My Soul to Keep (The Soul Keeper Series - Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (8 page)

I
don't know if you know this or not. I hope none of you
need
to know the price of daycare for a baby or child, but it has
risen nearly 30 percent in the last couple of years. Daycare now cost about the
same as in-state tuition at a university or a mortgage on a house. I want to
give tax breaks to companies that provide childcare in their office or nearby.
Let's get these parents working to live, not living to work.

 
I go on about
how I plan to simplify the tax code and the class is enthralled with the speech.
It is kind of exhilarating and I feel the passion coming out in my voice when I
speak. I have a passion for this, I have so many ideas that could help the
country I begin to wonder if it is possible that I could become a governor or a
senator. I look back at Elijah; he is smiling as if he is proud of me. He gives
a wink when I catch his eye. Oh my, heat singes my chest, will this feeling he
gives me ever fade?

“So if you want to save about thirty thousand
dollars a year, then you need to make me your next American president.” The
class applauds and I think Mr. Potter even whoop's, so I guess I did okay. I
take my seat as the adrenalin surges through my veins. The rest of the speeches
are well thought out and articulate, and I enjoy listening to the other ideas.

 
Elijah's
speech holds the entire class captive. His sonorous voice is resonant with the
students as well and he may very well be my top opponent. He will make a worthy
vice president. I give a wry smile to him and he returns the look through a
steely gaze.
 
Yes, he knows just what I'm
thinking. The class applauds his efforts. Near the end of class we are given a
moment to reflect and cast our vote. Mr. Potter says we are not allowed to vote
for ourselves but apparently he has arranged all of the democrats in second
period and all of the republicans in first, so after each class chooses their
candidate we will have a debate between parties.

“You were pretty amazing up there,” Elijah says to
me and my heart is sent into flutters.
Stop
it, I command
.
  

“Yeah you weren't too bad yourself.” He looks at me
sideways. I whisper, “But my guess is, this isn't the first class speech you've
had to give.” I wonder how old he really is. He looks like he could just pass
for 21.

“Oh you'd be surprised at how many president
speeches I have helped write.”
 
What does
that even mean?

“You sir beguile me.”

“Oh Brennen, you have no idea the elision I am
committed to.” His voice is low and sultry. It makes me want to drag him out to
the hallway and torture the truth from his lips, one slow kiss at a time.

The votes have been tallied and I hold my breath
while Mr. Potter announces the winner.

“Your democratic nominee is, Brennen Hale.”

“Yes!” I can't believe I won. The class erupts in
applause.

“Congratulations Brennen and you may choose your
Vice president running mate.”

“I would like Elijah Morgan to be my running mate.”

“Very good choice Ms. Hale.”

The bell sounds and I head down the hall with Elijah
by my side.

“After school I want to take you somewhere.”

“Where?”

“It's a surprise.”

“I am a planner we don't like surprises.” He gives a
look that reads, is-that-so? “I promise you will like this.” His smile, that
coy little smile, pulls me in. Oh, he knows my resistance is futile. Could he
be any more freaking sexy or off limits? It is frustrating me to my breaking
point. I look up at him from my lashes. I can be coy too Elijah. I watch as he
swallows hard, it is satisfying to know I wield a little power of my own.

“I'd better.”

***

Sam is sitting across from me in the grass
scrutinizing his salad as if it had the potential to harbor an infestation of
flesh eating spiders. I open my bag and hand him a turkey and cheddar wrap that
I made for him before I left for school this morning. He smiles and takes it.

“Thanks Brennen, you didn’t have to do that.”

“Well I think you are wasting away before my very
eyes and I can’t have that either.”

“Hey tomorrow we could go to that café down the
street and I could buy you lunch.”

“Um, like a date?” I say with more trepidation than
I meant to. He raises a brow and considers his next words carefully.

“We don’t have to call it a date. We could just call
it lunch.” Before I can answer, Elijah comes up to us just as Emily sits down.
Well, doesn’t he have perfect timing
as
usual
? He doesn’t even have the same lunch as we do.

“Brennen, Emily, Sam, I am having a party this
weekend up near West Neck, I hope you all can come. Here is a map.” He hands us
each a small piece of paper that looks more like a treasure map than a party
invitation and walks off towards the cafeteria with a stack of the invitations
in hand.

“Oh I know where this is. Do you want to go Bren?” Emily
pipes up. I am bewildered as to why Elijah would be throwing a party when he is
supposed to be all consumed with protecting me. If he is going to be there then
I would be without protection unless I do go, so I guess I don’t have much of a
choice in the matter.

“Um, I guess I’ll go. Do you want to just meet me
there since it is closer to your house?” I ask Emily and she nods in response.
Sam doesn’t mention lunch again. I wanted to say yes but I didn’t know how to
bring it up again without sounding too eager. All during lunch I was hoping he
may bring it up or even ask me to be his date for the party but he doesn’t.

***

After school Elijah takes control of my car.

“So what is the deal with this party? Aren’t you on
the clock?” I ask as soon as we leave the parking lot. He grins but keeps his
eyes on the road ahead.

“You need to have a little fun this weekend, so I
decided to throw a party. You hardly talk to anyone at this school. You’re
seventeen, sometimes you need to act like it Bren. Besides I can still do my
job just as easily there as I can anywhere. You will be safe, don’t worry about
that. Just promise me you’ll at least try to have fun, okay?” I bite my lip and
worry about it the whole ride to where ever he is taking me.

***

“Come on,” he coaxes. I get out wondering why we are
here at the boat docks by our neighborhood. We walk down the docks and he pulls
me in the direction of a small white sail boat. My eyes light up. I love to
sail. I have a huge grin plastered on my face.

“Seriously, are we going sailing? I love sailing.”

“I know.” He returns with a devastating smile across
his face.
 
He opens the box and pulls out
a life vest and fastens it to my chest, always looking out for my safety. He
doesn't wear one. He unties us from the dock and starts the outboard motor. I
am giddy with anticipation.

“Oh my goodness, this is awesome!” He smiles back
and sets us out for sea. Once we get about half a mile out, he kills the engine
and starts setting the sails. First he sets the beautiful mainsail; it is red
with a plume of gold stars descending down. The name on the boat is Shining
Star. We zoom across the water. It's exhilarating. At sunset he drops the
sails, and he joins me, placing his arm casually around my shoulder. I settle
into him and we watch as the sun melts the cloudless sky into red, coral and
pink.

“Its breath taking, thank you.” The only sound is
that of the water caressing against the bow. He points out the faint silhouette
of a dolphin swimming nearby. I spot it before it disappears beneath the inky
water.
 

“I wanted to give you this here, in the tranquil
respite of one glorious sunset.” He hands me a folded white envelope. If this
is what I think it is
,
Elijah does have some great
friends. I ease my finger under the seal and open it. I take the paper out and
unfold it. I hold it to my chest for a moment; contemplating the fact that this
could be the last minute I know that
I
am the daughter of William Michael Hale.
 
I peel the letter from my chest and force
myself to read it. My grandmother is my Grandma! Which means my dad is my dad!
Oh thank heaven. I throw my arms around Elijah and squeeze the breath out of
him.

“What about my mom, do you think she's out there
somewhere? How will I ever find her?”

“I don't know how, but I am going to help you find
your mother, I promise.” He nuzzles his cheek into my hair.

I bring my head up and kiss his cheek, he visibly
tenses. I am taken aback. I spear him with hurt filled eyes. I only meant it as
a friendly gesture.

“Oh Brennen I'm sorry.” He takes my hands and holds
them in my lap.

“No it's my fault; you've made it perfectly clear
you don't want me in that way, I am the one who should be apologizing. I’m
sorry, it won't happen again. No I take that back, you haven't made it
perfectly clear! You bring me out on this romantic sail boat and nuzzle my
hair, and hold my hands. Friends don't do that. You keep pulling me in only to
push me away. It's hurting me Elijah.” I pull my hands away and bury them in the
pockets of my jacket. He starts to say something but doesn't. He turns to the
wheel and points us back home. I have to get over him. I refuse to be the
pursuer.

I know he is fighting his feelings and I should be
more understanding but I feel like his yo-yo. He keeps flirting with me like he
can't help it. I will tell him we need to keep it professional, friends at best.
When he is done protecting me and only then, if he wants to take me on a date
to get to know me, then maybe I will consider the possibility. Most of this is
my fault anyway for kissing a guy I barely know, only with Elijah it feels like
I have known him my whole life. My anger has faded but my stubbornness has not.
I keep my mouth shut the whole way home.

September
2, 2012 Journal of E.M

I
turn away from you as the tears threaten to spill over my lashes. I go to the
wheel instead and fight the urge inside. I know
I've just crushed you and I feel awash
with heart ache. I love you Brennen. I have never in my existence shed a single
tear, and now they fall one by one out of my eyes. The wind rips them off my
face and mixes them into the spray from the sea. I hate that I am not able to
show you my love. I know you may think that since we are alone, and miles from
anyone that we could steal just one moment. If you only knew how desperately I
want that moment too. But we're never really alone; they can see it all from
the In-Between. My own hand has crushed your heart, and when you said I didn't
want you in that way, I wanted to tell you; no I wanted to show you, right then,
how desperate I am for you. Alas, I do not have free will like you do.
 
I have to obey the word of the master, and you
are my forbidden fruit.
 

During
our first kiss I heard the voice of my superior in my ear. “No Elijah, you must
not kiss her. There will be a time that this will come to pass, however your
mission for now is to gain her trust. She must trust you implicitly. Your
relationship must remain platonic.” I was devastated by the order. When one of
us receives an order it has to be followed to the letter. However, it could
have been much worse. They could have forbidden me to love you but their orders
were specific for a reason. I may not be able to show you my love but if I had
been ordered not to love you,
then
I wouldn’t feel
anything for you ever again. You would only exist to me as an object I have to
keep safe. This means they want me to love you. They did say that there will be
a time where we are meant to be together and that small promise is enough to
keep my feelings for you in check. Well, at least most of the time.

I
peek over my shoulder at you, and you look so lovely with the wind in your hair
and the flush in your cheeks. You need to laugh and be seventeen. You are so
full of life, and wonder, and ideas, you need to share that with real people,
not some ethereal being. That is my real reason for throwing you this party. I
want you to meet some of your peers. You need more friends. Sam needs to find
another girl to pester into dating. I don’t know why but I have a bad feeling
about that young man.

Something’s
coming I can feel it. The evil ones are plotting another attack on you, so I
have to be at the ready. I have placed protection around your home so at least
you are safe there.

I
am so relieved that your father is your real dad. I tried to find out who your
mother is and it was extremely unusual that I was told to leave the matter
alone and not to pursue the issue. I mean what if you are right and you still
have a living parent in this world? People change, maybe she is in a better
place, I can only speculate as to why a mother would abandon her new born with
the father. There is something amiss about this whole story and I want to find
out what is perplexing me.

I
wasn't put on your guard until you were about six months old. I feel terrible
that the woman your father married turned so vindictive toward you. She treated
you with such harsh indifference most of the time. I think she was jealous of
your relationship with your father. You were three the first time I saw her
spank you and I never let her near you in that way again. She appeared to trip
over her own feet and busted her lip on the coffee table the first time I
intervened. I think it scared her, and she deserved to be scared. Every time
her temper would flare up around you, she would have some highly unfortunate
accidents. Finally she learned her lesson at the park one day, I was watching
you on the swings and she wanted to leave, you wanted to stay a few more
minutes and she went to jerk your arm into compliance. Conveniently, a giant
crow just happened to collide with her head at that very moment, sure, she
needed a couple of stitches, but she never abused you again.