Piercing The Fold (19 page)

Slow down, Jes. And don’t let your guard down. He may not be as safe as you think.

I can’t help but think of the connection I am feeling with this guy.  How his presence and the feelings he is stirring in me reminds me of Nate in the facility.  How is that even possible? Frustrated with my thoughts on Nate, I yank the door open. 

He is the perfect distraction to get Nate out of my head for a little while.

I close the door behind me, lock it, and take in a deep breath. When I turn, Xander is leaning against a palm tree with his hands in his pockets. I feel a brief rush of energy.

Xander asks, “Do you mind walking a little?”

“No. Not at all.”

I know he wants to talk, I can feel it. I keep my senses front and center, even though there is no nervousness with him. Being around a very good-looking guy would normally leave me flushed, stuttering, and unconfident. Right now, with Xander, I feel the complete opposite. I feel confident, strong even. The way he is studying me as we walk right now, I know he is attracted to me. God help me, I am definitely drawn to him.

Xander gives me the short version of Miami’s history on the way to the coffee shop. After we order, we claim a booth in the back of the shop by a large framed window. I settle in, wanting to know more about him. 

“So, what’s your story, Xander? How long have you been in Miami?”

Xander looks out the window. “My whole life. I’m not sure where I was born, but I know my grandmother was from here. My mother and father disappeared when I was two. My grandmother raised me until I was five, when she passed. Then, foster homes and shelters.” Xander pauses and looks up at me, checking for my reaction.  I can sense he is embarrassed by his history and is hoping it won’t scare me off. He shouldn’t feel that way. His history is just that.

“Well. The past is what shapes you to handle your future. It doesn’t matter where you were. What matters is where you are right now, right?”

Xander’s eyes light up and he smiles, looking back down at his coffee cup. I can’t help but feel a joy knowing that I put that smile on his face just now after all he has told me.

He looks up slowly, “Yes. And I am very content with where I am right now.” His sultry stare is anchored to my reaction.  And, oh boy, do I want to react to those words. Like melt into my chair, react!

I try really hard not to blush, but I feel the heat crawling up my neck and into my cheeks.  An involuntary giggle escapes me and I cover it quickly with the sweater sleeves covering my hands.
God woman, get a hold of yourself!

Xander’s smile widens at my reaction. He brings his coffee to his lips and takes a long sip. I look out the window, trying to distract myself from looking too long at those lips.  

When I feel the giddy emotions subside again, I take the rubber band from my wrist and pull my long, dark hair into a high, sloppy bun. I rest my hands on either side of my coffee mug now. “So, Xander, how is life for you now?”

Xander is tapping the side of his coffee cup, looking at me. “It’s great! After I met Sam, everything changed. He took me in and raised me as his own flesh and blood. He loved me when no one else wanted anything to do with me.” Xander’s face quirks and his brows knit together. “I don’t know why I am telling you all of this.” 

 “He must be a pretty amazing man. I hope to meet him some day.”
Woah! Way to make future plans with a guy you just met!
  I am not in a position to start making long-term plans with anyone.  I have to remember that anyone I get involved with, I am putting them in danger.

Xander eyebrows shoot upward and his lip twitches into a lazy smile. “Maybe you will.”

I try and change the subject.  “I am adopted.”
Jesca! What the hell are you doing? Under cover? Hello!
“My parents died in a car accident. I…I don’t know much about them. My adopted parents have raised me since I was young. I know what you mean about having someone take you in and think of you as flesh and blood.”
Good cover, Jes. Now keep it light! Ugh!

Coffee cups multiplied exponentially on our table as we talk, moving from one topic to another, and another.  When we hit three cups each, I interrupt our easy conversation. “Whoa! Too much caffeine! Must stop!”

Xander laughs a little. “Yeah, I hear you.” His smile fades suddenly and his eyes look sad all of a sudden. “I don’t want to go. I have never talked with anyone like this.”

I want to say that I don’t either, but I know that if we keep going, it will only get us deeper into something I can’t have right now.
I can’t get too involved.

He must see my reaction and see it as rejection because he says, “And now I feel like an idiot.”

“No, don’t please. I…I just remembered that I have to be somewhere. Home. I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

Xander smiles softly and nods. As we walk out of the coffee shop, I’m cursing everything that has happened to shift my life from normal to chaotic over the past two months. This guy is charming, attractive, and kind, magnetizing even and I can’t get close to him, can’t get involved.  We walk back to the store in an awkward silence, stealing small glances at each other along the way. 

Suddenly, I feel a warm hand cover mine. I look up at Xander who is looking down at his hand. My gaze follows his to see his fingers linking with mine. My pulse speeds up and instead of pulling away from him, I intertwine my fingers with his. I look up at him slowly, checking his reaction to my response. He keeps his eyes on our hands for a moment, and then a huge smile spreads across his face. It is contagious, damn it, and I have to smile too. He looks away quickly, covering his mouth with his hand to hide the ever expanding smile. I turn away and look at a shop we are passing, hiding my expanding smile and swelled heart. Neither of us let go and the silence settled between us is no longer empty and awkward, but full and comforting.

THIS...this is a perfect moment.
It is a moment that can’t last. Damn it!

We stop in front of the bookstore and we slowly unlock our hands.

“So Xander, where are you headed now?”

Xander pulls out his phone and shows me the home screen.

Missed text (4) Sam

Voicemail (2) Sam

Xander smiles. “Guess I will be returning these. Probably something to do with work. You?”

I reach into my pocket. My phone buzzed numerous times at the coffee shop, but I ignored it. I look at my home screen.

Missed text (2) Ezra

Voicemail (1) Ezra

“Guess I’ll be doing the same.”

Xander walks over to his car leisurely. “So how are you getting home?”

 “Walking.”

He turns to me, resting his forearms on the roof of his car. “Let me give you a ride home. You shouldn’t be walking around a big, strange town by yourself so close to dark.”

For a moment, he sounds like Ezra. It makes me smile. “I don’t mind, really.”

Xander raises his eyebrows, presses a button on his keychain to reset his alarm, and walks around the back of his car to me. “Well, then. May I escort you home?”

When he reaches me, he formally puts his arm out for me to accept.

Without hesitating, I link my arm through his. “Yes, you may, Xander.”

I’m prolonging this between him and me, only making it harder.  I can’t help how wonderful it feels to be with him though.

Xander starts up the conversation as we walk. “So, Jes, what small town in Georgia are you from, anyway?”

“Marietta.”

I look up at him, checking his reaction to my small Georgia town.

My smile melts away a little at her response. I nod and clear my throat.

I can tell by the weight of her stare she is gauging my reaction. She asks boldly, “What?”

I’m quick on my response. “Nothing, It’s just…I have been there before.”

I look down at her hoping that my response it accepted without any other curiosity.

She smiles and I feel at ease again. “Really? Well, I guess it is not that small of a town after all. So, what were you doing there?”

Anxiety creeps back in upon her continued questioning. 

“I was there for business a few weeks ago. I was…doing research on a local university. Advertising stuff.”

I watch her reaction again, but instead it is posed with another question. “Was it Southern Polytechnic State University?”

I want to lie to her. Tell her it was another university, but I don’t. Honestly, I think I want her to find me out in a way. “Yeah, that was it.”

Jesca starts talking about campus and how she misses the atmosphere and the people. I slip into my own thoughts for a moment. The festering of the familiarity of Marietta has started in my mind and is working overtime now.

Is she the girl? Is she the one I needed to find?

What are the chances, though? All those girls on campus wearing the same collegiate paraphernalia complete with a baseball cap and backpack. I must have bumped into handfuls of girls while shadowing Ezra Kahn. How could I be sure it was or wasn’t her? Sam was still searching for a name and more intelligence on the girl when he abruptly called me back to Florida.

I notice a serious look on Xander’s face all of a sudden. “You okay?”

I elbow him slightly to regain his attention.

Xander blinks and looks down at me. “Yeah. Yeah. I was just remembering the campus and being on it. Sorry.”

I stop and turn to him. “Well, this is me.”

We are at the gate to the entrance of the Cloisters.

Xander’s eyes widen. “Wow.”

I feel myself tense up and pull my hand away from his. “I’m staying with a friend while I’m here in town. A close family friend.”

Xander sees my reaction and he changes the subject. “Well. I enjoyed talking with you over coffee, Jesca Gershon-Sera. Thank you for accepting my invitation.” Xander extends his hand to me.

I extend mine and put it in his. “I enjoyed talking with you too, Alexander Crest.”

We hold each other’s hand longer than necessary.

This is it. I will never see him again.

Xander’s look becomes more intense. “Have dinner with me, Jesca.”

I feel warmth extend from my hand, up my arm, into my chest, then to my toes. “I would like that.” I slowly slip my hand out from his and turn to enter my gate code.

Xander’s face lights up. “When? How about tomorrow night?”

The gate opens, and I turn back. I can’t say anything. I’m not playing hard to get, even though it appears to be that way to him, I’m sure. I am physically incapable of answering him, literally. I can’t get myself to push the words out of my mouth.

There must be a reason, Jes. You are hesitating for a reason.

I bow my head and close my eyes to focus on speaking. I tense and suck in a deep breath. “I’m not sure.”

“Ah. That’s not the answer I’m looking for.”

I look at him and grin. His eyes are set on mine, like magnets. My eyes are equally, if not more, set on his. The words escape me quickly now. “Let’s enjoy spontaneity, shall we? You know where to find me.”

Xander steps closer as the gate closes behind me. “Yes, I do, Jesca Gershon-Sera. Jes.”

His eyes are so warm and safe.

I turn and start walking along the cobblestone walkway to our villa. I feel him watching me, a heavy and intoxicating weight. It is a bewitching feeling. Even though we are no longer physically together, his presence is still bound to me like a cosmic link.

I read both of Ezra’s texts and listen to his voicemail as I walk along.

“Where are you? We need to train tonight.” Ezra’s voice sounds worried.

I text him as I walk.

“Heading to the house now. In the Cloisters.”

I just finish sending the message when I feel someone approach me quickly from my right. She takes me off guard with her enthusiasm.

“Hey there! I wanted to introduce myself a couple of days ago, but I haven’t had much of a chance to catch you!”

She has medium-length, curly, red hair. It reminds me of Elisha.
I miss her.

“Uh, hi.”

“I’m Corinna Cain, your neighbor!”

I don’t reply, just smile.

“So is that guy living with you your dad? Or is he your ‘daddy’?”

Yep, just like Elisha.
She genuinely makes me laugh with that question. “No! I mean. He is my dad.” It feels strange telling her that Ezra is my dad.

“Name. What is your name?”

“Jesca Gershon-Sera. Jes.”

“Jes. Great. Where are you from, Jes?”

It comes to me so easily. “East coast. Dad had a career opportunity, so here we are. I’m taking some courses at the nearby community college.”

“Cool. Hey! What are you doing right now?”

Her question surprises me. “What do you mean? Like, this moment?”

“Yeah! I’m heading out to this boutique clothing store on Cutler. They’re having an open house from six to eight. Kind of a sneak peek for frequent clients like myself. Wanna come?”

I want to. It sounds like fun to have some girl time.

My phone buzzes. It’s a text from Ezra.

“Where are you, Jes?”

I sigh and look up at Corrina. “I would love to take a rain check on hanging out. Tonight is not good. Dad needs me to do some things around the house tonight.”

Corinna nods with a huge smile on her face. “No worries. I understand. I’m house-sitting my mom’s villa for the spring while she travels around Europe with her fiancé, Francois. My to-do list around the house is nagging at me also.”

Corinna’s smile slowly disappears. Then an awkward silence comes between us.

I break the silence. “So, what are you doing tomorrow afternoon?”

Corrina’s smile returns instantly. “No plans. Do you wanna catch lunch and the beach?”

I feel myself light up inside for the first time since home and Elisha. “That sounds awesome.”

“I’ll come by your place around noon tomorrow, all right?” Corinna turns and jogs up her walkway. “Bye!”

I smile at her quirky demeanor. “Bye.”

I walk through the front door of our villa.

Ezra is sitting at the table. “What happened to you?”

Feeling self-conscious, I look down at myself. “What?”

“Your face. What is that?” He looks over his reading glasses and points with his index finger in my direction.

I touch my face and wipe my cheeks. “What? What do I have on me?”

Ezra smirks. “A smile. You should wear it more often.”

I growl at Ezra. “You freaked me out!”

My frustration doesn’t last long. I am still bubbly from the girl-time I briefly shared with Corinna. I head to my room to change for training.

Ezra and I take to the beach. Our side of the beach is very private, away from the public eye. So the military crawl in the sand from the beach to the back door of our villa is not going to draw attention.

I tell Ezra about meeting Corinna and how she reminds me of Elisha. I tell him about her and me hanging out tomorrow.

“I think that’s a great idea. Just remember not to put yourself in a position that could jeopardize you or anyone around you.”

I catch his drift “Yes. I know. I won’t put us into that position.”

I know how important it is to keep our identity as vague as possible. We can’t confide in anyone for fear that they may be a Sondian spy. Or worse, confiding in an innocent person that discovers us and then becomes a target for the Sondian guardians. It is dangerous for us and for the company we keep.

Over the next few days, Corinna and I are inseparable. When I’m not at the bookstore with Ms. Olivia, or training with Ezra, I’m with Corinna. We go shopping, check out the local coffee shops, have lunch, and just hang out.

Corinna and I are at the beach. She is reading a magazine, and I’m resting my eyes.

“Hey, you want to check out this club down on the coastline tonight, Jes? I met the owner a few days ago, and he asked me to come out and bring friends. He is absolutely gorgeous. He has these eyes. They are so, so wow! Anyway, you gotta come with me!”

I open my eyes and look at her. “Do you want to check the club out or the guy?”

I feel my phone buzz. “Ugh.”

It is Ezra texting me.

“Head home. I have an update.”

I look up at Corinna. “Hey, can we head back? Dad needs me to break down boxes and finish unpacking the garage with him.”

“Sure. Do you think you can sneak away later? I mean, I don’t mind going to the club on my own. I just really want to have backup just in case anything creepy happens.”

I sense Corinna’s apprehension. It’s the first time I sense her feeling anything but charisma, joy, and positive energy. It feels like a burning in my chest.

“Yes. I will.”

Something about Corinna’s words and feelings make me want to be there. I can feel an energy building up, like the feeling you get before lightning strikes.