“It’s the meds Ollie gave me. I had a bad night.”
“What happened? Are you alright?”
“Not really,” I admitted. I’m actually pretty crazy. ‘Alright’ is something I tell people I am so I don’t have to admit that most days I freak myself out.”
“I love you just the way you are.”
I shook my head. “I don’t. Being the way I am is hard, and it hurts.” I motioned around to the distorted reality we were in. “This isn’t a normal person’s dream.”
He looked around at my bedroom that kept surfacing and disappearing at random. “Where are we?”
“It’s my bedroom at my place.”
Philip’s eyes found mine with purpose. “I made it into your house?”
“Lucky you. Sorry my brain’s freaking out. I would show you around.”
His mouth found mine when the lights cut again, throwing us into darkness. The sensory overload made for more passion than I’d been anticipating, and we all but attacked each other, toppling onto my bed. The lights didn’t come back on as Philip’s shirt found its way to the floor. They didn’t come back on when my shirt joined his moments later.
We were frantic to make good use of the time while we had it. I knew as soon as I woke up, my world would be bleak and all too real. “Make me forget it all,” I begged Philip, tugging his lower lip between mine.
His hands moved up my body to stroke my cheek tenderly. “Oh, hani. I’ve been waiting for this for so long.”
Philip and I discarded reality and the rest of our clothes as we made a mess of the sheets in the darkness of my broken dream.
I didn’t like the medication that was in case of emergencies only. I didn’t like how it made me feel when I woke up however many infinite hours later from my broken, yet sexy dream. I didn’t like what it said about me that there were times in my life when a little spilled milk had more of an effect on me than a simple childish cry. I felt like I was floating, and I prayed with everything in me that when I opened my eyes, Ollie wouldn’t have checked me into a hospital for observation. I’d sworn to myself I would never let myself get so out of control again. My therapist had instructed me to make a safe place for myself so that when life got messy, I could draw solace from the fact that my one place was still clean and controlled. I needed that strength, that peace of mind. It allowed me to wade through mud, to treat bloody inmates and sleep in the dirt when I had to.
Now it was gone, and so was I.
“I could’ve blissed her out just fine. You didn’t have to drug her like that. She’s not a wild animal. Who knows when she’ll wake up now?” Von’s voice came to me from the living room, but I was all turned around, not even sure which room I was in.
Ollie’s voice rallied and calmed me in the same breath. Things would be okay if Ollie was around; I just knew it. “She’ll wake up when it wears off. And you’ve known October for less than a year. I raised her. I took care of her. I know when she’s herself, when she’s lost, and when she can’t find her way back. Trust me, this is how I’m keeping her out of the hospital. She gets a mark on her record, and she won’t be able to go back to work quite so easily.”
“She has a job,” Von countered. “Ezra doesn’t care about her record.”
“No offense, but you all suck at this. My sister’s self-sufficient on most things. Since you all came into her life, she’s lost weight, had a mental breakdown and lives with two men I’m not sure should ever be around anybody’s sister. You have no idea how hard the three of us have to work to be normal, the mental stamina it takes to blend in.”
“I don’t get it. One minute she’s killing Ekeks with no hesitation, no fear, and the next she’s catatonic over a stain on her carpet. It’s a steep learning curve, Ollie.”
There was a pause, and when Ollie answered, I could tell he was thinking his answer through. “She can do those things because she can compartmentalize better than most. We’re survivors, and we do what we have to. If it’s pretending she’s not scared when someone attacks her, she’ll do it. If it’s gritting her teeth and barreling through when life gets too messy, she’ll do it. That bedroom is the one place she doesn’t have to pretend. You wrecked her safe place, Von. Were you seriously getting to second base with Katrina on my sister’s bed? For what purpose? Why? Everyone knows her room’s off limits.”
“Because of you! You got into my head with your fatherly talk about my intentions and what October deserved in a husband and whatnot. I saw that I’d let things get too familiar between us. I put some distance in there so she didn’t get confused.”
Danny’s voice broke in. “So she didn’t get confused. How altruistic. I suppose simply talking to her didn’t cross your mind any more than actually going for it and doing something real with your life.”
Von’s anger rose in his shout that was aimed at Danny. “Something real? I’ll give you real, little brother. I won’t live long enough to give her anything real. You think I don’t look at her every damned day and curse the vampire who bit me? You think I don’t wish I could make her mine? I’m one paper cut away from losing myself forever. People like me shouldn’t attach themselves to someone who deserves more. But by all means, tell me again how simple it all is. Tell me October doesn’t deserve better than me, and how settling for a half-vamp is the best move for someone as amazing as her.”
I could hear Danny’s tart response seething through gritted teeth. “She deserves to get what she wants.”
I opened my eyes and found that I was resting in Ollie’s bed. The room started spinning, blending a blurred face with the color of streaked pink. There was a moving shape that was hard to place as the world kept tilting. “Oh!” I groaned aloud, grabbing for something to brace myself on.
I heard a woman shout, “Ollie, she’s awake!” Then a reassuring pair of delicate hands gripped my flailing arms. I felt weighted, and still too erratic to make sense of the world.
“Allie?” I called, hopeful. “Allie! You came back!”
I heard a crash of footfall near the bed, and Ollie’s arms were around me in the next breath. “Easy, kid,” he said as he slowly lowered me back down to the mattress.
“She’s back! I knew she’d come back for us!” I sobbed. I was confused and could barely see my brother, who was right in front of my face. The world kept tilting, moving too slowly, and then somehow too fast for me to comprehend everything I needed to make sense of it all. “Allie?” I called.
“Shh. Allie’s not here, hun. It’s just me.”
I didn’t know why Ollie was lying to me. Maybe he just couldn’t see her. “I heard her! Right over there.” I meant to move my arm to point, but ended up smacking myself in the face.
“That’s Mariang. She hasn’t left your side. Allie would be glad to see someone caring about you so much.”
“Allie?” I called again, not ready to give up hope that my sister had come back for me. “Allie!”
A large hand swept mine up, and I felt a portion of my stress coming down. The hand was hairy, so I guessed Mason was there. I blinked over and over, but the world was still screwy, like an old TV you had to slap the picture straight in.
Ollie was shifting my pillow beneath me, his arm around me to keep my body from flailing. “How are you feeling?” Slowly the room started to come into focus. Mason, Von and Mariang stared at me with notes of fear in their faces. Ollie asked me a series of questions to test my lucidity, some of which I heard, and some I could not. “Let’s slow things down, sis.” Ollie shooed the guys out, turned on the TV in his room, kicking his feet up on the mattress as Mariang pulled the blanket up over me.
I looked down and noticed for the first time that my hands had gloves on them. Thin black gloves that looked like they were meant for driving. “Gloves?” I asked Ollie, who looked relieved I was speaking.
“Von got you some gloves to wear so you didn’t scratch yourself. And this way you won’t have to get your hands dirty.”
“Oh.” That was nice
. I often felt the desire to wear my hospital gloves out and about, but knew that would be weird. This was a happy medium. I buried my arms under the covers and struggled to sit up. Ollie met me halfway and tugged me upright, while Mariang arranged my pillows so that I didn’t have to put any effort into the arduous task of, you know, sitting. I cuddled into Ollie’s side. “How bad was I?”
Ollie kissed my forehead and rested his cheek there. Mariang reclined in the chair next us. “Not terrible. You knew who I was. That’s a step up from the last time. Who knows? Maybe with Mason and Von doing their pulling thing, I won’t have to intervene again.”
“I’m sorry, Ollie. I’m so sorry!”
“Shh. Don’t worry about it. I think you’re allowed one breakdown per year. You learned about a whole new world filled with freaky creatures, magic, Voldemort and who knows what else. I’m actually kind of glad the stain on the carpet forced you to take a break to deal with a little bit of all that’s been changing around you.”
“I can do better. I promise I can get myself under control.”
“You’re doing just fine, kid. Take a break. Watch some bad TV with your old brother.”
“Did I hit you?”
“Nope. Didn’t hurt me at all. You zonked clean out, which gave Von enough time to smarten up. So if you want a really good apology, you might be able to get it in song if you play your cards right.”
Mariang’s voice was quiet and gentle, which was probably how I confused it with Allie’s in my befuddled state. “Von got the stain out, changed your bedding and vacuumed.”
Ollie cut in with a sharp edge to his tone. “But if it’s not how you want it, I’ll have the carpet replaced, alright? Nothing to worry about. It’s still your space. No one’ll wreck it while I’m around.”
“Von vacuumed?” I inquired, trying to visualize the oddity. “I can’t picture that.”
Mariang smiled and pulled her phone from her pocket. “I wanted proof, too, so I snapped a picture. See? Von with a vacuum. Lynna will faint when she sees this.”
I saw my vacuum. I saw my room. I saw the side of Von’s face, his eyes haunted and expressionless. I’d scared him with my crazy, and now Von was vacuuming.
I scared Von into vacuuming.
No, no.
I threw the covers off me and tried in vain to get up, my arms flailing hopelessly while the rest of my body punked out on me.
“Lay back down, kid.”
“I have to get out of bed. This isn’t right. Von’s vacuuming? I don’t want that.”
“You don’t want Von to clean up his own mess?” Ollie clarified, leaning me against his shoulder when he could see I wouldn’t be deterred. “Those are some low expectations you’ve got for him, there.”
“I’m better. I can do better. I don’t need people cleaning up after me.”
“Alright, alright. Slow down. You can’t walk yet. Remember the last time?” He kept me in his one-armed hug as he spoke to Mariang. “She stood up before she was ready, and her legs weren’t working right. She smacked right down on the ground and conked her chin on the desk.”
Mariang frowned. “Ouch. Would you feel better if you made a list? When I’m too weak for the day, I make lists of all the things I’d like to do, and plan to do once I’m on my feet again.”
It dawned on me that I wasn’t the weakest link. Mariang had many mornings where she woke up barely able to lift her head. No one looked down on her for that. Maybe I didn’t have to be so angry with myself because I couldn’t feel my legs yet. “I guess that would work. Yeah.”
“I’ll grab you a pen and paper.” She scurried out of the room and returned a minute later. She sat on the edge of her seat, pen poised over the notepad I kept on the fridge. She looked like the most adorable secretary I’d ever seen, complete with her raven hair pulled back in a professional bun. “Here. What would you like to get done today?”
“Reaping. We need to keep on top of the quota, or we’ll fall behind.”
“No,” Danny ruled from the doorway. “I let Mariang push herself, and it only hurt her. This isn’t about being a hero. It’s not a sprint. You need a day off, so take it. We’re well ahead on the quota.”
“I’m fine. Just a little setback last night. After I get feeling in my legs back, I can get to work.”
“Talk all you want, the answer’s no. We’ve got a good four days before either of you need to reap a single soul.”
I grumbled, but as I couldn’t get out of bed yet, I decided to let Danny win this one. “Fine. But tomorrow it’s business as usual. We’ll need to deliver the next bit of the stone soon, so we have to spend a few days stocking up on souls before we leave for Terraway.”
“Fine. I made breakfast, but it’s been sitting out for an hour. You want me to make you something else?” Danny’s words, though very nice, had always the note of aggression to them.
“You made breakfast?” I asked, looking up at him in confusion.
“Yeah. No one felt like leaving the house this morning, and none of us were all that hungry, so I made some scrambled eggs. You want?”
I nodded, unable to look up at him. “Thanks. That’s real decent of you.”
Danny didn’t know what to do with a sincere compliment from me, so he ignored it and went out to the kitchen.
“He was worried sick last night. We all were. Dad stopped by,” Mariang said, updating me on the events of the night. “Left a bit ago to sit with Mother.”
“Why?” I asked, my nose scrunched. “She gave back the ring.”
Mariang frowned. “Yes, and he gave it right back to her. She said she won’t accept it until she has her life together. She said she’s going to give herself a few months to try to sort things out. Figure out who she even is, since she doesn’t really know anymore. She’s been living near the stone for so long. She’s a bit lost.”
“Understatement,” Ollie agreed. “I’m supposed to go in to see her, but Ezra took my place so I could be here.”
“Taking care of yet another crazy person,” I said, stating bluntly the thing we were all thinking. “Lucky you.”
“What are you talking about? I’m here because I want to hang out with my sister. We’ve barely spent any actual time together since I moved back, what with the Terraway crap tornado that keeps sweeping through the trailer park. I believe when I came into town a few months ago, you promised me a Nightmare on Elm Street marathon you never delivered on. Or was it Evil Dead?”
“Hello, you were with Gabby that whole weekend. You don’t want to watch stupid movies with me. You’re only here because I freaked out. You’re being nice to me because I’m pathetic.”
Ollie’s mouth dropped open. “Okay, I didn’t think you were crazy before, but I do now. You just called Evil Dead stupid! Heresy!” He felt my forehead to check for a fever.
Mariang giggled at our playful fight as Ollie got up to turn on the TV. “I very much wished I had siblings growing up. You’re so close. It’s nice to watch.”
“Yeah? You’re next, little sister,” Ollie grinned, jerking his head to the other spot on the bed next to him. “Best seat in the house right here. Tuck on in, kids. We’re skipping work and watching movies for the day. We’re so rebellious. I say we go full-on pirate tomorrow and steal a boat or something.”
Mariang and I looked at each other, smiles breaking out on our faces as I tried to scoot over to make room for her. Ollie pulled me to lean against the headboard on his left, and Mariang slid in on his right, barely taking up any space at all. Ollie grabbed his remotes and clicked through the movies we owned to locate the first Evil Dead, or as it could also be called, the Greatest Movie of All Time, which Mariang had never seen.
Ollie opened the door and called out into the house, “Come on in, guys. We’re having a movie day. Whoever brings up work or last night or anything serious has to make the first beer run.”
Mason and Von meandered in curiously. Then Danny came in with a plate of scrambled eggs for me he’d nuked in
the microwave. “Thanks, Danny. They look great.”
Ollie sized up how many people were in the bedroom and shook his head. “On second thought, movie marathon in the living room. I don’t think we’ll all be comfortable. We can’t watch Ash get attacked by the hand of death in here.”
Mariang took my plate for me, and I tried not to let anyone know that I still couldn’t feel my legs. Ollie was already in the living room turning on the TV and finding the first movie for our marathon; I didn’t want to ruin the fun by reminding him that I wasn’t my best self yet. I picked up one leg and flopped it over the side of the bed like a dead fish. No, this was definitely not ideal.
“Wait a second. You’re not supposed to be walking.” Danny crouched down in front of me and looked up into my face. I was horribly embarrassed, so I turned away, wishing I wasn’t pathetic. “Can I carry you?”
I leaned forward, my head in my hands while the others set up in their seats of choice in the living room. “Ugh. Could this whole thing get any worse? Please don’t carry me. It’s so humiliating.”
He turned my chin to face him so I had no choice but to look into his eyes that were earnest, and without their usual loathing. “Hey, it’s one bad night, yeah? That’s all this is. Ollie’s right; we all need some time to just be normal. No stone, no monsters, no Terraway, no family drama.”
“You’ve clearly never seen Evil Dead if you think today will be devoid of monsters and drama.”
Danny managed a small smile at my joke. “I’ve actually never seen it before.”
My mouth fell open. “You’re not serious.”
Danny shrugged. “Mariang likes the romantic ‘I hope he falls in love with me because I’ve got three months to live’ sort of rubbish. I’m actually kind of excited to see something new.”
Tempt (Terraway Book 4) Page 20