My Night Breeze (The Breeze Series) (26 page)

Warmth started to spread across her back just as his hands rubbed her arms from the elbow up to her shoulders. His nose skimmed from the crook of her neck, up towards her ear, lightly kissing it.

“We can’t stay locked up in my bedroom,” he whispered.

“You don’t like being in here with me?”

He gripped her shoulders, forcing her to face him. The look in his eyes made her breathe shallowly. Tingles spread down her shoulders, the feeling causing her stomach to clench in anticipation. Mateo leaned in, closing the space between them, placing a gentle kiss upon her lips.

All thoughts disappeared as a new hunger set in. His hands slid down her back, clutching her to his chest. Her stomach churned between excitement and anxiousness. A
light headedness started to creep in as she realized that she could barely take a breath. The decision between breathing and kissing was taken out of her hands as her knees weakened, and he held her up firmly before pulling back.

“There are six rooms in this house, including the bathroom. And while I enjoy having you in here, we could keep things interesting by switching venues
,” he expressed breathlessly.

“I like it here.”

Mateo smirked, “I’ve noticed.”

She sat down on the nearby stool trying to recover quietly. Their relationship had been fluctuating since their first kiss. In public, no one could tell if they were in a relationship or not. However
, in private, they were as close as possible, practically breathing in each other’s breath for air. It was maddening, exciting and terrifying all in one.

“I’m sorry. It’s just the whole Chris thing…” Audra admitted
, knotting her fingers in her lap. “Stephen is so…I’ve never seen him like this before.”

Mateo placed his hands on top of hers
. “I know, and we’ve been careful around him.”

“I feel so much guilt when I’m around him that I
know
I’m over compensating. I just can’t help it.”

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t cause any of this
,” Mateo said.

“I know. It doesn’t change how I feel
, though.”

“I’ll talk to Ryan tonight about the PDA. Maybe that will make it a little easier for Stephen.”

The sound of the front door opening and shutting sent an intense shiver through Audra. She knew that his dad had been sober since being released from the hospital a few months ago and was even taking outpatient counseling on it. Mateo seemed relieved by it, but Audra still felt anxious being in the same house as him. That was another reason why she’d rather stay locked up in Mateo’s room.

“It’s getting late. I don’t want Jim to worry
,” Audra said, collecting her backpack.

“I’ll take you.”

Audra threw on her coat while Mateo grabbed a jacket and car keys. They made their way down the stairs and into the living room just as his dad emerged from the bathroom. His dark black hair was cut short, but even still, there was a slight wave to it. He didn’t have his son’s eye color, only a soft hazel that took her in.

Mateo placed his hand on her lower back to keep her moving towards the door. She didn’t need to be escorted
, but deep down she knew that he felt safer having her within his grasp. His relationship with his dad was in a neutral state. Mateo didn’t make a mess or cause any unneeded stress, and his dad ignored him like he wasn’t there.

She had no idea why their relationship was so strained
, and she couldn’t ask. It wasn’t her place to put her nose in other people’s business, especially when it truly had nothing to do with her ‘Element.’  That thought made her smile as she slipped out the door of the house and quickly into his black car.

Audra buckled into the seat while Mateo started the vehicle. He put the car into drive and clasped his free hand with hers. The simple gesture relaxed her on the short drive. Having a boyfriend was an extremely new concept for her to grasp
, but it only made it that much harder that he was an ‘Element’ with no secure time frame for his stay. He was only here to get his best friend Ryan to go back home with him. Chris coming after them changed things though…

“Audra?”

She glanced up realizing that they were parked in front of her house. His expression only led her to believe they’d been sitting there for a few minutes, although she could read that he was concerned about what was on her mind. She gripped his hand back reassuringly.

“Sorry. I’m good.”

“Are you sure?” he inquired.

“Yeah.” Audra leaned towards him, giving a soft peck kiss. “Talk to you later.”

*****

She closed her locker, zipping up her coat while her mind raced. Her classes had passed by quickly regardless of how much she tried to focus on them. Her inner fears started to collect with each passing hour making her further aware of what a precarious place she was in. No one was prepared for what could happen should Chris come back. And he probably would.

As she walked down the hall, Ryan’s blond hair caught her attention. She needed to speak with him about her worries. He would understand her concern. She made her way through the few people in her way until she reached his side.

“
Hey, Ryan, can we talk?”

“About?” Ryan asked.

She gave him a serious look to make her point, and he gestured towards a dark and empty classroom. He closed the door behind them and stood close to her side. She could tell by the pull of his brow he wasn’t ready to discuss it.

“I’ve been
—”

H
e pressed his finger to his lips. She started again in a ghost of a whisper.

“I’ve been thinking all day about Stephen. He’s completely in the dark about everything. What if Chris were to show up? He’d have no reason to not go to him.”

“I know. I’ve been contemplating the same thing. And Chris would use that to his advantage,” Ryan said.

“I could tell him. He’s my best friend. He would understand.”

“No, you can’t. What kind of peace of mind would he have afterward? He’d be terrified all the time. And pissed from being kept in the dark. Especially by you,” he pressed.

Ryan’s words rang with finality and common sense. How would she explain the search party they held for Chris? Stephen was hoping to find him safe while the rest of the group was prepared for a fight. He wouldn’t understand. And he’d be terrified…of her.

Audra still didn’t know what was going on inside of her; how could she explain it to someone else? He could possibly hate her and run to Chris anyway. She had to do something though.

“I have to protect him.”

“We will, Audra,” Ryan said sincerely.

*****

On the way home, she texted Stephen to come to her house. She couldn’t think of a better way to protect him than physically be near him. She wasn’t sure she could protect him at all. She hadn’t breathed fire since the night of the dance. Knowledge of how to use that ability effectively eluded her.

Mateo had mentioned a few days after
ward that her eyes had returned to their normal state. It confused her further how her body reacted differently than Mateo’s even though this was all happening because she touched that stupid decoder device. She needed answers, but her mind wouldn’t cooperate. Ryan had tried to explain it to her, but it was like a different language. Nothing made sense. Even Mateo tried, but only small fragments came through and it didn’t stick for long.

She didn’t bring up the conversation she had with Ryan. He knew how she felt and had no solution either. She could tell he noticed her deep in thought
, but he didn’t try to pull her from it. Maybe he was hoping that she could figure it all out on her own. Audra smiled up at him as he pulled up in front of her house.

She gave him a too short kiss
, and then she was out of the car and into the house. The sound of video games assaulted her from the doorway. She usually escaped up to her room to avoid Tobias, but knowing that Stephen was coming over changed her plans. She didn’t want to spend the whole time talking about Chris or being cornered into the situation. The activity would do him good.

Audra took a deep breath and went into the living room sitting next to Jim on the couch. He was
so intensely focused on the race he barely acknowledged her except that she was in the way. Tobias chuckled as he clipped Jim’s car in a turn, almost spinning him out. Jim gained his speed again and with gritted teeth, blew passed Tobias’s car just before crossing the finish line.

“No way
!” Tobias exclaimed in shock.

“That’s right! Take that!” Jim taunted.

“Rematch. Now!” Tobias demanded.

The doorbell rang as they bantered back and forth. Audra quickly opened the door for Stephen and had him sit on the couch with her. Jim could barely stop taunting Tobias to prepare for the rematch. Tobias
’s eyes met with hers for a moment, and she knew that he wanted to talk to her.

Jim smirked
, ready to start as Stephen got comfortable beside her. She offered her smile to him and only received a half-hearted one back. The gun sounded from the game, and the guys began racing. Audra had to force her attention on the game to keep from sighing at her friend. She had to think of something.

“Stephen plays winner
,” Audra stated.

“No, no
, that’s okay,” Stephen said.

“House rules. You gotta play
,” Tobias joined in.

Audra glanced at Tobias but couldn’t see more than his determination against Jim. She smirked
, nudging Stephen to prepare him, but he wasn’t really there. She missed her best friend who was talkative and vibrant all the time. She was finally in a place where Stephen could joke with her about having a relationship with Mateo, and he still didn’t know they were officially together.

Tobias kept the pressure on Jim while racing him. Jim wasn’t
fazed, maneuvering around the other cars and taking the turns with just the right speed not to crash. Tobias should have been able to at least be in the same position, but he fell back between a few extra cars. When Jim cheered about winning for the second time in a row, she knew he hadn’t tried. Tobias was usually the winner in racing games, and she finally realized what that meant.

Audra went into the kitchen
under the pretense of grabbing something to drink. She expected Tobias to follow her in there, and he didn’t disappoint. She went into the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water for herself and offered one to him as well, but he declined.

“What’s up with him?”
he asked.

“Nothing.”

“You’re going to lie to my face now, Audra? That’s not your style,” Tobias pushed.

“I can’t talk to you.”

“Why not?”

“You know why
,” she stated.

“I’ve done a lot more good for you than that. I’ve been there through
everything
. Even when you couldn’t talk to your brother or your parents or even Stephen. I was there. And I’m still here. I screwed up, yeah, I admit it, but I’m more than that.”

“I know you are
, Tobias. That’s what hurts so much.”

“Jim ratted you out, to your Dad of all people. Yet you’ve gotten over it. And don’t think that I don’t know that you’ve still been hanging out with that kid.”

“Mateo—”

“Whatever his name is. But I never said a word about anything you told me. Not one. And yet here I stand trying to get that chip off of your shoulder from months ago.”

Audra stood there holding her breath. Tobias was right. She was still mad about his slipping her alcohol without her knowledge or consent. He hadn’t done it to be malicious, and he had stayed with her most of the time to make sure she was okay. He had been there through her memory attacks without question and stood by her side.

Tobias took a step in her direction and her back instantly tensed at the thought that he might actually touch her. She hadn’t had that strong
a reaction against him since the beginning of the school year, and it spoke volumes. She looked up into his green eyes that were filled with hope.

“I’ve already forgiven you. That isn’t the problem.” She looked down at the bottle between her fingers. “I just have to learn how to trust you again.”

Audra joined Stephen back on the couch while he played against Jim. It was clear that Jim was taking it easy on him by how long this game lasted. Stephen didn’t seem to notice the difference, and if he did, he didn’t mention it. He barely mentioned anything anymore. Her phone pinged with a new text message. She tugged it out and realized it was from the same blocked number.

Trust
ur intuition. Things aren’t as they appear.

Don’t miss the next installment of the exciting Breeze Series!

M. L. Newman is an independent writer who lives in rural Connecticut with her wonderful husband. She is a member of the RWA. She has a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from Marist College. She is active in community theatre and has played characters ranging from Brigitta Von Trapp in The Sound of Music to Ms. Hannigan in Annie which has inspired the many fun aspects and personalities for the characters in her romance novels.

M. L. Newman is currently hard at work on the upcoming novel,
Winds of Change
, the sequel to
The Breeze Series
, but she’d love connecting with you on her Facebook page
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and on Twitter
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