The Awakener (19 page)

“Then let’s just talk later, ok?
Besides, Trent’s probably having a fit that I’ve been gone this long. I swear, he acts like we’re married sometimes.”

“Trent’s here
? He didn’t go back to Texas?”

“He’s moved in with us, going to go to college here. He’ll be happy to see you again.”

“Oh, I bet. He’s probably dying to tease me since last time I jumped into his arms.”

“He might. You sort of changed his life with
that
hug.” Micah chuckled.

She didn’t get the joke
, but grinned. “Whatever.”

“Speaking of which, can your old friend get a hug good
-bye?” He opened his arms to her.

She hesitated long enough for her heart to jump into her throat
, and then stepped into his arms. It felt like January again, standing in the tree house. Her pulse was pounding so hard she was afraid he’d feel it through his tight hold. She expected him to let her go, but he didn’t.

Is he smelling my hair?
She swore she heard him inhale, as she felt his face press against the side of her head.

“I thought I lost you,” he whispered into her ear. “I’m glad you’re ok.”

“Me too,” she said into his shoulder.

His hand touched the spot on her back
where she’d been stabbed. She wondered if it was a coincidence until he let her go partway, taking her right hand into his. He examined her wrist and arm and then, turning her hand over, he caressed her forearm, right where her injury had been.

Goose
bumps covered both of her arms; she hoped he didn’t notice.

It was getting hard
to remain objective. She wanted desperately to believe it meant something. He snapped her back into reality.

“You should tell Andrew about last night. You’ll be surprised with how well he handles the truth.”

Just like that, the fairy tale was over.
He’s still just my friend, who is not at all bothered by the fact I’m dating one of his friends.

She pulled her arm away. “Yeah, maybe I will.
I feel bad lying to him.”

Micah’s eyes followed her hand, and then looked up. “You haven’t been lying, but I think he deserves the truth.”

What does he mean by that?
Something crossed over Micah’s face; his eyebrows bent low as his blue eyes studied her face.
Did he just glance at my lips?

“I
missed you, Eden.” His voice was low, deep.

Her heart ached to say,
I missed you too,
but she swallowed and forced a smile. “Well, you’re back now and I’m not going anywhere.”

He snapped out of whatever he’d been feeling, his blue eyes dancing again. “True.
I had better get out of here. I’ll see you next weekend for the move.”

“Oh
, ok.” She felt jolted. “Thanks for coming over, Micah.”

He nodded, grinned, and was gone.

She stared out the window as his truck disappeared. She felt weak from the roller coaster ride of emotions. Against her will, she’d hoped for more with him, but ended up confused and upset. To make matters worse, she didn’t have time to shrug it off because Andrew’s Bronco was pulling in.

One thing Micah had said did make sense to her
. I need to talk to Andrew, no more stalling.

“Good
morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?” Andrew asked, coming through the door. He didn’t let her answer, because he had her in his arms and was kissing her lips.

“Good.
How about you?” She pulled her face back.

He studied her. “Not that great actually
. I was worried about you. How do you feel?”

Want the truth?

“I’m fine, really. Don’t worry.”

Andrew peered around. “Where’s everybody?”

“They’re over at the house. My dad’s finishing installing the new carpet and my mom and Brendon are cleaning.”

Andrew glanced at her. “Surprised they didn’t make you go.”

The moment of truth—did she tell him about Micah’s visit?

“I slept in, but I think my mom wants me over there too,” she
said, hating herself. It wasn’t a lie really, but she still felt guilty. “Andrew, can we talk about last night?” she asked, before she lost her nerve.

He gazed at her and then nodded.
“I think we should.”

She sat down, Andrew sitting next to her.
She faced him, rubbing her hands together; they felt cold.

“What I’m going to tell you is going to sound crazy, but you need to hear me out,
okay? But first I should probably to tell you what happened in February.”

She relayed to him the night in her bedroom when Gabriel had killed the demon, leaving out how she now talked to Gabriel every day. Afraid to hear what he would say, she plunged into last night’s events.
Getting to the part where Sage appeared, she realized she’d omitted telling him about seeing her the first time at Micah’s. But Andrew seemed engrossed in her story and didn’t ask questions.

She explained how Sage caused the fire in the forest to burn all the demons. “And that’s where I don’t know the rest of the story.
I remember being in Gabriel’s arms, and then I woke up to you and Caitlyn.”

She finally peeked at him, scared to see his reaction, but he was staring at his hands.
She bit her lip, waiting for a response.

Finally, he met her eyes. “When I found you, you were practically dead
.” He placed her hands in his. “Your arm looked like an animal bit through it.” He rotated her wrist. “Now it makes sense,” he said, more to himself.

Relieved he believed her
, she exhaled the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “But if you found me, how did I—?” She stopped, eyes widening.

Andrew didn’t say anything as he stood, pulling her to her feet.
He began lifting her t-shirt up. Still lost on the fact that Andrew was the one to save her, she didn’t resist.

As her shirt started to reach her bra, she pushed down on his hands, “Andrew, wait.”

But he had stopped and was examining her back. He placed his hand over the few remaining scrapes, and a warm sensation spread over her skin. Removing his hand, he guided hers to feel her back.

She gasped. The large scab was gone, leaving her skin smooth. “It was you,” she gasped, staring into his emerald eyes.

“I’ve wanted to tell you for so long, but I was afraid you’d think I was some kind of freak.”

Her eyes welled with tears. “You saved my life.
What you do is beautiful.” Overcome with feelings of gratitude, she pressed her mouth on his.

He returned the kiss, his hands holding her firmly against him.
They had kissed before but it had never felt like this. Her head was spinning and she pulled back. He didn’t seem to mind as he held her close.

“I love you,” he whispered.

The words caused an electric shock to shoot through her.
He loves me?

She searched her heart, desperate to know if she could say it back.

She needed more time, to sort through her feelings, but she didn’t have time.
Andrew had laid his heart open bare before her.

“I love you too,” she replied automatically.
Her heart confirmed it wasn’t
un-true
.

A new thought occurred to
her, and she pulled back from his arms to face him.

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

He stared at her.

“In the
theater, why I can see…”

He grinned. “Sorry, I was still learning, didn’t have much control over it then.”

“My parents took me to the eye doctor like three times! They didn’t believe I could suddenly see perfect! I should’ve known.” She playfully swatted his shoulder.

He secured her hand and pulled her close.
“You’re welcome.”

“Wow, Eden, you’re a hot tamale now,” Trent
announced, waltzing into the living room.

“Hey Trent,” she
said, noting how Andrew eyed Micah’s cousin.

“Hi Micah,” she greeted Micah, who followed his cousin through the front door.
Eden’s parents were already upstairs with Micah’s, working on carrying down the bedroom furniture.

“Hey, excited to move back?” Micah asked
. She grinned. Then to Andrew, he said, “Hey, what’s up, my man?”

Andrew turned his wary eyes off Trent and gave Micah a half
-slap, half-handshake. Eden had both dreaded and looked forward to this day. She wasn’t sure how it would be being around Andrew and Micah at the same time, but there seemed to be no tension between them.

And why would there be
? she reminded herself.

“So Eden, do I get another one of those hugs?” Trent asked.

She braced herself. “Sure.”

She hoped to do it discreetly, but Trent grabbed
her, saying, “My goodness, it still leaves me feeling all tingly inside.”

She stepped away, embarrassed, while Andrew’s eyes riveted back to Trent.

“Cut it out, Trent,” Micah said
. “I don’t think Andrew appreciates you having your hands all over his girl.”

Eden didn’t appreciate it, that was for sure, but Trent was Trent.
What can you do?

They spent the afternoon loading up the moving truck and other vehicles.
Living in a small townhome, they were able to do it all in one day, with only a few trips back and forth.

Driving through Rams Gate was different this time; it wasn’t to go to Micah’s or Chase’s, it was to go home. They turned left on Camelback, the street before Micah’s.
Three houses down, Andrew pulled his Bronco into the circular driveway. She peered up at her new home, a two-story, colonial, with red brick and dark blue shutters. The large porch was lined with a white, wooden railing. Her mom fell in love with the original wooden floors and the updated kitchen. Eden was excited for the library, somewhere quiet and cozy to read. Brendon only cared about the home theater.

After hours of carrying boxes and furniture from the trucks into different rooms of the house, everyone was exhausted.
Eden’s dad ordered in pizza and when it arrived, they called it a day. Her dad and Micah’s had spent the past hour assembling bedframes and getting mattresses on them. Eden’s mom had dug out bedding so they could spend the night in their new home.

Sitting next to Andrew eating, she caught Micah staring at her.
She pretended not to notice at first, but when he continued to, she gazed back.

Micah grinned and her heart tumbled in her chest.

“So you heard we have a pool now, right?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’s awesome. I’m so jealous,” she said, swallowing down her pizza.

“Don’t be, just come over.”

She peeked at Andrew; he was devouring his pizza. “Thanks, I might have to,” she replied, giving Micah a small smile. For some reason, her cheeks warmed.
It’s not a date,
she thought, furious with herself. She ducked her face and concentrated on her food.

Soon after
eating, everyone left. It was dark and late. Andrew gave her a goodnight kiss on the porch and then drove away. She’d barely reentered the house when she heard a soft knock. Thinking he’d forgotten something, she reopened the door.

She was startled to see Micah in the
doorway, holding up a grocery bag. “My mom wanted to give this to you guys.”

She peeked inside the bag, finding bagels, different kinds of cream cheeses, and a large bottle of orange juice.

“Your mom’s amazing. Tell her thank you.” She glanced up, finding his blue eyes gazing at her. “Do you want to come in?” she offered.

“Naw, I better get back.
Sage won’t be happy I’m out here long.” He paused. “I’m glad you guys are back again. Wish it was next door like before, but I guess this is close enough.”

“Yeah, it feels like I’m finally home again.
Thanks for all the help today. Your family’s the best.”

Instead of responding, he stepped forward and kissed her cheek.
Dumbstruck, she heard him say, “Good night, Eden.”

She knew she should
respond, but all she could think was how her skin still burned where his lips had been.
Do friends do that? Maybe… They must
, she decided.

Finally the words, “
Good night, Micah, I’m glad you’re back from Rome,” stumbled from her mouth.
Why did I say that? He’s been home for a week now…

He smiled brightly at her and left.
She put the food away in the kitchen, or at least where she thought her mom would want it, and walked up the stairs in a strange daze.

I can’t believe Micah kissed me…
even if it was just my cheek.

Finding her bedroom full of ‘Eden’ boxes, she was happy for her mom’s foresight in packing an overnight bag.
She had all her toiletries for the night. She decided since her lamp was still packed, she’d leave her bathroom light on for the night. She’d never wanted to sleep in the dark again, and she was happy her parents never asked about it.
They probably figure I’m just falling asleep reading.

She pulled her covers up. “
Good night, Gabriel.” She paused, and then whispered, “Does Micah like me, I mean, as more than a friend?”

She hoped she’d feel a warm feeling but she didn’t.
Still, for the next few days, she couldn’t get the quick peck out her head. She decided if Micah did something like
that
again, she was going to ask him how he felt. She couldn’t handle the games anymore, or whatever this was.

What ate her up inside was the fact she had strong feelings for Andrew, but every time Micah was
around, she was instantly drawn to him. She had no idea relationships could be so complicated.

On Thursday after school, Eden decided it would be a good time to finish unpacking her bedroom, since Andrew would be volunteering at the hospital. Her mom had the house practically done by now and was getting impatient for Eden to finish.
Her furniture was in place, her clothes put away, but she still had two or three boxes to sort through.

Bent over a
box, wondering why she kept so much junk in the first place, she heard a knock on her half-open door. She glanced up to see Micah standing in the doorway.

“Hey you,” he said
, with a crooked smile.

Her chest ached in response.
“Doesn’t this look like fun?” She sat back on her heels.

“Actually, no. Your mom told me to not let you leave
until you finish.”

She grunted
. “Well, you better come in then; this could take a while.”

He grinned and walked in. “Nice room.”

“Bigger than my last one,” she
commented, while he ran his hand along the top of her dresser.

“Yeah.”
His voice sounded far away.

Studying him, she knew he wasn’t thinking about the size of her bedroom.
“Where’s your other half?”

“You mean Trent? He’s registering for fall classes.”

It didn’t take long for his expression to grow thoughtful again. “How are things for you?” She hesitated. “Are you still seeing visions?”

He glanced at her. “Yes.”

She waited, but he didn’t say more. “Anything I should know about?” she probed.

“You’ll know it all soon enough.”

“Oh great, do I do something stupid again?” she asked, hoping to lift the mood in the room.

“Nope, only good things.”

“That’s so not fair. Why do you get to see what I do before I do it?” she asked, still trying to wrap her head around how that worked.

“Got me.
But I never mind seeing you.”

His gaze was intense
. She turned her attention to the contents of her box. She was having a hard time breathing normally, and needed the distraction.

When she spied what was at the bottom of the box, under the Hawaiian grass skirt she’d hung on to for some odd reason
. She laughed.
How fitting
, she thought, pulling out the homemade spyglass and cutlass they’d made together out of paper towel rolls and newspapers.

Micah stared at what was in her hands.
He flinched.

Confused by his reaction, she asked, “Remember these?
I’m way too sentimental. I can’t get rid of this stuff.” She laughed, hoping he would join in, but he didn’t. “Jessie gets so mad at me for hanging on to any of this,” she admitted.

“Why?” he asked immediately.

Her mouth went dry.
Now what do I say?
Jessie hates me pining over you?

He searched her face, and in that
moment, she wanted to spill her heart out to him.

She swallowed. “I don’t know. I guess she thinks I’m a packrat or something.”
Her words sounded hollow.

He straightened up. “Hey, I can’t stay long, Trent and I have some stuff
we have to get done, but I wanted to tell you I’m having a barbeque on Saturday. It’s time to bust into the pool. I want you,” he paused, “and Andrew to come.”

“Ok, cool. Thanks.”
She was surprised by the abrupt change in the conversation.

“I know you’re close to Willow and Caitlyn, mind inviting them too?”

Eden stared at him. “Sure.”

“And, there’s a Damon in one of your classes, could you invite him for me too?
I don’t really know how to reach him myself.”

This question completely surprised her.
Damon?             

“Um, sure,” she said and then she had to ask, “Do you even know him?”

“No. Not yet, but I need to.”

She gaped at him.
Need to?

She was about to ask what this was all
about, but her mom came into her bedroom. “Eden, Andrew’s on the phone. He said he’s been trying your cell phone. Did you lose it again?”

Andrew?
Isn’t he at the hospital?

“Perfect,” Micah replied, “tell him about the party, ok?
I better take off. See you later, Eden. Good-bye, Mrs. McCarthy.”

“Bye Micah,” her mom said
, as she handed Eden the cordless phone.

“I will. See
ya, Micah,” Eden called, as he disappeared through the door.

She told Andrew about the party and he was excited to go.
She informed Willow and Caitlyn the next day at school. She hoped Micah wouldn’t mind she invited Jessie too. After prom, she could hardly be expected to invite two of her friends in front of Jessie and not include her too. She assumed Micah would invite some of his friends like Chase and Jake.
I wonder if he’ll invite Megan.

Walking into Biology, she had one more invite to give, and she wasn’t sure how he’d take it.
Their conversations were pretty one-sided, with her coming up with silly questions and statements, trying to have another breakthrough with him, and him regarding her like an annoying fly he wanted to swat away.

Well, Micah said he wants Damon there. So here goes nothing
, she thought.

She sat down and turned around, noting how he stared at her like,
Now what do you want?

“Hey, Damon, have plans tomorrow?” She didn’t give him time to answer
, but dove in with, “My friend Micah wants you to come to a barbeque pool party at his house.”

She waited for the
No thanks,
but Damon was quiet for a moment, and then to her surprise, he asked, “What time is it?”

“Uh, one o’clock.
Here, let me write down his address for you.” She gave him the address, and he tucked it into his pocket. She flipped back around in her seat.

I hope Micah knows what he’s doing
.