Illumine Her (25 page)

“You know, the villain. Up to this point everything you’ve told me—as incredulous as it is—sounds suspiciously like something out of a superhero comic. It’s hard to swallow, let alone perceive. You’re obviously the good guy, so who’s the villain? Who are you fighting?”

Chase looked at her thoughtfully. “Take a look around you, Alana. Everyone is a villain. Every single person on this planet has a lower nature, and this comes in many forms—selfish desires, a hurtful tongue, violent hands. Isn’t there enough pain and suffering in this world as a result of villainous acts and words? Isn’t that who we should all be fighting? Our own inner villain? Something needs to change because when you peel away that barrier, strip away the hurt, the human heart is the human heart.”

“So your role in all of this is to bring hope?” she mused.

“I don’t have the power or the ability to influence free will. That’s a gift that’s been bestowed on you and everyone breathing on this sphere. This world is a stage and the production your life. Every role, every part you play, every good deed contributes to something great and prepares you for something immense. And the greatest act of all comes when you leave this physical plane and ascend to something far beyond all of the hurt and pain and suffering. To something you cannot even fathom, let alone conceive. It is everlasting, luminous, and beautiful. That is life’s promise, its ultimate goal. That is what we should be fighting to achieve.” He swept his hand out. “Otherwise what’s all this for?”

Alana sat back in her chair and contemplated his words. Every single one made sense to her. It was so simple, yet a seemingly impossible reality. An unattainable one. How did one rid the world of villains? How did
she
go about ridding herself of her own inner villain? She knew she had a long way to go to achieve that if her recent emotions were any indication of her state of mind.

She unconsciously tugged on a strand of hair from her braid and pulled it out. Distracted in her thoughts, she started to pull it through her bottom teeth as floss. When she heard Chase cough she looked up at him. His eyebrows were raised.

“Oh!” She shoved her hands down into her lap at the same time his chuckle rang in her ears.

“You know, that’s why they invented these,” he said, nodding towards the toothpicks that were hidden behind the salt and pepper.

“Those don’t work for me.” She shot him a playful look and he laughed.

“Alana?” Manu’s unmistakable voice came from behind her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was going to be interesting. How was she going to explain this? Even though it was harmless to be out with a guy for dinner, she knew if Manu was anything like her brother, which she knew he was, he wouldn’t like it. When she opened them, Chase was regarding her with a thoughtful look. Manu came to stand at their table with a bag of takeout in his hand, and Alana shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She glanced up at him.

“Hi, Manu,” she said, giving him a tentative smile.

His brows lowered over eyes that flared with something that resembled anger. Turning away from her, he acknowledged Chase with a nod. Chase looked back, his stance relaxed, an arm raised on the back of his chair. Alana didn’t mistake his hardened jaw which was locked in tension.

Addressing her, Manu said, “I just finished work and decided to pick up some dinner. I see you’ve finished your meal, so I’ll give you a lift home.”

Alana chewed on her bottom lip and twisted her fingers in her lap. “Manu, I’m in the middle of something. We’re not done yet.”

He glared down at her. “Let’s go. Now. I’m taking you home.”

Argh! Why did he have to be so over-protective? She wanted to curse this big brother act of his.

She glanced over at Chase who was eying Manu. She noticed him looking at his chest. Was he deciphering his aura? He cleared his throat and spoke without looking at her. “Dessert can wait, Alana. Go ahead with Manu.”

She gaped at him. Was he serious? She didn’t want to go, and she made it perfectly clear through her own aura that she was annoyed. Chase flicked his gaze and measured her in silence. She caught a glint in his eyes but couldn’t interpret it. Blowing out air through her nose, she scraped the chair along the floor and stood at the same time Chase did. Touched by his gesture, she gave him a small smile.

“Thanks for dinner,” she said.

Chase grinned in return. “I’ll see you soon,” he said in a way that made her believe they would pick up where they left off. Alana smiled at him again.

She led the way towards the exit and located Manu’s truck in the parking lot. Alana strode to it and waited for him to unlock the doors. Climbing in, she kept quiet while he revved the engine and drove onto the main road. She looked out the window as she spoke.

“You didn’t have to do that. Chase would have taken me home just fine.”

“We don’t know who this guy is, Lana, and you were having dinner...alone.”

She angled her body so she could see his profile. “He’s harmless, Manu. He’s Kane’s friend for crying out loud. We weren’t doing anything illegal; we were just eating.” Alana noticed a muscle twitch in his jaw and his knuckles gripped tightly on the steering wheel. “I am not a child, and you need to cool it with the big brother act,” she added.

Manu shook his head. “I’m not your brother, Alana. I’ve never sought to fill that role.”

“Then stop acting like one!” she shot back. “I get enough of the over-protectiveness and bossiness from David and Malia. I don’t need it from you too.” She sighed heavily. “I just wish everyone could just calm down and let me live. I’m a responsible person, and I can make smart decisions on my own. A dinner with a friend should not be something to get all worked up about.”

“I’m only looking out for you, Lana,” he said with irritation. “I don’t know anything about this person besides the fact that he’s filthy rich, and it made me upset seeing you with him. What if he tried something? We wouldn’t know where you were if you got hurt.”

Alana closed and opened her eyes in exasperation. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting a little? Nothing would have happened to me. He behaved like a perfect gentleman tonight. Besides, I trust him.”

That last admission came as a surprise to her and she paused. She realized she did trust him. With all of his mystery and intrigue and abilities, she had come to believe in him.

“I don’t like it,” Manu mumbled under his breath.

“What don’t you like?” she asked.

“You and him; I don’t like it.”

Alana smiled on an exhale of breath. “Manu, Chase is a friend and is a big part of this wedding. I can’t avoid him.”

Reaching her home, Alana got out of the truck.

“Thanks for the lift,” she said before shutting the door. “Do you want to come in and hang out? Sounds like everyone’s here.” She could hear chatter and laughter resonating from the house.

“Nah, that’s alright. Had a long shift.”

“I’ll see you later then.”

She started to walk towards the house when Manu called out to her. “Hey, Lana?”

Turning to face him, she raised her eyebrows in question. “Yes?”

He pinned her with a look that bordered on contemplative and uncertainty while she waited patiently for him to speak. Shaking his head he finally said, “Never mind. I’ll see you at the wedding.”

Alana stepped into her house and avoided everyone, high tailing it down the hallway to the bathroom. She was about to take off her dress when the door swung open and Reena strode in, shutting it firmly behind her.

Alana swiveled to face her. “Do you mind? I’m about to take a shower.”

“Don’t try to escape. I want details and don’t you dare think about leaving any out.” Reena smiled mischievously, crossing her arms over her ample chest. Alana noted her brows were plucked to the point that she needed a pencil to draw in the rest of them. Her hair was perfectly arranged in a high bun and she smelled of strong store-bought spray.

Alana raised her eyebrows and responded dryly. “Well, let’s see. After you abandoned us at the pools, we went to dinner. Then Manu conveniently showed up and brought me home.”

Her cousin eyed her suspiciously. “So you and Chase didn’t…”

Alana frowned before her eyes widened. “What? No! Why would you think that?”

Reena rolled her eyes. “When a man leads a woman into the bushes—”

Alana’s cheeks reddened and she raised her hand to stop her. “It wasn’t like that. I’m not going to… I don’t intend to…” she stammered before she took a deep breath. “I’m not planning to do what you think we did. I’ve just met the guy for heaven’s sake. I’m not…like that.”

Reena’s lips curled. “Like what? You’re not a dead log. You do have a pulse, a heart, blood pumping through your veins, don’t you?
Because that man is seriously hot!
”

Alana shifted on her feet and eyed her younger cousin. Her mind hovered to the years prior to her father’s death and the few boys she was interested in. There had been a time in her first year of university that she had been curious, but she changed her mind after a cousin got pregnant while attending university in Brisbane and was consequently sent home, her scholarship stripped away. It had scared the crap out of Alana. Standing in front of Reena now, she came to a decision then and there.

“You know what? I think I want to wait for the right person and the right moment.”
Like after she committed herself emotionally to him—whoever he was—for life
, she decided.

Reena took a step back and her eyes flashed with understanding. “You mean you’re still a—”

“Yes,” Alana responded coolly. Her pride swelled as the admission felt empowering.

Reena’s mouth popped open. “What the hell did you do in Fiji then? You were gone from this island for years, away from this family.
Hello
, freedom! The chance to go crazy? To experiment? Fool around?” she hissed and almost yelled at the same time.

“Shhh, keep your voice down,” Alana said.

“Seriously?” Reena responded incredulously.

“Yes, Reena. Why is that so hard to believe?” And then her voice softened. “I had other things on my mind anyway.”
Like the overwhelming grief she felt after her father’s death
.

Her cousin’s expression smoothed. “I see. Well, I think my admiration for Chase just went up ten points. Good luck to him,” she added sarcastically. She furrowed her brows. “So what did you do for two hours then?”

Alana shrugged. “We just talked.”

“You just talked?” Reena imitated flatly.

“Yes—”

The door flung open and Malia stepped in.

“What took you so long?” she asked Alana.

Kane came and stood behind her sister. Alana caught his gaze and something secret passed between them.
Yes. I know about Chase and what he can do
.

He cleared his throat. “Lia, it’s alright. Your sister’s home now.”

“I called your phone a hundred times!” she exclaimed.

My phone!
Alana realized she left it together with her bag in Chase’s car.

Malia placed her hands on her hips and in that small act demanded an answer. Alana sighed.

“Chase and I just got a bite to eat after Papaseea, that’s all. Manu came by and brought me home.” She cringed on the inside for having to explain herself. And in front of Kane too. How embarrassing. “Besides, you’re the ones that took off without us. Now can you all step out so I can get cleaned up?”

“I didn’t know you would take hours to get home,” her sister pointed out.