Soulmated

by Shaila Patel

  She walked around a conference table for six. Side tables anchored three of the walls, topped by landscapes painted in bold palette-knife strokes. She paused to study one. The three oil paintings contrasted to the subdued style of the room. It was impressively understated, like Brennan herself.

  “The lady across from you. I knew she’d serve her purpose well.”

  A shot of adrenaline revved up my heart and shook my mental blocks like an earthquake. How had she known? Shite. She just found her way into my head, hadn’t she? I scrambled to strengthen my defenses.

  She smiled as if she were amused. “You’ve made an enemy of il signor Gagliardi today. Do you think that was very wise of you?”

  “I didn’t see a way around it.”

  “I suppose not.” She gazed at the next painting. “He was reserved today because of my presence. In other circumstances, he may not have behaved himself so well.”

  “I think I could’ve handled him—if I hadn’t needed to be so reserved.”

  “You handled yourself … adequately, for one so young.”

  I crossed my arms. Was she trying to piss me off?

  Another smug smile appeared again. “Where you’re headed, you will need that temper and bravado.”

  Hell if I’d keep taking her bait. I slowed my breathing and focused on fortifying my blocks.

  She had circled the room and stood in front of me again. She opened up her neck scarf, revealing a pendant at the base of her throat.

  “Why did you come?” I asked.

  She moved, and I glanced at her jewelry again. A pit formed in my stomach. It was a Celtic triskele etched with Sanskrit writing, similar in design to the ones Mum had drawn in her journal about the Soul Seekers. Bloody hell.

  “You’re a Soul Seeker?” I whispered.

  “Perhaps.”

  Despite her evasive answer, something was familiar about her and set me at ease. My instincts were telling me she was harmless and trustworthy. But how? If she’d manipulated my emotions, I’d have felt it.

  She gave me that damned smile of hers again. What was so bloody amusing? She removed her right glove. A pinkish scar marred her palm, like an oval burn mark. She stepped closer, tilting her head back so her gaze could meet mine. “It will get worse before it gets better.”

  Before I had time to react, she raised her burned hand and cupped my cheek. An instant shock of white light blinded me for a few seconds. I shook my head to clear it and thought I saw a faint, blue iridescence leave her eyes. My mind had to be playing tricks on me, but then something else caught my attention—the vulnerability and strength in her eyes, like Lucky’s, but deeper, older. It tore through whatever control I had. I reached up to touch Brennan’s face, and she pressed her cheek into my hand. It was like looking into Lucky’s eyes.

  “Lucky,” I whispered. Chills ran up and down my body.

  She exhaled. “Finally.”

  Feckin’ hell. A jolt of anger rushed through me, making me stumble back. She’d read me like I was a bloody five-year-old. If she harmed Lucky in any way, took her away from me, or God knew what else, I’d snap this woman’s neck in half. I didn’t care if she was an Elder.

  She laughed. “Good. Good. Your protective instincts are strong, and you’ll be needing them.” She paused to sigh. “Time hasn’t changed anything, I’m afraid.”

  My chest felt like a vise around my lungs. I collapsed into a chair, my head buzzing. “What did you do to me?”

  “You’ll be yourself again in a minute.” She put on her gloves again. “I was right to put Aileen with you, or you would’ve given your Lucky away.” A steely resolve returned to her face. All traces of Lucky’s softness vanished.

  I leaned forward, my head between my hands.

  Shite. What have I done? If anything happened to Lucky because of me …

  “Now listen to me carefully. Here’s my condition.” I lifted my face to hers. “As soon as the joining occurs, you must ring me. Tell no one about this conversation. Absolutely no one. Do I make myself clear?”

  I nodded, barely aware of the movement. What choice did I have?

  She left her business card on the table and walked toward the door.

  “Wait!” I managed to stand. “What do you know about the joining?”

  She gave me a wistful smile and left.

  CHAPTER 24

  Lucky

  The back of my head was still pounding from getting out of Jack’s car. Stupid books. He was right though. I had my klutzy moments. Why couldn’t I just let him help me like he’d offered?

  “I can’t be leaving you for a minute without Jack getting his hands all over you,” Liam’s voice said in my head. The lilt made me smile. My eyeballs were pressed against my knees, visions of spaghetti and flashing light danced on my retinas.

  Wait. Was I still hallucinating?

  I raised my head slowly, blinking against the sunlight. He was squatting right in front of me. “Liam?” I scrunched my eyes closed, counted to three, and opened them again. Okay, so I’m not hallucinating. “Liam!” I launched myself at him before I even knew what I was doing.

  He managed to keep his balance while trying to stand us both up. His arms were locked around me, and he let out a large breath. “Jaysus, I missed you too,” he whispered against my neck between kisses. They tingled and energized me.

  What am I doing?

  I ripped away from him, breathless. “I’m sorry. I–I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just … when you were gone, I couldn’t—”

  “Breathe? Me neither.”

  My eyes locked onto his. He meant it. He really did. It was in his red-rimmed eyes and wrinkled brow, but I felt it too, like seeing a breeze lift off a veil and uncover the object beneath.

  “Don’t apologize, Lucky.” He brought up his hand, hesitated, and then tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “I heard Jack say your name, but I didn’t see you. I thought I was hearing things.”

  “Your head? Any use where you banged it?”

  I figured he was asking if I was okay, so I nodded, wanting to smile at the way Liam spoke English. I felt relaxed for the first time since Saturday. I soaked him in. “Are you okay? You look terrible.” Dark circles smudged his eyes like he hadn’t slept in days.

  He stepped closer. “I’m better, now that I’m with you again. I sped back this morning and your hug was worth it.” He gave me a shy smile that ignited my insides.

  I averted my eyes to get my bearings, but couldn’t help notice he was wearing a stained T-shirt and gym shorts. He had dirt and red Carolina clay marks all over. “Uh, what have you been doing?”

  “I was helping Mrs. Robertson. She’s wanting a hole dug for an azalea bush and some help wrestling out her weeds.”

  “Oh my God!” I slapped my hand to my mouth. “I totally forgot I told her I’d do her weeding today. But how did you end up doing it?” I grabbed my bag, shook it, and dug inside for my jingling keys. I had to change into something I could work in. No way would I let him do my job for me.

  “When I drove in, she was waiting for you on her porch, ready to leave for some Labor Day barbecue at a friend’s. She mentioned it to me, so I thought I’d take care of it in case you’d forgot, or um, weren’t up for it.”

  I froze. He did it for me? “Thank you.”

  He shrugged. I started picking up my books, which he insisted on carrying up the stairs. He would’ve followed me in, but I stopped him, pointing to his dirty shoes and legs. His face fell. He must have thought I was leaving him.

  I hid my smile. “I’ll be right back out to help.”

  “Lucky, I can finish—”

  “So are you saying you’d rather not spend time with me? Hmm?” I moved into the doorway and let the screen door close between us.

  He put his hands on either side of the doorframe and flashed me his dimples.

  On his own, Liam had weeded the entire side of the yard facin
g his house and gotten halfway down my side. I dropped my kneepads and garden gloves next to him and got to weeding and deadheading her flowering shrubs. We worked seriously at first, but then I caught him checking out my legs.

  “You know,” I said, raking under an azalea bush. “If you can’t keep your eyes to yourself and get your work done, I might have to teach you a lesson. I could see how much Carolina clay it’ll take to stain your hair and turn you into a ginger.”

  He leaned back on his arms and gave me a playful smile. “If you got that close to me, I’d have to get another hug.”

  “Ha. Ha.” My cheeks heated at the thought. I looked into his pale-green eyes and wondered how I was supposed to meld my heart and mind together. Would I ever get past the fear of being hurt? Wasn’t any relationship a risk?

  He studied the blades of grass by his feet. “Tell me what you’re thinking, Lucky.”

  “Why Indian girls?” I whispered.

  He did the slow sigh again. “That’s part of the secret. I wish I could tell you. Honest.”

  I nodded, flicking a clump of dirt off my knee and onto a dead azalea bloom. Would I be a nobody to him one day, just like the others?

  I took a deep breath to ready myself for the next question. “You said you had to date them. What about me? Do you, um … have to date me?”

  “Jaysus, it sounds like rubbish when you say it like that.” He wiped the back of his hand against his chin and frowned. “Technically, yes, I would’ve had to.” He smiled and then shook his head like he’d just realized something. “But this time no one made me start seeing you. It was only because I’d wanted to.”

  We both got back to work and brought up safer topics to discuss. At the mention of family, he whipped out his phone and showed me pictures of his cousins. We spent the next half-hour looking at photos and sharing funny stories, lying next to each other in the shade. He told me his family had begun breeding alpacas a few years back, which along with their expensive cars and family pubs, gave me the impression they weren’t hurting for money.

  Before long, he held out his hand to help me stand. I surveyed the mess we’d made. I was happy we weren’t done because I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else—with anyone else. After another twenty minutes of work, we finished the side of the house and moved into the backyard.

  “So, uh … what did you do yesterday and, um … this morning … with Jack?” Liam asked, wearing a perfectly calm expression. A nagging feeling told me a storm brewed behind his casual inquiry. I imagined a gust of wind that kept pushing me away from something I wanted to see. These hallucinations were getting weirder and weirder.

  “Well, yesterday I helped choreograph a teaser routine with the drill team. It’s for the party this Friday.” I casually glanced at him. “Have you heard about it?” He nodded but didn’t say more. Damn. I should’ve asked if he was going. He turned his back to me and tugged on a stubborn clump of weeds. The moment seemed lost, so I kept my mouth shut. “Then today, I studied with Jack and Shiney at their house.” I stood and collected the garden tools, moving them a few feet ahead of where we worked.

  He made a grunting sound and then clawed at the clump of weeds with a cultivator. His words came back to me. “I can’t be leaving you for a minute without Jack getting his hands all over you.”

  Huh. Was he jealous?

  “Wait a minute,” I said. “When I came home, you saw Jack. He called out to you. You knew I’d hurt my head.”

  “Your point?”

  “Why didn’t I see you?” My heart raced, remembering how awful I’d felt.

  He yanked out the stubborn weeds with a little too much force. Dirt flew everywhere. “I knew you wanted your space. You’d not want me thumping him senseless for touching you, would you? Because that’s what I’d have—”

  I laughed. He was jealous. His reaction seemed so natural, so genuine, that I was relieved. Maybe his feelings weren’t as contrived as I thought.

  “And you’re laughing at me now?” He jumped up and grabbed me by the thighs, throwing me over his shoulder.

  “Liam!” I squealed and fell into fits of laughter as he headed toward his backyard. “No, I wasn’t. I swear. Put me down.”

  “So this is what I should’ve done for you then.”

  The bump on my head was throbbing while I was upside down, but I couldn’t stop laughing. He charged onto his patio, slid me down, but stopped before my feet touched the ground. We were face to face, and I was sure it was so I could see him wink and grin at me. I rolled my eyes. He leaned me back on one of his lounge chairs and brought my legs around.

  “Sit tight, yeah?” He went inside.

  The tingling faded, and the rubber band snapped back again. He returned soon enough, scrunching up a bag of frozen peas, breaking up clumps between his fingers. He sat on the edge of the lounge chair, beside my hip, and gently took out my ponytail holder. I winced as the hair tugged on the sore spot. He felt around for it. “That’s some knot you’re sporting.” He put the bag of peas in place and leaned me against the glorious coolness. I wanted to moan. He opened a fresh water bottle for me.

  “So what now?” I asked.

  He was looking down, fingering the edge of my shorts. “I know you hadn’t intended on spending your afternoon with me, but I’m glad you did. I’ve been having a good time.”

  “I am too,” I whispered.

  His fingers brushed my thigh, and I felt a jolt in my heart.

  He gave me an earnest look. “If it makes a difference … the family photos, I didn’t share that with any of the others. Not one of them came home to meet my mum … and Patty? Patty’s too special. It’s been brutal watching him isolate himself. I’d never have let any of the others talk to him. I didn’t want him making connections and then … well, you know.”

  I curled my fingers into my palm. Knowing he could use some comfort, but not giving him any, filled me with guilt.

  He ran his hand through his hair and cursed under his breath. “Christ, Lucky. I’m not trying to guilt you into staying with me. That’s not why I said—”

  “What? No.” I sat up and the bag of peas slid to my rear end. How does he read my face so well? “I didn’t feel guilty about that. I promise.” I took his hand even though I shouldn’t have. “I–I felt guilty about not comforting you when you mentioned Patty. I was trying to keep my distance, that’s all.”

  He sighed, closed his eyes briefly, and let out a laugh. “You’ve got a big heart, Lucky. Big as the sea itself.” He kissed my hand and then repositioned the bag of peas before nudging me back. My fingers still tingled from touching him. “Stay here and ice that lump. I’ll finish up, yeah?”

  I didn’t want him to finish up all on his own, but the ice felt good against the throbbing.

  He paused before getting up, his eyes twinkling, and pointed to my icepack. “You know, eating a whole bag of thawed peas—I’d only ever do that for you.”

  I laughed. “I’m truly sorry. I didn’t realize how bad I was torturing you.”

  Dimples popped onto his face, and he took my hand in his. I didn’t think he realized he’d done it. “Won’t be a torture if you’ll stay with me for supper. I can grill some hot dogs or hamburgers to eat with the peas. It’s Labor Day, after all. My mum’s meeting up with me Da at Duke to see some colleagues. They’ll be home much later, but if you’re wanting something else, we can go out to eat, or order—”

  “Hot dogs sound perfect. Mom’s working late anyway.”

  He nodded slowly and studied my face for a moment. His eyes reminded me of silvery-green moss. When he stared into my eyes, it was like standing under the thick protective canopy of a lush forest. He leaned in, but I wasn’t ready for him to kiss me.

  Don’t cave.

  I leaped up from the lounge chair and shoved my hair back into a ponytail. I struggled to catch my breath, the rubber band snapping back hard enough to knock the wind out of me. I pressed on my sternum. “Tha
t’s enough ice. I’m good now. Are you, uh … ready … to get back to work?” I turned around, and his cheeks looked like they’d been slapped. My heart fell.

  “Sure.” He gave me a tight smile, his eyes flat. He turned to get up, but I stopped him by kneeling on the lounge chair behind him and throwing my arms around his neck.

  I was such a sucker.

  I brought my face up next to his. “Are you going to the party on Friday?”

  He leaned his head into mine. “You’ll be on a date, remember?”

  “Uh. No. Jack and I will have pizza with Shiney and Matthew, and then Jack will be my ride to the party.” I filled him in on the real reason Shiney would be there and turned to study his facial expressions. He was smiling. “So? Are you going?”

  “Since we’re not officially dating, I guess I’ll see you if I see you.”

  “Liam!” I pulled my arm against his throat to play-choke him. “You know, you’re messing with powers you simply cannot comprehend.”

  “You have no idea.” He reached up, cupped the back of my neck, and gave me a tender kiss on the lips. We both let out a breath.

  Damn.

  I stood and cleared my throat. “You better know how to dance.”

  He smirked. “Don’t you be worrying over that.”

  “Come on. Let’s finish. I’m getting hungry for peas.” I grabbed the water bottle for a drink, hoping I could wash away the magnetic pull of the tingling.

  It got hotter as the afternoon wore on, and with the setting sun aiming right at us, the sweat rolled down my back. We were about done, so Liam left to prep for dinner.

  I collected the yard waste, bending, squatting, and reaching for the mess we’d made. Liam watched me from the grill with a big grin on his face. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. He shrugged and let out a laugh.

  With the yard cleaned up, I lay back on a shaded patch of grass with my arms outstretched and eyes closed. The blades tickled my skin, and the rich smell of clay mingled with the fragrances of Mrs. Robertson’s white, purple, and pink pansies, violets, and peach snapdragons. Without a breeze, the humidity seemed to hold the scents against me like a blanket.