by Rue Volley
“Just my pride,” I said to him.
“No joke, Rue… if you are hurt tell me… I don’t seem to be able to feel you,” he said.
“What?” I said.
He stepped back and shook his head.
“Yea… seems that Theo is doing his thing,” Josh said.
I grinned, although it hurt to even do that.
“Why are you smiling?” he asked me.
I shrugged my shoulders and “oh’d” in the process.
“You are hurt,” he said to me.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I said, as I walked to the couch and sat down slowly.
Kai came out of his room and rubbed his head.
“Did you fall down the stairs again?” he asked me.
I nodded and leaned back on the couch.
“Okay,” Kai said, as he walked to the kitchen and opened the freezer up.
He grabbed a towel, ran water on it, and dumped ice in it.
He wrapped it up and walked back to me as he yawned.
“Where does it hurt?” he said, as he blinked from being woken from a deep sleep.
I pointed to my side. He sat down next to me, and I started to lift my shirt up. Josh shook his head, as he looked at my bruising ribs, and sat down on the chair across from us. Kai sat down and placed the ice on my ribs. I hissed as the cold stung my skin.
“Why?” Josh asked me.
I looked at him, and Kai held the ice to my side. He leaned his head back on the couch and pulled his legs up to face me.
“Why what?” I asked him.
Josh leaned back on the chair and rubbed his legs.
“I asked you if you were hurt, and you said no,” he said to me.
I looked at Kai, and he yawned big and grinned at me.
“She will be fine. If she was crying, we would need to go to the hospital,” he said.
Josh sighed.
“I can’t have you falling all over the place like this.”
I sat up and the ice fell all over the couch.
“Kai, go back to bed… I need to talk to Josh,” I said, as I glanced at him.
“That sounds good,” Kai said, as he stood up, stumbling a little.
He looked at Josh and half waved to him. Josh watched him stumbled back to his room, and we heard his door close behind him. I looked at Josh and sighed.
“This is nothing,” I said to him.
Josh stood up and paced in front of me.
“It is not,” he said.
I started to collect the ice and place it back in the towel.
“Listen… I spent a lot of time, waking up at the bottom of these stairs… I am used to falling,” I said.
Josh stopped and looked at me.
“Well, I’m not,” he said, as he rubbed his neck and looked around the room.
“You have to stop acting like you have to protect me all the time.”
Josh stopped rubbing his neck and stared at me.
“Is that really what you want, Rue… I mean, for me to just allow anything to happen?” he asked me.
“I just want normal,” I said to him.
“Oh my god… are we back to that now?” he asked me.
I leaned back and placed the towel back on my ribs.
“I am not stupid, I know what I am,” I said to him.
“Do you...? I mean really?” he asked me.
“Yea… I do,” I said.
“I don’t think that you do,” Josh said, as he walked to the couch and sat down next to me and looked at my ribs.
“I do… I promise,” I said.
“Then why... why do you tempt fate by coming back here, leaving us all behind?” he asked me.
I closed my eyes and felt the ice cooling the pain on my side.
“I didn’t mean anything by it; I was mad and I am…” I said.
He placed his hand on the towel and held it for me.
“You are what?” he asked me.
I looked at him, and he was grinning.
I knew that he wanted to hear it, and I have to say it. I have to.
“I am sorry,” I muttered to him.
“Uh huh,” he said.
I looked at him and crinkled my eyebrows.
“Well?” I asked him.
Josh tilted his head at me.
“What?”
“What...? You know… it is your turn,” I said to him.
“My turn for what?” he said, as he grinned enough to show his canine teeth.
I sat up and grunted, as I put pressure on my ribs… unneeded pressure.
“Say it,” I said.
“What do you want me to say?” he asked.
I hissed, as I stood up, and turned to look down at him.
“You are ridiculous,” I said.
I turned and started to walk away from him.
I felt him flash up behind me, and he scooped me up in his arms.
I looked at him and shook my head.
“You suck,” I said, as I tried to not smile.
“Oh really...? Well, we will see,” he said, as he stepped to the door and looked at me.
“Put me down, I can walk,” I said.
He shook his head.
“I have a gift for you,” he said.
I looked at him and wondered what this could be. He stepped out of the house, and I watched his face, as he held in his grin. He stepped down the steps of the porch and started to walk. I looked at him and shook my head.
“I am so not in the mood right now,” I said to him.
He laughed and shook his head.
“I am not always thinking about doing nasty things to you,” he said.
“Uh huh,” I said.
He kept walking, and I laid my head against his chest. The fall had kicked the crap out of me and all I wanted was to sleep and not dream about trees and books and me as a child. Josh stopped and looked at me.
“You might want to wake up,” he said.
I looked up at him.
“I was not sleeping, just resting my eyes,” I said.
“Well, I will take you back home… to sleep, but not before you look,” he said.
I turned my head, and we stood on Main Street, here in my town. I looked down the street, and the first thing that I noticed was the smell. It was sweet like fresh cut grass… and flowers. I could smell the leaves, as they started to change colors. I tapped him on the chest lightly, and he lowered me down in front of him. I stared, as my eyes started to blur from the tears welling up.
The sun was starting to come up, and the sky was streaked with color. The light slowly crept down the street towards us, lighting up the buildings and the sidewalks that I had known my entire life. Everything looked beautiful; every building was perfect… every window shimmering with the sun. I looked over, and the ‘Coffee’ sign was shiny and new. I stood there and forgot about my ribs and my sore elbow. My irritation with Josh, my want for home. I stared at the town, as it had been my entire life. Beautiful and fully repaired. Josh leaned down behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
“I am an asshole by nature, but when I am wrong I will apologize. I did not mean to hurt you… I never would. I fixed everything here for you… if this is what you want as home, then it is also my home too… and I will love it, as I love you,” he said.
“Josh,” I whispered.
He hugged me from behind, and we watched the sun rise on the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
My town… Calvary, nothing to some… but everything to me.
“This is the most wonderful thing you could have ever done for me, Josh,” I said, as I sniffled.
He tightened his grip on me, and I moaned a little, as the pain returned to my ribs.
“Let me fix you, okay?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“I will be fine, it’s just a bruise. I would know if it was broken.”
“Broken?” he asked me, as he let me go, and I continued to stare at my renewed town.
“Yea… broke
n. I spent many a night in the emergency room,” I said.
“Why...? Why would Grace and William take you to the hospital when they could have healed you themselves?” he asked.
I turned to him and shrugged my shoulders at him.
“Guess they wanted the lie to be real,” I said to him.
“Well, that is ridiculous, Rue… they should have patched you up no problem,” he said.
I stared at him and tilted my head.
“Maybe they didn’t know how to,” I said, as I kinda wandered in thought.
“Not know how...? Come on, as a protector we are equipped to fix anything,” he said.
“I don’t know; I am just guessing, Josh… I mean it isn’t like I can ask them,” I said.
“Huh,” he said, as he looked down the street and then back to me.
“Maybe we can ask them,” he said, as he took a breath.
I shook my head.
“Do I have to remind you that they are in memory?” I asked him.
“I know that, but you have the palm reader chick,” he said.
“Oh… you mean Lizzy,” I said, as I looked down.
“Yea… Lizzy,” he said.
“I don’t… I mean, I can’t just call on her, ya know?” I said, knowing that that may not be entirely true.
“Well, she came to you right?” he said.
“Yea, I guess she did… kinda,” I said.
Josh tilted his head and looked at me.
“What is up?” he asked me.
I bit my lip and looked past him to all the buildings.
“You really did a great job… How did you do it?” I asked him.
“Uh huh… no, what is going on?” he asked me.
I crossed my arms on my chest and stared at him.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said.
Josh narrowed his eyes.
“You know exactly what I mean… just because I can’t feel you right now does not mean that I don’t know you,” he said.
I started to walk towards ‘Coffee’.
Josh followed and caught up to me, as he leaned over and raised his eyebrows.
“Start talking,” he said to me.
I stopped in front of ‘Coffee’ and looked up at the sign.
“I would kill for some caffeine right now,” I said.
“I am giving you 10 seconds and then I am doing the ‘suck’ thingy,” he said, as he wiggled his fingers.
I looked at him and stopped myself from laughing.
“No you are not,” I said.
“Oh but I will, and I won’t be all nice about it either,” he said to me.
I laughed and placed my hands on my hips. I guess he didn’t agree with my reaction to his irritation, and he grabbed my head and stared at me. I stood there waiting for the flash to come, but nothing did. I grinned, and Josh leaned in and moved his fingers a little to find a better spot on my temples. Still nothing… and I laughed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
He muttered something and squatted a little, readjusting his fingers on my head and still nothing.
“What the hell?” he asked… not to me obviously, because I don’t know.
“What’s wrong, Josh...? You don’t seem to be sucking very well,” I said, as he backed up from me and looked at his hands.
“I don’t understand.” He said.
“Well, now you will have to talk to me… so…”
I looked at my imaginary watch on my wrist and grinned.
“You better start now; I am sleepy,” I said, as I looked at him and laughed under my breath.
“Oh… so funny, really you are,” he said to me.
“Oh come on, Josh! I am only kidding; I really don’t know why you couldn’t just take my memory… I mean, I am not saying that you don’t deserve it, because you do,” I said to him.
Josh placed his hands on his hips and stared me down.
“I just fixed an entire freakin’ town for you,” he said.
I looked up at Coffee and down the street.
“That you did,” I said.
“Then why...? Why do you torture me like this?” he said.
I smiled and shook my head.
“I’m not! It must be Theo… not me,” I said to him.
“I know that! I mean, why are you teasing me?” he asked me.
“Seriously...? You are acting like a girl.”
“Oh, that’s it,” Josh said, as he flashed to me and threw me over his shoulder.
I hit him on the back and kicked my legs.
“What the hell Josh?” I asked him, as I realized that I had no escape.
“You are going to settle the hell down… We are going home and once there, you will tell me about the palm reader and whatever else you have going on right now.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything,” I said.
“We will see,” he said, as he slapped me on the butt, and I ‘owe’d’.
“Stop it,” I said.
“No,” Josh said, as he started to walk with me slung over his shoulder.
“I swear to God I will…” I started to say.
Josh stopped and turned with me on his shoulder and turned his head, like he could see my face… but he couldn’t.
“You will what, Rue...? Wear me out with your chatter?” he asked me.
“No,” I said, as I crinkled my eyebrows and crossed my arms.
“That’s right… you won’t. I have listened to you; I have done your bidding. I have given you my heart and fixed this town… Now, you will behave and tell me what is up.”
I mumbled to myself. He started to walk again.
“I swear to god that I have never had a girl drive me as insane as you do,” he said.
I bopped up and down, as he walked with me, and realized that he was right. This was pride and the fear of sharing what I know is probably something that he, of all people, should know. I tapped him on the back.
“Fine,” I said in almost a whisper.
He stopped and stared straight ahead.
“What?” he asked me.
“Fine… put me down and I will tell you,” I said.
He laughed.
“This better not be a trick of any kind,” he said.
“It isn’t… put me down, Josh,” I said.
Josh slowly lowered me and then he grabbed my wrist, like I was going to run on him.
I looked at my wrist.
“Really?” I asked him.
He shook his head and held onto me.
I sighed and looked at him.
“Lizzy is a… ghost,” I said to him.
“Tell me something that I don’t know,” he said, as he held my wrist and stared me down.
“You know, I am not a child… I won’t run or anything. Maybe you should get one of those ‘child leashes’ and strap me in,” I said.
He smiled and shook his head at me.
“If you would like we could go shopping right now,” he said, as he grinned.
“I don’t like this side of you,” I said, as I looked at his hair.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” I asked.
“Change the subject and then look at my hair.”
I smiled. “I like your hair.”
“That is not what you said.”
I stared at him and tilted my head.
“That really bothered you… the hair thing I mean.”
He cleared his throat.
“No… it is how you looked when you said it.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“How did I look?” I asked him.
“You looked like you meant it… I mean, I don’t care… go on, about Lizzy,” he said.
I smiled…I had too.
“No one has ever said they didn’t like anything about you have they?” I asked him.
Josh stood up straight and stared at me.
“What’s not to like?” he asked.
“Oh for craps sake,” I said to h
im.
“What...? I mean, I am a protector. I am immortal… and I never had anyone complain about anything before,” he said.
“Oh, you mean… girls,” I said.
He let my wrist go and rubbed his hair.
“No, I mean anyone.”
I placed my hand on my hip and smiled.
“Uh huh,” I said to him.
“God...! How do you do that...? I mean, just tell me already,” he said.
I smiled. I mean, I was not used to being in charge of conversations, and now that I knew that I was, I found it to be an adrenaline rush.
“Okay! Lizzy is a ghost, and when we were at the carnival she brought someone to me,” I said.
Josh tilted his head.
“Someone who?” he asked.
“Ummm… she ah, brought Johnathan,” I said.
I swear his face went white.
I stood there waiting for some smartass come back, but Josh stood there and stared past me.
“Josh?” I said.
He stood there staring past me, and I leaned to block his view.
“Hello...? Did you hear me?” I asked.
“You are fucking kidding me,” he said.
I looked at him and shook my head.
“No, it’s not a joke… he was there,” I said.
Josh grabbed my waist and placed me behind him in a flash. I won’t lie; I was confused at his reaction. I expected more… well, ‘Josh’ more. I stood there behind him, wondering when he would answer me, and felt my heart speed up, because I hadn’t even told him the whole story.
“You are not welcome here,” Josh said.
“Whose not welcome?” I asked, as I stepped to his side and looked down the street.
There at the end of the road stood a girl, with her hair flowing in the wind. She was decked out in battle gear, with an unmistakable tree embossed on the front of it. I looked at her and pulled on Josh’s arm.
“Ummm… who is that?” I whispered.
Josh never took his eyes from her.
He simply placed his hand on my chest and pushed me back behind him again.
“Sia… we have nothing to talk about,” Josh called out to her.
The girl took a step forward, and I peeked around him and watched her smile.
“That you are wrong about, Joshua Barrington… we have business to attend to, as you know to be true.”
Josh placed his foot to the side and turned his body slightly. I could feel my heart beat, but not his… and for the first time since this whole ‘nonbonding thingy’ started I found myself upset by it. I wish I knew how he felt, because I had no idea who this girl was but I could only guess that she is: