and go away.
‘I can’t leave you alone. It’s my job to protect you. You’d better make your peace with that and get out of that bloody horrible mood you’re in.’
Spinning on the pavement, I faced him. He had a scowl on his face. I was being horrid and he didn’t deserve it. When our gaze met we both froze. I missed our easy banter.
‘I’m sorry,’ I breathed.
He stepped back, his eyes becoming hooded. He shook himself and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Let’s get back to your father’s house.’
Nodding, I followed him as he led us home. I hoped Father knew what to do next, because I really had no idea.
Chapter Eleven
‘Your brothers and sisters think that Antony is your twin flame but you think it’s this man?’ My father waved the business card that Daniel had given me.
He always made me feel like a little girl. He berated me for going out clubbing in the first place, although his anger had only lasted a moment before he got back to business.
‘I need to meet this man,’ he said.
‘I’ve only just met him,’ I replied, knowing full well I wasn’t going to introduce him to them anytime soon.
‘That’s the thing. Expectations are dangerous. We expect something to be a certain way or someone to look and act how we want them to. When that doesn’t happen, we’re disappointed. This isn’t a time for analysing, my dear. I know how fond you are of that.’
I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. The smile that split his face was worth it. His business was the leading company in green energy. His passion for the planet and those that lived on it surpassed anyone. He was a man with a big heart and a hard exterior but I knew how to soften him up.
‘I can’t help the way I am, Father. If Antony was my twin flame, I would know. He kissed me once but…’
‘He did…?’
Nervous energy made me twiddle my hair. How would he react? I had chatted away, not thinking about what I said. Would he sack Antony?
Pisces: Book 1 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) Page 8
