“Thank you,” she said quietly, leaning in so he could hear it. Nate could smell the scent of her perfume, something with jasmine blended with a sweet citrus. He tried not to think about it.
“You’re welcome,” he said, stepping back a little to help clear his head. “I try to always keep my promises.”
Again, his words triggered her suspicion. Teenage boys rarely kept their promises unless they got something out of it. Who was this guy? She intended to find out, if nothing else to quiet her curiosity, which was piqued the minute he took her hand. In fact, she had been thinking about it all night.
“So,” she began, trying to keep it casual, “where do you eat lunch?”
Nate saw the opportunity that was coming. “I’m so new here; I haven’t really found a great place to eat yet. Any suggestions?” As if the entire discussion were preplanned, her response was perfect.
“Why don’t you come to lunch with us today? My treat. Besides, I really do owe you. Neither of us was paying attention yesterday; it was partly my fault.”
Nate grinned at her confession, causing her to blush. “I was wondering when you would take responsibility,” he teased.
Jennie couldn’t think of a good comeback so she just laughed. Across the parking lot, the warning bell rang, letting them know it was almost time for school to begin. Jennie grabbed her backpack out of Nate’s car and made sure her own car was locked before walking with Nate toward the entrance of the school.
“Meet me here at lunch,” she said as they walked briskly side by side. When they reached the gates, Jennie knew they would need to go their separate ways soon. Just before they walked through, she reached out and put her hand on Nate’s bare forearm to get his attention. Immediately, that same sensation began to course through her but left as soon as she recoiled in surprise.
“What is it?” he asked, completely unaware that his touch was affecting her.
Quickly she forced herself to focus on her original question. There was one question that had burdened her all night and now was her chance to get an answer from Nate.
“Did you mean it when you said you just wanted my friendship?”
Nate turned to her and locked into her gaze. Her eyes gave away her vulnerability. Nate had been thinking about her all night, too. Nate quickly reminded himself why he was here—to protect her from her vulnerabilities, not to exploit them.
“Yes,” he said keeping his voice perfectly level, “I would love to have you as a friend.”
Jennie felt a great sense of relief from his words. They seemed to rekindle a tiny flicker of hope despite her sworn contempt for the opposite sex, and although she was unwilling to admit it to herself, she felt drawn to Nate.
“Good,” she replied, “I could really use a friend right now.” As Jennie stayed fixed on his eyes, he could see that she was scared, probably hurt by someone before. He didn’t know who or why, but it didn’t matter. If he handled things well from here on out, she would allow the friendship to grow, but carefully. At least she was giving him a chance. He could accomplish his assignment, and Celeste would be proud.
Nate and Jennie separated just beyond the gate. Jennie waved as she walked off. “Friends, then,” she called across the growing distance between them.
“Yes,” he responded firmly. “Definitely friends.”
As promised, at lunch Nate found Jennie waiting for him by her car with two other people. The girl was short with a thick head of jet-black hair and intense hazel eyes. The boy, who had his arm wrapped protectively around the girl, was much taller with short, no-nonsense light brown hair and unassuming light brown eyes. They both watched him arrive as if they were expecting him, yet didn’t completely trust him. By their distrust alone, Nate could tell that these friends cared about Jennie. He would have to prove himself to them as well as to her.
Once he reached the car, Jennie opened the doors and they all crammed in. The lunch period was short so they couldn’t afford to waste any time. As Jennie drove, she introduced everyone.
“Nate, this is Marissa, my best friend, and her boyfriend, Braiden.” Nate turned around in his seat to look at them.
“Hey,” he responded.
While they drove to Jennie’s favorite lunch spot, Nicolino’s Pizza, Nate listened to three friends chatter about their teachers and activities at school. He learned that Marissa was involved in the drama club and Braiden was the captain of the basketball team, but he learned very little about Jennie. After they quickly ate and were on their way back to school, the conversation turned to the upcoming weekend.
“Hey, Jen,” Marissa called out over the music Jennie was blasting. Jennie turned down the volume but didn’t take her hand off of the button.
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to Ainsley’s house this weekend?”
Nate decided now was the time to get involved in the conversation. “Who’s Ainsley?” He asked.
Jennie finally gave up and took her hand off the volume button. “She’s a senior this year. Every year her parents throw this amazing back to school party.”
“Really?” Nate said, obviously surprised that anyone’s parents would throw a party.
“Yeah, man,” Braiden chimed in from the back seat. “They have this monster infinity pool that overlooks the valley. Every year they do this thing where they blow a whistle and everyone at the party tries to get into the pool at once. One time we counted and there were 211 people packed in there.”
“Do her parents stay during the party?” Nate asked.
Jennie laughed. “What?” Nate asked, starting to feel uncomfortably naive. Jennie glanced at him as she was pulling into the school parking lot and then turned her focus back to finding a parking place.
Marissa spoke up this time. “Of course, they supply the alcohol.”
“Wow,” was all Nate could come up with.
Jennie pulled into a space near the back and everyone piled out. As they walked toward school, Nate turned to Jennie. “Are you going to the party?” he asked.
Jennie looked at Marissa before answering, and some unspoken communication passed between them. “Yeah, I think so…you know, for awhile, anyway.”
“You’ve gotta go, Nate,” Marissa broke in, “if nothing else, just to see the pool and the house. They had to blast into the side of the mountain just to build it.”
“It does sound impressive,” Nate admitted, “but I don’t know where it is or if I’m invited.”
Marissa scoffed this time. “Everyone’s invited, Nate. We’ll pick you up. Jen has your number, right?”
Before Nate could even answer, Marissa jogged off, trying to make it across campus before the bell rang.
“I’d better get going,” Jennie said to Nate. “I’ll call you later.” Once everyone had gone their own way, Nate took a second to check his phone for texts or messages. He winced. Celeste had been trying to reach him since yesterday and he knew if he didn’t call back soon she would show up at school to get his attention.
Her latest text read: Meet me at home right after school.
It was time to face his supervisor. Now all he could hope was that she could see past his failures to acknowledge his progress so far.
Chapter 6
Nate lived on the first floor of an older apartment complex about two miles from school. Even though his birth certificate showed him as eighteen years old, a façade had been created to make it look as if he lived with his Aunt Celeste. People seemed to ask fewer questions that way, especially at the high school.
As with everything else in Nate’s life, there were rules about his apartment. No one was allowed to stay past midnight. No one could borrow his belongings. They weren’t really his anyway. In the past few hundred years he’d come to see them as props, stuff that added to the validity of the role he was playing. The things lying around his house were just more reminders that everything in his life was temporary. He was here only until his job was complete, and he’d been told it would be sometime in e
arly March. Still, he’d done a few things to personalize the place, including hanging some of the photographs that he had taken when he worked with a photographer in Europe. He’d enjoyed that job, both the kid he’d protected and the photography.
Just as he poured himself a bowl of cereal as an afternoon snack, the doorbell rang. He groaned inwardly as he crossed the small room and approached the door. He opened it to find Celeste standing on the doorstep, her hands on her hips and a scowl firmly planted on her face.
“Celeste,” he began, trying to stay upbeat. “It’s so good to see you.”
She made a noise that sounded a lot like a snort and pushed her way past him. Her observant light brown eyes made a quick sweep of the room, taking note of the framed photography. She tisked but didn’t say anything to Nate directly. She already knew Nate was infamous for his inability to follow the rules.
No evidence of past jobs, that was the rule. While his devotion to the ones he protected was enduring, it ensured that his cases had to be chosen carefully for him. An unpredictable angel could cause a lot of problems for people on earth.
Celeste settled herself on the shabby grey couch in the cramped living room and let out an exasperated sigh so big that Nate could actually hear it all the way across the room. He decided to get right to it.
“I know, I hit her with my car. Well, I mean I hit her car with my car and then I sent you the bill for the repairs.” Celeste still didn’t say anything. Instead she glared at him with such intensity anyone would feel guilty even if he wasn’t.
“That was really bad, huh?” Nate picked up the uncomfortable slack in the conversation. “But on the up side, she invited me to a party this weekend, so I am well on my way…” Nate’s rambling trailed off. Celeste ran her fingers impatiently through her thick wavy hair.
“Enough,” she bellowed. “Do you really think I’m mad about the car accident?”
Nate wasn’t sure what to say so he nodded no, suddenly feeling much smaller than his 6’ 3” frame.
“That’s right,” she went on, “You touched Jennie and you were specifically told not to touch her.”
For the first time since her arrival, Nate didn’t feel scared; instead, he was confused. He knew he had been told not to touch her, but he assumed it was just because she was the opposite sex and physical contact could send the wrong message. The rule was no romantic relationships with the one you protect and an angel had to be careful not to mislead their protectee. Still, it was a handshake, innocent by anyone’s standards, so why was Celeste all up in arms about it?
“I’m sorry,” Nate said sincerely, “I didn’t realize that it was such a big deal.”
The lines in Celeste’s forehead softened and a small, almost indiscernible smile replaced her scowl. “Just don’t do it again,” she said firmly.
Nate joined her on the couch to finish telling her all about his progress with Jennie. When he was done, Celeste stood to leave. Before she could reach the door, Nate called out, “Wait—I got you something.” He slipped back into the kitchen and returned with a box of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. “Nobody was buying them and the little girl looked like she was going to cry,” he said sheepishly. Nate paused and gave her his most charming smile. “Besides,” he finished, “I know they’re your favorite.”
A cautious smile spread across Celeste’s face. “You know you can’t bribe me,” she warned, still trying to sound stern.
Nate placed the box in her hand and then produced a wrinkled bill from his pocket. A small, husky laugh escaped from Celeste’s lips as she took them both.
When she reached the door, she paused for a second and looked back. “This one is really important,” she said, her face now solemn. “It has to be done right or a lot of people will suffer needlessly.”
Nate looked down. Celeste wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. “I got it,” he said, suddenly serious, and then, without the formality of using the door, she was gone.
Chapter 7
Jennie asked Nate to meet her at work Friday night. Following her directions, Nate easily found the pet store. The heat of the day was still bearing down even though the sun was beginning to set, spreading streaks of orange and red across the horizon. As directed, Nate wore a bathing suit and a T-shirt so that he could be part of the traditional pool count. When he pulled up, he could see Jennie through the large glass doors carrying a small dog in one arm and toting a parakeet on her other shoulder. Fascinated, he sat in the car for a minute and watched her.
First, she put the dog in its kennel and then the bird in its cage. After sweeping the floor, she moved back to where the cats were kept. Almost ceremoniously, she opened all the cages, letting the felines out to join her on the floor. He wished he could hear what she said to them as she stroked each one, making sure to give them equal attention. Nate found himself swept up in the moment as he saw another side of her. She was tender and affectionate. He’d only known Jennie for a few days, but with every passing day he was more impressed by her. It was no wonder she had been assigned a protector; she was remarkable and would do a lot of good in this world.
Jennie glanced at her watch and then began scooping the kitties one by one to return them to their cages. Nate climbed out of the car and walked briskly to the door. Trying not to startle Jennie, he knocked quietly on the glass to get her attention. Jennie looked up and smiled before unlocking the door with her key to let him inside.
“I’m almost ready,” she said, “I just have to find Sebastian. The little renegade is hiding because he hates his cage.”
“I’ll help you look,” Nate offered.
Together they searched until they found Sebastian holed up in the cabinet beneath the cash register. Jennie tried to hold him in her arms as they walked to the cages, but the marmalade cat thrashed and writhed, trying everything to escape his impending fate.
“Can I try?” Nate asked with arms outstretched.
Jennie smirked. “Good luck,” she said, “this one is trouble. I can’t get anyone to adopt him because of his devilish nature.”
Sebastian’s legs flailed wildly as Jennie handed him Nate. Nate folded him into the crook of his arm and held him firmly but not enough to completely restrict his movement. Almost immediately, Sebastian began to visibly calm down. By the time they reached the cages, he was lying in Nate’s arms on his back with his belly fully exposed, his legs curled and relaxed.
Before placing him back in his cage, Nate scratched his belly with his free hand, making the cat sound like a tiny lawnmower as waves of purring rolled through his body. He was putty in Nate’s hands and when it came time to put him in his cage there was no resistance. Jennie watched, unable to conceal her amazement.
“That cat hates everyone,” she said. “How did you do that?”
Nate couldn’t actually tell her that all animals are soothed by the presence of an angel, so he tweaked it a little.
“Animals just like me, I guess,” he said almost shyly. As he spoke, his skin flushed with color, giving away his discomfort.
“I guess so,” she replied as she opened the door to let them out of the store.
“Do you want to drive?” he asked as they walked, hoping she would offer to take her air-conditioned car.
“Yeah, it’s hot,” she replied.
Nate and Jennie met Marissa and Braiden at Marissa’s house, and then they were on their way. As they drove toward the mountains, organized neighborhoods gave way to undisturbed desert and the darkening night. Nate couldn’t imagine why anyone would live this far out, but as they began to pull up a long steep driveway that appeared out of nowhere, an enormous house came into view. Even from the base of the driveway, Nate could see that the house was made mostly of glass, supported by towering steel beams. The entire thing looked like a modern glass castle nestled in the mountainside. Every room was ablaze with light, and they could see an endless stream of teenagers milling around inside. The closer they got to it, the more Nate found himself stari
ng unabashedly at the magnificent structure and the party inside. Braiden saw his face and laughed. “Told you, dude,” he said.
Inside, music was pumping through speakers hidden in the ceiling above. A river of sound flowed effortlessly through the house, making the walls seem like they were pulsing with the heavy beat. As soon as they walked in the door, Jennie was pulled away by a friend who Nate still hadn’t met.
“Come to the pool deck—the kegs just got here,” Jennie’s friend said to her.
By the way she stumbled up the long set of stairs dragging Jennie behind her, Nate could tell she’d dipped into the booze long before they arrived. Soon Marissa and Braiden wandered off to talk to their friends, leaving Nate standing in the middle of the living room with strangers. Several girls that he had seen on campus seized the opportunity to get his attention. A tall, thin blond wearing a bikini top and a skimpy pair of shorts latched onto his arm and hung on him as if she was unable to survive without his support.
“What’s your name, blondie?” the girl asked, flashing her big brown eyes at him seductively.
Before he could even answer, another girl appeared out of nowhere and took his free hand.
“Hi, I’m Lexie,” she said.
Obviously, the first girl wasn’t happy about the competition because she wrapped her arms around his shoulder to expand her territorial grip on him.
“And I’m Zoey,” the girl who was now hanging on him bubbled.
“I’m Nate,” he said, reverting back to manners that had been engrained in him forever.
“I like that name,” Zoey gushed. “Come with me to the pool deck, Nate. I want to take a dip.”
Sensing she was losing the battle, Lexie turned her attention to the guys in the room who weren’t commandeered already and slinked away after spotting her next conquest. Nate wasn’t sure what to do. He was here for Jennie, but he wasn’t completely immune to the touch of a beautiful girl. In the end, he decided to follow her up to the pool deck where he figured Jennie was by now.
Unbreakable Love Page 2