As I pushed the door open, a shrill sound of an alarm filled the building, drawing the attention of the store's own security. I didn't have time to care about that as I ran out, hoping to escape our stalker. My body collided with something solid and my shopping bags nearly fell out of my left hand. Paula withdrew her hand from mine and I had a moment to realize that I had run into a guy. A guy whose element I couldn't feel.
I stepped back in shock, staring wide-eyed at the guy. My guards burst through the door, their guns pulled out.
"Whoa, easy there." The guy raised his hands in the air. What were the chances that someone was trying to corner us, so they sent both a carrier and a normal person after us? But that person would have to know one of us could sense elements.
Glancing down the street, I saw a black Audi waiting for us, its door open. Paula and I had to get there as soon as possible. "Search him and take him to Lily," I said to the guards and waved Paula over. "Come on! Hurry!"
We ran down the alley, splashing through mud and dirty puddles. I could feel more elements approaching us, but they seemed to float above us. "Get inside!" I shoved Paula through the door, throwing my shopping bags on the back seat. Before I got into the car, I risked a moment to stop and look up in the direction of the roof. At least five elements were hiding somewhere up there. My paranoid mind was yelling at me that they were snipers, probably men hired to kill me as my brother had warned me, so I got in the car and slammed the door behind me.
"If these people are all from the press and are only trying to snap some private pictures of you, we're so going to laugh about this," Paula said, trying to catch her breath. The car lurched forward as the driver stepped on the gas, and my back hit the seat, crunching the shopping bag that was behind me.
"I don't know. No one really paid attention to me, so I doubt it someone alerted the press." I crammed the shopping bag into the small space under the seat in front of me. "I swear if Ethan sent those guys, I'm going to kill him."
"Maybe you have crazy fans who stalk you." Paula giggled.
"Yeah, right." I gave her a deadpan look. "I'm the president of the Element Preservers, not a movie star."
"Well, you did participate in a TV show."
I stared at her for a moment, then shrugged. "Who knows? But I'd prefer crazy media, fans or whatever over paid assassins."
"But why would anyone want to kill you?" Worry creased Paula's brow.
"And why not? Even my brother has a motive."
"Oliver wouldn't..." Paula's eyes widened in horror.
"I don't know." My brother wouldn't get the presidency if I died, but if an attempt to assassinate me turned me into a vegetable... or if Oliver kept me alive so he could fake my signature on the document that would give him what he wanted... No, I had to stop my mind from coming up with such thoughts or I'd drive myself insane. I wondered if I'd ever be able to go out without constantly watching over my shoulder. Oh, well. At least I'd bought a new party dress. Maybe this shopping session wasn't a total disaster.
Chapter 19
In one of her long calls, Lily explained that the carrier I had run into in the alley was innocent and had nothing to do with whoever that had been following me. She'd casually mentioned my element-blocking bracelet to him in case he didn't know about its existence. While no one could prove I had the disease, we didn't need anyone to go around babbling how the president of the Element Preservers could be a carrier.
Ethan had approached me in the morning during breakfast and invited me to the party, but didn't want to tell me he knew it was my birthday. The surprised look on his face was priceless when I accepted his invitation without complaining. I suspected I'd ruined the speech he had planned to use to woo me.
I put on my new strapless black dress that came to my knees. It was a simple dress, but I didn't need anything spectacular for the club Ethan would take me to. Besides, I wasn't supposed to know about the party, so I didn't want Ethan to get any ideas that I was trying to look pretty for him.
I was a little disappointed that Adrian couldn't have come to see me and wished me a happy birthday in person. He'd called me in the morning, but I longed to hug him and kiss him, so a video call was barely satisfying. I'd even ended the call early because tears were threatening to come out. I ruffled my hair so it wouldn't look flat and applied a bright red lipstick to my lips.
A knock sounded on the door and Ethan came in, his black hair slicked back as if a cow had licked his head. His blue shirt and gray jeans looked new, but I wasn't overly impressed.
"Hey," he said, clutching his fists at his sides like he didn't know what to do with his hands.
"I'm ready to go." I grabbed my purse off the bed and strode toward the door.
Ethan caught my arm and pulled me to a stop, making me raise an eyebrow at him. "I realized it's your birthday today," he said, moving in to kiss my cheek. "Happy birthday."
"Thank you." I fought the urge to wipe my face, but that would ruin my makeup. The spot where he'd kissed me itched a bit.
"You look beautiful," he said, taking my hand.
"You look good too." I tried to force a smile. It was ridiculous that Ethan was still pretending he'd just found out about my birthday and hadn't organized a whole party for me. As we walked out into the hall, I hoped this night wouldn't be the most miserable night of my life.
My mouth formed a little O when we entered the dark club full of people. People I had never seen in my life, but they had to be the students at the university. The music stopped and one of the reflectors shed its light on Ethan and me. Everyone turned in our direction, clapping their hands and yelling "surprise" and "happy birthday."
I put a hand over my mouth, then my face split into a wide grin. "Thank you so much, everyone! Have fun!"
As soon as the music was back on, everyone started to dance and didn't even bother to glance at me. Sighing in relief, I turned toward the bar and saw Adrian, who raised his glass at me.
"I organized this party for you. I'm sorry I lied to you, but I hope it was worth it," Ethan said, his dark eyes sparkling with delight.
"Thank you. It's awesome." I couldn't stop staring toward the bar because all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around Adrian and forget everything, even the stupid elements that were already wearing on my self-control.
Ethan followed my gaze and frowned. "Do you want a drink?"
"Yeah, my throat feels incredibly dry." I flashed him a small smile. With each step we made toward the bar, the unease in my stomach rose. Leaning on the bar next to Adrian, I tried to ignore his presence, which was an impossible mission. Ethan shot an annoyed glare at Adrian as if he wanted Adrian to go away or disappear. Just as Ethan ordered the drinks, someone shouted his name. He glanced in the direction of two guys who were enthusiastically waving him over.
"I'll be right back," he said, his eyes narrowing at Adrian before he left.
"Hey there, stranger," I said, taking a sip of my drink, avoiding to look at Adrian because I didn't want to arouse suspicion. He leaned forward, burying his nose into my hair.
"Happy birthday," he whispered and flicked his tongue over my earlobe. Shivers of pleasure spread down my body, and my knees almost gave out. Adrian pulled back, licking his lips. Elements rained down on me and I closed my eyes, trying to get back in control. Swallowing past the dryness in my throat, I glared at Adrian and shook my head. He winked at me, his mouth forming words, but I couldn't understand a thing.
I could feel Ethan's element approaching behind my back, so I didn't jump when he placed his hand on my back.
He glanced from Adrian to me and offered his hand to me. "Would you like to dance?"
"Sure." I ignored his outstretched hand and strode to the dance floor. I didn't really feel like dancing, but I had to do something to take my mind off of all the elements that my disease wanted me to have. Ethan kept coming closer, no doubt intent on trying to touch me, but I avoided him, slipping away from his grasp just as he thought he had me.
&nb
sp; I already thought I'd have to shove him away, but Paula appeared out of nowhere and threw herself in my arms. I couldn't feel her element because she was wearing the element-blocking bracelet.
"Happy birthday!" she yelled into my ear. As she stepped back, I noticed Ryan had come with her. He moved in to hug me, but Ethan grabbed my wrist and pulled me away, pretending we were only dancing.
"Who's that guy?" he asked, his fingers digging into my skin. I could almost taste his element on my tongue, but I managed to free myself from his grip.
"Paula's friend." I wasn't about to tell Ethan that I suspected Paula and Ryan were more than friends. Besides, Paula would never admit that she liked Ryan that much.
"Is he your friend too?"
"Maybe." Ethan's jealousy was both infuriating and hilarious at the same time. When he tried to take my hand again, I pushed him away and turned to Paula and Ryan.
"Who is that jerk?" Ryan asked, leaning toward me.
"My boyfriend." I couldn't believe Ryan hadn't seen Ethan in the news.
"I showed you the picture of him, didn't I?" Paula asked, the corners of her lips quirking up.
"Oh, right. " Ryan frowned. "You were showing something to me, but I swear I can't remember anything other than the way you leaned over that desk..."
"Stop it!" Paula said indignantly, but she was smiling.
"Please save me," I said under my breath, taking Paula's hands in mine and hoping Ethan wouldn't bother me if he saw me dancing with my best friend.
"Any time." Paula went along with my plan, twirling me around. Ryan watched us with an amused glint in his blue eyes. I started to wonder whether Paula wore the bracelet around him too so they could be together. Ethan was again at my side, trying to catch my attention, but I held onto Paula and didn't intend to let go.
In the corner of my eye I could see Ethan, his jaw set tight, the vein in his neck pulsing with anger. I wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with him, but something was definitely off about him. He turned on his heel and stormed toward the other part of the club. Relieved, I let go of Paula and observed Ethan, who stopped next to one brunette whose face I couldn't see. A moment later, the girl pressed herself against him and they started to move in the rhythm of the music together.
I burst out laughing. Was he trying to make me jealous? He looked up at me from across the room, then lowered his head and brushed his lips against the girl's cheek, his hands on her hips. It looked like my birthday present was unveiling itself right in front of me. Wiping the smile off my face, I strode toward Ethan and the girl.
"Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I yelled as loud as I could, slapping Ethan on the shoulder. He let go of the girl and calmly met my eyes.
"Oh, God. I'm so sorry," the girl said. "We were only..."
"I don't want to hear a word from you. This is between Ethan and me." I cocked my head at Ethan. "Answer me! What the fuck is this?"
"Relax, baby. You didn't want to dance with me, so I assumed I could find myself a dance partner. Nothing else." Ethan didn't even flinch, satisfaction filling his eyes. Wow, he really thought he got what he wanted.
"A dance partner? You were grinding your hips into her!" More and more curious eyes turned in our direction. Ethan licked his lips, aware that we had a large audience. He reached for me, but I took a step back, shaking my head.
"Ria..."
I raised my finger to shush him. "No, I don't want to listen to any pathetic excuses! You didn't want to dance with me like that! What am I supposed to think?"
A frown creased Ethan's brow, his element intensifying. He had to realize by now what I was doing. I only needed a couple of more seconds because I knew the song that was playing and I knew that it would get quieter near the end.
"You're overreacting. Please, listen to me. We can discuss this in private," Ethan said, but people had already started to murmur and point fingers at us.
I took a deep breath and counted to five. "That's it! I'm breaking up with you!" I yelled. Ethan's jaw went slack as he stared at me, hardly comprehending what had happened. Everyone stared at us and some were even snapping pictures with their phones. It was only a matter of seconds before the news ended up in the press and all over the social media. I wished someone had recorded Ethan and me so I could replay the look on his face over and over again.
Unwilling to remain in the center of attention, I headed for the restroom. I bit my lip to stop myself from smiling. No one was in the restroom when I got there, but I could feel Ethan's element nearby. He entered the restroom only a couple of seconds later, making me roll my eyes.
"Umm, this is ladies' room. Get out." I faced the mirror and started fiddling with my hair, hoping Ethan would give up and leave.
"I won't go anywhere until we talk."
"We don't have to talk. I don't like you and now the charade is over. We can go back to our lives and do whatever we want." I shivered as his element became even stronger. It didn't help that he took another step toward me. God, would I ever get rid of him?
"If this is about that girl out there... "
"No, it's not about her. It's about you." I looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw him coming closer. Clenching my teeth and supporting myself on the sink, I tried to chase away the chill that set into my bones. If he didn't get in control of his element soon, I was going to fall apart.
"Why can't you give me a chance?" He put his arms around me and I drove my elbow into his chest. He yelped and pulled back, rubbing the spot I'd hit.
"I don't want anything to do with you, ok?" I turned around to face him. "Now go!"
"Who is he?" He inched closer until we were only a breath apart. "Who do you love?"
"No one!" I was trapped between the sink and his body, my pulse speeding up. My self-control was slipping by each second. Ethan bent his head, his lips closing over mine, and I pushed at his chest with both hands, praying I wouldn't go for his element. He didn't budge, pressing himself against me, his hand finding my thigh and pushing my dress up.
I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. "Get off me!" I tried to hit him again, but he caught my hand and forced it down. My bracelet unlatched and slipped off my wrist. Before I could push at him with my other hand, he slapped me. I stared at him in shock, my cheek stinging. The time seemed to stop and a fireball flew toward his head. He ducked and scurried backward, surprise written all over his face.
I went for him before he could recover and attack me with his fire, his element calling for me. All of my thoughts blurred together into one command; to kill. I was so close to him. The only thing I needed to do was wrap my hands around his throat and wait until his element came to me. I already knew the fire would feel amazing.
"Ria!" Adrian's voice broke through my daze and I looked up at him. Ethan rose to his feet and I threw another fireball in his direction, barely missing.
"What are you doing here?" Ethan sneered at Adrian, clearly more concerned with Adrian's presence than with my attacks.
"And what are you doing here?" Adrian's gray-blue eyes flashed with rage. Coldness spread through the room, going for Ethan. But before the ice could even reach him, Ethan created a wall of fire, swallowing the ice completely. Shit. Ethan's element was strong, which meant that it could be pure or very close to pure, provided that Ethan knew how to use it to its full potential. Maybe I was wrong about Ethan's father having the disease. My own element wouldn't be pure even if I didn't have the disease simply because my great-grandfather had been a carrier.
"Carriers shouldn't be allowed to enter the club at all!" Ethan yelled, looking from me to Adrian. "Get out!"
"I'm not going anywhere." Adrian must have realized using ice would only put us both in danger if Ethan decided to use his fire against us. Then again, Ethan couldn't know my fire wasn't stronger than his until he tried to stop it directly. "Ria, are you ok?"
I shook my head, backing away until I was closer to Adrian. "Ethan, go!"
"I'm not going to le
ave you with a carrier," Ethan huffed.
"You're more of a threat to me than he is right now," I said, glaring at Ethan. I wanted to strangle him, and I wasn't sure that was entirely because of my disease.
Ethan eyed Adrian and me, his dark eyes narrowing. "I saw you watching her. You're obsessed with her... or..." He turned to me. "You're fucking a carrier, you dumb bitch!"
Adrian rushed him, tackling him against the wall and punching him in the face. Ethan got hold of Adrian's arm, attempting to twist it. I contemplated calling my guards, but they were too far away because they thought I'd be safe in here.
"Stop it!" I yelled as they continued to punch and kick. If I threw a fireball at them, I risked hitting Adrian with it. Damn it.
"Tell me, Ria, why is a carrier better than me? What does he have?" Ethan said, panting.
"I'm not with Adrian, but I don't care what you think." Even if Ethan suspected something, there was no way he could prove it.
Adrian jumped back, avoiding Ethan's fist. They stared at each other from the distance, trying to find the best way to attack.
"Did you come because you sensed our elements?" Ethan spat out blood, his eyes trained on Adrian.
"Oh, I'd like to have an element, but yours reeks." Adrian smirked. Ethan's face went white with rage and he rushed Adrian, pinning him against the wall.
"Stop it!" I came behind Ethan and wrapped my arms around his neck. A scream brought our attention to the girls who were at the door, their eyes wide and frightened. One of the girls ran off, yelling for the security. My grip on Ethan's throat tightened as he tried to shake me off. I dug my nails into my own arms until I could control my limbs, and let go of him. It would be a disaster if I ended up killing Ethan in front of witnesses.
The first one to come to the rescue was Alan, who grabbed Ethan and pulled him away from Adrian. Ethan's hair was disheveled, his nose bloody. Adrian was trying to catch his breath, wiping off the blood from his lip, a bruise forming on his cheekbone.
Restless (Element Preservers, #4) Page 11