Coma (Paranormal Romance)

by Lilly Mance

  Getting ready for bed, my thoughts went to Zack. I wondered what he had in mind when he said he would surprise me soon. Thinking about him made me feel warm on the inside. The only thing that could make the grin on my face disappear, was the toothbrush I just stuck in my mouth. Rustling sound of brushing my teeth made me sleepy, and I couldn't wait to hit the sack.

  Back in my room, I turned off the lights, tucked myself in, and clicked the nightstand lamp. Cold pillow against my face finally cooled down my cheeks. Love did have semblance to fever. It burned me from the inside out. My eyes blinked a few times, telling me dream wasn't far away, but I was reluctant to give in. I wanted to savor Zack's words from the diner a little bit longer.

  Just as I was ready to surrender to dreamland, Zack appeared out of thin air, “Don't scream,” he whispered, putting a finger over his mouth.

  I felt like screaming alright, but not from fear. From joy. I chuckled. That popping effect that used to annoy the crap out of me, now came in quite handy. One look at those dazzling eyes, and warmth streamed through me, igniting me all over again. He sat on the bed next to me, and gently pressed his palm against my face, smoothing his thumb over my cheek, his eyes searching mine. Suddenly, I became aware that we weren't in public anymore, that there was nothing to hold us back, to stop us from going all the way. My chest fluttered, and I got scared. The good and the bad kind of scared.

  “What is it?” Zack asked, seeing my face getting serious all of a sudden.

  I shook my head, smiling, “Nothing.” I placed my hand over his against my cheek.

  “Are you...scared?” His eyes widened.

  “A little,” I bit my lip.

  “Don't be,” he took a strand of my hair, and twined it around his finger, “I won't do anything you don't want me to.”

  “I know,” but hearing him say that, all I wanted was for him to do everything.

  “I can sleep on a chair if you want,” he motioned toward my computer. “I just didn't want to be away from you anymore.” He bowed his glance, repentantly.

  “No. I want you,” my mouth was faster than my mind. His lashes swept back up in a split second, revealing a surprised gaze.

  “Choose your words carefully,” he chuckled. “Those are making me lose this little self-control I have left.”

  “Not fair. You stripped me of mine long ago,” my teeth almost pierced my lip from the intensity of my bite.

  He closed his eyes, heavy lashes spreading over his cheeks, and exhaled long. His eyes snapped back open, sparkling. “And now you stripped me of mine.” He leaned in, hesitating for a second, as if searching my eyes for permission, then kissed me tenderly. My reason melted under his warmth. I pulled him closer, making him groan against my lips.

  “You better get undressed,” I said, confusion on his face made me giggle. “No shoes in bed policy!” He chuckled, and kicked his boots off, then faced me. I bit my poor lip again, trailing his shirt's buttons with my gaze. Silently, understanding my train of thought, he stood up, and started to unbutton one by one. Seeing that muscular perfection under his shirt come to life, I struggled to control my erratic breathing. He smiled, mischievously, and moved on to his jeans. As he undid a button on his jeans, I took a pillow, and put it over my head, giggling underneath. Feeling his weight hit the bed struck a match inside my gut, and I bit the pillow. Slowly, he removed the pillow from over my face. He gazed at me softly, his eyes glazed over. Breathtakingly beautiful. Propped on one arm, he traced an invisible line over my cheek, across my chin, then down the hollow of my throat. I reached for him, and our lips connected.

  “You sure about this?” He asked between kissing, his lips brushing mine as he spoke.

  “Mhm,” I said, deepening our kiss, molding my body against his.

  He sucked in a sharp breath, and his body responded eagerly to mine. His bare thigh slid between my legs making my body recoil. His hand found its way under my tank top, gliding up my bare back, and then from the neck down. I grabbed his boxer shorts, and tugged him closer to me, making him gasp for air, desire glistening in his eyes. In one swift move, he took control, and placed me on my back. The weight of his body on top of mine woke up wild hunger deep inside of me. The black of his pupils, and wilderness in his glance sent sizzles down to the tip of my toes. He rid me of my clothes, and placed a soft kiss on my sternum. There was no stopping, neither of us would cave in. We wanted it too much.

  ~*~

  Chapter #13

  Heaven had descended upon Earth. I woke up to the sound of the alarm, safely cradled in Zack's arms. He stirred behind my back, and placed a kiss on the back of my neck. I trembled to the core.

  “Good morning,” he said with that deep, husky voice I loved so much.

  “Good morning,” I replied, turning around in his embrace. Those incredible, green irises connected to mine. His lips curled, and his glance dropped to my lips. He traced them with a tip of his finger, leaving nothing but desire in its wake.

  “You're so beautiful,” he said in a low voice. I smiled. You too didn't sound right, so I went with nothing. “Um, I kind of made a mess out of your hair,” he chuckled, “So you might want to get an early start.”

  I reached for my hair. Entangled wasn't even a word for it. I chuckled, and snuggled closer, burrowing my head below his chin, “It can wait.” His scent was driving me crazy. Detach from his warm body was the last thing I wanted at that moment.

  He kissed my forehead, and locked his arms around me. “You have to, or you'll be late for work.”

  I let out a moan of disagreement against his chest. He chuckled, and pressed me tighter against him.

  “I will if you promise to be here every night,” I looked up at him, expectantly.

  Gazing softly, he smiled, and said, “Nothing could keep me away.”

  ~*~

  Every second I spent apart from Zack was a second wasted in vain. I worked faster than ever as if it would speed up the time till the end of my shift. I even considered quitting my job, but that would have been hard to explain to my parents. Nothing held my interest anymore, and nothing frightened me more than the prospect of his sudden departure. Most of the time, I pretended that wasn't even an option. When we were together, my reality didn't exist, we created our own world around us. Looking at him was like looking at my exact opposite. He completed me. With him, my cup was full.

  A nudge in my back winced me. I almost dropped my tray.

  “You alive girl?” Maya was grinning when I turned around.

  “Barely,” I breathed, trying to steady my hands. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

  “Serves you right,” Helen added, furrowing a brow. “Wrap it up, and join us.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I nodded, feeling the frost bite of her mood.

  My shift wasn't over yet, but Zack was already across the street. Nothing could light up my day as the vision of him. He sat down, crossed his arms in front, devilishly staring my way with a half grin. I wished I could have gone out to tell him I had Maya and Helen to deal with first. Two of them had the worst timing ever. Instead, I sighed wistfully, and went on with my work.

  As soon as I was done, I joined my girlfriends at their table. “Where are the guys?” I said, sitting down.

  “They have a day off,” Maya snickered.

  “Where you've been, Lyra?” Helen jumped to the point, crossing her arms and legs tightly.

  “Nowhere,” I muttered, aware that I had neglected them completely since Zack entered my life.

  “Uh-huh,” Helen squinted. “And where's Zack?”

  I chuckled, “Um. Across the street.”

  “I knew it!” Helen exclaimed, slamming her fist on the table. “Damn it, Lyra, you will never learn!”

  “Learn what, Helen?” I narrowed my eyes in challenge. Maya kept to herself, fiddling with her car keys.

  “He's not for you,” she scowled, and took my hand in hers. “You always pick the wrong ones.”

  I snorted, pulling out m
y hand. “This time it's the right one, but wrong circumstances.” Hearing myself say that, sadness gripped my insides. Unfortunately, that was the bitter truth.

  Helen went silent, so Maya filled the gap by saying, “We're leaving for college soon.”

  I darted my gaze toward her, “Already?” She nodded, so I asked, “How soon?”

  “This weekend,” Helen answered instead of Maya, ice coloring her tone. “Do you think you'll manage to see us off?” She laughed, sarcastically.

  “Of course,” I said, feeling kind of embarrassed. I lost track of time, but they weren't exactly alone either. It wasn't like their worlds revolved around me. Instantly, I thought about Zack. His world, however, did. I smiled.

  “So, we'll see you on Friday?” Maya jolted me from my dazed state.

  “Sure,” I said, still with Zack in my thoughts.

  We parted, exchanging sour smiles, and bitter hugs. The last thing Helen said to me was, “This isn’t healthy,” giving me the look.

  Obsessing over Zack as much as I did wasn’t the healthiest thing to do, but neither were the circumstances we were in. We tried to squeeze a lifetime in mere moments. It was bound to be intense, we were bound to burn up in that flame, but it was worth it.

  ~*~

  Seeing me crossing the street, Zack pushed himself onto his feet, smiling wide. He started toward me, stopping at the pole. He leaned against it with one shoulder, crossing one leg over the other, and tugging hands in his pockets. With his head tilted, almost touching the pole, he shamelessly ogled me, wearing a devious smirk.

  “What?” I said, grinning, when I reached him.

  “Flawless,” he said, lowering a kiss on the top of my head. My cheeks flushed. “Our bench?” He asked, threading his fingers through mine. Our bench? I smiled, nodding.

  We started toward our bench, walking slowly, swinging hands, both having trouble keeping teeth behind our lips. With the day so sunny and perfect, I couldn’t imagine this could ever be over. I stole several swift glances of his face, and sighed. Flawless, as well.

  Our bench was empty as it had always been. We sat down, keeping close to one another. Zack wrapped his arm around me. I placed my head on his shoulder, and he leaned his head against mine, zigzagging his finger down my arm. I shuddered.

  “Are you cold?” He asked. I shook my head, so he smiled, and continued circling down my arm to my fingers.

  “Zack,” I said.

  “Mhm,” he muttered.

  “Are you afraid?” I looked up at him, and he stopped circling my hand.

  “Of what?” He gazed at me, picking up my chin with his finger.

  “Of going back,” I breathed, choking on those words.

  His face became rigid, his jaw flexed. “Terrified,” he mouthed, barely audible, pressing me tighter against him.

  “I don’t think I can handle it,” I straightened up on the bench, tilting my body toward him.

  “Neither do I, but there’s nothing we can do at the moment,” he swallowed a knot. “I still hope we’ll figure it out somehow.”

  Pain gripped my chest, and I said the most foolish thing an idiot in love could say, “I swear, I’ll kill myself after you’re gone.”

  Zack’s eyes gawked in shock. He shook his head, and opened his mouth, then stared at me for several moments. “Lyra, don’t! Why would you say a thing like that?” He cupped my face, staring absorbedly.

  “Because it’s true,” I stretched my palms over his. “I can’t handle this, Zack. It hurts too much.”

  Incredibly fast, he kissed me, his hands still cradling my face. The kiss was hard, full of fear and frustration. He broke off and said, “You’re crushing my heart! Can’t you see what you’re doing to me? To us?”

  “But it hurts so badly! Why do you want me to spend the rest of my life in agony?” I stood up from the bench.

  “Two reasons! One—because you could meet someone later on, and still have a normal life,” he stood up, and started toward me, I snorted. “Two—because I will spend every second of my life trying to get back to you.”

  I took a step back, “That’s sneaky, Zack,” I hissed, “You know I won’t be able to take my own life now, because I’ll be hoping you’ll find a way back for the rest of my life. And you know how tiny the odds are of you coming back, so you are hoping I will have a number one!”

  He hugged me, resting his chin on the top of my head, saying, “Not true. My being here is the proof that it can be done.”

  “Since you chose the sneaky way, here’s a treat for you,” I broke free from his hug, leaving him flustered, with arms hanging loose beside his body. “When you wake up in your world, come here to this bench, and dig around this tree,” I pointed to the first tree next to our bench. “I will bury a box in there—a time capsule—and it will contain a journal. I will write to you every chance I get, so you’ll know I never let you go, hoping you’d come back, until I drew my terminal breath. You’ll know exactly how much it hurt!”

  “Don’t—” He bowed his head, his voice low.

  “Oh, I will,” I hissed, defiantly tapping my fingers against my hips.

  “I won’t read it!” He lifted his gaze, grabbing me by the arms.

  “Oh, yes you will,” I squeezed through my teeth. “If not right away, you will once all hope is gone. You better get a GPS, and write coordinates to this place, because you’ll go crazy trying to find this spot 100 years from now!”

  He pulled me into his embrace, his whole body shaking. “That’s anger speaking, Ly,” gently, he started stroking my hair, “Don’t let it get between us now. Please,” he kissed my temple. Zack lifted my head, and kissed away each tear that rolled down my face. “Don’t cry,” his hands gripped my shoulders. “I never meant for this to happen. I’m so sorry. I should have kept my distance.”

  “No!” I sniffled, “It is what it is,” I dried my eyes with the back of my hand. “Let's hope you don't wake up from a coma brain damaged. Or worse.” Like dead. My whole body ached at that though.

  “Zack!” A man approaching us yelled. Instantly, Zack pushed me behind his back, his body screamed battle stations. “I looked all over for you, man.” Tall, broad shouldered guy with scruffy hair stopped near us, laughing.

  “Who are you?” Zack growled, shielding me with his body. There was something feline in his movements, something gracious and dangerous at the same time.

  “You don’t know?” The guy scowled, clasping the back of his neck. He had the same kind of cargos, V-neck Tee, and strange boots like Zack, not much older, either. And he was hovering.

  “No,” Zack replied, harshly.

  “That explains it,” the guy sighed, and sat down on our bench. “You can drop your shields,” he chuckled. “We’re on the same team.”

  “And what team would that be?” Zack tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. Gripping his back, I could feel all of his muscles tighten.

  “The good guys, Zack,” the man chuckled, “I see you found her,” he motioned toward me, behind Zack’s back.

  “What do you mean?” Zack said, his hand reaching behind, firmly gripping my hips.

  “Completely evaporated?” The man circled his temple. When he didn’t get a reply from us, he continued, “I’m Ethan, your best friend, and a brother in arms. Your cryobox was sabotaged, and you fell into a coma. But don’t worry, I took care of your body. It’s hidden in my lab. It’ll be safe there till we get back.”

  “I’m not going back,” Zack said, in a steady voice, as if it ever were for him to decide.

  Ethan’s brows shot up, and then he chuckled. “You have to. What’s the status on her?”

  “What do you mean?” I peered from behind Zack’s back.

  Ethan sighed long, and shook his head, “Someone damaged his cryobox just as he went on a new mission,” he put his leg up, and gripped it with both hands. “The mission was to get you.”

  Zack and I exchanged confused looks, then darted our eyes back on Ethan.

  �
��Get her, how?” Zack asked, suspiciously, extending his shoulders as much as he could, shielding me like a peacock.

  “Dammit, you’re completely wiped,” Ethan slammed his palms against his legs. “There’s a temporal war going on, and you were supposed to come here and prep her for the job,” Ethan looked at my jaw-dropping face, and chuckled. “You, young lady, have all necessary predispositions to become a temporal guard.”

  “Come again,” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Did this guy jump out of a sci-fi movie or what?

  “That’s what we are,” Ethan pointed at Zack, then him. “Temporal Guards Alliance.”

  Zack grimaced, touching TGA letters on his boots, then chuckled, draping his arm over me. “Her status is unchanged, I’m afraid.”

  “That’s a setback,” Ethan’s forehead creased. He pondered something for a while, then said, “Here’s what we’re gonna do. I’ll go back, and get you out of coma––” My sharp intake of air stopped him for a moment. He smiled, and said, “I can see what’s going on here,” he chuckled, “Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon.”

  Zack crashed on the bench next to Ethan, saying, “What can go wrong?”

  “Not getting you out of coma is the worst case scenario,” Ethan patted Zack on the shoulder. One look at Zack was enough for me to know that he felt the same way I did. Scared. But he did a much better job at hiding it. “The sooner we do this, the better. You’ll get your memories back, and then return here to get her ready.”

  “Ready for what?” I asked, scratching my head.

  “Temporal guard, like I said,” Ethan smiled, running fingers through his dark blond hair.

  “Yeah, I heard you, but what is that?” I needed details, desperately, I needed explanations.

  “A history lesson?” Ethan grimaced, as if history was his worst nightmare.

  “Depends,” Zack chuckled. “In her case, it’s a future lesson.” All three of us chuckled.

  “Okay. The time ended in year 2222 as a result of time travels gone wrong. Those born before 2222 and after the time travel invention, formed a group that tried to change the course of events that led to our extinction,” Ethan looked at both of us for confirmation we were following the story. We nodded. “Each time we changed something in history, the extinction came sooner, with the last ending in 2156.”