Under His Skin

by Stacey O'Neale

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Annabelle had been pacing for so long, she was sure she had burned a hole into the carpet. Peeking through her blinds for the hundredth time, she saw that Main Street was filled with life. It was a typical Sunday midmorning. Families in dress clothes—probably coming from church—were getting a late breakfast. Older residents who likely attended the early-morning service strolled the side streets in their jeans and sweaters. A few brought their pooches along for the walk while they scanned the new merchandise in the boutique windows.

  It had been a few hours since she had spoken to Hayden. He’d assured her that everything was all right, but in her heart, she couldn’t be convinced until she heard Kaden’s voice. Only he could ease her worried mind. She tried to keep herself busy by cleaning, feeding the cat, and then doing some laundry. She even managed to make herself an egg sandwich but was only able to swallow a few bites. All the while, her restless mind raced. She couldn’t force herself to leave her apartment—unable to shake the overwhelming feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.

  Frustrated, she stopped herself from taking another step and put her hands over her face. This situation was slowly driving her insane. Annabelle wasn’t the type of person to sit around and wait for things to happen. She was a planner, always organized and prepared. If there was a problem, she would work until she figured it out. But for the first time in her life there was nothing she could do—she felt helpless.

  The call box speaker on her wall buzzed, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. A second later, she heard the voice she’d been praying for. “Bells, it’s me. Buzz me up.”

  She hurried over to the box, pushing the button to unlock the exterior door. Then she ran to the entrance of her apartment like a puppy waiting for its human to come home from work. She laughed nervously at the thought, but it was very close to how she felt. She couldn’t remember a time when she wanted to see someone more than Kaden at this moment. Her heartbeat sped up when she heard his footsteps pounding up the stairs.

  She opened the door just as he reached the landing and his smile nearly turned her legs to Jell-O. He wore a black leather jacket with a green cotton shirt underneath, his jeans snug enough to outline the definition in his muscular legs. The poor guy barely had a foot inside when she threw her arms around his neck. His jacket was chilly on her bare skin, but she refused to release him. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, her shoulders released the tension they had been carrying.

  Annabelle pulled back, placing her palms on his cold cheeks. “I was so scared. Hayden tried to make me feel better, but I needed to see you. What happened?”

  “I’m fine.” Kaden placed his hands around her wrists. “Are you okay?”

  “Hayden told me you saved my life.” She wrapped her hands around his waist and laid her head against his chest. “I’m alive because of you.”

  “No.” He released himself from her hold and stepped inside her apartment. “You were in danger because of me. You shouldn’t be thanking me for anything.”

  “Something’s wrong. I can sense it.” She took a step toward him, and he made his way over to the sofa. “Please tell me what’s happened.”

  Mr. Crisco was asleep, all curled up on a couch cushion. He hissed when Kaden picked him up and put him on the floor. Spoiled fur ball. When Annabelle approached, he gestured for her to sit beside him. After the cat had scurried away, he said, “I want you to know I’m so sorry you got involved in all of this. If I had known going in that this would happen, I never would’ve walked into your bakery.”

  “Why are you saying this?” She winced. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  He wished he didn’t have to say any of this. More than anything, he wanted to take her in his arms and go far away from this disaster. But she would never be safe with him. James had helped him accept that. “After I spent some time in the FBI headquarters, I started to see our situation for what it is. It was something I think I’ve always known in the back of my mind, but I’ve ignored it for so long.”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked, fingers fidgeting in her lap.

  He had to say it, no matter how much it hurt. “After we kill Uriel, I’m leaving.”

  She tensed. “Where are you going?”

  A place where he couldn’t hurt her anymore. “Somewhere far away.”

  Her eyes welled with tears. “Why would you do that?”

  Stabbing pain didn’t begin to explain the ache in his chest. Saying the words to her and watching her suffer tortured him. He hated himself even more for putting her through this, but he had no choice. Not if he wanted her to have a normal life. “This thing between us can never work. No matter what we do, I will always be an alien in the world. I will never have a normal life. It’s better for everyone if I just go away.”

  Putting her hand on her chest, she said, “What about me? Do I get a say in your decision?”

  Don’t you see I am doing this for you? “No.”

  She stood, wiping a tear away with the back of her hand. “After everything we’ve been through, you’re just going to walk away? What about your feelings for me? Our bond. Did all of that disappear, too?”

  Separating himself from her would be agony. Every minute of the rest of his life would be a painful fight to stay away, but he was willing to suffer if it meant she would be happy. And even though she didn’t know it now, she would eventually find a suitable mate. Someone who would give her the life he never could. One day, she would be grateful he left her. “I can never be rid of the bond, but I can learn to live with it.”

  Waving her hands in front of her, she said, “Well, I don’t accept this.”

  He stood. “You don’t have a choice.”

  “You’re right, I don’t. And neither do you.” She grabbed his bicep. “Maybe our relationship doesn’t make sense. It’s certainly had its crazy moments. But you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save me, and that means something.”

  Of course it did. Even if there was no bond between them, he was hers. He shook his head. “I saved you because I was the one who put you in that situation.”

  “You saved me because you love me.” She cupped her hands on his cheeks. “And I would’ve done the same for you, because I am in love with you.”

  She’s in love with me. Closing his eyes, he shuddered. All he wanted was this woman. His heart ached to tell her she was right. If it was possible for him to love, he most certainly loved her. “That’s a human emotion.”

  Her lips pressed together. “Look into my eyes and tell me you don’t love me. If you can do that, I will let you walk away without a fight.”

  A lump swelled in his throat, and he swallowed hard. How was he supposed to say that? This was going to break her almost as much as it would break him. But it was what she needed for closure, and Kaden would rip himself apart to give it to her. The words tasted like poison on his tongue. He opened his mouth and lied, “I don’t love you.”

  She jolted as if struck. Her hands dropped to her sides, and she backed away from him. “Then get out.”

  A wave of pain, anguish, and regret rippled through him like a tidal wave. “Annabelle.”

  “Don’t say another word.” Her voice cracked. “Just go.”

  He opened his mouth, then closed it. There was nothing left he could say. Nothing that would make it easier for her. With that in mind, he made his way outside. His hands clenched at his sides, and he let out a growl. He tried to remind himself that he had done the right thing. But why did the right thing have to hurt so damn much? Why did it feel so wrong in every possible way? Why did he want to walk back in there and beg for her forgiveness?

  Anger ripped through him, twisting in his gut, burning him up from the inside out.

  He punched his fist into the brick, and blood trickled down his knuckles.

  Annabelle was gone.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Annabelle had made a fool of herself. After she found out Kaden saved
her life, she’d been sure it meant he was in love with her. Or, at least, the alien equivalent to love. But like everything else, he had saved her out of obligation. If Uriel hadn’t shown up, nothing would’ve ever changed between them. He only wanted to be her friend. Perhaps that wasn’t even true. Maybe he would’ve befriended anyone just to seem like he was part of the community.

  But none of that mattered, because he was leaving. He felt so little for her, he easily discarded their friendship. Without hesitation, he could just get up and go. A low grumble escaped her lips. Drew—her recently hired baker—glanced at her, then quickly shifted his eyes down into a bowl he was mixing. The rest of the crew worked around her without anyone saying a word. They must have noticed her agitation, which made her feel bad. She would make it up to her staff by surprising them with lunch. Sweat beaded her forehead, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. It was like Bermuda in her kitchen.

  But who was she kidding? It wasn’t the heat that was bothering her. Anger and frustration radiated through her, making her sweat. She held on to the sensation as long as possible. Had she let it go, she would’ve burst into tears. How could she have let things get so far with him? Why did she open herself up to hurt in this way? There had to be signs all over the place she had ignored. It was the only way to explain how she had misconstrued Kaden’s feelings for her.

  Thank goodness the crowd was thick when her bakery opened. Men and women in business attire rushed in and out, carrying bags of pastries for their early Monday morning meetings. After the crowd settled, her retired regulars showed up. They typically had a bagel and several cups of coffee while they discussed the problems of the world. Of all her customers, Annabelle enjoyed them the most. Listening as they carried on kept her mind busy. Except when she absentmindedly let her thoughts drift off to the same image on repeat: Kaden staring into her eyes as he told her he didn’t love her.

  The shrieks of an elderly woman jolted Annabelle from her tear-inducing thoughts only seconds before piping-hot coffee ended up in her husband’s lap.

  “I’m so, so sorry,” Annabelle said, reaching over the counter for a rag. The cashier rushed over to assist. She handed him the coffee cups while she cleaned the rest of their table. “Please refill their drinks, and get Charles and Edna whatever else they want on the house.”

  “It’s all right, honey.” Charles patted her on the shoulder. “You didn’t get a drop on me.”

  It wasn’t all right to her. She’d gotten caught up in her agony-filled memory and made a dim-witted mistake. “I’m so sorry, Charles. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

  “You look like a girl with love on her mind,” Edna said, fishing for information. “I’d recognize that expression anywhere.”

  She certainly had a lot on her mind, but love wasn’t part of it. Well, at least not from Kaden’s perspective. Bond or not, she had fallen in love with him. Too bad when it finally happened for her, it was with someone who would never reciprocate. She held back the tears welling in her eyes.

  “Yeah, that’s love all right,” Charles added, shaking her out of her thoughts.

  “You’re right, Edna.” She waved her hand to get a little breeze on her face. “Can’t get anything past you.”

  Somehow, Annabelle managed to survive the rest of her morning without injuring herself or anyone else. There were a few bakery casualties, of course. Before the lunch crowd arrived, she burned a loaf of bread, dropped a carton of eggs on the floor, and cracked one of her favorite mixing bowls. To say she wasn’t on her game was a drastic understatement.

  Sometime in the late afternoon, Hilary surprised her with a visit. That was odd. She couldn’t remember her ever stopping by at this time of day. Normally, she would see her either before she went into work or on the weekends. There had to be a really good reason for her to be here now. Annabelle stood behind the register and waited for her to approach.

  “You look like hell,” Hilary said, not holding anything back, as usual.

  The last time she’d seen her, it was right before her date with Kaden. She had stormed out of her apartment. “What are you doing here?”

  Hilary slid her expensive glasses to the top of her head, using them as a headband. “I came to apologize for leaving the way I did. I was just so aggravated because I thought you were lying to me. Maybe you had your reasons or maybe I’m a complete idiot. In any case, I’m sorry.”

  No, she was dead-on.

  Annabelle had tried—unsuccessfully—to keep her relationship with Kaden a secret. How could she be mad at Hilary for picking up on it and getting upset? Hilary knew her better than anyone else. Now, more than ever, she wanted to tell her the truth. To share her fear of this new alien and the pain of Kaden’s abandonment. For the two of them to sit in her apartment and eat a gallon of ice cream and watch silly horror movies.

  Annabelle burst into tears.

  Hilary grabbed her hand, led her around the counter, and pulled her into a hug. “Oh. My. God. I didn’t mean to make you cry. What did I say?”

  “No, it’s not you,” she said, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her shirt. “You were right about everything. The date with Kaden was real, and it was wonderful.”

  Hilary reached for a napkin, handing it to her. “Then why are you crying?”

  The words just rolled off her tongue without much thought. “Because he told me last night that it was over. I told him I was in love with him, and he said he didn’t feel the same.” She glanced around the room, realizing she was making a scene. “I must look like a blubbering idiot.”

  Grabbing Annabelle by the upper arms, Hilary lowered her head until their eyes were level. “You’re not an idiot. Kaden is the one who’s an idiot.” She narrowed her eyes. “Next time I see him, I’m gonna beat the living shit out of him. And if that doesn’t work, I’m going to run him over with my car.”

  Annabelle laughed.

  And for the first time in a long time, she felt a bit of tension release from her shoulders. “Thank you for saying that. I needed it.”

  Hilary released her and slipped her purse back on her shoulder. “I have to go.”

  Alarm bells went off in her head. She had never seen her best friend look so angry. “What are you going to do?”

  With her fists clenched at her sides, she said, “I’m going to go give that asshat exactly what he deserves.”

  “Hilary, please don’t.” She reached for her hand. “It’s done.”

  “I’ll call you later to check on you. If you need me to stop by, just text me.” Hilary turned around and headed for the door. She could almost see the steam rising from her head.

  There was no point in trying to stop her. Nothing had ever stood between Hilary and what she wanted. Certainly not a silly thing like breakup etiquette or the ultimate humiliation her best friend would feel due to her actions. An earthquake could swallow the whole town, and she would still find a way to get to Kaden. If he wasn’t a powerful alien, Annabelle would fear for his life.

  She cringed at the impending embarrassment.

  The clock was moving at the speed of smell. The bakery had emptied. She was only an hour away from closing. Since her cashier was in the middle of finals, she sent him home to study. She and Drew were the only staff left. Closing time wouldn’t be for another hour, so she got a rag and started wiping down the tables.

  “We’re out of strawberries,” Drew said, standing at the kitchen door. “I’ll need them to prepare the breakfast special for tomorrow morning.”

  Annabelle mentally smacked herself on the back of the head. Earlier this morning, Drew had told her he needed fresh strawberries to make the croissant French toast with strawberry syrup. In the haze she had been in all day, she had totally forgotten. It was too late in the day to order them from a supplier, and even if she could, they wouldn’t be here in time for the morning crowd. Her only option was to walk down to the organic grocery store and buy out their stock.

  “Go ahead and close the register,
” she said, making her way behind the counter and grabbing her purse. “I’ll go grab enough to get you through the rush tomorrow.”

  He took off his apron. “I can go. It’s no problem.”

  She waved her hand. “No, this is my mistake. We’ll close early. Go home and enjoy the rest of your day.”

  Drew nodded.

  Just as she was about to put her hand on the front door, she hesitated. Kaden’s voice rang in her ear. He had told her not to go anywhere alone, reminding her she was still in danger. Maybe it would be a good idea to send Drew. But if he left, she would be alone in the bakery. It was better for her to go to the store. There would be customers there and people walking along the street. It wasn’t like Uriel was going to leap out of a darkened alley. It was the middle of the afternoon. She brushed off her bad feeling and made her way down the street.

  As she had expected, people were everywhere. It was right around the time schools were letting out for the day. She settled her pace to a stroll, taking in the nice day. People passed by with smiles and greetings. It was rare that she was out this time of the day. Normally, she would be busy closing everything down. Taking in the crisp air, she let her mind clear. She had relaxed so much that she almost walked right past the grocery store. Once inside, she let out a sigh of relief. They had gotten a fresh produce shipment that morning. She got a cart and cleaned them out of strawberries. She even took what they had in the freezer section just in case the demand was high.

  The owner was kind enough to box everything up for her, even letting her borrow one of his handcarts to haul the fruit back to the bakery. She was so grateful that she lived in a small town where people still tried to help one another. Life was better where everyone knew everyone. It gave her a sense of family even when her own family was fifty miles away. After her parents retired, they’d moved into a small rancher in a beach community. Dad had always dreamed of living on a golf course, and Mom could smell the ocean from her back yard. She was happy when her parents finally got the life they had worked so hard for, but she did miss them a great deal. Thinking of them made her chest ache.