by Lola StVil
It’s an hour later, and I’m at Randy’s house. I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, absentmindedly playing a video game. I thought Randy got rid of everything he now considers “childish,” but he says he kept a few games in case of emergencies. I noticed that all the games he kept are games that I love. I think he kept them for me in case I ever needed to come over and vent.
“I guess I should have tried this before I nearly killed a baby today,” I reply after I kill the monster in the castle and save the princess yet again.
“That would have been better,” he says with a smile.
“Do humans admire plumbers? Is that why Mario is one?” I ask.
“The Super Mario Bros game is never to be questioned. We live and die by the plumbers’ code,” he jokes.
“Well, I saved the princess,” I reply as I put down the controller.
“You always save people. I love that about you.”
“Randy, did you miss the part where I nearly killed an unborn child?”
“No one is perfect,” he says as he studies me. “So…are you ready to talk now?”
“Do you know what happened?” I reply.
“Yeah, Swoop texted me, so I got on my Port and came right over,” he says.
“Bex cheated on me,” I say, mostly to myself.
“Are you sure that’s what happened? Could it be a misunderstanding?”
“If it was, Diana would have said something. She just sat there, silent.”
“Maybe she felt too guilty to talk,” Randy suggests.
“No. I think she loved torturing me. That’s why she never came straight out and said it. I’m such an idiot! How could I think for one minute that she was my friend? How could I let her onto my team, into my life?”
“I’m sorry. I know it sucks to find out you misplaced your trust.”
“And Bex…why? Why would he hurt me like that? What did I do?”
“Wait, why is it your fault?”
“There are two relationships that blew up: me and Aaden and now me and Bex. I’m the common denominator.”
“No, Diana is. So put the blame where it belongs. What’s wrong with her? Why does she have to keep going after the guys you’re involved with? “
“I don’t know. All I know is she’s very good at it. But Diana is only part of the issue. Bex said he loved me. He said he wanted to marry me someday. Why would he lie like that? Is it some kind of game guys play to see how deep they can get the girl to fall and then break her?”
“I don’t know, Pry. I wish I did. But I have some news I think you’ll like,” he says.
“What is it?”
“After talking to my dad, I decided to meet my mom.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah. I don’t think we’ll be best friends or anything, but I guess I should hear her out.”
“What did your dad say to change your mind?”
“Actually it was Swoop. Seeing how sad she was made me wonder if giving me up was hard for my mom too.”
“I think that’s a great idea.”
“And you’re sure there is no butterfly tattoo or anything on her?” Randy asks.
“Nope, you are all clear to meet and get to know her.”
“Will you come with me when it’s time?”
“Sure, count me in,” I reply, taking his hand.
“I hope she likes me. What should I wear? Should it be active casual? Or country club chic?”
“It doesn’t matter what you wear; she’ll just be happy to see you.” For a while we sit in silence, taking in the past few hours. Then I turn to my best friend and ask that which I dread asking.
“How long do you think the two of them have been together? Do you think it was a one-night thing or every day since then? Wait, do you think that was their first time, or were they hooking up even before then?”
“Pry, try to stay calm.”
“I can’t. I just keep thinking of the two of them in bed, laughing at me. Joking about what a fool I was. Why does this keep happening to me? Why can’t I find love? What’s wrong with me?”
He drops his controller and embraces me. “There is nothing wrong with you,” he assures me.
“Randy, I’m not perfect.”
“No, you’re not. When you were human, you ate fries with mustard instead of ketchup. You think Matrix three is better than Matrix one, so clearly you have issues. And you didn’t want to stand in line in the freezing cold for two days to get tickets to see Deadpool three with me. So yes, you are flawed. But you are perfect where it counts. You were a great girlfriend to that asshole. How dare he pick Diana?”
“Well, Aaden picked her, so maybe I’m missing something.”
“Pry, Aaden picked Sparks. You know it had nothing to do with his love for you.”
“All I know is that I sat down on the rock in that damn cave forever, crying my eyes out. I knew better than to trust guys, but again, I messed up.”
“I think Aaden is sorry he hurt you. Don’t you?”
The thought of going over my issues with Aaden makes my head spin. He’s the very first angel I wanted to run to after Hunter told me about the rooftop. I would have given anything to be held by him and have him tell me everything was going to be okay. But that would just be another drama. I tried it with Aaden and it didn’t work.
“Let’s leave Aaden out of this,” I reply out loud.
“Where is he?” Randy asks.
“I sent him to hunt down some leads. I’m glad he’s away. I don’t want him to know what happened just yet.”
“Why?”
“Because I was so stupid. How could I not see it? Diana has had a growing concern for Bex ever since she found out she was pregnant. And on the night he got taken, Bex was on the verge of telling me something.”
“You think he was going to confess?” Randy wonders.
“I guess. Maybe he was going to try to break it to me gently. ‘Hey, Pry, guess what I did last night?’ ‘What, Bex?’ ‘Diana,’” I reply miserably.
“So Bex is going to be a dad.”
“Yup. And me, I’m going to be alone…”
The thought of putting my anger and hurt aside so we can find Bex makes me sick, but that’s exactly what I’ve had to do in the past few hours. The fact is, Bex is the rightful king of the Paras, and I can’t sit by and let him get taken.
I’ve never wanted someone saved and dead all at the same time; it’s maddening. There are moments when I think it’s fine to leave Bex where he is, and then seconds later, I worry that he’s in agony. It’s all so strange. While I don’t want him killed, I also don’t think I want to lay eyes on him ever again.
As far as Diana is concerned, I order East to take her to a Healer although she says she’s fine. I don’t want to risk something happening to Phoenix. I was insane when I attacked Diana, but I never meant to hurt him. I just blocked out her condition and lost my mind. I can only imagine how my dad would react if he knew about my rage-fueled actions.
Swoop is still pretty upset with me for attacking Diana, and the only way I can get her to stop being so pissed is to agree to let Diana stick around and help us get ready for the wedding. I don’t want to be anywhere near Diana ever again, but Swoop matters to me, so I reluctantly agree.
It was a bad idea because the moment I see Diana’s face, I flash back to what she and Bex must have looked like naked together on my roof. As Diana is helping me with my hair and smiling sweetly, my stomach starts to turn. I hear the rain outside the window and I want to be under it. I want the rain to somehow wash everything away. It’s not just the rain I want—it’s him. Dear Omnis, I want to be in his arms so bad, I feel like I will explode at any moment.
He’s been calling me all day off and on. He’s back in town, and he’s desperately seeking a way to stop me from having to marry Hunter. But so far, this is the only move we have. My cell rings; it’s him. I decline because if I pick up, I’m going to lose it. I’m going to run to him, and frankly, that kind of re
action hasn’t been helpful in the past. But soon Aaden does something that scares me. He stops calling. The silent phone is like death to my soul.
But thankfully he tries again; this time, he texts me. He tells me to meet him at the school. I tell myself that I’m going to meet him to make him understand what’s going on, but deep inside, I know the real reason I’m heading out this window—love. I love Aaden and I don’t know how to stop. And when I’ve been hurt, he’s the one I want, the one I need.
Fine, Pry, whatever you do, just don’t sleep with him…
After I drive away from Aaden, I walk aimlessly for over an hour. By the time I get back to the safe house, it’s two hours later and I’m soaking wet. I failed. Aaden and I made love. Or maybe we just had sex. I’m not sure there’s a difference anymore. I lean against the wall and look at my reflection in the mirror. My makeup is ruined. My hair is a mess and so are my eyes. I’m not sure Bex is worth this drama, but then again maybe I drove him to Diana. Maybe he got tired of watching me trying to stay away from my ex.
None of that matters now, Pry. Just get dressed and go get married.
I look at the dress hanging on the mirror, a pretty, lace white dress with gold trim. Swoop chose simple yet elegant heels to go with the dress. If this union wasn’t fake, it would be a really pretty ceremony. I sigh deeply, head into the bathroom, and take a quick shower. Flashes of my evening with Aaden keep playing in my head. Why is there no off button?
I get out of the shower, determined to stay focused on the task ahead: Get married and make Asher believe Hunter and I are in love. I don’t even hear him behind me until it’s too late.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Hunter asks.
“I know I’m late. I’m sorry. I just—”
“It’s not about you being late.”
“Then what are you talking about?” I reply as I tighten my grasp on the towel.
He grabs the robe on the back of the door and throws it to me. “Believe me, I’m not here for that. Been there,” he reminds me crudely.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“All you had to do was marry me, and that would have made everything okay. Instead, you go off and have sex in some alley like a demented sex kitten with daddy issues. And now, my brother is going to die.”
“How do you know about that?”
“How could you think for one minute that you could keep a rendezvous with Silver a secret? The guy has silver wings, for Omnis’ sake. You think no one is going to see that?”
“No, I was careful.”
“Not careful enough. Someone saw you with him. The pictures are everywhere.”
“What? This just happened!” I protest.
“Welcome to online media. It went viral in less than half an hour. Asher heard about it, and now…”
“And now he won’t marry us?”
“No, he won’t. But that’s not all. Because it was the only chance we had to save Bex, the Para world is taking your betrayal as a grave indifference to their kidnapped king.”
“You told them Bex was taken?” I ask.
“No! You did by giving them an excuse to ask questions and dig around. Now the Para world see you as—”
“Let me guess, the girl who cheated on their king,” I reply, shaking my head bitterly.
“No. It’s more than that. Pryor, you were given a task to do to save their king, and you didn’t. That makes you more than a cheating girlfriend. That makes you their enemy.”
“Hunter, what are you telling me?”
“The news is out. Everyone knows Bex has been taken. The Paras are going to war. But not just with the New Order. They are going to war with the Noru.”
Chapter Sixteen:
I Asked nicely
In a matter of hours, most of the Para world has come to see me as the cheating, oversexed girlfriend who chose lust over saving their Kon’s life. Hunter doesn’t encourage their belief and outrage, but he also doesn’t condemn it. Paras all around the world are demanding justice. In this case, justice would be to have my team locked up. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the Omari are now free to take off and search for Bex.
“This is such crap,” Randy says as he turns off the Angel News network. They’ve been reporting nonstop about how my lack of loyalty has led to the possible end of their leader. Some speculate that I have Bex under some sort of spell and that this was my plan from the beginning.
“Pry, why don’t we just tell them that Bex cheated on you first?” Swoop says.
“They won’t believe us, and I don’t think our personal lives should be the reason why anyone goes to war,” I reply.
“We know that the New Order is everywhere and we need to be careful, but what are the chances that they happened to be there when you and Silver…you know,” East says.
“I don’t know how they knew, but all that matters is that they do,” I tell him.
“At least the Omari are going after Bex,” Randy says.
“We can’t leave it to the Omari. Bex was on this team. It’s up to us to help find him,” Aaden says.
Everyone turns to look at him, in shock.
“What? I don’t get along with the guy, but that doesn’t mean I want him tortured by those New Order dicks, okay?” he snaps.
“Aaden is right. We have less than twenty-four hours. We have to help the Omari find Bex,” I reply.
“In case you missed it, the Paras don’t want our help. In fact, they kind of hate us,” East replies.
“They want to go to war with us, and we’re taking the time to find their leader?” Randy says.
“Their leader is our friend,” I remind him.
“And he’s your boyfriend. Remember?” Aaden asks.
“I don’t think that’s the case anymore since he’s about to be a dad. And it’s been my experience that guys tend to leave their girlfriends when they knock up another girl,” I reply to him bitterly.
“Is that what last night was, Pry, you teaching Bex a lesson? Is that what I am to you now, a weapon to be used in your war with the former Kon?” he demands.
“Guys, we need to stay focused. The Paras are calling for our heads, we have yet to rescue Bex, and if we don’t fix everything, I will have to cancel yet another date with my girl. So can we please stay on track,” East says.
“That’s a nice sentiment, Easton, but something tells me you’re about to get very distracted,” Diana says as she points towards the window. We see Melody standing across the street from the safe house. She’s biting her nails and talking to herself. She looks as if she is about to make a speech in front of the whole class, a speech she isn’t ready to make.
Crap, why does she choose right now to hash things out with East? Why didn’t she wait for things to settle down? Um…when do things ever settle down?
She walks over to the house and knocks on the door. East quickly opens it and embraces her. She looks at me from over his shoulder. I can see the nervous energy in her eyes; I feel sorry about what she has to do. But knowing how East feels about her, I’m sure he’ll get past the fact that she lied to him.
“Are you okay?” East asks as he holds her at arm’s length and studies her.
“Yeah, I’m good. I’ve been hearing so many crazy things about you guys, I came to check on you,” Mel replies.
“The Paras hate us, but hell, what else is new,” East says.
“Do you really think they would go to war with the Noru?” Mel asks.
“It’s gone from a whisper of war to a shout. It’s only a matter of time,” Swoop says.
“This is such a bad time. I should come back later,” Mel says.
“No, the way our luck generally goes, things will only get more tangled. So tell me the truth, why are you here?” her boyfriend asks.
“Guys, maybe we should give Melody and East some privacy,” I suggest.
We all go upstairs, but overhearing the conversation isn’t hard. Their voices carry up to us. I know what’s coming,
and I’m hoping East can handle things better than I did when I found out about Bex and Diana.
“Mel, why do you look so worried?”
“Well, I—”
“Wait, I know why,” East says.
“You do?”
“Yes. And you don’t have to worry about anything. We can handle the Paras. I don’t know if you know this, but as a team, we kind of kick ass. And well, I’m the main reason why,” he boasts playfully.
“I’m sure you are,” she says.
“So why are you so down? Babe, what’s up?” East says, no longer playing around.
“Do you remember what you said to me the first time we kissed?” Mel asks.
“Yeah, I told you all the bad stuff that happened with my ex and how I could never be with someone who hides things from me like she did. You agreed, and that’s when we made our vow—open book,” he says.
“Yes, we vowed to be upfront and honest. No matter what.”
“You told me my shirt was too loud. I told you that you had lipstick on your teeth. And there, true love was born.”
“I haven’t been completely honest with you,” she says slowly.
“What do you mean?”
“The night we had dinner at the Akon’s house with your mom, you asked me if I knew Silver.”
“Yeah, because you two kept glancing at each other. But you said you two didn’t know each other.”
“I lied. I do know Silver. We…he was my first. It was before you and I met. It was only one time…”
“You…you lied to me?” East asks in a pained whisper.
“Yes. And there’s one more thing I wasn’t completely truthful about.”
“What else?”
“When we met, I told you that my dad was a businessman and that I was introduced to the angel world by a friend. But the truth is my dad is Alex Montrose.”
“The former leader who used to represent human interest in the angel world?”