Coma (Paranormal Romance) (26 page)

“Ethan is many things,” Zack waved his hand,
“But he won't hurt her.”

“How would you know?” I shot him a stern
look, “It's not like we can choose when to fall out of love.”

“I've known Ethan my whole life. Believe me,”
he snorted, “He's met his match!” Zack took my hand, and pulled me
toward him. Placing his palm on the small of my back, pressing me
tighter against him, he brushed his knuckles down my face, saying,
“Much like I've met mine.”

His soft gaze seared me from the inside, and
my lips found his in a blink of an eye. My match, that's what he
truly was in every sense of that word. It would have been a perfect
moment if Zack's bracelet hadn't interrupted us. He looked at it,
and said, “Ethan’s on his way over.” That sentence wasn’t over, and
Ethan was standing in my room.

“Wasn’t my room off limits?” I glared at
Ethan.

“It was,” Zack said, also grimacing. We both
glanced at Ethan for explanation.

“Sophie kicked my butt,” Ethan said, bowing
his glance, repentantly.

“And that makes it okay to come here?” Zack
snorted, draping his arm over my shoulders. “Do I need to kick your
butt into stone age to the make a point?” Zack winked at Ethan,
preparing his foot for the kick.

“Ly, domesticate him, would you?” Ethan said,
grinning, and I chuckled.

Zack took my hoodie that was draped over the
chair, and threw it at Ethan. “Go!”

Ethan successfully deflected the blow, “Ten
minutes. Outside,” he said to Zack, and disappeared with a cocky
smile.

“I have to see what he wants or we'll never
get rid of him,” Zack said, kissing my temple.

I smiled, and picked up my hoodie from the
floor, saying, “I'll get Sophie on the phone to see what he did.”
As soon as Zack was gone, I took my cell, and dialed Sophie,
tapping my fingers on the table while it rang.

Just as I was about to hang up, I heard
Sophie answer with a harsh, “What?!”

“You okay?” I said, cautiously.

“NO! The creep had no business dropping that
on me,” I heard her sigh.

“Do you want me to come over?” I offered, not
knowing what else to say.

“What's the point?” She snarled. “You can't
make him take it back,” she snorted.

“Why do you want him to take it back?”

“I don't know,” her voice lowered. “He's
pushing me, Ly. I don't want to be pushed!”

“So you did the right thing. You kicked him
out,” I said, wondering how that must have looked like.

“You've gotta help me ground it that other
realm,” she switched the topic.

“How? Should I call the exorcist?” We both
chuckled, and I knew she'd be fine.

~*~

Ever since we forged a plan about Antarctica,
I started showing big interest in chemistry and further education.
My parents were glad to see that side of me again, but knowing it
was all an act made me feel dirty. Now that my frequencies were
grounded, and there was nothing standing in my way, I had to follow
through. Zack and Ethan drafted a perfect cover letter, ready to be
mailed from Antarctica, informing me that my paper got me a dream
job. It was an offer no-one in their right mind would refuse.
Indefinite funds, accommodation, a private lab, and probable
further education completely sponsored by Antarctica's research
team if my findings proved to be right. Of course, with future
knowledge handy, we wrote a paper in my name that had all the
relevant info to get the job, but not enough to change history.

The real offer from Antarctica didn't have
all the perks Zack and Ethan had worked into the one my parents
would see. They only offered a chance to come and work for them in
their lab, the rest was a result of Zack calling in a favor from
one of his contacts. That person wired funds to Antarctica asking
to provide all other perks, but to leave him anonymous. He
presented himself as a huge philanthropist with great faith in my
research. A load of bull!

We timed the whole thing for my birthday.
Zack though it would be easier for me to fake excitement over the
job if I had some natural reasons to be excited about such as my
birthday. I couldn't have agreed more. Chocolate wasn't enough to
boost my dopamine levels sky high.

From early in the morning, I started
shoveling sugar down my system. Zack stocked my room with candy, so
I wouldn't have to go downstairs before the letter came. As hours
went by, anxiety was getting the best of me, but sugar induced
hyperactivity balanced the impact. A few days earlier, Mom and Dad
started whispering among themselves as soon as I would turn my back
on them. I really hoped they didn't go overboard on the gift, or
I'd feel guilty as hell.

“Ly,” Zack called, glancing at his
bracelet.

“Is it time?” I gulped, nervously twisting my
fingers in my lap.

“No,” he smiled, “But as soon as we see the
mailman, I'll tell you something that might work in your
favor.”

“Oh, c'mon!” I whined, “You had to add
curiosity to the pile?”

He chuckled, and crashed on the bed next to
me. The bed rocked underneath us, stirring all that candy in my
belly, leaving a taste of bile in my throat. I glared at Zack, but
his deep green eyes were no match for me. The cat-like calmness in
his gaze was my personal brand of sedative.

“Lie down, and I'll show you something,” he
said, maintaining an enigmatic grin. I stretched beside him,
inhaling his sweet scent. He propped himself up, and removed a few
strands of hair that were left on my face. “Try to relax, and exit
to my realm.”

“Impossible! I'm too worked up.”

“It'll be worth it,” he grinned,
mischievously.”I promise.”

“Alright,” I decided to give it a go,
interested in what that grin was all about.

At first I couldn't relax at all. Everything
itched, I didn't feel comfortable enough, I couldn't steady my
breathing, I kept listening to outside noises, and my parents
invaded my thoughts no matter how much I tried not to think about
that.

Seeing me struggling, he raised a brow at me,
then said, “I can't give you my birthday gift if you don't exit,”
then chuckled. He knew perfectly well what that did to me. “Imagine
my room, and what went on in there. Travel to that moment in your
thoughts.”

Oh, that was wicked. Sneaky move. With my
eyes firmly closed, I went back, and replayed every instance up to
that moment where he stopped me because we had to go back.

“See! It worked,” he exclaimed, pinching my
nose.

I pried my eyes opened, meeting his sparkling
stare of anticipation.

“I haven't done this before,” he said, typing
into his bracelet. “But I'd like to try.” He stared into my eyes as
if I had a clue what he was talking about.

“What are we doing exactly?” I had to ask as
he was typing something into my bracelet, as well.

Zack drew a sharp breath, then bit his lower
lip that started to curl into a smile, “I want to give you a piece
of
me
,” he gazed into my eyes expectantly.

I had no idea what he meant by that, but I
smiled anyway, and said, “Okay.”

“Here's what we're gonna do,” he sat up on
the bed, crossing his legs in a lotus position, motioning for me to
do the same across him, and then said, “I connected our bracelets.
It will allow you to feel what I feel.” My eyes widened, and so did
my mouth, but he put his finger on my lips, saying, “We have to
hold hands to make a full circuit.” His lashes swept down, briefly
hiding his eyes. He took my hands in his, then snapped his eyes
open, revealing a set of fully dilated pupils covering the green.
“Ready?”

“Uh-huh,” I breathed, already feeling
somewhat strange.

He exhaled long, then said, “This is how I
feel about you.”

At first, a surge of unexplainable feelings
overwhelmed my senses. I was absolutely aware they weren't my own.
It was as if another being had entered my body. Instantly, my pulse
picked up, quickening my heartbeat, sending thrilling warmth all
over my body. My breathing gradually sped up, as if something
outside of me was directing it, then it reached heights beyond my
control, making me frantically gasp for air, swelling my lungs
until I felt as if my chest would burst out open. Zack 's eyes
widened, then firmly locked on mine, hypnotically staring, with
tears shining at the corners. He smiled. A hit of what could only
be described as a mad flock of butterflies crashing against each
other entered the pit of my stomach, rising up, choking me with
their intensity, then gripping my insides, and leaving hunger and
want in its wake. Zack's lashes swept down, and he drew a long,
steady breath. My bloodstream responded, scorching me from within,
making me dizzy, searing the remains of my will power, subduing me
whole to the opium that flowed from Zack into me. Lastly, my chest
became too small to harbor all that I felt, painfully spreading my
ribcage in attempt to make room for more, ultimately making my body
weak, and on the verge of collapse.

“Happy birthday, my love,” Zack breathed,
then cupped my face, sealing out lips passionately together. My
body felt too small to house all that I felt. Zack smiled against
my lips. I returned the smile, staring closely into his glittering
eyes. “It wasn't all me. It was both of us. Together,” he said,
closing his eyes, leaning his forehead against mine.

“Incredible,” I breathed. A new emotion was
born inside of me—utter devotion. And something else I couldn’t yet
define.

After a couple of silent moments, even though
I knew it was a futile question, and that fairy tales weren’t
possible, I went ahead, and asked anyway, “Do you think we’ll be
able to feel like this forever?”

“For sure,” he chuckled somewhat nervously,
placing his palm against my cheek, and smoothing his thumb under my
eye.

“What if we don’t? What if one of us—”

“—that can't happen!” He cut me off, staring
strongly into my eyes, his face serious.

For a moment, I actually believed him. That’s
how reassuring he sounded. “It
can
happen,” I said, barely
audible, sinking my heart along with it.

“I was selfish, Ly. Please, forgive me,” Zack
bowed his head, avoiding looking at me.

I felt a stab of fear, “Forgive what?” I
narrowed my eyes, anticipating something awful.

“Um...I took advantage of you,” he said,
sheepishly looking up at my expression.

Sucker-punched straight to my gut, I urged
myself to ask what, but nothing came out of my mouth. I just stared
open-mouthed at him. I didn't want to know; I didn't want anything
to ruin the bliss I felt after that emotional exchange. But it was
too late.

He meddled with his fingers a bit, then said,
“There is no marriage in my time,” he looked up at me, and then
quickly bowed his gaze again. My mind was going
What the
heck?
, but he went on by saying, “Um...I don’t know what I was
thinking. I just—” His eyes picked up, and searched mine for a
moment, then he sighed out loud, shaking his head on its way
down.

“Spill it out, or I swear to God, I’ll do
something nasty to you,” I snarled at him, anger boiling up, fueled
by fear. “I’m emotionally unstable today enough as it is.”

He swallowed hard, then faced me, saying,
“There’s no marriage, but there is an unbreakable bond,” he bit his
lip hard. I could see it turn white from the bite.

“Elaborate,” I demanded, scowling.

“We just did it,” he drew a sharp breath, and
held it, staring at me without blinking.

I repeated his words in my mind, then burst
out laughing hard. I couldn’t stop. I rolled on my back, and
laughed like a demented person. Here I was fearing something
dreadful, fearing losing him, and he...
Wait!

“We did what?” All laughter died out.
Did
he marry me?

“The unbreakable bond,” he pressed his teeth
together, as if expecting a blow.

“Are you telling me we’re married?” I
chuckled in disbelief.

“Worse,” he said, cautiously. “Didn’t you
hear the unbreakable part?”

“I did. So no divorce?” I chuckled, not
taking it that seriously.

“No divorce. It’s not a legal issue. It’s a
bond between souls. Unbreakable. Bond.”

I trailed off, pondering the effects of that
outrageous statement, then said, “And you knew what it was?”

“Yes and no,” he said, scratching an
imaginary spot on his knee. “I knew it could happen, but not that
it would.”

“Drop the encryption, Zack! What exactly did
you expect would happen?” I crossed my arms, glaring at him.

He grimaced. “I didn’t think... Well, I knew
I was...But I didn’t know you were, too,” he shifted in his place,
looking for words. “Dammit! I love you that much, and I didn’t know
you loved me back the same way. I expected us to share feelings
without the bond happening.”

My gaze softened, and I reached for his hand.
“You thought I loved you less?” He nodded, bowing his glance.
“Wow,” I muttered. “Now what?”

He looked up, confessing, “Now I’m yours for
all eternity.”

I gasped. Crap! That feeling I couldn’t
define earlier came into my thoughts, so I asked, “Are there any
consequences?”

“What do you mean?”

“You sounded like you’ve murdered someone
when you asked me to forgive you, so I’m guessing there’s a catch,”
I waited anxiously for his response. That couldn't have been
all.

“I was asking you to forgive me for dragging
you into this without your consent,” guilt was written all over
him.

“And the catch?”

“I don’t know. None that I know of,” he
rubbed the back of his neck.

“What do you mean––you don’t know? Isn’t this
like a marriage in your time?”

“Yeah, but it’s not that common,” he said,
but confusion on my face was more than obvious, so he continued,
“We all hope for it, but it doesn’t happen that easily. It's pretty
rare. Usually, everything ends up with sharing feelings, nothing
more. Do you know how small the odds are? Two people feeling
exactly
the same, huge amount of love for one another?”