Before I could do anything, Oliver stole my hand and spun me in a circle in the direction of his bed. His movements were fluid and smooth as he continued his song, the tempo faster now than when he first began.
“I’m tired of being alone...” he sang with a wistful smile. “I want someone to call my own...” Grabbing both of my hands in his, he pulled me flush against him, swaying us to the rhythm of his song. “To kiss me true and hold me tight... And sing to me a lullaby...”
He stopped swaying and stared at me with the softest eyes. His voice was just above a whisper now. Pleading, aching. “So, can you look me in my eyes... Tell me that you won’t say goodbye...”
He cupped my cheeks in his hands, his gaze searching mine. “And promise you won’t leave me be... Because you love the me you see...”
My chest was warm, my heart beating wildly, as if it was trying to jump right out of it. I was awestruck by the man in front of me. I had felt it, though. As clear as day, my heart and soul ached to connect with his.
But if what he said was true, then what about the others? Why did I feel that same tingly feeling with each of them? Was there something wrong with me? Oliver didn’t deserve a defective soul mate. No one did.
“Aren't you going to say something?” His eyes searched mine, and their worry seemed to increase with what they saw.
I shook my head, tears stinging the backs of my eyes. Luckily, I was all cried out. I felt lightheaded as I struggled to form words. “Something’s wrong.”
“Wrong?” His voice was hurt. “What’s wrong? What did I do?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” I slumped my shoulders, even more drained than before. “I just don’t understand what’s going on.”
I knew I needed to explain better, but could I say? I didn't even know what was going on. Could it be a mistake? No, I felt the pull for him. Then what?
“Maybe I’m defective? A fluke?” I wondered out loud.
His eyes shifted from the shade of the moss on the rocks by the seaside to the color of the forest trees after the moon glinted off their waxy leaves. “You are not defective. Please, tell me what’s going on.”
I wrapped my arms around my chest, guilt weighing down my excitement of finding my soul mate. I could barely look him in the eye as I answered him. “Have you ever felt those sparks with someone else?”
His eyebrows scrunched together as he tried to figure out what I was getting at. “Well, no. Everyone only has one soul mate.”
I didn’t want to hurt him, but I knew he deserved the honest truth. “Oliver, you’re not the only person I’ve felt that tingly feeling with.”
He stared at me in open confusion. “What do you mean?”
“With your friends. I’ve felt sparks with all of them,” I confessed in a small voice. “That’s why I think I’m defective. I’m so sorry.”
Oliver stared at me for the longest moment, shoulders tense as he played with the stud in his right ear. His lips pursed, and a hardness filled his gaze that wasn’t there before.
“I don’t think you’re defective,” he said with taut smile. A small amount of warmth returned to his green eyes, though a stony wall blocked out all other emotion. “Yes, it’s strange you’ve felt the same way with all of us, but let's at least try to discover what's going on. I'm sure we'll figure it out.”
He laced his fingers with mine and bent down so we were eye to eye. I could see the tightness around his eyes, but I didn’t blame him. No one would like to hear that their soul mate felt something for other dudes.
“Don’t leave me just when I’ve found you. Please?”
I hesitated, unsure what my best course of action should be. If Oliver and the others could help figure out what all of this meant, then I’d be so relieved.
Plus, I wanted to learn more about Oliver, too. His song was bittersweet, and I wanted to know what events had shaped him into the man standing in front of me. The man waiting for my answer with hopeful eyes.
Maybe he was my soul mate. Maybe he wasn't. Either way, I wanted to be his friend. I could use a friend right about now.
Slowly, I nodded, and Oliver’s eyes lit up. “Thank goodness! I thought I was going to have to bribe you with my gum stash.”
Despite my emotions being all over the place, I laughed. “Your gum stash is so big you thought you’d be able to bribe me with it?”
He grinned from ear to ear. “Yup. And I bet you would have said yes.” He paused with a thoughtful look in his eyes. “Also, it would be best not to tell Hunt about it. He’d try to sniff it out for himself. He’s always stealing my gum.”
I raised my eyebrows at him but nodded.
He pulled me gently out of his room and down the hall. Pausing in the hallway for a moment, he turned his eyes in my direction. “For now, let’s keep this to ourselves, okay? I don’t want to worry anyone before the concert tonight. But after, we should have a meeting, if you don't mind?”
I nodded in agreement. I wouldn’t mind some time to digest everything anyway. “Sounds good to me.”
Smiling, he released my hands reluctantly before rounding the corner that led back to where the others were gathered. There were more people than I’d expected.
My eyes widened in surprise as they landed on a pair of blue-green ones. “Parker?”
CHAPTER 11
Walking farther into the room, I found the rest of the guys there now. Christian lounged in the back of the room next to Hunter, who now wore a plaid top and faded jeans. It seemed to be his normal attire.
My eyes sought out Whitney and found her with Kai and Samantha in the kitchen, snacking on chocolate chip cookies. Parker sat on the edge of the wide couch, deeply focused on his phone, and Ace stood against the wall, his blue eyes surveying the room thoughtfully.
However, the moment I walked in, everyone focused on me.
Parker's mouth slid up into a sloppy grin, his eyes glittering. “So, it is you.”
All other eyes ping-ponged back and forth between us, and I fidgeted under so much attention, still flustered from what had happened with Oliver.
Waves of energy coursed through the room, enveloping my senses, and I struggled to keep my mind focused. I’d never felt those sensations as strong as I did at that moment.
“Parker?” My voice came out as more of a question than a statement.
Oliver, his interest piqued as he studied Parker and me, nudged me farther into the room toward the gray sectional, following closer than necessary.
Whitney ditched Kai and Sam in the kitchen and skipped over to the couch with us, a paper plate of cookies in her hands.
I glanced around the room again as everything began to piece itself together. “So, you guys are all friends? Is there anyone else?”
Christian smirked as he watched the scene unfold and brushed some dark hair out of his face. “No, amor.”
Hunter glanced quickly at his friend, a surprised expression crossing his features. What did that look mean? Did the foreign words mean something weird? I’d been called so many weird things since I first met the guys, but I hadn’t stopped to think they might be insulting me.
Christian ignored him and continued. “You’ve met all of us. Were you hoping there were more?”
My face probably appeared fuchsia with the amount of heat radiating from it. “No, I just wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be any more surprises.”
“It’s just us,” Hunter said, his mouth downturned as he watched Christian out of the corner of his eye.
Peeking at him from under my lashes, I sat down on the couch next to Whitney. Oliver sidled up right next to me on the opposite side, his body pressed against mine. I shot him a quick look of disapproval because we were supposed to be acting normal.
He widened his eyes innocently at me before directing his attention to Parker. “How did you two meet?”
Smiling, Parker sipped from a can of soda. "We met on the bus. She didn't have an umbrella, so I gave her mine."
Memories of when we met
surfaced: eyes like the sea, hair the shade of sparkling silver, and a smile as warm as a lover's caress.
At the time, I never would have guessed we'd meet again. But fate was funny like that.
“I was wondering what happened to your umbrella," Oliver mused, interrupting my thoughts. “You looked like a drowned koala when you came home the other night." Oliver grinned at Hunter then, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "That reminds me—did you find your underwear yet, Sassy Buns?”
Hunter narrowed his gaze on Oliver. “Oliver, if you weren’t my friend, I’d ditch you in the middle of nowhere wearing nothing but that underwear.”
I studied Hunter from under my lashes, taking in his massive frame and gruff demeanor. Where Oliver was all light and carefree, Hunter seemed to be all dark and brooding.
“So, I take that as a no to wearing the underwear?” Oliver asked, leaning back into the couch cushions and resting an arm behind me. His thumb brushed the nape of my neck, giving me light shivers.
“No, I’m not wearing the fucking pink boxers,” Hunter growled. “Now, drop it, Oliver.”
Christian eyed him curiously, apparently out of the loop about the incident earlier.
Oliver ignored Hunter's warning. “Then, what are you wearing?”
Hunter’s dark, angry eyes traveled to mine, then to Samantha's face as she busied herself in the kitchen, then to Whitney as she munched merrily on cookies, and then back to Oliver. “Nothing.”
I gulped, but before I could move another muscle, a deep, rough voice caressed my thoughts.
You beat my heart into a pulp... And hid the evidence with lies...
“Sissy,” a troubled voice called, but I couldn’t respond, my eyes only seeing Hunter. I felt paralyzed as my gaze locked on his, like earth and rain, everything else blurring out around us as he stared back.
“Tessa,” a different voice coaxed gently. The smell of something tropical, like mango, invaded my nose, and I was vaguely aware of the person trying to get my attention.
“Jagiya,” the voice spoke again. When I still didn’t respond, they said something to someone else in a low, rushed voice.
A wave of dizziness crashed over me, taking complete control of my senses. It was too much, all this energy around me, and my vision became fuzzy before I slumped into Oliver’s warm, firm body.
I woke to soft voices murmuring around me. My head pulsed slightly when I finally opened my tired eyes. I rested in a king-sized bed with heavy patterned covers piled on top of me. Wiggling my toes, I noticed my shoes were missing.
Tilting my head to see over the mass of blankets, I spotted Hunter and Kai whispering at the foot of the bed. They hadn’t noticed me stirring yet, so I listened quietly to them while my mind worked hard to think straight.
“Well, I just wanted to know if you were sure,” Kai said in a hushed whisper.
Worry lines creased between his eyebrows, and his thick, brown hair appeared the slightest bit rumpled. He didn’t sound very happy about whatever they were talking about.
“I just…” Hunter sighed. “I’ve never felt anything like that, Kai. It was like I was sucked into some weird vortex.”
“Believe me, Hunter, I get it. I get it all too well.”
Hunter ran an agitated hand through his wavy, blond hair. “Well, then what does it mean?”
Kai looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping his foot lightly against the carpeted floor. When he spoke again, hesitation filled his voice. “It could mean that she’s...” He paused while he chose his words. “It could mean she’s compatible with all of us.”
Hunter cursed under his breath. “But that’s not right. Every person has one soul mate. One.”
Kai’s foot stopped bouncing, and he eyed Hunter with a hard expression. “I know it’s not right. But the fact still remains several of us have felt a pull toward her.” He rubbed his hands down his face. “And if I’m not mistaken, she’s felt the same way with most, if not all, of us.”
“Shit, this is fucked up,” Hunter said in a harsh whisper, storming for the door.
“Hunter,” Kai called out softly. Hunter paused in the doorway, his shoulders tensed beneath his plaid shirt. “Don’t tell the others yet about my theory. There’s no point in worrying everyone over something we’re not sure about.”
Hunter nodded without turning around before letting the door click shut behind him.
I made sure to close my eyes when I heard Kai rustling around by the foot of the bed. I felt him move closer to me, and I attempted to act as normal as possible, feigning sleep.
For a moment, there was no movement, and I wondered what he was doing. Then, a waft of air tickled my ear.
“I know you’re awake, Tessa,” Kai murmured against my ear.
I opened my eyes sheepishly at being caught eavesdropping. Kai smiled at me, his face bent down toward mine. My eyes widened a fraction in surprise at his closeness, and he chuckled.
“You’ve got quite a few of the guys in a frenzy, jagiya,” he admonished playfully. “Your sister’s been great, though. She’s currently making you some oatmeal.”
He moved to climb over me toward the other side of the bed, but as he hovered over me, he collapsed, letting his full body weight rest on top of mine. Kai began snoring loudly, his body rumbling on top of me.
“Ugh,” I groaned, reaching down to swat at him.
I kept smacking him, laughing at the mixture of grunts and dramatic snores he made. Attempting to shove him off of me, I realized where my hands touched.
Pausing, my fingers poked something firm and round.
His butt.
Kai tensed and pushed up onto his hands to look back at me over his shoulder. His warm, brown eyes were alight with amusement, and the hint of a smirk played on his pouty lips.
“Jagiya,” he scolded with a tsk. Moving off of me, he crawled up to the empty spot by my side on the bed. Sneaking under the covers, he faced me, a happy expression on his face. “At least take me on a date first.”
I blushed scarlet, both from his words and the fact he was in the same bed as me. If anyone saw, they could misunderstand. “I’m sorr—”
With a playful grin, Kai cut me off with a finger to my lips. “Shh. It’s okay. You can just take me on a date later. I suppose the order doesn’t matter.”
I didn’t know what to say to him. Was he being serious?
Rubbing my forehead, I asked, “What happened?”
With a sigh, Kai frowned at me. “You passed out. Scared your sister half to death.”
I didn't care for his word usage, but he didn't know how it hit too close to home. “That keeps happening to me.”
“Yes,” Kai agreed, his tone stern. “It's probably a combination of things: working too much, eating too little, stress. You know, only the important things.”
Scowling, I shoved the blankets to my hips. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Is Whitney okay?”
“She's fine. She wanted to make sure you were warm, so we collected all of the blankets in the house and wrapped you like a burrito.”
I moaned as I fanned my face. “No wonder I'm sweating. I feel like I’m boiling.”
Kai’s eyes drifted to my mouth, and he brushed his thumb over my lips. They parted automatically under his finger. When his gaze flicked back up to mine, his pupils were dilated, causing his brown eyes to appear nearly black.
“Tessa,” Kai began in a thick voice. “Will you sing for me?”
“Sing?” I wrinkled my brows in confusion. Why out of nowhere?
He nodded and placed a hand gently over my heart. It jumped at his touch, and I gasped in surprised bliss. His touch both pained and excited me, like he possessed something I desperately needed. “I have to know.”
His intention was clear; he wanted me to sing my heart song. No one had heard it but Whitney, though.
He must have seen my hesitation because he added, “Even just a small bit. Please, I just…” He breathed deeply, his eyes falling to my lips again. “I need to know
I'm not crazy.”
Staring at him long and hard, I finally nodded. For some reason, this was important to him. And if I was being honest, ever since the first time I’d opened my eyes and seen Kai’s warm, brown eyes staring down at me, I had wondered if he might be my soul mate. Maybe if I sang, it would help me figure it out.
Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes tightly, feeling for my song within my heart, my soul.
“I hid my heart so long ago...” I began, my voice soft and shaky from nerves. It was nerve wracking to sing in front of someone besides Whitney. Our songs were so personal; most people only shared them with those closest to them. “Confused and cracked, it beat too slow...”
Taking another deep breath, I continued, keeping my eyes closed. “I ached for help to find the key... A key to end my misery.”
My heart sang sadly in my chest, beating slowly to a melancholy rhythm. “I sang to you a lullaby... But in return you made me cry... Lonely and bruised, my heart pushed on...” I paused, the last notes of my song ringing in my ears as I struggled to control my emotions. “To find your love already gone...”
My voice became stronger, steadier now as I continued to sing. “My cries, they echoed in the dark... In empty rooms with broken hearts—”
Soft lips pressed against mine, cutting me off mid-verse, and my eyes flew open in shock. A warm hand snaked into my hair, massaging my scalp lightly, and I sighed against Kai’s lips. He took my bottom lip in between his teeth and tugged gently, making me moan.
Kai swallowed my sounds greedily, encouraging me to deepen the kiss with the swipe of his tongue along the seam of my mouth, teasing and tempting me to join him. My mind raced, and my heartbeat pounded from the unexpected turn of events.
But... I liked it.
I followed his lead, hoping I hadn’t forgotten how to kiss. Could you forget how to? I wasn’t sure, but I hoped not. By the soft moan that escaped his mouth as my teeth grazed his bottom lip, I assumed I remembered just fine.
A throat cleared loudly, and I jumped back in surprise, falling off the bed.
A pair of eyes regarded me from above my head, their blue as soft as the sky behind rain clouds, and a hint of amusement flashed in their depths. Preoccupied with Kai, I hadn’t heard anyone enter the room. “I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something, love?”
Lonely Lullaby: Ballad of a Broken Soul Series | Book 1 Page 8