by M. A Casey
“I’d like that,” I said smiling at her. She seemed genuinely happy so I thought I would try my luck on something else I had been hoping for. “Do you think we would be able to spend more time together, as a family I mean?”
“Yes, I would like that to, and so would your father.”
I made myself some breakfast, or lunch I wasn’t really sure, and I saw Dad’s car pull into the driveway. He came inside with Tyler following behind, both of them looked relived and extremely happy.
“It worked didn’t it?” I asked expectantly.
“Yes Hayln, it worked perfectly,” Dad said throwing his arms around me. “We’re safe.”
We all enjoyed the moment, embracing each other with relief that it was finally over. We sat back down then and listened to Tyler and Dad’s stories on all three men, and how well the implants had worked. I was swollen with pride for what we had achieved, it was truly unbelievable. Time seemed to fly by with all of us around the table, enjoying each other’s company, and our newly found freedom. Before long though Mum started to tire, and it was time for her and Emin to leave. I thought I might have been more upset to see them go, especially Mum. But I knew things had changed between us and I was looking forward to spending more time with her.
Tyler stayed a little longer and we spent the afternoon laughing at some bad movies and eating junk food. It felt just like it used to until he asked about Zeke.
“I thought Ezekiel would be here today sweeping you off your feet,” he said sarcastically.
“We’re spending the day together tomorrow actually, not that it’s any of your business.” I wasn’t exactly angry with him, but I was kind of hoping he might have accepted this. Neither of us said anything for a few moments before he broke the silence.
“I was wrong about him Hayl’s, he really likes you, anyone can see that,” he said a little sheepishly. I looked at his deep brown eyes and could tell this was still hard for him, but he was trying for my sake.
“Yeah he does,” I said as I threw him his favorite chocolate bar that I had been hiding. “Thanks for understanding.”
Everything went back to normal between us, and he left after the movie. I went to find Dad and was surprised to find him the lab.
“Haven’t you had enough of this place?” I asked.
“I was just thinking about everything you did last night – you were phenomenal. What you achieved was miraculous.”
“I was actually trying not to think about that,” I said looking at all the equipment still there from last night.
“Well, what would you like to do?” He asked a little curious.
“Let’s go and get some takeaway.” He laughed out loud which made me smile. I realized it had been a while since I had heard that.
We went to his favorite restaurant and got the works and took it home. We stuffed ourselves stupid, but told each other since we had missed so many meals over the past twenty four hours that it was okay. I started packing up our plates when I noticed how quiet it was.
“Feels strange without everyone here, don’t you think?” I said.
“It does,” he agreed. “But things will be different now Hayl’s I promise.”
“I know Dad, I can already feel it’s different.” He smiled broadly at me, and I suddenly felt a little shiver. “Dad can I ask you a question about the men today?”
“Of course,” he said as he sat up a little straighter.
“Obviously their implants worked, which is great of course. But I was wondering how permanent you thought they might be. I mean I know there is no real way to tell. But do you think it could wear off?”
“I have been thinking about that all day, and I am not sure I have an answer. In my opinion I don’t think they could wear off, although if prompted with the right information I think there would be a chance they could restore their memories.”
I didn’t say anything and just thought about that for a while before Dad spoke again. “We destroyed all the evidence about us Hayln, and even if there was a chance we missed something it would take more than that for their memories to be reversed. But just so you know, I’m not going to sit here and do nothing. I will find a way to make sure nothing like that happens again – I promise.” He smiled at me in a way that always made me feel safe, and I believed him.
“Now, shouldn’t you be going to bed, I hear you have a big date tomorrow.”
I laughed and threw the tea towel at him, suddenly forgetting all my worries. Tomorrow would be all about Zeke, and I couldn’t wait.
First Date
Holy crap why was I so nervous?
I had been waking up every hour since four in the morning worried I might sleep in and not have enough time to get ready – how crazy is that. After six thirty I couldn’t stand it any longer, and l went downstairs and made some breakfast. Dad was still asleep so I had the place to myself which I was thankful for. I didn’t want anyone else to see how nervous I was. I tried to take my time having breakfast, but that didn’t quite work, so when I was finished I went upstairs to have a nice long shower. The hot water worked some of the tension away and when I got out I had started to feel a little better. I mean it was silly to be nervous anyway. We already know how we feel about each other, and we've had a couple of make out sessions – all be it short ones. So really there was nothing I couldn’t handle.
I brushed my teeth twice and went back to my room to find an outfit. This is when it would have been ideal to have a best friend that was a girl. I mean I could hardly ring Tyler to ask him what he thought I should wear. After a while I decided on a pretty white skirt and a peach tank top with a lace trim. Not to casual, but it didn’t look over the top either. I was just about to decide what to do with my hair when I heard my mobile beep with a text message.
My mind suddenly raced with a million scenarios - Zeke had changed his mind, Mum has taken a turn for the worse or dare I say it Spencer has remembered. But of course it was none of those things, although it was from Zeke, and I did suddenly feel nervous again when I read it.
wear ur swimmers
c u @ 10
luv Z
Once again I felt warm inside knowing we would have the day together, and then the nerves returned when I thought about being in my bikini with him and daydreaming about seeing him with his shirt off. I tried to block that out of my mind for a moment as I looked through my cupboard to find my bikini.
I rarely went swimming. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those girls who can just walk around barely dressed without feeling self-conscious. So instead I try to avoid these sorts of situations, but I certainly wasn’t going to argue today. I eventually found my black bikini in the back of my cupboard. It looked practically brand new because of the lack of wear it had had. I didn’t spend too long looking at myself in it in case I freaked out again, so I just made sure it covered all the essentials. Then I ditched my skirt and put on a pair of khaki shorts with my tank instead.
My hair had nearly dried by this time and had settled into its natural waves, so I pulled a section off my face with a pin and put a hair band on my wrist in case I needed to pull it back later for swimming. I decided there really wasn’t any point to make-up if we were getting wet so I just threw some gloss in my bag and grabbed my towel and thongs and went downstairs to wait.
Dad was up now reading the paper, and looked up when I came in.
“Swimming?” He said sounding surprised.
“Yeah, it was Zeke’s idea,” I said seeing the stupid grin on his face. “Have you heard from Mum this morning?”
“Yes, I called Emin earlier to see how she was, and she is doing well. She actually asked me over for a coffee today.”
“Wow, we both have dates, who would have thought,” I joked with him.
“Mine, is not technically a date Hayln. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea,” he said starting to sound serious.
“Don’t worry about it Dad, I am just happy you two are talking again, really.”
I grabbed the paper and sat
down with him to read while I waited. It was a terrific idea as I was completely distracted when the doorbell rang. I jumped up quickly grabbing my stuff and giving Dad a quick kiss goodbye. I could hear him chuckling.
“You seem more nervous than I am,” he said.
I ignored that, not wanting to tell Dad why I was nervous; instead I laughed it off and went to answer the front door. I'm sure I was grinning like an idiot when I opened the door, but just the thought of him waiting there for me had me feeling giddy.
He looked amazing when I opened the door. He had red board shorts on and a grey tank top that hugged his chest perfectly. His smile lit up his face and made his emerald eyes glow. It took all my will power not to throw myself at him there and then.
“Did you miss me?” He said as he swept me into his arms. But instead of answering, I kissed him. I held back a little with my kiss as I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to stop, plus Dad was just inside. Zeke must have noticed because he looked at me curiously and grabbed my hand.
“Come on, Miss Knox, you are mine for the whole day.”
I felt like I practically skipped to his car as he opened the door for me. While he went around to his side, I enjoyed his scent of the car. It smelt of his shampoo and aftershave plus a smell of soft leather from the seats. I looked around the car and noticed it was cleaner than I remember seeing it before – he must have tidied up for our date. He noticed me appraising it as he got in, and I thought I saw him blush a little.
“So where are we off to?” I asked when he held my hand.
He raised his eyebrows as he looked at me. “First, did you bring your swimmers?”
“Already wearing them,” I said smugly. “So where are we off to?”
“To the lake, but I need to make a pit stop first if that’s alright,” he said changing the gears without letting go of my hand.
“To tell you the truth, I don’t care where we go as long as I’m with you,” I said lamely, but it was true, he was all I needed.
I asked him if he heard about Spencer and the henchmen, and he said Emin had filled him in last night before his date. After a few more minutes in the car, I noticed we pulled into the carpark of the supermarket, and I looked over to see him smiling.
“I thought you said you didn’t mind where you went as long as you were with me,” he teased.
“True, but why the supermarket?” I questioned.
“Do you think I would take my brilliant girlfriend with supernatural culinary skills to the lake and ask her to eat a hot dog at the Kiosk?” He shrugged shaking his head. “So I thought we would go shopping for lunch, and you need to help me. So let’s go.”
He took my hand again as we walked to the shops talking and laughing together. I imagined how we must look to other people, a perfect couple in our own little world, just the two of us. We went up and down the aisles picking things we both liked, dropping them into our basket. It felt fantastic to be back in the land of the living.
In one of the aisles I spotted some girls in my grade at school. All their jaws dropped simultaneously when they spotted me with Zeke. I felt myself blush, and Zeke chuckled pulling me closer as we walked past them. We paid for all our things and took them to the car where Zeke had a chilled cooler ready in the back. I was slightly impressed at how organized he was.
I didn’t want to take my eyes off him, so as we drove out the road to the lake I sat angled towards him. With the window down his hair was getting blown around his face. The sun looked beautiful on his skin and on the contours of his arms as he held the steering wheel. I was lost in how stunning he was when he turned to look at me. Neither of us looked away, and the electricity that hummed between us felt nearly visible. Eventually he looked back to the road, and I used that moment to catch my breath.
He drove to a private spot, and we set up beneath a grove of birch trees. I hadn’t been to the lake since I was ten and this was the perfect day for it. The sun was warm and rich, and there was a perfect little breeze that danced around us from time to time. We decided to take a walk to Cape Falls before lunch. It wasn’t a large waterfall by any means, but it wasn’t far, and it was a beautiful walk. We didn’t let go of each of once as we made our down and back from the falls. I thought he might have planned to have a swim, but there was already a large group of people gathered so we decided to head back to eat.
We sprawled out on the rug and made each other lunch. We talked and laughed and then sometimes just lay together in silence. I felt so comfortable with him. After we had eaten I propped my head on his lap, and he played with my hair and traced patterns across my face with his fingers. I closed my eyes as the breeze blew across my skin. There was no more perfect place in the world than right here with him. We kissed and played with each other, but I found I was still a little reserved. I just wanted him so much that I guess I was a little embarrassed. It didn’t take long before he brought it up.
“Is everything okay Hayl’s?” He said lifting my chin to meet his gaze. “Have you changed your mind about us?”
That got my attention immediately, and I sat up – that was the last thing I wanted him to think. “No, not at all, it’s just that.” I got stuck there, not knowing how to put into words what I felt.
“You know I wouldn’t pressure you right? Is that what this is about?” He said clearly worried about my mood.
“I know you would never pressure me, and believe me that's not it – in fact it’s the opposite of it,” I said suddenly unable to hide my embarrassment.
“You’re going to have to help me out Hayl’s, I’m not following.”
Everything suddenly built up inside of me, and I blurted it all out at the speed of light. “It’s just that I want to be with you, I mean really be with you. And I’m worried that if I get too carried away kissing you, I mightn’t be able to stop myself. And, this is your first time too, and I have no idea if you’re ready or not. And then there’s what you would think of me after, it is only our first date.” He stopped me mid-sentence, placing his finger on my lips. I took a breath and looked into his eyes. He seemed to be trying to figure out whether I was serious and once he decided I was he burst out laughing.
“You’re laughing at me?” I said, mortified. I had just poured my heart out.
“I can’t believe that’s what you were worried about Hayl’s,” he said as he composed himself and held my face in between his hands. “First of all, I have known you practically your whole life, and nothing could ever, make me think badly of you – do you understand?”
I felt myself starting to calm down the instant he touched my face, and I looked into his emerald eyes. He loved me, I could see it written all over his face. He surprised me when he spoke this time, it was him who was speaking at the speed of light.
“And secondly I have never wanted anyone the way I want you. Hayln, you take my breath away a hundred times a day. And you are so damn sexy, and you don’t even know it - which drives me even crazier for you, if that’s even possible. And do you have any idea how hard it was for me to sleep across the hall from you for over a week and not be able to come into your room and wrap you in my arms. It drove me nuts.”
That was all I needed to hear. I didn’t take my eyes away from his as I leaned over him and positioned my legs either side of his body. Then I kissed him the way I had longed to, with every bit of passion and desire I had inside me. He pulled me towards him as he lay back down and I could feel his body under mine. His hands felt hot on my skin as they found their way under my top and I moaned softly as he ran them down my back. We suddenly heard giggles from behind one of the trees and looked up to see some kids spying on us. We quickly readjusted ourselves into a more appropriate position with eight year olds watching us. Then they ran away leaving us all hot and bothered.
“We're doomed to never have any privacy,” I said as I threw myself on the rug utterly frustrated. I watched Zeke as he smiled at me and jumped up onto his feet.
“How good a swimmer are you?” H
e said as he pulled his tank top over his head. I was suddenly breathless again seeing him in front of me with his shirt off. Only this time I knew I didn’t have to hold back – he wanted me the same way I wanted him.
“Not bad, what did you have in mind?” I questioned as he helped me to my feet.
He put his arms around my waist and turned me towards the lake. “Do you think you could swim to that island?” He said with a taunting tone to his voice.
It looked a long way away, but I was sure I could make it. I unbuttoned my shorts and slid them off and then took off my tank. As I undressed, I noticed Zeke watching me the way I watching him a moment ago. I grabbed the hair band from around my wrist and pulled my hair back into a messy pony.
“Ready, when you are,” I said with confidence.
He took my hand and led me towards the water. It was cool on my skin as we waded out together. When we were waist deep, he asked if I was ready and we started swimming toward the island. Once I found my rhythm, it took no time to get there. I just seemed to move through the water effortlessly, and I realized I might have just found another ability of mine. I walked out of the water and looked around the island. It wasn’t very large, about fifty meters across and scattered with trees that let filtered light fall between the branches. And most importantly it was totally deserted.
I turned back to see Zeke still a few meters out – I had to admit I was remarkably fast. I pulled the band out of my hair and shook it to let it dry. Zeke had started to walk out of the water laughing.
“You know it’s not fair to use your superpowers,” he said running his fingers through his hair.
I could have stroked his ego by saying he was still getting over an injury or made some witty remark, but I couldn’t say anything, I was speechless. As he came closer to me, I could see the water beading off his chest. His skin was glistening in the sun. I reached out to touch his wet hair, it was black and glossy and made his emerald eyes look even more amazing. There was nothing to say – I wanted him.
He didn’t say anything either, as he swept down and lifted me into his arms. I kissed across his collarbone, along his neck and up to his ear as he carried me further into the island. He laid me down in a circle of soft clover beneath some trees and returned my kisses.