“Could you drop me at Denise’s?” she asked excitedly.
“Are you done?” asked Anna incredulously. She thought that being back shortly had just been a figure of speech.
“Yes. I just needed to confirm a couple of things with him and ask when I can go to the mansion with Susie,” seeing that her mother had no idea who Susie was, she explained, “responsible for decoration, to see how we are going to organize the place.”
“Ok. That was quick anyway. Are you going to be that quick at Denise’s?”
“I don’t think so. Can you pick me up in two hours?”
“Sure, but what are you going to do there?” asked Anna curiously. Denise was older, and she wondered why Alexis spent so much time with her. They certainly didn’t talk about school.
“I’ll see if she needs any help, mom. She’s recently moved to Grasslin. She has no friends here. She’s blind. She may be in need of help. I don’t want to go there in a hurry,” said Alexis, bothered. She found her mom a bit insensitive when it came to Denise.
Anna felt bad for not having thought of any of those. “That makes perfect sense. I’ll be back in two hours,” she said as she stopped the car in front of Denise’s house. Unlike she always did, Alexis didn’t kiss her before leaving the car. Anna wondered if Alexis had been attacked again and didn’t want to tell it to her because of Morgan. She got her phone and texted her, “Luv u.” She would try to get Alexis to talk at night.
“Hey, Al.” Denise was excited to see Alexis. She was sure they had a lot to talk about.
“Hi, D,” said Alexis calmly.
“Hmm, that’s not your usual hi. What happened?” Denise’s excitement was gone. Something had happened, and it didn’t seem to be good.
“Well, D, I believe I can expect nothing but honesty from you, right?”
“Of course,” said Denise promptly. She was curious and worried at the same time.
“What is Ethan’s interest in me?” She would ask about Samil, but she doubted Denise would say anything good about him.
Denise hesitated. She had no idea whether she would honor Phillip’s agreement with Samil or do as she pleased. She had made no deal, she thought. Phillip did not represent her. “He wants to protect you.”
“That’s a very romantic answer. I don’t buy it anymore, D,” she said bitterly.
“That’s the truth though,” said Denise firmly.
“Is it really? So, I guess he should know you are here because you both have the same goal, keep me safe,” she said defiantly. She knew Denise didn’t want Ethan to know she was there and Alexis could only attribute that to the fact that Ethan would be an obstacle in Denise’s way or vice-versa.
“We want to keep you safe for different reasons.” Denise took a deep breath. That was another conversation doomed to end badly.
“What are his reasons?” she insisted.
“Do you love him?” asked Denise warmly. She needed to know how far she could go without breaking Alexis's heart too much.
“What does that have to do with anything?” she asked angrily. She was sick of never getting a straightforward answer.
“A lot actually. Answer the question, Alexis,” she demanded.
“I don’t know what I feel for him. The only thing I know is that you two are trying to manipulate me at all costs. You with your friendship and he with his love, at least that’s what you both want me to believe in.” She raised her eyebrows. It was important for Denise to have her friendship. She would have to use that in her favor then. “D, if you are not honest with me, I’ll walk away right now, and you won’t see me again, trust me.”
“Samil has poisoned you against Ethan, hasn’t he?” Denise feared that telling Alexis the truth about Ethan would push her to Samil.
“This is not about Samil,” she said between her teeth.
“Are you in love with him?” Denise would rather not have to ask that question because the answer would undoubtedly upset her.
It was useless to insist. Denise would not tell her anything useful. For a mysterious reason, she was protecting Ethan. She opened the door and left. She was too angry to risk staying more time in Denise’s house. She felt her hands burn. She would have to walk home, waiting for her mother was out of the question. She texted Anna to let her know she was on her way back. She finished texting and continued walking. There was no one on the street. Her hands kept burning. She would have to direct that energy to something. She didn’t know how to suppress it. That was when she looked at the woods and saw him, the Oren. Perfect, she thought. She took him off guard. He certainly didn’t expect her to be that quick or to be able to attack him at all. He dropped on the ground as if he were dead. Alexis was relieved for having let all that energy out. He didn’t move. She waited. He was still. She considered walking to him to check if he were breathing, but if he were, which she hoped, he could attack her back. She started running. The sooner she got home, the sooner she would be safe. She ran into the house and got her phone. “I think I killed the Oren,” she texted Ethan.
“I’m on my way,” he replied immediately.
It was hard to type, her hands were shaking, but she couldn't let him show up at her house. “No, my mom doesn’t know about you. Can you check if he’s alive? I was on 3rd street West. He was in the woods.”
“What were you doing there?”
“I went to Adam’s.” She hoped he would buy that. Adam was a few blocks away from Denise’s.
“I’m on my way.”
“Thanks.”
“Al, were you running?” asked Anna, concerned.
“Yes, I saw a huge toad,” she said convincingly. She had become a master in the art of lying. They came out of her mouth so naturally that soon she would believe every single word she said, becoming unable to distinguish reality from illusion. One thing was true though, she was terrified of toads; her mom knew that.
“Oh, that,” Anna smiled. “How were things at Denise? You were quick.”
“She was fine, and my headache is back, so I thought it would be better to get some rest.” She was somewhat pleased that lying did not require so much effort anymore. She already had a lot to worry about.
“I agree. Why don’t we have lunch and you take a nap afterward?” Anna suggested.
“That’d be great.” Alexis went to the kitchen and sat. She checked her phone like crazy.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I sent Mia a message, but she hasn’t replied yet. I need to know if there’s homework,” she lied again and that was a lame one. She wanted to laugh at it. Homework was not even in the list of her concerns anymore.
“I’m sure there’s no need for so much anxiety. She’ll reply.” Anna knew those words were true for herself as well. Mia hadn't replied her message either, and that was driving her crazy.
Alexis nodded and quickly ate her lunch. The less they talked, the less she would have to lie. “I’ll take a nap,” she said, still chewing her food. She left the kitchen in a hurry. She didn’t want her mom to ask her anything. She closed her bedroom door and checked her phone. There was a message from Ethan. Her heart was racing. She feared reading it. What if she had killed someone? He hadn’t attacked her, not that day. It had not been self-defense. She had been evil, that was it. She didn’t have enough courage to read his message. She heard a noise. It was Ethan. He was outside her bedroom window. She opened it, and he jumped into her bedroom.
“I couldn’t read your message,” her voice trembled, her entire body was shaking.
“He was not there,” he whispered. It wouldn’t be nice if Anna found a man in Alexis’s room, they had to keep their voices down.
“Are you sure you went to the right place?”
He nodded. “There was blood, but he was gone.”
“He’s alive then,” she said.
There was so much relief in her expression that he could not do anything different from agreeing. “Yes,” he confirmed. He held her face in his hands and kissed h
er. “Did he attack you?” She shook her head. He kissed her again in an attempt to conceal her concern.
“Am I evil?” she asked in sorrow.
“No. You attacked someone who has already attacked you more than once. That’s a natural reaction, Al. Especially now that you know some of your skills.” He stroked her face. “Are you feeling better?”
She nodded. “Why did you come here?” she asked looking him in the eye.
“I knew you were probably being too hard on yourself for having attacked him,” he lied. The truth was that he wanted to know if there had been a reason for Alexis to strike.
“And why do you care?”
“You don’t know?” he asked, surprised. “I love you, Al,” he said sweetly.
She didn't expect that answer, but it felt incredibly good to hear him say those words. She had never felt so desired before. There was so much love in his eyes. She believed him. She believed every word he said. She kissed him passionately. Her hands caressed his back, and she took his shirt off.
“Al,” he whispered. He was going to complete telling her that her mom was home, but she knew that. She walked to the door and silently locked it. She gave him a naughty look that aroused him even more. He got to her and nibbled her ear. She scratched his back causing him to moan. He was about to take her blouse off when they heard Anna going up the stairs. They stopped breathing trying their best not to make any noise. Hopefully, Anna would go to her bedroom. They couldn’t hear her footsteps anymore. She was by Alexis’s door, they knew it. “I love you,” he whispered again and gently kissed her. It was better to leave before it was too late. She grabbed his arm and pulled him close.
“Wait,” she said almost inaudibly. She wanted him to stay and make her his, but much for her frustration, Anna tried opening her door.
“Al?” she asked.
“Yes, mom?” Alexis tried to sound as lazy as possible as if she had been sleeping.
“Open the door, please,” said Anna firmly. She hated locked doors.
“There will be other opportunities,” he whispered in her ear. He got his shirt and left.
Alexis opened the door. She was distraught. “What?” she asked rudely.
“Hey, I don’t like that tone. You know the house rules, no locked doors,” said Anna severely.
Alexis wanted to shout at her. She couldn’t care less about the house rules. “What do you want, mom?” she asked between her teeth.
Alexis’s rudeness was irritating. Anna tried not to lose her temper. “I just wanted to check on you, but I can see that you are doing fine. Leave the door open. I mean not only unlocked but also wide open. I want to see you every time I pass by your room.”
Alexis was going to respond, but arguing with her mom wouldn’t get her anything. “Okay, mom,” she said calmly. She went to bed. She was frustrated that she wouldn’t be able to see Ethan again that day. She wanted to finish what they had started. She wanted to be with him. She wanted him to make her forget everything and everyone. She checked her phone; there was a message from him.
“You are everything to me. I can’t wait to see you again.”
She smiled. “Can’t wait to see you either, but not tonight. My mom made me leave the door open.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then. Have a good night.”
Alexis was relieved that he hadn’t said that he loved her again. She couldn’t say it back. She didn’t know what she felt for him. It was an intense feeling, but she didn’t know if it were love. “You too.” She stared at the phone for a few seconds before starting to check the messages she had sent Samil. They had been delivered, but not read. He was ignoring her, and that saddened her in a way capable of making any other sorrow seem too little, and any good feeling become inexistent. She sank her face into her pillow. She wanted to read the diary, but she didn’t find in herself the strength to leave her bed. She started crying. If only she could see Ethan, he could make that pain go away.
“I’m waiting for you. Please, come,” she sent the message without hesitation. She waited for it to be delivered before putting her phone on the floor. She closed her eyes. She hoped to see him again in her dreams. Hopefully, Samil would read the message.
XIII
When Alexis got to school, all she wanted was to see Samil. He hadn’t read her messages; he hadn’t shown up in her dreams; he hadn’t given her a chance to explain herself. She felt devastated until the moment she laid her eyes on Ethan. He was by the door, his back against the wall. He seemed relaxed. He smiled at her and walked in her direction. She hated herself for not being sure she loved him. Without saying a word, he kissed her. His kiss took her to heaven; she could feel his love for her on his lips, flowing to her, warming her heart. Strangely enough, they seemed to be more connected after she had unleashed the other side of her power.
When they got to class, Alexis couldn’t help noticing that Samil was absent and that distracted her. During classes, she couldn’t pay attention to a single word teacher said. She couldn’t stop thinking of Samil, his absence and the despise she had seen in his eyes when he said she was a waste of his time. She felt herself sinking in sorrow, ready to drown in tears. Seeing that she was suffering, Ethan stretched his hand and stroked her arm reminding her that he was there with her.
Alexis couldn't bear to stay in class anymore. She felt suffocated, unable to breathe. “I wanna go,” she whispered.
He frowned. “Now?” he asked, surprised. She nodded. Ethan thought about it for a minute. They couldn’t simply stand up and walk away in the middle of a class. Unless no one saw them leave, but that would take a lot of his energy, and he didn’t want to make himself vulnerable. “A few more minutes to lunchtime. Hold on,” he murmured. He could tell that she was frustrated by his answer. He closed his eyes, snorted, and shook his head, all in disapproval of what he was about to do. He placed both of his hands on the desk and kept his eyes closed.
Alexis observed. She was curious to know what he was trying to do. A wave of power emanated from him and all of a sudden, there was complete silence. She looked around; everyone was motionless. He stood up and grabbed her hand.
“Come, we don’t have much time,” he said urgently.
“Ethan…,” she said in awe.
“I’ll explain later. Now, come, Al,” he insisted. He would be really upset if he had gone through all that trouble just to continue in class. Fortunately, she left the classroom with him. “Where do you want to go?” he asked sweetly. He was glad that he could give her what she wanted, a chance to get away.
“Atknan,” she said firmly. She kept her eyes fixed on the woods as he drove to the park. She didn’t want to look at him. He had just proven Mia right. Alexis didn’t know who he was or what he could do. Loving him was not an option, at least not yet. When they arrived, she went to the clearing. “This is where I first saw you,” she looked at him, “killing a man.”
“I was saving you,” he rejoined impatiently. Being attacked by her remarks was not in his plans.
Alexis didn't care that he seemed displeased with her. “What did you do at school? What was that?”
“I froze time.” He had already regretted having done so. She was not ready to know more about him or anything else.
“What else can you do?” she sounded more upset than curious.
Now that he had put himself in that situation, he had no other option but to try to get out of it. “A few other things, Al, but our focus now should be on what you can do.”
“Don’t change the subject,” she said sharply. “What do you want from me?” She suspected that, even though he had never mentioned the prophecy, he had probably gone to Grasslin because of it.
“I want you to be safe. That’s all, Al.”
“You lie. You lie all the freaking time,” she said, enraged.
“I’m not lying.” Ethan had to control himself not to lose his temper. Having to defend himself from her accusations was far from being what he had in mind when he found the
m a way to skip class. He walked to her.
“Don’t get near me,” she said loudly. She was sure that if he got close to her, she would get lost in him and that conversation would end favorably for him. She was not willing to allow that to happen.
“You are overreacting,” he said seriously.
“Am I? Tell me about the prophecy,” she said challengingly.
“Who told you about that?” He hated that things were out of his control. If things continued like that, he would have to change his approach.
“It’s true then. There’s a prophecy.” Tears wet her cheeks. The confirmation that he had kept that information from her saddened her.
He couldn't believe things had come to that; he would soon have to apologize for not sharing with her something that would only cause her unnecessary suffering. “Al…,” he said apologetically.
“Don’t.” She wiped her face. “I can’t trust you.” She was back to feeling lonely and hollow.
“Don’t say that. It’s not true.” He had no idea how he would make things better without giving out too much.
“Isn’t it? Enlighten me then!” she shouted. “Come on!” He was clearly lost. “You don’t even know what to say. You know why? Because you need to select what to tell me.” She turned around and started walking away.
That was it; he would have to say something. “I don’t know what to say because I don’t want the prophecy to define your actions. That’s why I didn’t tell you about it.” Ethan watched an infuriated Alexis stop walking to look at him.
“Hiding things from me only pushes me away from you, and that may define my next move,” she said threateningly. If he were not going to cooperate, she would keep a distance from him, no matter how much that could possibly hurt her.
The Defender (The Elkavians Book 1) Page 18