Chapter 6
Sharing
The next two weeks of classes drag by, but Danika is responding rather well. I am grateful to have Alexander in my algebra class, although it is getting old watching all the girls swoon over him as usual. I will admit to my brother’s stunning appearance, but enough is enough. Sometimes it turns my stomach.
“Sophia, why do you let what others think bother you so much? You need to learn not to pay attention and just let it all roll off of you.”
I hate when Alexander noses into my thoughts like that, and I tell him so. “First off you need to stop doing that. Sometimes my thoughts should be private. I know I am miserable, but this is how I keep my distance from people,” I say while gathering my books to get ready for my next class.
With a soft, calm voice Alexander stares right inside me, right to my very core. “I understand why you don’t want to get close to anyone. You’re afraid that what happened to Caspian will happen to you. But, Sophia, the people here are nice and you need to give them a chance. That Nate guy seems very welcoming, and I know he wants to get to know you better. Start with him. Get to know him and let him know you, even if it’s only a tad.”
“He frightens me. I have never wanted anything as much as I want him. He does something to me. I can’t hide from him. Something about him encourages me to enlighten him to our situation.”
“That could be a problem if you are not smart and careful, but why don’t you just trust yourself a little? You are stronger than you think.”
As we walk to our lockers, every girl we pass does a double-take of Alexander. I try not to let this upset me. Alexander is right, and I do need to relax. To some extent, their infatuation is amusing. Most teenage girls think of Alexander as some kind of celebrity, a sweet temptation. He is tall, strong, and built like a rock with a slight five-o’clock shadow around his face. His blond hair matches the sand on a Caribbean beach, which makes his piercing brown eyes stand out. It’s an unusual combination, but it works; he is stunning. Nevertheless, he is not available, so they need not bother–though they don’t know any better.
I try to remember a time when I let someone from outside the family in. It was Ashley. She was an exceptional woman, although we never did share the family secret with her. She knew we were different, just not how different. Since her passing, I have tried to keep others at a distance, and I have been good at it–until now. Nathanial is different from others. Nathanial appears genuine and truly interested in me. He wants to know everything he can find out about me. I feel his brain working overtime in an attempt to figure me out. There is another reason I must stay away from him: he is special, and I want to keep him safe–safe from harm and safe from me!
When lunch rolls around, Alexander and I find Matilda and Danika in the cafeteria quite easily. No one ever seems interested in joining our table.
I freeze with surprise. “Are you kidding me?” I ask quietly.
Alexander stops and asks, “You okay, sis?”
“It is just Nate. I know you said to give him a chance, but I’m still reluctant. He’s everywhere. I can’t seem to shake him, and I feel like he may be the one to get everything out of me. I want to be near him. I like him, and I want to know him. I just don’t trust myself with him, and now he is sitting with the girls.” I let out a sigh.
“I still think it’s a good idea to get to know him, but careful, Sophia. You don’t want to give in to your temptations. We’re here to help you control yourself.” Alexander reassures me as we continue to the table where Matilda and Nathanial are sitting, deep in conversation.
Danika appears to be smitten with Nathanial as well and is flirtatiously twisting and twirling her vibrant red hair on her index finger.
We reach the table, and Nathanial stops mid-sentence. “Hey Sophia. I met your sister in Advanced Trig. I hope you don’t mind me joining your family for lunch?”
“No, that’s fine. We have lots of room, but your teammates over there look a little confused.”
I figure I can try being more pleasant and friendly. Nathanial is a good guy, and it might be nice having him around.
Nathanial begins fidgeting with the ketchup bottle that’s on the table. “Your sister invited me to join you for lunch. She sure thinks highly of you.”
With a slight glare, I look over at Matilda. “Do I dare ask why you think that?”
“Never mind. I don’t want you getting an ego,” she interrupts and smiles.
I can tell by Matilda’s mannerisms that Nathanial is trying to gather as much information about me as possible. Lucky for him, Matilda is overly friendly and spills just enough to keep him interested.
Matilda whispers to me, “I get the feeling he is hard to keep secrets from. He is the type of person everyone wants to confide in.”
“Yes, me included. There’s just something about him that caught my attention right off. I don’t even understand why.”
Nathanial is very compelling. After knowing him for only a little under a month, Matilda admits to opening up a little about our family dynamics. “Danika is the newest member to join the family. We are not related by blood. Alex and I fell in love, and we are accepted as a couple within the family rather than siblings. This is okay since we weren’t raised together nor was I officially adopted.”
I’m shocked she is revealing so much; I guess I’m not the only one that needs to be careful around him. His ability to relax others and extract information from them is unfathomable, and getting any of us to open up so willingly is an extraordinary feat indeed.
“May I try to explain?” requests Danika.
With complete surprise, Matilda encourages, “It would be wonderful to hear your point of view.”
Danika looks for approval from the rest of us as she begins. “Our family was not raised together. We came together later in our lives. We had nowhere to go, and the Pierces took us in. They have raised us ever since. Only Sophia and Alex are related by genetics. From what they have told me, it was evident from day one that Alex and Mati belonged together.”
Talking about the others and their relationships, I begin feeling a little lonely. I’ve been alone for so long now. I’d stopped believing my soul mate even exists until I met Nathanial. Sitting across the table from his incredible scent, I find myself contemplating the possibility that my soul mate is right here in front of me. I know Matilda has a keen sense about souls and is always searching for someone special for me. She has this gift of seeing inside people’s souls and can tell if they belong together. Until now, she has never had any luck finding someone for me. From the look on her face, I can tell she feels differently now. This can’t t be a good thing, no matter how much I want it to be true. There is no way he is the one. Our differences are too much to handle in a relationship. It’ll never work out, at least not in a good way. He may be right for me, but I ‘m more than wrong for him. I try to clear these thoughts from my head. I don’t want to raise any more questions and should pay attention to the conversation going on around me.
With my siblings near, I decide to throw away my inhabitations and be myself. The five of us goof around. We click really well, laughing and joking around. It makes it easy to forget about the entire school watching us, and I even relax a little. It feels good to loosen up and not be so tense around Nathanial. I’m beginning to see myself in a new light with him around. Trying to make normal conversation while still checking up on our new sister, I ask, “How are you enjoying high school so far Danika? Are you making any friends?”
“I really like it here. People are very friendly, and nothing has been too difficult yet.”
“That’s great to hear. I’m always here if you need help with anything.” We all understand the subliminal talk, but we don’t want Nate catching on. I’m even beginning to relax a little with Danika. Maybe I should give her a chance; she is trying very hard.
The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch period. We gather our belongings
and prepare to finish our day. I look over to Alexander, and we silently agree that a sit-down with Danika is in order. It’s been a month, and we need to make sure she is handling everything alright. I will try to give her the benefit of doubt. She may be mentally stronger than I ever thought.
Immortal Embrace Page 6
