Illumine Her (29 page)

Sera snorted and rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you’re Godzilla’s sister.”

“I’ve just met Chase, and he’s made it perfectly clear that we’re only friends. Besides, I’m not going to simply jump into something serious without getting to know someone better,” Alana continued.

“He does
not
look at you as only a friend. But if what you say is true, and your friendship suddenly developed into something more, will you go for it? Or shy away from it?”

Alana wasn’t ready to answer that question. She wasn’t ready to have this kind of conversation with Sera or anyone else for that matter. She preferred to keep her thoughts about Chase to herself. She admitted to herself that there was an attraction there. Okay, maybe a little more than an attraction. But how could she talk about him without giving away his secrets? It was so much easier if he was filed away separately from the rest of her friends. To mix these two worlds up could turn into a messy feat, and she didn’t know how to go about handling that. Despite these lingering thoughts, Alana secretly agreed there was a deep connection. But how did one sustain a relationship with someone who lived forever?
You’re getting ahead of yourself, girl
. She wouldn’t get the chance to find out anyway because it was discouraged. Chase made that perfectly clear. So why did it seem like he was pursuing her if he wasn’t supposed to?
You’re just friends. That’s what he said you are
.

“You’ve been emotionally devoid all these years, Lana, but lately I’ve noticed that a bit of the old you has returned. That’s a good thing, and if Chase is responsible for it, you should pursue it, take a risk, and see where it takes you.”

Alana turned away, her face flushed with heat that had nothing do with the humidity, and continued walking towards the tar-sealed road. She heard a car approach and froze when she recognized the familiar sleek black curves of the Land Rover. The car stopped beside them, and the window rolled down.

“What are you doing here?” she blurted out. Her cheeks flared with embarrassment from the conversation she and Sera just had.

“It’s nice to see you too, angel,” Chase answered with a twinge of amusement in his voice. He looked handsome with his hair disheveled and wet, probably from a shower. Alana flushed at the endearment. “Hey, Sera,” he greeted her friend.

“Hi, Chase.” She smiled in return. Alana ignored the twinkle in her eye when she glanced at her—the one that told her that her point had been made.

“We’re going to a volleyball game down the road. Do you want to come with?” Sera asked innocently.

Chase looked at Alana. “Sure. If you don’t mind me tagging along. I don’t want to come in between what time you have left together.”

Did he have to be so thoughtful? This was her cue, and she wanted to prove to Sera that they were just friends and she had nothing to hide.

“Sure, come with us,” she said.

Chase smiled brilliantly which sent electrical zig zags straight to her chest. “Hop in. I’ll give you a lift.”

They arrived at the village volleyball court which was really a makeshift setup on patchy grass and muddy earth in an open field. The faded net sagged and hung between two posts on opposite ends to each other. The posts were driven into the dirt and held firmly by a pile of rocks. A game was in progress, and the ball was whacked back and forth over the net until someone smacked it down into the mud sending dirt flying everywhere. Laughter ensued and high fives were slapped in mid-air. The teams were mixed between the girls and boys that lived in and around Alana’s village, and their feet were bare and muddy. Their hands were also caked in dirt, and she smiled at their appearance.

“This is going to be one messy game.” She took off her sneakers and socks. “Who’s up for the challenge?” Scrambling out of the car and wrapping the
lavalava
around her waist to cover her legs, Alana raced towards the court.

“Alana!” a girl close in age to her called out. “Come join our team!” Alana smiled and went to stand in position. Her bare feet hit the dirt and sunk into the mud. She admitted it felt good in a therapeutic kind of way. When Chase and Sera sauntered over and stood to the side on the safety of the grass, Alana waved and called out to them to join in.

Sera glanced at the unappealing ground before shaking her head. “No thanks. I’ll keep score.”

Chase chucked off his shoes and walked to the side of the opposing team. Alana smiled and noted he was dressed in a well-worn grey T-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and black shorts that stopped at his knees. She heard a snicker behind her. Turning her head, she came face to face with Eli, the self-proclaimed volleyball champ and village flirt.

“Who’s your
palagi
boyfriend, Lana?” he sneered while thrusting his hips suggestively in the air.

Ugh
. Alana wanted to slap the smirk off his face.
Palagi
—meaning foreigner, outsider. The word never bothered her before, but coming from Eli’s mouth it felt derogatory, dirty, and downright racist. She didn’t like that it was directed at Chase—someone who probably knew more about their culture, history, and language than her and Eli put together.

“Threatened by a little competition, Eli?” she shot back.

His eyes narrowed into slits, and Alana turned back around smiling to herself just as the ball was served, marking the start of the game.

The ball sailed towards her, and she hit and launched it to the middle of the net, setting up a shot that could result in a spike if her team played it well. A teammate received and hit the ball high into the air just as another jumped and punched it down on the opposing team’s side. Cheers and claps rang out as they garnered a point.

“Girlfriend’s got skills,” she heard Eli say behind her. “Nice set up,
mata pusi
.” His voice purred and Alana scowled before crouching low, getting ready for another round.

When the ball was served again, it bounced from team to team until Alana’s side took control and set it up for another spike. As the ball flew towards the ground, Chase dove and executed a perfect save by hitting it away from the dirt and sending it back up to the net where his teammate spiked it downwards, hitting the earth and spraying mud all over Alana’s legs. As claps resounded around them, she watched Chase stand up from the ground and dust off his hands, the front of his shirt smeared with dirt. He raised his arm at the back of his neck and pealed it off. Alana’s heart did a little somersault. When he caught her gaze, the sides of his mouth tugged up into a grin and he gave her a wink. She shook her head and couldn’t help smiling in return.

“No frolicking with the opposing team, Lana,” Eli whispered gruffly near her ear.

Irritated, she turned to him. “Grow up, Eli. The way I see it, he just earned his team a point. Something you have yet to do for ours.”

Her challenging words created their desired effect when he glared back at her with malice. “Just watch this—your
palagi’s
going down.”

He took off his shirt and flexed his muscles, puffing out his chest to accompany his threat, stretching the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wannabe tattoo that was imprinted on one man boob and wrapped around one bicep. Alana laughed at his ministrations which only served to fuel his temper more.

The game picked up its pace as players shot, spiked, and slid for the ball. Even when rain sprinkled down in short bursts, adding a slippery element to the game, it went on uninterrupted. After several rounds, the teams had even points, and the next round produced the winner. With the ball in hand, Alana stood at the back corner of the court gearing up to serve. Her heart thundered with competitive excitement and adrenaline. She glanced up and saw Chase staring at her with his hands on his hips, anticipating the direction she was going to hit the ball. As she raised and slapped it into the air, Eli’s voice broke through her concentration, and she sent it flailing weakly across the net.

“Stop staring, Alana. Desperate doesn’t suit you,” he hissed.

Frowning, Alana watched as the ball was received easily on the other side and set up for a spike. When the ball flew up, her eyes widened as Chase reared up high and punched it down with a force so fierce she was sure it broke the sound barrier. Crack! The ball flew down and smacked Eli squarely in the groin sending him sprawling backwards until he hit the ground with a thump. Clutching his abdomen, he rolled into a fetal position and groaned loudly. The ball bounced and rolled within the court barrier.

The teams erupted in chaos, the noise deafening. As if on cue, the dark clouds opened up and rain beat down harder than it did before, thunder shutting out the sounds of laughter and pure elation. Shouts and cheers rang out as the winning team gathered to jostle and pound Chase on the back. Alana couldn’t help when her lips broke out into a smile. She looked at the ground where a few guys were attempting to help Eli up while he cursed and gripped his crotch protectively with his hands.

“That bastard broke my—” The words were smothered with a groan, effectively shutting him up.

His friends were unsuccessful in holding back their laughter as they tried to get him to sit up. Alana giggled and ran to Sera who had her
lavalava
wrapped protectively around her head, the rest of the bystanders scattering off in various directions.

“Let’s get out of here!” Alana shouted against the pummel of rain.

As they raced towards the car, Chase joined them and they settled inside. Dripping wet and covered in dirt, he drove them back to her house. When they parked in the driveway, Sera jumped out and covered her head as she ran into the house.

Alana turned to Chase and took in the scene before her—shirtless, muddy, and damp from head to toe. The rain pelted the roof of the car and cocooned them in a grey sheath.

“That last shot was a bit over the top, don’t you think?” she asked.

One side of his mouth tugged upwards in a small grin. “Believe me, I was holding back,” he said, one hand gripping the steering wheel. “I didn’t like the way he was talking smack to you.”

“You couldn’t possibly hear him.”

“It wasn’t difficult to decipher the situation through your auras.” He shrugged. “His was vulgar. Yours repulsed.”

Alana laughed. “Well, I’m sure he’s learned his lesson now and won’t be bothering any girls in the near future.”

When she remembered the look on Eli’s face when he went down, she continued laughing until tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Chase joined her and when they calmed, she saw that he was studying her intently.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Your laugh,” he spoke quietly. “I like the sound of it.”

She smiled and her eyes shone with merriment. “You’re responsible for it.”

She paused and couldn’t believe what she said when the words slipped out of her mouth. Pursing her lips together she turned to open the door to exit the car and then paused. Perhaps Sera was right about her. She needed to take a risk. She
wanted
to take a risk. It felt right to be together with Chase, and her pulse picked up as she thought about spending more time with him. Nervously, she turned back around to face him and promptly decided to take the plunge.

“Do you want to take a shower with me?”

His eyebrows shot up at the same time Alana’s eyes widened in shock.

“I meant a swim! Do you want to take a swim with me?” she rushed on, almost shouting the words in her haste to correct herself.

Oh kill me now
, she thought as she frantically fought against the heat that rose in her cheeks. Why did she always have to have an embarrassing moment around him? It was like having her own episode of
Epic Fails
. Chase’s chest bounced as he tried to suppress his laughter. Argh! Feeling sheepish, she reached for the door handle again when he broke out laughing and grabbed her arm to halt her movements.

“Wait, Alana. Yes, let’s go swimming,” he said between chuckles.

Covering her face with her hands, she groaned. When she removed them, she stared straight ahead as the rain drops slid over the windshield and blurred the view outside.