“Everything is ready,” he says serenely, and Jocelyn smiles. Then she heads up the majestic butterfly staircase with AJ and Danika by her side.
I just stare, as if trapped, watching the three of them float up the stairs. I think I just witnessed the birth of a new family.
Once Jocelyn and AJ are out of sight, Daniel turns his full attention to me.
“How are you feeling, Liv?” Daniel asks.
“How does it look like I’m feeling?” I answer, worn. “Not so good,” Daniel shakes his head, almost amused.
“I hope one day, you’ll have a different answer when I ask you that question.” I say with a deliberate smile.
Justice watches our interaction with curiosity, obviously not in the know.
“I take it some more healing is in order?” Daniel asks. “Yes please.”
“More?” Justice repeats, his eyes passing between me and Daniel.
“Liv can explain everything to you upstairs,” Daniel says to Justice with lively amber eyes. “I’d like to look in on Jocelyn for a moment, before I take care of Liv, if that’s okay?”
Justice dips his head in concurrence then rests his hand gently on the small of my back, pressing towards the stairs.
“More?” He looks down at me as we ascend the stairway. “It’s no fun in the dark, huh?” I say.
“That depends,” He flashes me a smart-ass grin. God, I love him.
As I walk into Justice’s room, I immediately notice the change.
“Do some redecorating?” I say surprised.
The room is no longer heavenly white; the walls and floor are now a dark wood with a light gray throw rug positioned under the bed. The plushy white comforter is still here, as is the oversized tufted headboard that takes up most of the back wall.
“It needed some color,” Justice answers me. “Black and grey,” I comment. “Colorful.”
I crawl onto the bed and lay carefully on Justice’s new ‘colorful’ throw pillows, highly eager for Daniel to arrive. I’m in so much pain. Justice kneels next to the bed, his eyes doting, and runs his fingers through my dark bangs. It’s always soothing when he does that. I close my eyes and try to relax.
“Liv,” I hear Daniel’s voice and flutter my eyes open. He’s standing on the opposite side of the bed as Justice. He sets himself down on the mattress next to me without disturbing the surface at all. I swear he’s lighter than air.
“I promise to be gentle,” he says, as he delicately pulls the white scarf from around my neck. I wince as he undoes the bandage. “God!” Daniel gasps with horrified eyes when he finally sees the damage.
Justice is still kneeling by the bed, his head is inclined downward, but his eyes are staring acutely up at Daniel; his
hands gripping the comforter so tightly his knuckles are white.
They don’t say a word to each other, at least not out loud, but I can tell by the intensity of their expressions that they’re having a telepathic conversation.
“You’ve had quite a trip,” Daniel says as he places his hands over my neck.
“Daniel,” I say dryly. “You have no idea the long, strange trip it’s been.”
He smirks, his facial expression lightening, bringing back the Daniel I’m accustomed to. My neck all of a sudden begins to tingle as a warm, healing heat spreads over my thrashed skin. I breathe in a sigh of relief as the pain melts away.
“Don’t forget about her rib,” Justice says attentively.
Daniel moves his hands slowly down my chest, making sure to cover the entire top half of my body. It’s feels like getting a massage with hot stones.
“All fixed,” Daniel says contentedly.
I quickly prop myself up on my elbows. “Thank you, again.” “Anytime. It’s what I’m here for,” Daniel smiles.
I smile back, but I know the emotion doesn’t reach my eyes.
My body may be restored to one hundred percent, but my mind is still distressed. I glance tentatively between Justice and Daniel. “Would you mind getting me some water?” I ask Justice timidly.
He hesitates for a moment, and then gets up off the floor.
He leans down and kisses my head, then shoots an inquisitive look at Daniel. Daniel regards him impassively, never giving anything away.
I watch Justice leave the room and wait several moments to make sure he isn’t in earshot. Then I snap my head towards Daniel and blurt out. “I’ll go see Cross with you, whenever you want.”
Daniel’s mouth drops open, clearly surprised by my hasty admission.
“Okay, but can I ask what brought this on so suddenly?”
“It’s just, I think you might be right.” I grab the pendant hanging around my neck. “Something’s off. I can feel it now. I don’t know where to start, I met a gypsy in Century city-”
“A gypsy!” Daniel interrupts me.
“Yes, and she gave me this necklace, and I don’t know, ever since I put it on, all this weird stuff has been happening. Justice and I can touch now,” I say cryptically. “And she said that a decision needed to be made, and she called herself a presage. What the hell is that?” I try to spew as much information at Daniel as I can before Justice gets back. I don’t want discuss any of this in front of him, at least not tonight. But I’m desperate for some answers.
“I see,” Daniels stares with wide eyes as he digests my ambush of information, then he takes the pendant in his hand and
studies it for a few seconds before he speaks. “A presage is warning of a future event.”
That sounds bad. I frown.
Just then Justice returns, I look at Daniel with pleading purple eyes; he interprets that I don’t want to talk about this anymore.
“Here, baby,” Justice sits next to me on his bed and hands me a bottle of water. He inspects both Daniel and me with suspicious blue eyes. He’s no dummy.
“Well,” Daniel says with a tranquil smile. “I think my work here is done. And I believe you have a big day tomorrow Liv.”
“I do.” The preparations for Nikkee’s wedding extravaganza start at nine AM.
“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Justice asks as he shifts more comfortably on the bed.
I bite my lip. “Would you mind taking me home? All my stuff for tomorrow is there, and I’d like to get in as much sleep as possible.”
Justice frowns slightly. “Sleep?”
“Yes, I still do that,” I say pointedly. “Besides, it’s two in the morning, what else am I supposed to do?”
Justice raises his eye brows suggestively. “I need to recharge,” I tell him candidly.
“Well,” Daniel says, tapping the comforter before standing. “I’ll take this as my cue to be going. It’s nice to see the two of you back together.”
I smirk automatically in response.
“Thanks, Daniel,” I say as he glides to the door. He turns to look at me, his gaze so much more deliberate than his tone. “I’m here whenever you need me.”
Then he disappears out the door.
I have a feeling, Daniel, I’m going to need you more than either of us know.
***
I drop my bag at the door and sigh, there’s no place like home. I flop onto my bed and let myself melt into the mattress.
Justice right beside me.
“What a week,” he remarks.
“And it’s not over yet,” I say as we both stare up at the ceiling. “There’s just Nikkee’s wedding tomorrow. That should be
smooth sailing.”
“You’d think so,” I scoff. “Postal pixies, immortal grim reapers and prophetic warnings are nothing compared to Davis’ grandmother. She alone, is enough to scare me into submission, and she doesn’t even have magical powers.”
That I know of.
He rolls onto his side and rests his head in his hand. He looks so glorious, wide sparkling blue eyes and dazzling smile.
“What are you smiling at?” I ask intrigued. “You, your mouth never ceases to amaze me.” “And that’s a good thi
ng?” I ask in retrospect.
He leans down and kisses me. “It’s the very best thing in my life.”
“My mouth?” I ask with a glint of wonder.
“Mmm hmm,” he groans, and need instantly detonates inside of me.
Suddenly distracted, he runs his thumb across my neck.
I know what he’s thinking; only a few hours ago I was on the brink of death, again. And he was on the brink of losing me, again.
I swear I’m destined for infinite plight.
I grab his hand. “It’s gone, Daniel healed it,” I say ingenuously.
“Daniel can only heal so many things.” Justice looks down at me with a mishmash of emotion.
“What he can’t heal, you can,” I grab his face and jerk his lips to mine. I don’t want to think about my emotional scars, or our fate, or our time, or our end.
What does he always say to me?
“Be here, with me, now,” I beseech him.
My words explode something inside him, and before I know it he is on top of me, pouring out feelings I can’t catalog quickly enough. Everything is different now. We are different now. The stakes are higher and with them come greater liabilities.
Justice suddenly stops kissing me; he sits up swiftly straddling himself on top of me. Then he pulls my body up to his, imprisoning my head in his hands. He looks down at me with that transcendent look, the one that sees all my past and all my futures.
“You carry me,” he says devotedly, and my heart swells from his decree.
I’ll never understand it, this force; this gravitational pull that draws us together. I felt it the first time he kissed me, I felt it in Century city the first time we crossed the physical divide, I feel it now, as our relationship vigorously unfolds.
And I know he feels it too.
Justice kisses me riotously. The fervor quickly spurring hurried hands and willing bodies; causing a dizzying current to tangle deep within us.
Eyes that are filled with love and longing, and want and need saturate my consciousness, reprieving the once dull ache of my desire.
Succumbing to his unrest, I am lost. Completely engulfed by the juggernaut that is Justice Pasture.
Marry Me
I rush into La Mer hotel at a frenzied pace, with my pink crystal embellished gown draped over my right arm and one shoe clutched in each hand. Damn Justice and his morning interludes. I have no will power when it comes to him. Rounding the lobby and heading for the elevators, I run smack dab into Davis and Kerri. Davis does not look happy. In fact, he looks straight up distraught. His fingers are intertwined on his head with a restless energy radiating off him.
“Hey Liv,” Kerri’s stance immediately straightens when he sees me, a wide smile spreading across his face.
Oh boy.
“What’s going on guys?” I ask, looking between them.
Davis exhales a frustrated huff, “What’s going on is that the singer I hired to surprise Nikkee has bailed! He was supposed to perform our wedding song!” He throws his hands from his head, aggravated.
“Oh, that’s not good,” is all I can think to say. Kerri nods in agreement.
“I made a few calls to see if anyone can step in, but with the late notice,” Kerri shrugs. “It’s a no-go.”
I purposefully look between Davis and Kerri. Both dapper in black tuxedos with light pink roses pinned in their lapels.
Could he?
Would he?
I bite my lip as I deliberate. It can’t hurt to ask.
I look dubiously at Davis and Kerri. “I may have a solution.”
***
A barrage of bridesmaids in flowing pink satin and tulle are primping for their big moment down the aisle. There’s a lot of head nodding and eye gesturing being thrown around as Nikkee gets more and more flustered. Two and sometimes three bodies are squeezed in front of every available mirror shading, curling and coating everything and anything on their bodies. Nikkee’s hotel suite has turned into the backstage of one of Vera Wang’s runway shows.
If I had to deal with this a few months ago I would’ve been hiding under the bed from all the brazen emotion flying around the room.
This day isn’t exactly going smoothly. Besides Davis’ dilemma, Nikkee’s makeup artist hasn’t shown up, one of the girls ripped her dress, and her bouquet is all wrong. Nikkee is trying to keep it together, but one catastrophe after the next, and the overabundance of people she hardly knows is weighing on her. Frankly, this whole wedding is weighing on her, and it is
definitely time for it to be over.
“Just a few more hours,” I keep reminding her. “It will all be over in a few more hours.”
She acknowledges me with a fretting breath as Eunique puts the finishing touches on her chignon. Even with all the turmoil, she looks ravishing. Her hair, her makeup, the beautiful dress; it is all too perfect. She is glowing. Beneath it all, she remembers what this day is about.
Her and Davis. Perspective.
It’s almost time; the photographer is taking his last pictures, the international brigade of bridesmaids are done playing dress up, and Nikkee is spared one calamity short of total overload. Or so I think.
As she wiggles up from the seated position the photographer stuck her in, a wave of white buttons pop right off the back of her diamond white, drop waist, Badgley Mischka wedding dress. The buttons that took me almost an hour to fasten. Twelve gasps of horror ring loud, along with one ear piercing shriek. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. With Eunique helping me, I quickly snatch up as many buttons as I can find. They are everywhere. I gawk around the room at the girls, “Does anyone know how to sew?!”
Every face is the same, clueless.
A wave of emotion explodes from Nikkee; she starts hyperventilating and is about to go down. With the buttons in one hand I grab her arm with the other.
“Nik just breathe! Breathe!” is all I can muster. “I can’t!” She gasps.
Some maid of honor I am, my bride is falling to pieces!
Without even thinking I plop her down on the bed and shoo the girls out of the room in an attempt to free up some oxygen. As I watch my best friend fall apart, I panic and pick up the phone. I mindlessly dial.
“Jocelyn, I have a major problem.”
***
There is a knock at the door. I stop fanning Nikkee with the silver champagne tray to answer it. She is still breathing rapidly and paler than a ghost. Where is a paper bag when you need one? When I open the door I find a surprise.
“Not the Seraph you were expecting?” Aayden asks.
“It never is.” I shake my head, peeking outside to see if Jocelyn is with him.
“Just me.” He walks into the suite holding a small box, and glances over at Nikkee. “Whoa, you weren’t kidding. Melt. Down.”
“Yup.”
Aayden glides over to Nikkee where Eunique has taken over fanning her. I do hasty introductions, “Eunique, Nikkee, this is Justice’s, um, brother, Aayden.”
Aayden nods at both of them.
“No worries love, I’ll have this fixed in a jiff,” he says in his charismatic, Seraph way. He fluently pulls Nikkee to her feet, spins her sideways and assesses the back of her dress, then kneels down behind her and gets to work.
Nikkee addresses me with doubtful eyes.
“Everything is going be fine,” I assure her in hush, as I glance down at Aayden. I’ll have to find out the history of his seamstress skills later.
With Aayden concentrating, Eunique leans into me nonchalantly, fixated on the sewing Seraph. “Does everyone in their family look like that?” He asks with engrossed innuendo.
I nod, and Eunique starts fanning himself.
Nikkee begins to snivel, small dots of mascara speckling around her eyes.
“Nik, you need to calm down,” I grip her hands tightly, trying to distract her. She is shaking, her face is flushed and her palms are sweaty. She hasn’t even made it to the altar yet.
There seems to be no
calming her, the panic has completely taken over. I’m scrambling. It finally occurs to me what I have to do. Drastic times call for drastic measures; and there is no bottle
of Xanax or paper bags readily available. Man what I wouldn’t
give for my medicine cabinet right now. I grasp her hands and forcefully try to push the most soothing energy I can muster into her, hoping for some calm. It works!
She quickly stops shaking and her cheeks take on a healthy pink glow. Then her eyes roll into the back of her head, and her knees buckle. Eunique gasps. Aayden catches her just before she goes totally limp.
“Jeez Liv, don’t put her in a coma,” Aayden mutters under his breath as he props her up with thread in his mouth.
“Oops, shit!” I quickly try to fix my mistake and call her back.
She comes to, completely unaware and totally confused. “You passed out,” Eunique tells her, patting her arm.
Aayden shoots me a snarky look. Neither one of them know about my super-sneaky superpowers. That’s a discussion for another day.
I steady Nikkee as Aayden finishes sewing on the last of the buttons. There is finally some calm in the room.
As Eunique fixes Nikkee’s hair, I touch up her makeup. Sighing, Eunique gushes over her. “A fairytale princess ready to meet her prince.”
Aayden feigns a gag.
Nikkee glances down at Aayden, then leans into me ever so slightly and whispers, “I don’t know, maybe I should have held out.” She giggles with wicked gleam.
Gravitational Pull (Vis Vires, book 2) (Vis Vires trilogy) Page 19