Guardian (The Guardian Trilogy) (28 page)

“Yeah?”

“Will
you stay with me tonight?”

“Of
course!  One sec.”  She leaves the room and I hear her descend the stairs,
telling my parents and Matt that she’ll be spending the night here.

I walk
over and study myself in my bedroom mirror.  The right side of my face is
swollen, and there’s a shadow of a bruise around my eye and a darker one across
my cheek.  I look like I haven’t slept in weeks.  I remember the feeling of
Patrick’s backhand and wince.  Ouch.

I pull
out pajamas for Shel, change into my own, and then crawl into bed, keeping an
eye on the window the entire time.  My dad said he repaired the lock and logic
tells me Patrick’s not coming back through it, but my heart still picks up its
pace.  I look around the room hoping to see James.  I know he can’t stay with
Shel here, but I could really use even the briefest glimpse of his face.  I expected
to see him sometime today.  My heart skips a beat.  Is Garrett upset with him? 
Did his involvement in protecting me cross some sort of Guardian line?  Or is
he now processing the kiss with Dane?

Shel
reappears in my doorway.  She grabs the pj’s, changes, turns out the light, and
crawls in my bed to lay opposite of me.

“Thanks,”
I say.

“Absolutely
not a problem.”

We lay
in silence for a few moments.

“Do you
want to talk or do you want to sleep?” she asks.

“A
little of both, I guess.  Just…let’s not talk about Patrick.”

“Done,”
she pauses.  “Why did you leave Matt’s?”

Ugh.  I
should have known she wouldn’t leave it alone.  I decide to tell her, since
I’ve already discussed it with Dane.  “Dane kissed me.”

I can
see the outline of her reaction in the dark.  Her eyes grow wide, her mouth
forms an O.  “Well, then, that explains a lot.”

“How do
you mean?”

“When
Matt and I came back with the food we found Dane sitting alone.  Matt asked
where you were and he said that you had to leave.  I tried to call you, but you
wouldn’t answer.  After, like, almost an hour he just suddenly stood up, said
goodbye, and left.”

I make
a face in the darkness.  “My reaction to his kiss was….kind of harsh.”

“Emmmmma,”
Shel draws out my name, like she’s disappointed in the way I handled things.

“You
know I love James,” I defend myself.

“And
you know he’s gone, right?” she comes back.

“Seriously? 
Thanks for the reminder.”

She
sighs.  “I just want you to be happy.”

“Who
says I’m not happy?”

I can
see her glaring at me.  She makes a wise choice though and drops it.

“Besides,
Dane and I talked this morning,” I elaborate.  “I told him we could only be
friends.”

“Hmmm,”
Shel purses her lips.  “So that’s why he wasn’t here tonight.”

“No. 
We talked
this morning
.  He didn’t need to come by again.”

Shel flops
from her side to her back, making the whole bed shake.  “Emma, I’m trying to
remain calm.”

“Please
do,” I say sarcastically.

She
turns her head to me.  “The man saves your life.  Bleeds for you.  Stays by
your bedside for an entire night while you’re under observation in a hospital. 
And you give him the friends line?”

“Who
says he was there the entire night?”

“Um,
your parents!  They didn’t even know who he was to begin with.  He didn’t even
want the stitches; he just wanted to be with you.”

I
groan.  This is worse than I thought.

“Couldn’t
you have at least said you could only be friends
for now?
  Give the guy
a little hope?”

I
sigh.  This is so much more involved than she knows; more involved than she can
know.  I look at her squarely through the darkness.  “I love James.  I will
always love James.  End of story.”

She meets
my stare head on and fires back.  “Are you saying that to convince me...or
yourself?”

I lie on
my bed and stare at the ceiling.  Shel has gone for now and I lie there
pondering her question.  I never answered it.  I hate that she asked it.

“Emma.”

I sit
up quickly.  Too quickly.  My head swims a little, but I can still focus on
James.  My body sags with relief, Shel’s question forgotten.  “Hi.”

He’s
immediately by my side holding my face in his hands.  His eyes focus on my
bruises and the swelling.  His face turns grim.  “Are you in pain?”

Shaking
my head, I smile, happy that he’s finally here.  “I have some pretty great pills. 
Vicodin.”

James
frowns as he continues to look me over.

I place
my hands on top of his.  “Stop.”

He stares
into my eyes, and all I can see is worry and distress in his.  “How badly are
you hurt?”

I sigh
and remove my hands from my face.  He does the same.  “I have a mild
concussion.”

James
closes his eyes as if in pain himself.  “I’m so sorry,” he whispers.

“It’s
not your fault,” I reassure him.  “It could have been a lot worse.  No one saw
this coming.”

“Exactly,”
he stands and starts to pace.

His
anxiety worries me.  “What’s wrong?”

“Everything.”

My
heart plummets at his response.  “Everything?” 
This is it!
my mind
shouts at me,
Patrick.  Dane.  It’s all pushing him away from you!

I stand
and approach him.  “Tell me what’s wrong.  We can make it right.”

He
looks at me, searching my face.  “I can’t protect you.”

I wrap
my arms around his waist.  “I don’t need protecting.  Patrick will be arrested
and that’s the end of him.  And besides, you did protect me.  What you did…what
you’re able to do…it helped save me.”

He
reluctantly wraps his arms around me.  The cool feeling penetrates my clothes
and soothes my skin.  “Helped,” he snorts and rests his forehead against mine. 
“You deserve better than that.”

“I
deserve you,” I say adamantly.  “Someone who sacrificed eternity to become a
Guardian?  In order to come back to me from death?  I’d say that qualifies as
best.”  James kisses my forehead, and I let out a heavy breath.  “I’m the one
who should be apologizing.  Not you.”

He
steps back from me.  “For kissing…him?”  He can’t even say Dane’s name.

I look
up at him ashamed.  “Yes.”

James
places his hands on my shoulders and gives me a concentrated stare.  “I won’t
lie.  I was angry.”

I knew
this, but hearing him say it feels like I’ve been punched in the stomach.  “I…I
resisted and then I don’t know what happened,” I sadly confess.  “When I heard
your voice I knew…”

“You were
caught?” James finishes my sentence.

I
silently pray that the floor will open up and swallow me whole.  Quickly.

“I
always think you’re watching,” I whisper.  “I didn’t plan for it to happen; it
was never my intention…”

He wraps
his arms around me, cutting me off.  “It doesn’t matter.”

“What
do you mean it doesn’t matter?  Of course it matters.”

“You
were brutally attacked in front me.  I could have lost you.  If not physically
then quite possibly mentally.  Talk about a wakeup call,” he says.  “Am I upset
that you kissed him?  Yes.”  He pulls away from me.  “But that doesn’t make me
love you any less.”

I blink
at him in disbelief.  “Are you serious?”

He nods
as his bright blue eyes cloud over.  “It only makes me realize some things
about myself.”

I move
my arms to reach around his neck.  “I spoke with Dane yesterday.  I told him
straight out that we could only be friends.”

“I saw.”

“You
saw?  Why didn’t you say something?”

“You
had company.”

“I
didn’t think you came to visit me at all in the hospital.  I was wondering
where you were, I was worried you were in trouble again.”

“No,
I’m not in trouble.  I was with you through the night,” James pauses and shakes
his head.  “Me on one side of the bed and Dane on the other.  It was an interesting
evening.”  He sighs.  “I can’t hate the guy as much as I’d like to.  Don’t get
me wrong; he’s not my favorite person.  But, he did something for you that I
couldn’t.”

“I love
you.  You know that, right?”

He
shakes his cloudy look away and gives me a small smile.  “I do.”  His arms
encircle my waist, and he leans in to kiss me.  What starts as a gentle kiss
grows into something hungry.  “I love you.  Never forget that,” he says when we
part.

I don’t
like the sadness in his eyes.  “I’ll never be able to forget.  You’re mine for
eternity, remember?”

“Emma!”
my mother shouts up the stairs.  “Sergeant Reynolds is here!”

“I have
to give my statement to the police,” I tell James.  “Can you stay with me?”

“I’ll
stay as long as I can,” he says, his eyes boring into mine.

I
nod and turn to head downstairs.  James follows close behind.

Shel
keeps me busy over the next week with something planned each day.  If it’s not
lunch, it’s shopping.  If it’s not shopping, it’s a movie.  If it’s not a movie,
it’s a trip to the beach, or Matt’s pool.  I sincerely feel like she doesn’t
want me left alone for any period of time.  I don’t know if she’s worried I’ll
be attacked again, or if she’s just trying to make the most of the time we have
left this summer.  Probably both.  It’s already mid-July.  She will be
returning to Ann Arbor in about two weeks; I’ll be headed back to school
mid-August.

I got a
letter in the mail from Western approving my housing application for my senior
year.  While this is great news, it also brought back some bittersweet
memories.  I’ll be residing off campus in an apartment building of sorts; an
older home that has been converted into four apartments for students.  This is
what James and I had planned.  To live together, graduate together, hurry up
and start the rest of our lives together.  I can’t be too sad about it though. 
While our relationship is anything but traditional, he is still with me. 
Garrett has been a little more lenient with him since the attack, and James has
been able to spend almost every night of the last week in my room.  He’s been
in a melancholy mood, however, and I can’t seem to shake him out of it.

Receiving
the housing letter prompts me to get in gear and get registered for the fall semester. 
I’m on my laptop, trying to compare the classes that are offered with the ones
I need, when Shel calls.

 “What
are you doing?”

“Trying
to register for classes.”

“Oh. 
Well be ready at six.”

“For
what?”

“Dinner. 
I’m picking you up.  You like Mario’s right?”

I roll
my eyes.  “Yes, I like Mario’s.  You know, we don’t have to do something
together every day.  Take Matt out tonight.  I’m sure he would like to spend
some time with you.  I can share,” I laugh.

“No
worries; he’s coming with us.”

“Oh. 
Well then, I really don’t need to go.  You two have fun.”

Silence. 
Silence is never a good sign with Shel.

“Shel?”

“Dane
will be there too; gotta go; see you at six,” she rushes and hangs up on me.

I
should have known.  I shrug and hang up the phone.  It’ll be nice to hang out
with the guys for a change.

Shel
arrives promptly at six.  It’s only when she asks “You’re wearing
that?
”
that I realize what she’s up to.

“Shelby
Elizabeth Moore,” I say through clenched teeth.  “Please tell me you’re not
doing what I think you’re doing.”

She
feigns innocence.  “I’m not doing what you think I’m doing – whatever it is,”
she avoids my stare.  “Get in the car.”

I’m
still suspicious.  “Where are Matt and Dane?” I ask, as I eye the empty
vehicle.

“They’re
meeting us there,” she says nonchalantly.  “Now get in the car.  We’ll be
late.”

On our
way to the restaurant, Shel receives a text from Matt.  “What’s up?” I ask her.

“Nothing,”
she says a bit too quickly.  “The guys are already there.”

We pull
into the restaurant, park, and walk inside.  I expect to see Matt and Dane
waiting for us in the lobby, but they aren’t there.  Shel approaches the
hostess and tells her we’re expected.  She made a reservation?  My suspicion
level jumps through the roof.

The
hostess walks us through the restaurant to where Matt is seated.  I smile and
wave until I notice he’s seated at a small table, a table for two.  I glare at
Shel as she takes the seat across from him.

“Sorry
Em,” Matt says pulling my attention from Shel.  “They didn’t have a table
available for four.”  He smiles like a guilty child.

I put
my hands on my hips and shoot Shel a look that would probably have killed her
if it could.  She smiles shyly and dangles her car keys from her hand, letting
me know that she drove and I’m unable leave, unless I want to walk.

“This
way please,” the hostess nudges me.

I
begrudgingly follow her and sigh.  Oh well.  Shel has no idea how much this
won’t work.  Both Dane and I know what’s what.

We come
upon him seated at a similar two-person table still in eyeshot of Matt and
Shel.

“Hey,”
I say somewhat annoyed as I sink into the seat.

“Grace,”
he nods and looks amused.

I can’t
help but laugh.  I haven’t been called that in awhile.  “How did you get roped
into this?”

He
smiles.  “Probably the same way you did.”

“Well,
I’m sorry,” I apologize.  “Shel doesn’t seem to believe anything I say.”

He
regards me.  “Friends can have dinner, right?”

“Of
course,” I smile and pick up the menu.  “Do you know what you want?”

His
eyes flash to mine and hold them for a moment before he reaches for the drink
menu.  “I decided what I wanted awhile ago.”

“My
favorite is their fettuccine alfredo,” I continue, ignoring his comment.  My
face feels hot all of a sudden.  

He
notices my blush.  “Relax,” he says.  “Matt and I have been here for like 15
minutes.  I seriously know what I want.”

Oh. 
Okay.

Our
waitress appears with glasses of water and takes our order, since my favorite
is the alfredo and Dane’s so on top of “what he wants.”  He orders a Stromboli.

“How’s
work been?” I ask.

“Good. 
Boring.  You know you could come up and visit.”

“Sorry. 
Shel has me going somewhere every day.  And I mean
every day
.  I think
she thinks I need constant supervision.”

“You
only have a week left off,” he reminds me.  “You’d better get up there to say
hi sooner rather than later.”

“Why
the rush?  You miss me that much?”

He
smiles at my teasing, shaking his head.  “My last day is the 20
^th
.”

Why
does this news hurt my heart?  My face falls before I can stop it.  “You’re
quitting?”

He nods
and takes a drink.  “I have to.  I thought Shel told you I have another job.”

That’s
right.  The artist thing.  “Right,” I shake my head to clear my thoughts. 
“What is your other job exactly?”

“I
freelance graphic design stuff for a company called Legionnaire.  When they get
an advertising contract they call me.  A big project just came through.”

I’m
impressed, and my face shows it.  “Wow.  Your dad disapproves of this job why?”
I remember he told me his father was overjoyed by his late interest in Bay
Woods.

“He
doesn’t think it’s stable.  The projects come when they come,” he shrugs.  “But
it’s worked out for me for three years, so I can’t complain.”

Huh. 
“Well, it won’t be the same working without you.”  This is really bumming me
out.

Dane
winks at me.  “You know where I live.”

The waitress
appears with our food, and I glance at Shel and Matt.  They appear to be
enjoying their dinner.  Shel catches my eye and enthusiastically waves at me. 
I give her a small smile.

We eat
in silence.  For some reason, the alfredo doesn’t taste as good as I remember. 
I swirl the noodles around my plate.

“What
are you thinking about?” Dane asks me, curious.

I
wasn’t thinking about anything really.  “Um, school,” I throw out.  “I got my
housing acceptance.  I registered today.”

Dane
nods, chewing.  “You know, I’ve never been out to Western.  A lot of my friends
went to different schools, but not that one.  Maybe I could come out and
visit.  When are you headed back?”

My
heart beats twice, and I reprimand it.  “The middle of August sometime.”