by M. W. Muse
“Don’t look at me like that. Damn, Legacy, I want you so much. You have no idea.” Oh, she had an idea already. And she’d felt just how much he wanted her. Adin leaned down and brushed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss. Then he took her hand into his and walked to the door. He turned around and put his hand on her cheek. “I love you, Legacy, with all my heart.”
“I love you too, Adin.” She smiled at him as he opened the door. When he did, she felt how hot it was outside and cringed. “Ugh! I need to figure out how to stop the heat waves whenever we get worked up.” She laughed.
Adin chuckled and stepped up to her. “I’d love to help you figure that out.”
She laughed, and Adin kissed her softly. She pulled away and cocked her head to the side. “That could be arranged much sooner than later.” She winked at him to show she was teasing—but not really; if he said the word, she’d be game for jumping his bones right this second—and he bent over to kiss her before leaving.
After he drove away, she walked back to her room and stared at her bed, thinking about what had almost happened. After tonight, she knew it was only a matter of time before almost would no longer be the case. Gods, she was ready. There was no doubt in her mind, and from how responsive Adin had been, she knew he was too. Once everything fell into place, it was going to happen, and she couldn’t wait for that. For now, she’d just go take a shower.
A very cold shower.
Chapter Three
River’s big day. Legacy knew this day was coming, and now that it was here, it felt sorta surreal. After all the talks they’d had about her ascension, his seemed to come out of nowhere. Of course, she knew his birthday was coming up, but she hadn’t actually put the full weight of the meaning behind it. It was a big day for him, in more ways than one. Not only was he turning eighteen and attaining society’s standard of adulthood, but he’d also reach his godly status today. Did he feel any different? Was he aware when it had happened? Had it happened already or would it happen later today? She had no idea, but instead of wondering for her own benefit, she needed to just be his friend and be happy for him. She grabbed her cell and sent him a text wishing him a happy birthday.
Gods, she felt as if that wasn’t enough. She could call him and talk to him, but he was probably busy getting ready for his party, so the text would have to be enough for now. She’d call him later tonight after the party. She’d love to see him sometime today, if only briefly. She wasn’t sure how she’d manage to do that. No way could she go to his house since his mother was home, but she definitely wanted to see her best friend on one of the most important days of his life. Neither of them understood what all would happen on their eighteenth birthdays, so a large part of her wanted to be there even if only for moral support. She’d wracked her brain for a way to steal a few minutes with him, but nothing felt right. No, seeing him today wasn’t going to be an option for her. At least she could be with him in spirit…because she’d totally dropped the ball on one important aspect of today.
With Calli’s breakup with Zach, last week had been much more hectic than it should have been. Legacy had never made it to the store to buy River a birthday present, but she’d thought constantly about what to get him. He was loaded, and she really didn’t have any idea what to get when she’d first started brainstorming. She didn’t know what to buy a guy who had everything or had enough money to buy whatever he wanted. But as the week progressed, she realized that there was one thing River didn’t have that he wanted.
Her.
Obviously, she wasn’t available, so she tried to think of a way to give him some part of her in such a way that she could be thoughtful with his gift. She decided to have Lissa take a picture of her with the teddy bear he’d won for her at the fair. She was really pleased with how it had turned out, but she needed to get a frame for it before she wrapped it. Shopping for a frame would keep River in her thoughts on his important day.
She headed to the store and searched until she’d found the perfect one. She didn’t want anything cheesy or girlie and had planned on going to several stores until she’d found the one she’d wanted. Whatever that one might be. But it hadn’t taken as long as she’d thought it would. When her gaze lit on a stainless steel with a masculine look to it, she knew she’d found the one. It had the word, “Forever” engraved on it. She liked that because it didn’t have the word, “Love” to make him feel more hopeful than he should, and it didn’t have the word, “Friends” to give him the constant reminder that that was all they’d ever be. “Forever” was simple enough without having to elaborate on what the word meant to either of them.
When she got back home, she put the photo in the frame and wrapped his gift. She stared at it a few minutes, feeling a little sad that she wouldn’t get to give it to him today. Tomorrow. She was definitely going to see him tomorrow. She would not wait any longer. Getting the gift one day late wouldn’t be the end of the world.
A knock sounded on the front door downstairs. Lissa was out running errands and Olive had tagged along in hopes of dragging her shoe shopping, so no else was home to answer. Legacy went downstairs to get it. When she opened the door, Calli stood there. Legacy motioned her to come in and she followed her upstairs to her bedroom.
“What’s that?” Calli asked as Legacy moved River’s gift off her bed to give Calli a spot to sit down.
“Oh, that’s just River’s birthday present.”
“Good. That’s what I want to talk to you about,” Calli said as she took the newly cleared seat on her bed.
Legacy frowned at her. If her BFF had wanted to go in on a gift for River, she shouldn’t have waited until the last minute. Then again, Calli had been through a horrible week.
“Um, Legacy, you did me a really big favor by asking River to take me to the dance last night, so I’m here to return that favor…to both of you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, sitting down beside her.
“I know that River wants you to come to his party, and I know you don’t think it’s safe, but I’m here to ask you to go with me to the party anyway.”
She so didn’t need the temptation. “Calli, I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. I know River will not let anything happen to you.”
“He doesn’t need to be worried about me being at his house with his mother there. He needs to enjoy his day without the stress.”
“Not that he’s going to be worried, but Legacy, I know River would rather have you there and be extremely worried about you than to not have you there for his party. You’re his best friend. I know he wants you there.”
“I want to be there for him too.” But she just couldn’t. It wasn’t safe.
“Good. Then you can come with me.”
“No, Calli. It’s not smart, and I never even said anything to Adin about it.” If he knew she’d even considered going to the party, he’d freak.
“You don’t have to ask Adin’s permission,” Calli said with a little irritation in her voice.
“I didn’t say I had to ask him, but he is my boyfriend, and River is in love with me. It’d be inappropriate for me to just go to his party without even giving Adin a heads up.”
“So call him.”
“Calli, I don’t—”
“Legacy, I owe River for taking me to the dance last night. He never mentioned anything to me about you not coming today. I know he’s not expecting you to show up, but I know he wants you to. I want to repay him for helping me out. This is my way to do that. Please?”
She sat here staring at Calli’s pleading eyes. She didn’t want to cause problems with Adin, but she did want to be there for River. After being able to put a stop to the fight that Adin and River had last week, she felt pretty confident she could stop Medusa if the monster tried to attack her. Plus, Legacy didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of stopping her from seeing River on his birthday.
She sighed. “I’ll call Adin.” Yep, she knew she wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation to
go.
Calli grinned, but didn’t say anything.
She picked up the phone and called Adin, but he didn’t answer. “Hi, sweetie. Umm, today’s River’s birthday, and he’s having a party at his house. I didn’t say anything to you before because I wasn’t planning on going, but Calli’s over here now and wants me to go with her. I wanted to talk to you about this, but you didn’t answer. I guess I’m going to go with her to the party. I’ll have my phone on me if you need to reach me. I love you.”
She hung up the phone and looked at Calli. Her BFF was glowing. And if Legacy was being honest with herself, she was relieved to be seeing River today after all.
“He’s going to be very excited!” she squealed.
“How much time do I have to change and freshen up?” She hadn’t showered or put on makeup this morning before going shopping. She wasn’t going au naturel to the party. No freaking way.
“Not much. We need to leave as soon as you’re ready.”
She jumped in the shower without washing her hair. When she got out, she put on a pair of leggings, boots, and a long, cashmere sweater. She grabbed River’s gift, and they headed to his house.
On the way there, she felt kind of nervous. She wasn’t sure if she felt this way because she hadn’t planned on coming to his party or if she was worried about seeing Medusa. It could have been because she knew how Adin would react when he found out she’d gone over to River’s house with his mother here. But Legacy’s mom did say River and Adin would help protect her. She could let that burden fall on River for one afternoon.
When they arrived, River’s driveway was packed with cars, so Calli parked at her house, and they walked over. When they got to his front door, there was a sign on it instructing everyone to come on in. They went inside the house and could hear the loud music coming from another room. They followed the sounds into what looked like a game room. There was a pool table, some arcade games, a DJ, lots of food, and many people. Legacy recognized some of the kids from school. Of course, Ellen and Kate where there with their boyfriends.
Legacy and Calli put their gifts on the gift table, and they walked over to talk to the other girls. They all chatted for a few minutes about fashion, and then she’d had enough. She wasn’t here to gab it up with girls who barely tolerated her. She excused herself and walked over to the food table to get some snacks. She scanned the room, looking for River, but there were people everywhere. When she turned around and looked to the other side, she saw him.
He had his back to her, talking to some guys, but she could hear him laughing. He was having a good time and that brought a smile to her face. He needed to be happy today.
She was already staring in his direction when River casually looked around the room. His eyes met hers, and even though she wasn’t close enough to hear him, she could tell that he gasped. She smiled at him as his shocked expression turned to one of elation. He slowly turned around and started walking. It didn’t even look as if he’d excused himself from the group he was talking to. He’d started walking toward her seemingly without his conscious effort. He came right up to her and stopped without saying anything. He just gazed into her eyes.
“Happy birthday.”
“It is now,” he barely said.
He stared at her in total shock, but she kept her smile on her face. As she stared at him, she stepped up and put her arms around his back. River automatically put his arms around her and leaned his head down into her hair.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” he whispered.
“I didn’t want to miss your big day,” she said as she held him tighter.
“You don’t know how much this means to me,” he murmured as he squeezed her against him.
She slowly stepped away and looked into his eyes. “You should thank Calli.”
Calli walked up beside them. “Do you like my birthday present?” She laughed. Legacy looked over at her with a crooked smile while River was still in a state of shock. “Okay, so my present is on the table with the rest, but after you were kind enough to take me to the dance last night, I figured I should at least try to convince her to come to your party.”
River stepped over to Calli and hugged her, but didn’t take his eyes off Legacy. “Thanks,” he whispered.
“Anytime,” Calli said.
They all started talking, and it felt right. But she and Calli did most of the jabbering. River was too happy to really contribute much to the conversation. Every time Legacy looked at him, he was staring at her. After several minutes had passed, she stepped closer to him, concerned she was hogging him.
“You should probably mingle with your other guests.”
“Screw the other guests,” River said, laughing.
She shook her head and smirked. Then they all continued to talk. She wanted to ask him about his ascension, but the time wasn’t right. There were too many people. Even as they chatted, several of the guys nearby would bump him with his elbow and he’d give them that cool head-jerk nod thing guys do when the acknowledge each other. Maybe after the party died down some, she’d be able to discuss the specifics of today with him. As she pondered this, she heard someone walking into the room singing happy birthday.
Legacy and Calli jumped into the rendition and turned to see where the singing had started. She saw River’s smile fade as he stepped in front of her, blocking her view. She swatted him on his arm as she sang and looked around his side to watch everyone serenading him. Then she realized why he’d blocked her. Medusa was holding River’s birthday cake and heading right toward them.
He took a few steps in his mother’s direction and extinguished the candles, not that she could see. She only guessed by the cheers that echoed around her and the smell of smoke. When River shifted, Legacy saw his mother walking out of the room carrying the cake, probably to cut it to serve, which meant she’d be coming right back into the game room. River turned back toward Legacy with the same protective eyes she’d seen the day of the fair when she freaked out on the Ferris wheel. This moment made that episode seem even sillier than it had felt at the time.
“She’ll see me eventually,” Legacy murmured.
River shook his head. He obviously didn’t want to even think about that. He had been so excited to see her, but now he had to let go of those cheerful feelings to embrace his protective nature. She didn’t want that. He was supposed to be enjoying today. She shouldn’t have let Calli talk her into this.
“Maybe I should go,” she whispered.
“No!” River stepped closer. “Please don’t go. You don’t have anything to worry about. She’s too excited about my ascension to try anything today.”
“We both know that’s not true.”
“I will not let her hurt you, Legacy.”
“I know you won’t.” That was beside the point.
River looked toward the door. “Do you want some cake? Let me get you some cake,” he said quickly as he walked away before she could respond. She would have called after him, but he moved too quickly. She figured he was headed to wherever his mother was.
She turned to Calli and shook her head. “Maybe I should leave. I don’t want him worrying about me.”
“No, Legacy. River will be fine. Let’s just stay a little while longer.”
She sighed and nodded. It wasn’t like she could leave without saying goodbye to River first. She’d eat some cake and then go. After several minutes passed, River walked back into the room and handed her and Calli some cake.
“You don’t have anything to worry about. She left.”
“What do you mean she left?” Legacy asked as she took a bite of her cake.
“I told her to get out.” He shrugged.
“What?” she asked incredulously.
“Legacy, I’m a god now, she doesn’t want to defy me,” River said, raising his eyebrows.
Was he being serious or joking? Well, partly joking. He was a god now. “What does that mean?” she asked as she stepped closer to him.
&nbs
p; “We can’t talk about that now. I’ll explain later,” he whispered as his cousin stepped over to them.
“Hey, River, do you want to play some pool?”
River shrugged and looked at her. Now that he knew she was here, she figured he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight, whether or not his mom had left. She didn’t know if this was a good idea, but if his mother was gone, then the danger was too. She was technically safer now than she’d been when she’d first arrived.
“Hey, Legacy,” Paul said, nodding toward her.
“Hi, Paul.”
“Umm, Legacy and Calli can come too. We can play doubles.”
River looked over at her, and she looked at Calli.
“Okay,” Calli said with a smile. She was eyeing Paul.
Legacy shrugged, looking at River. “I don’t know how to play.”
“We can be partners. I’ll show you.”
“Oh no! Guys against girls,” Paul said, laughing.
River give him an evil look, but Paul didn’t back down.
They walked over to the pool table and started playing. Calli was doing a really good job, but Legacy’s playing sucked! She couldn’t do anything right, so they were losing. After a few tries, River finally came over to her.
“Let me show you.” He took the pool stick and showed her how to hit the ball. She did better, but the ball still didn’t move where it was supposed to.
The next time she was supposed to hit the ball, River saw the way she was holding the stick, and he walked over to her, grabbing it again.
“Like this,” he said as he mocked how to hit the ball.
She took the stick back, but still didn’t hold it right.
“No, Legacy,” River said, chuckling, and then he bent over her, putting his left hand in front of hers to aim the stick, and putting his right hand on top of her hand. Then he gently slid the stick back and forth between both of their left hands. “Can you feel what I’m doing?” he whispered.
She turned her head and could smell the cologne coming off his neck. “Yes,” she breathed.