I took a few breaths and continued.
"Can I live and be a Jinn when I hold that much decision-making power in my hand? What if I make the wrong judgment and fuck up? Sure, I can reverse the wish but at what cost? There has to be a cost. There's just so much at risk, and I feel like I'll just contribute to someone else's pain. I'd rather die than hurt someone the way I hurt now."
"Destiny..." Cole reached out and placed his hand against my wet cheek. "The fact you care so deeply about how you'll affect another person is exactly why you are Merciful." He pulled me into his arms and Rainbow jumped off my shoulder so that I could sit in Cole's warm embrace. He let me rest my head against his chest and soothingly rubbed my back.
I didn't dare fight as I let my walls fall. I cried and cried, the tears rolling down my flushed cheeks and staining Cole's bare chest. My sobs carried into the cool night and I let all the pain out. It felt so right to cry, and it was even more comforting being in Cole's warm embrace.
Even when my sobs turned to whimpers and sniffles, he didn't let go. He held me like he'd hold a loved one when they were down and broken.
I didn't know if I'd be able to explain just how helpful his concern and comfort was. I couldn't confirm that this cry would help me think straight and decide on continuing, but I was happy to let go of so much sadness in my heart.
I pulled back and Rainbow sat there patiently looking at me with those wide eyes of hers that were now dark blue. I gave her a small smile and reached out to stroke her little head.
"I'm sorry. I… I just needed to cry so bad. I've never felt so sad in my life. That interaction, it was a lot. Maybe too much for me to take in. If you want to leave, you-"
"What did we say in the beginning, Destiny?"
I sighed and gave him the best smile I could while my eyes already started to water again. "You'll never desert me. I'm one of you guys." I sniffed.
"That still stands, and if it comes to the decision where you just want to part ways with the living, then I'll come too."
"What?! Why?! You just met me, Cole. I know nothing about you. I guess you know everything about me now, but..." I trailed off, feeling speechless and mentally exhausted. The world had hit me in the face, but a group of men wanted to brighten my sad reality, and now I had a man I barely knew willing to cross the valleys of death with me?
"Everything you said is right, Destiny, but my power tells me not to leave you alone," He confessed. "It's weird and may sound creepy to you, but I've never ignored the power within me, and I won't start now."
He gifted me with his 2cm smile and whispered. "Everything from your pain and sorrow is valid. The world was cruel to you, and it hurts that Marc was the reason all of this occurred. But it’s thanks to his selfish action that we found you and, frankly, I would like you to get to know me if you’re willing to continue forward. And if not, we'll just have to get to know each other on the other side."
I pouted my lips and gave him a look. "You just feel pity for an ugly, fat, pink hai-"
"Beautiful, curvy, purple to pink haired woman who, for once in my damn Jinn life, has ignited something inside me that wants to throw logic out the door and kiss you."
I gawked at him and felt my cheeks grow red. No way…
"You're just saying that! You don't like me. I can't possibly be an attractive choice to you, and you wouldn't dare kiss m-"
He didn't let me finish, those smooth lips that attempted to talk sense into me were now pressed firmly against mine as those galaxy eyes remained locked on my wide brown ones.
I thought I'd push him away, but my body immediately relaxed, as if this was the cure I needed for my anxiety and fears. My eyes slowly closed and, without thinking, my lips responded, pressing against his in a simple, tender kiss.
The kiss was short and sweet, but it was more than enough to prove his point as he pulled back to stare at me. "I'm not perfect, Destiny. None of the Jinns are. However, I won't let you think that because one ignorant jerk couldn't see the pure beauty in front of him, that that means you aren't worth it. I can't guarantee that I'm ready for something more, but I want you to keep me in mind as an option for when you are ready to move forward. You may think you can't love again, but you can… and you will. All you need is time."
"Cole," I whispered, knowing he meant everything he said.
I could tell that him comforting me was completely out of his comfort zone, just from his body language, but it meant that much more because of it.
He offered his hand to me and I stared at it.
"I know that was a hard trial for you, but before you make your final decision, can you at least see the good side of wishing? It may not be as happy or joyous as one would think, but… I think it will show some wishes can bring good to the wisher and the future they wish for."
I looked up to see that 2cm smile and returned to staring at his hand.
"Meow!"
Rainbow hopped onto Cole's hand, and he sighed. "Rainbow. I meant that for Destiny’s hand, not your entire body."
"Meow?" She tilted her head at him and turned to me, lifting her paw towards me.
A giggle escaped me, and I let my final tears fall before raising my hand to tap Rainbow's paw. Then I picked her up and hugged her against my chest with one hand.
I placed my other hand into Cole’s and stared into his eyes with confidence. "Alright. Show me the good side of wishing."
"This house… someone lives here?"
Cole had magically teleported us to place that was just up the street from my old home. I assumed the people who lived there were travellers and only came by once in a while to do house maintenance and keep the place livable.
I only asked if someone still lived here because I hadn't seen anyone come by in a few years. Snix loved stalking the property, and sometimes she'd take a cookie from my plate whenever I ate some with my tea and off she'd go to eat it around here.
"Yes. Our Wisher lives here."
I frowned but nodded, following Cole up the stairs to the entrance of the home. Being Jinns meant we didn't need to knock.
Actually, we just needed to waltz right in. Since we were in Jinn form, it was like being a ghost and having no boundaries. It was a bit hard to explain, but when we wanted to be physically "real," we could be like when we'd been in the car, but for now, it made more sense to be in our ghost-like form.
We made our way down the hall of the first floor and then into the basement. Rainbow was still in my left hand chilling as she looked around.
The basement was gloomy and dimly lit, needing a few light bulbs to lighten up the place, but what caught my eye was the medical bed in the corner of the room near a window.
As we approached, I realized someone was sitting in the white sheeted bed. From first glance, it looked like they had been hooked up to a bunch of machines and IV's, but now all those were pushed to the side and the frail person sat staring out the window.
The girl looked to be around fifteen, and from her pale skin, weak appearance, and slightly bluish lips, I had a sinking feeling that she was dying.
When we reached her bed, she slowly turned our way and smiled. "Guess my 90 Days are up. Hello." She glanced in Cole's direction first before looking my way. "Wow. You have unicorn hair." Her dull blue eyes lit up just slightly as they trailed down my appearance. "And you have a kitty!"
"Meow." Rainbow wiggled out of my hand and dropped to the floor.
She ran over to the bed and hopped onto it, approaching the girl with caution. The girl let out a weak giggle and reached out to stroke Rainbow who sat down and began to purr quietly.
"She can see me?" I asked Cole.
He looked a bit surprised as well, but he nodded. "Her time is close. When you're close to judgment, the line between realms thins. It's the reason why some people can see their past family members come to take them before death."
She's dying...
"Meow."
We turned our heads to our left and my eyes widened at the fa
miliar cat who squeezed through the little window and dropped to the floor.
"Snix!" I exclaimed, and she raced over to me. I knelt down and began to pet her, realizing I had a physical form again. She purred happily, and I picked her up to give her a tight hug. "I missed you buddy. Thank you for all you did."
"Meow." Snix snuggled against me.
"Ah. She's yours?"
I looked up to the girl who smiled brightly while still petting Rainbow who was staring at me.
"She was," I replied with a sad smile. "Things happened and I couldn't go home anymore."
"Snix, huh. I call her Cotton because her fur is so soft and white. She used to bring me cookies and keep me company when I had bad days."
I frowned and walked to the bed to place Snix onto the end of it. Rainbow moved away and ran over to where I'd placed Snix, reaching out with her front paws for me to pick her up. I smiled and scooped her up, holding her to my chest after placing a quick kiss on her little head.
"I always wondered where she'd take the cookies," I commented.
"Do you make them?" she asked.
"I did. It was fun and a good time waster," I admitted.
The little girl nodded. "Maybe one day you can make them again? I'd love to have one… not now, but maybe in the next life."
I glanced at Cole with sad eyes, but he nodded, his gesture telling me that this was it for the girl. Couldn't she wish to live longer?
"Can ask you your name?"
"Olivia!" she replied.
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen at midnight." She glanced at the clock that was on the wall, spider webs and dust tainting the black surface. It was five minutes to midnight. "I'm waiting it out. Just five more minutes." She smiled, looking content as she continued to pet Snix.
Cole moved to stand next to me, his eyes moving from the clock to Olivia. "Which Jinn came by here three months ago?"
"Ah. It was the really funny one. Um… Jeremy? Jere...miah? He said his new friend with orange hair and blue eyes was supposed to come, but he was comforting a girl in need, so he came by instead."
Luke.
I knew the girl Jeremiah had been referring to was me, and seeing as time frames had been completely different, it most likely had been when the guys had first arrived by my sudden summoning.
"Yes. Luke was helping me. Jeremiah granted your wish?" I asked.
"Yes. He did. I got a 90-day trial and now I'm ready," Olivia replied.
"Can I ask what you wished for?" I inquired. Cole didn't look like he minded me asking, and I was genuinely curious to see what she'd requested.
She looked so calm and a little happy with whatever decision she’d made, leaving me to wonder what her life was about to be like once we finalized her wished.
"I wished to see what would happen if I died."
My heart dropped at her words, and she glanced my way with a sweet smile.
"Hehe. Jeremiah had a similar look too." She looked down at Snix and sighed.
"I'm tired. More importantly, I feel bad for my family. My parents aren't here because they're both working 2 jobs to pay for the medical bills. I'm old enough to handle myself, not like I can move much, to begin with. I can make it to the washroom and last long enough to warm up a frozen meal for the day before I feel fatigued. Someone comes by once a week… sometimes it's only once in two weeks since my parents can't afford the service. Really depends on their work schedules."
She looked up and quirked her lips in a small smile. "There's this boy who comes by every summer. Though, he couldn't come by this year. His parents don't really like me much. I'm a waste of space." She giggled, and my heart ached for her. I could tell from her blue eyes that there was more to this boy. She liked him, and because of her debilitating illness, she couldn't enjoy being around him.
"He said he'd take care of Cotton if I passed away. He really likes her," she whispered and continued. "I wished to see what life would be like after I died because my disease is the slow kind. One that makes me useless but won't kill me until years to come. I realized that the longer I live, the longer my family will have to slave away trying to take care of me. My life is really boring. I can't go out… no one really knows I live here. My mom did text me saying there was a fire down the street and a house burned down. It makes me realize a fire could break out and no one would come to save me. I'd die here."
I gulped and hid my free hand behind my back to hide the slight tremble. I felt a hand slip into mine and I glanced at Cole, whose eyes remained on Olivia as she continued to speak.
"As much as death seemed like a good option, I wanted to make sure everyone would be okay. Like… would Mom and Dad be happy or sad? Would the boy be sad to see me gone? What would happen? I decided it was the better wish than seeing my future. I already know what I'll become because that's exactly what I am now. A burden."
"Olivia..." I whispered.
She smiled happily and shrugged. "That's what I am. I'm not going to lie or ignore it. If I didn't exist anymore, it would lift the burden from my parents' shoulders and that's what I needed to see with my own eyes."
She looked at the clock that was one minute to twelve.
"When I died… it was hard. That type of pain… watching them lay your body into the ground and mourn you is difficult. I think it was harder to see all the people who came to my funeral. Relatives who never once came down to see me or my family were there, crying away as if they knew me. Friends who stopped coming to see me were there, crying how they wished they could talk to me again, but they never texted me. So many people mourned me, but they were absent when I needed them while living."
I understood every single word, feeling the emotions from before well up inside of me as a tear rolled down my cheek.
"I get it," I whispered, and she met my eyes.
Something clicked between us, and she nodded. "You do," she said with affirmation. "When I got to watch how the next eleven weeks went by, I was surprised. My parents were able to get money from the donations made for my funeral, and after I was buried, they were able to go down to one job each. They took a month off with their current jobs, sold this place, and got to buy a nice cozy home. Even the boy had a happy ending."
She paused, and I noticed a tear roll down her cheek.
"He took Cotton, just like he promised. He was sad to see me go. He still cries quietly before he sleeps, but it's once in a while now. He's dating a beautiful girl. She's so full of life and when his eyes meet hers… sparks light up. Overall, he's happy. Cotton is happy. My parents are happy. That's all I want. For the people I love to move on and be happy when I'm gone. Right now, no one is happy because they're worried about me. At least now, I can change that."
She looked at me once more. "I'm guessing you're not alive anymore, huh?"
"Um… something like that," I replied.
She nodded. "Seeing as you know Cotton and how she reacted makes sense. You were her owner and I guess now you grant wishes?"
"Yes. I'm doing a trial run," I admitted.
She nodded again and closed her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's thanks to you guys I'm finally able to be free from this bed. My family can be happy again and smile. I know they love me, but I know the longer I live, the more tainted that love will become due to my illness and those who speak ill of my condition. My parents deserve better. That boy deserves more. Having my wish come true will solve everything. And at least I can finally enjoy some much need rest. No more pain, or needles, or warmed up tray of food. I'm ready for judgment and, hopefully, I'll get to see the kinder side of life after death."
She looked back at the clock and lifted her hands to clap. "It's my birthday! Happy sweet sixteen to me!"
"Happy birthday, Olivia," I said softly, and she beamed at my words.
"I think I'm ready now."
I glanced at Cole who'd been really quiet, and he glanced over at the little kitchen area. "Destiny, you think you could make a batc
h of cookies? We don't want Olivia being hungry on her way."
I blinked a few times and a broad smile formed on my lips as I nodded. "If you can get me the ingredients, I could make something," I assured him.
"Will we have time?" Olivia asked.
"I'll speed the baking process," Cole assured her.
"Yes! I'd be so happy to have those cookies nice and warm. Cotton tried but having dirt on your cookies tastes a little weird," she shyly admitted.
I nodded and moved to the kitchen with Cole. I did my best not to be affected, to just focus on the task and not get so emotional, but by the time I'd placed the last cookie on the baking sheet and watched Cole put it in the oven for me, I couldn't hold back any more tears.
Moving away from Olivia's sight, I went to the corner and cried as quietly as I could. Cole walked over and gave me a comforting hug.
I could see why Fantasia had wanted this for me. She wanted me to see the dramatic difference a wish could do to the Wisher and the people around them. A wish could change many people's lives, and it could either turn out great or morph into a nightmare in the long run.
After I had a good cry and Cole used magic to speed up the baking process, I put some on a plate and Cole created a little clear star designed container to put the remaining cookies in.
Tying a gold bow around the top, we brought the cookies over to Olivia, whose eyes lit up.
"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Olivia. Happy birthday to you." I sang quietly as Cole offered the plate of cookies.
"Thank you! This is the best birthday ever. It's the first one in years that I haven't been alone!" Olivia exclaimed. Rainbow and Snix moved off her lap as Cole lowered the plate. We watched her begin to nibble on the warm oatmeal cookies, and she sighed. "So good."
"We made some extra ones, so you can take it along with you," I whispered, placing the bag of cookies next to her.
Wish For Me (Destiny Jinn Series Book 1) Page 14