by Jordan Deen
stepped closer and my sense of flight kicked in; I stepped a full stride backwards. “Just to repay you … you know for your kindness?”
“No. Thank you. I have a boyfriend.” I said the first thing I could think of. Alex and I weren’t officially dating and after this week, I had no idea what we were.
Brandon looked disappointed at my rejection. “Is this about what happened?” He held up his hand to show me his mark that matched mine. The mark on my palm had doubled in size since the last time I saw him.
“You know.” Brandon smirked. “I know you know. Just accept it.” Let it overtake you … let yourself go. His words from my dream whispered against my ear and my neck. I took in a deep breath but my legs wobbled. I threw my arms out to stop from going down, but he caught me first.
“Easy- Easy.” He wrapped his arm around me and took my backpack from my shoulder. “I’ve seen that look before.” Brandon tugged me closer, my face almost pressed to his chest. Panic and satisfaction washed over me in alternating waves as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath at Brandon’s chest. I wrapped my arms around him ignoring the pain and pulled myself even closer to his body; my own body not wanting to let him go. I heard my backpack hit the ground; in an instant Brandon’s hand was under my chin.
“Are you alright?” His eyes were safe and familiar, so close to my face. I nodded, but wasn’t really sure if I was. “Come on.” Brandon kept his arm looped around the small of my back, as we walked away from the office. I went with him complacently as visions wreaked havoc on my brain; being in love with Brandon, then watching as he violently transformed into a hideous creature ready to attack me.
“You look like you are feeling better.” Still in a trance, I wasn’t convinced that I felt better as he opened the door to his house. I doubted that I looked any better either. My stomach and head told me it was a mistake to leave school with this boy that I didn’t know. My heart told me I’ve known him forever and regardless of what he was, I loved him; I needed him.
The house was scantily furnished with an old couch, a coffee table with a lamp on it, a small TV on a stand and a two person dinette in the kitchen. “I know it’s not much.” There were no pictures, no decorations; nothing about this place felt like a home. “It’s sort of an in between place.”
I shook my head and settled my shaky legs on the couch. Small talk. That’s what I needed right then. “So do you live here by yourself?”
Brandon retrieved two sodas from the fridge and came to sit next to me. “No. A few of my friends live here with me.”
“You don’t have any family?” I watched carefully for his reaction.
“They are my family.” He cracked open his soda and took several sips. Silence overtook the room. I looked around and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “What about you? Are your parents cool?” More small talk.
“They’re ok.” How do I tell him my dad is an alcoholic, my mother is an enabler, and I can’t bring myself to tell them about my dreams for fear they will have me committed.
Brandon smirked as though he knew the conversation I just had with myself. “Must be hard to be the only child.”
“Ummm … I don’t remember telling you that.” I set the soda down and glanced at the door wondering if I should make up an excuse to leave.
“You didn’t have to.” He smiled and without explanation continued. “Why do you cover your eyes with contacts?” He looked like he was going to touch my face, but stilled his hand just inches away when I started to lean back from him.
“How did you know I wear contacts?”
Brandon half laughed and allowed his fingers to brush my cheek sending chills through my body. “Because the first day I met you, they were blue. The next, they were green, almost the same color as mine.” DUH.
“Everyone in my family has blue eyes, not green.”
“So you don’t like being different?” His question unnerved me.
“No it’s not that …” I barely knew him; did I really owe him an explanation?
“Then why cover them? Your eyes are beautiful without the contacts.” His finger brushed the smooth skin beneath my eye. “Why don’t you take them out now?” I inched farther away from him on the couch, finally feeling my legs steady.
“Because … I don’t want to.” I responded aggravated at his inquisition.
“You don’t want people seeing the real you, the beautiful person behind the mask?” He antagonized me as he poked fun at my desire to be like my family.
“I need to go back to school.” I got up from the couch and stomped towards the door. Brandon made it to the door before I could even turn the knob.
“Leaving so soon?” He tried to sound lighthearted, but his tone wasn’t. I tightened my grip on the doorknob wondering if I could really get past him and out the door.
“I need to get back to school. I’m going to get into trouble.” I lied; the look on his face told me he knew it.
“No, you won’t.”
“Yes, I will. You don’t know my parents.”
“I know they are lying to you. Don’t you want the truth? Don’t you want to know why you are having the dreams about me and why we are connected?” He brushed a stray hair from my face; his eyes shined making my knees feel weak. And I hated to admit he was right; I wanted to know. I wanted an explanation for the dreams, for my love for him, for my reaction to Alex and for my parents’ strange behavior. “Yes … but …” My voice sounded meek. Was I really ready for the truth?
Brandon lifted my hand and traced his finger around the purple crescent moon that had grown darker on my palm. “Your parents will never love you like I do.” I released my grip on the door and my body started to relax with each twist of his finger against my hand. “I would never do anything to hurt you like they have. They have not prepared you, warned you, for what you will shortly become. They thought they could stop you from your destiny, but they were wrong.” He leaned his forehead to mine, “You have felt the changes. You have started to smell them, to react to them?”
The only smell that I had encountered was the strange stench around Alex. “My boyfriend smells funny …”
Brandon leaned back casting his eyes to the ceiling and took a deep breath. “Please don’t call him that. He is your enemy and mine. I don’t want to think that he’s touched you … in anyway.” Brandon hesitated. “You didn’t sleep with him, did you?”
The night at Alex’s house rushed back to me and the thoughts of how I wanted to sleep with him so badly but couldn’t.
“No.” I couldn’t tell my imaginary boyfriend that I wanted anyone else. It felt like I was a cheater, even though technically, I wasn’t.
“That’s the only way he could’ve broken our bond.” Brandon’s fingers loosely intertwined with mine. “If you would’ve willingly given yourself to him.”
“Brandon … I don’t understand any of this.” My heart bounced against my chest from the mere touch of his fingers and his breath on my face.
“I know you don’t. I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. It took me forever to find you.” Brandon brushed his fingers down my arm making me hold my breath. “But I’m here now and there is nothing they can do to change that.” I anxiously anticipated his kiss as he leaned towards me. When our lips finally touched my pulse raced and I threw both of my arms around his neck deepening the kiss. I felt the sting from my bruised arms for the briefest moment, but it stopped the instant my mind flooded with visions of his love for me and mine for him. I was faint again and breathless from his lips covering mine.
c h a p t e r
TWELVE
“Hey.” A petite dark haired girl said as I opened my eyes. I glanced around the unfamiliar room. “I’m Lily.”
“Hi. I’m Lacey.” I sat upright on the bed and looked towards the door leading into the hallway. “Where am I?”
“You’re at our house. Brandon is in the living room.” She smiled; her eyes were brighter green than my own. She didn’t look older than ten or eleven.
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“Are you his sister?”
“Sort of.” She closed the notebook she had been doodling in. “He asked me to keep an eye on you while he talked to Trevor and Matt. He didn’t want to leave you, but they have to deal with the Alex issue.”
“What Alex issue?” I hadn’t admitted to doing anything with Alex. Maybe Courtney had told Brandon something in the hopes to get Alex.
“He crossed the line.” Lily smirked. “He has to pay for it.” Her words were menacing, disturbing.
I jumped off the bed and rushed towards the sound of the voices. Brandon was sitting on the couch and two boys just as big as him were sitting on the floor. Brandon shot up from the couch, halting my advance. I tried to clear my head and tell Brandon to leave Alex alone, but his voice distracted me. “You’re up!” He wrapped his arms around me and then pointed at the two boys to introduce them. “This is Matt.”
“Hey.” The larger of the two boys stepped forward further deterring me from my mission. He outstretched his mammoth hand and electricity shot through my skin when I touched his. I staggered backwards and Matt grabbed my arms to stop me from falling, but he caused more harm than good. My body shuddered, more waves flowed through my arms.
“I’m sorry.” Matt mumbled as Brandon yanked me away from him, taking me into his arms again.
“She’s still getting used to her senses. Give her some room.” Brandon gave him a dirty look and lowered his tone; the words were an
