Rush (Roam Series, Book Four) (13 page)

“I had no family. I longed for family.”

Kinda sad.
I wanted to punch myself in the face for feeling a little sorry for him.
Not him now; him in the past. I should know more than anyone there is a difference.
“And I just turned around and… slept with your wife?”

He narrowed his eyes. “You plotted with her. To turn my entire army against me. My first knight… my closest friend… was West.”

They were friends? I can’t
wait
to tell West this. Hey, guess who had an ancient bromance?
“And then she left me… and moved on to West.”

“
She was heavy with his child by summer. The three of you were to die for your sins.”

My smart-ass mouth took over. “
Four.”

His eyes snapped open. “Four?”

“Her baby. Her baby with
West
. The reason all this shit is still happening. You could have just moved the fuck on, dude.”

His face reddened in fury. “I did not cast this spell. I have a responsibility to this world, to my people, to save them from an old magician’s curse. My hours are numbered; I near the end of my existence. I am immortal only in your world, not here. I return here and age, every day. This is the longest that I have spent here, in
Icepond, since the curse. Each precious moment here, I am closer to dying. She remains seventeen; my mortal body is nearing forty.”

Forty
? I knew he was older than West, but…
“So you have to stay… in my world… to not age.”

“I have collectively spent
twenty-two years in Icepond since the curse. I have spread those twenty-two years over the time that has passed here, since the curse. That means spending very little time with my people- or with my son and daughter.”

What. The. Fuck.
“You have a daughter, too?”

“William’s twin sister, Meredith. She suffers from insanity and is locked in the dungeons below.”

The screaming that I heard.
So, nut-jobs run in the family.
Of course
.

He looked ready to pass out.
Any minute now.
“It has been sixty years since my children’s birth. I
knew
that they were immortal, and yet I
still
let down my guard that night you killed his Violet. How could I have not known?
She
does this to me; I cannot think about anything but Roam.”

Thank God he didn’t
suspect that she was immortal.
Convincing him that I was evil by killing Violet was the only reason that I was still breathing.

“You are my brother once again, Logan. Do not forget that you have a responsibility to yourself, and to the people of this world.”

Yeah, fuck everyone on Earth.
“Yes, your majesty.”

As Troy’s valet appeared, Will entered the room again, glancing at his father. “Good. I thought he’d never stop.”

“What?”

“Privately.” He gestured to the hall. “We must discuss the masquerade.”

“Why? I don’t give a shit about a
ball
.” I tipped my mug back and downed the remainder of the shit-beer inside.

Will leaned closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. “
I will help you get her out of here.
”

I jerked my head to the side as the valet escorted Troy to his chambers. “Roam?”

Will nodded again toward the hallway. “Well now, I trust that I have your attention?”

August 27, 2012

“
Miss Camden?”

I stood in the doorway of Roam’s history class,
suddenly confused.

The new teacher, Mr. Perry, stayed behind his
desk as Roam gathered her books. She sent me a small ‘I’m coming’ wave as she made her way to his desk. Mr. Perry focused on me in the doorway.

“Come on in, Logan.”

I took a few steps forward, still slightly off balance.
Did I forget something?
I rechecked my pockets; phone and car keys, wallet…

Everything’s here. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Hi- Logan Rush,” I extended my hand. “Someone said you’re taking over the baseball team for the rest of the season?”

He hesitated, glancing once at Roam before finally accepting my handshake. “That’s right. I hear you have a promising record.”

“He’s
so
talented,” Roam gushed, wrapping one arm around me. I grinned, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. “He’s being modest. Mr. Perry, thanks for picking up my book. I was so embarrassed. I just- I don’t know, felt lightheaded or something… anyway, thanks,” she flashed a charismatic smile, the same smile that convinced me that I was the luckiest guy in the world at least ten times a day.

“Of course. Have a… good day.
Welcome back Roam.
”

For a second, I almost thought he was going to reach for her. I tightened my grip on my girlfriend, leading her toward the hall.

The new school year, our senior year, lay before us in all of its glory. She slipped her hand in mine, her cheeks flushed to a pleasant pink as we walked to her locker. “I feel like… something’s off,” she turned to me, lifting her right arm and turning it from side to side. “I got so dizzy in class earlier, and completely dropped my book on the floor.”

“Were you holding your breath?” I suggested, reaching for her combination lock before she did.
8-26-94… my birthday.
I loved how much
she
loved
me
.

“Maybe. Mr. Perry kind of made a… grand entrance. He walked in the door and immediately called someone on his phone. He apologized and said he was checking on his daughter, but it was just kind of- frantic. I don’t know. All I know,” she wetted her lips, tilting
her head to the side slightly, “is that I’m glad you haven’t brought up the way I acted last night. So I will. You were right… and wrong.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. You were
right
- I was feeling pressured by your eighteenth birthday… and how long we’ve been dating… that it was time to…,”

I stared at her, straight-faced.
“I have no idea what you’re referring to.”

She twisted her lips and groaned, lowering her voice to a whisper. “
Make love.
”

“Oh
, I remember now.”

“
You
forgot
?” Her wide, innocent eyes, greener than her experience, nagged at my conscience.

I tugged her closer, fitting her against my
hips. “No, I didn’t forget. In fact, I dreamt about you all night. Naked, begging me to put you out of your virginal misery.”

“Rush!”

“Cam,” I got the rise out of her that I was waiting for; she flushed five shades of red in four seconds, and I tipped her face to mine. “When the time is right for you. Like I said. Now control yourself, slut.”

“
Stop
.”

“And
how was I wrong…?”

She dropped her history book to the locker shelf, looping her arms around my neck.
“What you said about…
making love to me.
You were wrong about being a regret in my life. I could never regret you.”

The bell rang, and we were both late for second period, but neither of us moved. I slid my hand around the back of her neck, her long, silken hair falling in shining waves over my forearm.

“I,” her lips softened, opening slightly as I urged them apart with mine, “love…,” her fingers tightened on my upper arm, “…
you
.”

Breat
hless, she wavered on her feet in the empty hallway.

“
Roam, Logan, you are both late for class.”

Mr. Perry’s voice cut through the daydream around us as he moved to close his classroom door.

Roam broke away and covered her lips, nodding, embarrassed. “Sorry,” she murmured, closing her locker with a soft snap. I watched her hurry toward her next class, shrinking as she passed Mr. Perry again.

“
Remember where you are,” he chided her sternly. She nodded and turned for the stairs.

I narrowed my eyes
at him as he returned to his classroom.

The teachers were merciless with their homework assignments for the first week.
Friday afternoon, I lay in the grass in my backyard, Roam’s ponytail spread over my side and her head resting on my stomach as she faced the sky. The smell of chlorine from the school swimming pool still faintly filled my senses, and I untangled her still-damp hair.

“I just struggle so much with French. I could tell you the history of the entire country, but just can’t seem to make my tongue turn in the right way to get the accent.”

At the thought of her tongue turning in any particular way, I grumbled from deep in my chest, tossing my English book to the ground. “Sit on top of me.”

“No.” She snapped her book closed, arching her back to look up at me. “How is that supposed to help my French?”

“Trust me.”

With a sound that was a mixture between a
grr and an umph, she flipped over and straddled me. I slid my hands over her thighs, raising one eyebrow.

“Well?”

“I like sundresses.”

“I’m
waiting
for my French lesson.”

“Okay.
Lean down here and put your mouth on mine.”

She smirked, flattening her palms on my chest. “Exactly what are your qualifications? Can you even tell me
the who the president of France is?”

I dared to inch my fingers just under the hem of her dress. She stiffened.

“Um, Pepe le Pew.”

“Um, no. That is a persistent cartoon skunk desperately in need of a restraining order.”

I chuckled, my stomach moving beneath her. “Well, I’m a year older and wiser than you.”

“Because you failed Kindergarten, Logan.”

“The alphabet is hard.”

“I tried to help you.”

Sitting up quickly, I tucked her legs around my waist. With her lips crushed to mine, blood coursed through my veins and dotted my vision with what could only be explained as hormone-induced hysteria.

She made a tiny sound in her throat that drove me insane.

“Come inside.”

“
No
,” she shook her head slightly, and I was sure she was thinking of my parent’s goodbye only an hour earlier as they left for the weekend.

“
I’ll stop when you tell me to.”

“I don’t
want
you to anymore. I don’t trust myself.” She squirmed as my thumb found the edge of her panties, straining away from me.

“
I’ll be good,” I half-promised, standing with her still wrapped around me. She was tall but so light, and I had no problem carrying her across the back patio. 

Within minutes I had her
panting on the couch, her dress hiked up and her resistance obliterated. Her fingers dug into my shoulders, and I reached with one hand to pull off my tee shirt. My mouth dropped to her neck, and she whimpered softly, turning her face away.

“
West…,
”

I froze.

“What?” I exhaled, my eyes popping open and my hand stilling on her hip. Her tear-brightened eyes fluttered, and she turned to face me.

“
Logan?
”

I decided to ignore whatever she mumbled, pulling away the thin, lacy barrier between my hand and her
wet, waiting body.

She clenched her thighs together, fear washing over her horrified expression.

“
I want to touch you.
”

“
Not there,” she pushed at my shoulders, and I narrowed my eyes.

“
You’ll like this
,” I urged, pushing my hand between her legs.

She immediately stopped moving; her entire body went slack, and her chest stopped rising and falling.

“Roam-
breathe. Roam
,” I pulled her dress back down, moving her into a sitting position. She stared forward, limp, her chin dropping to her chest. “Roam!” She fainted, right there, with me still holding her in my arms. I lowered her back to the couch, brushing her hair away from her face, chafing her upper arms. “Come
on
Cam,” I growled, fighting the urge to slap her.

Why in the
hell
would I slap her?
Jesus Christ.

Her shallow breaths returned slowly,
unevenly. She focused on me, and then over my shoulder, confusion clouding her gaze.