“But how will this ever work? I’ll get old and you will stay young. I’ll eventually die, while you will stay alive for centuries to come.” She was now sobbing.
“I’ll never let you die, I made that promise before. Why don’t you just trust in me? You are not going anywhere. You are staying with me for eternity.”
The tears were rolling down her face. Sebastian reached over and pushed the hair out of her face. With his finger he pulled her chin up so that he could look in her eyes.
“Arielle, you have to stop crying, I can’t bear to see you like this. Why don’t you come and talk to me when you have worries like this? I can’t live without you, I’m sure I’ve told you that before many times.” He paused, and after thinking for a moment, added, “I’m guessing that insecurity has to be a human emotion. But really, you have to start trusting me. Don’t let things worry you so. Can you do that for me? Please?”
“Yes,” she said reluctantly. “I mean… I hope I can.”
“You don’t sound very sure about that, Arielle. Do you promise to trust me?”
“Yes, I promise,” she said, cautiously lifting her eyes to meet his.
“Tell me that you love me and I’ll let you go get ready. I hope you realize how hard it is for me to let you get out of this bed with just that little towel wrapped around you,” he added, laughing softly.
She took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes. She reached over and pulled him close as her lips met his in a warm, fervent kiss. “I love you more than life,” she whispered, and he moaned with pleasure.
The restaurant was beautiful and the food was fantastic. Arielle watched Sebastian try the meal. He ate very little but he did have a couple of drinks. After dinner, Troy stood up and turned Gabrielle’s chair around as he got onto his knee and asked her to marry him. She cried, and so did Eva and Arielle. The ring was beautiful, and Gabrielle’s face was an amazing sight. She sparkled from happiness. When their lips were locked in a passionate kiss, Sebastian reached over and took Arielle’s hand. His lips were hardly moving, but she could read in them the words “I love you.” She smiled and pressed his hand softly. Everyone was jubilant, and they drank champagne to their happiness. The guys were busy talking about various things, as the girls admired the ring. After wishing Gabrielle and Troy happiness for their engagement, they left the restaurant.
When they got to the car, Sebastian opened the passenger door for Arielle and held it for her as his sensuous lips pressed hers softly in a luscious kiss.
“You are a great friend, and Gabrielle loves you more than you will ever know,” he said.
“Oh, but I do know. I know much more that you think I do,” she said softly.
“What do you mean by that?” he said, giving her a quizzical look.
“I… I,” she started to say, but immediately she stopped.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
But he wasn’t going to let it go. “What did you want to say?”
“Sebastian, I’ve a terrible secret that I’ve been keeping since I was very young from everyone, including my best friends. The only person that knows is my father. I always thought that you knew about it since you could read my mind, but you’ve never said anything about it.”
“Now, you have my undivided attention,” he said, looking at her intently.
“Tell me the truth, have you not seen anything different about me at all?”
“Honestly, Arielle, I’ve no idea what you are talking about.”
“I find that hard to believe but, oh well.”
“Is it something you can share with me now?”
She slipped into the passenger seat while he walked around the car, never taking his eyes off of her. She could see the curiosity on his face. He was sitting next to her in no time at all. He took her hand as he always did, only this time he was watching her carefully.
“What’s the secret? Out with it now,” he said gently but firmly.
“I can hear people’s thoughts,” she said in a barely audible voice.
His body went rigid and his eyes displayed extreme shock. “What!”
“I said, I can hear people’s thoughts. Well, not everyone’s. There are some people that I can’t hear at all, but most of the people I meet I know what they think or feel or desire. I can hear people’s pain and anguish. And I hate it.”
Sebastian’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, that’s one dreadful gift that I’ve never shared, like I said even with my best friends, or anyone else. Only my father, Troy, and now you.”
He was still looking at her, astonished. “Can you read my thoughts?”
“No, I can’t hear anything from you or any immortal, so you don’t have to worry about me finding out your secrets. You are safe.”
“I don’t have any secrets from you, Arielle. I’m just curious.”
“I have set a place in my head that I call the special place, and that’s where I put all the thoughts that come in uninvited. I have learned through the years to depress the noise because sometimes it drives me crazy.”
Sebastian looked puzzled. “I just can’t understand how I could have missed something like that. I never saw anything in your mind but your thoughts and your desires. That’s unbelievable. Well, maybe I’m not as gifted as I thought,” he chuckled. “I don’t think I have ever met any human with such an ability, or anything even close to it. That’s pretty bizarre. I knew there was something very special about you. I just didn’t know what.”
“Gabrielle and Ian are two of the people that belong to that special group in my head. Eva’s thoughts are mostly clear to me, but sometimes they are clouded and I can’t hear anything. The reason for that is… okay are you ready for this?”
“What?” He gave her a curious look, wondering what revelation could possibly be next.
“Eva has special powers as well. She has visions and premonitions, and she can see things in the future.”
He looked thunderstruck. “I just can’t believe what I am hearing.”
“Eva was the one that warned me every time one of your crazy ladies showed up, ready to do away with me.”
“Oh, my gosh, that’s just unbelievable.” He was looking out the windshield, a stunned look on his face.
“So, you can read people’s thoughts, and Eva can see the future.”
“Yes, that is just about it. I can read their thoughts and that is why I know they are my very best friends. They really truly love me, and I trust them with my life. You look shocked.”
“I’m trying to understand how I missed this,” he said, completely baffled.
“One of these days I’ll have to tell them. I’ll have to come clean because I hate keeping secrets. I want them to love me even though I can clearly read their minds,” Arielle said. She already felt a bit unburdened being able to discuss this with him.
“They have been your friends for all these years, they’ll understand.”
“I’m not so sure about that. If one of them could read my mind I would like to know,” she said, tears welling up and spilling onto her face.
He reached over and wiped the tears from her cheeks tenderly with his thumb.
“Would you not forgive them?”
“I suppose I would, but I’d be pretty disappointed that they didn’t come clean sooner. They’ll be afraid to be close to me, knowing that their private thoughts are completely exposed. That’s the reason I kept it a secret for so long. I don’t want them to think I’m a freak.”
“I don’t think you are making the right assumption. They’re your best friends.”
“And now Gabrielle and I have another secret, your immortality. It’s so hard to explain, and how will Eva or Ian ever understand that?”
“But you yourself could see inside their heads, so you knew how they felt about you. Why did you not trust them?”
Arielle was silent because she knew he was right. There was no good reason for her to have kept this know
ledge from her friends. She should have trusted them to love her no matter what.
“I guess it is too late now?” It came out as a question, not a statement.
“Don’t ever say that. It’s never too late when you have the chance to fix a problem that will make your life easier.”
Again he was right.
“I know that Eva is wondering about me and Troy,” he said. “I know she’s trying to figure out what is so different about us. I also know that she’s one of the nicest girls I’ve ever met and that she is very trustworthy. I feel exactly the same way about Gabrielle. You are three very exceptional girls and very lucky that you have each other. They love you unconditionally, and they are genuinely happy for you and me.”
“I know, that’s why they are my very best friends,” she said, smiling through her tears.
“Why did you only tell your father and not your mother too?”
“My mum thought that I was living in an imaginary world and she wanted me to grow out of it. It would have been too hard to make her understand.”
“Did you ever try?”
“Yes, I did a couple of times, but she thought it might be a good idea for me to see a psychiatrist to talk about the things I was hearing from other people. That wasn’t something I wanted to do.”
Sebastian turned the ignition on and pushed the gas pedal. They drove for a while, and then he finally said, “Don’t worry, Arielle, everyone has secrets. Some secrets are more significant than others. I would not lose sleep over this.”
“What do you think about me, now that you know my secret?”
“I think I love you more,” he said with a smile. “And your father? How did he take it?”
“This is the interesting thing about my father. His mother had the same abilities, so he was not shocked. He didn’t think I was crazy.”
“So, he was open about it?”
“Completely. He told me that this would be a gift that I could use to separate my true friends from my enemies. He said that my grandmother used it to help her get through many difficult times.”
“Well, I think he is right about that.”
“I think he would be right if I had a normal life, but I don’t. My boyfriend is an immortal and so are my enemies.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I can’t hear what you are thinking, and I can’t hear the people that want to hurt me. So what kind of a gift is that?” Pure frustration spilled out of her as she spoke these words.
“Well, that’s a very interesting point,” he said, but he sounded skeptical.
“I know that not all immortals can read minds,” she said.
“How do you know that?”
“I asked Troy if he could read my mind but he said he didn’t possess that gift.”
“He’s right, not all immortals do. But Nathan can see the future, just like Eva, and that’s an extraordinary gift.”
“Troy also told me that immortals couldn’t read each other’s minds.”
“Well, I want to believe that. However, I have enormous reservation about that statement.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Well, I’ve been wondering for a very long time how Annabel knows who I’m with and how I feel about them. And when I say a long time, I mean centuries. No matter where I moved, somehow she always seemed to find me. She always knew that none of my affairs were serious, so she left me alone. But if she can’t read my mind then how does she know all that? I just can’t accept the theory of an informant. I can’t believe that anyone close to me would be providing her with all the details about my life.” He looked deep in thought.
“What about me?” she asked. “What if she can read my mind?”
“I really don’t know, Arielle. I have no theories and no facts. She may be able to read your mind. Actually, now that I think about it, that’s a probability.”
“It makes sense that she could, but I really hope she can’t,” Arielle said, voice trembling.
“I thought it might be someone at my mother’s household that was telling her what I was doing and who I was with. But your point makes more sense to me now. She knew about the ring. She knew that you’re not just a passing affair for me.” He was now staring out the window.
“Sebastian, you are scaring me!”
“I am right here, Arielle.”
“But you’re not with me all the time.”
“You have your necklace for now. And Olivia is working towards a more permanent solution. And you have Eva with her premonitions, and Troy who is going to protect you when I’m not here. I think you’re pretty well covered,” he said, smiling comfortingly.
“Well, you know, there are many ways to hurt a person without touching them. And I’m certainly no match for Annabel.”
He looked at her again, and then turned to stare out the windshield. She could see frustration all over his face as he pinched the tip of his nose. She had only seen him do that once before when he was extremely angry and full of anguish.
He gave her a quick look again and turned away, staring in front of him, his eyes piercing the night without saying a word. She wasn’t sure if she should say something. And if she should, what would it be? So, she just kept quiet and stared out the window, her head full of bad thoughts. She was sure that her encounters with the crazy immortal women were going to become very complicated. She had great fears about the outcome but no solutions.
Sebastian was still holding her hand and stroking the skin softly with his thumb. He sped up the car as his voice broke the silence, low and soft like velvet. “I don’t want you to worry about this,” he said finally. “I’ll deal with the consequence of my actions.”
“I don’t understand. What actions are you talking about?”
“I was well aware of the warnings from Annabel and that she is not very stable. I should have dealt with her before I got you involved.”
“But you didn’t ‘get me’ involved. I wanted to get involved. I fell in love with you.”
He was quiet again, and she didn’t know what he was thinking. She wished she could use her gift to find out his thoughts and take away the torment he was going through. But that wasn’t going to happen. So, she just waited for him to talk again.
But he didn’t say anything. Instead, he pulled the car into the garage and came around to open her door. Their eyes met, but she didn’t get the same reaction she usually did when she looked into his eyes. He wasn’t unleashing his magical power because he was deeply preoccupied.
As she got out of the car, he gathered her in his arms and held her without saying a word. He sighed a deep sigh, but he didn’t let go of her. She didn’t move until he bent down and took her mouth in a voracious kiss. Her fingers locked at the nape of his neck and held him tight. His tongue found his way into the softness of her mouth and relished the sensation of her sweetness. He groaned with desire, but this time there was a hint of sadness in the sound.
She pulled back from the kiss and releasing him, she steadied herself by leaning against the car. “What’s going on in there?” she asked, pointing at his head. He smiled vaguely as he put his arm around her waist, and pulled her through the door.
“Let’s go in,” he said, voice uneasy.
She looked at his flawless features and saw that he suddenly looked very tired. There was a crease across his forehead, and his eyes had turned a dark green color. He walked into the kitchen and took a large glass of salve, and drank it down without taking a breath. She watched him take his shirt off and throw it onto a chair, exposing his beautiful chest. At the sight of it, she involuntarily drew in a deep breath. Amazing defined muscles filled her eyes, and a shiver rippled down her spine as her breath caught in her throat. She watched him walk out into the backyard in silence.
She stood in front of the big window and looked at him standing in the twilight. He looked as stunning as ever, but she knew he was deeply troubled. She didn’t fully understand his change of mood, but she knew that she
needed to leave him alone.
She walked into the bathroom and washed her face. The water made her feel better. She brushed her teeth and combed her hair, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She was worried about Sebastian. She had never seen him this way before.
He was still standing out in the middle of the yard like a statue lost in thought when she walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. She didn’t turn any lights on because it was quite bright in the house with the moonlight coming through the huge picture windows. She watched him quietly for a few minutes, and then went to bed.
She had no idea how much time had passed—she must have drifted off to sleep—when she suddenly felt him next to her. His arms encircled her body and his lips found her mouth.
“Are you okay?” she whispered against his lips.
“Yes, I just needed to think.”
“Can I help?”
“No, you really can’t. It is all my doing, and I will have to deal with it.”
She held him close, wanting to make him feel safe.
“You are my life,” she whispered.
“I know. I just wish I had been smarter about the whole thing and gotten rid of Annabel long before I ever set eyes on you.”
“I knew what I was getting into when you told me about Annabel,” she said. “I chose to stay, so you see, it’s not your fault.”
“It’s completely my fault. This is something I should have resolved centuries ago. I just never dreamed that this amazing feeling could exist until I met you. I have lived without it all my life, and that is a very long time. Now I regret not doing anything about Annabel.”
“Please, let’s talk about it tomorrow.”
“Are you tired?”
“No, not really, I just don’t want to talk about Annabel,” she said.
He kissed her neck and moaned pleasurably.
She was dozing off when she heard him saying. “What do you think about all of us going to St. Jean de Luz?”
“What do you mean, all of us?”
“I mean the six of us. Let’s make it a gift to all of us to celebrate our engagements, from you and me.”
“You are joking.”
Arielle Immortal Seduction (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 2) Page 24