My Soul to Keep (The Soul Keeper Series - Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (26 page)

     
“Yes, it
is my favorite time of the year.”

     
“Oh, why
is that?”

     
“It is
everything. I love why we celebrate it, the real reason, not the black Friday
debacle. My Dad was always home for Christmas. It is the one time of the year
where we were always together as a family. Grandma would play the piano and I
would sing carols. There are so many good memories. One year in Japan we had
this little Charlie Brown looking tree because they had sold out down at the
commissary within in a few hours.
 
It
wouldn’t even hold our ornaments so, we strung together some popcorn and
Craisins
and hung it on the sickliest looking branches
you’ve ever seen.
 
It was our little sad
excuse for a tree and we were happy with it. How about you, do you live here?”
I caught her with a mouth full of pie. She smiles through full cheeks.

     
“I do
live here, this is technically my vacation.”

     
“Oh? So
you have to work on your vacation? I am really sorry I have been so much
trouble.” She shakes her head like it's no big deal. “Well I am going to go
take a shower can I get you anything else while you wait?”

     
“No I am
fine I am just going to go out and give these guys a hand. I'll be back when
Sam wakes up.” She disappears once outside the French doors. I’m never going to
get used to that.

     
The water
ebbs the stress out of my shoulders. I massage shampoo into my scalp; the scent
of coconut fills the room.
 
I shave my
legs and squirt out the body wash onto a pouf, lathering up my body. I like the
clean fresh scent of this wash. My mind keeps flashing to the crimson red and
black sky and I think about the Keepers outside that are still fighting for me.
I wipe the fog off of the mirror and can’t help but wonder,
why me
?

     
I dress
in a slinky periwinkle top and long skirt. I comb out my hair and decide to let
it air dry. I add a little product to give it soft waves. I spritz my perfume
on, admiring the sheer notes of floral. Downstairs is quiet. The plate of
cheesecake has been reduced to crumbs. I feel the need to run a few miles worth
of pie off. Sam is just beginning to wake up, but still a little ways away. He
softly moans and turns over in his sleep. I hope his head isn't too tender, but
I'm sure it will be painful for days. The sound of that stapler still makes me
shudder just thinking about it.

     
“What
happened?” Sam musters. His eyes are slight and he touches the top of his head
and winces.

     
“You were
attacked by a crazy bird. It probably had Mad-cow or something. You had to get
some staples in your head. ” He cracks a sappy smile at my joke and then falls
back asleep.
 
I curl up beside him. I
must have fallen asleep. I blink a few times trying to orient myself. Sam opens
his eyes. He looks sleepy but happy.

     
“Hey
there, how are you feeling?”

     
“Like a got
a beak broke off in my skull. Bad things seem to happen to me every time I
visit you,” he jests but it is true. It doesn't help my guilt one bit.
 

     
“Are you
hungry? I could make you something.” He eases up and tries to stand. He wobbles
a little unsteady at first, but then he regains his balance and strides to the
bathroom pausing at the door.

     
“No I am
fine; I just better try to get home before my dad starts to worry.”

     
“Okay.” I
go to the kitchen and call Elena's cell phone. Do they get reception in another
dimension? She answers on the first ring. “Sam's ready to go,” she says, “I’m
on it”, and hangs up. She and Emily would be great friends. Sam emerges from
the back room and joins me in the kitchen.

     
“You're
sure you still want me here?” I hope he doesn't have any false hope of taking
things too far this week, but I need him to stay alive.

     
“Yes, but
we still need to take things slow. Can you behave?”

     
“Oh? Like
you were behaving this morning, exploring my body with your tongue?” he smirks.
“I can definitely behave that way.” Well he's got me there.

     
“It was
the heat of the moment, it won't happen again.” My face is deadpan. He looks
mildly disappointed. He grabs his keys off of the counter and kisses me on the
cheek in a very brotherly way.

     
“As you
wish,” He twirls his keys on his fingers and gives me a devilish smile before
he heads out the door. I just have to trust that Elena is with him. After he pulls
out of the driveway without being attacked, I can assume she is with him. I
wish I could become invisible at the drop of a hat. Sam lives about half an
hour away so I hope he won't be gone but about an hour or so. Elena is not very
patient.

When Sam finally walks through the door unscathed I
had been reduced to pacing the floor. I run to him and throw my arms around
him.

“Whoa, I like this greeting!” He almost stumbles
back from my tackle. He embraces me with his free arm and buries his nose in my
hair. He's safe, he's alive and he's mine for the week. He drops his bag and
gives me both if his arms.
Thank you Elena
.
Sam pulls back to check on me. He studies
my face and smiles.

“I just missed you,
that's
all,” I explain. He puts his nose up to mine and whispers.

“I missed you too.” He kisses the tip of my nose and
releases me.

“How are you feeling?” I glance up at his head. That
thing got him right in the crown of his head, it has to be sore.

“You take away all of my pain. Well that and a
couple of Ibuprofen.” He jiggles a bottle out of his pocket. I shake my head at
him. Well I've got him. Now what do I do with him? I think I will feed him.
Eating, it's what teenage boys do best.

“You hungry yet?”

“Starving.”
 
I thought so; he hasn't had anything since
yesterday.

“Well there ya go. I'll start dinner, please make
yourself at home.” He plops on the couch, kicks off his boots and props his
feet up on the ottoman. He turns on the television and finds a football game
on. I busy myself in the kitchen. I take inventory of the food I have. I am so
glad I restocked my kitchen a couple of days ago. I feel like I need something
light for dinner after last night's meal and polishing off the cheesecake with
Elena. Although, I think she ate the majority of it. I pound out a couple of
chicken breast and season them. I am neurotic when handling poultry, so I wash
my hands half a dozen times during the whole process. Once it's on the grill I
spray down the contamination zone like the CDC handles an outbreak. I flip the
chicken and chop up the romaine. I think a chicken Caesar salad will be enough
for me but I make a side of whole wheat pasta salad for Sam.
 
I put out a couple of place mats on the bar
and set out cutlery.

“What would you like to drink Sam?” He looks up from
the game like, did you say something? I clank the ice around in the glass. “I
have iced tea, water or soda.”

“Soda is fine, long as it's not diet.” I smile at
him. I never have soda but I thought I may have guests over for New Year’s so I
bought a variety. I know Sam prefers Dr. Pepper. I pour him a glass and finish
making our plates.

     
I walk
over to him on the sofa and slide my hands down his shoulders. He has broad
muscular shoulders. “Dinner is ready.” I kiss his cheek. He smiles. We go to
the bar. He takes a bite of his chicken.

     
“Mm this
is good. Is there anything you can't do?”

     
“I
absolutely cannot think of one single thing I am not good at.” We both laugh.

     
“I bet
you can't play football.”

     
“
Pssht
, I could run circles around you, lady-boy!”
 

     
“Oh, well
this I've got to see.” He raises a brow.

     
“Bring it
on,” I say in a cocky tone.

     
“Oh
alright, then, let's go.” He is getting feisty.

     
After
dinner we grab a football out of his truck and I change into jeans and a
hoodie. We run out to the beach. The sun is going down, painting the sky with
pastel pink and salmon. I grab the ball from Sam's hand and run down the beach,
all the while thinking of what is really going on out here. I hope they have it
covered. I hope I am not making their job any harder. I throw a perfect spiral
to Sam and a look of shock crosses his face. Thank you dad, for being a single
guy raising a daughter, teaching me things like defensive fighting, football
and even how to shoot. Sam tosses the ball back to me. It lands in my hands
like he placed it there himself. He would make a good quarter back.
 
I step back ten more feet and throw another
good spiral. He looks at me with his chin tucked in his neck, like come on? I
stick out my tongue at him. I catch his pass and throw my hand out front like I
am running for the touchdown. He tries to catch me and misses as I weave left,
just shy of his grasp. I spike the ball in the sand and yell, “Touchdown baby,
oh yeah!” I do a little dance and flaunt it in his face. He grabs a hold of me
and takes me down to the ground.
           
“Oh, I call a flag on the play
that was totally holding.” He smiles and crashes his lips down on mine. His
lips are hot and they warm the world around us to a simmer. I feel something
pressing into my thigh and decide to cool things off.

     
“Come on,
I'll make some hot chocolate.” I have a bad feeling if he doesn't get off me
soon he will be taken off forcibly. He moves quickly to his feet and pulls me
up with cat-like grace.

     
Inside, I
make our drinks and he sits quietly at the bar. He looks a bit worried.

     
“Sorry
for, you know.” I wonder to which he is referring to and swallow hard at the
awkwardness of the moment.

     
“Have you
ever, you know made love, with anyone?” He brushes his hair back as a flush of
pink fills his cheeks. My eyes take note and a smile plays behind my lips, just
shy of making an appearance.

     
“No. Like
I said I have never had a girlfriend before you.” He called me his girlfriend.
It sends my heart into palpitations. “Have you?”

     
“No, you are
my first boyfriend too.” I don't know how to classify what Elijah and I were
but I don't think I would have ever put him in the boyfriend category.
“Besides, I want to wait until I am married.” There, that should help him exert
a little more self-control during this week. But it is true, my dad and I had
lengthy awkward conversations about my virtue and I have to agree with his very
valid points.

     
“I hope
to be your last,” he says with reserve. Oh my, is he really talking marriage?
Okay well at seventeen, marriage is the furthest thing from my mind.

     
“Sam, we
still have a long college road ahead of us. Who knows what the future will
bring? Have you finished your essay for your Harvard app yet?”
 

     
“Listen
to you, seventeen and you are more of a parent to yourself than both of mine
put together.”

     
“I know
I'm sorry, I guess I am.”

     
“You know
it is okay to act your age sometimes, Bren.”

     
“What,
would you have us running off to Vegas in five days when I turn eighteen?”

     
“Are you
saying you would?”

     
“No!” I
laugh.

     
“Huh,
okay how about we start with a small commitment like... Would you, Brennen
Elizabeth Hale be my girlfriend, again?” He says as he snuggles me up against
his chest.

     
“Hmm,” I
pace the floor like I am contemplating an alternative.

     
“Yes.” I
smile in his direction. He pulls me back into his arms and kisses my lips. A
boom of thunder plays outside at that exact moment, as if the heavens above are
declaring their ominous condemnation of our relationship. I shake with a start.
He doesn't release me but pulls me in closer. I love being in Sam’s embrace. I
feel like I am his again, his to love, his to comfort, his to spoil with
unyielding affection. The rain starts to fall in drenching sheets, slapping the
windows like the house is taking our lashings. Another clap of thunder rattles
the panes. Elena’s voice sneers in my head,
heed
my warnings
, I pull away from him, plopping on the sofa to turn on the
nightly news. A special report is beeping on the screen, cautioning of a severe
thunder storm that is moving into my area and will have strong winds possible sleet,
hail and a massive amount of rain. Sam joins me on the sofa and clicks off the
television and makes his way to my lips again. Apparently he wants to spend the
night with a make-out session. I smile and kick off my shoes. I think I will
take his advice and act my age.
Sorry
Elena
.