“I promise, Mr. S. Her life means more to me than my own. Whatever it takes, I’ll keep her safe.”
“I still wish we could go to the police. I’d feel much better.”
“I really don’t think they could do anything for us right now,” I tell him. “Maybe if they do approach us here, then we can. I just hope they’ll keep our empath thing quiet.”
“Hopefully,” Mr. S. says quietly.
There’s an awkward silence. Five minutes ago, Honor took her mom into the kitchen to also explain what happened between her and Ethan. She began telling her in the living room, but her face dropped when she caught my eye. I guess she wasn’t comfortable telling her parents about her feelings for me just yet. That’s okay. I can be patient.
After Honor’s dad helps me move the guest room twin bed into Honor’s room, he gives us some privacy. Though he makes us leave the bedroom door open, I’m perfectly okay with that. If it were closed, I’m afraid I wouldn’t trust myself in the room alone with her. Yes, I’m trying to be someone Honor can trust, but I’m also a guy…a guy who has never been able to touch a girl until recently. So yeah, it’d be hard. The door open is fine by me…right now. If Honor ever chooses me though, that’s another story. I digress.
Now that we’ve put on the sheets and blankets, Honor and I stand face to face on either side of my bed. Her face is that pretty shade of pink I’m getting used to seeing.
“Ya nervous, kiddo?” I ask, winking at her when I do.
She shrugs and says, “No.”
Honor drops to her bed and sits on her hands. “This is gonna be weird…you sleeping right next to me.”
“Well, I’m not right next to you…the bed is next to your bed. There’s a difference, sweetie.” I wink again, wishing like hell I were sleeping right next to her.
“Listen,” I change the subject, “we need to talk about Moore. I think we need to try your plan tomorrow.”
“You mean me going to him after school while you’re in the hallway?”
“Yup. We need to go over some questions or things you can say to get the answers from him.”
“Okay.”
Sitting back against my headboard, I try to get comfortable and forget the fact that I’m in the same bedroom as Honor.
She crosses her legs Indian-style and attempts to relax as well.
“I wouldn’t even know what I’d say,” she tells me.
“Truthfully, I’m not sure either, but we’ll come up with something.” I lean my head against the headboard and close my eyes.
When I open them I have a thought. “Honor, why don’t you go for help on an assignment, then you can maybe cry about Ethan or something.”
“What? What would that do?”
“I don’t know, break him down a little. Men aren’t equipped to deal with female tears,” I joke. “Maybe he’ll get all flustered and tell you things he shouldn’t. I don’t know. I’m at a loss here myself. You can’t very well just come out and ask him what he has to do with the elixir. He’ll get suspicious and become tight-lipped.”
“Wait. Maybe not. Maybe he will just come out and tell me. Maybe he’s not a bad guy.”
I roll my eyes. She can be so naïve. There’s evil in everyone. Everyone besides Honor, that is. “Honor, we can’t trust him. I told you that…why don’t you cry over Ethan and mumble something about how you broke up with him because he took something that was in your family for hundreds of years.”
She looks at me like I’m crazy. “Wh…what?”
“We’ll see if he goes after Ethan. Of course…if he’s working for Gaffer, he may already know we’ve handed the elixir over…so who knows. We’ll play it by ear, okay?”
Honor’s hand comes up to cover a yawn. “Okay, I’ll try,” she says while still yawning.
“Let’s talk about this tomorrow. It’s late. You’re tired. We have school in the morning.”
“Yeah,” she starts, “I’m going to brush my teeth…unless you want to first.”
“Nah. You go. I’ll just get changed here while you’re gone.”
When she closes the door behind her, I yank my jeans off and pull on a pair of sweats. I usually sleep in my boxers, but I’m thinking that’s not a good idea tonight. I head for the bathroom to brush my teeth after Honor comes back. But as I open her door to come back in, she’s in a small tank top and boxer pjs, and she’s bending over to let down her bed. Her legs go on forever.
Realizing I’m now back in the room, Honor turns and stares at me. “Hey,” she says, as if she didn’t expect me to be in her room. She looks down at her legs and blushes. “I was…uh…trying to get under the covers…before you came back.”
“Don’t worry,” I assure her, “I’m not looking.” Yeah, right. I pull my t-shirt over my head and get under my own covers, but only cover my legs. I stay sitting up against the headboard. Honor causes me to chuckle, because when I look over at her, her eyes are wide and staring directly at my chest. “Like what you see?”
“Huh.” She shakes her head back to reality and looks at my face. “Uh, uh…yeah. G’night, Storm.” Turning off her light, she also turns on her pillow and faces the wall.
“Good night, princess.” Lying in the dark in the bed next to Honor is difficult to the say the least. What I wouldn’t give to crawl underneath her covers and hold her all night. To feel her soft body cuddled up next to me would be Heaven here on Earth. To smell her scent directly underneath my nose for the night’s entirety…would leave me intoxicated. Having her sleeping in my arms…well my life would be complete.
A clanking at my window startles Honor and she jumps into bed with me. I turn quickly to her then to the window. Though my wish to have her next to me in bed has suddenly presented itself, I can’t take the time to appreciate it. Someone’s at her window. I grab my gun underneath the pillow and leap for the window at the same time the predator lifts it open.
“Come any further and I’ll shoot,” I threaten before hearing my brother’s voice.
“Storm?” he asks, confused.
The light between our beds is turned on and I’m face to face with Ethan. But he’s not looking at me. He’s looking at Honor sitting up in the bed that’s closest to the window. The one that Ethan must know is not hers.
“Honor?” He looks at her then at me. “You move quick, don’t you, Sutherland? You couldn’t even give us a full afternoon before you made your move. You suck.” He spits at me.
“Ethan,” Honor scolds him for the second time today. “That was uncalled for. Apologize.”
“Apologize? Seriously? Is this why you broke up with me? And you’re already in his bed. I thought you weren’t ready for that yet, Honor. Or were you waiting on Storm to be your first fuck?”
That’s all I need to hear. When my fist hits the side of Ethan’s face, the crack is low and fleshy. It feels disgusting under my knuckles but satisfying to see him fall flat against the wall. As he slides down the floor with his palm to his face, I start to feel bad.
All I hear is Honor’s cry. “Ethan, oh my god. Storm, what’d you do?” She kneels down, but at the same time, Ethan jumps back up and pounds me right in the gut. With his other hand, he pelts me in the face. With all my might, I pound him again right in the eye. For the second time, at my hand, he goes down.
Honor, in shock and still on the floor, reaches for Ethan and pulls Ethan’s hand off his face, replacing it with her own hand. Without taking her eyes off of Ethan, she orders me to go get ice from the freezer downstairs. It is Summer’s murder all over again. I’m constantly hurting the ones I love.
No. I did not love Ethan. Honor is wrong about that.
But god, he just pissed me off talking shit about Honor. He can’t do that and expect me to stand there and do nothing. He deserved it. And he punched me back. Twice. Why isn’t she all upset with him too? Because he wasn’t out for the kill. I was.
“Storm. Ice. Now,” Honor commands. “And get me a wet rag for the blood too.”
&
nbsp; Blood. I made my brother bleed. I was trying to hurt him. Was I trying to kill him?
I take a cleansing breath and leave the room. This time I’d come back. I have to. I need to protect Honor.
Before I end up hurting her somehow too.
Before she sees the real me. The me that can only live alone. The me that doesn’t deserve to live with honest, loving people.
The me that doesn’t deserve Honor.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Honor is still kneeling on the floor fussing with Ethan when I come back with the rag and the ice. Her expression when she looks at me is filled with disgust. I’ve shown her my evil side and she doesn’t like it. My ribs feel like someone punched the air right out of me. Catching my breath isn’t easy, but I struggle successfully to cross the room.
“Here you go.” Handing Honor the supplies, I notice she doesn’t even look me in the eyes. It hurts.
She doesn’t even say thank you.
“I’m sorry, Ethan.” My voice is hoarse because it’s hard for me to apologize, especially to Ethan.
He tries to lunge toward me from his sitting position, but Honor pushes him back.
I continue. “When you said that about Honor. It made me furious.” I’m still battling with my innate nature to offend versus the call to be humble, but my love for Honor and her opinion of me means more than my desire to be spiteful. So I try my best. “I…I really shouldn’t have punched you over it…and…I’m sorry.”
This time they both look at me. A small smile appears on Honor’s face. Ethan’s mouth is in a tight straight line. But he nods.
I help him up and onto my bed. He’s holding the ice to his eye, and Honor’s finished wiping up his bloody face.
“I’m sorry, Honor,” Ethan says. “I shouldn’t have said that, but seeing you in his bed…”
“His bed? Ethan, I jumped in it because we heard something at the window. I was scared. This Gaffer guy…he’s threatening to take me. I thought you were him.”
Ethan closes his eyes in regret then looks to me. “It’s that bad?”
“Yeah. It is.”
“Oh, Honor,” he continues. “I’m sorry. I should have come as soon as I got the text from Storm, but…well…I was feeling sorry for myself. That’s why I had come now though. To make sure you were okay.”
Honor gives him one of her endearing smiles and I’m filled with jealousy. I need to let it go.
“Storm thought it best that he stay here…in my room. Dad thought so too.”
Ethan nods. “Yeah. I guess it’s best.” Though his words sound forgiving, the scorn on his face shows his disdain. I’m sure I wouldn’t forgive him for punching me in the face…nor would I forgive him if I had caught Honor in his bed. Though she’d have had every right to be in it.
“Listen,” I say to change the subject. “We were discussing Moore. We need to figure out how to get information from him,” I tell my brother.
“Okay,” Ethan says straight-faced. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
I know that asking me to tell him what to do must have been hard for him, because it would have been hard for me. So I try my best to smile at him, but it feels false. I don’t smile. I quickly wipe it away and begin telling Ethan the sort-of-plan that Honor and I came up with.
“So do you want me to stand out in the hall too? Or should I stay away?” he says in a monotone voice, which tells me he’s trying hard to swallow his pride.
“Whatever you think is best, Ethan. I’m not sure what to think of Moore yet, so we may need the two of us. I mean…I don’t think he’ll hurt Honor, but it would be good if you’re close by.” I look at Honor now. “Maybe you can call one of our phones before you go in to see Moore, and you can leave it on speaker. Like under your book or something. This way, Ethan and I will be able to listen to the whole conversation.”
Honor wiggles her mouth a little while she thinks. “Okay.”
Now that we’ve settled the Moore plan, we approach a painful silence. Ethan needs to say good-bye, and I don’t think he really wants to. Though I feel bad for the guy right now, I will not relinquish my bed to him. I’ve moved in. There is no way I’m going back to my basement apartment. Not now anyway. I may not be any good for Honor, but it’s only me I trust to keep her safe. Ethan may want to, but I’m not quite sure he’d give up his life for Honor.
I know I would.
“Okay, well,” Ethan chokes out, “I…uh…guess I’ll get going. See ya tomorrow,” he says to only Honor.
“Yeah,” she says. “I hope your eye feels better, Eeth,” she whispers wistfully. I guess she still isn’t over him.
She and I go back to our respective beds and fall quietly asleep. Well she does. I lie still wishing I could have her heart.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
As I hit the snooze on my phone for the last time, Honor walks in the room fully dressed and ready for school. “Holy shit, what time is it?”
“Seven fifteen,” she answers quietly.
“Damn, we’re gonna be late.” I quickly jump out of bed, and grab my clothes from my bag.
“Ethan’s picking me up.” Honor is speaking to me, but not looking at me. Instead she’s putting some books into her backpack.
“Oh. All right…were you at least going to wake me up?”
Her back still faces me and she shrugs.
“Fine.” I continue to gather my things and walk past her to go into the bathroom. “See ya at school,” I say, not turning to look at her.
She’s still mad. Great. If we didn’t have plans to question Moore after school, I’d ditch today and go for a ride. Instead, I get ready for school and go, taking the cup of coffee that Mrs. S. offers me on the way out the door.
The veins in my temples must have ruptured inside my head because my brain is screaming to jump ship. My headache came on shortly after period one began and it is now ten minutes until lunch and I want a boulder to fall on my head – it’d certainly be less painful. While I wait for the period to end, I lay my head on my arms on the desk and ignore the teacher’s plea to wake my ass up.
“Storm,” she says, “tomorrow morning I expect you to come to class wide awake.” She tsks and sends me on my way.
Skipping my locker to get to lunch, I’m able to grab Honor before she reaches the lunch room. “Honor,” I say, foregoing my impulse to call her princess. “I need to talk to you for a minute. Please,” I add, after seeing her solemn face.
“Okay,” she answers, but doesn’t smile.
I walk, shoulders slumped, into the alcove by the front of the school. Honor walks alongside me. “Listen, Honor,” I start, reaching for her hand, which fortunately, she doesn’t pull away. “I’m sorry I hit Ethan. I realize that’s why you’re mad, but really...it was an impulse. I saw red when he talked about you like that.”
She sighs. “That’s just it. Your impulses are violent…and he’s your brother…you don’t do that to your own brother…when are you going to finally accept that he’s your own flesh and blood? It hurts me, you know?”
“I’m sorry, but why does it hurt you?”
“You’re kidding, right? I feel everything. Aside from feeling the punch to Ethan’s face in my own face, I feel the pain he feels every time you put him down…And I feel yours also. It pains you to be mean to him, I know it does.”
“Honor…he was talking shit about you. That didn’t make you angry? Because it sure as hell made me angry.”
“Well, yeah…I mean it wasn’t nice, but they were just words. You made him bleed…and he has a huge swollen black eye.”
“Well…I’m sorry. And I’ll apologize to him again. I get defensive when it comes to you…I can’t help it.”
The way her mouth tugs toward her right cheek, I know she’s suppressing a smile.
I take her other hand and pull her closer. “I can’t stand to see someone hurt you, Honor…physically or emotionally. You have to understand that. Although I may not be empathic any more, when it com
es to you, my senses are even more heightened. I lo…I like…you when you’re feeling happy. When you’re hurting, I’m hurting. But I promise…I’ll refrain from using my fists again on Ethan. All right?”
“All right,” she whispers. “Thank you.”
I let go of her hands, but we just stare at each other. I know I want to kiss her. Hell, I almost just told her I love her. Averting my eyes from her eyes is impossible for me. If she doesn’t break the stare first, I’m going to grab her right here in the hallway.
“Um.” She bites the corner of her bottom lip and retains her gaze. “We…uh…better…”
“Get to lunch,” I finish.
“Yeah,” she says. “Um…I’m sorry I didn’t wake you up this morning.”
I close my eyes to break the stare. When I open them, I say, “It’s fine, princess. No worries. Let’s get going.”
Ethan and Tamlin are already at our table with Hunter…and now Eli?
“What’s Eli doing here?” I ask Honor.
“Uncle Tom enrolled him.”
“Great. Another Sutherland at Jefferson,” I mock before sitting down next to Elijah on the bench across from Ethan. This way I won’t have to look at my father’s clone.
Honor sits safely in between Tamlin and Hunter, purposely choosing to not sit near Ethan or me.
Hunter leans across Honor to get my attention. “Ethan says you all are seeing Moore after school,” he whispers. “You really think he has something to do with the evil empath world?”
“Yeah. I do.” I look at Honor. “I’m going to get a soda. You want anything?”
“Nah. I’ll just share Tam’s lunch.” Tam slides half her sandwich to Honor.
I get up to get my soda, and when I turn around, Honor is leaning behind Tamlin and talking to Ethan. She’s smiling at him and gently touching his bruised eye.
Me and my damn temper. I single-handedly sent Honor running right back into Ethan’s arms.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A Man of Honor (A Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (The Honor Trilogy) Page 10