Discern (53 page)

“I should’ve gotten your vehicle from the shelter last night, but I didn’t want to leave you for any amount of time.”

“Thanks, but I can handle it,” I said, attempting to sound strong.

“Good luck.” He flashed a quick, uneven smile.

“I’ll need it,” I grimaced.

My father sat at the kitchen island, wearing his reading glasses as he thumbed through the local newspaper. I placed my hand on top of his shoulder. “How was your trip?” I asked, hoping to steer the conversation in a direction that would be comfortable for me.

“Pleasant—until I received a couple of alarming calls,” he said, casually setting the paper aside and removing his glasses.

“Oh really…from who?” I froze momentarily, before pulling a bowl from the cabinet. I grabbed a box of cereal from the pantry. He watched me closely. After adding milk, I pulled out the stool beside his and slowly began forcing the cereal into my mouth. I really wasn’t hungry, but I needed to eat in front of him. Otherwise, he would have continued to worry about my weight loss, too.

“Ryan and his mother,” he said flatly.

I sighed in relief. It could’ve been worse—like if Mr. Mitchell had called. “I figured they’d call.” I kept my focus on the bowl, mentally preparing to tell a few fibs.

“Why is your car still at the shelter?”

“I went to close the place down for Ms. Scott on Saturday night, and Andrew met me there to make sure I was safe.” The lies began to flow.

“Okay,” he said, waving his hand for me to continue.

“Andrew and I went out to dinner and a movie, but I was too tired to get my car. Then we had a long talk, and I just needed time to be alone,” I lied again.

“Did you two have a fight?” His voice deepened.

“No.” I said, shaking my head. “He has feelings for me, and I have feelings for him too, but I just wasn’t sure if I was ready.”

My father did not need to know exactly how ready I truly was. There wasn’t much I would not sacrifice for us to be together.

“So what’s the verdict?”

“I’m willing to see where it goes,” I smiled lightly.

“Well then, I guess it’s time that Andrew and I officially meet. How does dinner tonight sound?”

“I’ll ask him,” I agreed. It was hard to imagine the two most important men in my life conversing over a meal that only one of them would actually enjoy eating.

“All right, well let me know what Andrew has to say, and we’ll go from there,” he said jovially as he stood up and kissed the top of my head.

“Are you headed into work?”

“Yes,” he said still smiling.

My dad exited through the garage door. He started up his truck. I waited to hear the garage door close before running upstairs.

As I reached the top of the stairs I noticed my bedroom door was open. I remembered closing it behind me to keep Andrew’s presence hidden. I cautiously walked through the doorway to see Andrew sitting on my bed with his head in his hands. He seemed to be distressed. I panicked a little.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, trembling slightly. With everything that had occurred in the past two weeks, I never knew what to expect, but I couldn’t imagine anything worse than my mother’s soul being devoured by Andrew’s father. Not even his father showing up now could upset me as much as hearing how my mother spent her last seconds alive.

His head slowly lifted. His eyes met mine. There was a look of angst on his face. Something was definitely amiss.

“So I’m meeting your father tonight?” His voice was flat, before a large grin spread across his face.

“You scared me,” I said, playfully smacking his arm.

He pulled me into his arms and cradled my body. “I apologize if I frightened you,” he smiled gently.

“Well, I was going to give you a choice in the matter, but because of that stunt, I’m forcing you to go to dinner tonight.”

“I wasn’t aware I was going to be given a choice,” he smirked.

“Well, now you’ll never know,” I teased. “Any news?” I asked uneasily.

“When you first walked in I was just ending a conversation with Alec. Reading the minds of seven stubborn, opinionated family members can be really frustrating at times,” he frowned.

“Are they coming for me?”

“Nope,” he smiled widely. “They’re frightened of you.”

“Really?” I asked shocked. My abilities were peculiar, but imagining these creatures frightened by a little fire was almost comical.

“Yes. They’ve now had three separate accounts of your abilities, and they aren’t really sure exactly what you are—and none of them are eager to find out.”

“That’s good, right?” I asked, bewildered by his expression.

“Yes, but just having them know about you makes me uneasy. I was hoping to accomplish this without your involvement,” he sighed.

“You told Abrielle to tell them about me,” I reminded.

“Yes, but I figured she’d be too jealous of you to admit to your existence.” He rolled his eyes.

“Well, I don’t mind being involved as long as we’re never apart again.” My voice dropped as the memories of those two horrible days returned.

“We’ll always be together,” he promised.

Our lips softly touched. He pulled me in closer, pressing my chest against his. The heat radiated off his skin as our kiss intensified. I felt the warmth of his lips as he slowly kissed down my neck.

He placed me on my back on top of the bed. He straddled my body. His lips continued to move down my neck and down through the ‘v’ of my shirt. He stopped again before reaching any unexposed skin.

“This is so difficult,” he whispered.

“I know,” I agreed.

His body shifted from atop mine to beside me. He slid his arm beneath my head and propped me up. Our faces were close. I tried to calm my breathing as I had hoped for a different ending to this moment.

His hand cupped my chin. “Can’t risk anything now,” he winked.

“I know. My abilities are necessary to keep me alive,” I said, slightly frustrated.

“Not just that reason,” he smiled. “Proper human ceremonies must take place first.”

“I told you before. I don’t feel the same as I did when I first met you.”

“Haley, my love, my choices revolve around what’s best for you. You need that kind of commitment to feel secure in your choice.”

“Andrew…” He placed his finger over my lips.

“I want it, too. I want to give you everything that you desire,” he breathed.

“And I want to give you everything you desire, too.”

“Even immortality?” A grin spread across his face.

“That isn’t necessary. I’ll just reincarnate, and we’ll be reunited again,” I said, hoping this would suffice for now. I hadn’t given much thought to immortality—just making it through the day alive had been my main concern.

“We aren’t sure if it’s a natural occurrence or a freak incident from the curse,” he reminded.

Nothing would be better than spending forever with Andrew. But his forever was a little daunting.

“Well there’s a lot to do before dinner tonight, so I should start getting ready,” I smiled, changing the subject.

“One day, you’ll have to decide,” he muttered. “I have to speak with Alec and Holden, but I’ll be back soon to pick you up for our date tonight.”

Andrew swiftly disappeared without kissing me goodbye. He was definitely upset. But he was right—eventually I would have to decide.

~~~*~~~

Andrew held the glass door wide open. I proceeded through the entrance, searching the restaurant for my father. He had made reservations at an upscale restaurant for the occasion of meeting my new boyfriend. My father rarely ventured out of his comfort zone, so I had to give him credit for really trying.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall behind the host’s platform. The black dress I chose to wear was perfect for today’s holiday, Halloween. The puffiness around my eyes was finally gone, and I managed to cover any signs of sadness with several coats of makeup.

Andrew wore a black suit and an emerald green tie that complimented his eyes. He anxiously tapped his fingers along the top of the platform as we waited to be seated. It was rare to witness Andrew so nervous—especially over a dinner with my father. Even if my father disapproved, our relationship was a little too intense for me to end it.

A tall, slim man wearing a tuxedo approached us.

“Party of two?” he asked, eyeing Andrew over.

“We’re meeting my father here,” I smiled.

“Last name?”

“Helms.”

“Right this way.”

He led us inside the main dining hall. It’s décor was reminiscent of the country club dining area with dark maroon curtains draped across the windows which eloquently matched a lighter maroon carpet with silver diamond-shaped patterns intertwined throughout. I glanced up at Andrew as I recalled that night of the event, which seemed like years ago.

There were no words to describe how I felt at this very moment. In my entire life, I never expected to experience a love so powerful.

He looked down at me and winked. His sparkling green eyes, the glow of his skin and large stature were so intimidating at times, but I realized others could not see him the way I did—and there was a reason for that—we were destined to be with one another.

My father was seated at a table in the back corner. I was relieved he was alone and not accompanied by Evelyn tonight. My father inspected Andrew as we approached. He stood up to welcome us to the table and shook Andrew’s hand.

“Very nice to finally meet you,” my father smiled, taking his seat.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Andrew grinned.

Andrew pulled the chair out for me, and I took my seat. I could see my father was pleased with this gesture.

“I’m assuming by your size you once played football or basketball?” my father asked excitedly.

“I believe I’ve played several sports in my lifetime,” Andrew smirked as his eyes flickered toward me.

They conversed back and forth for what seemed like hours as our food came and went. Andrew was absolutely charming at times. But with years of practice under his belt, I was sure it came quite easily. I had not seen my father laugh as much as he did this evening.

Braden and my father were comfortable around one another, but my father had always worried about his reputation and how it would affect our relationship. I was relieved my father did not mention the conversation he and Mr. Mitchell had or his initial assessment of Andrew. The last thing I needed was for Andrew to avenge my kidnapping—we had enough problems.

“So, I believe I have one very important question that I must ask.” My father cleared his throat.

“I’ve been anticipating it,” Andrew nodded.

“What are your intentions with my daughter?”

I cringed slightly to hear my father speak those words. It sounded so old fashioned and ridiculous, as if any male would really discuss his true intentions with a girl’s father. But it was how I was raised, and I could never ask my father to change.

Andrew looked over at me and smiled gently. His eyes were a brilliant, amber glow. My heart fluttered, and my body warmed as he brushed his hand lightly over mine.

“I have no intentions, only hopes, for our future, but I’ll never steer Haley in any direction. It’s her choosing on what is to occur next,” Andrew replied.

“What are your hopes?” My father reworded his question.

Andrew struggled as he thought long and hard about his response. I lightly touched his hand to reassure him that no matter what his answer was, it would not change my feelings.

“To spend the rest of my life with your daughter,” Andrew said softly as he smiled down at me.

I instantly caught the ‘my’ part of the response. It wasn’t my lifetime he wanted—it was his. Immortality did not seem as glorious as it had in the books I had read. It seemed like an eternal life of struggle and the taking of human souls.

“Well, I’m sure in time you’ll find out if those hopes become a reality,” my father replied as he looked over at me.

I closed my eyes. Immorality reared its ugly head yet again today. He had only mentioned it once before, but just casually. It suddenly seemed to be a hot topic of discussion. My heart and soul belonged to Andrew and longed to be with him, but was this love enough to give up my identity?

Andrew’s hand gripped mine a little tighter. I opened my eyes to see my father and him staring at me.

“How do you feel?” my father asked.

Andrew’s eyes were focused on me. My eyes flickered back toward my father. “The rest of my life with him would be nice.” I exaggerated my words a little, knowing Andrew would pick up on this.

“It seems a little sudden, but you both seem genuinely smitten with one another,” my father smiled. “And I’ll always support your decisions, Haley.”

“I know, Dad,” I smiled.

My father insisted on paying the bill, and Andrew begrudgingly agreed, but paid the tip. My father’s eyes widened as Andrew set a one hundred dollar bill on the table.