by Reana Malori
The summer before she left for college, they spent every possible hour together. When she’d left, it had almost broken him.
Shaking his head to clear away the sad thoughts, Jaidon exited the shower, dried off with a thick fluffy towel, and put on a pair of loose-fitting pajama bottoms. He was feeling nostalgic for someone who probably never gave him another thought. She probably couldn’t wait to get away from her scarred ugly-duckling friend and get on with her life.
Picking up the bloody shirt in his hand, he walked back into the living room and turned on the gas fireplace. Once it was at full blaze, he ripped off the buttons from the shirt and tossed in the fabric.
Fucking hundred-dollar shirt going up in flames. For that, he should fucking go kill the guy again.
Pouring himself a tumbler of scotch, he picked up his phone and saw that it was his mother who’d called him earlier. He knew it. With a smile, he listened to her message.
“Hi honey. It’s your mom.” As if he didn’t know her voice. “I was just calling to check on you. I have a funny feeling. Your dad says I’m imagining things, but still…call me back when you get this message.”
It was uncanny how that woman always knew when something was going on with him. Looking at the clock, it was too late to call her back now, so he’d give her a ring in the morning. Instead, he sent a quick text.
Hey Mom, all is good. I’m home. Late night. I’ll call you in the morning. Love you.
Walking into his home office, he sat down in his comfortable chair and powered up his computer. He wouldn’t be going to sleep anytime soon.
At least he hoped his text message would placate her for the night. She worried too much, but he didn’t mind. It was nice to have someone worry about him. Someone who wanted to make sure he was safe.
They’d accepted him from the very beginning. Even with his ability to tell them who was good and who wasn’t, simply by looking at the person. After the first few times when his premonitions about someone had been confirmed, they’d stopped questioning him. They all knew there was something different about him, but no one could figure it out.
And they didn’t seem to care. They’d raised him as their own from the very first day he walked into their home. Welcomed a child whom they knew nothing about, and gave him the world.
If they knew the extent to which he’d changed since he’d left home, he wasn’t sure they would feel the same. He’d gone through some serious shit these past few years, but he tried to keep that side of him hidden from the two of them. Dennis and Peggy Swanson were two very smart people. He had no doubt they knew that he was unique. They just didn’t know how much until the first time they’d visited him at college.
It was after he’d gone through the first transformation. He’d done everything he could to prevent them from coming down that weekend, but they would not be stopped. Neither of them could understand what happened to his skin and how he’d healed so perfectly.
Hell, he couldn’t explain it either and he’d gone through it.
Twelve Years ago
He’d been in town less than a week and he’d already been targeted.
Walking down the street, he’d been minding his own business, getting to know the city he was now living in. While he didn’t want to go too far from his parents, he needed a little space. Based on that, Pittsburgh was the place he’d chosen for college. It wasn’t a big town, but he figured if he stayed to himself, he would be okay.
Wrong.
Anger and rage flowed through his veins. He was tired of being the victim. No more playing nice. It was time for him to stop being the good guy. Nice guys always finished last and he was done with that.
As he continued to rain blow after blow on the two men who’d cornered him, he felt the blood flow faster in his veins.
They’d started following him when he left the movie theater. Their taunts and jabs about his looks and his scars continuously reached his ears. Breathing deeply, he tried everything he could to use the relaxation tactics he’d learned with his father and years of martial arts.
He could do this. Not reacting was the best thing he could do for himself right now.
Then they pushed him and he almost fell into traffic.
Thank goodness, the driver was paying attention and swerved his vehicle just as Jaidon’s body catapulted into the street. Falling to his knees, he bowed his head as he tried to calm his anger. It was never good when he lost his temper. Plus, it was late, the streets were empty and he was one guy against two. This was not the situation he needed to be in right now.
“Get up, you fucking pussy.”
“Why aren’t you hiding away in a ditch somewhere?”
“No one wants to see that face staring at them.”
“You make people throw up.”
“I bet your mother threw your ass away when you were born.”
“Fucking Frankenstein.”
If the two guys knew what their words were doing to him, they would have stopped. But they didn’t. And he’d had enough.
Standing up, Jaidon turned around to look at them and his vision had turned hazy.
Something must have been visible in his eyes, because both guys started to freak out. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re a fucking freak, man. Get out of our city before we make you leave.”
Laughing at how stupid they were, Jaidon advanced on the two of them. “Go ahead. Make me leave.”
One pulled out a knife and the other brandished a gun.
“Is that all you got?” Jaidon’s tone was deadly. Something in him had changed.
The auras around the guys in front of him looked like heat waves, but not the normal ones he’d seen over the years. No, these were gray and red and black, like fire was coming off them. Cocking his head to the side, Jaidon made a connection. These two men were going to kill him.
If I don’t do something, they’re going to kill me dead in the street. My mother will be heartbroken. My father will blame himself for not making me stay in Piedmont. It would break their hearts and that’s not something I am willing to accept.
“There’s two of you and one of me. Is this really what you want?” he casually asked. The smell of burnt flesh reached his nostrils, but he didn’t know where it was coming from. It could only be from the heat coming off their bodies. His senses were heightened and his skin tingled with anticipation.
The guy with the gun cocked his weapon. Jaidon had a split second to decide what to do. With what seemed like superhuman speed, he dipped to the side just as the gun was fired. Three long strides took him next to the guy with the gun. Wrapping one arm around his neck, Jaidon grabbed the hand holding the gun and fired it at the guy’s holding the knife. One bullet between the eyes and he was done. Before the body hit the ground, Jaidon forced the guy’s hand up to his head and pulled the trigger.
Blood and brains were splattered over his face and clothing, but he didn’t care.
Breathing deeply, his chest rose with exertion and excitement. But strangely, no fear. Standing there for a few seconds, he thought about what he’d just done. He looked down at the two men and watched the blood seep out of their bodies and felt not an ounce of remorse. If anything, he felt exhilarated. Vindicated.
Realizing that he was out in the open with two dead bodies at his feet, he turned to leave and stopped short. His entire body cramped up on him and his stomach felt like it was in his throat. The rapid beat of his heart made him lose his breath. His vision darkened and he could see nothing but blackness. The sensation of pinpricks came over his skin and he could feel the flesh rippling over his body.
He tried to speak, but his words were garbled. All he could manage was a guttural scream.
The pain was overwhelming. It was like his skin was being rubbed raw with a Brillo pad.
After what felt like hours—but, in reality, had been just a few minutes—it all stopped. Dropping his head to the pavement, Jaidon took deep breaths as he tried to wrap his mind around what had just
happened. After a few moments, he looked over his shoulder to see the two men still lying there. He almost expected them to be standing over him, judging him for the evil deed he’d just done. But they weren’t.
Quickly standing, he ran as fast as he could back to the dorm room. Looking over his shoulder the entire time, he expected the cops to come and arrest him any second. Hopping in the shower as soon as he got back to his room, he began scrubbing his skin and noticed there was something different.
The puckered skin on his body was gone. His skin was smooth, as if the burn scars had never existed. Almost falling out of the shower, he quickly climbed out and started to examine his body. Shocked, he sat staring at himself for more than an hour. Unable to comprehend what he was seeing, it dawned on him that the pain he’d felt after killing those two guys was what must have done this.
“Fuck!”
That moment had been the catalyst for a change in his entire life. Jaidon discovered things about himself that he never expected. Things had changed quickly for him. It was as if he’d become a beautiful swan after living as a monster for so long.
But inside, he was still dark. The shadows threatened to overtake him daily. The only thing that kept him going was his love for his parents.
Some might call him a sociopath. He would call himself “a more evolved person,” one who utilized all the gifts that he’d been given.
If he had to spend the rest of his life clearing the streets of scum, it was a small price to pay for the benefit of having his good looks.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Hi Jaidon. The usual?” his waitress asked as he sat in his regular booth at his neighborhood diner the next morning.
“Yeah, but add on a few extra slices of bacon. I’m feeling more than a little hungry today,” he responded.
This was his favorite diner. The scent of food cooking reminded him of home. Barks of laughter came from across the room as a group of friends ate their burgers and fries. The place was packed full for a Saturday morning and he could see the smiles on the faces of the patrons.
The auras surrounding everyone bloomed like a kaleidoscope of colors, but it was okay. It was comforting to see more than just the darkness surrounding him.
It would be soon enough before he’d have to go searching in the darkness again. But for now, he’d drink his coffee, eat his food, read the magazine he’d purchased, and relax for a few minutes.
The tinkling of the bell over the diner door caught his attention. Looking up, he felt the cold breeze of the outside before he noticed the woman coming through the door. There was something about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but he couldn’t look away.
“Good morning. Can I sit anywhere?” the woman asked. Her hair was long, and pulled back into a ponytail. She was dressed in leggings, sneakers, and a long wool coat.
Hmmm, her voice was familiar. She was angled away from him and he couldn’t get a good look at her.
The longer he looked at her, the stronger the pull of familiarity became. Her back was still facing him and he craned his neck to see her face.
Turn around…turn around… He chanted the silent mantra in his head as she waited for the waitress to seat him. As soon as she turned to follow the waitress, he saw her face. His breath hitched and his heart stopped beating.
Kenya.
No. It couldn’t be.
Last he’d heard, she was on the west coast somewhere. Living her dream and pursuing her passion. Far away from him and the memories of their high school years.
He continued staring at her and the color around her aura began to swirl and grow. Yellow and pink hues began to form and cover her from head to toe and he knew. She’d come back into his life when he least expected, or wanted her presence.
But damn, he was glad she was here.
His eyes followed her as the waitress placed her in a booth just in front of him. As she sat down, he continued to stare at her. He needed to know if she would recognize him without the scars. Would she see the teenage boy who’d been so in love with her all those years ago? Just as she got settled in the seat, she grabbed the menu and began looking at her options.
God, she was even more beautiful than she’d been in high school. Her smooth cocoa skin was the most beautiful color he’d ever seen. Her full lips were blushed with a pink-tinted lip gloss and as she bit her bottom lip, his cock began to respond. Even after all these years, his body responded to her very presence. No matter how many women he’d slept with over the years, the one who got away was the only one that still mattered.
She began giving the waitress her order and he smiled. Cheesy eggs, bacon and wheat toast with jelly. That was his girl.
For a moment, he got lost in the vision of what they would look like as their bodies were intertwined on his black sheets. At her gasp, he looked up and saw her staring at him, her eyes wide, her mouth open in shock. Just as quickly, her brow creased and her head tilted in confusion. He watched her expressions change as she went through a flurry of questions in her head. Shock, happiness, confusion, anger, and then resignation.
Hmmm, that was interesting.
“Jaidon?”
When she spoke his name in that voice he remembered so well, he released the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding.
Jaidon did something he hadn’t done in a long time. He smiled.
*****
“Jaidon?”
Kenya was in shock and then disbelief. Could it really be her childhood friend sitting in a booth in front of her? No. Couldn’t be. Jaidon was scarred from a fire that happened when he was a baby. His face had never been that smooth or perfect. Not that she’d cared at the time, but he did.
“Hi Kenya,” the beautiful man said in return. His voice was deeper, smoother, changed somehow. But there was no denying it was him.
Gathering up her purse, she shimmied out of her booth at the same time he stood up from his. Rushing over to him, she practically jumped into his arms.
“Oh, my God. It’s you!” she squealed in delight.
“Hey, pipsqueak. Long time no see.” He continued to hold her tight as she inhaled his scent.
She’d been so in love with him as a young girl. It had broken her heart to leave him all those years ago and head off to Texas for college, but she’d had no choice. Her parents wanted her out of the town. They wanted her to live life away from Piedmont. That meant going to college far away from anything—or anyone—that could stop her from doing what they expected.
Eyes squeezed shut, their years together flashed behind her lids. Her teenage love for the scarred and shy young boy had never left. If anything, it had remained simmering just under the surface. Even after all these years of separation, just seeing him made her want to curl up next to him and tell him everything. All the secrets she’d been holding back. All the things that happened during the years they’d been apart.
Most of all, she wanted to tell him about the night she’d done something so horrible, she’d locked away any thoughts of living a normal life.
He broke their hug first. “Wow. I can’t believe you’re standing in front of me.”
Smiling shakily, she wanted to just hug him again, but knew that would be a little weird. Removing her hands from his body, she stood in front of him fidgeting as she waited for her friend to say something.
“Come sit down with me.” He motioned with his arm. “Were you waiting for someone?”
“No,” she responded. “It was just me.”
“Perfect.” God, even his voice was sexier.
She settled in the booth on the opposite side from Jaidon. Unable to take her eyes from her childhood friend, she couldn’t get over the changes he’d gone through.
What happened to him? How did his scars disappear as if they’d never existed? While she’d stayed the same short height all these years, he’d sprouted up at least three more inches. Now he really towered over her, but that made her smile. His nickname for her now fit better than it did in high
school.
His gray eyes were lighter than she remembered. The haircut he wore accentuated the light blond strands that continued to fight their way through the darker ones.
No longer seeing the scars on his face was also different. In her memories of him from all those years ago, to the fantasies that kept her tossing and turning at night, the scars featured a prominent role. They’d never taken away from who he was as a person, as a friend, and as her first love. But she knew for him, the scars that covered his body were the only things that mattered.
“What happened?” she blurted.
He smiled. “With what?”
“Jaidon, stop playing around. You’ve changed,” she stated in a low voice, her gaze darting over to the left side of his face where his scars had been.
“Yes, I have. But in a good way.” He took a sip of his orange juice and she couldn’t help but stare at the wetness lingering on his lips. Watching his tongue come out to wipe it away, she squeezed her thighs together. They’d never done anything sexual, but her imagination had filled in the gaps, replacing the reality of what never was. If only he knew just how much she’d loved him all those years ago. She wondered if she would have been enough for him. If her love would have allowed him to see the amazing guy beneath the scars.
“You were beautiful the way you were,” she countered.
Tilting his head to the side, he stared at her like he always did when she said something he was confused about. Looking at her, then around her, as if he saw something no one else could. Then he smiled.
“You really believe that, don’t you?” he asked.
“Of course, I do,” she said with a raised eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“No reason.” He smiled in return. “It’s really good to see you, Kenya. Tell me what you’ve been up to.”
Giving him a piercing glance, she was trying to figure him out. “So, you’re not going to tell me what happened? Did you have surgery? How long ago? I remember you telling me years ago that they’d tried everything and nothing worked.” Her questions were rapid-fire, but she was curious.