Leland sets us free after a few minutes. He just wanted to remind Seth to do the speed limit and that I have a curfew. He also slipped in a “I know people, you can’t hide,” warning.
“Where are we off to?” I ask.
He opens the passenger door for me. “I thought we could head out to Lake Arthur. Maybe rent a boat,” he tells me, before shutting my door. I watch him walk around the car and get in. “I know you like water, and it’ll be quiet enough for privacy. We’ll have plenty of time for you to ask all the questions I’m sure you’ll have.” He winks at me as we travel down the road.
A bundle of nerves seems to lodge in my throat, preventing me from saying a word in response. He and I… Alone… Privacy… The words swirl in my head, making me grateful that I’m already sitting.
To give me time to collect myself, I pull out my phone and let Leland and Henry know where we are headed.
NO! Come back, that’s too far! – from Henry.
Have a good time at the lake Jaz, ignore your brother. – from Leland.
Swallowing my panic and giddiness, I decide to lighten the mood. “Do you really want to talk or are you just using this as an excuse to get me to go on a date with you?”
“I do have some fairly important things to discuss with you, but if you’d like, we can save it for another day and make this a date,” he answers, while not taking his eyes from the road.
“Fine, talk first. If you’re lucky, I might give you my number.” I laugh.
“I don’t need your number,” he says quietly.
I’m confused. He didn’t say want. He said need.
He glances my way. “Get that frown off your face. Just because I don’t need your number, doesn’t mean I don’t want it.” He reaches over and pats my hand before going back to the gear shifter.
His touch was warm and left a tingling sensation on my skin. For all of two seconds I felt whole again and now I feel like I’m aching. I pinch my thigh through my jeans.
What kind of girly little crush do I have?
“Why wouldn’t you need my number?” I ask, trying to shake off the strange ache.
“I’ll explain that when we get to the lake. I think I’m going to start this conversation where you can’t run away from me.”
“I can’t run anywhere now,” I point out.
He sighs. “This is going to be difficult for me to tell you, like it was difficult for you to tell Skeeter and me yesterday.” He glances my way and then looks back to the road. “It has several consequences and outcomes. In fact, I had to travel to get permission to tell you to begin with.” He turns the radio on, leaving me with my thoughts.
Now I’m starting to worry on top of being nervous as hell.
Why do I need to be on a boat in the middle of a large lake before he sheds any light on this? Who did he need permission from and why did he need it?
God, I hope he’s not a serial killer.
Maybe his mom was abducted by aliens or his dad kidnapped some king’s son. Maybe I should’ve insisted we stay closer to home, closer to Henry. Maybe he…
I’m going to give myself a migraine by the time we get to the damn lake! Then he’ll have to take me back home, and I’ll never find out what’s going on in his head.
I glare over at Seth, and he’s chuckling. I turn down the radio and ask him what’s so funny.
“Just a random thought, that’s all.” He turns the radio back up.
Fine then, no talking.
I watch him as he drives. Seeing the veins in his arm pop out as he turns the wheel and the muscles ripple when he shifts a gear, I wonder what those arms would feel like wrapped around… Stop it!
Every damn time I’m around him, I think like a pervert! I inwardly growl and press my head back onto the headrest. I’ll just look out the window then.
Trees are in no way erotic, or sensual, or perverted.
Focusing on the trees is easy, but I can still smell him. His amazing smelling cologne mixed with his clean, spicy scent assaults my nose and begs me to lean in close. This car ride is taking forever.
The longer it takes, the more nervous I get. I shift in my seat, cross and uncross my legs, and bite my lip as I stare at endless trees.
‘The way she bites her lip makes me want to pull the car over and…’
I gasp, and choke on my breath or saliva.
What was that?!
Who was that?
“Jaz, are you okay? Do I need to pull the car over?”
I stare at him with saucer-like eyes. Oh, my God, “pull the car over.” It was him, he was in my head.
His voice, in my freaking head!
“Stop the car! Stop the car, now!”
He glances in my direction looking concerned. “We’re about five minutes to the lake. Can’t you…”
“Stop. The. Car. Seth.” I demand between rasping breaths.
He pulls over alongside the road. There’s a fallen tree next to the car on my side, but there’s enough room for me to open the door. I wrench that sucker open and stumble out.
I need a minute to myself. Or twenty.
I walk towards the back of the car, step over the log and sit on it so I’m facing the trees, and away from him.
Good Lord, I just heard his voice in my head.
Was that really his thought? Can I hear thoughts now? Wouldn’t that be mind reading?
Wow, maybe I am crazy.
Mind readers don’t exist.
Henry will have to admit me to the hospital, and I’ll share a room with Mom. Maybe I’ll have my own room, and the walls will be padded. I’ll get a straightjacket, and they’ll have to give some really strong medicine to knock me out.
Was I really biting my lip at the time?
Should I ask him if he thought that?
Oh, my God! No, I cannot ask him that!
He’ll think I’m a loon for sure! Maybe I should test it first. I’ll bite my lip and see if that voice pops in my head again.
I lean on my knees and put my head in my hands.
This is ridiculous! Just get back in the car you’re being a jagoff!
I resist the urge to pull my hair out, and with a sigh, I stand. When I step back over the log, I look up to see Seth leaning against his back bumper, watching me.
“Is everything okay?” he asks me slowly, like if he talks too fast I might run away. He has his arms crossed over his chest.
His muscular arms, over that perfect... Stop it already!
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Umm…well…” I take a deep breath, open my eyes, and look at him. Gathering whatever courage I can conjure up, I bite my lip on purpose.
He shifts a tiny bit and licks his lips.
It really was him in my head! I wasn’t hearing things! I was hearing him!
He takes a step towards me, and I take one back. But I forget about the log and end up landing on my ass with my legs draped over the log. I burst out laughing, and Seth laughs, too.
He reaches out his hand to help me up. With him laughing this hard, it’s easy to knock him off balance and pull him down to me. So I do.
It feels nice having him like this, the pressure of his body on mine. I have one hand on his chest, the other grips his bicep.
Suddenly, we aren’t laughing anymore. We’re just staring into each other’s eyes. He leans down towards me, and I bite my lip again. He groans and closes his eyes as he gets closer to my mouth.
“I heard you, Seth,” I whisper against his lips.
Because I’m an idiot, I had to ruin this amazing moment.
His eyes pop open. “What?” he whispers back, his eyes searching mine.
“In the car, the reason I had you pull over.” I sigh and wiggle out from under him. I sit up, and he sits on the log in front of me. He looks as confused as I feel.
“I said a lot of things in the car, Jaz,” he says.
I nod. “Yeah, but what I heard, you didn’t say. Seth I heard you when you didn’t speak!” I stare into his widened eyes
, and he swallows loudly.
“What exactly did you hear?”
“Well, I’m nervous, and I was biting my lip. And I heard a voice, in my mind. But not just any voice, Seth. It was your voice, in my head. You said, ‘The way she bites her lip makes me want to pull the car over and…’” I’m stopped by his lips crushing to mine.
His lips are firm, yet soft, and he tastes like honey. He snakes an arm around my back and moves a tingling hand to my jaw, angling my face how he wants it. I kiss him back as I press myself closer to him, one hand on his chest, the other going into his soft hair.
My entire body is tingling.
I sigh, a little girly-like, and he moans into my mouth. When he pulls back, we’re both breathless.
“Wow,” I say, breathlessly and press my face to his chest. “I really have gone crazy.” It comes out like a mumble, which is totally fine because I’m talking to myself.
“No, you’re not crazy. You’re completely sane,” he says, with conviction in his voice, then grabs my chin and tilts my head back so I’m looking at him. He gives me another tingly kiss. “Let’s head to the lake.”
He stands, and pulls me to my feet. I stand on my tippy toes and give him a quick peck.
I enjoy the tingling sensation on my skin.
“Sorry, I just wanted one more,” I half-heartedly apologize. I swear I can hear him growl as I climb back into the car. I like that I can affect him like that, too.
After we park in the gravel lot, he reaches over and slowly moves his hand down my arm to lace his fingers with mine. My whole arm, and now my hand, is tingling. It feels strange, yet incredible at the same time. It’s like when a limb falls asleep and starts waking up, just without the pain or stiffness, like a buzz.
“I shouldn’t be doing this. At least, not until you know everything,” he sighs. “But I can’t seem to help myself.” He leans over and kisses my neck and then my cheek. My heart and breathing are embarrassingly loud. I huff through my nose and my cheeks heat.
“Please, help yourself all you want,” I struggle to say.
He laughs and gets out of the car.
While he rents a boat, I take a peek at my reflection in the visor mirror and see twigs and other debris in my hair.
I can’t believe he didn’t tell me I had this crap in my hair!
As I make my way to the dock to meet Seth, I pull out the gum-band and shake out my hair, before pulling it back up.
‘I hope she takes all this well, I need her.’ Seth’s voice in my head startles me. I trip over my own two feet, ending up on my ass, again.
I put my head to my knees. He needs me? Why would he need me? What does he need me for? He just met me, for crying out loud!
“You know, it would probably be more comfortable on the bench, or even on the boat.” I look up to see Seth standing over me. He actually spoke those words this time.
“Don’t you worry, I’m f-fine right here,” I lie. I’m not fine. I’m hearing voices that aren’t mine. I have officially landed myself in Looneyland. I need that straightjacket, those padded walls, and some extra strong drugs.
Seth laughs as he pulls me to stand. “You’re not crazy, you don’t need a straightjacket, padded walls, or tranquilizers, and you are far from Looneyland. The only voice you hear is mine, and that’s a good thing,” he smiles.
I freeze a second before narrowing my eyes. “Oh, my God! How did you… Are you a mind reader? How is hearing any voice in my head a good thing?” I feel like I’m going to have a panic attack.
This day was supposed to be about him talking to me, not about my mental state!
“I will explain everything. I’m sorry for making you feel mental. I’m surprised this is happening, too. It usually doesn’t happen this soon,” he states as he steers us toward the water, and I suck in a startled breath.
“You knew this would happen to me?” I shouldn’t have left my phone in the car, I’d be able to call Henry and have him here.
“Come on, please? Let’s go talk on the boat. You need to know the truth, before I can let you leave, or take you home,” he’s looking at me so sweetly. “Please, I think this is a good thing, a really good thing. And I hope you see it that way, too.”
I stare at him for a full minute. He gives me a small smile, and I remember, this is Seth. He won’t hurt me. “Fine, but you do realize I can swim. So it’s not like you can trap me out there.”
“I know,” he replies.
I roll my eyes.
The saying my dad used to say, “Curiosity killed the cat,” is thrumming through my mind as we climb onto the boat. He rows us out, but we don’t go to the middle of the lake. He steers us to the far side, near some trees with pink and white blossoms. Birds are flying, and we can even hear fish jumping out of the water in the distance.
I take in the peacefulness surrounding us and feel myself breathing easier.
“Well, what do you have to say?” I ask him.
He carefully moves to sit on the bench next to me. He takes a deep breath and looks directly into my eyes. “The reason I say you’re not crazy is, I’m an Amaranthine, a descendant of the Greek Immortals.”
I’m speechless as I stare at him with wide eyes.
Chapter 6
The Town Loon Speaks the Truth
“My family comes from a long line of Amaranthine and Ancients. You’ve heard of the Greek gods, right?”
I almost laugh. “You’re kidding, right?” I really expect him to start laughing and say “gotcha!” “What are you smoking that you think I’ll believe you’re some kind of demi god?” I can feel the panic rising again.
I cross my arms over my chest. I knew he had a flaw. He’s got some kind of a mental illness! What the hell do you say to a psycho to get them to take you back to dry freaking land?
“Are you done?” he asks quietly. I raise an eyebrow but say nothing else. “I know how this all sounds, trust me.” I work to hold in my snort at his words. “I’m not a demi god. Amaranthines are relatives to demi gods.” He takes a breath and clasps his hands. “My mother is Amaranthine, and my father was human. Amaranthines are technically human, too. We just grow at a slower rate than other humans do. We can do things that normal humans can’t.”
My heart stutters and I see him in a whole new light. This is his way of coping with his father’s death. I feel sorry for him for making up such things. He needs help that I can’t give him. “Seth, I’m sorry,” I reach out for his hand, lightly. “There are people that can help you with grieving,” I shake my head. “I’m not the best person to help with that, but I’m willing to try.”
His brows furrow. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I frown, “Your dad. I’m sorry to hear he passed.”
He pauses and just stares at me for a full minute, looking more confused than I thought possible. Then he laughs. He actually laughs. My temper flares and I’m seconds away from flipping his ass off the boat. “I’m so sorry, Jaz! I didn’t mean my father died when I said “was human.” I meant that he’s Amaranthine, too.”
My mouth falls open and I drop my face to my hands. No wonder he sat there and laughed. I just made a fool of myself. “Jumping the gun” as my uncle would say.
“Since my mom was born Amaranthine and my dad was born human, he went through a similar transformation that the kids go through. It just takes longer than a month, and not necessarily over anyone’s birthday. It’s a much slower process.”
I raise my head to look at him. “You really believe this?”
He grins. “If you elbow your brother, does it break your elbow?”
“No, I can sometimes bruise him. And my elbow is not broken!”
“Not bruised.” He lifts his shirt and reveals his sculpted, bruise-free abdomen, while I’m trying to control my reaction to seeing his body. “I’m basically made of a soft stone, for lack of better words.” He lowers his shirt, and I look back into his eyes. I can tell he believes he’s telling me the truth.
&
nbsp; “Boys change into their adult body at thirteen, and girls at sixteen. It happens over the span of a month, starting two weeks before their birthday. I’m basically done growing now. My features will mature over time, my muscles will become more defined, and if I lift weights, they’ll get bigger, like a human’s. Amaranthine live longer than humans and we’re stronger and faster, too.”
“How are you different then?”
“The way we form relationships, how long we actually live…” he trails off, so I move on.
“Why do males change sooner than females?” I raise a brow at him.
“My mom said that it had something to do with certain internal organs.” He blushes slightly.
I blow out a breath and try not to focus on his pinked cheeks. “All right, say for arguments sake, that I believe you. What does this have to do with me?” I’m missing something huge and I’m betting I’m going to smack myself for it, too.
“Do you remember your first day here?” he asks me.
I snort. “Of course, how could I forget? Derik is a moron.”
He chuckles at my answer. “I saw you on your way to third hour,” he says quietly, as he looks down to his hands. “That was the first time I saw you. It was also the first time I felt another person’s emotions.” He looks up to my face. “You were nervous, depressed, worried, and annoyed.”
I remember the day perfectly, and I’m pretty sure I was all of those things.
He goes on. “I was so shocked that I skipped third hour and stayed in the hallway outside the door to your class, just so I could feel you. I felt everything you felt, and I didn’t want to lose that.”
I feel my chest moving, but I can’t feel the air moving in or out of my lungs.
He gives me a long look before continuing. “When an Amaranthine finds their soul mate, we have a true connection with them. Physical, emotional, mental, it runs bone deep.”
My eyes narrow as a vise squeezes my heart. He can’t be implying that I have some kind of connection with him, true or otherwise.
“My mom told me that there were other things that needed to happen, to know if we make that connection for sure. We feel the other’s emotions, hear their thoughts, there’s physical attraction, and when our skin touches, it tingles.” He reaches over and places a finger on the back of my hand. I just stare wide-eyed at him as I feel the tingles, again.
True Connection (The Soul Mate Series) Page 6