living covenant 03 - eternal covenant (28 page)

“I thought you were done with men?” I asked.

“Maybe seeing you and Aric together has caused me to rethink things,” Paris said. “I doubt I’ll find someone as good as Aric, but it can’t hurt to look.”

“Definitely not,” I agreed. “Just make sure they’re not old … or evil.”

“Let the old thing go,” Paris groaned.

“Never!”

28

Twenty-Eight

^“
What are you doing?”

I found Aric sitting on the lawn behind the house after dinner, everyone else enjoying the evening on the deck. Paris and Kelsey squabbled over groomsmen – one was definitely hotter than the other – but everything else was right in our world. That’s why I couldn’t understand why Aric had sneaked away for some alone time.

“Thinking,” Aric replied, his tone melancholy. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for you,” I answered. “Do you want me to leave you alone?”

“Never,” Aric said, spreading his legs and patting the ground in front of him. “Sit with me, almost wife.”

I snorted but did as he asked, resting my head against his arm as he brought it up to encircle me. “You’re not rethinking this whole marriage thing now that we have a clear shot at it, are you?”

“Not even close, Zoe,” Aric said. “I was just thinking about how sad it was that we were almost killed by clueless teenagers.”

“That’s not the truly sad part,” I corrected. “The truly sad part is they thought I was the Candyman … and that I wasn’t even their real target. It’s as if I got demoted from leading lady to security guard number two.”

“God, I love you,” Aric said, kissing my cheek. “Only you could be derailed by something like that. I find it refreshing.”

“Are you sorry I had them taken into custody instead of killing them?” I asked. “I mean, I did the same thing with Mark, and that came back to bite us.”

“I don’t want you killing anyone if you don’t have to do it,” Aric said. “You didn’t have to do it in this case, so I’m glad you didn’t. I’m not sorry you spared them.”

“Did your father catch the third one?”

“Yeah. She used her credit card for gas about an hour south of here,” Aric replied. “She’s in custody. She’s a crying mess, but she’s in custody. She blamed everything on Leslie.”

“What about Marian?”

“She’s blaming everything on Leslie, too,” Aric answered. “It’s a little bit sad and pathetic, but there you go.”

“I’m glad it’s over,” I said.

“I am, too.”

We lapsed into comfortable silence, happy to watch the night sky in private for a few moments. Aric was the first to break it.

“I want you to show me a memory,” he prodded.

“Oh, come on,” I complained. “Haven’t we done that to death?”

“I’ll never get tired of seeing you,” Aric said. “I don’t think we need to do it all of the time, because that could get invasive, but I want you to show me a specific memory before we get married tomorrow.”

I blew out a dramatic sigh. “Which one?”

“I want you to show me when you first knew you loved me,” Aric said. “I want to see it. I want to feel it.”

I stiffened. Of course he would ask for the one memory I never wanted to revisit. “How about I show you the first time I realized I would never love anyone else?”

Aric wasn’t about to be deterred. “Why don’t you want to show me when you first realized you loved me?”

“I … it’s not that,” I lied. “The other memory is better.”

Aric flattened his hands against my stomach so I couldn’t move. “No, I want the other memory.”

“Aric, I know you think that’s going to be some sweet and romantic way for us to look forward to the wedding, but really it’s not,” I said. “I don’t want to show you that memory.”

“Why? Were we fighting at the time? It’s okay if we were. Those memories are part of our past, too.”

“Pick a different memory,” I ordered.

Aric refused to budge. “I want that one. I don’t care if it’s a bad memory. I want to see it.”

“Aric, you don’t,” I said, my voice cracking. I wouldn’t deny him the memory if he insisted, but it wasn’t something on which I wanted to dwell. “You really don’t.”

“Please, Zoe.”

I briefly pressed my eyes shut. “Okay,” I said, giving in. “You’re going to owe me a massage in the hot tub for this one, though.”

“I will gladly pay up,” Aric said.

I exhaled heavily and laced my fingers with his. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Let me help you get her back to the dorms,” Aric pleaded. “I can make this right.”

“No,” Paris said forcefully. “She may be in shock, but she’s right. You betrayed her. You betrayed us both. You put her in danger. She’s been in imminent danger for months. You knew that and you did nothing.”

A thought occurred to me. “If you knew Laura was the threat, why did you kill Jessica?”

“I told you,” Aric replied quietly. “I couldn’t be sure. I suspected that Laura was responsible, but Jessica was a willing participant and she wouldn’t have stopped.”

“So you killed her? You didn’t even think twice about it.”

“I hoped that if Jessica fell Laura would let it go. I hoped that she would realize she was wrong – or at least retreat and regroup. I didn’t know ... I didn’t know what would happen. I certainly didn’t think that you would ... I didn’t think that would happen.”

“You knew there was a chance, though,” I shot back bitterly. “You could have told me. We could have made a different plan. She didn’t have to die. We could have saved her. You made all of this happen with your silence.”

“I had no choice,” Aric argued. “I can’t go against pack law.”

“Well, your pack law just cost you a girlfriend,” Paris said shortly, anger practically radiating from her body. “I hope it was worth it.”

“So you’re doing Zoe’s talking for her now?” Aric snapped.

“No,” Paris shook her head. “But I know what she’s going to say. You know what she’s going to say. You know what you did was wrong. That’s why you’re so worried. You’re not doing anyone any favors by pretending otherwise. Let her go.”

“No.” Aric shook his head vehemently. “I love her. I love you.” He reached for me again. His fingers felt desperate on my arm.

I laughed mirthlessly. “You don’t use someone you love as bait.”

“Zoe, just let me explain ... .”

“There’s nothing to explain,” I shot back hollowly, leaning on Paris for support. “Paris is right. You made your choice. You chose your pack.”

“I didn’t choose the pack!”

“That’s exactly what you did,” I said, letting Paris lead me toward the gate as I shuffled along wearily. “That’s exactly what you did.”

“Zoe, this isn’t over.” Aric’s voice was low and his eyes were filled with tears. “We need to talk about this. You just need some time.”

I kept walking.

“I’ll call you tomorrow. You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.”

“Yeah,” I barked out harshly. “Eight hours of sleep and I’ll forget that I just burned my roommate to a crisp – and that if you had just told the truth, none of this would have happened.”

“I’ll give you a few days.” Aric’s voice cracked.

We were at the gate now, but I didn’t turn to face him. I couldn’t. “Let me go, Aric,” I murmured. “Just let me go.”

And he did.

I waited for Aric to speak, though he didn’t seem capable of finding words. The aftermath of Laura’s death still haunted me. She was the first person I ever killed. She set me on a path we still walk today.

“Oh, Zoe,” Aric said, rubbing his cheek against mine. “I should’ve known.”

“I told you it wasn’t a happy memory.”

“It’s not a happy memory, but it led to happy memories,” Aric said, pulling himself together. “We’re happy now. That’s all that matters.”

“Don’t you want to show me when you knew you loved me?” I asked, hoping the shift would yank both of us out of our doldrums.

“You’ve already seen that memory recently,” Aric said, grinning. “It was the day we met.”

“It was not.”

“Yes, it was,” Aric said. “I loved you from the moment I saw you. I knew I had to have you.”

“You’re so full of crap.”

Aric grabbed my waist and wrestled me to the side, rolling on top of me and planting a smacking kiss on my lips. “That was the day I fell in love with you,” he said. “There’s no getting around it. You’ll have to live with it.”

“No fornicating in the yard!” James bellowed from the deck.

“Yes, you two are being incredibly rude,” Mom said. “Come up and entertain your guests.”

“Yes, Mom,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Let’s get everyone in the hot tub,” Aric suggested. “That will allow everyone to relax.”

“That’s a great idea,” I said, brightening. “I can’t wait to get Rafael in the water.”

“That’s never going to happen,” Rafael said, appearing at the deck railing and locking eyes with me. Man, he must have hearing like a cat … or, er, a vampire. “Never.”

“Never say never.”

“I CANNOT
believe I let you talk me into this.” Rafael sat on the hot tub bench, morose, and crossed his arms over his chest. “This is so undignified.”

“You look fine,” I said. “You fit in James’ swim trunks. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

Aric idly rubbed my back and smirked. “You should be thankful,” he said. “We usually do this naked.”

“You’re both twisted.”

“Whatever,” I said, getting up from Aric’s lap and moving closer to Rafael.

“What are you doing?” Aric asked, suspicious. “If you sit on his lap I’m going to have to kill him.”

“I’m not going to sit on his lap,” I scoffed. “I do have to touch him, though.”

“Why? If it’s a dirty touch I’ll have to kill you,” Aric said, his tone darkening. “Do you want to die before marrying me?”

“I just have to see something,” I said, tentatively extending a finger and pushing it into Rafael’s chest. “Why are you so hairless? And why are you still cold even though the water is hot?”

“Oh, here we go with the questions,” Rafael said, leaning his head back and staring at the sky. “Why do I put up with this?”

“I think you’re a glutton for punishment,” I answered.

“Wait, is this the first time you’ve seen him shirtless?” Aric asked.

“I told you we never hooked up,” I replied. “You need to let it go.”

“Please, let it go,” Rafael intoned.

“For some reason the knowledge makes me inexplicably happy,” Aric said, beaming.

“Of course it does,” Rafael said dryly. “Stop poking me, Zoe!”

“Do you have hair … you know … other places? You’re as smooth as a cue ball.”

“That does it! I’m out of here.”

“Oh, stop your whining,” I said. “You’re happy to be here and you know it.”

“I just wish some mystical Candyman would come and kill me so I didn’t have to suffer through this for one more second,” Rafael said.

“You’re such an old woman,” I shot back.

“You make feel so very tired.”

29

Twenty-Nine

I dreamt, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. Aric was there. So was I. It was almost as if a third person watched us through a haze. I couldn’t understand the images.

Aric’s body was warm against mine when I woke the next morning. I opened a sleepy eye, prepared to take in Aric’s handsome face one final time before marrying him, but I found my mother staring at me from my side of the bed instead.

“What the … ?”

“Get up,” Mom ordered.

“What’s going on?” Aric murmured from behind me.

“You get up, too,” Helen said, swatting Aric’s arm. “You two slept half the morning away, and it’s time to get ready for the wedding.”

“What time is it?” Aric asked, propping himself up on an elbow and pulling the sheet tighter against my chest so I didn’t accidentally flash our mothers. “By the way, didn’t we have a discussion about you guys wandering in here without an invitation?”

“It’s almost nine,” Helen replied. “The wedding is in four hours. Pemberley is already outside setting things up. Everyone else is up.”

“Rafael?” I challenged.

“He’s in the wine cellar,” Mom replied. “He could be up. It’s not like he can go outside for the wedding.”

“I’m going to fix that,” I said. “I have a plan.”

“Oh, good,” Mom intoned. “I’m glad you have a plan for fixing Rafael when you should be fixing yourself. You need to shower, young lady. Then you have hair, makeup and nails.”

“I still haven’t seen my dress,” I pointed out.

“You’ll see it when it’s time to get in it,” Mom said. “Now, get up.”

“We’re naked,” I protested, clutching the sheet tighter. “Get out, and we’ll meet you in the kitchen for breakfast in five minutes.”

“You were born naked, and we gave birth to you,” Helen said. “We’ve already seen it.”

“Well, you’re not going to see it again,” Aric argued. “Get out!”

“Don’t take that tone with me!” Helen shot back.

“Leave them alone,” James said, poking his head into the room but shielding his eyes in case anyone’s naughty bits were on display. “We’re cooking eggs for breakfast. Zoe and Aric, you have five minutes. Helen and Nancy … get out.”

I waited until the door shut to shift my eyes to Aric. “We could still elope, you know.”

“Get up, soon-to-be wife,” Aric urged. “I want to have breakfast, and then I have a surprise for you.”

“I hate surprises.”

“You’ll like this one.”

“You don’t know that,” I argued.

“Get up, Zoe,” Aric snapped. “You’re ruining my surprise.”

BY THE
time we padded into the kitchen, everyone was gathered around the table, watching us with expectant eyes. Rafael was still in his dark hole, and I vowed to fix that before I let the unwanted pampering begin. It may be my day, but he’s getting a special gift, too.

“What is so important that you had to wake us up this early?” I asked.

“It’s your wedding day,” Mom said. “You need hours to prepare. I have a mud mask for you, and we’re going to paint your fingernails and toenails. We also have cute makeup, and Paris is going to do your hair.”