The Touch (Healer Series)

by Allison Rios

  “Well, you have me there,” she replied. “But this is just a plain old, normal, everyday party. Not for anyone or because of anyone. Just a party.”

  He thought about it. How would he go and keep his hands off her?

  “Just as friends,” she said, reading his mind. “Friends are supposed to spend time with friends on their birthday.”

  Her birthday, he thought. Rose’s gift. The necklace around Addie’s throat should have given it away. He’d forgotten.

  “Aww Addie, I forgot. I’m so sorry – I should have remembered, after Rose…”

  “Then come dancing with me, and we’ll call it even. Come on. No one else in town will dance with me. I’m the girl who got knocked up at 17. I basically have a scarlet letter, the plague and every STD known to man, according to everyone in town.”

  He hesitated and she cocked her head to the side as if willing him to answer yes.

  “If it helps, I have paperwork that says all those things got cleared up. Amazing what penicillin does. Come on…”

  He loved her sense of humor.

  She smiled, standing up in front of him to reach down and pick up one of his giant hands. They were rough from working on transmissions and the like all day. She pulled, half-helping him stand up from the bed. The shock that went through both of them was intense. AJ let it happen, preventing his body from pulling away. He was beginning to wonder if the sensations were from his touch at all, or if they were based in the feelings between he and Addie. The stir was becoming a new normal and somewhat an expectation rather than surprise.

  “Please? You owe me. A lot. Come on!”

  He couldn’t say no to her, not now. Not knowing it was her birthday.

  “Sure,” he said, hands resting on his hips. “Just give me a minute to get dressed.”

  She clapped, almost skipping towards the door. “I’ll wait downstairs with Helen!”

  As she was about to shut it, he called out to her.

  “What do I wear to a dance? Held in a barn? When it’s a thousand degrees out?”

  “Whatever the hell you want,” she yelled back, grinning. In a pair of cut off shorts and a plaid shirt tied at the waist over a white tank top, she was casual and cute. He figured his white sleeveless t-shirt and cargos would be considered dressed up enough.

  As he got to the bottom of the stairs he found Helen and Addie in the kitchen, Addie leaning over the counter. Her butt looked good in those shorts, he thought.

  “AJ!” Helen said, smiling. “It’s about time you get out there and have some fun.”

  “Living with you is fun, Helen,” he replied, leaning over to plant a kiss on her cheek. He had gotten really close to her and found he loved her similar to the way he loved his mother.

  “Let me get a picture of you two,” she said, grabbing the old 35 millimeter camera off the counter. He figured she had been waiting for him all night to get down there and go out. It was exactly like a moment years ago when his mom had done the same as he and his date were heading out to the prom.

  “Helen!” he laughed, raising an eyebrow as if to say no way, even though he had every intention of doing whatever she asked. He hadn’t said no his mother and he wouldn’t say no to Helen either.

  “It’s my birthday. Everyone should want a picture with the birthday girl,” Addie added, scooting over towards him and throwing an arm around his waist. The warmth surged through them again. He placed his hand along her back. He was so much taller than her and felt even larger standing next to her.

  “Fine,” AJ replied. “Only if you take one with me too, Helen.”

  “Deal. Smile!” Helen called, the camera clicking with the brightest flash AJ had ever seen.

  “Give me the camera now,” Addie said, switching places with Helen as AJ wiped at his eyes. Helen wrapped her arm tightly around her tenant as his arm draped around her shoulders. She smiled ear to ear. His hugs always sent a little tingle through her.

  “Cheese!” The camera flashed, and AJ felt blinded.

  “Well Helen, it was nice seeing you. And when that flash dies down in my vision in twenty years, it will be nice seeing you again. Remind me to get you a good camera for Christmas,” he laughed.

  “Oh shush. It’s just fine. You city boys and your need for new toys.”

  “Thanks Helen,” Addie whispered, pulling AJ towards the door. Hopping into his car for once, she let him drive over to town. She thought she was doing pretty good at being just friends. Her acting wasn’t half bad, she told herself.

  **************************************************

  Max was already at the shindig, chatting away with a group in the corner, all of them laughing and smiling. He had captured the hearts of everyone in town – man, woman, child, old, young, didn’t matter. They all seemed captivated by him and his tall tales, which they didn’t know really weren’t so tall.

  She led AJ right onto the dance floor, no hesitation. Everyone was doing a line dance that he’d never actually seen and he looked around awkwardly as Addie joined in with the crowd. He was skeptical that he could pull this off.

  He watched for a minute, at first shaking his head at her before realizing any attempt to shy away from this was futile. He was trying his best to memorize what they were doing before joining in to the best of his ability. It made Addie laugh and that alone was worth the humiliation, he thought. Luckily, the song was near its end when they had walked through the doors and he was saved from further embarrassment as Max made his way over. As AJ started to walk off the floor, a slow song started and he felt her tug his hand to stay. His whole body reacted to her touch.

  “It’s my birthday. You have to dance,” she said. She wasn’t sure why she kept pestering him. Perhaps it was to make him jealous, or to make him suddenly comprehend he felt something for her. Maybe it was just to be close to him, in whatever way possible. Whatever way he would let her.

  He slowly walked back to her, wrapping an arm around her waist, his hand resting gently on her lower back. He took her other hand in his and she inched her way closer on her own. Her hand felt smooth in his. He focused, finding himself able to stop the visions from coming and instead focusing on controlling the warmth passed between him. Initially it was an attempt to learn more about controlling his gift; it slowly faded into simply attempting to control his feelings towards her. He stared straight ahead, trying with every inch of his soul to ignore her smell, ignore the feeling he experienced when their skin touched. She smiled up at him.

  The music played softly in the background, the words flowing through their ears while being carefully absorbed by AJ. It was country, without a doubt. AJ was used to classic rock, although the meaning and depth of the country songs he heard incessantly playing at the shop as he tinkered on cars was starting to grow on him. Or perhaps he was building immunity. Whatever the reason, this one in particular he took a liking to.

  One more moment, One more dream,

  One more day to tell you, Exactly what I mean.

  One more season, One more song,

  One more I love you, To carry on.

  Their bodies swayed back and forth in sync, her chin resting lightly on his shoulder. Her hand sat on the other shoulder and she felt like a teenager again – unsure how to dance with a boy. They were quiet, absorbing the music as each stared at nothing in particular in the barn to avoid looking at each other. Addie broke the silence first.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, lowering her gaze back down and over her shoulder towards the band.

  “For what?” he replied, thinking that if perhaps they kept talking, everything else going on between them would be much easier to ignore. Addie stared straight ahead, the breath from her words softly passing by AJ’s ear.

  “For coming. I haven’t been out on my birthday in a long time. Usually it’s me, Rose, and Gram having dinner. Which don’t get me wrong is great, but it’s lonely. I miss having friends.”

  “Well you have one now,” he whispered back, bringing his ha
nd to hers and pulling them in between them and against his chest. He locked eyes with her and hoped she really believed he would be there as her friend. He ignored the thought that crossed his mind; the one that told him he’d have to move on in fewer years than he’d want to hide who he was. For tonight, he just wanted to believe life could be normal.

  They both smiled and she rested her head on him. It wasn’t just his muscles or the fact that he smelled so good. He felt safe and warm. His body felt like a shield to her, one that could protect her from everything seen and unseen. A friend that would help her feel like this little town was still her home.

  He didn’t have many friends either and he’d take having someone to talk to over having nothing. He just wanted to be near her, no matter what he had to sacrifice feelings-wise. She closed her eyes, taking in the moment and letting the world turn as if no one else existed. After being the talk of the town for so many years, the chatter didn’t even faze her anymore. It was like a quiet buzzing in the background that she had lost the ability to hear, as if it were a highway she’d lived by all her life.

  “You’re going to start rumors,” he said, wrapping his arm a little further around her and enjoying how it felt with her pressed against him.

  As he shut his own eyes, he breathed deeply. As much as he wanted to he just couldn’t sacrifice it all.

  “Let them talk. They can’t make me any lonelier than I am, or any more ostracized.”

  He was sad for her, having to spend birthdays with the same people year after year as everyone else around called her names. That’s the one thing he preferred about the city – everyone was so concerned with themselves that they rarely had time to talk about or criticize anyone else.

  They swayed back and forth, losing the rest of the world in the arms of each other until the music ended.

  **************************************************

  The next morning AJ woke up and knew why he felt so good for the first time in years - actual years. He had slept through the night without the nightmares that had plagued him.

  He could already smell the breakfast cooking downstairs and was sure it included at least four courses as it always did. He had no idea how Helen managed to stay a healthy size, because she cooked as if an entire army were living under her roof.

  Dressed and up, AJ had no sooner hit the bottom of the stairs than the hair on his neck rose and he snapped his head towards the door, listening. Max had assumed the exact same pose. Helen looked at them both as if she’d just seen a two-headed horse. While she loved the guys, she still thought they were a couple of odd birds.

  AJ looked at Max, who looked back at him, and they knew.

  Devin was back.

  “Helen, can you save breakfast for us? We have to run a quick errand,” Max said. “And would you please tell Matthew I’ll be back to help him in a bit with fixing that table? Don’t let him start without me!”

  Without another word, the guys were out the door and in the car.

  “You felt it? Heard it?”

  “Yeah. You too?”

  “Yeah.”

  They sped towards town. The feeling was stronger, more sickening, and they knew Devin had grown stronger in his absence. Scarily stronger. A Grim choosing to return to a town he’s already caused trouble in served as an indication he wasn’t part of the decent Grims that roamed the earth.

  They pulled into town, slowing down as they saw Devin on the sidewalk, pointing to a house across the street.

  “Settle down and be cool,” Max said, placing a hand against AJ’s chest to hold him in the car. “It will do no good at all if you can’t control your emotions. We don’t want to cause suspicion in people or give them a reason to make us leave. We need to be calm.”

  AJ nodded, unable to speak. The feeling was growing and it was awful. Every part of him felt this immense fear that something was going to happen to Addie or Rose this time. He knew it, from the depths of his soul.

  They got out of the car, Max’s leather jacket making him appear far more intimidating than he really was, at least in the eyes of those from town. AJ had seen his wrath before and it wasn’t forgettable. It was painful to watch, and he never wanted to see Max like that again.

  Unless of course it was to protect the people he cared about in this town.

  “Devin,” AJ called, a little stronger than he meant. He took a breath as he came within feet of the Grim and shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out and choking him. “I see you’re back in town. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

  “I have to say, my visit proved to be an eye-opening experience. AJ, isn’t it?” he said, a mocking smile on his face. “I thought I might come back and see if maybe there’s a place for me to rent. Or maybe buy, if the spirit moves me. It’s pretty peaceful out here, don’t you think? I think it would be a good place to, well, relax.”

  His smirk was so aggravating, AJ wanted to belt him right then and there. They stood face to face, staring each other down for what seemed like an eternity until Bob broke the silence. AJ hadn’t even realized Devin had been talking to someone.

  “Hey guys. AJ. I was just going to uh, show Devin the houses I have on the edge of town for rent. You guys friends? You want to come with?”

  AJ broke the stare with Devin, shifting his gaze to Bob.

  “That’s okay, Bob,” he replied. “I’m sorry for interrupting. I was just surprised to see this guy back, seeing as how he was the doctor who couldn’t cure Isabelle.”

  AJ hoped that tidbit would throw a loop at Bob, seeing as how Isabelle’s illness had hit him so hard. Maybe it would keep him from renting to Devin.

  “You’re the doctor, eh?” Bob said, sneering a bit.

  Devin straightened out his grin.

  “Uh, yeah, doctor,” he replied, shifting his weight uneasily from foot to foot. He hadn’t expected combat of any kind from AJ.

  “You can’t help her?” Bob asked, his arms folding tightly across his chest. It was working, AJ thought.

  “No. No, I wish I could though,” Devin said uneasily, stopping to square his eyes with Bob. He reached out, placing his hand on Bob’s arm before AJ could react, and AJ’s heart dropped. He hadn’t anticipated that. He knew what Devin had done.

  Bob shifted, Devin’s touch like a lightning bolt to his skin.

  “The truth is,” Devin said, “life and death is never up to the doctors. There are greater powers at play. Doctors do what we can. Ultimately, fate is out of our hands.”

  He dropped his hand from Bob, who seemed a bit woozy. After a moment of collecting himself, he looked from AJ back to Devin.

  “AJ, Max, I’ll see you guys later. I’m going to show doc the houses. Can’t hurt to have a doctor in town. He can’t help Isabelle, however, maybe if someone else gets sick…”

  He started walking away, the conversation much too heavy for him for a reason he couldn’t shake. AJ looked at Max.

  Max nodded. “He did it. Heart attack. I felt it. Probably tonight.”

  “Aw hell, what am I going to do?” AJ said, throwing both hands up to his head and through his hair. “This is my fault.”

  “No, AJ,” Max said. “It’s Devin’s fault. He’s breaking the rules. He’s out for revenge, for wrongs inflicted on his people thousands of years ago. He’s strong, much stronger than before. And he’s figured out how to shield himself for a short amount of time, seeing as how we didn’t feel him until he wanted us to.”

  “He can do that? Shield himself?”

  “Only for a short time, maybe an hour or so. He’s old, he’s got his powers under control, and he’s honed them.”

  “So what now?” he asked, not wanting to leave that very spot. He wanted to be there when Bob came back. He needed to see if he could help save his life.

  They stood there, the world seeming to spin around them. Max hadn’t ever encountered such a vengeful Grim. He had never felt the animosity he felt from Devin, and the deliberate disregard for law. It had bat
tle written all over it, yet he didn’t know how it would all play out. He couldn’t see it; he could only feel it.

  AJ watched Bob’s truck starting, driving down the road and kicking up a trail of dust behind him.

  “Now, we take care of Bob. And we keep an eye on Devin. We take turns. And it’s time you really started practicing AJ, learning to harness all those emotions welling within you and keeping them in your core, calling on that strength when you need it.”

  AJ had no idea how to do that, although he figured he was about to learn.

  “I’ll take first shift,” AJ said, sitting down on the decrepit chair sitting outside the shop. “I can’t leave until I see Bob, touch him. Fix him. Max, I have to fix him.”

  Max understood.

  “I’ll head back to the B&B. I brought some books. I’m going to take a look at them, maybe call a couple friends. Maybe one of them has handled one of the vengeful Grims and we can learn from it.”

  AJ nodded, his heart still racing. His arms were shaking, the adrenaline wearing off and being replaced by genuine fear.

  “Check on Addie and Rose. Make sure they’re okay Max. He’s seen me; he knows I’m protective of them. If he’s vengeful, they’re going to be a target.”

  Max nodded okay and hopped in the car heading back to Helen’s. AJ sat and waited.

  And waited. For what felt like hours yet in reality was less than the length of a primetime sitcom. He saw Bob’s truck rattle on up to the shop, no Devin in sight. The Grim wasn’t gone though. AJ could still feel him.

  “AJ, what’re you doin’ here?” Bob said, stepping down from his seat.

  “I wanted to apologize for how I acted,” he replied. “Just a little angry he couldn’t save Isabelle, you know? She’s just a kid.”

  He had a hard time getting the words out, knowing he himself couldn’t save her and how he hated himself for it.

  “I know. I feel the same,” the gruff mechanic said, walking towards the door and fumbling for the right key. “He’s just human, right? Even doctors can’t save everyone.”