by Peiri Ann
He punches my arm. “You are really dirty.”
I look down at my clothes and skin. I am disgusting. I half-smile. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, huh?”
He half-hugs me. “Thanks for saving my brother.” He lets me go as if nothing happened.
I smile at him and punch his arm. “You’re welcome.”
“I mean, I am upset about my sister and all, but we all kind of knew something was going on. And everyone knew…” His voice lowers. “…you know who…” He goes back to his original level. “…wanted to kill them.” He rubs the back of his neck. “That was no secret. But it’s really killing my mother.”
“Yeah, that’s the only part I feel bad about.” I push my arm back, looking at it first, to make sure the ugly vines are gone. “Rose’s husband, he’s…” I can’t finish.
“Yeah, that’s how we knew something was going on. Roseland got the sense to come here after we had searched a few other spots. This is one of our father’s hide-away spots.”
He kicks his foot, making some small rocks scatter across the floor.
“Don’t feel bad,” he continues, after a long pause. “You did what you had to do for your mate. And he did what he had to do for you. My mother will understand that. Plus, she knew this was coming, after he had tried to kill Taylor and Justin a week ago.” He moves a little closer to me. “Taylor was never going to let that go unhandled.”
“Yeah, I can believe that.” I pause, touching the black fluid that’s drying against my skin. “I really need a shower.”
“Yeah, you really do. Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” I turn to him.
“If you and Nathan are bound, why haven’t you accepted our family?”
“Why do you think Nathan and I are bound?”
“You’re a human with a pet snake made of fire.” He smirks.
I tilt my head side to side, deciphering through what he said. “Yeah, I can see where you’re going with that.” I pause. “We’ve talked about it. I just wasn’t sure when your father sent someone to use me against Nathan. Well, something like that. I’m still kind of unsure of what happened that night.”
“So what he said was true—our father had been doing things to you?”
“We suspect, but could not prove it.”
“Same difference. When you know, you know!” He shrugs his shoulders and starts walking back over to Nathan and his mom.
I look over at them and she stands up to hug Nathan. He is like a bear, standing in front of her. He picks her up and stands her on the chair. She laughs, and they hug a mother and son hug.
Little Nathan points to them with his elbow and looks at me. “See, told ya.”
They pull away from each other and her shirt sticks to his bare chest. “Sorry, Mom.”
“No worries,” she responds. He helps her down from the chair. “Okay!” she speaks loudly. “Everyone, let us leave this place. Those of us who can, burn this place down. I would prefer to never see it again.”
She doesn’t look at the black liquid or the pile of dust. I walk back to Nathan’s side.
“Thank you, Tracey, for saving my son. And now that I understand that you two are bound, I am not ready for any more children right now.” My eyes go wide. “I think it’s a little early, but that’s yours and Nathan’s business.” She raises her hands as she says it.
“I love you, Mom,” he says low, and she smiles at him.
“I love you too, son. Be good, and do right by Tracey. She’s a good girl.”
“Thank you, Mom,” I answer. His eyes widen, and her expression turns excited.
“What are you saying, Tracey?” She sounds like her son. “I like the way that sounds from you.”
I look at Nathan, saying more to him than his mother. “I would like to be accepted into your family.” I step a little closer. “I’m not ready to move in right away or anything, but one step at a time.”
Nathan’s mom turns me to her, hugging me close. “That makes me so happy, Tracey.” I hug her back, smiling to myself.
22: Uncertainty
It’s going on nine o’clock when we make it to Nathan’s house. Nathan and I rode with Taylor and Justin, and the rest left in the cars they came in. On the ride home, Nathan told Taylor about the bond, when we bonded, my dream when my palm turned black, the ugly, burning feather under my eye, which I refused to let her see, the ugly vines, and my fire hands.
I don’t want to talk about what happened in the cottage before Nathan came to. It fills me with too much anger, and it hurts to remember Nathan as being almost dead.
The four of us sit in the kitchen eating. I was hungry, considering I ran out on dinner. Nathan made us some garlic-herb chicken with mixed veggies—broccoli, carrots, string beans—and some chopped red potatoes. I drink from my glass of water, finishing it quickly.
“So you were supposed to meet Tracey’s parents tonight,” Taylor says, out-of-the-blue.
Nathan drops his fork to his plate, sits back in his chair, and wipes his mouth with a paper towel. “Tracey, I am so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like you blew me off. We’ll reschedule. Maybe you can come by for breakfast tomorrow, before my parents leave for the weekend.” I look at him before I finish my plate.
“Yeah. When I drop you off tonight, I’ll talk to your dad about that. But, before we go, washing my hands and arms aren’t enough. I need a shower, and you do too.”
“And put on what? She doesn’t have any clothes,” Taylor condescends.
“Yes she does, and stay out of our business,” Nathan responds, pulling me from the table quickly.
“What? Nathan!” Taylor yells behind us as we rush from the kitchen.
I laugh at them as we run to his room.
His room is nice and cool, welcoming me in a different way than before. It feels more like home than my own room.
Nathan goes to the bathroom and turns the water on. I walk over to the drawers Nathan designated for me and start to pull out some clothes.
He comes up behind me, pulling me to the bathroom with him. His energy is rolling off of him. He is happy—relieved.
He peels off my sticky clothes and I step in the shower. I stand under the hot water for a while, wanting to get Rose’s black liquid out of my hair and erase the disturbing images of Nathan from my mind. I wash my hair and scrub my body until I’m satisfied. As I get to my back, Nathan helps me, not getting in the shower with me.
I leave the water on when I finish as I prepare to step out of the shower. “Don’t get out yet,” he says, stepping in, right under the water.
All the slimy black liquid and sweat, slowly starts to roll off him, revealing more wounds that I couldn’t see before.
“Can you heal me?” he asks softly, water rolling down his face from his hair.
I clean him first, starting with his front. He winces from the soap cleansing his wounds. He turns around so I can clean his back. Once satisfied, I rub my hands over his wounds. There are so many. My tears fall, seeing the extent of his injuries, imagining the pain he must have experienced, and remembering the state he was in.
I know he can feel me crying, through his own emotions, but he says nothing as I keep it under-control. But he turns around and, seeing every hole and slash, sobs break loose against my will.
He grabs my face in his hands, wiping my tears away with his thumbs. I rub my hands over the wounds and they seal, and out of the three holes, bullets push out, along with more black fluid, glistening with shards of pearl.
“Thank you, Tracey.” He kisses the tears under my eyes. “Don’t cry.” He hugs me to him and I break down, crying in his chest.
Not from being upset but from feeling happy that he is okay, proud of what I did, and relieved that we made it—all of us. He lets me cry against him until I pull myself together.
I pull away from him a little, and he grabs my chin to kiss my lips. “Let me finish up. I’ll be out in a minute.”
&nb
sp; I step out of the shower, avoiding looking at our black clothes that are lying on the floor. I walk past them quickly—as if, if I walked by slowly, they would grab my legs. Grabbing two towels from the rack by the door in the bathroom, I wrap one around me and use the other to dry my hair.
I walk out of the bathroom, back to the drawers, pulling out a pair of jeans, a long-sleeve t-shirt, undies, and a pair of socks.
I put on the clothes. Pulling the shirt over my head, there is a knock on the door. My hair is still wet, and I hate people seeing my hair messed up. I crack the door open and there stands Mrs. Waturstrom, the school nurse.
She smiles at me. “Why, hello, Tracey.”
I open the door wider, returning her smile. “Hi, Mrs. Waturstrom. How have you been?”
“I am well. Is my nephew around?”
“Yes, ma’am. He’s in the shower though.”
She looks me over. “I assume you just got out of the shower.”
I point to my hair lamely. “I did.”
“I heard you rescued him tonight. I am grateful for that, and I have to say, that was very brave of you.”
“Thank you. I had no choice; I couldn’t live without him. He holds my heart in his chest.” I look down, not wanting to talk about tonight anymore.
“I know how you feel. Most think badly of Nathan because of his past, but he is really a good person. He is genuine and loving when he wants to be, and even a blind man can see he loves you.”
“Well, the feeling is mutual.”
She grabs me into a hug, before I can blink, scaring the crap out of me. I let out a breath of relief, realizing it’s an embrace.
She pulls back a little, her eyes beginning to flood. “I am also elated to hear you have accepted our family. You make our Nathan very happy, and he has never been, not even as a child. Knowing that he has someone at his side who cares more about him than themselves, says a lot about the future that you two will have.” She hugs me again. “Thank you for choosing my nephew, and thank you again, Tracey, for saving his life.”
I hug her back. “You’re welcome.”
She pulls away from me and turns, making her way down a long hallway I haven’t walked down yet. What is down there?
“Hey, Tracey,” Nathan calls from behind me.
I smile to myself before turning to look at him. He’s clean and smooth, towel wrapped around his waist.
I close the door and make my way over to him, quicker than I anticipated.
“Yes?” I touch his shoulders as he leans down, wrapping me in his arms. He lifts me in the air and I stare at him. “You look so much better.”
He smiles. “Thanks to you.”
I kiss him lightly. “I had no choice.”
“Hmm, yeah. I think I heard something about you waiting for me in hell if you didn’t see me in heaven.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, something like that.”
“I couldn’t have that.”
“I couldn’t have me living without you.” I pause. “In life or in death.”
“So we stay alive together, and then go to heaven together.”
“Sounds like a sufficient plan.” He lowers me. He stares at me for a long time. I let him, without speaking.
“You fought for me. You were about to die for me. You lost control for me. You killed my sister and tried to kill my father for me. And you’re accepting my family for me?” His eyes are swirling.
“I love you, Nathan,” I say, factually.
“There are no words, Tracey. I don’t know what to say, because ‘thank you’—for what did—is not enough.” He walks around me, over to his closet.
Someone knocks on the door all too lightly.
“Come in!” he yells from the closet.
A heavy-set woman walks in, with the biggest bun I’d ever seen on top of her head.
She smiles at me when she steps fully into the room. “Hi, I’m Pailan,” she says with a nod.
Finally, Pailen! “Hi, I’m Tracey, Nathan’s girlfriend.”
She walks a little closer to me. “I think you’re a little more than that, my dear,” she whispers.
Moving away from me, she walks into the bathroom, opening a black bag. She must be getting rid of our ruined clothes.
I turn from her, walking over to the closet, and lean against the wall next to the closet door. “Nathan, what are you doing?”
“It’s getting late. You need to be in the house by eleven, right?”
“Yeah, when my dad is home.”
“Is your dad home?”
“Yes.”
“Then you have to be in your house by eleven.” He pauses, and there is shuffling. “Would you like to know what time it is?”
Probably not, since you’re saying it like that. “Yes,” I sing slowly.
“10:50.”
Panic rises. “Are you serious!?”
“Yep.” He walks out of the closet. He has a bag on his shoulder. “You ready to go? I don’t think we can make it there in five minutes if we drive.”
“Yeah, let’s go.” How will we get there any quicker if we don’t drive?
“Pailen, can you close this window before you leave?” Window?
She puts a hand out of the bathroom door, acknowledging him.
Nathan swoops me up, and I wrap myself around him. He jumps out of the window, and my stomach drops to my butt. It was a high jump.
He runs us to my house and we make it way too fast. I pull my hair into a bun, once we make it in front of my house. He leaves me to stash his bag in my room and comes back quickly.
We walk up to the front door. He knocks and my dad answers. “Hello, you two.” He looks me over, noticing the change in clothes.
I quickly explain. “Taylor spilled her Slurpee on me and I needed to change. She was kind enough to buy me a new outfit.”
My dad nods. “We missed you tonight, Nathan. Taylor told me you got held up at the office?” It is like a statement, transformed into a question.
“Yes, sir. Doing some work for a new building we’re opening in DC.”
“You and your father, correct?”
Nathan tenses. “No, sir. My father has removed himself from the company. It’s just me right now.”
My dad nods slowly. “Umm, Dad. Are you going to invite us in to talk or just make us stand outside?”
He stammers. “Oh, uh, sorry, ladybug.” He steps to the side and we walk into the house. He closes the door behind us. “So Nathan, where is your car?” We start walking towards the family room.
“My cousin stays a few blocks away from your house. I was coming up the sidewalk when Tracey got dropped off.” He’s quick on his feet. I’m still trying to figure out the story, while he is finished telling it.
“Well, I would say that was good timing. You didn’t know she hadn’t been dropped off yet?” He takes a seat on the arm of the couch, while Nathan and I remain standing.
“The last time I spoke with my sister, she insinuated she was on her way to drop off Tracey, so I assumed she was already here. I was just stopping by to apologize to her, you, and your wife, for missing dinner.”
“Well, Nathan, I’ll be honest with you.” Oh shit! “I have missed a many of dinners dealing with work. It is terrible at the moment, but pays off in the end.” That was unexpected. “Especially when you can have days off and take your family out, doing whatever they want and getting them whatever they need—or think they need.” He looks at us. “Not saying that I think you all should have a family,” he says, hurriedly.
“We didn’t take it like that, Dad,” I say, annoyed. What is with adults and this whole baby-family thing?
“Just clarifying, Tracey.”
“You’re right, sir. Tracey and I aren’t ready for a family. The thought hasn’t even crossed our minds.” He would know.
“I’m glad to hear it. So has Tracey met your family yet?”
“Yes, sir.” I like the way Nathan uses his deep voice when he speaks to my dad.
My dad’s eyes open a little wider and his eyebrows scrunch together slightly. He looks at me. “And?”
I don’t understand the question. “I don’t get it,” I say to them.
“How do you feel about my family?” Nathan says to me, in a softer tone. My dad notices, and the corner of his mouth twitches.
“Oh, okay. Just say that, Dad. ‘And’ is not a question.” I look at Nathan, then to my dad, trying to decide how I should answer the question. I know how I want to, but I want it to sound good to my dad. But, then again, I want to be truthful with myself.
“I love Nathan’s family. His mother is the sweetest, and his sister is loving. He has three brothers—two younger and one older. But what pulls me is that they’re all together—like, live together—and they all love each other.” Well, now they do, anyway.
“All of you?” The question is directed towards Nathan.
“Yes, Dad,” I answer for him. “His older brother lives there with his wife and their two kids, his sister stays there with her…uh…fiancé, his two sets of cousins stay there with their ma— umm…fiancé and husband, his adorable grandmother and grandfather live there, his two younger brothers live there, of course, and then Nathan.”
“How big is your house?” my dad asks in awe.
“The house is huge.” I look at Nathan. He’s smiling at me. Looking back at my dad. “And his family is amazing. They are all welcoming and genuinely care for each other. I would join them, if time permits.”
He looks at me and I see Nathan, in my peripheral vision, push his hair back. “Why don’t you two sit down?” We sit on the couch behind us and he moves from the arm of the couch to sitting in it.
“Now, Nathan,” he starts. “I have to be honest with you. My daughter really loves you. I can see it in her big brown eyes when she looks at you.” My mouth drops open. I mean, it is true, but that doesn’t mean my dad needs to tell him that!
“If I can be honest with you, Mr. Warren, I love your daughter. And I would be more than honored if she did choose to join my family—in the future—and my family would as well. But, that is in due time, and not something we need to discuss right now. Tracey needs to finish school before we start making things official, or walking down that road.”