The Soul Healer (2 page)

“No, but HQ does.”

I stared at Rafe in surprise. Silver Moon’s New York base, located down in Manhattan, was a place full of bad memories for both him and Evan, and they avoided it like the plague. For him to consider going there for me— “Rafe, no. I don’t want you to ruin your holidays by going to that hellhole.”

He laughed quietly. “You’re not allowed to call it a hellhole; you’ve never even seen it.”

“Doesn’t matter. I know it sucks, and I’m forbidding you from going there!” I held up a fist to show him I meant serious business.

“Gabi, I promised I’d figure out what’s going on with you, and I meant every word. If going to HQ is the only way, then I just need to suck it up and go.”

I was struck
by a sudden idea. “Why don’t you wait until I get back and we can go together?”

He sucked in a sharp breath. “No.”

“Why not? This way you won’t be alone—”

Rafe was already shaking his head. “That’s a bad idea for a number of reasons. Firstly, I don’t want you anywhere near them. Secondly, how would we convince your dad to let you go to Manhattan with me?” He held up a hand when I started speaking. “And don’t say we’ll lie to him. I’m not giving him another reason to come after me with his kitchen knives!”

I huffed, crossing my arms across my chest. Saying we could lie to Dad was exactly what I had been about to suggest. What? We might have even been able to get away with it, too! I could have told Penny to cover for me, gotten Chloe in on it…

Rafe reached over to place his hand atop of mine, entwining our fingers. “Look, I know what you’re doing, and I appreciate it, Gabi. But I can handle them. I did it for most of my life, didn’t I?”

And it had sucked. Rafe could pretend all he liked, but I knew how much the other hunters’ comments about Rafe’s Sightless eyes had hurt him.
Still
hurt him, even though he was miles away from them. I was
not
going to let him spend what was supposed to be the happiest time of the year with those jerks.

“Rafe, listen.” I shifted in my seat so I was facing him. “I don’t want you going there this week, when I’m not home. Wait until I get back from Vermont. He
ll, wait until next year. Just…wait.”

His green eyes were very serious. “You sure? I’m doing this for you, you know. I can take whatever they say; you’re the only
one I care about.” He touched my cheek with his free hand. “Only you…”

I leaned into his touch, a little breathless. His words were heavy, weighing on my shoulders like they were real, tangible things. For anyone else, saying “only you” could be considered an exaggeration, but with Rafe, I really was it (Evan didn’t count). “I’m sure. Stay here. Pig out on food. And call me every free second because oh my god, I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll call every evening,” Rafe promised. “But you’ll probably be so busy that you won’t even answer your phone. And I’ll waste away to nothing, forgotten by my girlfriend…”

I grinned. “That sounds about right.”

“You
want
me to waste away?” His eyebrows rose.

“Absolutely,” I said. “It shows what a great catch I am.” I held up his present. “Just wait until you see what I got you!”

With a rueful shake of his head, Rafe accepted his present, shaking it a few times before tilting it this way and that, as if to guess the contents inside. I was practically bouncing in my seat, impatient for him to rip it open and proceed to gush about how I was the most perfect girlfriend ever.

He carefully ripped the paper, complimenting the wrapping job in the process
. (I just smiled and accepted his praise—Penny would never know) When he saw what was inside, he let out a surprised gasp.

“Ta-dah!” I couldn’t help but sing, waving my fingers. “I’m the best, right? Right?” I nudged him a few times with my elbow.

“Gabi,” he said, holding up the brand new, cost-me-about-two-months-of-Corral-salary, baseball glove. Rafe’s eyes had gone a bit wide, I noticed gleefully.

Yes!
I had totally nailed this present.

Best. Girlfriend. Ever.

“Try it on!” I implored when it was clear Rafe wasn’t going to do anything but sit there, gaping at the glove in shock. He quickly opened the package and removed the glove, sliding his right hand into it and flexing the fingers a few times. “Is it good? I don’t know crap about gloves, but I talked to the guys in the store and they went on and on and on and I had to stop listening. But in the end they said this one was the best so I got it!”

“It’s perfect.” Rafe turned to me suddenly,
his eyes shining brightly. The next thing I knew, he was grabbing at me (still wearing the glove, I should add), kissing me long and hard. My brain stopped working as Rafe moved from my lips to my cheeks, eyelids, and neck. When he got to my shoulders, he buried his face in my multiple layers and started laughing.

“What?” I asked breathlessly, wishing he would go back to attacking me with his lips.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” His voice came out muffled.

My face went red. “It’s snowing out, Rafe. What did you want me to wear, a bikini?”

“Dammit…” he groaned.

“If I had known how frisky a baseball glove would make you, I would have gotten you one a long time ago.” I ran my fingers through his thick, dark hair, and he groaned again in appreciation. I couldn’t help but laugh; Rafe never usually acted like this. “Is
this
my present? You?”

“What?” He pulled away, blinking like he had just woken up. “Tell me something; would you be satisfied with
just
me as a present?”

I fixed him
with a level look. “Do I really need to answer that?”

“No, don’t bother.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box. “Merry Christmas, Gabi.”

Chapter Three

My heart hammered in double time as I stared at the small box. Certain things came in small boxes—sparkly, shiny things that made a girl squeal with happiness.
What
had Rafe gotten me? We hadn’t discussed presents beforehand (I did like being surprised—somewhat, anyway), so Rafe’s decision to get me
jewelry
was entirely his own.

Unless it wasn’t jewelry. It could be, like, a chocolate bar or something, for all I knew.

If it was chocolate, I was going to kill him.

“Why are you looking at it like you expect it to bite you?” Rafe asked. He shifted, his jacket creaking in the silence. “Open it, Gabi. You’re killing me here.”

I glanced at him and my mouth dropped open. Rafe was
nervous
. I had seen him face off against the scariest, ugliest beasts around without batting an eye, but giving a gift to his girlfriend made him look like he was going to puke red velvet cupcakes everywhere.

Holy crap, what was in the box?

With trembling fingers, I slid my finger under the tape and carefully peeled back the silver paper. I stifled a gasp when I saw the blue jewelry box—definitely
not
chocolate.

“Rafe,” I started.

He held up a hand. “Just look at it before you start lecturing me.”

I shook my head. Sure, the baseball glove I had gotten him had been expensive, but jewelry was
something different altogether.

I don’t even think I deserve this…

I slowly opened the box, gasping aloud when I saw the necklace resting inside. A small rose, made entirely of tiny, glittering diamonds, hung from a white-gold chain. “Rafe,” I said again, suddenly blinking back tears.

He grimaced. “Do you hate it that much?”

“
What!
” I looked at him like he had just told me he was having an affair with Boneless, the evil twin-demons we had fought a few months ago. “Hate? Hate! I’m crying because—” I stopped. Why
was
I crying?

My gaze shifted from his concerned face to the necklace, and back to Rafe again. “I’m crying because it’s the most
amazing
gift and you’re amazing and I don’t deserve it—”

“
Gabi
,” he cut in fiercely. “Don’t you dare. Of course you deserve this.” He took the box from me, undoing the clasp and gesturing for me to turn around. After pushing aside both the hood from my coat and my hair, he draped the necklace around my neck and fastened the clasp. Immediately, my hand went up to the rose, cradling it between my fingers. Already, the weight was comforting, familiar. I would never take it off.
Never
.

I turned around again, my eyes wet with tears. “It’s beautiful.”

“I thought you’d like it. You know, since you love flowers and gardening…” He blushed. “I saw it and thought of you.”

God, I was the luckiest girl ever. How many of my stupid classmates were getting gifts like
this
from their boyfriends? How many? NONE, I was sure of it. I couldn’t wait to march back into that school and show off my brand new necklace. I should get a freaking spotlight and aim it straight at the rose, blinding everyone with the brilliant flash of the diamonds in the process. That would show them. Ice queen? Bitch?
I DON’T THINK SO.

“Uh oh,” Rafe said. “You have a scary look in your eyes right now. I know that look. I’m almost afraid to ask what you’re thinking about.”

I gave him a wicked grin. “Yeah, you probably don’t want to know.”

“So what, I kissed you for the baseball glove, but I get nothing in return for the necklace?” Rafe pretended to pout. “How is that fair?”

I slid a little closer to him. “Oh, that’s right.” Closer. “I need to properly
thank
you for my Christmas present.” Closer still. Rafe leaned in, eyes closed, and I tilted my face toward him, our lips about to touch—

A loud bang came from the roof,
and we jerked back in surprise. Rafe cursed loudly while I glanced at the roof. We were parked down a deserted side street next to a frozen lake; had a freaking tree fallen on his car?

Suddenly, a body tumbled down the windshield, and I shrieked,
my arms flailing as I hit my half-full cup of hot chocolate, knocking it over in the process. I swore. Rafe kept his car
immaculate
; I had probably just earned myself a lifetime ban from his precious vehicle. “Dammit! What the hell is going on!”

The body turned itself over, pressing its face against the glass, and this time both Rafe and I cursed when we saw who it was.

Evan smiled at us through the windshield. “Hi, guys!” He waved energetically.

“Evan, what the hell
!” Rafe demanded.

“Turn on the wipers!” I yelled. “Quick!”

Before Rafe could flip the switch and dispose of Evan like the pesky bug that he was, the blonde did a neat summersault onto the hood of the car. Jumping to the ground, he only stumbled slightly as came around to the back and let himself in before Rafe could lock the doors.

“
Hellooooo!” he sang cheerfully.

“Get. Out,” Rafe commanded.

Groaning to myself, I dug through my bag in desperate search of a tissue so I could mop up the spilled hot chocolate. Already the car was smelling like the sweet beverage, although Evan’s stink soon overpowered it.

The blonde was
bombed
. “Merry Christmas!” he slurred, lifting up a paper bag with his left hand. He went to take a swig of whatever was inside and Rafe snatched it out of his hand, opened his car door, and threw the entire thing out into the snow. Evan gaped at him. “What the hell, man?”

“You want it?” Rafe asked. “Go get it.”

“But it’s snowing out!”

“I don’t care!”

“Evan, what’s going on?” I asked, eyeing the blonde. He looked bad, which was unusual, since Evan was the type that made girls forget their names as they tried to find a way to jump him mere moments after meeting him. His shoulder-length hair was loose and knotty, and his blue eyes were red-rimmed. And despite his upbeat words, he sounded miserable.

“It’s Christmas, Gabi,” Evan replied. “The worst, stupidest holiday
ever
. Everyone is out hooking up with their girlfriends, and I’m going home to visit my parents! In California!”

“Oh yes, that must be so awful,” I muttered, thinking of the beach and tropical drinks and
warm weather.

“It is, it is.” He nodded energetically, then grimaced, looking like he was two seconds away from puking.

Rafe sucked in a breath. “Outside.” He grabbed hold of Evan’s shoulder. “Outside, before you throw up in my car.”

Evan shrugged him off. “I’m not going to throw up, man! I’m just so…” He frowned, looking at his empty hand, probably wondering what
had happened to his drink. “I’m so
angry
.”

Rafe and I exchanged a glance. I shrugged. “We can’t kick
him out, Rafe. It wouldn’t be…nice. It is Christmas and all.”

“Screw Christmas!” Evan yelled.