by S. J. West
“Ordered? By who?”
“Lucifer. He sent me to watch over you. He was the one who told me when things were going to happen that I needed to protect you from.”
“How did he know? Why am I important to him?”
“I honestly don’t know. I’ve asked him a thousand times but he always refuses to answer me.”
“So the devil wants to protect me and someone else wants me dead but neither of you know who that is or why. Is that about right?”
“Yes,” Will said. “We don’t know who wants you dead or who has the power to do the things that have happened to you.”
“We’re trying to figure it out,” Brand said. “That’s one reason I went looking for Malcolm the other day.”
There was a moment of silence. I couldn’t think of anything else to ask. I needed some time alone. I needed some time to think things through.
I stood up from the rocking chair. “I’d like to be by myself for a while.”
“I don’t know if you should be alone,” Will said.
“Why not? Michelle’s behind bars and Malcolm didn’t kill me earlier. He doesn’t seem like someone to change his mind on a whim. Neither of you have any idea who it is that’s been trying to kill me the past few years. I don’t think I’m in any danger tonight. I’d really just like some time to think things through.”
“Let’s go, Will.” Brand stood up. “If you need us, all you have to do is call. You’ve seen how quickly we can be here.”
“Thanks.”
I walked to the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I listened intently to any sound they might make during their departure but heard only silence. I counted to ten and opened the door.
They were gone.
I stepped out into the now empty living room. It was then I noticed Brand left his tie and jacket sitting on one of the chairs at the dining table. I quickly picked them up and took them to my room stuffing them underneath my bed. I didn’t want to have to explain to Tara why his things were here. I had already decided I wouldn’t tell her anything I’d learned that night. She would probably think I’d lost my mind if I started spouted things about fallen angels and vampires to her. I wouldn’t blame her. I was having a hard enough time believing it myself. Maybe after I came to terms with what Brand and Will had told me, I could share my knowledge with her. It was the first time I’d purposely kept a secret from Tara. It didn’t feel good.
By the time Tara made it home from the dance, I had taken a shower and was sitting on the futon staring at the TV but not really watching the program playing across the screen.
“Hey girl! Did Will bring you home?”
She looked so happy, almost effervescent. She plopped into the rocking chair and started to take off her shoes.
“No, I walked home.”
She looked at me sternly. “I wish you hadn’t done that, Lilly Rayne Nightingale. What was Will thinking letting you walk home? I thought after he took you out of the dance that maybe you’d found a way to forget about Brand for a while. What happened?”
“He tried to kiss me. I ran. He didn’t have a lot of choice.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“You should have come back to the dance. I would have come home with you.”
“By the time I thought about it I was already half way here. Anyway, it looked like you and Simon were having a good time.”
Tara sat back in her chair. “Yeah, I think that boy has potential.” She smiled.
I stood up. “Well, I think I’m going to go to bed. I’m kinda tired. I was just waiting up to make sure you made it home safely.”
“Sweet dreams, hon,” Tara yawned. “I’m gonna go take a shower and head to bed too.”
I went to my room and crawled underneath my covers. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep right away, but I needed to be alone. My mind was racing with thoughts. Some time in the early morning hours, I finally fell into an exhausted slumber.
The next morning I got an unexpected call from my mother.
“Hey sweetie, I wanted to call and see if you were busy today.”
“No, not too very. What’s up, Mom?”
“Do you remember Bob, my friend with the car dealership that I bought the Solstice from?”
I thought I actually did remember Bob, an ex-marine who still wore his blonde hair in a buzz cut. Sometimes it was hard to keep my mom’s boyfriends straight though. “I think so. Why?”
“Well, I told him what you’d been through and he happened to mention he had a car that might be good for you. Do you have time to come and see it?”
“Sure.” I was actually glad to have an excuse to get out of town for a while.
“Great! Why don’t you come on over when you can? I’ll be home all day.”
“Ok, Mom. See you in a bit.”
“Drive safe, sweetie.”
When I told Tara what my plans were for the day, she immediately gathered up all our dirty clothes so she could come with me and use Utha Mae’s washer and dryer instead of having to use the laundry mat at the apartment complex.
When we got home, I helped Tara take the clothes into Utha Mae’s and went over to my mom’s trailer. She was so excited to show me the car Bob was saving for me.
“We all heard what happened to you on the news, Lilly,” Bob said when we got to his car lot. “You just can’t ever tell what nut jobs are in the world. Real sorry you had to go through all that.”
“Thanks.” I was a bit uncomfortable around Bob. He had that seedy used car sales man vibe about him. Though, I did get the impression he was just trying to do me a favor. Either that or get back into my mom’s good graces. He took us over to a well maintained candy apple red 1965 Ford Mustang with white convertible top.
“I got this car real cheap. The fella needed money quick and took the first thing I offered him. His grandma died recently and he found this sittin’ in the garage. It’s like one of those urban legends, really. You almost never see cars like this in such good shape. What do you think?”
“Well, it looks really nice, but I don’t think I can afford it.”
“Tell ya what. I’ll sell it to you for what I paid for it. Could you afford $4000?”
“Are you sure? You could probably sell it for way more than that. I wouldn’t want to cheat you out of money.”
“If you can pay me $4000, it’s yours, Lilly. No strings, just a straight up deal.”
It didn’t take me long to jump on his offer. I wrote Bob out a check fast, before he had a chance to rethink the bargain he was giving me.
When I drove up to Utha Mae’s trailer, I honked the horn to get their attention. They were both pretty impressed with the deal I got.
“Well, who knew Bob Granger had a heart,” Utha Mae said in amazement.
“He can be nice when he wants to be,” my mom said. “I’ll bet Brand will like this car. It’s a classic. When are you gonna bring him back for a visit, sweetie?”
“We’re not dating anymore, Mom.”
“Oh, no.” I could instantly hear the disappointment in her voice. I braced myself for the questioning sure to come. “What did you do?”
“She,” Tara said coming to stand beside me, “didn’t do anything. He’s just an ass is all.”
“Well he seemed nice enough to me when I met him. You must have done something.”
I could feel a cloud of tension develop between Tara and my Mom. Luckily, Utha Mae stepped in.
“Why don’t you come in for a bit, Lilly? I have something I’d like to give you.”
“Well,” my mom said. “I need to go get ready for my date. Bob’s taking me out.”
“We’ll be leaving soon,” I told my mom. “Thank Bob again for the car for me.”
“Ok, sweetie. See you all later.”
When we got back into Utha Mae’s trailer, I thought Tara was going to rip our clothes to shreds the way she was folding them.
“I just don’t know about your mom sometimes, Lilly Rayne. She just beats all I’ve ever se
en.”
“I don’t know why you’re surprised. She’s been that way all my life.”
“I know but…” Tara just shook her head in frustration. “It’s like she thinks having a man in your life will solve all your problems. I haven’t seen it solve any of hers.”
“Tarajinka, you just lay off that woman. She’s got a good heart inside. She just doesn’t know how to show it sometimes,” Utha Mae said. “Anyway, I really do have something I want to give you, Lilly.”
Utha Mae went into her bedroom and came back out with a small jewelry box in her hands.
“There was a lady selling antique jewelry outside the Wal-mart the other day. I saw this and thought of you.”
When I opened the box, I saw that it was a filigree cross and chain made out of silver.
“It’s beautiful, Utha Mae.” I took the necklace out and got her to help me put it around my neck. “Thank you,” I said touching the cross, feeling its delicate structure between my fingers.
“What did you get me?” Tara asked, looking at my necklace with a small bit of envy.
“You don’t always get something when I give Lilly a gift, Tara. Just feel lucky I’m letting you use my washer and dryer for free.”
Tara pouted until we left.
By the time we arrived home, she soon got over her envy.
Simon called her not long after we got home to ask her out on another date.
“I need to do some research at the library anyway,” I told her. “You should go out with him.”
“Are you sure? I’ll come with you if you want.”
“No. You go ahead. It’s just something for my biology class.” I hated lying to Tara but I didn’t want to explain what I was really up to.
Simon didn’t pick her up until almost six. As soon as they left, I ran to my room and grabbed Brand’s jacket and tie from under my bed. I reasoned with myself that I was simply being polite in returning his items to him. Though, I knew by the way my heart was racing that my motives weren’t completely innocent. I desperately wanted to see him again and he’d left me a justifiable excuse to go back to his house.
It didn’t take me long before I was in front of Brand’s place. His car was parked in the driveway so I was pretty sure he would be home. How different it felt to be here again. A week to the day I had experienced the most perfect day of my life.
But what if what I felt for him wasn’t real? Was I just feeling the effects of the pheromone he said he produced? Was I just deluding myself into thinking I loved him?
I grabbed his jacket and tie from the passenger seat, walked up to his front door and rang the bell. My heart was thumping inside my chest in anticipation of seeing Brand again. A few seconds later the door was answered by the one person I had not expected to see.
Izzi stood tall in the doorway wearing absolutely nothing but a smile.
“Well hey there, Lilly. What brings you out here?”
I thought my heart had stopped. What was she doing here and why was she naked? If Brand’s car was in the driveway, then why was he home with a naked Izzi running around his house? The insinuation of what was probably happening made the hope of reconciliation with Brand die in my heart.
“I just wanted to bring Brand back his jacket and tie,” I said, trying to keep my voice even.
“Well how nice of you,” Izzi said with a knowing smile. “I’ll make sure to let him know you dropped them by.”
I handed her the items and quickly turned away to get back into my car.
I raced down the drive way as fast as I could. Once I got back on the highway, I tried to decide where I wanted to go. I didn’t want to go back to the apartment yet, that much I knew. The only other person I knew in town was Will, but I wasn’t ready to see him again. He wasn’t the person I thought he was.
Wanting to be alone and having no where else to go, I bought a cheeseburger and soda at a fast food place and drove onto campus, parking beside the Common’s building. I sat with my meal at the table on the terrace. It was almost seven but the lamps from the side walk on the other side of the rose garden provided enough light for me to see by but still kept me fairly well hidden in the shadows.
I took a sip of my soda and I thought about how much difference a week made. It was about this time last week I was trying to seduce Brand into kissing me. Thinking of Brand made me instantly think about Izzi. I wanted to cry but I didn’t have any tears left. I’d done nothing but cry the last week, and I was sick of it. If he didn’t want me anymore, then I had to try and find a way to move on. I refused to pine for someone I couldn’t have. I’d done that with Will and I wasn’t going to waste myself on someone like that again.
“You seem very thoughtful.”
I nearly spilled the cup of soda in my hands. I looked across the table and saw Malcolm sitting there watching me in the shadows with a thoughtful look of his own. He was dressed quite differently than the last time we’d met. He wore a dark blue shirt and dark slacks. The shirt was open at the chest. Apparently he liked to show that bit of flesh off. I couldn’t say I blamed him. It was quite impressive. He wore his long dark hair loose instead of in the ponytail he’d worn the night before. It had a natural wave to it and fell halfway down his chest and back. The way he sat there with the fingers of one hand at his temples, slouched in the chair added to the look of a brooding romance cover model I’d thought he had the night before.
“What are you doing here?” I asked placing my cup of soda on the table before it dropped from my trembling hand.
“I had an uncontrollable urge to see you again,” he said, not making an excuse, simply stating a fact. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“I guess that depends,” I said, finding my courage. I was tired of being afraid of things. “Are you here to finish the job?”
He chuckled. “No. Like I said last night, I have no intentions of harming you. You’re far too unique to destroy.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I just felt like being with you. You make me feel …content. It’s a feeling I haven’t had in a long time. I’m finding it rather addicting.”
“Should I be worried about that?”
He shrugged his shoulders in a casual manner like we were two friends just having a discussion. “I assume Brand’s told you about me by now.”
“Yes, he told me what you are and what you do.”
He leaned forward in his chair. “Does that bother you?”
“Well yeah,” I said as if it should be obvious. “You’re a murderer.”
“Oh, that sounds so harsh, Lilly. It’s not any worse than eating that hamburger in front of you. Didn’t an animal have to give its life to feed you? How are you any different from me?”
“You can’t compare a cow to a person.”
“Why not? Don’t they think? Have children?”
“There’s a difference. People have souls. Cows don’t.”
A sly smile crossed his face. “What if you and I made a deal?”
“What kind of deal?” I asked suspiciously.
“If you let me see you any time I want, I promise not to eat any more humans.”
“Why would you do that?”
He shrugged as if it were no big deal. “You have a problem with the way I am. I’d be willing to try it your way for a while. It would certainly be something new for me and after all this time here, I’m ready for something different. So what do you say? Is your time worth saving a few lives?”
I was completely speechless. Was he serious? He would honestly stop killing people if I were his what? His friend?
“How would I know that you were true to your word?”
“You couldn’t simply trust me?”
I knew he was teasing me.
“Not really. If you want to be my friend you’ll have to prove yourself.”
He smiled. “Is that what you think I want? A friend?”
“Isn’t that what we’re talking about here?”
“You’ll know if I
cheat by the color of my skin,” he said ignoring my last question. “It looks more like your skin after I feed. Pinker.”
“I’m not sure Brand or Will are going to like you dropping in whenever you want. They don’t seem to trust you very much.”
“I’m not really concerned about what they think of me. They’re the least of my worries.”
“You don’t seem like someone who would worry about much.”
“I don’t.”
I heard a group of girls talking and laughing as they passed by on the sidewalk on the other side of the rose garden.
“You’ll have to excuse me, Lilly. If I’m going to keep this bargain of ours, I need to stay as far away from temptation as I can.” He smiled at me and vanished.
I sat back in my seat and wondered what I had just gotten myself into.
Chapter 14
When I got home, I walked in on Tara and Simon making out on the futon.
“Don’t mind me,” I said, shielding my eyes and quickly making my way to my room. “Room mate passing by.”
I could hear Tara laugh. It was a good sound. I’d put her through so much lately I was glad to see she was able to find some happiness in the chaos that had become my life.
Once I got into my room, I opened the sliding glass doors that lead out to the apartment pool. I grabbed my MP3 player and went to the pool to stretch out on one of the plastic lounge chairs. I hit play and listened to my playlist. I stared up into the starlit sky and wondered what it must be like to travel among them. Would it feel like it did in the dream I had at Brand’s house, freeing, totally weightless?
I closed my eyes reliving as much of that dream as I could. It had been so beautiful, almost magical in its clarity.
I felt a warm hand touch my shoulder. When I opened my eyes, I saw Brand standing beside me. Why did he have to be so beautiful? I felt my heart tighten in my chest like it was in a vise. I took my earplugs out trying to act as casual as I could. The last thing I wanted was for him to know how much his nearness still affected me.
“I’ve been looking for you since you left my house. Where have you been?”
It was nice to see the concern on his face for my well being, but I couldn’t erase the image of Izzi standing naked in his doorway.