I ease back, tears brimming in my eyes. “You love me good, Coop, and I won’t ever take that for granted.”
He kisses me through my tears, and I wish tonight had taken a different course. That we’d attended the dance and gone to a hotel like he’d planned and that I’d given myself to him completely. He breaks away first, brushing hair back off my face. “You okay now?”
“I will be.” I give him a reassuring nod, although I’m not one hundred percent convinced on the inside.
“I’ll drive you to Jensen’s,” he says with a scowl. “Just let me get changed first.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Ten minutes later, we’re on the road. I fiddle with the radio, finding a station I like. Soulful, melodious notes match my mood as we drive silently toward my parent’s farm. Coop drives with one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand on my knee. I text Jensen asking him to meet me at the barn. The lights are on when Coop pulls up outside, cutting the engine and turning to face me. “I need to ask you to stay in the car,” I say, expecting him to protest, so I’m surprised when he doesn’t.
“I agree. If I go in there, I’ll just want to punch his lights out.”
“Your jealousy is kinda charming in its own way,” I half-joke, stretching across the console to kiss him. Being Cooper, he totally takes my chaste kiss and turns into one so hot it practically lights my body on fire. “Hot damn.” I fan my face with my hands.
His answering grin is territorial in the extreme. “I want you to go in there remembering my lips on yours and how it makes you feel.”
“As if I could ever forget.” I curl my hand around the door handle.
He places a hand on my elbow. “I’ll be listening, and if he touches you, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
“I appreciate your honesty, even if I wish you wouldn’t listen in, but I’m not going to ask you not to—I know you need to do this for your sanity. Just try not to bust in there, because this is going to be hard enough on Jensen as it is.”
He nods, kissing my cheek, before I slide out the door.
Jensen is sitting stiffly on the couch, staring off into space as I enter the barn. “Hi.” I drop on to the end of the couch, angling my body toward his. I’m unbelievably nervous about this conversation, and I’ve no clue how to start explaining this.
Jensen snaps out of his daze, turning to look at me. His face is ashen, his eyes red-rimmed, and his hair unkempt like he’s been running his hands through it continually. He’s still in his tux, but the tie is missing, and he has the top few buttons of his shirt unbuttoned. He looks so handsome, in a disheveled kind of way. A sorrowful pang punches me in the gut.
“Is she really your sister?” he blurts.
I gulp. “It looks like it, but I don’t trust her or the bullshit she’s spouting. I know I have no right to ask anything of you Jensen, but I still care about you, and I don’t want to see you come to any harm, so I have to ask you”—I lean forward, propping my elbows on my knees—“to beg you, to stay away from her. She’s bad news.”
“I don’t need you to tell me that,” he replies quietly. “She tricked me into sleeping with her by pretending to be you.” All the color leaches from my cheeks, and I look away. Silence engulfs us, and I don’t know what to say. “I’m sorry, Tori. I really am. I genuinely thought she was you.”
“You aren’t the one who needs to apologize, Jensen. This is all my fault. I should’ve left months ago, and then you would’ve been safe. Then my dad would still be alive.” Tears sting the back of my eyes, but I don’t let them fall. I won’t, because I don’t deserve any sympathy. My bad decision-making has led us to this point.
“I’m glad you didn’t leave, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you at the funeral, but I was in too much pain, too shocked, and too frightened.”
I go still. “What?” My voice is quiet even though there’s a storm brewing inside me.
He draws an audible breath. “I was there that night, Tori. At the barn. I couldn’t sleep because of the storm, and I had a bad feeling, so I decided to check the outbuildings and make sure everything was okay.” I’m scarcely breathing, and I’m sure there’s a look of horror on my face. “I saw you,” he whispers. “Your eyes had changed color, and you killed that, that silver-haired freaky thing. You burned him with fire from your hands.” He eyeballs me, and I see the glint of fear still lurking behind his eyes. “What are you, Tori?”
My mouth feels incredibly dry. “I never wanted to have to tell you this, Jensen. I wanted to protect you. To keep you away from everything.”
“Is that why you broke up with me?”
“Yes. Or at least it was a big part of it.”
“That makes me feel a little better.”
I cringe. “It doesn’t change anything. My life is set on a different path now, and there is nothing I can do to alter that.”
He scoots a little closer. “Explain it to me, Tori. Help me understand.”
“If I tell you this, you can’t tell another living soul, Jensen. It’s too dangerous.”
“I promise I’ll keep your secret. I just want to know the truth.”
I peer into his eyes, eyes I know inside and out, and I want to share this with him. He’s already in the line of fire, and he deserves to know the full extent of what he’s become embroiled in, so I start talking, and I don’t stop for almost an hour, filling him in on most everything, answering the intelligent questions he asks me. I don’t mention anything about the vision or how General Arantu has been trying to recruit me to the dark side, because I don’t want to give him any more nightmares.
He flops against the arm of the couch, covering his mouth with his hand. “My God, Tori. This sounds like something straight out of a book.”
“Or a horror movie,” I joke. “And it only gets stranger and stranger the more I uncover.”
“And you really had no idea?” He crosses a leg over his knee.
I shake my head. “I had no clue. I thought I was as normal as you until I started to change in ways I couldn’t explain.”
“I wish you had confided in me, although I understand why you didn’t. A lot of things make sense now, but I hate the thought of you going through that alone.”
“I wasn’t alone, Jensen,” I say softly. “I had the guys.”
His mouth pulls into a grimace. “So this connection you have with them, it’s because of this bond, this ceremony of light you had when you were babies?”
“Yes, but it’s more than that. I …” I don’t know if I should say this. I don’t want to be unintentionally cruel, but I see the hope shining in Jensen’s face and he needs to understand there is no future for him and I, ever. “I love them, Jensen. They are my future.”
His brow puckers. “You don’t mean that …” A look of horror crosses his face.
I’m not going into the specifics, and, right now, I’m not sure if there will be any relationships to salvage, but I came to this meeting promising myself I’d be honest with Jensen. I owe him that much. “Cooper is my official boyfriend in public, but they’re all my boyfriends. I’m in a relationship with all of them.”
He doesn’t need to know that Dane can barely stomach the sight of me.
“You’re having sex with all of them?” he shrieks, his eyes popping wide in disbelief.
I’m not going to confirm or deny that because what happens between me and the guys on an intimate level is strictly between us, but before I can form a response, Coop is at my side, answering for me. “That is none of your business.”
Jensen jumps up, stumbling awkwardly. “Where the fuck did you come from?”
“He teleported from the car,” I explain.
Jensen lands a hand over his heart. “Jesus Christ. I need a drink, and I don’t mean a soda.” He flops back down on the couch.
“We didn’t want you in the know, for a bunch of reasons, but our hand was forced. I need to know you aren’t going to do anything about this,” Coop says with
a blatant threatening look on his face. “If you do or say anything which puts Alinthia in danger, I will end you.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t do anything to risk her life!” he exclaims, shaking his head in disgust. “You don’t have the monopoly on loving her! I loved her first, and for a hell of a lot longer than you.”
Coop leans in to him. “I’ve loved her from the minute I was born, and it’s not a competition, asshole. It’s about keeping her alive and helping her fulfill her destiny. If you aren’t with us, you’re our enemy, and we will take you down.”
“Grow up, and stop trying to intimidate me.” Jensen faces off with Coop.
Coop smirks. “Yeah, I don’t think so. Your thoughts betray you. I know exactly what you’re thinking.”
Jensen turns milk-white as he looks over Coop’s shoulder at me. “Please tell me he’s spoofing?”
“Afraid not. Coop can hear conversations for miles and miles, and he can hear people’s thoughts once he’s come in contact with them before. So it’s best to be careful with your thoughts around him.”
“As if I didn’t hate you enough,” Jensen mumbles.
“Look.” I tug on Coop’s arm, pulling him back a little. “I know you guys don’t like each other, but I’m asking you to put aside your differences. We’ve got some pretty big problems here. Alandra is one. General Arantu and the multitude of bounty hunters searching for me are another. We can’t fight. We’ve got to be on the same side.”
“I’ll do anything to keep you safe, Tori. And I’m glad you told me the truth. I’ll watch over the farmhouse and your mom. I’ll steer clear of Alandra, and I’ll keep a close eye on Jack, and I promise I won’t breathe a word to anyone.”
A layer of stress lifts off my shoulders. “Thank you.” Hesitantly, I move over and hug him. He holds me tight, and I close my eyes, allowing myself this last moment with him. Then I straighten up before Coop loses it. “And you forgot one important thing. Watch your own back. If you notice anything unusual, anything at all, you need to let us know. Call out for Coop if it’s an emergency. He’ll hear you, and we can get to you superfast.”
Coop stands, sliding his hand in mine and urging me up. “I think we should head back, especially if you want to check in on your mom first.”
“Okay. Can you just give me a minute alone with Jensen?”
He’s not happy about it, but he acquiesces, sending Jensen a death glare as he leaves.
“I know this has all come as a massive shock, and I know I’ve hurt you, and that was the last thing I wanted to do, but I want you to know how much I loved you, Jensen. How precious all my memories are and how grateful I am to have known you in my life. I hate that the future we had planned was torn from us, but my destiny was set in motion before I was even born, and I can’t turn my back on that.” I take his hands in mine, squeezing. “I will always treasure the time we had together, and a part of me will always love you, but we won’t ever be together again, and I want you to move on. To find someone else. To be happy. I want that more than anything for you.”
“I still love you so much, Tori. And I miss you so Goddamned much.” His voice is clogged with emotion.
“I miss you too, Jensen, but it will get easier. And if you ever need me, I’ll be there in a heartbeat. But only as a friend. I can’t ever be anything more, and I need you to accept that. To try to move on.”
“I won’t ever forget you, Tori, and a part of my heart will always belong to you, but I hear you loud and clear.”
I let go of his hands, smiling sadly at him. “So, friends?”
He nods. “I’ll try.”
I stand. “Take care of yourself, Jensen. And thank you for everything.”
As I walk away, I know I’ve just firmly closed the door on that part of my life, and it’s hugely painful, although necessary. I only hope that my actions haven’t put him at risk. I’ll never forgive myself if he gets hurt, or killed, because of me.
CHAPTER 32
Things are still strained the next day, and Dane refuses to come to Mom’s for Sunday dinner, citing work as an excuse, but we all know the real reason. Maddox and Beck are quieter than usual, but at least they aren’t outright ignoring me.
Coop explained that he and Dane have tried to locate Alandra using their gifts and it’s not working, which only adds to the general sense of suspicion we all feel when it comes to her. The only thing that seems to confirm her assertion is the fact she’s in her natural form, but everything else smacks of trickery.
I head over to Kylie’s for the afternoon, giving them all some space. She proceeds to give me the lowdown on events at the dance after we left.
“Kenzie and Jack had an almighty argument, and she stormed off in tears. It was awful.” We are sitting on her bed, painting our toenails, and I love the normalcy of it. I suspect moments like this will be few and far between in my future.
“I wonder if it was about the fact Alandra slept with Jack too.”
“What?” Kylie shrieks.
“I know. Once a sleazebag always a sleazebag. I hope she’s done with him for good this time.” I pause to draw a breath. “And how did your night go?”
“It was cool. I mean, I missed you, but Hunter made it fun.” A knowing smile spreads across her mouth, and I elbow her.
“Spill, girlfriend. Did something happen with him?”
“He kissed me,” she admits, grinning. “More than once.” Her grin expands. “And it was fucking amazing.”
“I’m really happy for you. Hunter’s a good guy. And he’s hot.”
“He asked me out on a date.” Her smile is so wide it’s threatening to split her face.
“Aw, that’s so great. I hope it works out. You two will make a lovely couple.”
“It’s still early, but I hope so. I really like him.”
“I know you do. I’ve always suspected it.”
“And what about you? Have things progressed further with any of the guys?”
I snort. “Definitely not. Dane’s not speaking to me, and Maddox and Beck are giving me a wide berth. Coop’s the only one who doesn’t seem to be pissed at me.”
“You should totally do the deed with him. I don’t know how you’re resisting. If a guy as fucking drop dead gorgeous as Coop looked at me the way he looks at you, I’d have jumped his bones a million times by now.”
I groan. “Kylie. You do know he’s probably listening in on this conversation?”
“And?” She gives me a cheeky wink, and I swat her with a pillow.
“We have all this alien shit going on that takes precedent over our hormones.”
“You can still make room for sexy times.”
That girl talks a whole lotta sense.
“Knock it off, Coop!” I hiss, and Kylie titters. “You too!” I nudge her shoulder. “I’ve bigger issues to deal with than my love life.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” I groan Monday morning as we arrive at school. Alandra is holding court outside the entrance, surrounded by a host of admirers. She’s wearing the tiniest denim skirt ever made with knee-high black boots and a body-hugging white tank under an off-the-shoulder sweater. Her hair is hanging in straight lines down her back, and she has more makeup on than a Kardashian on a night out.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I demand, storming up to her.
She casts a derogatory glance over my skinny jeans, sweater, and sneaker combo. “How lovely to see you too, dear sister.”
“Get lost,” Dane sneers at the group of guys hanging off Alandra’s every word, sending them packing. A few flip him the bird, and others toss kisses at Alandra as they leave. Clueless idiots. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Dane asks her.
“Going to school. Same as you.” She smiles sweetly, deliberately folding her arms under his chest, drawing attention to her boobs. She is a walking cliché, and I’d laugh if I wasn’t so freaked out by her presence and the possibility she’s the one in the vision.
“The
hell you are,” Maddox says, turning to Beck. “You can fix that, right?”
Beck nods while looking at Dane. Dane crosses his arms over his chest, schooling his features into a neutral line as he stares at Alandra. No one speaks while Dane deliberates. Alandra smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Okay,” Dane says after a bit. “You can stay.”
“What?!” I all but explode. “She can’t go to school here! I don’t trust her.”
“Looks like you don’t have much of a choice,” Alandra purrs, trailing her finger over Dane’s chest as she moves away. “See you later, sexy.” Flinging her hair over one shoulder, she saunters off, sashaying her hips for the waiting clingers.
Dane is in my face before I can say another word. “Do not challenge my authority in public again.”
“You don’t hold rank in this scenario, Dane,” I retort, incensed to the point where I’m not afraid to exert my own authority.
“I don’t think you want to go there, sweetheart. Your position isn’t exactly all that secure.”
“What?” I splutter. “You’re not seriously considering anything she says?”
“While we’re investigating her claims, I’m the one calling the shots around here. Not you.”
“How is allowing her to infiltrate a human school a good idea? For all we know she could be a curse-infector and you’ve just given her access to all my classmates!”
“If that is her plan, whether she attends school or not won’t stop her.” Dane taps the side of one temple. “Use your brain. Keeping your enemies close is the smart move. This way, we can watch her closely. At least we know where she is.”
He’s got a point, but I’m too stubborn and too pissed to confirm it. “If she messes with any more of my friends, I’m holding you responsible.”
I stomp off, leaving the guys arguing behind me.
Alandra seems to have replicated my schedule on purpose, and having to watch her flirtatious behavior in every class grates on my nerves. The rumor mill is already in overdrive because of what went down at the dance, and Alandra’s arrival at school has only heightened interest. I hate being the subject of gossip, and I’m pissed that she’s causing more trouble for me. By the time lunch arrives, I’m in a foul mood, and that’s only made worse when I spy Dane in a whispered conversation with her just outside the cafeteria. They are lounging against the wall talking, heads in close together, and she has her palm on his chest.
The Secret Heir (Alinthia Series Book 2) Page 23
