“Arielle, where are you??” She opened her eyes, and smiled wide.
“Oh, I’m just thinking about him,” she said. “I hate being away from him,” she muttered, and frowned. “But, he did say that there is a possibility that he will move here next year. For now it’ll be a long distance relationship, and I must say I hate it. He did say that he would try and visit as much as possible. I just can’t believe this is really happening,” she added. “I just can’t believe it!”
She didn’t mention anything about Sebastian’s true nature to her friends. But how could she explain something like that? She exhaled, feeling his absence almost as a physical aching, longing for his arms.
She did tell them that there was a crazy woman who was infatuated with Sebastian, and that she was stalking him. This woman could become a problem for her down the road, and that was something she was a bit worried about. Eva’s body seemed to tighten and her gaze pierced through Arielle’s. Arielle knew just what she was thinking, and she tried to look unruffled, but in fact she too was a little shaken up just remembering Eva’s prophetic words.
When Eva spoke, her voice was soft but determined. “I promise you, Arielle, if she ever tries to harm you, we will stop her,” she said. As she spoke, the softness in her voice gave way to resolve, and even anger. Gabrielle looked startled and Arielle laughed, trying to make light of the situation. She knew that Eva was serious, but deep down inside she also knew that the problem of Annabel was not so easy to dismiss. “Anyway,” she said rapidly, wanting to change the subject. “Tell us about Troy Gabby.”
Gabrielle’s eyes lit up, and she placed her hand over her heart.
“I’m totally in love,” she said. “Completely captivated by his mere existence! He is extremely clever, and indescribably beautiful.” She stayed silent for a few moments, while she took on a faraway look. A wide smile spread across her face and they knew that she was thinking of him, remembering some kind of sweet moment she hadn’t yet shared with them. They let her just enjoy the moment; finally Arielle coughed loudly enough to bring her back to what she was saying.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! I guess I got carried away for a moment,” she giggled.
Eva and Arielle laughed, knowing exactly how she felt.
“I’ll be spending a lot of time with him,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Gabby, we don’t care what you do as long as you’re happy,” Arielle said, trying to hold back her laughter. Gabrielle looked away again, and the same dreamy smile appeared on her face while they listened to her barely audible voice.
“He is such a great kisser. I could spend the rest of my life doing nothing else but kissing him!”
At this they couldn’t help themselves: they laughed out loud again. Gabby looked startled.
“What?” she said.
“We want you to know that you were thinking out loud. Was that something you really wanted us to know?” Gabrielle giggled happily. “Oh, I don’t mind,” she said, blushing just a little. “I want to introduce you to him tomorrow, after class,” she added.
Now it was Eva’s turn, and they were all ready to hear her same old sob story: but this time they were in for a surprise. Eva had met a guy a few nights ago, the same night Arielle was out with Paul.
“Is he a student here?” Arielle asked.
“He is actually a new student this year,” she said. “He transferred here from Manchester University. His name is Ian, and he has swept me off my feet with his romantic ways,” she said, excitedly. “We have been together practically every night, and he is just wonderful! He takes me to dinner, to the cinema, and we take long walks together. We can talk about everything and anything. He brings me flowers, and we watched the sunset together. I want to spend every waking moment with him; I want him to love me forever! He is very handsome, he is warm, graceful, and, by the way, he too is an excellent kisser,” she concluded, giggling with delight.
Listening to Eva and looking at her shining face, Arielle could see that she was absolutely crazy about Ian. “Now Ian can become her focal point and she won’t be spending her time thinking about spell books, or her special powers, or the cemetery, or summoning someone back from the dead,” she thought. She smiled, pleased and relieved, and moved closer to Eva to give her a hug.
“He has asked over and over again to meet you two, but you haven’t been around,” she said. “When can you meet him?”
“Anytime, Eva,” Gabrielle said, hugging her too. “He sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to meet him! What is he studying?”
“He is studying to be a doctor,” she said.
“Ohhhhhh!! A doctor! So maybe it’s true that great things happen to those who wait?” Arielle chuckled.
“It seems to be true,” Eva, murmured, laughing happily. “Anyway, I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
It was late, and time to retire. So they finished their wine and headed for bed. Before Arielle climbed into bed she sat down at the computer and sent Sebastian a short e-mail.
“I am getting ready to go to bed and I was thinking of you,” she wrote. “I do so wish you were here. I miss you terribly. I love you!!!!” She read the words over, and then hit “send.”
She had brushed her teeth and was almost ready to get into bed when she heard the e-mail ping. Her heart skipped a beat; she smiled gleefully and ran back to the computer. Yes! It was a return message.
“I was sitting here thinking of you when I received your e-mail. Thank you for loving me and for making me happy. I love you more than life, and I need you to the point that it hurts. I want you to miss me when I’m not there. I want to be your first thought in the morning and your last thought before you go to bed. I want you to dream about me and only me. You have bewitched me, Miss Elizabeth, and I’ll love you for eternity.”
The image of his beautiful face surged through her head, and she longed for him. She could see the stunning curve of his lips and could almost taste his immortal sweetness. She closed her eyes as his absence filled her with emptiness. Her fingers moved once again on the keyboard.
“Good night, Darcy. I’m going to bed right now, and I pray that I dream of you because I’m so lonely that I want to cry…I need you here with me.”
His next e-mail was short but it filled her with an aching tenderness.
“I love you, baby. Miss me!!” She shut the computer down and closed her eyes, trying to see his beautiful face.
They had agreed to e-mail each other, but also to call. She knew she needed to hear his voice. He had also promised to come and visit a couple times before the semester was over. With that happy thought she drifted off to sleep.
The next morning she didn’t have a class until ten o’clock. She got up, made some coffee, and took a cup with her back to her bedroom. Eva was already gone to an early class, and Gabrielle was in the shower. She sat in front of her computer and switching the power on, she decided to send a short e-mail to Sebastian. She typed a few words in, and was getting ready to hit “send” when she saw a new e-mail pop up on her screen. It was from Sebastian!
“I woke up missing you and I wanted to tell you that I love you before you left for class. Please miss me!!! I’ll call you soon.” Complete happiness took over her body, and her fingers moved quickly on the keyboard again.
“I just finished typing a note to you and was just getting ready to hit send when I got your e-mail. I’m so happy that you are thinking of me. I’m missing you terribly; I don’t think I can stand being away from you this long. I’m glad you still love me because your love is what sustains me right now. Okay, I’m heading to class.”
She hit “send” and ran to take a quick shower. She pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, and grabbed her books. She heard the computer ping again just as she started to walk out the door. She whirled, filled with excitement, and ran back to open her e-mail.
“I love you more than you could ever love me. Miss me!!”
How could a few words so change her whole outlook on t
he day? All she could do was smile as she walked to the door.
“I can’t wait to meet your guy,” she heard Gabrielle’s voice saying, calling to her from the kitchen as she prepared to leave the flat.
“And I can’t wait to meet Troy! Did you say he is coming over today?”
“Yes, he should be here later this evening,” Gabrielle said, as Arielle walked out the door with a spring in her step.
Paul was waiting outside their chemistry classroom with a concerned look on his face. “Are you all right?” he asked
“Yes, I feel much better than I did last week. Thanks for being there for me,” she murmured, and they walked in together.
The day passed quickly, and soon they were all back at the flat, engaged in their studies, when a soft knock sent Eva running to the door. It was Ian, and Arielle liked him from first sight. He was a little taller than Eva, well built, and extremely good looking, with brown hair and brown eyes. He pulled Eva into his arms and gave her a warm kiss. She looked so happy, and that made Arielle smile. Then Ian walked over to Arielle and gave her a warm hug, as if they had known each other for a long time.
“You must be Arielle,” he said. “Eva has told me all about you, and I have been looking forward to meeting you.” He had a wonderfully friendly smile, and she immediately knew that he belonged to that special group of people in her head. She could see that he was genuine in everything he said. “I’m delighted to meet you too, Ian,” she said, hugging him back. Then Gabby came out of her room, and her meeting with Ian was equally warm and friendly. They chatted happily for a few minutes, and then Ian followed Eva into the kitchen to get a beer.
Gabrielle and Arielle just looked at each other and smiled joyfully. They were both thinking the same thing—that Ian and Eva made a beautiful couple. When they came back into the room, they were talking about Ian’s family. He was a great guy with some very interesting stories to tell, and a fascinating way of telling them, which they all enjoyed, while sipping on wine.
Around 8:00 Troy arrived, and Arielle nearly dropped. He was incredibly good-looking, almost as good-looking as Sebastian. He took Gabrielle in his arms and their lips locked in a soft kiss. Gabrielle introduced him to them, and he moved across the room to give Eva a warm hug and shake Ian’s hand.
While Troy’s smile was remarkable, as he turned in her direction and crossed the room toward her, Arielle was sorry to discover that he didn’t belong to that special group of people in her head. But as he approached her she sensed something very familiar about his seamless walk. She was still trying to process that thought when he leaned over to give her a hug. As he did, her body suddenly went rigid; the scent was unmistakable. She was stunned, since she had never smelled that particular scent until she met Sebastian. She looked at him expecting to be dazzled, but nothing unusual happened. She was very confused, but also very sure about the scent that went along with his amazing looks and his seamless walk.
She was still staring at him, her mind miles away when she heard his voice, soft as velvet.
“Are you all right, Arielle?”
He was watching her carefully, with a puzzled look on his face.
“Yes…yes… I’m sorry; I was just thinking of something… something else. Forgive me. It’s so nice to meet you; I’ve heard so much about you from Gabrielle.” Arielle said, smiling a bit nervously as she saw him walking towards Gabrielle, gazing back at her with a curious look; but he remained quiet.
“Oh my God,” she thought to herself. “Can he be another immortal? And how or why did he show up here?” Now her mind was really going wild. She was sure that he was wondering what she was thinking, and she was wondering if he could read her mind, like Sebastian could. But if he could, he gave no indication of it.
As Troy told them about his travels around the world with his parents, Arielle couldn’t help noticing that his features, like Sebastian’s, were flawless. He told them that his mother was French, his father Scottish. He was dressed exceptionally well, and there was a natural elegance about him. He was very attentive to Gabrielle, and she could see that he had eyes only for her. His voice was very appealing, and all this was fuel to the fire that was already in her head. She couldn’t read his mind, and the story about his parents didn’t seem to fit what she knew about the pattern of an immortal. She was perplexed.
She was so happy for Gabrielle; she loved her dearly and she knew that she was incredibly happy, but there was something strange and unsettling about Troy. She wanted to talk to Sebastian about this, but she knew it would have to wait until he was here again. Could Troy really be another immortal? How strange would that be? What was happening in her life?
Despite her dreadful gift, Arielle really was just a normal girl. Her recent experiences with Eva’s special powers; the unknown world of immortal men she seemed to be entering; and the fact that she was the object of the fury of an immortal woman who wanted to kill her was all a bit overwhelming. She wasn’t sure she could comprehend the meaning of all that was happening, but she seemed to be right in the middle of it.
She glanced over at Gabby, and Eva, and let her gaze linger over the four of them. They were now laughing and enjoying each other’s company. She finally managed to shake off her anxious thoughts and join in the fun.
She and Sebastian were now exchanging e-mails almost daily, and he called her a couple of times a week. She missed him so much! Every night she went to bed feeling lonely and depressed. She wanted so much to feel his body next to hers! Her life went on pretty much routinely for the next couple of months: school, studying, and partying on the weekends.
Meanwhile, Gabrielle and Troy, Eva and Ian were getting closer and closer. Arielle was the only one missing her beautiful dream. She couldn’t stop thinking of him no matter where she was or what she was doing.
It was midweek and she had just walked in the door when he called. It was so exciting just to hear his voice.
“Hello! Did you miss me?” he asked. As always his musical voice on the other end of the line enchanted her.
“Yes, I miss you,” she said quietly. She was feeling pretty lonely.
“What’s wrong, baby? You sound so sad.”
“I am sad,” she said. “I don’t like being without you. Are you ever coming to see me?”
“Well, what are you doing next weekend?” he asked.
She stopped breathing as she processed his question.
“You’re not joking with me, are you?”
“I never joke when it comes to you, Arielle.”
She just couldn’t keep her excitement from spilling over the phone.
“I’ll be right here, waiting for you,” she said. Her heart raced, and that familiar rush of desire shot through her.
“I’ll e-mail you my flight details,” he said.
“I’ll pick you up,” she said eagerly, happily, barely able to contain herself, adding, “I think I’ll burst before you get here.”
“Don’t do that,” he joked. “I need you just as you are.” He chuckled and before he hung up said, “Miss me!!” And the phone went dead.
When he was gone she fell onto the sofa, overwhelmed. She was going to see him again, soon! That short phone call made her a changed person.
Gabby noticed it first and then Eva; of course, both wanted details. She told them that Sebastian was coming to see her, and that she was going to plan a great weekend for the two of them.
“Will we get to meet him?”
“I can’t promise, but I’ll try” she laughed.
They both understood how she felt and laughed along with her. Then Gabrielle went to take a shower, and Eva took the chance to drop another bomb while Gabby was out of the room. “Arielle, there’s something I want to talk about with you,” she said. She paused for a moment and then added, tentatively, “There is something very different about Troy. It’s in a good way, but I’m not sure exactly what it is. I’m not getting a clear picture of him.”
Arielle’s body became tense; sh
e didn’t want Eva to know anything about immortality, not just yet. She was hoping that Eva’s visions would stay murky for the moment.
“I think he is wonderful, Eva,” she said. “I didn’t see anything different about him, except that he was extremely good looking, just like Ian.” Eva smiled, and to Arielle’s relief she dropped the subject.
Chapter 18
Finally the weekend arrived. Her heart was leaping with anticipation, and her expectations were welling up. Sebastian would be there again! There were simply no words to describe the sensation that was sweeping through her, intoxicating her very soul.
A light mist hit the windshield as she drove to the airport. As she pulled close to the baggage claim exit, the sight of him strutting toward her took her breath away. It would take every bit of strength she possessed to control the deep desire and the strong temptation that was burning in every fiber, every nerve, and every vein in her body.
No sculptor could create such a beautiful statue. He was simply perfect. His striking lips were curved up into that familiar smile, making his face look even more gorgeous than it already was, as if that could be possible. She noticed that many people were turning to look at him as he strode toward the door. He truly looked more like a painting than a real person.
He stopped when he saw her, and she flew out of the car and into his open arms. He pulled her against his body and bending down, he crushed her lips beneath his, with an incredible hunger. As she pressed close to him, she could feel heat cascading throughout her body.
Arielle: Immortal Awakening Page 20
