“I thought you and I could talk about it over dinner,” he said as he sat with her in the kitchen, where he was helping the kids with their homeschool work. “We could spend some time on the boardwalk at Seaside Heights afterwards.”
“Why, Michael Messenger,” she teased, “are you actually asking me out on a date?”
“Well,” he nearly stuttered with a humble grin, “we might as well make the most of the time we have left.”
“If you’re gonna make the most of it,” Moonie called from the living room, where he and Jim were watching Sports Center, “don’t go to Sleaside Heights! Go to Point Pleasant!”
“And as long as ‘making the most of it’ don’t mean nothin’ more than havin’ a nice conversation!” Jim added. “If you’re gonna take my daughter out tonight, I expect you to be a perfect gentleman! I’ve got my berretta nearby, boy, and I’ll use it if I haveta!”
Both of them blushed. “Yes sir!” Michael replied obediently.
“What does he mean by that, Dad?” Emily asked.
Megan put a hand to her mouth to keep from giggling as Michael tried to explain uncomfortably. “Well, a perfect gentleman is expected to pay for the lady’s meal, open doors for her, and um…”
“And buy her lots of chocolate!” Megan cut in with a devilish smirk. “If a boy takes you out on a date, and he doesn’t buy you chocolate, he’s not a gentleman.”
Emily beamed with excitement. “I love chocolate!” she exclaimed. “Now I can’t wait to go on dates!”
Michael placed his hand around his forehead, pressing on his temples with his thumb and forefinger. “Thanks a lot,” he said sarcastically to Megan.
He told her it would be a casual night, but she still went through great lengths to ready herself, wanting to look good for him. She chose a pair of jean shorts that exposed much of her thighs, careful not to appear too classless though. She didn’t find girls who allowed the very bottom of their butt cheeks to show as having much self-esteem, and even as a teenager, her father would have never approved of her leaving the house in anything that revealed too much skin. But they were short enough to make him notice, she believed. She also dressed in a white button down top with the sleeves folded up, but left the top two buttons open, allowing her mother’s necklace freedom from concealment, as well as the very top of the sequin lined bikini bra that she wore underneath, deciding it would be appropriate to sport his gift to her. The material of her shirt was thick enough so that the royal blue would not show through the white. And though she knew there would be wind blowing along the boardwalk, she still made sure her long, blonde hair was perfect.
Michael kept it simple, dressing in blue jeans and a charcoal, button down, short sleeve shirt that gave him a casual yet slightly formal appearance, leaving only the top button undone, where she could see a bit of the black rope that held the pendant hidden further down his chest. She also noted that he applied a product in his brown hair that kept it well, giving the look of a controlled mess, and slightly darker, as if he had just towel-dried it after a shower. Whatever cologne he had chosen absolutely captivated her. It gave a subtle aroma as he must have patted on just a minute amount, and as they strolled the boardwalk hand in hand, after dining at a reputable seafood joint, she caught herself occasionally leaning her nose to his neck and breathing in gently, complimenting him more than once that he smelled wonderful.
They took their time as they enjoyed some friendly competition at Skee-Ball and air hockey, as well as other games often found along the boardwalks of the Jersey Shore. When they took to the one in which they had to shoot a clown face in the nose with a water gun to make an arrow reach the top, their thread of psychic connection must have sparked as they simultaneously came to the idea of turning and spraying each other with their hoses.
Their tops now drenched, Megan’s bikini bra was no longer concealed under her white shirt, and Michael struggled to keep himself from staring. She didn’t mind one bit, but she could have done without the googling eyes of every other young man who passed them as they continued their venture. When a tram car slowly wheeled down the middle of the boardwalk, it seemed like the head of every male passenger, and some female, turned in her direction as it went by.
Trying to not to mind the unwanted attention, as she knew she was just as much at fault as he was for squirting her, she struck up conversation with him.
“So if I continue to meditate on my own when we live in Florida,” she began, “will I eventually be able to tap into some of the Alpha Magic?”
He shook his head. “What you’ve learned will only strengthen your mind to have basic skills, like the ones I said. Better intuition, perception, things like that. Grasping the Alpha Magic would first require you to swear to the Code of the White, and then you would need an experienced Keeper to teach you new things to focus on while you meditate. It’s better you don’t go that far.”
“Why not?” she asked, not disappointedly. She was merely curious.
“If you ever gained that much insight to learn the magic, you’d be compelled to cast a spell in order to help someone in need. And that would bring unwanted attention, putting you at risk. You have to remember that Keepers who have exposed themselves have been hunted.”
She contemplated this, then after a moment of silence, gathered enough boldness to ask a more personal question. “Did your wife know? That you’re a Keeper of White?”
“No,” he said in a low voice. “I didn’t want that life for her, so I gave it up. Stopped meditating, which eventually extinguished my connection with the Alpha Magic. But that turned out to be a mistake. It’s why I was completely vulnerable to… them. And why I was powerless to save her.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I didn’t mean to bring up anything painful.”
“It’s okay,” he assured her. “It actually helps me explain why it’s best that you don’t learn. You see, I didn’t realize that I could never escape my past involvement as a Keeper of White. The past caught up with me when they found me and sought to punish me for my part in preventing the last Dark Year. And even if I had continued to hone my power, it still wouldn’t have guaranteed my safety. Or hers. And that’s the thing, Megan. Once you start the journey to learn the Alpha Magic, you can never go back to a normal life. Because whether you’re active as a Keeper or you’ve given it up, they’ll hunt you regardless, because to them you’re still a threat. Unfortunately, I learned that the hard way. As for you, it’s safer if you never start in the first place.”
“I understand,” she said, “and I’m grateful for the little you guys have taught me.”
“I’m sure you’ll find that little bit useful in the future, Megan. But anyway, there’ll be time to discuss important matters later. Why don’t we enjoy ourselves for just a little while longer?”
She agreed, and they spent a couple more hours the way a couple would want from a date. By the time they had their fill of cotton candy and games, they found a set of stairs that left the boardwalk and led to the darkened beach, where they followed in order to appreciate some privacy. Megan carried a stuffed giraffe he had won for her at a game involving a baseball and tin cans, as well as the chocolate he bought to claim his title of “Perfect Gentleman.” It was actually a pound of vanilla fudge from one of the shops, but he promised her it was divine, and she fully seconded his opinion after one bite.
They walked north along the sand, until they were far enough away from the lights and commotion of Point Pleasant’s liveliness, where the peaceful roll of the ocean waves held dominance over the carnival-like music and laughter from the boardwalk. The moon was now full, offering enough luminescence upon the isolated beach for them to find their way to a spot around a bend, past a partial dune that provided cover from any other night time strollers who may have wandered onto the beach from the wooden walkway. There, they set themselves down, free from concern of the sand that would soon adhere to their clothing and skin. Michael had joked that they co
uld always squirt each other at the clown game again to hose themselves off if they wanted.
They leaned back against a sandy hill to stretch out their legs, and watched the serene, darkened water roll in and out from the shoreline. For a few minutes they chatted a little more, while sharing a chunk of vanilla fudge, completely immersed in the pleasure of each other’s company, enhanced by the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean air. They both lay close enough that they locked arms in order to hold each other’s hand while in their semi-prone position.
At one point, Megan complained of the discomfort caused by her soaked shirt, and finally removed it, placing it against the hill behind her head to use as a pillow. She thought the move was about as tacky as the typical gesture of a boy’s attempt to put his arm around his date at a horror flick by yawning and stretching his arms, but she didn’t care. She knew by the way he looked at her, that the blue bikini bra, now the only article of clothing that covered her top, was appealing to him, and the scene before her had driven her into a romantic mood.
“Won’t you be cold?” Michael asked, taking great pains to keep his gaze at eye level.
“Not if you keep me warm,” she answered with both a seductive voice and smile.
He lay there, nearly paralyzed from her boldness and beauty, so, having made the first move, she decided to make the second as well, and she wrapped her other arm around his opposite shoulder and leaned into him, pressing her mouth against his. Within seconds, she was on top of him as they kissed, and she took a reprieve from the pleasure of his lips to unbutton his charcoal collared shirt. “You can’t be comfortable in this either,” she said as he slipped his arms out of the sleeves, leaving the damp cotton shirt underneath his back.
She stared deeply into his shining blue eyes as she traced a fingernail playfully along the outlines of his pectoral muscles, admiring their powerful shape. He kept a gentle hand against her soft cheek, with his fingers sifting through her silky blonde hair. She continued navigating her finger along his chest until it reached the center, where she lifted the medallion with the mystical rune, gazing upon it with wonder. There seemed nothing extraordinary about the metallic feel, but she imagined a tiny pulse of electricity resonating from it into the tips of her fingers, and she understood that it was ancient, filled with a history that was beyond her, and knew it was a part of him.
Michael also fingered the cross at the bottom of the necklace hanging from her as he smiled at her warmly, as if to acknowledge its own sacredness, being a part of her.
Craving his taste once again, she lowered her face to his, and they shared another long caress of their lips and tongues. The fiery passion escalated between them as he brought his gentle lips to her neck and his hands began exploring the firmness of her bare legs. Their breathing became heavier as they indulged in the romance within the full moon’s light.
She hadn’t even realized that she had started to undo his belt around his jeans until he placed a firm hand upon hers to block her attempt at undressing him further. She let out a sigh of disappointment. “Just once, Michael,” she whispered in his ear as she gently bit on his lobe. “Can’t we have just one selfish night?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” he whispered back, still kissing her neck.
She lifted her head and looked at him with a smirk. “Are you really worried about pissing off my dad?” she teased.
“Aren’t you?” he joked back.
With less humor in her voice, she replied, “I love him, and he’s really done his best to make up lost time with me, but he doesn’t get to come back into my life and suddenly have a say. Really, Michael, why are you so reserved?”
He gazed at her, his smile fading slightly as he stroked the side of her face again.
“Was Heather really the only woman you ever loved?” she asked, remembering the photo in his wallet. “That’s what’s holding you back. Isn’t it.” She rolled off of him, back to her original spot against the hill next to him.
Michael turned to his side to face her. “Okay, I’m going to put everything on the table, Megan. It’s only fair, but you’ll have to bear with me. I’m not one to share my feelings with others, but you’re the first one I’ve been comfortable enough to open up to, so…”
“You’re stammering again,” she said with a patient smile. “Just say it. I’ll understand. I told you I’m here if you need to talk, and I meant it.”
“Alright,” he said, then drew in a breath as if thinking how to begin. “Honestly yes. Heather was the love of my life, and I’ve never loved another. I mean, there was someone else in college. I thought I was in love with that one, but looking back, I realized I was just infatuated with her. It might have developed into more than that, but she chose to end things.
“Barbara,” she said suddenly, her own response surprising herself. He said nothing, but only looked at her with eyes that give him away. “The friend of yours. You had a thing for her!”
“God, this mental connection sucks sometimes,” he blurted good naturedly.
“You do get around, don’t you sir,” she teased.
“Not really,” he dismissed, then his tone became more serious. “But anyway, Heather was the one, and there was never any doubt. I knew it from the moment I first heard her intoxicating laughter. Do I still miss her? Absolutely. So much, it hurts. Do I still love her, even though she’s been gone for over three years? Of course I do. I’ll always love her. But I know that I have to move on. And that’s why I need to see this through. She died because of me. These agents came for me because of what I did for the greater good. And I failed to protect her. I need to make things right by her. I need to stop these monsters, for her. I owe her that much. That and keeping her two surviving children safe. And I don’t think I’ll be able to let her go until I do.”
Megan put her hands on the side of his face and kissed him again. “I’m not asking for forever, Michael,” she explained. “Just tonight.”
“I know,” he said softly, “but you see, everything I just explained had nothing to do with you, Megan. Well most of it anyway. The part that has to do with you is this: you have to leave soon. You and your dad. And the truth is, I don’t want you to. If we take this any further, letting you go will be impossible. But you have to go.”
She melted, wanting to throw herself on him and kiss him until the end of time. “Why, Michael?” she pushed. “Really, why do I have to go? Why can’t I just stay with you?”
“Because,” he admitted, “when I’m with you, the past just doesn’t hurt as much. And I need it to.”
She raised an eyebrow at him with a disapproving look. “You need to feel the hurt? Do you realize how unhealthy that sounds?”
His eyes became distant as he lowered his voice into a deadly serious tone. “I need to finish this.” Then he repeated, “I owe her that much.”
Megan suddenly remembered the night of the Bible Study meeting, when Michael, disguised as Cliff, sat listening to Father Paul’s advice to let his pain go. Don’t wanna, he had replied.
“Okay,” she sighed in a way that sounded more like “I give up.” She reached behind her head and picked up her shirt, brushing the sand off as best she could. “At least your reason wasn’t because of our age difference.”
“Thirty-one and twenty three?” he said. “No, of course not.”
“I’ll be twenty-four next month,” she reminded him.
“Um… okay. Seven years’ difference isn’t bad. I mean, ten years ago we wouldn’t have worked, for obvious reasons. But as you said, we’re both adults now.”
“Not to mention,” she added as she worked herself back into her wet shirt, “women mature at a much younger age than men. So by that principle, I’m not that much younger than you at all.”
“If you say so, darlin’,” he said with a chuckle.
She pulled her knees toward her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “So. Since we’ve yet again managed to kill the mood, would you mind telling me no
w? Why we haven’t left yet? What it is we’ve still left unfinished?”
Michael sat up as well, also brushing his shirt off before putting it back on. “Well, you’re not gonna like it, but I’ve been meditating alone to strengthen my connection with the Alpha Magic, because I need to cast a spell that’s slightly higher level.”
She turned to him apprehensively. “A spell… on me?”
He nodded with an expression that looked like he was apologizing to her. “Yes,” he confirmed. “I have to wipe your memory, Megan. Yours and your dad’s.”
Chapter XV
“You’re going to what?” she nearly shouted.
“Has to be done, I’m afraid.”
“What the hell for?”
“Listen,” he tried to calm her, “we told you that there’s very little chance that the agents will find you, but if I erase your memory, they won’t have reason to even look for you in the first place, because you’ll have nothing they can use to find us. They probably expect I’ll do this anyway, but better safe than sorry. Besides, it’ll make Fort Lauderdale seem more familiar to you when you get there. You’ll feel more at home.”
“And you needed to train yourself for this? Meaning you’re not experienced with this spell?”
“I’ve done it before. It’s just been a while. I was able to wipe a young woman’s memory not that long ago, but I only had to make her forget a couple hours of her immediate past. Something from the same afternoon that I cast the spell. With you, I have to go further back, and erase a great deal more time.”
“And you’ve gotten yourself to the point where you’re sure you can do just that?” she asked skeptically.
“Yes,” he said with conviction. “Moonie’s already at that level. He could have done it instead, but I felt like I should be the one.”
“Will I remember anything?”
He sighed. “Well, you’ll remember the importance of continuing your meditation exercises, and the information I gave your dad about my contact in the Coast Guard, should you need to reach out to him. And you’ll remember your life before Lancaster, but that’s it. Nothing about them, or the things they did…”
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