Willian finally decided on what to say and leaned forward to speak quietly. “You don’t seem surprised to hear that Jena and I are betrothed. It’s not something which is very common here, but it is where we come from.
“I don’t know how to explain our situation to you, but suffice it to say, Jena and I have a strained relationship. We always have, in fact. I hate to admit that I’ve been jealous of Jena’s ability to do everything better than myself. I haven’t always treated her right, and I came here to make amends and let her know I’ve changed.”
“That’s good of you. If that’s true, then why are you here at my house?”
“I think you know why. When we ran into one another today, I felt something amazing. It wasn’t what I was expecting or even looking for, but it happened all the same. I think I came here, not to fix things with Jena, but rather to find you. At the risk of sounding crazy, I believe we are meant to be together.”
“You’re right; you do sound crazy. Jena is one of my best friends, and I think you are out of line coming here, Willian. I think you should leave.”
“Okay,” Willian replied as he rubbed his sweaty palms down his thighs as he remained seated on the couch. “I’ll agree to go if you can tell me you didn’t feel anything when we touched. In fact, I could feel your energy even before you entered the room. Can you explain any of this to me?”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you, Willian. You came here to make things right with Jena, and I think you should continue to do so. You can see yourself out.” Valentina leaned forward to pick up a magazine from the coffee table. Her birth crystal came free from her shirt and swung in front of her.
Willian’s eyes caught the movement, and they grew wide as he wondered if it could truly be what he thought it was. The pendant was as it should be, however, the necklace was a leather strap instead of the usual intricate swirling chain. “Valentina, where did you get your necklace?” He could not keep himself from asking. Ever since he had felt the electrical touch between them, he could not help but wonder how he could possibly be destined for someone from Earth.
Valentina’s hand involuntarily rose to clasp the pendant and hastily tuck it back into her shirt. The magazine was forgotten in her lap as she tried to come up with an explanation. She opted for the truth as she answered, “It was a gift from my mother.”
Willian’s gaze instantly shifted to the doorway where her mother had left them. “You don’t look much like your mom.”
“This was from my birth mother.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wished she had remained silent. For as long as she could remember she had tried to believe her adopted mom was her real mom since she recalled very little of her birth mother. Here in a moment of confusion, Valentina had told this stranger about her being adopted.
“Ah,” Willian answered as he rapidly grasped the situation. “Where’re you originally from, Valentina?”
“I fail to see how this is any of your business. Please leave, Willian.” Valentina stood up from her chair and let the magazine fall to the ground unheeded. She stepped around the coffee table, intent on escaping Willian’s questions. As if anticipating her, Willian’s hand reached out and grabbed her arm gently. Liquid fire raced through her arm, and she only stared at his hand where it touched her bare skin. All of her nerves seemed to ignite, and she did not know what she should do.
It seemed pointless to deny what she felt when she shifted her gaze to his and saw the same expression on his face as she surely had. “It doesn’t prove anything, Willian.” Her denial sounded weak to her own ears.
“It proves everything, Valentina. Tell me where you’re from; I need to know.”
“Tuala,” she whispered.
A huge smile spread across Willian’s face as his last reservation evaporated. To know she shared the same heritage as he made everything perfect. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
“It doesn’t mean anything.” She jerked her arm from his grasp and practically fled from the room without looking back. A sob tore from her throat at the loss of their physical touch, yet she ignored it as she somehow found her way to her room through the tears which suddenly sprang to her eyes. How could this be happening? If she had met him a week before, she would probably have different ideas, but she could not even face this situation after what Grobin had done to her. She did not want to have feelings for Willian, yet his touch had done something to her. She craved his touch, and it scared her more than she could even admit to herself.
She wished she could talk to Jena and end her emotional torment. She threw herself face down onto her bed and let the sounds of her wracking sobs be absorbed by her pillow. This whole situation was intolerable. The energy in the room changed, and Valentina knew without looking that Willian had followed her to her bedroom. She stilled her body and hoped Willian would get the hint and leave.
After a few moments of quiet, Valentina turned her face from the pillow to see Willian standing in her doorway with the most heartfelt expression of pain on his face. “Why didn’t you leave?” Valentina cried out passionately. “Can’t you see what this is doing to me? You need to go!”
“I can’t go when I know you’re in so much pain. Please tell me what’s wrong. I want to be your friend if nothing else.” Willian stepped into the room and stopped when he reached the edge of the bed. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her again to feel the powerful connection between them. Deciding against it, he sat down on the bed careful not to have any physical contact with her prone body.
Valentina brushed the tears from her cheeks angrily and sat up. She did not like the helpless feeling she had felt when she was lying down. She needed to be on an equal level with Willian. Against all reason, Valentina wanted to prove to herself that she could not be with Willian. She knew if she had any intimate contact with him, her mind would rebel against it, seeing visions of Grobin violating her body.
To confirm her worst fears, Valentina practically lunged forward and kissed Willian on the lips. What was intended to be a quick kiss, immediately ignited passion in both of them as the electrical charge passed between them. Without knowing how it happened, Valentina found herself lying flat on her bed with Willian poised above her. Their lips never broke contact, and her mind raced with the possibilities the kiss promised.
Suddenly Willian was gone. Valentina opened her eyes in time to see Jon pulling a fist back and letting it fly into Willian’s gut. She watched in horror as Willian crumpled into a heap onto the floor. “Stop it, Jon! What are you doing?” Valentina lunged across the bed to prevent Jon from landing a second punch.
Chapter Three
JON LOOKED OVER at his sister in surprise and asked, “What are you doing, Val? Do you even know this guy? What’s he doing in here making out with you anyway?”
“I…I don’t know how to explain any of this, Jon. He’s from Tuala.”
Jon’s gaze suddenly shifted from his sister to the guy on the floor who had been wise enough to remain sitting. “Tuala? What are you talking about? What’s he doing here? Why would that be an explanation for him kissing you?”
Valentina struggled to explain anything. Her gaze continued to shift between her brother and the man on the floor who made her feel things she never thought possible.
“I think I should leave,” Willian murmured. “I believe I got the answer I was after anyway. Are you going to be okay, Valentina?”
“I’m all right, and yes, I think you should go. Jon, let him go!” she suddenly cried out as Jon made an aggressive move in Willian’s direction. She grabbed her brother’s arm and urged him with her eyes to leave it alone for now.
“Can I get your phone number?” Willian asked from the doorway.
“Are you kidding me?” Jon asked in astonishment. He turned his head to look at his sister and asked, “Is this guy for real?”
Valentina wished she could tell her brother to shut up. Realizing she desperately wanted to talk to Willian again, she
pushed past her brother and went to her desk. She grabbed a pen and groped around for a piece of paper. She finally tore the corner from a page of her textbook and scribbled her number on it. Rushing across the room, she shoved the scrap of paper into Willian’s hands and said, “Please go!”
Willian smiled as his fingers caressed hers. Gladly he would go now that he had her number. “I’ll call you when I get home,” he whispered and then turned to leave.
Valentina remained in the doorway, effectively blocking Jon from going after him. She lifted her arm to keep him in her room and realized her hand was shaking uncontrollably. Immediately she clasped her hands together and sighed with relief as she heard the front door close.
Jon stood with his feet apart, and his arms crossed tightly over his chest. “Have you lost your mind, Val?” He leaned around her and called out, “Behn! Come to Val’s room so we can talk!”
“Really? What business is this of yours or Behn’s? Get out of my room!”
“What’s going on?” Behn asked as he came up behind his sister. He saw his sister jump in fright at his quiet arrival. He looked past her to see Jon looking angry. “I could hear you both yelling. Is someone going to tell me what happened?”
“Uhhh!!” Valentina cried out in anger as she glared at Jon.
“Come in and close the door, Behn,” Jon ordered.
Behn did as he was told and wondered what had happened in the short time since he had last seen his sister. The three of them stood in the center of Valentina’s room, yet nobody seemed inclined to speak. “Well?” Behn prompted.
“I was walking down the hall to go to my room, and I happened to glance in here. Do you know what I saw?” He glared at Valentina to deny what he told Behn. “I saw a guy lying on top of Val, kissing her. I’m sure it would have progressed to something more if I hadn’t pulled him off of her and punched him.”
Behn’s gaze swiveled over to Valentina, confident she would deny Jon’s accusation. He frowned in confusion as his sister merely looked down at the floor without saying anything to refute the story. Behn could hardly believe his brother’s tale since his sister was usually so cautious and reserved. “Val? Is that true?”
“Yes! No! I don’t know! It’s none of your business!” She crossed her arms defiantly and faced her two brothers squarely as if defying them to say another word.
“None of our business? You tell me that guy is from Tuala and now it’s none of my business?” Jon spat back.
“What? Wait! He’s from Tuala? What made him show up here at our house, Val?” Behn asked reasonably.
“I ran into him at school today before the last period. Literally, ran into him. He apologized and asked me my name.”
“That makes sense then, of course, he would come over here to practically have sex with you! Do you realize how dumb you sound, Val?”
“Not nearly as dumb as you, Jon.”
“Stop it, both of you!” Behn shouted. He wanted to hear Valentina’s explanation, and Jon was not helping the situation with his accusations. “Why did he come here, Val?”
“We had a strange connection when we touched at school,” Valentina began lamely. “He wanted to come over and find out if there were more to it.”
“I guess, based on what I walked in on, you two definitely decided there was more,” Jon said sarcastically.
Behn glared at his brother to keep quiet as he tried to coax Valentina to tell the story. “Go on.”
“I don’t know how to explain it where it makes any sense, but he said what we were feeling was a sign that we were soul-mates.” She turned around to try to figure out how to express what had happened. It was easier to think without her brothers staring intently at her face. “After what happened in space, I needed to see if…” She stopped talking as she realized what she was admitting to her brothers. They could never know what Grobin had done to her; she had to protect them from themselves.
“After what happened in space?” Jon questioned as he tried to turn her around to face them again.
Thinking hurriedly about how to cover her mistake she said the first thing which came to mind. “After thinking I was going to die in space without ever finding a man to fall in love with. I wanted to see if what Willian said was true. What if we really were soul mates and I sent him away without even looking into his claim?”
Behn frowned slightly thinking there was more to it than Valentina was sharing. He decided to let it go for now and asked, “What was he doing at school? How did Tuala come up in your conversation?”
“He saw my necklace and asked me where I got it. I told him it was a gift from my mother. He asked me where I was from, and I said Tuala. If he were from Earth, then it would mean nothing to him except the name of some obscure city. He knew what I was talking about and said he was from there too. He said it was further proof we were meant to be together.”
“Gahhh, he brainwashed you, Val! Don’t you see it?”
“What was he doing at our school?” Behn repeated as a suspicion began to form in his mind.
“He was looking for Jena.”
“Is he Jena’s betrothed? Did you say his name was Willian?”
“Yes,” Valentina admitted as she sank onto her bed. She looked up at her brother to see if he had anything good to say about the situation. Behn seemed to be the only one who still seemed calm.
Jon looked from one sibling to the other as he processed this new information. “What do you think you’re doing? Is this how you want to repay Jena for her kindness? I can’t believe you!”
“Hold on a minute, Jon. There are a lot of problems between Jena and Willian. He’s part of the reason they’re living here. I met him a few days ago when I took Jena over to his house. What I don’t understand is that it seemed like he was trying to make amends with Jena. Why would he suddenly start to pursue you instead?” He looked down at his sister as he tried to figure out the strange puzzle.
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew him when you said there was someone here to see me?” Valentina accused.
“I didn’t see him. Mom told me to get you, but he wasn’t in the house yet. I never even imagined it would be him. How could I?”
“I told him to leave. I wanted to talk to Jena before I met with him again. He followed me to my room and saw me crying. He tried to comfort me. I guess I was a bit overwhelmed because I was the one who kissed him. There is something very strange which happens when we touch, almost like an electrical current passing through us.”
“I don’t want to hear about this,” Jon said disgustedly.
“Maybe you should go then,” Behn encouraged. He wanted to hear more about what had transpired between his sister and Willian, and it would certainly be easier without all of Jon’s commentary interrupting.
“Talk some sense into her, if you can, Behn,” Jon advised as he walked across the room, opened the door, and stormed out with the door slamming shut behind him.
“Why do you think he’s so angry?” Valentina asked.
“I don’t know. I want to ask you something without you getting upset with me. Do you promise to really think about your answer before replying?”
Valentina took a deep, calming breath and nodded.
“Do you think it’s possible Willian brainwashed you? Or do you really think there’s something real between the two of you?”
“I know it sounds crazy, and I’ve never felt anything so powerful. I don’t think it’s brainwashing because I was able to walk away from him twice now; once at school and then again here at home. Whatever it is, it is enormously powerful and intoxicating. I’m not sure what would have happened if Jon hadn’t interrupted us. I know I would have let it keep going, and to be honest, it scares me more than a little bit.”
“Why were you crying?”
“Because I was confused. He stirred up feelings in me which I didn’t want to have because I know he’s betrothed to Jena. I guess I was feeling sorry for myself.”
“So what are you going to do?
”
“I definitely want to talk to Jena about this whole thing. It’s only fair since she has known him for so long and they are supposed to get married in a couple of years.”
“You know the betrothal was arranged by Willian’s father when he was only a little kid. Both Willian and Jena have not had any say in the relationship. It may not be as awkward as you imagine it to be. Granted, Jena did seem hopeful for their relationship after meeting with him, but I doubt if Juila will be heartbroken at all if the betrothal were called off.” He smiled even as he thought about how Juila would react to the news of Willian being interested in someone other than her sister.
“What are you smiling about?” Valentina asked suspiciously.
“I was thinking about Juila.” He waved his hand dismissively and asked, “Do you want to pursue a relationship with Willian or do you want to keep your distance from him?”
“I think I don’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice.”
“Not this time. Already I feel as though I’m going through withdrawals from him and it has only been a few minutes. I don’t know how I’m going to stay away from him until after Jena gets back from her grandparents’ house so I can talk to her about this. Besides, what would I say to her? I want your fiancé, and I hope you don’t mind.”
“Why don’t we go over to Willian’s house and see what he has in mind?” Behn asked.
“Seriously? You’d do that for me?” Valentina asked in amazement at her brother’s suggestion. The idea of knowing where he lived both intrigued her and terrified her. If she could go see him whenever she wanted, she doubted she would be spending much time at home.
“Absolutely. I think you need a chaperone, though, if the attraction you feel for him is as strong as you seem to believe it is.”
Valentina nodded approval of his admonition. At this point, she would probably agree to almost anything if it meant she would get to see Willian again. She could hardly even recognize herself as she made plans for what she would talk to him about. Her mind was reeling with the possibilities of her future which had seemed so bleak only the day before.
Ascension Vision- The Levels of Ascension Box Set Page 30
