Actually, what I wanted was to go back in time and do things differently. If I had it all to do over, would I have even had sex with her? So many bad things had happened since then, like a domino effect.
The idea of reversing time ignited my imagination. I ran my hands through my hair, kneading the smooth spot where a gash should’ve been. I remembered everything that happened — Phoenix’s rage, his fist flying towards my face, my body falling, the pain exploding in my head as my skull cracked open. I shouldn’t have survived to remember that. But miraculously, it was like it never happened, yet we all had memories of it.
Lexus’ arrival superseded all thoughts of time control, and Phoenix and I both stiffened as she emerged from the bathroom, her face hopeful.
“They were both negative,” she whispered, biting her lip as she looked at me.
My anxiety shattered around me like glass, the shards pelting me with the weak sting of unrealized fears. I collapsed into her, engulfing her, my hands smoothing over every inch of her skin, comforting myself as much as her.
“Oh my God, Lexus, I’m so sorry I put you through that. I was so stupid and careless. Can you ever forgive me?” I didn’t deserve her pardon, but I desperately wanted it. Could I ever earn her trust again?
She nodded into my chest, her tears soaking my shirt, her shoulders shaking against me. She felt so tiny, so fragile. Barely more than a child herself. I was older than her, and I had a world more experience. I couldn’t let myself forget that. She needed me to protect her, not take advantage of her.
“Are you okay?” I pulled her back by her shoulders so I could look at her. Her face was red, her eyes wet and swollen, but the stress had disappeared, leaving her skin smooth and her expression relaxed and relieved.
“Yeah, I’ll be all right.” She wiped her arm across her eyes, drying her face, and gave a soft smile. “I’ve just had a lot of stress, I guess.”
“Phoenix, I need some time alone with Lexus,” I said without taking my eyes off her. This had been too big of a deal to just forget about. We needed time to process it, together.
Phoenix scowled at me, but I scowled back, putting all my pent-up anger into my glare. Phoenix grunted but stepped away, looking over his shoulder at us as he went. I would forgive him eventually. I was still alive, after all. But I wanted to be mad at him a little while longer. When he was halfway down the hall, I took Lexus’ hand and led her back to her bedroom.
The room was cool and quiet, a tiny oasis in the storm of our world. I pulled her down onto her bed beside me and stretched out facing her, our bodies only a hair’s breadth apart. Her soft breath warmed my face. For a moment, I just gazed at her, drowning in her hazel eyes, reveling in the fact that she was mine. Eventually, I reached out a finger and traced the curve of her cheek, the swell of her bottom lip, and the slope of her nose. She giggled at that and dug her fingers into my side, tickling me.
I slid my hand down the length of her hair, following it from her head to her neck and down her back, the bronze strands silky beneath my fingers.
My voice was husky with emotion as I spoke. “You’re so beautiful, Lexus. How’d I get so lucky to have you? I promise I’ll never let you go through anything like that again. I never want to hurt you. I’m sorry I didn’t protect you.”
“It’s not all your fault, Griffin. I’m not ignorant. I know how it works. I should’ve been more responsible. Next time we will be.”
I gulped, and her words sent a frisson of desire pulsing out to every part of my body. I stared at her, and my fingers trembled as they made their way to her waist. “You want there to be a next time?”
She looked back at me with pure, unadulterated love and devotion. “Of course. Someday, anyway. Don’t you?”
Her words crashed over me like a waterfall, washing away my guilt and regret. I pulled her toward me, crushing her body to mine, my hands wrapped tight around her as I buried my face in her neck, breathing in the sweet smell of her. My leg slid over hers, drawing her impossibly closer, and I groaned with need.
I rolled onto my back, detangling myself from her, my breath hard as I tried to calm myself. Now was not the time for that. Her emotions were still heightened, fragile. But my heart soared at the thought that I hadn’t ruined everything between us.
Lexus laid her hand on my chest and traced circles with her fingers. “I didn’t even ask you how you felt about it. You’re not… disappointed… are you?”
“No, of course not. I’m relieved. You’re only 15, Lexus. And I’m only 16. We’re way too young for that. Maybe someday…” My mind drifted off in fantasy, imagining the future — with Lexus.
“I think you should look for your parents, Griffin.” Her words startled me, yanking me out of my daydream. I turned my head to look at her.
“You need to know what happened to them. You need closure, and so does Phoenix.”
I sighed, putting a hand under my head. “He blamed himself for years. Sometimes I think he still does.”
She nodded. “I saw it in his face when he was telling the story. He doesn’t deserve to feel that way.”
My own absolution, still cleansing my soul, urged me to give my brother the same gift.
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe we should at least try to find out what happened. I wonder if Anders knows anything…”
A tentative knock sounded at the door, and a pathetic voice followed it. “Griff? Lexus? Can I come in, please?”
I groaned, but Lexus’ eyes drooped in sympathy, and she stuck out her lower lip in a pout. “Let him come in, Griffin. He’s your brother. You have to forgive him sometime. Why make him suffer any longer?”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head but called out, “Come in.”
Lexus sat up and pulled me up beside her as Phoenix came in, a guilty, tortured look on his face.
“Griffin, I…”
I held up a hand to stop him, then scrubbed my face with it. “You’ve already apologized, Phoenix. I know you didn’t mean to kill me. I forgive you.” My voice droned with sarcasm, but I meant what I was saying. Lexus was right; Phoenix was my brother, and I loved him no matter what stupid thing he did. Hopefully, he’d extend me the same courtesy. I knew he was raving mad about me sleeping with Lexus unprotected.
Phoenix plopped on the bed beside me and bear-hugged me, a giant grin lighting up his face as he squeezed. As soon as he let go, he reached across me to hug Lexus.
“You okay, babe?”
She nodded with a small smile, and for one small moment, all seemed right with the world again. I should’ve known it wouldn’t last long.
8
A small snick — the sound of a key turning in the doorknob, and my name said quietly was all the warning I had before Sarah let herself into our bedroom. Not nearly enough time for me to extract myself from the two boys wrapped around me.
“OH MY GAWD.” Sarah’s eyes bulged out as she stared at us, lying together in my bed, both boys kissing me at the same time.
She dropped to her bed, staring, as the twins and I tried to extricate ourselves. The bed was tiny, though, and our limbs were tangled up like a pretzel.
“So this is your solution to the two boyfriends problem, huh? Nice.” She rolled her eyes and turned her head to the side, trying not to gape at us.
“Please don’t tell anyone, Sarah.” My voice cracked as I begged.
“How many secrets do I have to keep for you, Lexus? Pregnant, two lovers. Do you even know whose baby it is?”
“I’m not pregnant.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Congratulations. I wonder how long that’ll last?”
Phoenix launched himself up off the bed and towered over her, his fists clenched, his face pulled taut with anger. “Screw you, Sarah! Our relationship is none of your business, and you don’t know anything about it. But you can tell whoever you want. I’m not ashamed of it.”
“Phoenix, please, no!” I shook my head forcefully, my eyes wild with anxiety. “I want to fit in here.”
Sarah chuckled darkly. “Too late for that, Lexus. But I won’t tell anyone about your relationship status. Is that really how you want to live, though?”
I looked at the boys, both so different, both so perfect for me. I belonged with both of them. We belonged together. The world might never accept that, but did I want to hide it forever?
“Maybe we can turn back time a few minutes. She’d never have to know about us. This whole day could use a do-over as far as I’m concerned,” Phoenix whispered in my ear, but I shook my head no.
As grateful as I was that Jaxson and I had been able to reverse time to save Griffin, that power scared me. I didn’t want anything to do with it.
The bell rang, indicating it was time for practice. I really didn’t want to go; I didn’t think I could handle the stress of a new partner. The boys encouraged me to play sick, promising to vouch for me, but I was tired of feeling like a victim. I desperately wanted to feel like I was in control of my own destiny instead of bowing to the restless winds of fate that blew me around like discarded paper.
I brushed my hair and traded my rumpled shirt for a fresh one, a flowy pink blouse that dressed up my jeans and made me feel pretty, then headed out with Sarah and the boys to face the next challenge, swallowing the wild emotions that had just tipped my world like a snow globe, sending the pieces of my life swirling out of control.
The whispers and stares started as soon as I entered the gym. A few people sneered with jealousy and some looked skeptical, but several people immediately approached me, wanting me to work with them. The crowd around me grew, and my heart began to race at the influx of attention. At least most of it seemed positive.
Eventually, Anders arrived, Juan by his side, and broke up the throng. “All right, everybody. Back to your normal partners. You’ll get a chance to work with Lexus later.”
The crowd mumbled their disappointment but eventually dispersed.
I gave Juan a small wave, and he smiled widely, his straight, white teeth bright against his dark hair and tan skin. A dimple dented his left cheek, and his chocolate eyes twinkled. He reached out and hugged me, lifting my feet off the ground, and I got a whiff of his spicy cologne.
“Hola, chica!” He was so charming, I might have been attracted to him if I wasn’t already in love with Griffin and Phoenix.
Anders raised his eyebrows, and I blushed and pulled out of Juan’s embrace. Two boyfriends was enough trouble. Phoenix was already glaring at Juan for touching me.
“Lexus, before I start pairing you up with lower-level students, I’d really like to see what you can do with another high-level student. Juan has graciously agreed to be your test subject. I’ve written out some directions for you, and I want you to see if you can control Juan without his consent.” Anders vibrated with energy, and his lips curled into a rare smile. He caught himself and tried to curb his excitement, pursing his lips together and wrinkling his brow, but the smile kept reappearing.
I nodded, biting my lip and twisting my fingers. Anders handed me a slip of paper with a list of commands ranging from simple to complex. I read them quickly, stuffed the paper in my pocket, then reached out a hand towards Juan, touching his bicep. I grinned when he automatically flexed it. The familiar tingle of electricity flowed between us, and I concentrated on it, letting the crackle build.
The first command was so easy, Juan probably never even knew that I was the reason he started scratching his nose. Next, I used him to move a kettlebell that was sitting behind us. I didn’t give any indication of what I was doing, just thought the command in my mind, and Juan just looked at me like he was still waiting for me to do something. Anders moved behind Juan so he couldn’t see him and picked up a torch and an empty bucket. I ignited the torch, then filled the bucket with water so Anders could put the flame out, and when Anders started to tip the bucket, I froze the water inside. He smiled eagerly as I performed, and the others around us started to point and whisper.
“Are you having trouble, Lexus? Can I do something to help?” Juan asked after several stunts done in silence behind his back.
“No, I’m fine.” I grinned. Juan pinched his eyebrows and tilted his head, and I decided to up the ante. This was just too easy.
I slowly took my hand away, feeling the crackle dissipate. I’d done plenty of tricks with other Conduits without touching them, but I always told them what I wanted, letting my power flow out but leaving the work up to them.
When Jaxson kidnapped me, he’d had his arms wrapped around me when I silently commanded him to hurl a rock at his own head. But could I manipulate a Conduit against his will without even touching him?
Some of the strongest Conduits, like Jaxson, could siphon power from Catalysts without their knowledge. But Catalysts weren’t supposed to be able to do that. We were just the power source, Conduits were the ones who called the shots. Until me, that is. I’d never been very good at being normal. Only, in this case, it actually worked to my advantage.
I concentrated all my energy on Juan, feeling the thrum of power flowing between us. Electricity crackled across the space between our bodies, and I sent my command to him silently while Juan looked at me in confusion, waiting for me to do something. He had no idea I already had. Suddenly, the giant tire I was looking at flew through the air and landed with a crash beside me, sending the nearby students scattering.
“Did you do that?!” Juan jumped and yelped then stared at me like I had sprouted another head from my body. I bit my lip and nodded, blushing.
Anders jogged to my side and shook my shoulders, smiling from ear to ear. “That was incredible, Lexus. Juan, you had no idea what she was doing?”
Juan shook his head, still shell-shocked, and took a step back from me. “That’s kinda freaky, Lexus. If you hadn’t told me, I never would’ve known you were controlling me. You really are a level five!”
The crowd around us began to murmur at his declaration, and the whispers spread throughout the gym till almost everyone was looking at me, but for once, I didn’t feel embarrassed by the attention. I felt exhilarated. I felt powerful, strong, special. I lifted my head and beamed as a flood of endorphins coursed through my body.
Jaxson was glaring at me, and his look spoke volumes. My heart stuttered in warning, but for once I didn’t cower. Instead, I narrowed my eyes at him and smirked, daring him to challenge me.
“Way to go, Super Girl,” Phoenix sidled up and whispered in my ear, his voice husky. The sound went straight to my center, and on impulse, I turned to him and hugged him, sliding a hand in the back pocket of his low-slung jeans and planting a kiss right on his lips.
Griffin was nearby, and I saw him frown at the PDA between me and his brother. Without a second thought, I pulled away from Phoenix and went to Griffin, wrapping my arms around him and kissing him, too, just as intensely as I had Phoenix.
A collective gasp rose up from the nearby students, and I heard Juan chuckle behind me. “Girl, you are definitely taking it to the next level.”
9
My head wagged like a bobblehead as I watched Lexus kiss my brother, not two seconds after she’d kissed me in front of the whole gymnasium. I didn’t mind, but the crowd around her was looking at her like she was a freakin’ porn star, and I had a feeling Lexus was going to regret exposing us like that.
My brother might have minded, but at the moment he was too busy kissing Lexus to focus on anything but the feel of her hands on his ass. I couldn’t believe how quickly she’d forgiven him, but I guess I was glad. Next time, it would probably be me who needed her forgiveness.
The bell rang then, and the crowd thinned out, but the gossip only got louder.
Lexus broke away from Griffin’s mouth and took his hand before reaching for mine.
“What are you thinking, crazy girl?” I asked, curling a lip. No matter what she did, Lexus always blew me away.
She wiped her lips, hiding her smile behind her hand. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“Pretty
excited, huh?” I snickered.
Griffin squeezed her hand then lifted it to his lips. “You were amazing, Lexus. I’m so proud of you.”
Her face got nervous again as she looked at Griffin. “Are you upset that I kissed you in front of everybody?”
A pained look flashed across Griffin’s face, but he quickly covered it with a smile. “How could I ever get upset about you kissing me?”
She turned to me, the same worried look on her face. “Phoenix?”
“Are you kidding, Lex? I’m glad you did it. Now we don’t have to hide anymore.” I smirked and pulled her in for another kiss, right in the middle of the hallway. A few morons stopped to gape at us, but I just ignored them.
“You rule the school now, Lex. You can do whatever you want, and nobody is gonna say shit to you.” That might not be true, but I didn’t want her regretting her decision. She smiled at that, and I prayed to God it would turn out that way.
“It wasn’t going to be a secret very long, anyway, with Sarah and Jaxson both knowing about it,” Lexus murmured.
Jaxson walked by, purposely ignoring us, and Lexus came to a halt in the middle of the hallway. “Guys, I think we should work with Jaxson to search for your parents.”
“What?” Griffin stopped and stared at her like she’d gone crazy. I was starting to think she had.
Lexus flipped her hair behind her shoulder in a move I’d never seen before; she was usually trying to hide behind it. “I’m serious. You need to find out what happened to them.”
Griffin frowned. “Lexus, this morning you were so stressed out about him that you were throwing up in the bathroom. We can look for our parents without involving him.”
Lexus shook her head, her hazel eyes sparkling with determination, her voice confident. “Jaxson is smart and sneaky and knows everything that happens around here. You need his help, and he seems to think he needs yours. Besides, I’m stronger than Jaxson, right? Even Anders says so. I don’t need to be intimidated by Jaxson any more.”
Taking Flight (Teen Paranormal Romance Series) (The Caged Series Book 3) Page 4
