Afterlife (Afterlife Saga)

by Stephanie Hudson

  But it never came, instead we seemed to be getting faster and I never could imagine death to be so painless. I wondered if Draven had been my Angel to deliver me to Heaven or my Demon to drag me to hell. But as I started to compose myself I realised I was still breathing and in one piece.

  “You can open your eyes now.” Draven said with no emotion in his voice. I did as I was told and opened them to find we were on a road, but we were going so fast that I couldn't make out where, as everything was a blur outside my window.

  I couldn't help but ask

  “Where did the wall go?” A quiet laugh came from his lips and a smile that I hadn't seen before. It was hard to tell in the dark with only the faint glow of the dash to show the expression on his face but his eyes changed from their usual cold black to the hint of purple that I had seen before.

  “That wall was the door and it opened just like any other, which you would have seen if you hadn't had your eyes closed.” The blood rushed to my face and I was glad that the light in the car wouldn't pick it up. I truly was going crazy and now Draven knew it too.

  “Let me ask you, do you really believe I would have driven us both through a stone wall?” He laughed again at the thought and I was getting hotter. He was making fun of me and rightly so, but I had to defend myself in some way.

  “Well considering it didn't look like a bloody door and I've had a knock to the head maybe you could cut me some slack!” OH MY GOD!!!! What did I just say, where did that come from, and more importantly how was I ever going to take it back! I looked out of the window and once again was nearly pulling all the skin off my bottom lip. I was now wishing more than ever that this were a dream. What must he be thinking, the man has just carried me God knows how far and is driving me home in this awesome machine and that's what I decided to say! What an idiot... IDIOT!!!!!

  “You're right. I'm sorry, you weren't to know. I hope I didn't scare you too much.” His voice was kind and I was surprised. I was sure he sounded a little bit guilty as he asked me about being frightened. I was scared to open my mouth again in case something equally as stupid came rushing out like verbal Diarrhoea. I coughed clearing my throat before saying,

  “It's ok, I guess my mind just plays tricks on me sometimes.” He turned his head towards me taking his eyes off the road. I wasn't sure this was a good idea as it felt like we were going over a hundred miles an hour. He looked as if he wanted to ask something but stopped himself. I was burning to know what it was so I turned and said,

  “What?” I didn't know where all this “new found” confidence was coming from. Then I started to worry about the bang to my head and wondered if that was the reason. Well did it really matter if this was all a dream anyway...although now I wasn't so sure.

  “You don't think like other people do, do you?” His face was serious and I realised that he wasn't making fun of me anymore. He actually thought I was crazy. This was like a flaming arrow to the heart. I was so sensitive about my mental health it was like my Achilles heel. When I didn't respond he looked at my face for the reason why. I must have looked like a spoilt child because I just folded my arms and looked out of the window. I mean what did he want me to say, “Yes I'm a freak!”

  “Trust me, that's not a bad thing.” He said this and his hand moved as though he wanted to touch me but instead he put it back on the steering wheel. I was about to answer him but the car filled with the sound of ABBA and my heart almost stopped. The words “Gimme Gimme Gimme ” sang over and over and when I didn't move he said,

  “I'm pretty sure that's yours.” And laughed again only this time he couldn't wipe the smirk from his face.

  I fumbled in my bag and said “It's my sister's phone.” But I doubted he believed me. I looked at the number I knew it was RJ. SHIT! I had forgotten them completely and answered the phone wishing this night would just end and my humiliation with it.

  “Hey RJ, look I'm sorry...OH... hey Jack, I thought it was, oh no I had to go home, I wasn't feeling too good.” Draven all of a sudden went very serious and his hands tensed on the wheel. I didn't understand why but I carried on with the conversation, wanting to get off the phone as quickly as possible.

  “Yeah, I'm sorry I was going to call, no it's ok I'm nearly home.” Jack didn't sound pleased and Draven didn't look happy.

  “No I'm fine I just hit my head. No, no, in the woods not at work, look I will talk to you later ok, honestly I'm fine it's just a scratch.” Draven shot me a look as if to say liar!

  “Ok yeah well I’ll talk to you tomorrow then, sorry what? Who am I driving home with...umm” SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, I didn't know what to say. I didn't think that Draven would want anyone to know about this so I said,

  “Frank, yeah... ok then... see ya.” I let out a sigh and put my head back against the seat. My head felt like it was splitting in two. I could feel a pair of eyes staring at me but I didn't want to look. The atmosphere had changed since the phone call and I wished I hadn't answered it and called from the house instead. I felt as though I should say something but I couldn't think of what.

  “Sorry about that, I forgot that I was getting a lift home with some friends.” My voice went back to its usual pathetic weak tone. I knew the confidence thing wouldn't last. But now I wasn't sure if I was happy about that since Draven still hadn't said a word.

  “Frank?” Was all he said and I was guessing he wanted to know who that was so I told him.

  “Frank’s my brother in law, and he picks me up most nights.” He shook his head as if he knew this already and I didn't know what else he meant. Then it hit me maybe he wanted to know why I had said it was Frank driving me home instead of him but why would he care. But we were pulling into the gravel drive and I knew I would soon be getting out and saying goodbye. I told myself that I wouldn't linger I would just say thanks and get out. He must be bored already and desperate for some real company, the kind that he was used to. He stopped the car and cut the engine.

  But the last thing that I wanted was to get out of this car.

  Chapter 19 - Draven and Doctors

  Draven got out of the car and walked around the back to my side of the door. He did all this before I had time to react, so I grabbed for the handle but couldn't find one. He opened my door and looked as though he was about to carry me out.

  “I'm ok to walk now, thanks.” He backed away slightly but leant one hand on the car over my head.

  “Ok, let’s see it.” He said, being cocky, like he knew I would fall. Of course he was right. As soon as I tried to stand I nearly fell backwards on to the seat. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up then in one swift movement had me safely back in his arms once again.

  “I’m really ok now, just a bit wobbly but I'm good now.” His arms tightened around me and I realised for the first time he didn't have his jacket on any more. He must be freezing but if he was there was no evidence to show it. He must have taken it off before getting in the car but I was too scared to notice much back then.

  I could see the definition of his muscles in his forearms and his big strong hands that held my legs in an iron hold. My heart did another one of its trademark flutters as I wished for this gesture to be for another reason, one of a more sexual nature. He walked up the steps and the door was opened by my poor sister who was already in her pyjamas with bunnies and carrots patterned over them.

  Ah, it looked like it could have been worse after all. I could be in his arms right now wearing that. The look on her face was one I would never forget. Her jaw actually dropped open. I doubted that she had ever seen Draven before so the sight of me in the arms of the most astonishingly handsome stranger was enough to make any woman's jaw drop. Hell mine did and that was just in my dreams.

  Draven smiled at her and I decided to speak, as Libby hadn't yet.

  “I'm ok, it's just my head was… umm well you were right.” She shook her head slightly and moved out of the way letting Draven come in with me still in his arms. Then he spoke and I thought Libby was going to pass out!
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  “She fainted at work and has been a bit unstable on her feet, so I brought her home... to get some rest.” He said this last part as a hint to get some sort of clue as to where he might put me down but she still didn't say a word. However we did get a semi response as she pointed to the stairs.

  “It's ok, just put me on the couch.” I was already embarrassed enough as it was, but picturing him in my bedroom made me blush. The thought of him laying me on my bed was enough to make my mind burst with pleasure and I didn't know if I could hide my secret fantasy about him doing this without moaning and giving myself away. As it were, I was going to have no choice in the matter as he ignored what I had said and went for the stairs carrying me up them as though I weighed nothing at all. My sister followed behind like something from a zombie movie.

  He reached the first landing but kept going as if he knew where my room was. He leaned down to my face and said “Is your sister Libby all right, she hasn't spoken a word.”

  “Yeah and it's a first!.. she'll be fine.” I said under my breath so only he could hear. He tried to hide a smile. I was in shock… did he just find me funny?

  When inside my room he looked around for a moment before finding what he was looking for... my bed. I knew this was the end so I inhaled deeply taking in his scent for the last time, wishing more than anything in the world that I could keep this intoxicating smell forever with me. This was the moment I was both dreading and dreaming about. There was just something about a man that carried you to bed that made my blood boil. But this man, well there was no other that I could imagine ever topping this, even if I wasn't going to remain in his arms for much longer.

  He placed me down tenderly and said,

  “Here you go.” And that was enough to make me close my eyes and bite my lip yet again. But he hadn't moved, did he want to say something more?

  “You better watch that lip of yours or before long you won’t have anything left of it.” One side of his mouth curved up into a mischievous grin and my heart was very near to doing a back flip in response.

  “Thanks,” I said under my breath so he wouldn't hear.

  “You’re welcome,” he said over his shoulder as he had turned to face Libby who had now joined us. How had he heard me? I was pretty sure I had only mouthed the words more than actually saying them. Poor Libby must have regained some life back when walking up the stairs as she was now smiling at him.

  “Thank you so much for bringing her home but my God Kazzy what are you trying to do, scare me to death?” OH GREAT, she was back! And she just had to call me Kazzy, like I was five all over again. Draven smiled at this and went to stand next to her.

  “It was no trouble, but I would get her to a doctor tomorrow as she might need an X-ray,” he said as though they were a parent and teacher talking about me as though I was a bloody child!

  “NO, I said I will be fine, no doctors...I wo” I nearly shouted this but the pain cut me off and my eyes watered through squinted lids. Draven frowned and Libby noticed.

  “She doesn't like doctors, ever since… well...”

  “LIBBY!” I shouted, warning her not to add anything else to that sentence or my life would have ended there and then. Now Draven's full attention was on my face. I could almost see the cogs turning in his head. He looked as though he was burning to know why I had just reacted this way. Luckily the conversation was interrupted by Frank running up the stairs shouting about the Aston Martin parked in the drive.

  “Lib's have you seen that car, man whose is...” He was cut short once he entered my bedroom and saw the answer to his question standing there with his wife.

  “OH shi..I mean Mr Draven Sir.” At this Libby froze in horror, as it finally twigged who he was. But Draven turned to Frank and held his hand out to him and calmly said,

  “Please call me Dominic.” Frank shook his hand as though he was meeting a celebrity. Libby also shook his hand but once more she couldn't speak. I couldn't help think that this was a blessing.

  Frank looked over to me in the bed and said,

  “Hey kiddo what's up with you, you all right?” Great now it was Kiddo, what was next, a bottle before bedtime and nursery rhymes?

  “It's no big deal, I fell and now everyone’s fussing.” I couldn't look at Draven anymore. It was still too hard enough believing any of this was still happening. Nope there was definitely no more worries about this being a dream! Frank stepped closer to see for himself what all the fuss was about and then made a face like he tasted something sour in his mouth.

  “Damn, kid that don't look good, where did you fall? In the ring with Bruce Lee?” Great the one person I thought I could count on and now he had turned to the dark side. And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, Libby found her voice again.

  “No, she did it in the woods, and then she went to work with concussion, collapsed and then Mr Draven here was good enough to bring her back...himself,” she added the last part as though some secret code she was trying to get across that Draven did in fact drive me back here and why the hell would he do that!!!???

  “Well, I will leave you all and Keira I don't expect to see you working back in the VIP until you get the ok from a doctor ...understood.” Draven said with his authoritative tone firmly back into place. GREAT well this night really couldn't get any worse, if it tried. Oh no I was mistaken because what came next was far worse than anything that had happened this night. Because what came next out of Draven's lips would haunt me for the rest of my life!

  “Oh and if I were you I would give her a bucket just in case, she was sick earlier.” OH DEAR GOD! He had known all along that I had vomited in his plant pot! Life just couldn't get any worse!

  “Oh my, ok I will do that...and thank you very much for taking care of her but wait... did you say the VIP.” Libby unfortunately hadn't missed that bit and now I was going to pay for it.

  “Yes this was Keira’s second night working the VIP area, did she not mention it?” Draven's eyes looked questioningly at me but I looked away from his gaze.

  “No it must have slipped her mind.” Libby said keeping her voice steady and smiling.

  Draven nodded at my sister and Frank and said goodbye leaving the room with Frank walking him out. I could hear him asking,

  “Umm could I just ask what model is the Aston...,” as his voice trailed off downstairs.

  I wanted to die of shame! It was so bad that tears started to well up in my eyes and thankfully Libby put it down to the pain. She came over and sat on my bed to feel my temperature.

  “Oh Kaz, it will be all right, I'll get you some pain killers.” And then I remembered, Draven had taken mine away and he still had them. But then I noticed Libby opening up a bottle of pills that was on my bedside table. It was the same bottle he had taken but how? He must have put them there when he put me down. Libby went into the bathroom and came back with a glass of water in one hand and an empty bin in the other. I raised my eyebrows and she said,

  “Just in case”

  She handed me the water and I finished it in one, along with the two pills. Strange they looked different somehow but I looked at the bottle and it was the same one as before. So I shrugged it off putting it down to my spinning head and immense headache. After all, this was the craziest night of my life so why should it suddenly start making sense?

  “Try and get some rest but wake me if you need anything or if you start feeling worse.” She kissed me gently on the forehead and I told her I would be fine as she left the room leaving me with the cruel images of tonight's events.

  No, I would never sleep, that much I was sure about. I lay there and wondered how on earth I was ever going to face Draven again. What must he be thinking of me? The most ironic part was that if I had just left when Karmun asked me to then I could have avoided all of this humiliation but then my mind drifted to the nicer parts of tonight. The part where I was in his arms and the way he held me close as though needing to protect me in some way. Wasn't that worth all the humiliation i
n the world?

  I mean we had actually had a conversation, of sorts. He now knew things about me, he now knew where I lived, who I lived with and even knew where I slept. But I was missing something here, when had I told him any of that? I hadn't told him any directions to my house but yet he knew exactly where it was. I didn't tell him my sister’s name yet on the stairs when he asked me if she was all right, he had said, “Is your sister Libby”. And most of all how did he know which room was mine, how would he have known that I slept on the top floor in the attic! This wasn't making any sense. There was something...different about him. He wasn't like everybody else and by everybody else I meant… human.

  I laughed off my ridiculous thoughts, I mean what was I thinking...not human, I needed help! Maybe this bang to my head had affected me more than I thought. I probably told him these things but don't remember because I was in pain. Or the best explanation was he probably looked at my records. I mean I don't remember filling out details but I did get the job thanks to Frank, so maybe he filled something in for me.

  I still had all my clothes on so I kicked off my shoes and wormed my way out of my trousers. I was about to take off my top when I stopped myself. I lifted it up to my nose and inhaled, allowing my senses to be overwhelmed with the scent of his body. I pulled the top over my head only leaving my underwear and a vest on but I held the top in my hands and then positioned it close to my head so that I would fall asleep with nothing but that scent to consume my mind.

  I woke up the next day to find that I had slept through the whole night without one dream or more importantly a nightmare. I was even more surprised that I had managed to fall asleep at all given the amount of worrying I had been doing as soon as Draven had left. I looked at my bedside table and noticed a mug of now cold tea, as it must have been sat there a while. I looked at the clock. OH, wow it was nearly one in the afternoon. I hadn't slept this much since being in the hospital. It took me all of two minutes to realise that what had happened last night was in fact not a dream. And a mixture of pleasure and pain rang deep in my head. What a fool I had made of myself and knowing that I could do nothing to take it all back just made the pain part worse.