Jacob Michaels Is Not Jacob Michaels (A Point Worth LGBTQ Paranormal Romance Book 3)

by Chase Connor

  “Oma, can we—”

  “You two just take your asses to bed.” Oma turned and rolled her eyes at us. “I ain’t got the energy or patience to deal with any more bullshit tonight.”

  “I have a lot of questions, Oma.” I pleaded.

  “Well, the answers will taste better with some biscuits and gravy.”

  I guess that was her way of saying: “Save it for morning.”

  With that, she turned around again and went into the kitchen, slapping the light on in the process. I turned to Lucas and held my hands out in a way that showed how put out I was and how desperate I was for answers. Lucas grabbed those empty hands and pulled me into him. I tucked my face into his neck as he kissed my forehead. Together, we turned towards the stairs, not letting go of each other. As a unit, we ascended the stairs, with nothing better to do but go to bed. There was always one way we could make each other feel better about everything.

  Chapter 11

  Brushing my teeth with Ernst standing on the toilet seat lid, watching me with wide-eyes, was slightly odd, but he was not ready to come out and introduce himself to Lucas yet. He was watching the movements of me brushing my teeth with morbid fascination, as though someone jamming a brush into their mouth over and over was the oddest thing he’d ever seen. Either Oma never brushed her teeth or Ernst had never been allowed to watch the process. Once my teeth were thoroughly clean, and I had spat and rinsed, I reached for a washcloth so that I could knock the day’s grime off of my face. Ernst finally spoke up as I was running the cloth under the hot water that came out of the faucet at a temperature just shy of boiling.

  “Sir,” he said, “is everything okay now?”

  “It’s okay for now, Ernst.” I nodded.

  “Good.” Ernst nodded furiously. “That’s good, sir.”

  “Yeah,” I replied as I brought the cloth to my face.

  “The missus is not goin’ ta be happy with me for a long time, sir.” He squeaked. “She wouldn’t speak ta me after we were in the cellar, sir.”

  Ernst’s squeaky voice and high pitch made me wonder if Lucas could hear him out in the bedroom where he was waiting in bed. Even if he couldn’t hear Ernst, I knew that he could probably hear me. I didn’t like thinking that he might be in my bed, waiting for me, wondering why I was having a conversation with myself. After everything that had happened since we had started seeing each other, the last thing I needed to do was give any indication that the elevator didn’t go to the top. The thought of Lucas not wanting to be with me anymore felt like a lump of cold clay in my stomach.

  You shouldn’t feel that way at all.

  You’ve only been dating for…

  “She’ll get over it, Ernst.” I smiled at him as I washed my face. “She just has to get over feeling like we were disobedient. Besides, you didn’t do anything wrong. I did. If she keeps being mean to you, you let me know, and I’ll talk to her, okay?”

  “I’ll be doin’ no such thing!” He was scandalized. “Sir, you cannot tell the missus what ta do!”

  “I wouldn’t tell her what to do, Ernst.” I chuckled. “I’d just reason with her so she’d know she should be nicer to you.”

  “She is nice enough,” Ernst said haughtily.

  Apparently, this was a sore spot, and the conversation on the matter was over as far as he was concerned.

  “Ernst.” I frowned, then finished wiping my face clean before turning to him. “Why was there nothing in the cellar?”

  “What do ya’ mean, sir?”

  Blinking at him, I wondered if Ernst would actually tell me anything or not. Maybe he would keep his mouth shut after how Oma had treated him. There was no point in not trying to get information, though, so I plodded on, hoping I wouldn’t make Ernst upset with me.

  “I feel like maybe there is supposed to be something down there.”

  “What should be down there, sir?”

  I swallowed hard.

  “A well.”

  Ernst did his best not to let it happen, but his eyes grew marginally wider as he stared at me.

  “I feel that there should be a well down there, Ernst.” I reiterated. “But it wasn’t down there when we went into the cellar earlier. I don’t know why.”

  “Maybe you are confused?” His squeak was higher than usual.

  Gotcha.

  “I don’t think so, Ernst.” I shook my head gently. “Do you know why it wasn’t there when we went down into the cellar?”

  Ernst was wringing his hands in front of himself, his eyes darting all over the room. For a minute, I thought he might slip into a shadow by the claw-foot tub or into the linen closet and disappear. Remove himself from a difficult and awkward situation. Instead, he stayed perched on the toilet lid, still only coming chest high to me, wringing his hands.

  “I won’t tell Oma whatever you say.”

  “Well,” he whispered, “I dunno, sir.”

  “You don’t know if there’s supposed to be a well in the cellar or you don’t know why it wasn’t there?”

  Ernst stared up at me, his hand wringing increasing in intensity and speed. I was worried that he’d snap off one of his small, delicate fingers from all of the twisting and pulling.

  “Please, Ernst?” I asked as gently as possible, but the desperation was there in my voice.

  Ernst eyed me a few moments longer, his hand wringing slowing down gradually before he let his hands fall to his sides. He gave a full-body sigh, looked away for a moment, seemed to decide something, then looked up at me. The look on his face was determination, a decision made.

  “Some things don’ react ta anger well, sir.” He said cryptically. “Even things like…wells…can hide when they sense there is danger.”

  “What do you…”

  “When the missus gets angry, we tend to jump inta the shadows, ya’ see?” He whispered. “But when the missus is happy, we like ta be ‘round her. When she is sad, we like ta comfort her. Anger is never good. Nothin’ likes to be ‘round people who are angry, sir.”

  “I don’t understand.” I shook my head.

  Ernst climbed down from the toilet with a sigh. The way he climbed down like a full-grown person trying to scale a wall was precious, but I knew better than to say so. Ernst headed for the linen closet, which was open and ready for him to slip inside and find his favorite mode of transportation through the house.

  “Sir,” Ernst turned to me at the doorway, “maybe the next time you go down to tha cellar, you shouldn’t be angry.”

  I just stared at Ernst as he gave me a single nod and slipped into the closet. Then he was gone. Sighing to myself, I laid the washcloth over the edge of the sink and inspected myself in the mirror, making sure I looked okay to join my boyfriend in bed. Finally, I flipped the bathroom light off and exited the room. Lucas was still on the bed in his boxers. Apparently, my offer to let him borrow some of my pajama bottoms and a t-shirt had been ignored. Of course, why put clothes on when they’ll probably just be pulled right off? Spring was coming to Ohio, anyway. It wasn’t as cold in my room as it had been every other night I had been in Point Worth. Seeing Lucas laying there waiting on me made it feel even warmer.

  “Who were you talking to?”

  “Ernst.” I shrugged.

  Lucas accepted this at face value with an upward nod. As I started to walk over to the bed, the bare floorboards cold on my feet, Lucas rose to his knees on the bed, a grin blooming on his face. Grinning back, I came to stand beside the bed as Lucas gently walked on his knees over to the side of the bed to stop right in front of me, his face directly in front of mine. I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. Lucas reached up, and his fingers twined through my hair as he started to gently kiss me, then began to feed at my mouth.

  “Do you think we were always this great at kissing each other?” Lucas asked. “You know…before?”

  “I think so.” I nodded gently, my eyes not leaving his.

  “I wish I could
remember.” He said. “I don’t ever want to forget a single kiss of yours.”

  “Try to forget this one.”

  Leaning forward, my lips found Lucas’ again, and I fed at his mouth as my hands came up to his hips. Slowly, yet passionately, I kissed my boyfriend as my hands rubbed along his sides, moving to his stomach, feeling the soft flesh that covered firmer muscles. My hands moved lower, and I was cupping him in the palm of my hand. Lucas gasped against my mouth as I rubbed him slowly and firmly as I did my best to keep my mouth on his, to stifle his gasp with my lips and tongue. Lucas’ fingers twisted in my hair roughly but stopped just short of pain as we kissed, and I rubbed him roughly.

  Then he was yanking me onto the bed and pulling me on top of him. Kissing Lucas one more time, I slowly moved down his body, smiling wickedly up at him as I hooked my fingers in the waistband of his boxers. I moved downwards, pulling them over his hips, down his thighs, lower and lower until I yanked them off over his feet. Lucas was laid out before me, naked and so tempting as I sat there on my knees, wondering about the best way to attack him.

  “Rob.” He sighed.

  My body moved of its own accord until I was on top of him, trapping the hardest part of him between us. I pushed down on him, putting pressure against him as I met his mouth with my own again. Lucas shivered beneath me, his hips giving an involuntary thrust. I moved my groin against his, making him pull away from my mouth to moan.

  “I have so much money.” I heard myself say. “We could just stay in bed forever, making each other feel this way all of the time. We would never have to worry about forgetting anything because nothing would leave this room. The two of us, all of our memories, we could trap it all in this room. We could just make love and live in a house of memories stacking up around us.”

  “Tempting.” Lucas groaned as I moved my hips again. “So, tempting.”

  “You don’t have to go to work ever again.” I sighed against his mouth. “Just stay here. Be my everything all day every day. Never leave me. I could make every wish you had come true and then some, Lucas. All you have to do is stay with me all of the time.”

  Lucas pulled back and looked up at me, his brow furrowed.

  “What?” I leaned forward to kiss the tip of his nose.

  “I don’t want Jacob Michaels in this bed with me.” He said softly, his fingers now stroking my hair. “I want Rob Wagner. My Rob. No more no less. Give me Rob.”

  I just stared at him, unsure if I could do that.

  “Besides,” his fingers played along my cheek, then my jaw, “I’m perfectly capable of making my own wishes come true.”

  Suddenly, his hand was between us, and he was rubbing me. I gasped in shock and pleasure, suddenly aware of nothing but how much I loved Lucas. How much I loved having him touch me. I didn’t want to possess him. Not like that. I wanted him to be with me because I was Rob Wagner. Period. Lucas and I were two separate individuals. We were just happier when we were together. Nothing, not even him going to work in the morning would change that. Nothing could change that.

  Lucas rolled our bodies, coming to rest on top of me, his mouth still locked to mine and his hand still rubbing me as I moaned into his mouth. After what seemed like a lifetime, but still not long enough, he pulled back to grin wickedly at me. Then he was kissing his way down my chest, my stomach, and he was pulling my pants off of me. When he traveled back up my legs from pulling my pajama pants off, I felt his mouth on me, and I could barely keep myself from crying out in ecstasy.

  Do you love me?

  Yes. I love you.

  Chapter 12

  Being awoken abruptly was something I was just getting used to so it didn’t startle me as much when I sat bolt upright in bed. Had I heard something again? Had Lucas snored or talked in his sleep or was he moving around due to a nightmare or dream? Did I need to go look out the window to find some hooded figure staring up at my window like a weirdo? I wouldn’t go outside even if I saw that again. I refused.

  Glancing over at Lucas, I could tell he was in a profound sleep. The fact that I could see him well because he was cast in an eerie green light was not lost on me. It dawned on me that I could see everything in the room very well due to the illumination that the light provided. Looking over at the door, I found the source of the light, just as I expected. The green light was pouring through the cracks around and under the door, reaching into the room like slender fingers, searching me out.

  I twisted my hips to let my legs hang off of the bed and then pushed away from the bed, landing on my feet. I was naked, never having bothered to dress after Lucas and I brought each other to two of the most intense orgasms we’d ever had. I reached down to the floor and retrieved my pajama bottoms, sliding into them quickly as I kept my eyes on the green light sneaking into the room through the door cracks.

  For a few moments, I stood there, my feet cold on the floorboards, staring at the door. Somehow, like Lucas, I knew what was going to happen. I knew that the light had returned at that moment because it was time. I was ready to follow it down to the cellar again. Padding across the room quietly, though I knew Lucas would not wake up, I made my way to the bedroom door. Just as before, when I pulled the door open, the light was moving down the upstairs hallway. I glanced back at Lucas. He was peacefully and deeply sleeping. I smiled over at him and exited the room, closing the door gently behind myself.

  I’m coming back with our memories, Lucas.

  I promise.

  Nervously following the light down the hall, I tiptoed along, though I knew that Oma and the Kobolds would not awaken to come investigate either. The light moved down the hallway just a few yards ahead of me, then started down the stairway to the floor below. When I reached the top of the stairs, the light was moving into the living room below. Step by step, I followed along, making sure it never got so far ahead that I lost sight of it. The light moved along at a pace that matched mine, only moving towards the kitchen when my feet touched the foyer floor.

  Through the living room, I continued to tiptoe, as though there was any reason to be quiet. As I walked through the living room and headed towards the kitchen, through the large kitchen entryway, I could see the cellar door was wide open. The light moved across the kitchen, towards the door, then started to slip down into the cellar, illuminating the usually dark stairwell. My feet hit the cold linoleum, and I jumped slightly at how cold it was, but I continued my forward movements towards the cellar door.

  Once I reached the top of the stairs, the light was halfway down, partially illuminating the room below. Without thinking about my decision, I stepped down, my foot connecting with the top step. My other foot followed. Then I went down another step. And another. One after another, the green light moving slowly, beckoning me to follow it. I knew where we were going, so it didn’t have to wait, but it was considerate of the incorporeal light source. Finally, my feet touched down on the dirt floor of the cellar, and I was staring at the stone wall before me.

  I took a deep breath.

  Turning to see what was there was…big.

  It was significant in a way that I hadn’t fully understood before.

  I needed a moment to collect myself before I took the final step in this journey with the green light.

  Breathing deeply, I collected myself and my thoughts, then finally turned towards the center of the room.

  The well was there, and the light had collected inside of it, making it look like it was shooting a beacon into the sky, stopped only by the ceiling above. Though, if I had been outside of Oma’s house and seen a green searchlight reaching into the sky, I would not have been surprised. I swallowed hard as I looked at the well, the glowing green light within, the way it beckoned me forth, to peer into its depths.

  The dirt floor was rough beneath my feet, made the spaces between my toes feel gritty as I walked cautiously towards the well. Inside the well, the green light seemed to pulse or throb, though it did not sink into the lowest recesses of the well like it had before
. It stayed near the top, illuminating the well and the cellar around it as I approached. When I was next to the well, I placed my hands on the stone side, taking in the dimensions of this illuminated entrance into the Earth beneath my feet.

  At least as wide across as I was tall, the sides coming up to my waist, the well was impressive. I probably could have climbed up onto the side, spread my arms wide and fallen forward. Falling, falling, falling, never once hitting the sides as I descended into whatever was below. Something told me that if I did that, I would never hit bottom, though that had to be impossible. Reaching out, I pushed my hand towards the light in the well. Though obviously light, it felt like something between a liquid and gas between my fingers. There was resistance, but it did not moisten my hand.

  What have you been keeping from me?

  I dipped my hand into the well’s light again.

  Did you want company up there?

  Do you love me?

  Have you been waiting on me?

  Did you see that?

  ROBBIE!

  I shuddered as the voices seemed to come from within my own head, though I knew that they emanated from the well. Without giving it another thought, I climbed up onto the edge of the wall around the well and stared down into the light. I could see nothing but bright green light shining up to me, preventing me from seeing anything below. If I leaped, the light would swallow me whole, wrap my body up.

  Then what?

  “You couldn’t wait for breakfast, could you?”

  I started and nearly fell into the well, as though being yanked out of a dream. Correcting my stance, I turned my head to look over my shoulder. Oma was standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her hands weren’t on her hips, and her arms weren’t crossed over her chest. She didn’t look angry or furious or frustrated. She looked concerned. Maybe sad?

  “Hi, Oma.” My voice sounded trance-like.

  “Robbie.” She shook her head and moved forward cautiously.