He reappeared in his rented condo in the Earthly Realm, where he could slam all his frustration into the punching bag that hung in the middle of his bare living room. He hit his target with an unearthly force, sending it flying up to the ceiling. Catching it on the downswing, he nailed it again. He beat it, over and over, until the tension drained from his muscles and his mind cleared.
With a heavy sigh, he leaned into the bag and pressed his cheek against the rough vinyl. What the hell was wrong with him? He cared deeply for all his charges, but with April he felt something else. And it would be a cold day in Hell before he let that something else grow into something he couldn’t take back.
CHAPTER THREE
With a heavy heart, April dragged herself to work. Jared never came home, which meant he probably got too drunk to drive and had to sleep at Greg’s house. Maybe she was better off without him. Maybe she should pack up all her stuff and get the hell out of there before he got home.
Who am I kidding? She never had much luck in the love department, so she had to hold on to what she could get. So he forgot their anniversary. It wasn’t like it was their wedding anniversary. And guys were notoriously forgetful anyway. Maybe she should cut him some slack. Still, it would’ve been nice if he’d shown a little more interest in the woman he loved.
When she pulled into the parking lot, Damian was already there, getting out of his car. Great. She sure wasn’t in the mood for his mockery today. Oh! And he was waiting for her on the sidewalk. Just wonderful.
She strode across the parking lot with her head down, trying to avoid the confrontation, but he blocked her way. She sighed and looked into his eyes, where she was met with sympathy and concern. So not like Damian.
“Good morning, April. How are you?”
“Fine. Just peachy.” She forced a smile and stepped around him. He had that damn knowing look again. But how could he know?
He caught her hand, and she felt a jolt of energy flash through her body before she yanked out of his grasp.
“You don’t look fine. Do you want to talk about it?” Again with the sympathetic look. What had gotten into him? Was she really that obvious?
“Why would I want to talk about anything with you? Now if you’ll excuse me. I need to get to class.”
She turned on her heel, flipped her hair in his face, and marched inside the building. She usually stopped by Janice’s classroom to say hi in the morning, but today she hurried past the door. She didn’t know what she was going to say, or if she could even talk about it without breaking down. That’s just what she needed—to have Damian walk in while she was blubbering on Janice’s shoulder. She couldn’t give him any more ammunition in their war of wits. No, she’d never let him see her cry.
She dropped her backpack on the desk and sank into her chair. Her feet were already throbbing from the three-inch heels she’d worn to make herself feel better. They were the cutest shoes she owned, but at three hundred dollars, they should’ve at least been comfortable. Her pink silk blouse tucked into her black pencil skirt accentuated her curves in all the right places. She’d hoped the outfit would lift her spirits, but it wasn’t helping.
Still, she put on her best smile and greeted her students as they walked through the door. Her personal troubles had no place in the classroom. The kids deserved her full attention, and they would get just that.
The morning went by without incident. She was able to forget about Jared for a few hours and focus on the work she loved. If she could make it through the day, she’d be okay. She’d talk to Jared tonight, and they’d work it out. They always did.
* * *
She was holding up. And after the night she’d had, Damian was surprised April even came to work. He probably wouldn’t have. Their encounter in the parking lot didn’t go as planned, not that he expected her to open up to him. She said she was fine, but he knew she wasn’t. She had on the pick-me-up clothes she always wore when she felt especially depressed. His mouth curled up in a slight smile because he knew that about her. He knew everything about her.
April was a confident, take charge woman. But when it came to men, she always settled. He never understood that. She was beautiful, smart, witty, sexy. The way she flipped her hair in his face that morning sent her fragrance rocketing through his senses, and he couldn’t get her out of his head. If she got him this worked up, he could only imagine the effect she had on mortal men.
He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking about her like that. He wouldn’t allow himself to entertain the idea of being intimate with April. Of being intimate with anyone. Not after what he went through with—no. I’m not even going to think about that.
He opened a bag of Gardetto’s and graded the pop quizzes he’d given his morning classes. His favorite thing about being in the flesh, in the Earthly Realm, was food. And the more time that went by, the better the food got. Gone were the days of seasonless meats and bland potatoes, and he relished the exciting combination of flavors in his mouth.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on the tangy, salty goodness—an explosion of savory flavor on his tongue. In three weeks, he’d have no need to be in the flesh every day, so he intended to make the most of what little time he had left.
“‘S’up Mr. P.?” A lanky boy in baggy jeans and Converse tennis shoes interrupted Damian’s delectable moment with his bag of snacks.
“Not much, Richie.” He raised an eyebrow at his student. “Shouldn’t you be in class?”
“Nah. I’m an office aide.” Richie raised one shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “I just wanted to stop by and see how my favorite teacher is doing.” He put on a charming smile and pulled a chair up to Damian’s desk. “How’s your day going?”
Damian grinned. “You didn’t do your homework, did you?”
Richie’s smile slipped away. “No...but I have an excuse. See, I had to work till midnight last night. Then, my baby brother was crying all night, and my mom was at work, so I had to take care of him. And she didn’t get home till seven this morning, so I was late for first period...can you give me another day?”
Damian rubbed the scruff on his chin and pretended to think about it. “That sounds like a valid reason to me. Can you get it done tonight?”
“Thanks, Mr. P. Yeah, I don’t have to work tonight, so I can definitely get it done.” Richie’s face lit up, and he straightened his spine as he walked to the door. “Thanks for understanding.”
“Of course.”
Richie was a good kid, and he listened to his Keeper. His dad had run out on his family when the baby was born, and Richie had to take over the role of father to his siblings. He was mature beyond his years, and Damian was glad to be able to help him. Even if all he did was cut the kid some slack. Richie needed a good role model, and Damian almost hated having to leave him.
Richie wasn’t supposed to be his concern, but Damian was concerned about everyone. He’d take the world under his wing if he could.
The bell rang, and he knew April would be meeting Janice in the teacher’s lounge. Since she wouldn’t talk to him, maybe he could eavesdrop on their conversation and find out what April thought about everything that happened last night.
He waited a few minutes, to make sure they’d be deep in conversation, then he sauntered to the lounge. He hesitated by the door, trying to figure out his best maneuver. He found an empty chair directly behind April, so he could listen without her knowing he was there. Silently, he slipped into the seat.
* * *
“I don’t know what I was thinking, Janice.” April thought she’d be in tears talking to her best friend, but she must’ve cried herself out last night. “I mean, I guess I should have been more upfront about it. Maybe reminded him about our anniversary a few days ahead of time.”
Janice rubbed April’s shoulder and looked at her with sympathetic eyes. “Do you really think it would have made a difference? It was the championship game. C’mon, you should know Jared by now.”
April sat up strai
ghter, ready to defend her man. Instead, she blew out a hard breath and slouched in her chair. “I guess not. Basketball is important to him. I guess I should have talked to him about it, and we could have planned something for the day before or after. Then I wouldn’t have been so let down.”
Janice shook her head. “No, April. You should be more important to him than basketball. He could have recorded the game and watched it later. Quit blaming everything on yourself and see the man for who he really is—a jerk.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Anger burned inside her, and she knew she needed to cool off before she spoke. She didn’t want to go off on her friend, but Janice crossed the line. How dare she call Jared a jerk? April lowered her voice to an almost inaudible level; it was the only way she knew to keep from yelling.
“Janice, I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your opinions of the man I love to yourself. You don’t know him like I do. He’s not a jerk.”
Janice leaned forward on her elbows. “Do you really think you love him, April? Really? Because I think you’re in love with being in love. You want a wedding and a diamond and a husband, and you’re so blinded by all your wants you’ll put up with guys who treat you badly. You can do so much better.”
She looked at her hands folded on the table and whispered, “No, I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.” Damian’s voice came from directly behind her, and she jumped.
She turned and glared at him, trying to suppress her aggravation. She didn’t want him to see her moping like this. She didn’t want him to see any kind of weakness in her. Why his opinion mattered so much, she wasn’t sure. But she had no intention of explaining herself to the man who’d been a thorn in her side for the past three months.
“How long have you been eavesdropping?”
“Not long.” Damian smiled and shrugged. “But really, April. If the guy makes you that miserable, why don’t you leave?”
“He doesn’t make me miserable...not that it’s any of your business.” She crossed her arms and turned her back to him, praying he’d go away.
Damian rose from the table and put his hand on her shoulder, sending an electric jolt rocketing through her body. Had his touch always done that to her? Had he ever touched her before today?
“Suit yourself, April. But you’re beautiful. If you just had a little more self-confidence, you could have any guy you wanted.” He turned and strode out the door.
April’s jaw dropped open. “Did he just say I was beautiful?”
Janice giggled. “I think he did.”
“Wow.” Had he given her a compliment before? Had he ever been nice to her? Just hearing him say it made her heart race and her stomach do back flips.
“I told you he liked you.”
“Shut up. He does not. He was just being...nice.” She tried to fight the grin that threatened to blow her cover.
“Uh-huh.”
Her cheeks flushed as heat rose in her body, and she knew it wasn’t from lack of AC. It was freezing in the teacher’s lounge. “I’ve...got to get back to my room. I’ll see you later.”
She clicked down the hallway as fast as her three-inch heels would take her, and not until she was in the safety of her own classroom did she remember to breathe. She shouldn’t have reacted that way to a simple compliment. Coming from any other man, she doubted she would have. But this was Damian. How could a man she hated so much make her want him so badly...with two simple words?
You’re beautiful.
April laughed at herself. It didn’t matter if Damian thought she was beautiful. She was with Jared, and she was going to make things right tonight. That’s all there was to it. She’d push those thoughts of Damian out of her mind and focus on fixing her relationship with the man she loved. What else could she do?
* * *
Damian berated himself all the way back to his classroom. Did he really just tell April she was beautiful? Well, she needed to hear it, and it was his job to comfort her. He was her Guardian, and he had to soothe her pains and keep her safe until she turned thirty. That’s all he was doing.
Yeah, right.
That was the last mistake he’d make with her, for sure. He’d have to be more careful with what he said, or she might start to think—to know—he liked her. And he couldn’t let that happen.
He finished grading the last of the quizzes to get his mind off his Charge and congratulated himself for doing such a fine job with his students. Every one of them made an A, and he knew they were going to ace the nine-weeks test. How could they not, with a teacher who’d lived through everything they were studying?
CHAPTER FOUR
April got to work extra early the next day to avoid having to talk to anyone. Jared didn’t come home again last night, though that was no surprise. His nights out were becoming more and more frequent, and she doubted he slept on Greg’s couch every night.
Could he be cheating on her?
If he was, she certainly didn’t deserve it. She did everything she could to make that man happy. But maybe her best wasn’t good enough. Maybe she’d never be good enough.
Or maybe he wasn’t good enough for her. He’d been so distant lately—like he already had one foot out the door. She could give him a push. Send him packing. She’d seriously considered packing up her things and getting the hell out last night. But where would she go? Momma would surely take her in, and wouldn’t that be peachy? Mother and daughter, two sad, lonely women in one house. They could start their cat collection together.
She’d invested a year of her life in this man, and what did she have to show for it? Lonely nights and hurt feelings. She could have those things on her own, no man necessary.
Though she’d managed to avoid both Janice and Damian all morning, she knew she’d have to face them at lunch. She meandered down the hallway to the teachers’ lounge and shuffled through the door. Janice was already seated at their table, but to her relief, Damian wasn’t around.
“Hey, girl! Where’d Jared take you last night?”
April forced a smile and slid into her seat. She unpacked her lunch and spread it out on the table, opening her Diet Coke and taking a long drink before she spoke. “He, uh...had to work.”
Janice raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Are you serious? After the stunt he pulled on your anniversary, he went to work? What a jerk!”
“He can’t help it. He’s a lawyer.” She shrugged and took a bite of her sandwich. Why was she defending him?
“There’s always Damian... He works the same hours, he’s smokin’ hot, and he thinks you’re beautiful.” Janice grinned and winked.
Warmth spread through her body, flushing her cheeks and awakening urges she shouldn’t have been feeling. Why did thinking about those two little words Damian muttered in passing get her so worked up? “He does not.”
“He doesn’t strike me as the type of guy to say things he doesn’t mean.”
That was true. He wasn’t the kind to play games. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter.”
Janice shrugged. “I’m just saying.” She leaned forward on the table with excitement in her eyes. “Know what you need? You need a girls’ night out. Let’s go to Big Willie’s after work.”
“A pool hall? I don’t see how that will—”
“They have a live band now. And they’re really good. We can do some dancing, have a few drinks. It’ll be happy hour.” Janice pretended to dance in her seat.
April cringed. She hadn’t been to that place in too many years to count. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m not really in the mood to go out. I want to talk to Jared and figure out if this relationship is worth saving.”
“You’ll be home before he even misses you. C’mon, April. If not for yourself, will you at least do it for me?” She looked at her with pleading eyes and batted her lashes.
Janice wasn’t going to give up, so April gave her the same line she delivered to her students when she didn’t want to say no right away. “I’ll
think about it.”
Janice clapped her hands and squealed. “Yay! That means yes.”
“No, it means I’ll think about it.”
“Hey, maybe Damian’ll be there, and he can tell you all about how beautiful you are.”
Lord, I hope not. Seeing him in a bar when she had some alcohol in her system could be dangerous.
* * *
She made it through the rest of her classes and hoped to slip out the door before Janice caught her. Racing around the room, she picked up paper balls and discarded candy wrappers and tossed them in the trash. The sound of keys jingling outside her room stopped her in her tracks.
Crap. She wasn’t fast enough.
“Are you ready to go?” Janice stood in the entrance to April’s classroom, clinking her keys in her hand. She leaned against the doorframe and crossed her legs at her ankles. “I’m not letting you through this door unless you’re coming with me.”
April shoved a stack of homework papers into her bag and zipped it before turning her pleading gaze to her friend. “I think I’m just gonna head home and wait for Jared.”
Janice widened her stance and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re not going to wait for anybody. Get your purse, and I’ll follow you home since it’s on the way. We’ll ride to Big Willie’s in my car.”
“Janice.”
“April.” Her steely tone said there was no use arguing.
She sighed in defeat. “All right. Fine. But I’m not staying out late. I want to be home when Jared gets there.”
They drove to April’s condo, and she climbed into Janice’s passenger seat. She slammed the door, buckled her seatbelt, and assumed the pouting posture. Her brow furrowed as she slouched in the seat and stared out the windshield. She probably looked like a bitch, but she didn’t care.
The Rest of Forever: A Guardian Angel Paranormal Romance Page 3
