The Sunshine Chronicles: Forgotten Flare, page 31
Kaleb. His innocent face was still frozen, awaiting our kiss. How were we going to unfreeze him without him knowing something else happened in the last ten minutes?
Wait, did he say Mari was going to heal me? I had so many questions. I made a mental note to start bringing my notebook everywhere I went. These questions were getting out of hand.
I walked through what I knew as we waited on Mari.
Both Mari and Smiles could heal people. Aaidan and Kyler could stop time. Kyler and Theo could talk to people in their minds. Aaidan could control people. Kyler could sense when something was wrong with me. I might have to make a chart. I thought to myself. I also noted that none of those related to the elemental magic I read about. What are these people??
“I already told Theo this, but I don’t want any more secrets. I want to know it all. Tonight.” My brain was still processing a lot from this morning, but at this point, the crazy was just going to get crazier. There was no point in waiting to find it all out. I wanted to know. I’d process it with the twins. All at once. Or I’d at least try.
Kyler scoffed, “Don’t worry. Theo’s got a whole presentation ready.”
Ha. Good. He listened.
Mari came around the corner, running straight for me. “Rayleigh, are you alright? Kyler said you were hurt.”
I nodded but kept my eyes on Kaleb. How could we act like none of this happened? There was evidence everywhere.
Mari joined Kyler to look at my back, and she inhaled sharply. “Oh my god…did he use—”
“Yes,” Kyler growled.
“What?” I said, becoming a little uneasy at how concerned they seemed. “What did he use? Is it really that bad?”
“Nothing I can’t take care of,” Mari said confidently, ignoring my first question. “This isn’t going to be pleasant, Rayleigh. Quick healings never are.”
“How exactly are you going to heal me?” I asked.
“Do you need to use me?” Kyler’s question was directed at Mari. Why would she use him to heal me? I had no idea what she was about to do, so I couldn’t object if she said yes.
They were silent a moment before Mari finally said, “If Rayleigh is okay with it.”
The statement took me aback. “What do you mean? How would you use him?”
Again, silence for a moment before she spoke. “His… abilities may make it hurt less. But the cuts start at your shoulder blade and go diagonally across your back, down to your waist. So it would be a bit of an… intimate touch.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant, but deciding to get it over as quickly and painlessly as possible, I said, “Just do it. Whatever it is. Less pain, please.”
“Alright,” Mari said. “I’m going to have Kyler place his hands directly on the wound, and my hands will go over his. You won’t feel much pain, but you may initially when he touches the open cut, okay?”
“Okay.” I breathed, closing my eyes for whatever was about to come. Even with her description, I still didn’t know what to expect. All I could think of was Kaleb and how everything that happened might change things for us, even though I didn’t want it to. He deserved the truth. He deserved to know he was in danger. I knew that. But if I told him—
Searing pain cut through my thoughts as Kyler’s hand pressed under my shoulder, causing me to hiss, but it subsided quickly, replaced with a warm sensation of comfort that spread through my body from where his hand was placed. His other hand lay under my other shoulder blade on my ribcage, his fingers slightly wrapping around my waist. The same searing pain came and went, turning into that same sensation as it spread through my body again. Kyler made a noise that was similar to the one I made simultaneously. I didn’t want to acknowledge that it sounded like the noise I made whenever I slid into a hot bath, but I couldn’t ignore it either.
The bliss that ran through me at his touch was not something I wanted to be feeling at the moment. Is this what Mari meant by intimate? If it wasn’t, my brain needed to have a serious talk with my body because it was currently betraying me. Again.
The warm, soothing feeling grew stronger, the heat radiating through my body and causing all sorts of things to come to the surface that I tried to shove way down. It was proving difficult the longer his hands were on my bare skin.
But my body, of its own accord, leaned into those feelings. Into Kyler’s touch as he supported me with his strong, capable hands. I shouldn’t be doing this. The voice in my head said. But it felt so—
He was healing me. And Mari was helping. I was leaning into both of them. I focused on letting the healing sensation flow through me, and I barely noticed when his hands started to travel—
My eyes shot open as his hands trailed along my waist. I stepped out of his embrace, his hands dropping contact.
Mari was standing off to the side, her cheeks slightly pink from whatever secondhand embarrassment she experienced. I couldn’t even look at Kyler. I didn’t want to see whatever smug look he probably had on his face.
I closed my eyes briefly and let out a long breath. “Is it done?”
“Yes,” Mari whispered. “I’m going back inside.” And she disappeared before I could open my eyes.
Kyler was still behind me. His labored breathing from whatever powers he used to help heal me slowly steadied. “We need to close up your shirt,” he muttered.
Not sure if I wanted him to be that close again, I dropped my head back to stare at the sky and let out another long breath. If Kaleb realized my shirt was torn apart, he’d know something happened. It had to be fixed. I brought my chin back down and said over my shoulder, “You can do that?”
His jaw was slack, eyelids heavy with exhaustion, but he nodded. He took a step toward me hesitantly, and I turned my back to him. He closed the rest of the distance and reached for the shredded parts of my shirt. He gently fingered the fabric, careful not to touch my bare back again.
The sensation of his fingers so close to the small of my back made the muscles there tense, and a giddy feeling traveled through my body. I scolded myself but then remembered that that happened when anyone was about to touch my back. Kyler was no different.
His fingers worked their magic, and I could tell when he finished because I couldn’t feel the tiny pulls on my shirt anymore. He didn’t make any attempt to back away, though. I couldn’t make my feet move either. We stood there in silence for a moment. His strained breaths hit the back of my neck, causing the hairs to stand on edge, and goosebumps appeared on my arms. My breathing hitched.
I swallowed thickly, took a deep breath, and turned my gaze back to Kaleb. I reminded myself of the circumstances and mentally told myself to snap out of it.
“Can we please help Kaleb?” My voice was breathy, so I cleared my throat. He had been trapped in that stance for so long. Wait, how was he still frozen with Aaidan gone? I looked at Kyler over my shoulder. His eyes were glassy. He still hadn’t stepped back. “Are you controlling him now?”
Kyler nodded. “I had my control ready the minute Aaidan let up. Even if he tried to release him before I made him leave, I would have immediately taken over.”
“Then why did you let him go?” I wondered since that was the only reason I made Kyler release him. Other than the fact that I didn’t want him to kill him.
“Because,” Kyler let out a long breath, “Aaidan could have taken back control or something worse.” He walked toward Kaleb, and I followed. “Get back into position, just like class earlier. Exactly where you were before he was frozen.”
Heat traveled up my neck, definitely turning my ears red. “Are you going to be standing there when he wakes up?” I asked, eyeing him right next to Kaleb. I didn’t know if ‘wakes up’ was the correct term, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t about to let Kyler stand this close as I prepared to kiss Kaleb, especially after what had just happened with the healing thing and my shirt. Not to mention how he interrupted our last kiss.
Kyler squinted at me. “What were you guys doing?” He glanced at Kaleb, saw his face, and where his hand was. I saw the realization as it crossed his face. He clenched his jaw, nose flaring and hissing through his teeth before looking at me again. “He was about to kiss you.” Not a question, but I nodded anyway.
My mocking comment from earlier floated into my mind. Maybe he was jealous. The thought was absurd. Why would he be jealous? He hadn’t shown the slightest bit of interest other than being an ass to me. Sure, we’d had some banter back and forth, but I was not interested. No matter how much my body tried to convince me otherwise.
“Can we just do this?” I asked, getting impatient and slightly embarrassed with where my brain was going. I didn’t want to think about Kyler and his jealousy when I should be thinking about Kaleb. I just told him I wanted to see where things went between us, which meant forgetting about other possibilities, even though I didn’t consider Kyler one of those.
Kyler bit back whatever he wanted to say, huffed loudly, and said, “Yep. I’m going to walk way over there,” he pointed toward the cafeteria doors, “shout when you’re in position.” And he turned on his heel.
“Thank you,” I blurted. Kyler stopped, but he didn’t turn back. “For saving me. Us.”
Kyler glanced over his shoulder. His brooding stare softened slightly, but he just nodded and sauntered off to the cafeteria doors.
Ignoring the sudden need to hug Kyler, I faced Kaleb again. My pulse quickened as I walked to stand in front of him. The hand holding my chin had dropped a bit, so I moved it back to my chin and used my other hand to caress his cheek with a soft touch.
A moment. That’s all I stole, staring at him. Admiring him. He was so handsome and kind. Caring and gentle. A little selfish at times, but I was okay with that. I was a little selfish myself, bringing him into danger. Letting him be a part of my insane life. There was no way I could have predicted any of this happening. The truth would come with time, and I wanted to share it with him. To tell him everything about me. But I wanted to do it the right way and tell him myself, on my own and with no surprises. When it was just the two of us.
I dropped my hand back to my side and tried to step into the place of happiness and joy I was feeling before Aaidan showed up. “Ready,” I said, figuring Kyler would hear.
The moment Kaleb could move again, his grip on my chin tightened, and he pulled me closer until my lips met his in a gentle touch. I didn’t realize how much my emotions had built up over the last ten minutes. They were so intense I felt like crying. Instead, I leaned into him, deepening the kiss, wrapping both arms around his neck. His hands landed on my waist and trailed to my back, where he pulled me to him, closing whatever gap was between us.
The kiss turned steadily into a greedy one, and I ran my fingers into his hair, closing his curls into my fist. He moved his mouth against mine with an enthusiasm I matched. Wanting— No. Needing more. His hand traveled up my back, and I let out a soft whimper, a mix of pain and pleasure, as he ran over the freshly healed wound through my shirt.
He stopped the movement of his hands and pulled back slightly, concern written on his face. “Are you okay?” He said, a bit breathless. “Is it too much?”
“I’m fine,” I said, though tears had started falling down my face, and the place where his hand had touched was still tingling. “I’m just—” I smiled. “I’m overjoyed.” It wasn’t a lie. I was happy to be wrapped in his arms and finally let myself feel the feelings I’d ignored for months. But there was so much more I had to tell him. I didn’t even know if he would stick around after he found out. But as we stared into each other's eyes, I knew.
Kaleb made me happy. I wanted to open up to him. To let him see every part of me. Secrets and flaws and all.
He smiled back at me, kissing me again and leaving us both breathless when the bell rang. He pulled away, finding my eyes, “Me too, Ray. I’ve never been happier.” He moved to wrap one arm around my shoulders while mine found his waist. I looked up at him from under his arm, and he snagged one more kiss before we made our way through the cafeteria doors.
We both were smiling when we walked inside, but there was that little piece of me that had me on my toes. Watching. Waiting for something else bad to happen. I tried not to let it consume me.
XXVII
Don't Blame Me
The mixed feelings throughout the remainder of the day were intense. One minute, I couldn’t stop thinking about Kaleb and the feelings I now accepted that altered my brain chemistry in a good way. The next, I knew Aaidan was still out there and, despite Kyler’s threat, he could come back at any time and do worse things. I would know. I’d been the victim of some of them.
I tried not to show my newfound fear when I was with Kaleb. It wasn’t as hard as the other thing that kept bothering me. Every time I leaned back in my chair, the tender flesh on my back would react, and I was reminded every freaking time of Kyler’s hands there. I knew without his help, the wound would be much worse. His tender touch and the bliss that accompanied it in the moment—
Whatever my body was feeling, my heart wasn’t in it, and my head knew it wouldn’t happen, so I pushed those feelings aside every time.
Each time those thoughts popped into my head, I reminded myself that it was because of the healing magic, and I got that wound from trying to protect Kaleb (and being mouthy while doing so). This would bring me to everything that happened with Kaleb in the moments after, making me smile. How had I ignored my feelings for so long?
Kaleb managed to be waiting outside both of my classes after lunch, and the grin he gave me both times made me forget every bad thing that ever happened as he kissed me. He would pull away to look at my face, only to steal one more, grab my hand, and walk me to my next class.
When I couldn’t see him, anxiety about what could happen next took over. No matter how many butterflies I got when he kissed me or held my hand, that little voice in my head told me he should know what happened. He should know about me and the danger he was getting himself into. How he’d almost been hurt.
He was only human. And they would use my feelings for him against me if they got the chance again. There’s no way he wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire. We had to protect him. Mari assured me Kaleb was being guarded as closely as I was, but that wasn’t good enough for me anymore. Not after what just happened in the courtyard.
I found Kyler right where he said he’d be after class, leaning against the Jeep. I walked straight up to him and said, “I want Kaleb to come stay at the house.”
Kyler barked a laugh, “No way, Sunshine.”
“Yes! He needs protection, too. He’s only human.” This was one thing I was not negotiating. Kyler didn’t seem like he was going to budge, either. So I crossed my arms and leaned back on my heels, raising my eyebrows and shrugging, “If he’s not coming to the house, then I’m going to his.”
Kyler pushed himself off the Jeep, closing the distance I’d left between us. When I didn’t back down, a scowl appeared on his face, “He can’t come to the house.”
“He’s been there before,” I countered, holding my ground even though he towered over me. I lifted a hand to poke him in the chest. “You brought him there. You can do it again.”
He looked down to where my finger dug into his chest and back up to my eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. “Not. Gonna. Happen.” He pinched the finger digging into his chest and dropped it a short distance away from him. “You can’t tell him anything anyway.”
“So I won’t!” I threw my arms up for emphasis. “He can stay in my room while you tell me everything you’ve been keeping from me!”
His eyes darkened, and he set his jaw. His voice rumbled, “He’s not staying in your room.”
“But he’s coming to the house.”
“No.” Kyler bit out, his eyes sparkling with defiance.
“Yes.”
He took another step toward me, leaving hardly any space between us. “The answer is no, Sunshine.” His smoky breath hit my face.
I had to tilt my head back to keep eye contact, making it clear he wouldn’t win this. “Then I’m not going home with you.” I twisted on the heel of my foot, flicking my ponytail upward so it smacked him in the face as I walked away.
I didn’t get very far.
Kyler whipped me back around by the shoulder, and before I saw what he was planning to do, he grabbed me by the hips, lifted me off the ground like a child, and threw me over his shoulder. He gripped my thighs to hold me in place and walked back toward the Jeep.
I threw my fists against his back and yelled, “Put me down, asshole! You can’t force me to go with you!” He wasn’t listening, though. Instead, he tightened his grip on my thighs, making it harder to kick my legs. “Dammit, put me down!” But it didn’t matter how much I struggled or how hard I punched him. It wasn’t going to work. He opened the back door of the Jeep and threw me in. The gentleness I’d felt earlier in the courtyard was gone entirely. I sat up quickly to try and bolt out the still-open door, but he slammed it shut and leaned against it.
Idiot.
I went to the other door and tried to open it.
I let out a long sigh.
He had child-locked the doors.
I clenched my jaw and climbed into the front seat, reaching for that handle. It didn’t budge. “UGH! Screw you, jackass!” I hit the window with my fist for emphasis.
He had a smug smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. I gave him a vulgar gesture through the window before sitting in the driver’s seat and crossing my arms tightly to my body. I couldn’t believe he was kidnapping me, locking me in the car like a child. All because I wanted to protect my— boyfriend? Is that what he was now? I wasn’t sure, but Kyler didn’t seem to care anyway.
What did he have against Kaleb? Why couldn’t he come to the house to stay safe? The only thing that came to mind was some hardcore jealousy. Which still didn’t make sense if it were true. If he wanted to show interest, there were better ways to do that than being a straight-up ass.
