From Gods

by Mary Ting

  Gina exhaled softly. “Okay…good. You know that you can come to me for anything, don’t you?”

  “Yes. I just wanted to thank you, that’s all. So…how about that movie and popcorn?”

  “Movie and popcorn it is. Now…eat your dinner before it gets too cold.”

  After dinner, Skylar helped with the dishes, then excused herself to go to her bedroom to talk with Kayla on the phone.

  “Hey, Kayla. What have you been up to?”

  “The same old things…work and school. So…have you seen Mason lately?”

  The sound of his name was like a stab to her heart. “No. I’m pretty sure we’re done. He hasn’t called.” Then she realized it had only been a day. Why did it feel like it was a week? “So…how are things with Nick?”

  “Good. I mean…we’re now dating officially.”

  “That’s good. I’m happy for you. He better be good to you, or else you know he’ll hear it from me.” Skylar tried to sound cheerful. “I’m going to make this short. I’m at my house with Mom. We’re supposed to watch a movie, so I’d better go. I just wanted to hear your voice and see how you were doing.”

  “I’m glad you called. You know you can call me anytime…right? Even if you need to talk in the middle of the night. Remember what you used to tell me—there are other fishes in the sea. The sea is massive, with lots of good fishes.”

  “Yeah…but most of them are fishy,” sighed Skylar.

  Kayla busted out laughing. “You’ve never said that before.”

  “That’s because I know better now. They are slimy and…and they stink.”

  “Hmmm…sounds like you’re describing someone I know. I mean…I don’t think he’s that, but…sometimes those fishes just need a little bit more time in the water before they can get caught. And this particular fish I’m talking about seems like the type that when he swims, he swims deep. I think he is just being careful. He doesn’t want to get eaten by a shark…not that you are one. Just remember that, okay?”

  “Don’t worry…I’ll be fine. I’ve been through a lot worse. Anyway, Mom says we’ll be at your house for Thanksgiving this year.”

  “Yeah,” Kayla squealed. “Jack bakes the most delicious, perfect turkey. Speaking of which, Jack and Mona send their love.”

  “Tell them I miss them, too. They’re so funny together.” Skylar chuckled just at the thought of them. “Well…I’ll text you when I get a chance. Miss you.”

  “Miss you too.”

  “I’ll talk to you soon,” Skylar said with hesitation, missing her cousin. Closing her eyes tightly, she exhaled a deep breath, as if to release the tension.

  “You okay, Skylar? You want to talk more?”

  “No…I’m fine. I need to go. I don’t want to keep my mom waiting. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Okay. I’m here if you need me.”

  “Okay. I’m hanging up.”

  “Bye.”

  Click.

  Chapter 36

  Skylar spent the rest of the week attending classes and trying to drown herself in her studies. With midterm exams coming up it wasn’t hard to do, but once in a while thoughts of Mason would pop into her mind. How she missed him…but she had to be strong. She almost wished the vultures were after her, just so she could be with him. At least his protection was better than not seeing him at all…she guessed…but that was a crazy, desperate thought. Oh...forget it! Forget him! But she didn’t want to.

  With the turn of the key, she entered her dorm apartment. Emily was sitting at the dining table with her boyfriend eating lunch. “Hey, Skylar,” Emily greeted.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Dex grinned.

  “Hi,” Skylar replied, placing her key back into her backpack.

  “Would you like a sandwich? I have extra,” Emily asked, pointing to the kitchen.

  Skylar smiled. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry. I’m going to take a nap.” She headed upstairs.

  “Oh…by the way, that guy came by to see you yesterday. You know that guy…what’s his name?”

  Skylar froze in place. Her heart stopped for a second, and then thumped faster than she could catch her breath. Heat shot up from her heart to her face. It was like reopening a wound she’d been trying to heal. “Did he leave a name?” Wrong question. “I meant…what color hair?”

  “Oh…the dirty blond, I think. Dex was here.” She turned to him. “The dirty blond, right?”

  Dex grunted, stuffing his mouth, seemingly half-listening to their conversation.

  Emily continued. “Dex said he wanted to speak to you. He asked how you were doing, and looked very concerned. Were you sick or something?”

  Disappointed, Skylar’s heart dropped, unable to answer. It was as if her words got caught in her throat, immobilizing her ability to speak.

  “Anyway,” Emily continued. “A guy doesn’t just drop by to see how you’re doing. I think he has a thing for you.” Her tone went up a pitch. “Right, Dex?”

  Dex let out a grunt again, taking another bite while nodding.

  “Thanks for the message,” Skylar said, and headed to her room.

  For a brief second, she was almost happy. For a brief second, she’d had hope, but that vanished quickly when Emily told her the color of the visitor’s hair. Shutting the door behind her, she dropped her backpack on the floor, took off her shoes, and plopped on top of her bed, wondering what Noah wanted. Taking out her cell, she checked her messages. After scrolling through her emails and texting her mom back, she couldn’t suppress the somber feeling. What did she expect? She just had to accept the fact he didn’t care for her as she’d hoped.

  Exhausted from lack of sleep, she closed her eyes, trying to forget the world and think of absolutely nothing. Inhaling and exhaling deep breaths, her body began to unwind, drifting peacefully to the sleep she yearned to have.

  Repetitive tapping sounds woke her up. When she opened her eyes, she noted it was dark. Had she been asleep that long? Not wanting to get up, she continued to lie in bed, irritated and confused as to where the sound was coming from. Feeling groggy, her body wasn’t in tune with her surroundings. Suddenly, fear struck, sharply sending the frantic energy right through her gut, bringing her fully awake, and she froze.

  The first thought that came to her mind was the vultures. But if they were there, most likely they would’ve found a way to enter already. Hearing the sound again, she realized it came from her window, but it was impossible for anyone to be knocking on it since she was on the second floor.

  Tap…tap…tap! Annoyed, she opened the blind, peered down, and saw a rock hit the window. “Mason?” Anchoring the blind so it wouldn’t fall on her, she slid the window open. “Mason. What are you doing?”

  “Didn’t you get my message?”

  “What message?”

  “I came by the other day.”

  “You did?” Skylar was confused. She was sure Emily had told her it was the dirty blond, but then again, she said Dex had told her. Did he even know what he was talking about? Only two guys visited her…Mason and Noah. Possibly Dex had forgotten the color of the visitor’s hair. He must have agreed to the first thing Emily said, she guessed.

  “Are you going to let me in, or do I have to talk to you out here in the rain?”

  Stunned and elated by his appearance, Skylar didn’t know what to do. “Ummm…of course. I’ll be right down.” And just like that, her anger and pain vanished, and she was once again hopelessly in love. What was she going to do when he left? She was only setting herself up for more pain. She should tell him to go home instead; but it was too late, she’d already invited him in.

  Walking into darkness, Skylar turned on the downstairs lights. Emily and Dex were gone, most likely out for dinner. Though she tried to steady her nerves, it was impossible. Her heart thumped erratically as she opened the door. “Hi,” she welcomed him shyly. “Come in.”

  Mason entered, looking delicious and suave as always, but he had bags under his eyes and he looked tired, like
he hadn’t slept for days. With stubble along his jaw line—which was actually kind of sexy—it was hard to resist the urge to run her fingers through it. Either way, with bags or stubble, he looked just as hot as she remembered him…totally not fair.

  His hair was wet, but not drenched from the light rain. Pacing to the sofa, he settled himself comfortably. After crossing his legs, he placed his right arm lazily behind his head for support. Skylar wanted to sit right next to him, in his arms, but knowing better, she sat on the other sofa.

  “I came to warn you, and to see how you’re doing,” Mason said. “Alena is no longer our problem, but whoever is in charge may still come after you.”

  Skylar wasn’t worried about who was going to come after her at this moment. All she cared about was that Mason had come to tell her some bad news, and then he would leave. It wasn’t an “I miss you” type of visit. It was all serious business.

  “Oh…I see. You could’ve texted. It would’ve saved you a trip.” Just like that, she built a defensive wall around her heart. Mason didn’t say a word, most likely thinking he should’ve done exactly that. “Thanks for the warning. I can take care of myself.” Her tone was soft and flat. It was the only thing she could say without falling apart in front of him.

  “You think?” he chuckled.

  Did he find this amusing? Anger rushed through her, but she didn’t know why. She had no right to be mad at him. Why? Because she fell in love and it wasn’t returned? This was her fault, not his. He was always there for her, risking his life. Thinking she should be thankful instead, her anger eased.

  “Noah and Tim said I could call them if I needed their help,” Skylar said, unable to look at him in the eyes. Focusing on her thumb instead, she twirled it over her other thumb. “So…you don’t need to worry so much. I’ve already taken too much of your time. I’m sure there are other things you’d rather be doing.” Skylar stood up, heading toward the kitchen. “Let me get you something to drink.” She wasn’t sure if Mason was thirsty, but she needed to walk away. Water started to pool in her eyes, and she didn’t want him to see her this way. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel the need to cry?

  “Sky,” Mason called out.

  Startled from the demand of his tone, she turned. When she did, Mason was right in front of her, toe-to-toe with her. He embraced her tightly and snuggled his head to the side of her neck, then his hands cupped her face. “Sky,” he whispered, tenderly.

  Tears that were already threatening to fall streamed down Skylar’s cheeks as her lips trembled. “Please, don’t say another word. You can just leave. I’ll understand. It’s my fault for caring. You’ve already warned me that you could never care for me.”

  “Sky, don’t you know why I’ve come?”

  Assuming the worst, she tried to prepare herself for the twisted pain in her heart that would cut deeper. Waves of hot and cold rippled across her ribs. Layer by layer, her heart was tearing from the sharp pain in every inch of her chest.

  “Sky, I can’t do this anymore.”

  “I know.” Her eyes continued to focus on his sweater, too afraid to look him in the eyes. Her heart was already breaking. She didn’t need more reminders by seeing the rejection in his eyes. Instead, she inhaled his after-shave scent and molded into him, thinking this would be the last time she would feel his arms around her like this. “It’s okay. You can leave.”

  “I want to, but I can’t. I…I care. Do you hear me? I care too much. I’ve missed you. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. Every waking second I think of you. Every second of my sleepless nights, you’re on my mind. And if somehow I sleep, I dream of you. You’re all that I can think of. I tried to stay away, but I can’t. I’m sorry. I had to see you. I’m sorry if I’ve ever hurt you or wronged you in any way. It was not my intention. I just…I didn’t want to feel again. Before you, my life was empty and cold, but you made me feel alive again, a feeling I thought was buried so deep from all the pain and loss that it could never resurface.”

  Skylar couldn’t believe what she was hearing as her tears continued to fall. The sad tears turned into happy ones. The sweet words Mason was whispering in her ears overwhelmed her, making her weak at the knees. If it wasn’t for his hold on her she would have fallen, as he continued to make her feel like jelly with his words and his touch. Her arms that had been dangling at her sides moved up to the curve of his neck.

  “Mason,” she whispered, peering up to met his eyes. “I’ve missed you too. I couldn’t sleep or eat.”

  Still cupping her face, he pulled back and wiped her tears. “You missed me, too?” He sounded completely surprised.

  “More than you know.”

  “I’m sorry to put you through all that. I told you I was broken and that I couldn’t be fixed, but somehow you’ve crumbled down the wall I built around me, and no matter how hard I try to resist you, I can’t. I didn’t want to care for you, but I do. I knew you were trouble the moment I set my eyes on you…at least trouble for my heart.” He produced the biggest grin Skylar had ever seen on his face. “I care about you, Skylar Rome, in more ways than I ever meant to.”

  “I care about you, too, Mason Grand,” she giggled, taking in the bliss that erupted throughout her.

  “I don’t know what it is that I’m feeling for you, but I want it. I’ve never felt this with anyone before. I want to know what it feels like to really love someone, and to be loved back just the same. I want to know love with you, if you’ll let me.”

  At this point Skylar was speechless, but she managed to nod. Blinking her eyes, she soaked in all of his words, the words she had been so sure would never pour out of his mouth.

  Mason continued. “Everett and Amanda were right. I’ve been so consumed by the pain of losing my mother and the guilt over not being able to save her life, it was controlling me. I had forgotten what it felt like to really live…to care, to love, to be happy. I lived my life just passing through. I think…I was just waiting for…you,” he smiled again. “Everett, Amanda, Nick, and I need to start acting like a family. Perhaps they were already; I just got lost. I didn’t want to be a part of something that I may lose one day, but now I know I’d rather have it and risk feeling the pain than not have it at all. You helped me realize that. The past week without you has been torturous; I want you in my life, even if it kills me.”

  Skylar suddenly remembered she could literally kill him, and she took several steps back. Mason seemed to understand the meaning behind her gesture and pulled her into him again. “Don’t be silly. I didn’t mean that. You know you can’t kill me with your kiss…thank goodness. If you could, I would’ve been dead by now. Not being able to kiss you…now that would really be torture.”

  Happiness filled her. Mason was always reassuring her that she wasn’t poison, and he’d even proven it by giving her a kiss in his room, the kiss she’d held onto till this day.

  “So…now that we’ve got that settled, how about I take you to dinner? It’s around dinnertime. Are you hungry?” His hands held hers and guided them to the front of his chest, kissing each of her knuckles.

  “Yes,” Skylar nodded, enjoying his attention.

  Mason pulled her in again. “I’ve missed holding you, the smell of your scent that seems to follow me wherever I go, the way you always repeat what I say, your smile, your laughter…I’ve missed every part of you, Sky. You made my wish come true.” Mason reached into his back pocket and pulled out the wishbone. “I kept this, hoping my wish would come true. Do you remember this?”

  “I made your wish come true?” Skylar repeated his words, looking flabbergasted. “Yes, I remember. What did you wish for?”

  “I wished that you would care for me as much as I cared for you…that you would have the patience to wait for me. To put up with my dark side and give us a chance when the time was right, or that my feelings for you would disappear so that I wouldn’t care.”

  “You wished for that?” Skylar couldn’t believe it. Those times she thought it would be i
mpossible, it was right there all along. She just had to be patient. And for him to not want to feel anything if the feelings weren’t reciprocated…well…that simply stated how much he did care. She had set him free because she had no choice. And like her mom said, it was meant to be, so he came back to her…thankfully. But setting him free had been easier said than done.

  Mason continued to hold her and gaze lovingly into her eyes. “You are the only wish I’ve ever had. And maybe what I’m about to do would come right after.” His eyes became playful.

  “What would that—”

  Skylar was unable to finish her words. Mason dove in and conquered her lips, molding them perfectly together. Gently and slowly, his lips tasted hers, leisurely, savoring every touch, every moment, and every thrill. At first Skylar stood still, unable to believe what was happening. When she finally realized Mason was kissing her and it wasn’t a dream, she took in the reality, looped her arms around the back of his strong neck, and pulled him in tighter.

  Responding to his kiss, she kissed him back with hunger and passion. Hot, tingling sensations poured through her soul like a wild blaze, driven by all the anger, sadness, wanting, hurt, and most of all from simply missing him. She couldn’t believe he was there and they were sharing this tender moment, and knowing that this time his kiss meant so much more than the first.

  Like two lost souls finally understanding each other, their bodies entangled, and their kisses intensified. His hands explored her every curve as she moaned from his touch. Yup…he was experienced alright, from what she could feel. He knew exactly where to place his hands to make her come alive, completely undoing her.

  Suddenly he pulled back, panting, his hot breath on her. “You’re going to the naughty corner.”

  “What?” Skylar’s eyes shot open, remembering him telling her several times that she needed to go to the naughty corner for not listening to him, for risking her life. She gulped nervously, yet it sparked excitement at the same time. “What happens in the naughty corner?”

  Mason’s brows twitched playfully. “You’ll see. I’m taking you there now.” He pulled her in for another kiss. With his lips on hers, he ran his hands down the length of her back and on to her thighs. Effortlessly, he lifted her up, carried her to the dining table, and carefully lay her down.