My Soul to Keep (The Soul Keeper Series - Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (11 page)

"I just wanted
a refill," I say trying to lighten the heavy mood. He smiles and I turn
into a puddle.

"Come."
He takes my hand and leads me back to the party. He goes to a small zippered
cooler and refills my can with a flask.

"You can turn
soda into wine; can you feed the five hundred as well?"

"It's five
thousand and I am not as powerful as the savior," he says amused. Hmm, I
never took him for the religious type.

"It seems your
miracles are wanted elsewhere." I nod over to the "squad" who
are all gossiping with eyes pointed our way. I take my beverage and exit his
side. I go to check on Emily, just to make sure Chris hasn't dragged her off
into the woods. They are still glued to the log that I left them on, chatting
away.
Way to leave your friend hanging Em
.
Payton comes up beside me. She has short auburn hair with bangs swept to one
side. She has that kind of natural beauty that doesn't need any make up to
accentuate her features.

"So what is up
with you and Elijah? Is he your boyfriend?" Pouty lips and large doe eyes
watch me carefully.

"No I don't
have a boyfriend. Elijah and I are neighbors. That is all." I realize I
have just declared open season on the guy that I crave to be mine and I wince
at the possibility of his lips on one of the "squad" members.

"Oh, what is
he like?" She wants the inside scoop on how to swoon my crush. I purse my
lips trying to think of what I should say to her. "
Elijah is gay Peyton
."
No I couldn't do that to him.

"He is nice.
He's very protective and will go to any means necessary to get his point
across." Yes that about sums up Elijah's lowest attributes. His only flaw
has been his jealousy over Sam and now he has no one to worry himself over.
Perhaps this party wasn't to find someone for me; it was to find someone else
for Sam.

The contents of my
can are growing low again. Peyton saunters off in Elijah's direction and I
sneak over to his stash of cold beverages and help myself to a refill. As I
emerge from the cooler a guy is standing behind me recovering his gaze from my
ass. I recognize Ian McDaniel from my Spanish class.

"Hey Ian, good
party hmm?"

"Est’s okay,"
he slurs out with a sappy grin on his face. Well at least he's a happy drunk.
"You here with someone?"

"Nope," I
say feeling rather hopeless myself. The wine has me feeling loosened up though.

"Come on I
will introduce you to my friends." I follow him over to a group of guys
standing among a smattering of empty beer bottles. Normally not something I
would do but I can feel Elijah's heated stare blazing into my back so I feel
safe enough with him watching my back.
After all, I'm the best at what I do,
blah blah blah Elijah.

"This is Jake,
Ryan, Enrique, and Jesson." I am meeting half the school tonight for the
very first time. Two of the guys are football players. Ryan is on the swim team
with Sam and Jesson well I don't know what he is into.

"Brennen is
it?" Jesson asks. I nod and clutch my can as if it were my life preserver.
"You’re in my government class, I helped elect you."

"Well thank
you for your vote kind citizen."

"It’s Governor
actually," he snipes in a joking manor. He is kind of cute in his own way.
He has on black jeans, Converse, and a Disturbed concert tee shirt on. He has
jet black hair and ice blue eyes. It is a cool combination that makes him seem
hip and edgy. They have music booming out of the glossy black Camaro that half
of them are leaning against. I close my eyes and let the beat move me, feeling
braver than ever with the red wine buzzing my through my blood.

"Well Governor,
do I have your endorsement on my new foreign policies?"

"I will safely
say I can support all of your policies, both foreign and domestic." He
smiles in a polite respectful way.
 

"Glad to have
you on board."

The guys move over
and allow me space on the hood of the car. I continue swaying to the music,
actually having a good time. Jesson stands in front of me and swigs back his
beer.

"Want to
dance?" he asks. I like how he doesn't seem overly enamored by me. Sam and
Elijah always have this look on their face like I am some exotic creature that
holds the world in her hands. They seem to put me on some pedestal I don't
deserve to be on. Jesson offers me his hand and I hop off the hood. We began to
move. His friends move forward, allowing us a small dance floor and continuing
their conversation about some football game this weekend.

"You are one
cool chick," Jesson says into my ear.

"Thanks, you
are pretty cool too."

"So do you
live nearby?" His question first makes me wonder if he thinks I would
offer to take him there. But our school is a magnet program so most of the
students don't live close by but have to commute like I do.

"I live in
Sandbridge. You?"

"Cool, me too,"
he says. We continue to dance for a while and I finish my can of wine again and
it makes me sad. I look inside and see the silver bottom reflecting back at me.

"I am going to
get a refill."

"I'll walk
with you," Jesson offers. I sneak over to Elijah's cooler hidden behind a
large pine and find the flask is empty. Aw boo. I plop down on the soft pine
needles and look pitifully at my empty can.

"All
gone huh?"
Jesson asks
in a gentle voice. I nod.

"Oh well, I have
some beer in my car if you want?" I crinkle my face and shake my head. He
offers me a hand up and I take it.

"Thanks but
I'd better go check on my friends."

"Cool, catch
ya later Bren." Elijah catches my eye as I emerge from behind the tree. He
follows Jesson with his eyes and wonders what I have been up to. Peyton is
standing in front of him still trying to get her hooks in no doubt. He leaves
her standing there in mid-sentence and strides over to me. The look on her face
is priceless.

"Having
fun?" Elijah asks. His voice is unreadable. He looks too delectable in his
white polo and well-fitting jeans. He smells like heaven. I sway back and forth
to the music in front of him.

"Dance with me,"
I say, still not able to read his mood but not caring either way. Metisse is
singing to some eclectic Indian beat and it is sexy. My wrists roll around in
the air like a gypsy, my hips curl in and out in small circles, inviting him
in, and then he is there moving with me. He accentuates my moves, his grace and
form are mind numbing. He is not touching me but matches my rhythm as my own
shadow would. I can feel the heat rolling off of his body like he is the sun,
and we orbit each other. I don't want this moment to ever end and then all too
soon, it does. The song is over and reality grounds us as a thick layer of fog
creeps in, we both sigh.

"Brennen, may
I drive you home tonight?" I nod at his request. A fight has broken out
and Elijah leaves me to go break it up. I am unconcerned about the fight that
has the crowd rushing towards the sound of profanities being screamed. I hear dirt
scuffling as the skirmish is quickly put to a halt. Still on cloud nine from my
dance with Elijah, I walk over and find Emily, Chris, Sam, and Avery settled in
by the fire.

"Well aren't
ya'll the cute couple," I say to both of my friends sarcastically. Okay
maybe I have had too much to drink by just a little bit, but I have gone passed
the point of giving a damn and into– I will probably hate myself in the
morning.

Emily takes my arm
and leads me to the side.

"Brennen are
you okay? Sam feels like shit already, don't rub it in for him even more."

"What are you
talking about? I am happy he finally found someone that is not as screwed up as
I am. I bet no one wants her dead. I bet her parents are still alive and well.
And she is lucky to have Sam. He kissed her and stuck around for more. That is
what a good guy looks like right there." I point to Sam. Emily shhh's me
and pulls me further away from the crowd. I guess I am kind of loud.

"Bren, Chris
told me that Sam and Avery kind of had a fling this summer and she still wants
him back but he doesn't feel that way about her. She just keeps trying to talk
him into giving her another shot. She won’t leave him alone tonight even though
he has basically told her to."

"Oh my Emily,
my dear sweet Emily, Sam was not fighting her off. Last I checked he was using
his tongue to go fly fishing into her mouth. Save it for someone who cares. I
am going home. Elijah is driving me. I'll call you tomorrow, byes Em.” I traipse
off toward the string of cars and look for Elijah's baby blue Camaro. The door
is unlocked and I get inside and recline the seat. I must have fallen asleep because
I am startled awake by the door clicking open. I hear Elijah slide into the
leather seat and I put my hand around his muscled forearm. I open one eye to
make sure it’s him before closing it again. I see his sweet smile reassure me before
I pass out.

Ugh, is someone
seriously ringing my doorbell? It sounds like a thousand crashing symbols have
hit the tile floor. My head is killing me. What time is it anyway? Again, the
bell rings, sending another round of stabbing pain into my brain. Okay, okay,
I'm coming I mumble to myself. I feel incredibly dizzy when I sit up. I slowly
make my way downstairs. Someone will surely die for this. I find myself holding
on to the railing apparently still drunk from last night. Why did I drink so much?

Oh, yes, because of
you. Sam stands outside my door looking fresh and clean and fully awake. You
are the reason I nursed the soda-wine can last night, well half of the reason,
the other half is probably next door plotting all of the ways he will never let
me live this down. I don't even bother looking at a mirror. I know my hair is a
wreck and my teeth are un-brushed. I open the door anyway. My eyes are only
half way opened when I greet my visitor. I swing the door open wide and sweep
my arm inside.

"Come on
in." I pad to the living room in my bathrobe not bothering to look back
and see if he's following me. I am sure my appearance may have sent him running
in the other direction. I plop on the sofa and lay my head on the cool pillow.

"Well now, let
Dr. Montgomery take a look at his patient." He cracks open the top of a
bottle of Gator-aid and puts a couple of pills in my hand. "Here is some
ibuprofen for your head."

I pop the pills
into my mouth and barely lift my head to swallow them. The cold liquid rushes
down my throat and swims in my stomach.

"Thank you
Sam, but shouldn't you be tending to Avery's hangover." Sam sits on the
floor beside me.

"No Brennen, that’s
what I wanted to talk to you about. I met Avery this summer and it never went
anywhere. Last night Emily said you saw me kiss Avery but
she
actually kissed me. I told her that I had feelings for someone
else and she still kept trying to talk to me all night. I didn’t know what to
do. I was hoping to spend some time with you at the party but every time I went
to find you, you were in the company of some other guy or Avery would track me
down again. When you said you had a complicated love life you weren't kidding,
I guess I do too."

I move to sit up
and drink a long chug of the gator-aid hoping it will rehydrate me, drown out
this nasty feeling.

"My lack of a
love life is no more complicated than yours. Elijah and I shared one kiss and
he just wants to be friends. Jesson and I were just hanging out. He is in my
Government class. He didn't even hit on me."

"Wait, if
Elijah just wants to be friends then why is he always giving me murderous
looks."

"He's my
neighbor I guess he is just protective over me I don't know." I lie back
down as my head feels like it's in a vice.

Sam sits up
straight and looks around. I pry one eye open and try to figure out what he is
doing.

"Okay so
Elijah is nowhere in sight. When you’re feeling better can I take you out on a
date?"

I smile and cover
my eyes with my arms.

"No."

"Oh, um
okay." He sighs and begins to get up off the floor. I grab his hand,
smiling again.

"Why wait for
dinner? Today is pajama
day,
you can be totally
useless
with
me if you want." I catch his eye and he smiles.

"Only
if you let me buy the pizza."

"It’s a
date." I try to laugh but I am in too much pain. I drink down the rest of
the orange flavored drink and Sam finds the remote to the television. "I
am going to try to take a hot bath and see if I can get rid of this headache. Please
make yourself at home." He smiles up at me, already tuned to a football
game.

I come back down
feeling better but still tired. True to my word I am in flannel pajamas and
fuzzy socks. Sam smiles up at me.
"Well don't you look all cozy?"

"Come on, kick
off your boots and let’s go up to the media room." I go into the kitchen
and load up a tray full of junk food. "There that should last us until
dinner."