My Soul to Keep (The Soul Keeper Series - Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (19 page)

     
“What
about her?” I point my head toward the doctor.

     
“You need
to listen to her; she really is on your side.”

     
“Yeah well
it didn't really seem that way when she was threatening my life,” I say full of
malice. He takes his finger and raises my chin.

     
“That's
because I'm the only one who knows how to handle you, love.” He smiles coyly at
first and then widens into his I-can-get-whatever-I-want because you crave me
smile. “She does want to apologize to you.” I see his lips longing to touch
mine again and I know that this is just as painful for him as it is for me.

     
“Yes you
do tend to handle me.” I give a wry smile.

     
“There's
my girl.” He returns the look.

     
“How long
will you be gone?”

     
“It may
be years, but I don't want you to wait for me. I want your life to be filled
with joy.
 
Go to Harvard and have the
time of your life. Fall in love, get married, and have beautiful little babies
that have your sparkling emerald eyes. Live your life Brennen. I would never
forgive myself if you didn't.” I lay my head on his chest and listen to his
beautiful heartbeat. “Promise me you'll try.”
 
I can't bear to think of a life without him.

     
“Do you
live in heaven?”

     
“Brennen,
promise me.” He scolds.

     
“I can't
promise you that.”

     
 
He sighs, “No.”

     
“So then
where is it you live?”

     
“My home
is in between I suppose. Just outside the gates, lies the realm in between
Heaven and Earth. That is where the Cherubim reside when we are not on a
mission, or delivering a message.” I wonder how beautiful such a place like
that may be. Perhaps he will take me there one day.
 

     
“Where
you ever able to find out whom my mother was?”

     
“They
won't tell me anything anymore, I am in pretty hot water right now. I cashed in
all of my favors just to have a moment with you.” I want to ask him more, but
our time together is precious and evanescent.

     
“I love
you.”
           
“I love you too, Brennen.” I press
my cheek to his embracing the warmth ebbing from his skin. I feel like he is
here to talk me off the ledge. I suppose they sent him here now to handle me.
Not that I mind. He can handle me anytime he feels an itch to.

     
“It’s
time.” He lingers over my lips for a moment, and then takes my hand leading me
back to the car. I wince as he brushes over my bruised wrist. He turns to me
and pulls up my sleeve. His nostrils flare out. “Sam?” I nod. He motions he
wants me to show him the rest so I lift my shirt, displaying the unearthly
yellow bruise.

     
“What do
you think did this?” Anguish and anger mix on his face causing havoc with his regal
beauty.

     
“This
ends now!” He leads me to the car, never answering my question. In this case
not knowing may be the better choice.

     
“In
seventeen years, she has never sustained one single mark on her body and in two
days under Will's care she is nearly incinerated, covered in bruises and has
demons planning sleepovers in her room at night! And Elena, she was almost raped,”
he seethes the last part out in a revolted tone.

     
“Elijah,
it's out of my hands. You were pulled from her guard because you fell in love
with her, you fool you’ve compromised the entire mission.” Dr. Kennedy throws
up her hands in exasperation.
What? This is
unbelievable
.

     
“Unacceptable,”
shouts Elijah while motioning for me to enter the back seat. He slides in
beside me.

     
“Agreed,
now can we move on? Is she in compliance?”

     
“Elena,
she is a human. You need to treat her with compassion and understanding.” They
act like I am not even in the car.

     
“I'm
sorry Brennen. I do care about you.” Her tongue mangles around the words like
it took every bit of her swallowed pride to extrude the verse.

     
“Really,
or is that just the part your being forced to play?” I retaliate. She glares
back in the rear view mirror. Elijah whispers in my ear.

     
“Just
give her a chance, love.” He nuzzles my neck with his fingers. I close my eyes
and relish in his touch.

     
“I can't
do this without you.”

     
“Elena is
going to help you. She is actually here to coach you in the role you will play
to help save the world.” I laugh at how absurd the thought is.

     
“I am no
superhero.” Elena looks back in the mirror with humor in her eyes and shakes
her head at me. We reach the office in just a few minutes, and my heart races
knowing my time with Elijah is almost gone.

     
“I'll let
you two have some privacy I need to get my laptop from the office.” She gets
out of the car. Tears moisten my eyes but I try to keep them from spilling.

     
“Brennen
I meant what I said earlier. You need to move on with your life and soon. We
will have our time together one day I promise. I hate this just as much as you
do. And if I so much as hear you scraped a knee on Will's watch– he is toast.”

     
“How do I
go on? How will you go on?”

     
“Brennen
you will go on the way you did before you met me. With every devastating loss
that you have ever had to suffer, you have always just gotten through one day,
one hour, one minute at a time. It always gets better, it may not always be
bearable, but you have the resilience of a falling cat. You always pick
yourself up and somehow you get through it. I will try to learn from
your
example. You are the bravest girl
in the world.” He hugs me and I hear a faint hang-up in his voice and I know
that he is hiding tears from me; mine spill over in silent waves. I wipe them
away with my fingers.

     
“I love
you Brennen and I always will.”

     
“I love
you too. Please find a way to come back to me, soon. Okay?
Really
soon.”

     
“I will,
I promise.”

     
“Goodbye
baby.” He releases me, and our fingers slide apart as he fades away before my
eyes.

     
“I'll see
you soon.” The car is empty and quiet. I grab the box of tissues from the good
doctor’s front seat and clean my face. I draw in several ragged breaths. I get
out of the car not wanting to see her face when she comes back. The fact that I
could physically hurt her is a real possibility right now. Okay, I made it
through one minute Elijah now for the next. I start the ignition and put the
car in gear and drive home.

     
I pull
into my driveway after ten p.m. and head straight for the shower. I feel
totally grimy and I hate that my last moment with Elijah was spent with me
covered in old sweat. I am thankful that we at least got to have a proper
good-bye. I am thankful that he is okay. I think about everything we talked
about tonight. The one thing that sticks in my mind is how he said he had never
let me get a single mark in seventeen years. Its true now that I think about
it, I have never had any sort of injury. He is excellent at his job. I hope
this new guy steps up his game or I'll be toast.

     
As I lay
in bed, I think about the place that Elijah says is somewhere in between. I
fall asleep imagining a place so beautiful that it would create a man like him.

It’s been six weeks and three days since Elijah
left. I haven't had any more strange occurrences happen and I am finally able
to sleep with the light off again.
 
Sam
is recovering, his ribs are almost healed. He is trying to take things slow
with me after I poured my heart out to him one night and tried to break up with
him. I play the conversation over in my head.

“Sam I need to tell you something.”

“You’re in love with Elijah?”

“What? How did you...” I realize that it is the same
line he used the night he was possessed and it throws me off for a second.

“I saw from the first day of school, and again at
the homecoming dance. I wondered if you would ever look at me the way you look
at him.”

“You wanted to rub it in his face that you had me
that night?”

“I've never had you Brennen.”

“Sam, I'm sorry. I just don't feel that way about
you.”

“I know you’re confused right now, but will you do
me a favor?”

“Of course.”

“Well, Elijah's gone now and I know you are taking
it hard, but don't end things between us. Just let me
be
there for you, that's all I want.” I reluctantly agree because I care about him
and I don’t want to hurt him anymore. So Sam and I have been doing the friend
thing for a few weeks now and I am glad I have him in my life. He has become my
best friend. Emily has been very supportive as well but she spends most of her
time with Chris. Tonight she is coming over to spend the night and we are going
to have a girl's day all day tomorrow.

I sit under our tree at lunch and the rest of the
crew arrives. I bought a sushi roll at the grocery store on the way to school
this morning. I crack the top to an Izzie pop and take the paper off of my chop
sticks.

“Now if you wanted fish, I could have fired up the
grill and at least cooked it for you first,” Sam teases in his adorable Texas
drawl.

“Try it you will love it!” He backs away like I am
offering him the gum off of my shoe. I pop a piece in my mouth.

“Mm, still swimming,” I tease. He makes a gagging
motion. Emily and Chris sit down and he feeds her a grape. She looks hungrily
into his eyes before consuming it. Jeez get a room. Sam is thinking the same
thing.

“Brennen if you don't have plans this Thanksgiving well,
I was wondering if you’d like to join us,” Sam asks. His voice is anxious about
what my answer will be.

“I think I would like that Sam, thank you. I can't
stay too long
though,
I am having dinner with Grandma.”

“Okay well my dad is smoking the turkey and the man
could win awards on his birds let me tell you.”

“What should I bring?”

“Well you are a really good cook, you bring whatever
you like. I am sure there won't be any left.”

“What other sides or desserts will there be? I don't
want to step on any toes.” He looks down and chews his lip. I know that look. I
bet they don't cook much since their mom died.

“I tell you what, how about I get there early and help
cook a feast for your family. I will teach your sisters how to make homemade
mashed potatoes and a few other traditional holiday staples.”
           
“Babe you don't have to go
through all that trouble, they are fine with instant potatoes and a box of
Kraft macaroni.” He is still in the habit of referring to me as babe and it
still stings, each time the same as before.

“Well maybe
they
are, but I have standards,” I tease as I pull snobbishly at my jacket cuffs.
“Which do you prefer pumpkin pie or pecan?”

“Um, I would have to go with both,” he says and I
laugh.

“Okay, both it is then.” I pop another piece of
spicy tuna roll in my mouth.

“What are your plans for Thanksgiving Em?”

“Oh the usual, my mom will spend three days in the
kitchen and my dad will probably burn down the garage trying to fry a turkey.
But Chris is coming so he can be there to put it out.” Chris shakes his head.

“Oh no, with my luck your dad would try to fry me.
I'm staying in the kitchen with the women.”

“I take it your dad still isn't fond of Chris?”

“You know my dad. He never thinks anyone is good
enough for his little girl.”

I nod and think about how my dad would have been the
same way. I picture him and Elijah in a wrestling match to end all. Sam sees
the look on my face and knows just who I am thinking of. It makes me feel nauseous.
Get through one minute Brennen.
I
don't know why he sticks around.

After school I drive to visit Grandma and make sure
she is still eating. I have been going every weekday now because I don't think
she has much longer. She doesn't remember me when I go, but she lets me feed
her soup and I read to her from which ever Lit book I am on at the time.

Once at my temporary home, I make myself a turkey
and avocado Panini on the sandwich press. I decide to watch a little television
until Emily arrives. I need to catch up on my world news. There are several
anti-US protests going on across the world, that's not good.
 
I haven't heard from Dr. Faux Kennedy since
that day, and I wonder if she is waiting for me to come to her. I still feel
the urge to inflict bodily harm against her, so I think it would be best to
give her some space.