by Arthurs, Nia
It was strange to look back on that night, to think about two paths crossing so randomly.
Had I known then what I knew now, would I still have rescued her?
The thought brought to mind something that Ivy used to say.
The huge risk we took every day to save a handful of her people boggled my mind. For every slave Ivy and I carted to freedom, the ships brought hundreds more.
“It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things,” I’d said to her one busy afternoon.
“I bet it matters to the one person that is free,” she replied.
I knew now what she meant. Tess was only one woman. On the grand scale of tragedies, her case would not have been unique.
Yet the very thought of her in any kind of pain was heart-wrenching. It mattered. She mattered. I finally understood.
The police station was busy with a mass of officers marching to and fro. Files littered desktops and spilled over into office chairs.
I took a seat beneath a community service billboard and held still. I was here to wait and listen.
Conversations buzzed around me like a cloud of mosquitoes. The blue bloods discussed tales of rape, murder, and burglary like reading orders off a tab.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall, hoping for a snippet about the murdered thugs or even for the name of the presiding officer.
This method was a long shot. I prided myself on logic, but sitting in the middle of the police station hoping for a break was pushing the envelope.
I managed to go unnoticed for all of five minutes before a female PC approached.
“Can I help you, sir?”
I’d been had.
“I was just… waiting for someone.”
“Do you have the name of the officer?”
“No.”
“Do you have a case to report?”
“No.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “Are you here to turn yourself in?”
I shook my head. Before she could ask me another question that I could not answer without looking like a total idiot, I stood.
“Thank you for your time.”
She stared at my back as I turned away and walked toward the door. My hand gripped the metal handle and I prepared to pull when a familiar name caught my attention.
“You can tell Mr. Crenley that the case is dead.”
Crenley? Where had I heard that name before?
“I already spoke to Tess Hardey and told her to drop the questions. She’s not going to be a problem. I can assure you.”
Tess?
“Excuse me, sir. You don’t look so good.” The female PC pressed her hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
I looked at her, but her face was not in focus.
Tess! Someone in this precinct knew about Sterm and had a connection to the murders. Was a dirty officer in association with Paul’s murderer?
“Yes,” I shook off her hold and yanked the door open. “I’m fine.”
I jogged down the stairs and turned the corner. Checking to make sure I was alone, I listened to the officer’s conversation and teleported.
I appeared in a cramped office.
“Holy smokes!”
My eyes narrowed in on the speaker.
He was a short, Hispanic man with curly hair and a bushy grey moustache. Wrinkles bracketed his mouth, aging him severely. The badge on his chest read ‘Detective West’.
My fingers pulled into a fist, but I held my temper. Teleporting into his office was already warning enough. I couldn’t reveal any more of my abilities.
“H-how did you get in here?”
Anger rushed through my skull. Did this man have any idea how Tess had suffered? How Mrs. Sterm had suffered?
Calm down.
Breathe in. Out.
Questions circled my mind, but fury held my tongue. I wanted to do, not speak. If I remained a second longer, I had no idea what would happen.
Without a word, I tore the door open and stormed out. It was better this way. If I had moved then, the man would have taken note of my face and my abilities.
It would be better to meet him in a more… favorable environment.
The female PC’s jaw dropped as I tore through the main lobby of the precinct and slipped out the door. I heard her frantic footsteps as she ran to the doorway and stared after me.
I didn’t look back. The alarm chirped when I pressed down on the fob. I jumped into my car and gunned down the gas pedal, sorting through the facts in my mind.
It all began when Sterm and I collaborated to find my ship’s coordinates.
We worked peacefully for three months. Sterm’s sudden decision to move to Belize had to be connected to his murder.
One week after returning to Belize, Sterm was murdered. Tess was the only person left in the world who knew exactly what happened that night.
I couldn’t protect her if I didn’t know what kind of danger she was facing. I had to talk to that officer.
And next time, I wouldn’t restrain myself.
Chapter 18
When I returned home, I had only enough time to change into a proper blazer and dark slacks before my next class.
I locked the front door behind me and darted down the steps toward my car. While scurrying to the driveway, Tess passed me by.
“Evening,” she said.
Her voice sent goosebumps down my skin. I glanced at my arms in horror.
My physical reaction to Tess Hardey had not improved at all. Without even looking at her, I walked as fast as I could and drove away.
As the distance between us lengthened, I breathed easier. The nerves that had seized my body at the sight of her beautiful face loosened until I felt like my normal self.
The reprieve was short-lived. Throughout the class session, all I could think about was Tess.
I passed the trash can and spotted an Oreo cookie package. The image brought her to mind. The way Tess adored those cookies was almost concerning.
A bird cawed, reminding me of her boisterous rendition of ‘I will endure’. Before I interrupted their night, Tess had been singing her head off.
Hibiscus bushes cropping up along the city brought memories of standing on her verandah in the twilight.
The thoughts played like a movie in my mind. It was ridiculous. I was as bad as Leslie-Anne and her twenty-four year old boyfriend.
One would think, after five hundred years, I fell in love with a bit more dignity.
I drove on autopilot. When I parked the car, night was beginning to settle on our quiet neighborhood.
Coconut trees, back lighted by the street lamps lining the sidewalk, swayed in the soft, Caribbean breeze. Oreo barked next door, greeting me in his own way.
My head swiveled to the left, but I froze mid-swing. If I even imagined Tess’s bungalow, the longing to see her would resurface. I had to be strong.
It took great restraint to keep my eyes and my ears under control as I headed to my front door. I didn’t even recognize myself anymore.
How on earth had this human girl begun to dictate where I went or what I looked at?
Tess Hardey was quickly becoming my drug and the more I gave in to the draw, the deeper I would fall.
I managed to enter my home without eavesdropping on her once. Like a ghost, I passed through every room in the split level.
Bathroom.
Bedroom.
Kitchen.
Bedroom.
My buzzer vibrated against my hip. Jones’s number paraded across the screen.
“Oh thank God!” I said to the empty house. Three seconds later, I materialized in front of my friend.
“Geez!” Jones held a hand to his chest. “I hate it when you do that!”
“What is it? What do you need?”
“Um, River… you wanna take a breath, man?”
I sat on the edge of Jones’s sofa. “Did something happen?”
“Nothing big, just a little USL housekeeping. If you had a phone, I would
text you so you didn’t worry.”
I sighed and flopped back into the sofa.
Jones peered at my face. “You’re… disappointed? Seriously? Did you expect some ground-breaking request from me?”
“It’s not you,” I explained. “It’s Tess. I’m going crazy. She’s crawled under my skin like… like––”
“A disease.”
I didn’t disagree.
“I can’t get her out of my mind. I see her when I look at the sky or at the tress or in a trash can.”
“Oy, you know it’s bad when you see her in the trash.”
“How do I get over this?” I begged.
Jones took the seat across from me. He leaned on his thighs and rubbed the flats of his hands together.
“I told you to move when you had the chance.”
“That ship has sailed.”
“Alright. Okay, alright,” Jones stood. “Why don’t you crash at my place until you go back?”
“What?”
“It’s perfect. You won’t sell the house. That’s fine. Just remove yourself from the situation. You have what… a few weeks at best?”
“That’s only a rough estimation…”
“It’s better than the alternative. Which is whining over a woman you barely know.”
“I’m not whining.”
Jones held a hand to his chest. “Oh, I can’t get her out of my mind. I see her in the garbage.”
“I do not sound like that.”
“You’re much worse.”
“You’re not helping.”
“Fine. Go back to your place. Keep on listening to her hum when she’s working. Keep on walking past her every morning over and over, every day…”
“Okay, you’ve convinced me!”
Jones disappeared down a corridor and then returned with a bundle of blankets. He hurled the sheets like a batter with a grudge. I caught the blankets with my face.
“Make yourself comfortable on the couch. I’m an early riser so you should probably get some rest now,” he said.
I pulled the cloth off my head and glowered. Jones smirked and disappeared down the hall singing “sweet dreams, lover boy.”
I watched him salsa dance away, doubly glad that I hadn’t shared the details of Tess’s plan. If Jones had heard that I agreed to ‘date’ my neighbor he would have a conniption.
“Lover boy,” Jones sang from his bedroom.
The man knew that I could hear him. I narrowed my eyes in response.
His ‘I-told-you-so’ act was getting old. I fully intended to beat this enemy called ‘love’. I hadn’t given up on my mind-over-matter tactic.
I glanced at the lamp switch and it flicked off. Shadows crept over the living room furniture. As I spread the sheets over the couch, rain fell outside.
While I waited for sleep to greet me, I listened to the tinny sound of the raindrops on the roof. The private percussion concert was a testament to the magic of the Caribbean.
The music was calming. I had just closed my eyes to sleep when I heard it.
Whether it was Tess’s nightly terrors or my heart’s sensitivity toward her, the minute my ears picked up the sound of cries, I jumped into action.
I would recognize Tess Hardey’s voice anywhere.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I teleported to her house. When I opened my eyes, I stood before her green door.
The rain assaulted my back and sent prickly, cold shivers into my T-shirt. I tilted my head toward the noise coming from inside.
Tess was having nightmares again.
My heart squeezed in my chest. She hadn’t had one this bad since Friday night.
“Noo!” Her tortured screams ricocheted down my spine. “Pleeaase.”
Unable to stand idly by while she suffered, I thrust my hand at the door handle. The locks clicked and the door swung open before me.
I stepped inside and headed for her bedroom.
“Let me go! Let me go!”
I was breaking so many laws right now, but the consequences held little weight in the face of Tess’s pain.
Her bedroom door was open and the hall light blazing on. I wondered if she had always slept like that or if it was a recent development.
Using my abilities, I pushed the door aside and strode for her bed.
Tess lay flat on her back. Her curly brown hair sprawled around her face. A black satin cloth hung off her pillow and trailed the floor.
“Please!”
Her head tossed to and fro. When I drew closer, I noticed the beads of sweat lining her forehead and soaking her clothes.
The white blanket wound around her legs and arms, binding her like an ancient funeral dress. I knelt at her side and placed my hand on her forehead.
“Be still,” I whispered.
She continued to moan. I leaned over her and gently unwound the blankets from her hands and feet.
“It’s okay, Tess. It’s just a dream. You’re safe.”
She slowly calmed. The wrinkles in the middle of her eyebrows straightened out and a peaceful expression settled on her face.
I caressed her hair. This woman would be the death of me.
Suddenly, Tess turned on her side and rolled until she was directly in front of my face. I saw every inch of her features in cutting detail.
Her curly hair tumbled crazily along her head. Her plump lips dropped open and she snorted. I smiled at the sound.
I wanted to remain by her side for the rest of the night, but I could only imagine what Tess would do if she woke up and found me staring at her.
Restraining orders would be the least of my worries.
I rose slowly and tried to pry my hand away from hers. Tess surprised me by slapping her other hand around my own.
My eyes bugged when she tugged me down again.
“Who are you?” she mumbled in her sleep.
Stunned, I allowed her to keep me in place. Eventually, Tess’s hands fell away. I grasped the opportunity to put space between us.
My heartbeat was beginning to pick up again. If I started rattling the window panes in here, she would certainly wake up.
“Good night, Tess,” I said.
She snorted in response.
I stole out of the room and walked to the house next door. If Tess had another nightmare, I wanted to be nearby.
The rain was beginning to slow when I let myself out of the gate. I wiped my shoes against the mat and opened my front door.
The vast space of my living room seemed somehow cold and dark in comparison to Tess’s bedroom.
Was that creepy?
I chased the thought away.
The trek from the hall to my bedroom felt like a journey across borders. After every step, I paused and checked that Tess was still sleeping soundly.
It was then that I realized it. My priorities were completely skewed.
I rushed to my bedroom window and looked up at the stars.
Home.
The one desire of my heart since finding out I had been marooned on this planet was returning to my star. It defined me. Gave me a purpose and a hope.
My gaze swept downward to the bungalow house just across the way. Yellow light spilled from the hallway and seeped through the kitchen window facing my bedroom.
The stars were becoming blurry and my desire was beginning to change from an upward tilt to a horizontal one.
A line was being drawn from my heart to a very stubborn human girl.
“Mm,” she murmured.
My muscles bunched as I waited for further signs that she was in distress. Tess snorted and I realized that she was fine.
Though the threat had passed, I continued to gaze at the bungalow.
I wanted to fashion a bubble of protection around the house next door.
I wanted to take every second of every day and dedicate them to keeping Tess Hardey happy, to seeing her smile.
I longed to know that she was safe from the forces behind Sterm’s killing and from the administrators at scho
ol that were threatening her job.
Conviction as strong as Ivy’s when she set out to save as many slaves as she could pressed my chest.
Was this what love did to humans? Was this foolish, all-encompassing feeling going to remain with me forever?
I sat on the edge of the mattress and watched over Tess’s house until the sun tiptoed past the horizon and soared in the sky.
Birds twittered, filling the air with the sweet sound of a new day.
The answering rustle of fabric, the pitter patter of feet against the floor, and the sweet scent of coffee indicated that my neighbors were rising to greet the morning.
I too got to my feet and stretched. My eyes burned and my back snapped as I arched my hands. Despite my exhaustion, a heady sense of excitement tinged the room.
Today was my first gig as Tess Hardey’s ‘boyfriend’.
I would allow myself to test the boundaries of my attraction in an attempt to clear Tess Hardey from my heart.
Perhaps if I gave into my desires, I would find that they had no substance.
I doubted my plan would work, but it was worth a shot.
Chapter 19
I had just come out of the shower when someone pounded on my front door.
“River!” Tess yelled.
My eyes popped open and every nerve in my body stood to attention. My fingertips buzzed and energy shot out like lasers.
The light switch flicked on and off. The shades on the windows turned in and out. My abilities were on the fritz. How did I stop it?
“River!”
The sound of my name on her lips brought another wave of energy. This time, my clothes tumbled out of the laundry basket and danced in the air.
Would she go away if I didn’t come out?
Another robust knocking shook me up.
Probably not.
I pulled on a shirt and opened the door, sticking a bit of my head out. If I widened the door any more, Tess would see an animated film come to life in my living room.
“What?” I said, trying not to look at her too intently.
She frowned, clearly displeased at my abrupt tone.
“I was just making sure you remembered…”
“I remember!”
I had no idea what I was supposed to remember, but I needed her off my lawn and out of my sight before she saw some crazy things.
Go away!
Tess shuffled on her feet and stubbornly remained in place. Why wasn’t she leaving? I made the mistake of looking at my neighbor.
