by Wendy Cole
“I think I just need to show you what your life will be like when you decide to stop fighting it.”
“And?” I waited patiently as we stared each other down.
His eyes glimmered. “And? We should do that.” He reached down and gripped the leg of my chair, pulling me over until our knees were touching. “What do you want to do? Where would you like to go?” He took my hand and held it, his eyes running over each finger. “Anything is possible.” His eyes met mine again.
Anything I wanted? If I could do anything, what would I do? I had no idea. The truth was, I’d never wanted anything other than to be accepted, and I wasn’t sure how Brady could just snap his fingers and make that happen.
“Say it out loud, Sweetheart.” He leaned forward and tilted his head up at me. “I want to know what the first thing was. I saw it there.” He tapped my forehead. “I want that one.”
I made a face at him. “I didn’t think of anything.”
“Yes, you did.”
He looked adorable, almost precocious. I couldn’t help but smile down at him when he was looking at me that way. “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I’ve never wanted to do anything really.”
“Bullshit.” He sat back. “What’s the thing you’ve always wanted to do?” His voice had changed, that compelling tone I couldn’t deny.
Without a second’s pause, I blurted out, “I want to be normal.”
Brady’s face dropped. His expression once again flipped back to being guarded, and I wanted to bite my tongue off.
“I didn’t mean because of you,” I hurriedly said. “I’ve just never fit in. I was thinking about high school, and how much everyone hated me.”
Brady’s expression darkened. “What do you care about those people? They mean nothing.”
“I don’t. I just,” I couldn’t finish. I didn’t care. I shouldn’t care. “Sometimes it’s hard not to. I’ve spent my whole life feeling like a freak.” This time, it was me who grabbed his hand. “Sorry. I’m not good at these things. You pick something.”
“No.” He stood abruptly and pulled me up from my chair. “I said anything, didn’t I?” His expression was hard. “Whatever you want, I can provide.”
“But how are you—” I didn’t get a chance to finish before a burst of blue cut me off, and the world faded away.
He held me tight to his chest, and when we landed, shock hit me at the familiar setting: my hometown, Redbird Falls. The local college campus loomed a mere twenty feet away, and I swallowed hard. “What are we doing?”
His eyes danced. “We’re gonna take a tour.”
“Who’s in there?” I looked over at the many buildings as if I could see inside them.
“Whoever you want,” Brady whispered in my ear. “How would it feel, you think, to have some fun with all the people who teased you? Give them a taste of what it feels like?”
A million memories flashed through my mind. People laughing, jumping out of bathroom stalls, lockers, popping around corners. Every day, scaring me constantly, making it so even when I should have been safe, the fear never stopped. “Fun, how?”
Brady’s eyes sparkled. “Follow me, beautiful. I’ll show you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“You ready, Sweetheart,” Brady asked as we stood at the doors of the main hall.
“What is it we’re doing again, exactly?” I had a bad feeling, a really bad feeling.
He smirked down at me and wrapped an arm around my waist. “I’m giving you your heart’s desire.”
I swallowed hard.
He opened the door and led me down a hallway. We weren’t invisible; that was certain. While we passed, people stared, fixed on us. I couldn’t blame them. One look at Brady was bound to get the attention of anyone.
Signs lined the walls, directing the way to different halls, listing the corresponding room numbers. After passing a few, I noticed our direction seemed consistent with the arrows for the cafeteria, and my suspicions were confirmed when we reached the swinging doors, and Brady stopped.
“What are we—”
He made a motion for me to wait. His muscles tightened, flexed, small tremors rippling just beneath his skin as he faced the doors in stoic silence. Sweat beaded his forehead, rolling down his temple, and the his intense focus made me hold my breath, not daring to make a sound to break his concentration. I stood perfectly still, watching, waiting as alarm bells rang inside my head.
Minutes ticked by, feeling more like hours until finally Brady gave a curt nod and turned his attention back to me. “Everyone that gave you shit in high school is in that room.”
My eyes widened and locked on the plain gray surface in front of us. “How? Why?” I took a step back as a million insecurities hit me all at once.
Brady rolled his eyes. “How?” He scoffed. “Did you really just ask me that?” He made a face at me, then held a finger up. Blue light puffed into existence, dancing like a flame on the tip of his index. “I’m magical.”
I watched the flame dwindle out, eyes still wide and disbelieving. “You can’t just puff a bunch of people into existence, Brady! First of all, it’s unreasonably insane, and second of all, what the hell will they all think? And third of all, even that seems too grand a feat for even you. If you could do that, then why—”
Brady held a hand over my mouth. “Oh, thank god,” he heaved. “I thought you’d never stop.”
I bit his hand, but Brady didn’t even flinch. He gave me a dark look. “Now, now, Sweetheart. This is not the time.”
“Mufffhgahah,” I snapped, but I couldn’t articulate with his extra-large baseball mitt of a hand still in the way.
Brady’s eyes danced. “Aww. That’s cute. Try to talk again.”
“Muuurrfffffooog!”
Brady pulled me closer, then turned my head to look down the hallway. “Alright. You don’t believe me. Watch right there.”
A burst of blue light puffed up from the floor like smoke, and just within its murk, an outline appeared.
My eyes widened as the mist cleared. “Ooh ot ed!”
Red seemed dazed for a split second, then her eyes landed on the pair of us and narrowed. “I should have known!” She barreled forward, but Brady waved a hand, and she vanished back to wherever he’d stolen her from. Or, at least, I hoped he’d put her back wherever he’d stolen her from.
“I try not to do that too much. Gives me a headache.” He released my mouth. “Not the magic. Your friend. She gives me a headache.”
I gaped at him. “You’re serious!”
“I’m always serious, Sweetheart.” He motioned towards the doors. “They’re in there. What do you say we grab a bite to eat and show off how fucking attractive you are?”
My high school insecurities returned, making me fall back a step, then another. In that moment, we weren’t at the college. We were back at my old cafeteria, the one I avoided like the plague for four years. “I can’t go in there.”
Brady gripped my arms and forced me to look at him. He lowered his eyes until they were level with mine, and the playfulness vanished. “You don’t have to fear anyone, least of all anyone in there.” He shook his head at me. “I don’t get it. You stand up in a room with what you think is a demon and try to flip it off, but you get around these little assholes and melt into a puddle and fear.” He gave me a look, then tilted his head. “Which is it, Sweetheart? Are you my little badass, or are you a scared little girl?”
Scared little girl. His words hit some deep part of myself, stinging as the truth in them ricochet against my bones. In that moment, I was that scared little girl.
But I didn’t have to be.
“I’m not scared,” I said. “Fine. Let’s do it!”
Brady gave me a smile to exceed all others. “This is going to be the most fun I’ve had since I promised to stop messing with you.”
I gave him a flat look, but he didn’t stop to receive it. Brady grabbed my arm and dragged me through the doors like a kid at a toy sto
re.
The icy hand of doubt clutched my heart, but I pushed the feeling away and tried to feign confidence. Brady hadn’t lied. They were definitely all there. Although, I’d already suspected as much.
My eyes traveled the multiple tables and familiar faces. Pricilla; her clique of girls, Jenny, Crysta; and Noel. Even Jaden Andrews, the honorary asshole who’d made me crash my car.
“What would you like to do now?” Brady whispered into my ear. “They can’t see us, but I can change that if you’d like. Whatever you want.”
His deep sinful voice only seemed to fuel my own devious thoughts. Like the devil on my shoulder, Brady tempted, egged on, and brought me into his darkness.
Suddenly, I wasn’t that scared little girl anymore. I wasn’t the girl with a monster in her closet.
I wasn’t crazy.
“That one,” I said, pointing at the one who’d given me the scar along my forehead, the one who’d caused my crash. “Make him—” I drew a blank. Each scenario that would come to mind, I immediately shot down. This wasn’t me. I’d never been the mean one. I’d always been the victim.
Brady’s eyebrows were lifted, his smile expectant as he nodded for me to continue. “Go on.”
I heaved a sigh. “I don’t know. I’m no good at this.”
He scratched his chin. “I see your problem.”
I didn’t like his tone, like he’d expected for me to fail. “What problem?”
“You’re too wholesome.”
“I am not wholesome!”
Brady gave me a look. “Of course, you’re wholesome. You are so wholesome. You’re like a damn balanced breakfast, Sweetheart. Now, can we stop arguing about it, and let me come up with some not-so-wholesome shit for you to enjoy?”
I crossed my arms and looked away from him. “Fine. What would you suggest?”
Brady took in the array of people sitting around us, his eyes darting to me every few seconds as he seemed to think. Then, he snapped his fingers, and I could practically see the light bulb go off above his head. Once again, with no warning whatsoever, Brady turned and wrapped me in his arms. More blue light burst into existence, and I idly noted the fact that I was becoming accustomed to the feeling.
Before I could blink, we were sat side by side on a large throne-like chair, hovering above, high enough to get a clear view of everyone and everything below. I ran a hand along the velvety material beneath me, then looked behind to the over the top ornate designs along the back. “This is a little much, don’t you think?”
Brady threw his arm around me, pulled me into his side, then motioned down to the hoard. “Enjoy the show, Sweetheart.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The cacophony of conversation died down into a whispery silence. Each and every person turned to face the back left corner as if an announcer had called them, but no one was there. No sound had come. Still, they looked expectant, attention all set on the empty table and chairs.
Brady relaxed beside me but kept his arm locked in place, pinning me to his side. He waved a hand towards Jaden Andrews. “Let’s see what makes this guy so awesome.”
Jaden stood, and like a puppet on a string, he began walking towards the table everyone was fixated on. I watched, breath held, as he climbed on top of its surface and faced the crowd. He didn’t seem to wonder why he was doing it, and neither did anyone else inside the room. They all looked like they’d expected it, like this was why they’d all come.
“My name is Jaden,” the boy started, so confident, so cocky, just like I remembered him. “And my mama wiped my ass for me until I was fifteen.” His eyes widened with horror as he realized what he’d said, and a chorus of murmurs took over the room.
Brady snorted a laugh. “I didn’t expect it to be that good.”
“What did you do?” I wasn’t laughing. I should have been laughing, but instead, despite everything, I felt terrible.
“I made him tell his most embarrassing secret.” Brady waved a hand, and Jaden left the stage, head hung low as laughter filtered through the air around him.
“Which one next?” He looked around the crowd. “That girl looks like she’s done some shit.”
I wasn’t paying attention. My eyes were still fixed on Jaden. A heaviness hit my chest, and instead of feeling joy at his pain, I found myself revisiting my own. I knew that feeling like the back of my hand. The fiery heat behind your ears. The way it traveled to your neck, then your face. The sickness inside your chest. The replay in your mind, over and over, as if you’re own brain is trying to torture you with the moment. “I don’t like this, Brady.”
I felt the moment he looked at me. “You didn’t think that was funny?” It was a genuine question, and I could hear the underlying confusion in his voice.
I shook my head and met his gaze. “It doesn’t matter what they did to me, Brady. I don’t want to hurt people.”
“We aren’t hurting them.” Brady scratched his chin as his eyes ran over the people below. He seemed to drift away in thought, and his expression morphed into something I’d never seen from him before.
He looked confused. “Alright,” he started as he turned back to me. He was quiet for a long moment, and I suddenly felt like a five-thousand-piece puzzle he was trying to put together. “What would you like to do, Sweetheart?”
I looked down at the swarm of faces. “Make them forget. I want them to forget they were here, what Jaden said.” I took a breath. “And I want them to forget me and all my secrets.”
I glanced in his direction, and Brady met my gaze levelly. “Of course, Sweetheart.” Within a minute, the room began to clear. One right after the other, each person disappeared, back to wherever it was he’d stolen them from.
When the last person vanished, Brady gathered me into his arms, and his hold was gentler than usual. Without a word, blue light surrounded us.
I closed my eyes and relaxed against him. Before I knew it, Brady was gently placing me down onto what felt like a bench. His hands remained glued to my waist as I felt him lower himself down in the same way in front of me. The sounds of water burbling up on either side of us, combined with the slight sway of my body, let me know we were on a boat.
I opened my eyes, but the blue light hadn’t disappeared this time. It had scattered upwards, lingering above our heads. Darkness filled the space below until all I could make out of the man in front of me was a faint outline.
Brady’s hands left my waist, and tension filled the space between us. “You’re so beautiful,” he finally said, filling the void.
My heart stuttered at the words, and a familiar warmth filled my chest. “You can’t even see me right now.”
“No, Sweetheart. I didn’t see you before.”
I didn’t understand what he meant. My eyes darted up to the still lingering blue light. It looked like stars, only much more vivid. The glow reflected down into the water, and the combination was awe inspiring. “Where are we?”
“We’re in a cave in New Zealand,” Brady answered. “It seemed fitting. Those lights up there? They’re glow worms. People travel from all over the world to see them.”
My eyes darted up again at his explanation. “I thought it was your light,” I said, keeping my voice barely more than a whisper. The atmosphere felt too peaceful to pollute. “Those are worms?”
Brady was quiet for a long moment. “Yes.” He took my hand, his thumb running along the back of it. “I wanted to take you somewhere beautiful because I realized something.”
I waited patiently, unable to speak past the feelings his touch initiated. Light tingles ran up my arm, then filtered out until they consumed me. I lost myself in the sensation, listening to him speak. Each word resonated with the deepest part of my mind, clearer than any other sound, as if explicitly catered for my ears.
“I realize now why a human was given to me.” He moved closer, leaning forward until I could feel his body heat, each one of his breaths against my lips. The familiar electricity rose up between us, fizzling a
nd crackling with energy. “Your soul is so pure, so unbelievably beautiful, it can take a worm like me and make him glow.”
“Brady.” It was a breath, barely spoken past emotions that clogged my throat. It was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to me, and combined with our surroundings, I couldn’t help myself.
In that moment, with my past gone from the minds of everyone who’d known it, I just wanted to be, to do, without worrying about how others would view it, about consequences and what ifs.
I touched his face, then lifted my other hand to do the same. Brady’s eyes lit up, glowing like the creatures above us, helping to light his face and give me a clear view of his mouth. There was no hesitation this time as I pressed my lips to his. I didn’t stop to think. Brady wasn’t something to be cautious of. He was just a man—an inhumanly beautiful man saying all the right things. And I was a young girl, doing what a million other young girls would do in the same situation.
I kissed him, and Brady returned it. Slowly, sweetly, perfectly, and the world drifted away at the absolute rightness in it. The energy surrounded us in warmth, almost feeling pleased as it cocooned our bodies in a blanket of acceptance.
Brady made no move to deepen our contact. He didn’t change the pace. He held me, fingers slowly running up my back, then down again, a soothing path back and forth along my spine as his mouth slowly moved in sync with mine. The beauty in his handling, in the moment, exceeded the natural wonder of the cave itself. I felt treasured, protected. No fear, no doubt, no anger. Only warmth, and peace, and…love.
Then he broke away, and the action left me empty.
Brady rested his forehead against mine and took a deep breath. “You make it really hard to take you back,” he said, voice strained. He pulled me into him, holding me tight and burying his face into my hair.
“You still have to,” I pointed out, despite the fact that the thought of leaving sounded like torture. It was all the more reason to say it because if he’d fought with me in that moment about never going back, I’d have lost.