Killian

by E. A. Weston

  “So what time are we leaving?” he asks, looking from Alex to me.

  “You’re not invited,” Alex quips, smoothing her hair over her ear. She and Jake get into a back and forth about him going.

  “Stop or I am not going.” My words instantly cease all noise from them both. Jake grabs me in a hug, telling me he is coming with me. Alex doesn’t get why he insists on protecting me, but I know why. Jake has seen me at my worst—when my heart was broken and my life was ripped from me. He helped me get through it, stayed with me at night, sleeping on the floor of my room and talking me through my nightmares. Jake is probably my best friend now. He looks like a gangster with his tattoos and chains, but really he is the nicest person you could meet.

  Ushering them both out of my room, I agree to meet Alex at the club by 11 pm, giving her time to get ready and Jake time to cool off. After a power nap, okay a two-hour power nap, I finally drag myself into the shower. Jake pounds on the door before walking inside. “Dude, it’s getting a bit old for you to be walking in perving on me.”

  Jake just laughs then brushes his teeth, handing my toothbrush to me through the shower curtain. “You know, if we weren’t almost brother and sister, we could totally get it on.” His laughter is cut off by his toothbrush.

  “You wish, Jake.”

  Kicking him out of the bathroom, I jump out and dry off. He then hops into the shower, flashing me his ass on purpose. By ten-thirty, we are walking down the street. My eyes dart all around as our neighborhood is not the best. Every other house has some form of a car in the driveway, and by some form, I mean in bits and pieces, lying all through the grass. I know there is a crack house on the corner and I get shivers up my spine every time I pass it. Jake wraps his arm around my shoulder, fighting off my wings.

  “Jesus, you went all out, didn’t you?”

  Smiling, I nod, but inside I am shaking. I really don’t like nightclubs. I know, I know—I am a twenty-one-year-old girl, so I should live in a club. But I guess in that regard, I am still shy. Jake, however, looks like he belongs in a biker bar rather than some trendy nightclub. Arriving at Alex’s house, we wait outside for her.

  “What is she doing?” Jake complains, bouncing on the balls of his feet, trying to keep warm. My knees knock together with the cold and Jake wraps me in his arms, rubbing his hands up and down my back to keep me warm.

  “Why did I agree to this?” I chatter out, putting my cheek against his.

  “I don’t know, that’s why I am with you.”

  Jake really is a sweetheart. After five minutes of freezing our bits off, Alex and her boyfriend Ryder finally emerge.

  “Oh, my God, Alex, hurry the hell up,” I complain as she totters down the pathway to us. I spy her go-go boots and shake my head. There is no way she will be able to walk home in those things.

  Chapter 5

  Half an hour later we arrive at club Granite. The line is long and I am not in the mood for waiting. I just want to go home and forget I even agreed to this stupid idea. Ryder pulls Alex to the front of the line and shakes the guy’s hand. They talk for a few minutes then we are ushered inside and given a bright green wristband. Ryder takes us up to the third level, which has a bird’s-eye view of the whole club.

  “Wow, this is pretty nice,” I shout at Alex, who just nods at me. The music is so loud it vibrates through my very bones. Ryder and Jake find us a few minutes later, both holding drinks. Jake has a glass of soda and I reach for it automatically, but he pulls it back, handing me some weird blue drink.

  “It matches your dress.” He winks then grins at me.

  Taking it, I sip the glowing libation. Tasting vodka, a shudder rolls from my body, making Alex laugh.

  “You’re such a light-weight, Reagan.” She downs her drink in one swallow, then gulps half of mine for me.

  “Nice.” I smile then finish off the rest of it. If you can’t beat them, join them. Making our way down the stairs, we find a spot in the middle of the dance floor. Bodies beat on us from all sides. My poor wings are taking a licking and it makes me sad. I want to keep them safe, so I pull Jake to the edge of the floor and dance with him. The music changes to some hip-hop song—the strobe light flashes like an oversized camera flash, blinding each of us, but I’m enjoying myself.

  Jake and I get busy grinding on each other. His hands are on my hips as I back into him, letting my head fall back to his shoulder. A strange feeling of peace falls over me. The music changes after a few songs and my body responds, moving slower—more sensual. Jake pulls me close. He has never tried anything since that one time, and I know he won’t. He’s all talk. We move together, swaying to the beat. My glittery eye makeup flakes onto his cheek, making him sparkle.

  “You getting that shit on my face?” he asks, smiling down at me.

  “Yeah, and you love it so shut up.”

  “I need to hit the bathroom,” he shouts into my ear.

  Nodding, I break away and walk over to the bar. Standing at the bar, I see three barmen rushing around, serving all the partygoers. My arm starts to itch like crazy. Looking around, I don’t see anything I could have rubbed off but still, it’s like thousands of fire ants crawling all over me. Finally, there’s a break in the mass of bodies at the bar. Muscling my way in, I wait to get served.

  “Oh, no way!”

  I hear a screech beside me—that voice. My heart pounds in my chest as it grates on my last nerve.

  “It is you!” it says again. I feel my shoulder being pulled, but I shrug her hand off. Savannah. The queen bitch of our high school. I thought she fucked off to college somewhere far away from here.

  “Reagan, don’t be like that.”

  Turning, I glare at her. “Don’t fucking talk to me.” My inner Alex is coming to the forefront and I want to leave. I am just about to forget about getting a drink when the barman smiles at me.

  “Hi, what can I get you?”

  His smile is warm and his sandy blonde hair sets off his light brown eyes.

  “Hi. Can I have one of those blue drinks,” I ask feeling like a jackass because I don’t know the name of it. The barman winks then gets to work making it for me. I really should ask what it’s called.

  “Hey, Casper, is that you? No fucking way!”

  Another voice I want to forget. His deep timbre cuts my heart again just like the first time. Levi, my ex-boyfriend, my ex-everything, dumped me after my parents went missing. He said he couldn’t take all the attention I was getting and it was ruining our relationship. After about six months, I found out he was just trying to get me into bed.

  “Hey, babe, you not saying hello?”

  I thank the barman and pay him for my drink, ordering a soda for Jake too. I still haven’t looked up at Levi. I want him to get swallowed up by some big hairy monster. Savannah’s voice cuts through me again. I hear her call out to some guy named Killian, but I refuse to acknowledge any of them.

  “You okay?” Jake swoops in just in time, pulling me into his arms.

  “Yes, get me away from these clowns.”

  We make our way back up the stairs, but my eyes are drawn back to the bar. I just want one quick look at them, all of them—not just Levi. Glancing over, my eyes meet a pair of black ones. My breath hitches in my throat and my arm itches again. The barman is eye-fucking me, his eyes never leaving mine. Wow, he is beautiful. Jake pulls my hand and the spell is broken. We rush up to the third floor to join Alex and Ryder.

  “You looked hot dancing down there.”

  Alex smiles at me as we lean our forearms against the railing, looking down to the dance floor. My eyes wander back to the bar, finding that black-haired barman. I watch him move with speed and grace, filling glasses and popping beer tops. A shiver runs over my spine the same time he looks up—right at me. Shit. I pull back from the rail, turning to talk to Jake.

  Savannah, Levi, and two other girls saunter over to us, her creepy fingers walking up Jake’s chest. Funny how in high school she never even knew his name, now
she is playing “let my fingers do the walking.” Jake removes her hand, and turning his back to her, he smiles at me. “Wanna hit the floor one last time?”

  “Yeah, let’s do this.” The four of us take off, leaving Savannah and her minions standing there looking stupid—which isn’t hard for them. Jake and I get our groove going and I feel that peace envelops me again. Closing my eyes, I enjoy the feeling and the music. Jake holds me close, grinding against me. My eyes open slowly, meeting a pair of jet black ones. Stumbling backward, my heart pounds with fright. Jake looks up and sees the guy just standing, staring at me.

  “Dude, what the fuck is your problem?” Jake bellows out to black eyes. He just tilts his head slightly and gives me a half-smile. His hand reaches out to me and I recoil. Who the hell is this weirdo? Jake steps in front of me. “Dude, back off. She is my girlfriend.” Jake. Shit, I love this guy. He seriously takes care of me.

  “I’m Killian,” the guy announces in a voice so melodic, the music of the club just sounds like noise. Wow, he really is beautiful. Like, “I belong on the cover of GQ” gorgeous. Crap, what do I do now? His black eyes are really intense—his square jaw and high cheekbones seem too good to be true.

  Jake pulls me off the floor towards the exit. Chancing a glance over my shoulder, I find him watching me, boring a hole into my soul with his gaze. We find Alex and Ryder making out in the corner, so I pull her wings, alerting her that we are taking off.

  “Hey, Jake and I are leaving. See you tomorrow,” I shout over the music. She just waves at me over her shoulder while Ryder’s hands disappear under her skirt.

  Jake and I walk home in the frigid air, both huddling together to keep warm. “Did you have fun?” he asks, looking at me from beneath his hood.

  “Yeah, it was good, even if the bitch squad was there, but I still had a good time.”

  Jake smiles, wrapping his arm around me, pulling me into him. “Fuck, it’s cold,” I moan, leaning into him for his warmth. We make our way through the cold dark streets. My earlier feeling of peace is well gone—these streets are mean and dangerous. Not like where I grew up. Even though it’s only on the other side of town, it is far better than this side. Over there, you could walk home at 3 am knowing you were safe, but here, our eyeballs play ping-pong at every corner or shadowed doorway.

  We make it home by 2 am Jake yawning in my ear. “’Night, Reagan. Call me if you need me.” He kisses my cheek before taking off to his room. I know he means if I have a nightmare, but it’s been a long time since I had the last one. Still, every night he offers the same. After some maneuvering, I get the wings and my blue satin dress off. Cleaning off my glitter make-up, I crawl into bed. Snuggling into my pillow, I pull the bed covers up to my neck, trying to fend off the cold, but nothing I do will make me warm. It never does. Closing my eyes, a pair of black onyx ones infiltrate my dreams.

  Chapter 6

  Killian

  * * *

  What the hell was I thinking walking over to her like that? My mind races while I clean up behind the bar. James and Ethan have been ragging on me ever since I abandoned my post earlier to take a stroll onto the dance floor. Jesus, I just couldn’t help myself. Something about her drew me into her. Those eyes—wow, like the ocean at night with the reflection of a full moon.

  “Hey, lady killer, you up for hanging out at the diner?”

  Ethan laughs at me; he and James are still chattering about the girls tonight, but one, in particular, is on my mind. My body was set ablaze the minute I saw her—molten lava heated me up from the inside, urging me to go to her, and I did but didn’t go so well.

  Ethan, James, and I make it to the diner after 3 am. We find our usual booth occupied, so we sit at the bar instead.

  “Killian, over here!”

  Turning, I see Savannah and her friends. I just wave but turn back to the bar.

  “Dude, what the fuck? Let’s go.”

  Ethan grabs his drink, making his way over to their table. James and I follow because we both know by the end of this situation, Ethan is more than likely to have a hand print left on his face.

  “Sit here.” Savannah pats the seat beside her. Sliding in, I smile over at her. Instantly, her head is on my shoulder and her hand on my chest. Damn, this girl is too much. I listen to Ethan hit on one of the other girls while the dude they are with eyeballs me. Savannah perks up off my shoulder, grinning at the guy.

  “Hey, did you catch your girl’s face when she saw you?” Savannah starts to giggle and bat her lashes at me.

  “Yeah, she nearly fell over. I totally wish I had hit that,” the guy says, shaking his head.

  “Levi, that is so mean! Casper is a freak.”

  “Who’s Casper?” I ask, barely interested in their little bullshit name-calling. Savannah smiles at me, her red lipstick staining her teeth. Her false eyelash starting to come off turns my stomach a little.

  “Oh, she’s Levi’s ex. You probably wouldn’t have noticed her, she’s forgettable.”

  I think someone is a little jealous of this ex-girlfriend.

  “What did she look like?” Ethan pipes up at the mention of some mysterious chick. He always thinks with his small head. Here he is trying to get this girl’s phone number but wants to know about another; greedy bastard.

  “Oh, she was in all blue, her face is so white, like her hair.”

  Savannah and the two girls snicker then the three of them proceed to rip strips off this poor girl who is nowhere around to defend herself.

  “Hey, I served her. She was pretty. I’d hit it.” James decides to contribute to the conversation.

  “Hey, no way! Was that the chick Killian went all fucking stalker over?” Ethan eyes James as he nods, then all six pairs of eyes turn to me, Savannah looking a little more pissed than the rest.

  “Seriously? You went stalker over Casper?” Her voice rises a bit at the end.

  “Why do you call her that? What’s her real name?” I ask, not wanting Savannah to verbally assault this girl anymore. For some reason, it rubs me the wrong way.

  “Oh. Reagan,” Levi offers.

  Reagan, Reagan… I roll the name over my tongue, letting it soak into my heart. Damn if that girl wasn’t unusual. Her beautiful eyes—that tall, lean body and those legs… I feel my skin tingle again, making me shiver.

  “Yeah, exactly,” Savannah says when she sees me, but little does she know I am not shivering out of disgust, but out of pure want. I need to find this girl, find out who she is—where she lives and most importantly if that dude is really her boyfriend. Letting my hand graze the back of Savannah’s shoulder, I run my fingers up and down her neck. I need to be smart here and get all the information I can. My inner Ethan is coming out.

  “Hey, so how do you know her?”

  Speaking of Ethan, he just asked my first question. Man, sometimes I think that guy can read my mind. Levi slurps the end of his soda then belches over the table, turning me off my untouched burger.

  “I dated her in high school, but shit got weird. She was nice and her friend was smoking too, but when her parents went missing, it all went to hell.”

  I watch Levi as he falls into his memories, his eyes glazing over for a few minutes before he continues.

  “Yeah, so then she moved to the other side of town, started hanging out with a tatted up stoner, so I dumped her ass. I didn’t want to be tied to a stoner chick who wouldn’t give it up.”

  He laughs at his own words, making me want to knock him out. Standing, I fake a yawn and throw some bills onto the table. Savannah grabs my hand, yawning too.

  “Can I stay with you tonight? My place is so far away.”

  Removing her hand, I smile sadly at her. “No, sorry, not tonight.” Her face crumples then turns into a scowl. She should know by now that she will never step foot inside my door. Besides, I don’t want people like her finding out anything about me, ever.

  Leaving the diner, I take off ‘round back, climbing into my car. I make my way through the sl
eeping streets of Faircrest, crossing to the very edge of town where my apartment sits. I like being by the small wooded area. It’s nothing more than an over-grown park, but it’s the only bit of greenery around, and for me that will do. Racing into my place, I bolt the door behind me, heading straight for my laptop. Being among humans, I have learned all kinds of new technology. I could only imagine what my father would say about it all.

  I shake all thoughts of him away as my fingers peck over the keys searching for Reagan and Faircrest, and missing parents. Instantly, I get a plethora of information. Scrolling through I find a picture of the three of them. Reading the story, my own family flashes through my head, causing my breath to catch and my body to ache. I live with the constant pain of invisible wings. My magic doesn’t work here but for some reason, my wings retracted and never came back out—trust me I’ve tried. But all I have as a reminder of who I used to be is this pain, both literally and figuratively.

  Chapter 7

  Shoving my cold feet into my slippers, I trudge down the stairs to the kitchen. “’Morning,” I say to Athena, my voice hoarse from shouting over the music last night. Then again, it’s probably from the damn fridge we live in.

  “Good morning.” Her chipper attitude annoys me. Pulling out my cereal, I take a seat across from her.

  “So any news?” I ask, feeling like I need to fill the silence. I never knew why my mom liked Athena. She gives me the creeps. I like her enough, though, but sometimes I catch her looking at me and I can’t help the shiver that crawls up my back. Folding the legs of her glasses, she put them into their box.

  “No news.” She sighs then leaves me to eat alone.

  I am sure she hates seeing me every day only because I still ask about my parents. If there was any news, I better be the first one she tells. After breakfast, I get dressed. Peeking in on Jake, I see he is still out for the count. I guess I will go to the shop then pay a visit to Mr. Brenner, my old neighbor. He still takes care of my parent’s house.