by Alex Dafney
She glances back to me, the look in her eyes making my pulse quicken. She turns from me, rolling her shoulders back and holding her head high as she faces her brother again. “I’m telling him. He deserves to know the truth.” Ori looks from me to her a few times before dropping his gaze to the floor, shaking his head slowly. “I’m out, Eridanus.”
He grabs the chair by the back, returning it to its rightful place at the small dining table next to the kitchen. He looks back to her, a soft smile on his lips. “You sure about this?” She glances over her shoulder at me briefly before turning her focus back to him, simply nodding her head in response. He lets out a sigh as he opens the front door. “You have my number, sis.”
The door closes behind him. I stare at Eri’s back as she stares at the door. After a few seconds she walks toward the door, locking the handle and sliding the dead bolt in place. She turns, placing her back against the door with a sigh. Eventually her eyes meet mine. “What do you want to eat?” I shake my head. No way in hell am I eating now. My stomach grumbles in protest.
She gives me a smirk as she walks into the kitchen. I stand, following behind her. I prop against the counter as she bends, looking in the refrigerator. She pulls a few items out, placing them on the counter. She looks at me with a pointed look. “You sit. I’ll cook.” I hop up on the counter, leaning my elbows on my knees. She rolls her eyes at me playfully, a smirk on her lips. “That’s not what I meant, but.”
I watch her as she begins to pull cabinets open and places pots and skillets on the stove. She lets out a heavy sigh, glancing at me from the corner of her eye. “Those moles on your hip, are not moles. That’s the mark.” She shakes head slightly, lifting one of the pots and walking to the sink. She turns the faucet on, filling the pot with water. “Let me start from the beginning.”
I reach over next to me, grabbing the bottle of dark liquor from the counter. I lean to the side slightly so I can pull the cabinet open, pulling two glasses out. I pull the glass cork from the bottle, pouring a generous helping in each glass. Hopping off the bar, I step over next to her, tapping her arm and extending the glass.
She raises an eyebrow at me as she takes the glass from my hand. “You really shouldn’t be drinking after that much poison.” I shrug one shoulder, bringing the glass to my lips and taking a small sip like she suggested earlier. She smirks at me as she focuses back on the stove. I hop up on the counter where I can watch her.
“You were going to start at the beginning.” She lets out a low sigh as she dumps mushrooms in a sauté pan. “The beginning. Right.” Turning away from me she opens the refrigerator again, grabbing a few more items that she piles on the counter. “So, the people you’ve been running into are Red Eyes, aka, demons.” She tosses spinach into the same pan with the mushrooms.
“They are obviously after you. Most people, most normal people,” she glances at me from the corner of her eye. “Don’t stand a chance against a Red Eye. You, however, have managed to survive four attacks in one week.” I scoff, pulling my glass up to my lips for another sip. “I don’t think I would’ve survived without your help.” The corner of her lip pulls up slightly.
“Anyway, I’m a Stalker. Ori, too.” She stops stirring and looks over to me with wide eyes, shaking her head swiftly. “No. I didn’t mean that. Orion is just my brother.” I lean forward, placing my hand on her shoulder. “I’m not going to say anything. Trust me.” She gives me a slight nod as the corner of her lip pulls up ever so slightly, turning her eyes back to the stove. “Our job within the Division is to hunt the Red Eyes.”
I nod as she continues. “Your mark is different from mine.” She places the spoon on the stove, stepping over to me with her wrist held out. I stare down at her wrist, noticing the three, perfect, white circles in a line. She pulls her arm back, stepping back in front of the stove and grabbing the spoon.
Shaking her head slightly she looks over at me. “The Red Eyes have the same mark, except their’s are black in color.” I think about the mark on my own body. One of mine is black, another white, and the middle on is half white, half black. “But my mark doesn’t look like either of those.” She nods her head as she throws sliced cherry tomatoes in the sauce she’s making.
“The only logical reason I can come up with, is you’re a half breed.” I chuckle as I raise my glass to my lips. There is zero logicality to this conversation. I watch as she lifts the pot of boiling water from the stove, stepping over to the sink and pouring it into a colander. I hadn’t even noticed she’d put pasta in the pot. “So, what does that mean?”
She glances at me over her shoulder as she shakes the pot in front of her, giving me a slight shrug. “I don’t know.” She sighs as she places the pot in the sink, grabbing the colander and returning to the stove. “There’s never been one before.” She glances over at me with a barely there smile. “A half breed, I mean.” I tilt my glass of cognac up, emptying the glass. I sit it on the counter next to me as she bustles around the kitchen, grabbing plates from the cabinet and plating the meal.
I hop off the counter as she finishes, my head swimming with the liquor and apparently poison. She walks by me toward the table with two plates in hand as I stand in the kitchen watching her. She glances at me over her shoulder after setting the plates down, a worried look on her face.
Turning toward me, she walks my way, offering her hand out as she reaches me. I lift my hand, placing it in hers as she leads us toward the table. “Are you feeling alright?” I shake my head slightly as I sit in the chair closest. Eri slides into the chair next to me, pulling the two plates in front of us both. “You’ll feel better in the morning.”
I nod as I pick up my fork, barely able to focus on the plate in front of me with my double vision. Somehow, I manage to shove a bite of the pasta in my mouth, closing my eyes and moaning as the flavors dance across my tongue. “You like?” I open one eye, zeroing in on her beautiful face as I nod slowly.
I know I haven’t had that much to drink tonight, but I feel like I’m back in college after a keg party. Scooping another bite of pasta in my mouth I sit back, folding my arms behind my head and closing my eyes. I open one eye as I feel her hand on my bicep, gently pulling my arm down. “I need you to eat more than that.”
I give a drunken shrug as I pick up the fork on the side of my plate, shoving another bite of the delicious pasta in my mouth. My eyes close on their own accord as I chew slowly. The effects of the alcohol making me sleepy. My head starts to drop forward as I feel hands on my shoulders, shaking me gently. “Come on, Ash. Eat everything on your plate, then I’ll take you to bed.”
I open one eye, giving what I hope is a seductive grin. “You’ll take me to bed?” She scoffs as she picks up my fork from my plate, scooping a large amount of food on it and shoving it in my mouth. I have no choice but to chew the food in my mouth, swallowing heavily. She places another forkful in my mouth as I shake my head.
I push back from the table as I chew the pasta in my mouth, shaking my head. “I’m done.” She sighs heavily. I open my eyes to slits to see her scowling at me, her arms crossed under her breasts, thrusting them upwards. I lean my head back against the chair, letting out a heavy sigh of my own as my eyes close. “I’m going to bed.”
I will myself to stand and walk down the hallway to my bedroom, but it doesn’t work. I feel hands slide under my arms, pulling me to standing. Swaying slightly, I open one eye looking down at Eri as she holds me up. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” I attempt to nod at her, instead sending myself off balance as we make it into the hallway.
My shoulder slams into the wall. I chuckle as she wraps her arm around my middle, guiding me toward my bedroom as I stumble along. Once we reach my bedroom door, she props me against the wall, opening the door with one hand as she keeps one on my chest. I laugh as I begin sliding down the wall, her hand clenching into my shirt as she wraps the other around me, stopping me from sliding to the floor.
I drunkenly place my arms around her shoul
ders as she guides us into my bedroom, staring down into her perfect, green eyes. “You are so fucking beautiful.” She laughs lowly as she reaches behind her, grasping my hands in hers and pushing me backwards. I land hard on my bed.
She leans over me, her hands going to the button on my jeans. I lift my hands, placing them behind my head as my eyes close, a low moan coming from me. “Rock my world, dream girl.” My eyes jerk open as her hand lands on my chest roughly. I stare up at her, both of her, noticing her eyebrows drawn together, a frown on her face.
She grips the waistband of my jeans, pulling them down with no help on my end. “Do you want your shirt on?” I mumble something incoherently as she grips my arms, pulling me upward. Somehow, she manages to get my shirt off, pushing me back to the bed.
I barely open my eyes, finding the morning sun streaming through my bedroom window. I lift my head slightly as I feel fingers running through my hair. With my eyes fully open I realize my head is once again in Eri’s lap, my arms wrapped around her legs. “Good morning, sleepy head.”
She ruffles my hair as I push myself up to sitting, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and looking at her over my shoulder. She has her back against the headboard of the bed, a manuscript from work in her hands, and a bright smile. “How are you feeling?”
I grunt at her as I stand. My head is pounding, and my body feels like I’ve been in a boxing match. I look down at myself, realizing I’m in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. Oh, shit. Did we have sex last night? I try to recount the events of last night, remembering being in the kitchen, eating, then it kind of goes hazy.
Turning to her I give her an impish grin. “Uh, did we, you know?” I gesture my hand between us as she laughs, shaking her head side to side. She swings her legs over the bed, her shoulders bobbing up and down as she tries to suppress her laughter. After a few seconds she looks up at me, one eyebrow raised with a smirk on her face.
“No. We did nothing. You wouldn’t have been able to find your, thing, even if I would have decided to ‘rock your world’.” She rolls her eyes at me. “You need to work on your pickup lines. Who the hell says that anymore?” I let out a groan as I place my hands to my face, muttering an apology. Why do I keep making an ass of myself in front of this beautiful woman?
I open my eyes as she pats my bare chest, walking by me and opening the bedroom door. “Grab a shower while I make breakfast.” I watch her walk out the door. Well, I watch her ass in those tiny shorts as she walks away. My phone pings on the nightstand next to the bed. Picking it up, I read the text from Cam. I’m on my way to your apartment to grab the manuscripts.
My eyes widen in alarm. “Oh, shit.” I didn’t realize today is Friday. Quickly, I spin out of my bedroom, making my way down the hallway into the kitchen. I glance at the dining table where I thought I had left the manuscripts a few days ago. “I thought you were showering.”
Eri steps into the dining area just off the kitchen, her hand on her hip as she stops next to the table. My eyes wander over her body. She has on a sports bra and a pair of tight-fitting athletic pants. She snaps her fingers, my eyes moving back to hers. I reach my hand up, placing it on the back of my neck nervously. “Uh, yeah I am. My colleague is on his way to pick up the manuscripts that I thought were on the table.”
I let out a heavy sigh, covering my face with my hands. James is sure to strip me of my promotion for this fuck up. I haven’t read even one of them. “Here they are.” I pull my hands from my face to see Eri holding the stack out to me. Taking the few steps to her I take them. “Fuck.” I shake my head as I hold the papers in my hand. There’s no way I can even skim through them before Cam gets here.
She tilts her head to the side slightly, looking up at me with concern. “Are you not feeling well?” I walk over to the table, flipping the first packet open as I shake my head, pulling a chair out. “No. I was supposed to read through all of these and have them back this morning. Dammit.”
I pull the dining chair out the rest of the way, sitting in the seat as I begin to read the first page quickly. I see Eri pulling out the chair next to me, sitting down. “I can tell you my thoughts on them.” I look up to her, my eyes widening. “You read them?” She shrugs one shoulder. “I had to do something the last two nights while I watched you.”
My brows draw together in confusion. “You’ve been awake for two nights? Watching me?” She gives another shrug, reaching across the table and sliding the papers toward her. Picking the one off the top she hands it to me. “This one is garbage. The story doesn’t make sense, and there’s too many holes in the plot.”
I stand from the chair, making my way into the kitchen and grabbing a pen from the counter. I uncap the pen as I slide back into the chair, writing her notes on the front page. She passes the next one to me. “This one I liked a lot. The only thing I would change are the fight scenes. They become repetitive. I mean, how many times can you throat punch someone?” I chuckle as I write what she says.
I look over to her as she picks up the next one, holding it in both hands in front of her with an excited smile on her face. “This one is perfect, and I love that this author chose a strong, female lead to rule the kingdom.” She squeezes the papers to her chest, giving me a bright smile. “Can I keep this one?” We both chuckle as she passes it to me. “I promise I’ll buy it for you as soon as it’s published.”
I glance over at her from the corner of my eye as I make notes on the cover page. Not that she needs a book about a strong female, she’s living it. She passes me the next manuscript. “This one, I hated, but to be fair, I’m not into westerners. For what it is, it’s a good book, but the main character needs to be tuned in more. He’s all over the place with his thinking.”
The doorbell rings as I jot down notes on the last one. I glance up as Eri stands from the chair, making her way to the door. She turns back to me, her eyes wide. “Oh! I haven’t finished the one in your bedroom.” I wave my hand toward her. “It’s fine. You have no idea how much you helped me.” She gives a shy smile as she turns back to the door, pulling it open.
“Oh, hi. Uh, is Ashley here?” She pushes the door further open, allowing Cam to step in. I stand from the table, suddenly realizing I’m in my underwear. Cam’s eyes widen in surprise as I grab the manuscripts from the table, walking over and handing them to him. “Sorry to interrupt. I haven’t heard from you in a few days so I thought you may have forgotten we were supposed to meet before work today.”
Eri walks by both of us toward the kitchen. “You’re not interrupting. I was just about to make breakfast if you’d like to join us.” She slips into the kitchen without waiting for his response. He looks over to me, a shit eating grin on his face. “Holy shit, dude!” He whispers toward me.
I know how this must look to him, but little does he know all I’ve done for the better part of two days is sleep and make a fool of myself. I shake my head slightly as he stares at me with that grin. Stepping over I open the door. “You have to get to work, right?” He pats me on the back as he steps out, turning back to me. “And you have to get back to her.” He waggles his eyebrows.
I chuckle lowly. “See you Monday.” I start to close the door, but he throws his hand up. “Me and the guys are going out for drinks tonight. You in?” I glance back toward the kitchen, hearing Eri softly hum as she moves around. I look back to him, shaking my head. “Not tonight.” He gives me a wicked grin. “Can’t say I blame you. Thanks for your help.” He lifts the stack of papers before turning around and walking toward the elevator.
Closing the door, I walk back into the kitchen. Eri turns from the stove, giving me a smile as I walk straight for her, throwing my arms around her shoulders and pulling her to my chest in a hug. She stiffens, keeping her hands down at her sides. I pull back, dropping my hands to my sides. “Uh, thank you. You saved my ass.”
My cheeks heat at her open rejection. I start to turn, but she reaches over, placing her hand on my arm. “Ashley, wait.” I turn back to her, wa
tching as her eyes drop to the floor between us. “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to anyone showing me any kind of affection.” I stare at her, thinking about her running her fingers through my hair as I slept the past two days. How could anyone not want to show this amazing woman affection?
She lets out a heavy sigh, bringing her eyes back to meet mine. “I’ve been alone for years, other than Ori.” She gives a small shrug, lifting one side of her mouth into a sad smile. “It kind of comes with my job.” She takes a slow step toward me, then another, until she stands directly in front of me.
She reaches up, wrapping her arms around my waist as I gently place mine around her shoulders. “It’d be nice to have a friend in this world though.” I let out a moan in my mind. And, I’m in the friend zone. We both step back at the same time, me giving her a shy smile as she does the same.
She waves her hand in a shooing motion. “Now, go clean up so I can fix breakfast.” She turns back to the stove as I walk out of the room, stepping into the bathroom. I slip out of my boxers, throwing them to the hamper in the corner as I turn the water on. Friends? How the hell am I going to think of this incredible woman as just a friend?
Chapter Five
During my long shower I resolve myself to stay in the friend lane. No more stupid comments, no more awkward hugging, and no more making an ass of myself. I step out of my bedroom in a pair of workout shorts and a T-shirt. After breakfast I intend on hitting the gym next door.
I step into the kitchen just as Eri turns with two plates in hand. We pass by each other as I go for the coffee pot. I open the cabinet above the machine, finding my coffee container missing. “Do you know where my coffee is?” I glance over to her as she slides into one of the dining chairs. She wrinkles her nose up at me in the cutest way possible. “I kind of finished it off over the past few days.”