“Here, sit down and let me clean you up,” she instructed. I already felt ten times better just being back with her. She quickly came back, first aid kit in hand. She looked puzzled, saying, “Huh, the cuts on your head aren't bleeding anymore.” She gently pressed my forehead near one of the gashes, and relief swarmed the area where her fingers touched. Her eyes widened as she exclaimed, “Jace, the cuts are disappearing!”
“What?” I responded. I got up to go to the bathroom and look in the mirror. Sure enough, the three cuts on my forehead were almost completely disappeared. Brielle followed me into the bathroom, a perplexed expression on her face. “That's something new…touch my arm,” I instructed.
She did as I asked, and when she touched my arm, my wounds began to heal. That was something I never heard of happening between twin flames. I was certain it was because of Brielle's extraordinary powers. “You are amazing,” I said, cupping her cheeks and kissing her. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. You have no idea how much. When I felt your pain, I wanted to go find you so bad. Never leave me again,” she pleaded, nuzzling her head into my chest.
“I'm not planning on it. I'm sorry you had to feel my pain. I could feel your fear and concern, too. Thank you for caring, mi amante,” I said sincerely. I inhaled, smelling something delicious coming from the kitchen, “Something smells good—what are you making?”
“Stuffed chicken with a white wine cream sauce and risotto with asparagus,” she answered. “It's almost ready.”
“Well, it smells and sounds delicious. I can't wait to try it,” I told her. She led me to the kitchen, and I noticed she was wearing a cute pink apron with cupcakes all over it. “You look adorable, by the way.”
“Thank you. I can't believe I healed your injuries—that is definitely something that will come in handy. I wonder if I can do it to everyone,” she pondered aloud.
“We will have to test out that theory. I'm curious as to whether or not I can heal you; if it has something to do with our bond,” I contemplated.
“Have you heard of it before?”
“No, I was never told anything about being able to heal each other, but since you are the One, there are bound to be special traits unique to us,” I answered.
She resumed cooking, and the sight of her doing so made my heart warm. She glanced my way every few minutes or so, like she was afraid I would leave her again. I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her while she was stirring something on the stove, and I gently kissed her neck. “Dinner's ready. Can you help me set the table, please?” she asked, leaning back into my chest and turning her head to look up at me.
“Of course. Anything for you, mi amante,” I replied. We set the table before all sitting down to eat together. We talked about the incident at my condo, and Brielle was so relieved that Zane showed up when he did. Her dad was less than thrilled that they were trying to find Brielle through me, as was I, but Brielle reminded us that she was safe on the island. I shared my plans to train Brielle, which her Dad was not very fond of, but I argued that she would be safer if she knew how to defend herself, which he reluctantly agreed with.
“I want to start on Monday, since we will be getting settled in to the beach house tomorrow. We need to pick up the keys in the morning,” I stated happily. I was ecstatic to have Brielle move in with me, especially if it meant we got some privacy.
“I'll call Kimber, and see when she can train me with,” Brielle said, clearing our dishes from the table. I stood up to take them from her, “Here, mi amante, let me take those for you. You've done enough with that wonderful meal. It was the most delicious thing I've ever eaten.”
“Stop it. You're just saying that to spare my feelings,” she replied.
“No, I'm not. I mean it,” I said, putting the dishes into the dishwasher.
“Really?” she asked.
“Really—it was the best meal I've ever had,” I answered, kissing her on the forehead.
“Thank you, that means a lot to me,” she said.
“No, thank you for that amazing meal,” I said genuinely, a smile across my face.
“Brielle, I think that Thursdays would be the best, if that works for Kimber,” her dad said from across the room. He came over to kiss her on the top of her head, “The food was delicious, as always, sweetie. I'll be in my office if you need me.”
“Okay, Daddy, love you,” Brielle told him. She turned to look at me, a shy smile spreading on her lips, “I rented some movies if you want to watch them before we go to bed.”
“That sounds good. I'll finish cleaning up in here, and you can put the first movie on,” I suggested.
“I'll help you. There are so many pots and utensils that I used to cook with, so it is definitely a two-person job,” she laughed. We cleaned the kitchen together, something that felt so natural. We snuggled up on the couch after we were done, and started watching one of the movies. Brielle's proximity to me sent my heart racing, and I wished we were in our house already. I just wanted to get this night over with since I was not looking forward to the withdrawal from our bond. Tomorrow could not come fast enough.
I fought to keep my eyes open halfway through the second movie, but I was exhausted. All of the events of the day, especially the separation from Jace, had taken its toll on me. The terror that engulfed me when I felt the pain he was in was something I never wanted to experience again. It was as if a part of me was dying when he was hurt, and I was helpless to stop it. I knew where he was, but Dad refused to let me go help him, saying I would never make it in time. I cried, from both Jace's pain and the discomfort from the separation, and nothing could soothe me. My dad tried rubbing my back in circles to calm me, which normally worked when I was upset, but there was no consoling me. He paced back and forth in my room, cursing the Gods for doing this to his daughter. I started to calm down once I could feel that he was returning to me. I still couldn't believe that our connection was so strong that it could make me feel like I was the one getting injured, like I was directly being hit. I was surprised that I wasn't bleeding and bruised myself because of how realistic it felt.
Sleep finally overcame me while I was cuddled up against Jace's side, his arm draped over me. I felt so peaceful with him, and I was thankful he was brought into my life. I felt him lift me up, cradling me in his arms as he carried me up the stairs to my bedroom. He set me down gently on my bed and covered me with my comforter. As he began to pull away, I reached out and grabbed his arm, drowsily saying, “No, please don't leave me. Stay.”
“I'll be right downstairs—this was your idea, remember?”
“Now I'm regretting even suggesting it, but you're right. I'll see you in the morning” I murmured, eyes still closed.
He sighed, “I think it will be sooner than that.” Then, he kissed me on the forehead as he whispered, “Goodnight, mi amante.”
“Goodnight,” I sleepily replied. I heard his footsteps retreating down the stairs before I fell back to sleep.
A dull pain in my stomach, along with a throbbing headache caused me to wake up. I rolled around on my bed, clenching my eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. Is this really what happens when we are apart? It's only been a few hours. There's no way we can be apart if these are the effects.
Sweat formed on my forehead after I'd been writhing around in pain for about thirty minutes. My sheets were damp from my sweat and they were tangled around me. Where was Jace? If he was feeling my pain, he should have come up here already. I can't take much more of this. I'm just going to have to go to him.
I stood up to go downstairs, causing dizziness and nausea to wash over me. I clumsily ran to the bathroom and vomited, barely lifting the lid of the toilet in time. I leaned my head against the cool porcelain, trying to quell the fever overtaking me. I closed my eyes in another attempt to block out some of the pain, just before arms pulled me into a warm body.
Jace held me in his lap, and the pain began to melt away. I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't
experiencing it firsthand, but his touch was the cure for whatever was ailing me. We sat there in silence for a few minutes before Jace said, “I didn't want you to feel any of that, but you are so stubborn. Believe me now, mi amante?”
I nodded as the last of the pain relinquished, and exhaustion settled over me again. Jace lifted me up in his arms, carried me to my bed, and laid me down before covering me with the comforter. This time, he laid down next to me, joining me under the comforter instead of leaving me. I was too drained to appreciate that he had stripped down to only his boxer-briefs and muscle shirt before getting in my bed. I lethargically turned to face him, draping one leg over his and placing my arm over his torso. He turned his body to mirror mine, his mouth inches away from my lips before enveloping me in his arms. My left leg was sandwiched between his two muscular ones as he pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I still felt the tingling as I fell back asleep.
I startled awake, screaming at the top of my lungs. Jace sat up next to me, and I turned and sobbed into him, clutching onto him for dear life, afraid an unseen force would pull him away from me like in my dream. My dad ran into the room half-asleep and asked, “Another nightmare?”
Jace nodded, still trying to console me as he caressed my hair and whispered, “I'm right here, mi amante. I'm not going anywhere. Shhh, shhh. It's all over, now. Please stop crying. I hate the way you're feeling—it's tearing me up inside.”
“If you need me, I'll be in my room,” my dad said as he walked back out my door.
I felt Jace's worry as he tried to calm me down. I took deep breaths, reminding myself that he was right there in my arms. His smell wafted around me, which helped to soothe me. “I'm sorry, it's just so real. Now that I have you, the fact that I lose you in my dreams is so much worse,” I choked.
“I wish I could make them go away so you won't feel like this anymore,” he said regrettably.
“Did you have yours, too?” I asked, still trembling from my onslaught of tears.
“Yes,” he answered, jaw clenching. I could feel his heart racing, as well as his anger and concern.
“How are you so calm? Totally opposite of me, obviously,” I said, gesturing to myself.
“As soon as I woke up and realized you were in my arms, I calmed down some,” he replied.
“That makes sense. Must be my uber sensitivity taking hold, I guess. I always wake up that way from the nightmare,” I stated. He kissed me, cradling me in his lap as he sat up taller in my bed. I felt so comforted and loved in his arms, and the rest of my negative emotions from the nightmare slowly faded away. He rubbed my back, saying, “It's been a rough night, but try and go back to sleep, mi amante. I'm right here.”
I nodded as I felt sleep creeping back up on me. Before I knew it, I was once again asleep in the security of Jace's arms, his heartbeat my perfect lullaby.
I awoke the next morning, still held in the comfort of Jace's embrace. Light trickled in through my window, casting a heavenly glow throughout my room. I wondered what time it was. I felt fully rested, despite waking up from our separation and my nightmare in the middle of the night. I stared at Jace's perfect face, peaceful in his sleep, and I contemplated how I could be so blessed to have him as the other half of my soul. I probably should have been upset that I didn't get a say in the matter of who I spend the rest of my life with, but surprisingly I wasn't. I would have chosen Jace even if I was given the option—he had everything that I wanted in a man, and we got along so well.
I looked at my phone, which read 8:56 AM. I wanted to let Jace sleep a little longer since I woke him up last night, so I cautiously rose out of bed, careful not to disturb him before I went to my bathroom to take a shower.
When I was finished taking my shower, I realized I hadn't brought clothes into the bathroom with me. Oh, shit—what if Jace was awake? I didn't want him to see me like this, especially since I was in just a towel. We both had very little self-control left. I hoped he was still asleep as I peeked out of the bathroom…damn! He was already awake, sitting on the edge of my bed. What do I do now? I couldn't think of anything else to do so I stuck my head out and simply said, “Hey.”
Jace turned to look in my direction, and a smile lit his face when he saw me. “Good morning, beautiful. I sensed you were gone, which woke me up. Is everything okay?”
“I'm sorry I woke you up again. I just needed to shower. I feel gross after the nightmares. I forgot clothes so I, um, need you to go downstairs so I can get dressed,” I said awkwardly.
He chuckled, “How about we trade? I wanted to take a shower too.”
I blushed at the thought of him in the shower, completely naked and dripping wet—ahh, stop it, stop it! I scolded myself for thinking like a hormonal teenage boy, and answered, “Sure, that should be enough time for me to get dressed.”
“Great, I'm going to grab one of my bags from downstairs so I can change when I'm done,” he said, striding towards my bedroom door. “I'll be right back.”
When he shut the door, I hastily grabbed my silk, pink robe from the closet and put it on before he came back. Then, I started looking through my closet for clothes. I wanted something cute, but comfortable since we were going to be moving. I didn't have any boxes or luggage, since Dad never let me go anywhere, so it was going to be a challenge getting my stuff to the new house.
Jace walked back in, interrupting my thoughts as he said, “I hope you're bringing that when we move.”
I flushed again when I noticed his gaze on my exposed thighs. “I'm sure I can find a place for it,” I flirted.
He smiled and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I returned to going through my closet to find an outfit to wear, and finally settled on some black yoga pants and a pink halter top. I put on my pink, slip-on Converse before applying some light make-up at my vanity, then I fashioned my long hair in a side french braid while I waited for Jace to finish. He came out a few minutes later in a black Famous shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and slate gray Nikes. He walked over to me and pulled me into a hug as he asked, “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, thanks to you. I don't usually calm down that easily,” I honestly replied.
“Well, that makes me feel good. At least I can help in some way. Are you hungry? Your dad was cooking breakfast downstairs,” he informed me.
“Sure, let's go eat,” I replied, and he grabbed my hand as I led the way downstairs. The smell of bacon and pancakes filled the air, and my stomach grumbled, which I hope Jace didn't hear. We walked into the kitchen, where my dad was flipping pancakes. Bacon was already arranged on a plate on the table, along with fresh fruit, juice, syrup and milk. My dad loved to make breakfast for me on the weekend, especially since we were usually in a rush out the door on weekday mornings. That was definitely something I would miss. “Morning, sunshine,” he called out in his usual fashion.
I giggled, “Morning, Daddy. I'm sorry for waking you last night.”
“Nothing new sweetheart, don't worry about it,” he replied. “Sit down, I got a couple of blueberry pancakes coming right up.”
Jace and I sat down next to one another at the table. I poured myself a glass of apple juice as I scooped some fruit on my plate. Jace poured himself a glass of milk, and put three strips of bacon on his plate. I playfully grabbed a strip off of his plate and took a bite, smiling at him as I put it back. He laughed, stabbing at a piece of my fruit with his fork and then placing it in his mouth. Dad walked over with a plate stacked with blueberry pancakes and set it on the table. I placed one on my plate, and spooned my fruit on top. Jace let my dad get his pancakes first, then put two on his plate. He proceeded to drown them in syrup, causing me to laugh. He turned to look at me and asked, “What?”
“Do you want some pancakes with your syrup?” I teased.
“Don't knock it 'til you try it,” he replied.
“No thanks, I don't want to go into diabetic shock,” I joked.
“Suit yourself,” he responded as he started cutting his pancakes
into small squares.
“So, I assume you were in her room because of the bond?” Dad asked.
“Oh Daddy, it was terrible—I felt so sick. The pain was so bad that it woke me up. I had fever, nausea, and a huge migraine. I fought it for a while before I threw up. Jace came, and as soon as he touched me, everything began to feel better. After a few minutes, it was like nothing had ever happened—I felt totally fine. I couldn't believe it.”
“I was afraid of that, but I just needed to make sure before I let you go,” he sighed. “Do you kids need help with moving anything today?”
“All I really need is my clothes and bath stuff. Everything is already furnished there, so I don't need any of my furniture,” I answered.
“Oh, okay. I can transport everything you need in my truck,” he offered. Dad was one of the only residents with a vehicle, which was provided to him by the Fire Department for any heavy duty jobs that they might come across.
“That sounds good, Daddy. You can come inside and look around too,” I suggested.
“Okay, pumpkin, sounds like a plan,” he stated, smiling as he took a bite of his pancakes.
After we finished breakfast, Jace and I cleaned up the tornado of a mess that Dad left before going back upstairs to pack. I fit what I could in my backpack and the overnight bag that I used when I stayed over at Kimber's. I was able to pack all of my bath essentials, as well as a few outfits. “We'll have to make a few trips since I have a ton of clothes and shoes,” I told Jace.
“We don't have to get it all today. It's not like we will never be over here again,” Jace pointed out.
“That's true. A bunch of it will fit in my Dad's truck though. We will need to get groceries, too.” I responded.
“Whatever you want mi amante,”he said, causing a smile to spread across my face. I loved when he called me that.
“I want to wash all of the linens, too. Who knows the last time they washed the bed sheets and towels,” I stated.
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