Eternal Promise (Between Worlds Book 3) (3 page)

My cheeks burned red. “I’m sorry. I know I was selfish and immature. I guess it just felt like my perfect little bubble burst and I was struggling to hold on to what I knew. Do you understand?”

“Of course I do. I just feel like we missed out on so much time together.”

“But we have the rest of eternity.”

“We do.” He gently brushed a piece of hair out of my face and then kissed me again.

The night before school began, my mom took me out for a treat. Being the end of August, it was still hot and muggy, so we went for ice cream. Mom got a shake and I got a huge ice cream sundae.

Mom took a few long sips of her shake. “I love you, Rylie.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I love you, too, Mom.”

“I just wanted you to know that.” She took another drink. “How’s Kallan?”

“Good. He’s going to school here.”

That piece of news didn’t seem to faze her. “Great. That’ll give you time to really get to know each other.”

“Yeah. So you’re okay with me being with him?”

After another sip, she answered, “Yes. I know your father isn’t quite with us yet, but he will be. Once he sees how right this all is for you.”

“I hope you’re right. I love both of you and I don’t want you to be disappointed or hurt.”

Mom put her hand on mine. “We won’t be, Rylie. We’ve always wanted you to be happy.”

“Kallan makes me happy.”

“I know.”

On the way home, I thought about how lucky I was to have my mom. She had accepted the news of not being my biological mother very well and continued to love me unconditionally. Not many people out there would do that.

I didn’t sleep well that night. First day of school jitters, I supposed. I was a senior this year, which meant a lot more responsibilities as well as fun things to do. Prom. Senior all-nighter. Senior skip day. I had to keep my head on straight and get through the classes, so I could enjoy the fun stuff.

Monday morning, my best friend, Sierra, picked me up for school in her black convertible. My heart flip-flopped as she pulled into a spot in the school parking lot a few rows behind Adam’s truck.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, patting my hand. Sierra was the only other human besides my parents that knew my big secret and she was very cool with it.

I blew out a big breath and nodded. “You’re right. It’s just…I haven’t seen him all summer. I feel like shit for breaking his heart.”

“I know. But it’s been a couple of months. I’m sure he’s moved on.”

I hadn’t thought of that. What if he had a new girlfriend? How would I feel about that? Would I be jealous? Did I have a right to be? “Do you know if he has?” I asked, wondering if she had heard something.

Sierra checked out the make-up around her green eyes in the car visor mirror. “I don’t know. I’m just saying he’s a good guy and many girls have drooled over him throughout the years, but he was always with you and always stayed faithful.”

He had. I hadn’t.

“Rylie, it’s okay. You didn’t know who you were and now you do. You’ve found your soul mate.” She looked up past me. “Who happens to be standing over there waiting for you…with Drake?” Her eyebrows raised and her lips curled up in a huge grin. “What’s he doing here?”

She couldn’t get out of the car fast enough and before I knew it, she was across the parking lot and into the arms of a very handsome faery. The sunlight brought out the golden highlights in her brown hair. She covered his face with kisses before taking his hands.

I climbed out of the car and strolled over.

“What are you doing here?” Sierra asked when they finally broke apart.

Drake smiled. “I’m going attend school here too.”

“What? No way? Why?” She shouted off questions.

“Figured if Kallan could go to school here, why shouldn’t I?”

I shot Kallan a look of gratitude and closed the space between us. I could feel the heat radiating and bit my lip.

“Hey, beautiful.” He smiled.

“Hey, yourself.”

“Ready to do this?”

I shook my head. “I think I need a kiss first.”

“Really? Thought you didn’t want to do that.”

“Oh, I want to.” That’s all I had to say and his lips were on mine, moving quickly and gently at the same time. He pulled back and I smiled up at him. As I turned, I noticed Adam across the lawn staring at us. “Crap…” I mumbled. I had done what I had hoped not to. Let Adam see us together. Adam quickly ducked inside the school.

“He’ll be okay,” Kallan said. “My offer still stands.”

“What offer?”

“To use my mind control to help him forget things.”

“No.” I didn’t like that idea at all.

I secretly hoped Adam and I didn’t have any classes together. I dreaded our first conversation. The last time I spoke to him was when we broke up. I had wanted to call him and talk, but never had the nerve.

We all had to gather in the auditorium and pick up our schedules and locker combinations. Sierra’s, Drake’s, Kallan’s, and my lockers were all in the same hallway. I checked the combination to make sure it worked and was clean, but otherwise there was nothing to do in it. I closed it and walked over to Sierra.

“Lucky you,” I said with a grin.

“I know! What a surprise. I’m so excited!” she squealed.

“Make sure you focus on your grades.”

“Yes,
Mom
,” she said with a laugh.

“I’m serious. Look what happened to me last year. I didn’t focus and almost failed all my classes.”

“You fixed it.”

“Barely,” I said with a sigh, remembering the tests I had to retake.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything to jeopardize my senior year and I won’t let you either.”

“Thanks.” I yanked her schedule out of her hands. “Oh good, we have three classes together.”

When Kallan approached, I asked him, “So did you use your mind control to get in all of my classes?”

He laughed heartily. “No…only most. Figured it would look too odd if I were in all of them.”

“Good thinking. Are you in my first period?”

“I am.”

“Well then, let’s go.”

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Adam wasn’t in my first or second classes. He was in my third. Our eyes met briefly when he walked in, but he quickly diverted his. He sat a row over and a couple seats up. I stared at the back of his head as he talked to the girl next to him. I waited to feel a little jealous, but was glad when I didn’t. Adam should be happy and I couldn’t stand in his way.

The cafeteria was half full when I got there. Sierra waved from the table we had sat at for the past three years. Drake was with her. I hurried over and sat down. Kallan came and slipped into the seat across from me. The place Adam had always sat in. My eyes searched the room for him, but he wasn’t there. My body relaxed and I enjoyed spending lunch with Kallan. It was a little weird seeing all the wings at the table—the wings nobody but faeries could see.

I received a note from Mrs. Lopez in fifth period to stop by and see her. When I walked into the choir room, she smiled and stood up. “Rylie! Good to see you. I was sad that you didn’t take the summer voice class with me this year.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Lopez. My grades really slipped last year and I needed to retake some tests and get back on track.” I fiddled with the black stone necklace Kallan gave me.

“I understand. Are you still interested in being in choir during the school year?” she asked.

I hesitated, not sure if I was or not. I loved singing, but it seemed like my life was changing and I wasn’t sure choir was what I should be doing.

“Of course she’s interested,” a voice said behind me.

I spun around and came face to face with Adam. He had cut his light brown hair so his bangs no longer hung in his green eyes.

“You have a beautiful voice. Don’t give up what you love to do for anybody or anything.”

Tears in my eyes, I nodded and turned back to Mrs. Lopez. “Yes, I’ll be in choir again this year.”

“Excellent. Our first practice is Thursday.”

“I’ll be there,” I told her and turned around to face Adam, but he was gone.

I took my time getting to my next class, thinking about what Adam had said and why he didn’t stay to talk.

As soon as I walked into psychology, whispering stopped and all eyes turned to me. I swept the room with my eyes real quick. Neither Kallan nor Adam was in this class. I made my way through the desks to an empty one and sat down. The whispering started up again. I caught bits and pieces of it.

Someone murmured, “I heard Adam and her broke up.”

“Saw her with Kallan this morning. They were kissing.”

“Wonder what happened.”

“Does that mean Adam’s available?”

“Does that mean Kallan’s not?”

I began to think I should make an announcement when the teacher walked in and shushed the class. “Let’s get down to business. Everyone take a paper and pass it back. These go home and get your parents’ signatures on them.” He handed out stacks of paper to each person in the front row.

The last bell of the day rang and I walked out of class to find Kallan waiting for me. He scooped my hand in his and we walked out of the building. My eyes landed on Adam near his truck talking to Sandra. I watched as he opened the door for her like he had done for me a million times and she got in. Then he closed it, walked around the front of the truck, and got in the other side. I finally looked away as he pulled out of the spot.

“You okay?” Kallan asked.

“Yes.” I turned to face him and smiled. “I made my decision and it was the right one.” I stood on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips. “I want you, only you, but I still feel bad for behaving the way I did with Adam. I was with him for so long that it feels different being here without him.”

“We’ll have to make some new memories then.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

He flashed me his rascally grin. “Like this…” He grabbed my hands still down by my sides and intertwined our fingers. He swung them up, let go with one hand, and twirled me around, then pulled me close. We were inches apart and my wings were fluttering like crazy, giving away my attraction to him. He leaned in and gently brushed his lips against mine. The kiss grew more intense before he pulled away. “How’s that?”

“Magical.” I sighed, wanting more. “I’d like to make more of this kind of memory here.”

“I can make that happen.”

I linked my elbow with his and we walked toward the parking lot. “Sierra is parked over there.”

“We need to get you a car.”

“What?” I raised my eyebrows.

“So you don’t have to rely on Sierra.”

“You’re not buying me a car. My parents wouldn’t go for that. After I finish high school, if that’s what you want to do…”

“I don’t understand why you won’t just let me. I have the money. Heck, you do too. Azura has plenty of it, plus Oren left you everything.”

I looked at him sideways because I didn’t know anything about having money or inheritances. “It’s not about the money. It’s about my parents and just letting things be.”

“I get it, I do. I just want to give you everything.”

“You will. In time.” I glanced over at Sierra’s car. Looked like her and Drake were both inside making out. “Better give them a minute.”

He followed my gaze and laughed. “I don’t mind having an extra minute with you.”

“So what’s his deal? Why is he here?”

“It is what it seems,” Kallan replied.

“Must you talk in riddles?”

Kallan swept a strand of my hair behind my ear. “He has no ulterior motive. He just wants to be with Sierra.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Also, you promised them a way to be together. I’m helping out.”

I glanced over, waiting to see if there was a third reason, but he just smiled. “I appreciate that.”

“You’re welcome. I like him. In fact, I asked him to be my number two.”

“Don’t you have a second in command?”

“I was, but Varwik’s death made me leader. The third and fourth in line moved up and I picked Sebille to replace the fourth, but now Lichen is missing and I need someone I can trust by my side, so I asked Drake.”

“Missing how?”

“Not sure. He’s just gone. I asked Kyro to look into it.”

“What’s his role?” I asked, confused.

“Kyro? He’s my advisor,” Kallan said, rolling his eyes. “He doesn’t like me much.”

I laughed. “Why not?”

“My father was more…how did he put it? His style of leadership.”

“Oh sheesh.” It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Do you have to keep him on?”

Kallan kicked at the ground. “I don’t have to, but he knows how things are run. Things I hadn’t been taught yet. He’s so negative though. It’s hard being around him.”

“Having Drake around will help. He’s usually upbeat and fun to be around.”

“It’ll be better when you’re by my side.”

“We don’t have too long. Nine, ten months, and school will be over.” I looked at the building in front of us. “Will we come back to this realm often?”

Kallan shrugged. “After what happened to my mother, I had no desire or reason to come here. I thought it was an evil place, but you’ve shown me that it’s not all bad. We can come whenever you want.”

“There are some things I’ll miss here besides my parents and Sierra.”

“Bring them with you.”

“I can’t bring my TV, there’s no electricity.”

“The castle had electricity,” Kallan reminded me.

“Oh yeah. Anywhere else?”

“Not many use it. They prefer to entertain themselves other ways. Do you need TV?”

I shook my head. “There’s a show or two I love watching, but I’ll be fine without them. Maybe I can catch up when I visit my parents.”

“I think you’ll find that there’s a lot to do in our realm. You won’t be bored. Maybe you’ll even have time to finally read.”

I laughed. I never did have the time to read. “I need to get home.” I knocked on the car window. “Hey! You gonna come out for air sometime?”

Giggling erupted from inside the car and a minute later, Sierra popped out. Hair was falling out of her bun and she adjusted her clothes. “Sorry.”

I smiled. “No problem. You done?”

“For now.”

Drake awkwardly exited the car. His wings got stuck and he had to twist a few different ways. “Hey, guys.”

“What are your after-school plans?” Sierra asked, looking from Drake to Kallan.

“We have to head back to the faery realm.”

“Why?”

“Just stuff I need to attend to,” Kallan said with a sigh. “Being in charge is hard work.”

“But you’ll be back tomorrow?” Sierra held on to Drake.

Kallan nodded. “We will. Promise.” Faeries didn’t break promises, so that satisfied Sierra.

She gave Drake one last kiss and got in the driver’s seat. I sat in the passenger’s seat and rolled down the window. Kallan came close and touched his lips to mine for a sweet kiss. “See you later, my love,” he said before crossing the parking lot with Drake.