by Lola StVil
“Wow, you remember that?” she asks Bex.
“How could I forget? It was the first time we…” He says with a coy smile.
“Yeah…why were we even on earth then?”
“The reason that usually brings us to earth, we were looking for your sister.”
“Oh yeah, she missed curfew—again.”
“We had spent the whole night looking for her. We were frustrated and tired,” Bex recalls.
“We ended up near this bed and breakfast place…” she says.
“We decided to rest for a few hours.”
“And that’s when you attacked me,” Bex jokes.
“What? Why are you lying?” she says, laughing.
“I’m not. I was in my room and you came and knocked. I didn’t want to be rude so I opened the door,” he explains.
“Oh, so you were just being a good angel?” Key teases.
“I was trying. But then I saw you standing there in the doorway looking…amazing.”
“I know I seemed confident, but I was nervous,” Key admits.
“Kiki, I knew you were nervous; you shook the entire time you stood in the doorway. And your voice cracked when you spoke,” he says.
“I thought I was being sexy and playful.”
“You were freaked out,” he corrects her.
“Fine, maybe I was somewhat skittish. So is that all you remember about that night?” she asks.
“I remember everything. It was the first time you’d ever been to Maine. You were instantly in love with the foliage and all the different fall colors. Without warning, you leaped into a pile of leaves almost as tall as you. When you came to my room you still had some in your hair.
“You closed the door behind you, leaned in, and kissed me. You smelled like vanilla and jasmine. It drove me nuts. I mean, I wanted you so much. I wanted to pull you close and explore every inch of you. And you were all over me, so I thought we were on the same page.
“Then I looked into your eyes and saw you were terrified. We had fought demons, creatures, and faced certain death together, and I had yet to see you look as scared as you did in that moment,” Bex recalls.
“I didn’t want to do it wrong. I wanted to be perfect for you,” she says sadly.
“Are you kidding, I was standing alone in a room with the angel I loved. It was perfect. You were perfect. And I’m glad that you were scared because it forced me to slow down and it gave us a chance to talk. I mean really talk,” Bex reminds her.
“We didn’t even Recharge that night, did we? We just stayed up talking about…well, everything: our families, the team, and the pressure of training. I thought you’d be disappointed that it didn’t happen for us, but you weren’t.”
“No, I had a great time,” Bex assures her.
“Yeah, but when the sun came up, the look of terror in my eyes disappeared, then we had a better time,” she muses.
“Hell yeah, that part I loved as well. You were…awe inspiring.”
“Really?” she asks.
“I don’t know how you can be an angel and still move the way you do.”
“Stop it,” she says shyly as she covers her face with her hands.
“I’m serious, Key. I’m sure some of the things we did in that room were illegal in both the angel and human worlds,” he says as they share a laugh.
When the laughter dies down, they find themselves only inches away from each other, exchanging a heated gaze.
Their lips meet in a slow, sensual kiss. The longer they kiss, the more passionate it becomes. They hungrily seek each other out. A soft moan escapes Key’s lips, and he grazes her thigh.
The mixture the Healers gave him must have messed with his head. That’s the only reason he said my name out loud. He loves Key. And they will be just fine.
Key places her hand on the back of his head and runs her fingers through his hair as they make out. She glides her tongue skillfully across his lips and he groans softly. They move in perfect rhythm. They are unable to get enough of each other…
*******
“You’re entering full-on ‘perv territory,’ you know that, right?” Randy says on the phone after I tell him everyone is okay.
“I didn’t mean to stay that long outside their door.”
“But you love a good soft porn flick in the middle of the day?” he offers.
“Randy, stop. I’m being serious.”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Go on, what else did I miss?” he asks.
“Oh nothing, well except for Bex talking in his ‘sleep’ and saying he’s in love with me,” I reply.
“He did what? Start from the top and skip nothing,” Randy pushes.
I tell him what Swoop and I overheard in Bex’s hospital room.
“So don’t tell me—you felt chills and now you want him too,” Randy says.
“No!”
“Are you sure, Pryor? You did not feel any chills or even a little shiver?” Randy teases.
“No, so stop bringing it up.”
“Seriously though, it’s time Key moved on from this guy,” Randy suggests.
“Bex didn’t know he was saying my name. He was medicated,” I reply.
“So what are you going to do? Will you tell Key?” he asks.
“No, it was no big deal. I don’t want to mess things up for them. They’re trying to work things out. I wish I had found someone to hold me the way Bex was holding Key,” I admit.
“Now where would you even begin to find a guy like that?” Randy teases.
“Craigslist,” I reply.
“Pryor…” he says sternly.
“What?” I ask.
“You know there’s already a guy who wants you the way Bex wants Key. I mean, the guy told his dying dad that he found a girl that showed him what it is to be in love. What more do you want?” Randy asks.
“He never said my name. And anyway, it was a really emotional and stressful moment. I can’t exactly bring that up now, can I?”
“Why not?” Randy asks.
“How would that go exactly? ‘Hey, remember that time when your father was dying…?’”
“Aaden doesn’t want me. He has made that clear.”
“Look, any girl can leap into danger and slay demons, but the real challenge is knowing that the Noru you care about may not return your feelings and still making those feelings known. Pry, I think you can do it. You can face up to your feelings for Aaden.”
“Randy—”
“Be brave. He might say he doesn’t feel the same. He might take you in his arms and fly you off to…wherever it is angels go off to at the end of their fairy tales.”
“I don’t know…” I argue.
“Exactly the point: You don’t know; so go find out.”
“Randy, what if he breaks my heart?”
“Pry, sounds like it’s already broken. What if he can make it whole?”
********
An hour later I find myself doing something I never thought I would do: confronting Aaden. Since his dad is back, he moved back in with him. So here I am standing outside Uncle Rage’s door. I was going to turn around, but then I remembered something about my parents that forced me to stand my ground. So, I knock.
“Carrot, is everything okay?” Uncle Rage asks, concerned.
“Yeah, everything’s fine,” I reply, looking back at him awkwardly.
“I see,” he says, studying me.
“Um…is Aaden home?” I ask.
“He’s upstairs.”
“Oh,” is all I can say.
“I don’t know what happened at the Center. Diana hinted, but I can’t seem to get the details out of him. Do you know what happened?” he asks.
“He doesn’t share with me like he does with Ruin. I guess they were…close,” I reply, lowering my head.
“Well, I’ll get the info I need. They asked me to be on the Board.”
“Really? That’s great.”
“I wasn’t sure I was going to take the position, but
I thought about it and it’s a perfect place to sniff out who the fuck is responsible for hurting my son.”
I shift my weight uncomfortably. I could tell Uncle Rage that Bex signed off on Aaden going to the Center. I could also tell him that Bex didn’t know what would take place there, but the Akon isn’t great with understanding. There is no doubt in my mind he would go after Bex. Even though he’s no longer evil, he’s not the kind of demon you want to push, especially when it comes to Aaden.
“What happens when you find out who did it?” I ask.
The murderous look he gives me tells me that my decision to withhold information from him is the right one.
“It would be a lot easier if my son would tell me where the Center is located.”
“He doesn’t want you to do anything drastic,” I reason.
“Pry, they tortured him. I don’t know all the details as I said before, but they will pay.”
“So you’re looking for the angel who sent him there?” I ask.
“Not just him. I’m going to shut down the Center. If not by angel means then by fire. Believe me, everyone who had anything to do with hurting Aaden will die.”
I try not to react but hearing the rage in the last Akon’s voice shakes me to my core. After he makes me promise to stay safe and not take any more “foolish” chances, he tells me Aaden’s in his room, then he heads outside, leaving Aaden and I alone.
I knock on his door, not sure what I’m going to say once he opens it. This may be a big mistake; if so, it’s one I have to make. I knock again. He opens the door and stands before me, barefoot with jeans and no shirt.
Wow…
I bite my lower lip to keep from gasping at his spectacular physique. I try to stay focused but his chiseled abs, broad shoulders, and insanely well-defined arms make it hard. And for the record, the ardent stare I’m getting from his warm, honey colored eyes is not helping either.
Seriously, wow…
“Hey, what’s up?” he asks.
“Your dad let me in. Ah…I need to talk to you,” I manage to say.
“Sure,” he replies as he steps aside so I can enter.
Once in, he closes the door behind me. I take in his room. It’s sparsely decorated, and what little he has in the way of décor is mostly grey and blue. I’m not surprised. He was never one for complicated furniture or lavish things. Something by his nightstand catches my eye. It’s a light blue mixture in a jar.
“Hey, what’s that mixture?” I ask.
“It helps conceal scars.”
“You have scars?”
“It’s just always good to have around. So, what’s up? Is the team okay? Has something happened?” he asks, concerned.
“Everything’s fine. I’m actually not here on ‘team business.’”
“What is it?”
“Ruin accused me of only seeing who you used to be. She was wrong. I see who you are now and who you’ll always be.”
“I’m not sure I follow,” he admits.
“She thinks that whatever happened to you at the Center turned you into a full-on demon. I need you to know that that’s not true.”
“Pry, she’s right. I’m not like I was before. I don’t give a rat’s ass about the Angel world or what goes on in it. There are things I can’t stop reliving no matter how hard I try. Like it or not, the Center changed me,” he says.
“Yes, but they didn’t change the parts of you that matter. Omnis only knows what horrific things they did to you in there, yet you still refuse to name the girl in the alley who really killed those humans. You insist on protecting her.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” he replies.
“Yes it does. Also, no matter how much you and Bex go at it, you’d risk your life for him. And I know you left Ruin because she was willing to do things that you weren’t. I heard about you two destroying property, but I bet you drew the line at hurting people. Am I right?”
“Look, Pry…” he says, avoiding eye contact.
“C’mon, Aaden. You’re doing what angels do. You protect others at any cost. But because of the Center you hide who you really are under a thin coat of ‘screw the world,’ and you don’t have to.”
“Is that what you came to tell me?”
“No, it’s not.”
He stares back at me, waiting for me to state my true purpose for being here. I guess it’s now or never.
“Aaden, it took my mom and dad way too long to get together. I don’t want to repeat their mistake. That’s why I promised myself that if ever there was a guy I liked, I’d come right out and tell him. I swore I wouldn’t play coy or pretend. I’d just say it. I’d go over to him and say, ‘Hey…I like you.’”
“Is that what you came to tell me? You like me?”
“No, I don’t like you; I love you. Okay? I am in love with you.”
He winces as if he’s in some kind of pain.
“Aaden?”
“Go on,” he says in a slightly labored breath.
‘Go on’? I say I love you and that’s all he has to say? Wow.
“Um…that’s it,” I reply lamely.
He doesn’t say anything. This is worse than death. Dear Omnis, why did I decide to do this?
No, Pry. You said you were going to speak up, so speak up. Say everything you’ve wanted to say even if it hurts; say it and be done.
“Actually, there’s one more thing: I need you to talk to me. What actually happened at the Center? What did they do to you in the White Room? Why would it be so bad if we got together?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“You’re not even going to try?” I shout.
“Pryor, you have no idea what you’re asking of me.”
“No, I don’t, but what I do know is that I want to be with you. I want to be your girl. But you won’t let me in. You just keep building this crazy high wall and no matter how hard I pound my hand against it, it won’t come down.”
Once again he turns away from me. I reach out and take his face in my hand.
“Aaden, my hands are bloody and raw from banging on that stupid wall you keep putting up. I don’t know what to do. Should I go get something to help me break it down or wipe the blood from my hand and walk away? Aaden, should I stop trying?”
He doesn’t reply.
“Aaden, say something. Please.”
Silence.
“Guess that’s my answer,” I reply sadly.
I let go of him and head for the door. He doesn’t call out for me or try to stop me in any way. Just as I turn the knob and open the door, I turn back and address him earnestly.
“You have to let someone in, even if it’s not me…”
I close the door behind me and then head out into the New York City night. The air is pretty mild, yet I feel cold. I zip up my sweatshirt, shove my hands in my pockets, and walk down the street.
Aaden and I will not be together. I understand that now. When Sam died, I lost my “heart.” And I’m still trying to adjust to walking around without it. The hole his death left me with makes it almost impossible to keep going. And now I go and leave my soul up in that room with Aaden.
He can have it; it’s not whole without him...
CHAPTER TWENTY: THREE SECONDS
I try not to laugh at Randy, I really do. But seeing him walk into school with his Star Wars PJs is just not something I can overlook. Randy is back to his normal self for the most part. Although there are moments I catch him lost in thought. I’m certain he’s replaying that moment in the cave. He still thinks he was a coward. But really, I think he’s among the bravest humans I know.
“Hey, it’s ‘spirit week.’ Where are your pajamas?” he asks.
“I’m skipping spirit week, thank you.”
We walk over to the lockers as a sea of students in PJs pass by us.
“Well, the rest of the team is getting into it,” Randy says as he signals towards the twins.
This is the only time I’ve ever seen them wear the same clothes.
They have on Bugs Bunny PJs, complete with slippers and hoods with long pointy ears. They even carry small pillows.
“Seriously, guys? You brought props?” I ask.
