I lightly kiss his cheek. “I’m all done now.” We turn to the mirror and study him. “Do you like it?” I ask.
It hasn’t changed much. It reaches right above his shoulders and his bangs are out of his eyes. “Yes, thanks.”
“Anything for you.”
We’re gazing at the mirror, admiring my work, when something happens. The tips of his hair begin to lengthen, and soon they stretch past his shoulders, just as they were before. So do his bangs. Sebastian and I exchange a confused look. He sinks in his chair. “It won’t let itself get cut,” he says. “I’m supposed to remain the way I am.”
I hold him close. “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter.”
He nods as he stares at himself. This wasn’t just about a haircut. He wanted to do something human, something that would bring the two of us together. It pains me to see the hurt on his face, and I wish I could do something to make him feel better.
Maybe I can. “How about we go out?” I ask him. “Let’s do something human.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Like what?”
“We can go to the mall. Maybe get you some clothes.” I have a few days off from work, and I’d love to spend every second of my vacation with Sebastian.
“Human clothes melt off me after I wear them for a while.”
“Oh. But maybe you can try them on for a bit and see what it’s like to be human. C’mon. Do you know how many times Macy and I go shopping just for the heck of it, when we know we won’t buy anything? It’s fun.”
A small smile breaks out on his face. “Sure.”
***
Sebastian holds a pair of swim trunks in front him and wrinkles his nose. “I’m not putting this on.” He places it back on the rack. We have a crapload of stuff in the cart. Clothes for him as well as for me. Of course we’re not going to buy anything. Most of the items cost much more than I can afford, plus I’d never see myself dressed in these outfits made for fancy parties. But it’ll still be fun to put them on. Sebastian also has some normal clothing in the cart because we want to see how he’d look as a regular eighteen-year-old guy.
Many shoppers pass by and see me talking to no one and that doesn’t bother me. Because I’m here with the guy of my dreams and I couldn’t be happier.
I glance at his pants. “You can’t use magic to change your clothes?”
He shakes his head. My face heats up as I keep my eyes on his pants. There are a lot of things I wonder about him. For example, if he has normal male parts down there.
He follows my gaze. “What?”
Oh my god. Was I staring?
I busy myself with whatever is on the rack next to me. Men’s underwear. Wonderful. Sebastian narrows his eyes at the packs. “I don’t need to try those on.”
“Do you wear underwear?” I bite my lip. Did that just come out of my mouth? I need to shut up.
He runs his hand through his hair, his cheeks a shade of pink. “Uh, no. I don’t understand why humans do.”
“You just appeared in those clothes?”
He nods. I can’t imagine what that’s like. To wear the same thing every day for hundreds of years. To never dress up. He never had a childhood, never played pretend like most kids do.
“Well today you get to be anyone you want.” I push the cart, leading us toward the women’s fitting rooms. I stop before the entrance. No one can see my genie so they can’t stop us, but it wouldn’t be right to bring a guy into the room.
“What’s wrong? Isn’t this where humans try on their clothes?”
I tell him my concerns, and understanding enters his eyes. “Okay, I’ll seclude an area just for the two of us. We won’t see the other people inside and they won’t see us—well, you.”
“Sounds great.”
He creates two rooms, side by side. One for him and one for me. Good thing because I would die if we had to dress in the same room. He thinks of everything.
I hand him his clothes and step into my room. We gathered different articles of clothing. Most are for fancy occasions, but a few are a little humorous, like funny hats and pajama bottoms. A few leather pants and jackets, funky glasses. Sebastian and I are going to have a good time goofing off. It’s so much easier to do this than worry about our future.
And I’m going to capture everything on camera so I can remember him forever. Maybe I’ll wonder who he is and that might spark a light in my brain. Maybe I can fight the whole forgetting about him thing and force my brain to know him.
“Lily?”
“Yeah?”
He shuffles around in his room. “I don’t think this fits.”
He’s referring to the leather pants, probably. He wanted to try those on first and I decide to match with him.
“One minute.” I quickly pull mine on, along with the jacket and glasses and slip out of my room. Sebastian is standing before his room, staring at the mirror in front of his door. He keeps tugging at his thighs, trying to stretch the pants out.
He looks like a rock star. I can’t help but stare. The hair fits the look perfectly. He’s wearing the leather boots, too. It’s probably his first time wearing shoes. His sunglasses are pushed up on top of his head.
As if he feels me gaping at him, he turns around. “What?” He shifts on his feet uncomfortably. “Do I look ridiculous?”
I try to get words to come out of my mouth, but they refuse. All I manage is to let out some weird sound that I have no idea what it means.
He totally belongs in this world.
He shifts again. “Lily?”
I blink. “Yeah?”
He pulls at the pants some more. “Do I look okay?”
I move behind him and wrap my arms around his waist as we look at him in the mirror. My hands crawl up the white shirt underneath his jacket. The material is smooth, but not as smooth as his bare chest. Though he looks as sexy as hell in human clothes, I think I prefer his genie outfit.
“You look hot,” I whisper in his ear. He intakes a sharp breath, his eyes glued on mine in the reflection. I press my lips to his ear, then slowly move it to his temple, popping soft kisses. Sebastian’s breathing grows heavily. He turns his head and our lips meet. His hands shoot to my hair, messing it around while I push myself closer to him, giving him everything I have in this kiss. I want to show him how much he means to me, that nothing, nothing can keep us apart. My brain yells at me that I know damn well that everything can and will keep us apart, but I slap it across the face. Here, in this moment with Sebastian’s lips crushing against mine, everything is perfect.
Sebastian takes my face in his hands. “Thank you for today. I’m having a really good time learning about your world.”
“I’m having a great time showing you.”
He smiles, and when his eyes dip to the phone in my hand, his eyebrows furrow. “What’s that for?”
“I want to take pictures of us. We’re rock stars, although you look ten times sexier than me.”
He bends down for another kiss. “Hell no.” He places his hands on my shoulders, turning me toward the mirror. “Have you looked at yourself?”
What I see before me is a girl who looks completely different than the girl I was four months ago. I seem…happy. More than happy. I’m alive. That’s all due to the guy standing behind me.
Smiling, I hold my phone in front of us. “Smile.”
“Lily…”
“Don’t worry. You look amazing. Smile.” I take the picture and check to see how we came out. My heart drops. Because I’m the only one in the shot. My arm is wrapped around nothing, like there’s an invisible person on my left.
An invisible person. Sebastian doesn’t come out in photos. He doesn’t exist. He takes my hands and stares into my eyes. “I tried to tell you.”
“It’s okay.” I force a smile. “It’s just a picture.”
No, it’s not just a picture. It’s a reminder than he and I can ever be. Even if he manages to stay for years without me having to use up my last wish, we can’t be a real couple
.
“Hey.” He sweeps his hands up and down my shoulders. “Today is about having fun and forgetting everything, right?”
I nod. He’s right. So what if we can’t take pictures? There are a million other things we can do together. The future…forget about that. I know I need to be practical, but this is what the two of us want. This fantasy. It’s what Sebastian wants before he has to leave. He’ll have these memories with him forever. If I was able to, I’d give him the world.
“Let’s try on some more clothes,” I say.
An hour later, Sebastian and I are walking through the mall, watching all the activity going on. When we pass the food court, Sebastian stops. “It smells good.” He gives me a small smile. “Do you want to eat anything?”
“That’s okay.”
“I don’t mind.”
My stomach rumbles, so I don’t have a choice now. I order pizza and we sit down across from one another. As I eat, I watch all the other couples eating together, smiling to one another and holding each other’s hands. I take Sebastian’s and give him a smile.
From here I can see the roller skating rink on the lower level. The couples seem to be having a lot of fun, twirling around and falling together. I try not to let it bother me, but it does. I mean, Sebastian and I can do many things together, but I’d look like a weirdo talking to myself all the time. We can always seclude ourselves like we did in the dressing room, but I don’t want to be alone all the time. I want to show off my boyfriend. I want everyone to see what an amazing guy he is.
I look at him, and he smiles. I won’t love anyone the way I love him. He’ll have many more masters. Many female masters. Will he fall in love with any of them? I shake my head. I’m being insecure. And I have no right to tell him who to fall in love with. If he manages to find a way to stay with someone, then I wish him happiness. I hope he finds everlasting love and doesn’t live an empty life with memories he can’t get rid of.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I’m sitting cross-legged on my bed with my journal spread over my thighs. I’ve had it all my life, but barely wrote in it. After my sister died, I wrote all my feelings down in here. I was never much of a diary person, but after Daisy’s death, it helped.
Tonight, I’m writing for different reasons. My pen moves in such a fast speed as I jot down everything that happened from the moment my genie entered my life.
“What are you doing?” Sebastian sits down and hands me a glass of Coke. I thank him and gulp it down. I tell him what I’m filling the pages with.
“You’re writing about me?”
I nod. “And everything I…feel. About us and…everything.” I tap his nose. “Which means it’s for my eyes only.” I rub my hand down the side of his face. “I’m doing this so when you leave, I’ll read this and maybe remember, or at least I’ll know I met an awesome genie who changed my life.”
“Did I really change your life?” He gets up and faces the mirror. “I couldn’t help you fix your relationship with your mother. I didn’t help you afford culinary school.” He turns to me. “I did nothing for you.”
“Come here,” I say. He sits down next to me and I hold him close to my chest. “You helped me in more ways than you can imagine. You made me open my heart again. You made me happy. And so what if I can’t afford culinary school? I’ll get there one day.”
“But your mother—”
“It’s her choice. You pushed me to confront her. I was relying on texts and phone calls. Yes, going to her house didn’t work, but you gave me the push I needed.” I hug him. “You made me realize that there is still good in life. Can you imagine how I would have felt if Max dumped me and you weren’t here to make me feel better? I would have been a complete mess.” I take his hand. “You have been the best thing in my life for a long time. And because of this journal, I’m going to remember.”
He gets a serious look in his eyes and pulls his hand back. “Lily, you can’t do that.”
“What?”
He eyes the notebook. “I’m pretty sure that once I leave, those words will vanish,” he says softly. “I’m sorry.”
I shut the notebook and press it to my chest. No matter what I do, the genie rules won’t let me remember him. No memories, no pictures, no journal. “What if I write it as a story?”
He rakes his hand through his hair. “I’d assume not.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to write down every little detail and if it vanishes, then so be it.” I finger his jaw. “I’m going to fight it.”
“Fight what?”
“The genie rules. I’m going to make sure you stay and I’m going to remember you.”
He gathers me in his arms and rests his chin on my head. “This is too painful for us. Maybe we should just…we should just stop.”
I pull out of his hold. “No. Please.”
“You should find someone else. Someone you can have a future with. Someone who won’t cause you all this pain. Let me give you your last wish. I’ll find the perfect guy for you.”
I tangle my hands in his hair. “I already found him.” I haul his lips to mine and kiss him with everything I have. I use my pain to transport us into another dimension of kissing. We roll around each other, burying ourselves in this. I don’t want this to ever end. I don’t want to forget how good he tastes, how soft and delicate his lips are. How they do amazing things when they move against mine.
When we break free, Sebastian brushes his finger across my bottom lip. “I had a special night planned for us. But I see you’re writing.”
I put the notebook aside. “I can write later. What’s the surprise?”
“Doesn’t a surprise mean I’m not supposed to tell you?” He raises his eyebrows.
The last time I had a guy surprise me, he broke my heart. But a surprise from Sebastian? I’m beyond excited.
He grins. “You’re going to love it. Are you ready?” He holds out his hand. My insides tingle with anticipation and thrill. I accept his hand and let him pull me to my feet. He wraps his arm around my waist as he leads me toward the kitchen, all the while keeping a wide smile on his face. I’m going crazy with curiosity.
He stops before the kitchen table, where his lamp is sitting near fruit, newspapers, and magazines. Scanning around, I have no idea what he has planned.
His hands tighten around mine and he sends me another warm smile. A second later, I feel myself shrink, then I’m hurled a few feet forward, heading for his lamp. The entire place gets dark, like I’m in a tunnel. Sebastian is right beside me. I can’t see him well, only the outline of his body. The only sounds are our breathing.
“Are we inside your lamp?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Is it always this dark?”
He snaps his fingers and the lights turn on. All I see are many walls around, a king size bed in the center. That’s it. The place is tiny. His exotic genie smell overwhelms me, in a good way.
“No,” he says. “But the lamp sensed a foreign presence and shut the lights. It’s just protecting itself.”
“Can other people come in?”
“Nah. It’s just paranoid. Or maybe it’s worried I’ll lose my mind and bring someone here.” He smiles crookedly.
I stick my tongue out at him. Childish, maybe, but he makes me so happy he brings out my goofy side. Smiling, he clasps my hand. “What do you think?”
I’ve been wondering how his lamp looks inside since he got here. I’m so happy he’s sharing his home with me. “It’s cute. Small, but cozy. I love it.”
The walls are painted gold, the same color as his body. And it also has those swirly designs that match the outside. His bed is composed of gold and black sheets and blankets. It looks so comfortable that all I want to do is jump inside with Sebastian and fall asleep with our arms fastened around each other.
“Now you see why I hate it in here,” he says, looking around. “No windows. Nothing to do. Not like your world.”
I tug his hand and take us to his bed, wh
ere we sit down side by side. “I think it’s wonderful. Thanks for sharing this with me.” I run my hand along the bedspread. It’s soft, but like he said when we first met, it’s not as soft as mine. I don’t care, though. I’m just happy to be with him. “It’d be amazing to disappear from the world and hide in here forever.” I look at him as a thought hits me. “How are we here if I didn’t wish for it? Is this like prom, only temporary?”
He nods. “I’m afraid you can’t stay in here forever. I’m sorry.”
I lean my head on his shoulder. “That’s probably for the best. Macy will drive herself insane with worry and my boss will want to chop my head off.”
A laugh rumbles in his stomach. “And no one will be able to taste Chef Lily’s delicious food.”
I join in his laughter. Then I take him in my arms. “Thanks for that. You always know what to say to make me smile.”
He gazes into my eyes. “I love to see you smile.” My stomach flips as my eyes shoot to his lips. They’re slightly parted. He’s breathing heavily. “Lily,” he whispers.
“Yeah?”
He angles his head closer to mine. Our mouths are less than an inch apart. I feel his breath on my cheek. “Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?” He kisses me. With our mouths pressed together, we lie down on the bed. He climbs on top of me and pushes my hair off my shoulder, dropping light kisses down my neck. My head rolls back as his lips return to mine. He takes my bottom lip between his and bites down softly. I moan, my fingers pulling at his long hair.
“For a genie with no experience,” I pant. “You sure know what you’re doing.”
He nuzzles my nose with his. “I’m glad I can make you happy.”
“Just being here with me is enough.”
“I hate this lamp,” he mutters as he moves his mouth to my ear, where he nibbles it. “Makes me feel so alone. Except for now.” He raises his head and smiles.
I sit up. “How does it work? When someone rubs your lamp. What happens?”
“I’m usually lying on my bed when my house starts flashing lights. Then I come out.”
Falling for the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 1) Page 14
