The Misadventures of Daria Pigwidgeon (41 page)

Everything is different now and not just because of what I did. Though
that
I’m sure will hit me when I least expect it to. But things with Chance are complicated. Everything happened so fast - but there are some things that I recall overhearing - important things about Paragons and Keepers. And then there is Mellissa. She is the one that spoke of these things, the one that knew what Chance could do before he did. Clearly, I’ve been seeking answers from all the wrong people.

I’d hate to think that everything that went down the last couple of months could have been avoided.

If only I’d been paying better attention.

It’s the little things that stick out to me now. Like how easily Mellissa accepted a homeless girl, me, to move in to her garage apartment with no questions asked. Or even some of the strange looks I’ve been getting so often lately. And here I thought she was just offended that I was dating her son. Turns out she knew what I was the moment she saw me. I seriously need to work on my observation skills, because I kind of suck.

On the drive back yesterday, I think I was in shock and so were Chance and Mellissa. None of us knew exactly what to do besides being overwhelmed with the impossible. Or maybe that was just me. Mellissa did make a pretty quick escape once we got home. There was something in her expression that told me we’d be having a talk soon. And I hope we do. It’s needed. The Paragon she mentioned just might be me I think. As for the Keeper? I think that might have been referenced to what Chance is to me.

That’s where the complication sets in.

From the moment Chance pressed his hands on me and gave me my life back, I’ve felt something shift within me. I don’t know what it is, but I know it connects me to him in some way. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, I just don’t know. He’d see it as a good thing I’m sure, in fact I think he already does, if the way he couldn’t take his eyes off me is any indication. It took me a while to get him to go home so I could decompress. The only way I could get him to leave was by telling him I was tired and needed sleep. When in all reality, I haven’t sleep in over twenty four hours, and I’m still not tired.

That kind of worries me.

What takes worry and turns it into a live rocket ready to launch into space?

Well…if I let myself really concentrate, I can feel Chance.

I know without a doubt, that at this very moment, he’s slipping on a jacket and pulling open his front door. His heart is racing in anticipation of where he’s going. His palms are sweating, but it doesn’t stop him. He all but runs to the garage door and yanks it open. I can hear the bang of it from here as it slips from his hold and connects with the wall. He doesn’t fix it. Instead I have a double sense of feeling and hearing him climbing the steps two at a time. He comes to a stop at my door, trying to catch his breath.

Somehow while I was connected to him, I’ve wandered to my door without realizing it. My chest rises and falls in unison to his on the other side. My pulse quickens as his does. I know he can feel me too. My feet carry me inches from the door and I press into it. Hands flat against the cold surface, face turned and eyes closed. I feel him move and do the same. At this moment, there is no door standing between us, we simply just are; one.

Chills rush along my skin as warmth spreads within me. It’s familiar. A heat like the sunshine on a mid-summers day fills me at my core. My soul answers its call. And for the first time my ability comes to me without my having to reach for it. It’s just suddenly there. Vibrating like a churning living and breathing fog that sends tendrils of static electricity to the tips of my fingers and toes. The rush of it sends every hair on me to stand at attention.

There is a pulling sensation at my center that has me flatten completely against the door. But it’s not the door I feel. It’s Chance. His breath becomes my breath. His heart beat becomes my heart beat. We become one in every way. But then the pull I feel transforms into something stronger, better and with a jolt it jumps back to me. The purist sensation of ecstasy fills me completely and the power of it sends me rocking back from the door.

The connection to Chance snaps free.

In the next instant all the power leaves me in a whoosh just as he’s pulling the door open.

Then he’s suddenly standing right before me. “What was that?”

Sweet. Baby. Jesus.

What was that indeed?

For a moment there, I think I might have been feeding off of him.

Now
that’s
complicated.

After giving each other a weirdly heated stare down, we were able to break away long enough to settle on the couch. At opposite ends - intently watching one another - waiting for the connection to sneak back up to us. Or at least that’s what I was waiting for. I think Chance kind of wanted it to happen again. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not kind of creepy. There’s something fundamentally wrong with being connected so deeply to someone, especially if you already know what that person tastes and feels like. To be able to sense him, it’s like we’re no longer separate people.

And that scares me.

I’m a parasitic demon and Chance is something else entirely. So where does that leave us if we blended?

Am I hurting or helping? “Tell me exactly what you felt just now.”

Chance jumps at my voice. Looks away with a half laugh and rubs at the base of his neck.

“Honestly?” His eyes catch mine. “I could have sworn that I felt you through the door. It was like we were the same person for a second there. Then there was this intense heat that poured through the door and crashed into me. In one swoosh, it seemed like I wasn’t even in my body anymore, I was in yours.”

My eyes go wide and I can’t help but to notice the faint pink that coats his cheeks.

I glance down at my lap. “Did it hurt?”

“No, not at all, it felt great actually. I didn’t want it to ever stop.” He scoots closer, drawing my eyes back to him. “What’s going on Daria? Why do you sound so freaked? This is weird yes, but it’s also kind of awesome.”

That’s not what I wanted to hear.

My hands rise up to stop him from getting closer. He stops and cocks his head to the side, hurt flashing.

“You remember when I told you what I was right? I’m like a super sucking parasite. What if you felt me…draining you or something? That would be bad Chance. Very bad.”

“I would know if that happened.”

“Would you, really? Because it sounds like to me that’s what happened. That was my ability you felt through the door Chance. It surged up in me differently than normal and I felt…”

I stop. What did I feel?

Chance must see something written on my expression that I don’t even know, because he’s suddenly right beside me. He’s so close I can feel his heart beating as if it were my own. It takes everything to not flinch.

When he reaches out for me I do finch. “Rabbit. Don’t do that please. You can’t just shut me out like that. I know what you’re thinking.” He laughs when I flinch again. “Not literally you goof, but because I can only imagine what’s going on in your head. You’re thinking that what we’re feeling is bad because you’re afraid of hurting me. Am I right?”

I sigh. “Well, yeah. I did you hurt you. And it happened in such a way that you liked it and would probably let me do it again if I wanted. That’s bad Chance. There’s a lot I still don’t know about what could happen if I did what I’m meant to. What if I killed you?”

Chance sits back with a laugh. His eyes are literally sparkling. I kind of want to hit him.

It’s not funny. “Why are you laughing? This isn’t funny Chance Harris. You could seriously get hurt and it would be my fault.”

“Call me crazy, but I don’t think you could hurt me. If yesterday is any indication then I think there is more to me than meets the eye. I healed you. That makes me more than the average regular Joe.”

I eye him warily. “Yes, you did heal me. But who’s going to heal you when I drain you like that again? I think we need to put some space between us until I can figure out what’s going on exactly.”

“What?” He shakes his head. “No way, don’t even try to pull that one on me. I’m trying to tell you I’m fine here. There was no sucking going on, I feel fine. We don’t need space rabbit, what we need is to work together to figure it all out. I mean my mom has the answers we need, all we have to do is ask.”

“Don’t you get it Chance?” I wrap my arms around my middle and squeeze. “I was trying to avoid this until later, but you should know who it was that has been stalking me and tried to kill me yesterday. Don’t look at me like that either, I have my reasons. It’s was Toby, Chance. He’s the one that has been weeding me out for the opportunity to kill me. No, actually, not just kill me. Apparently he was going to steal my soul and use it for himself.”

“…Toby? As in the dude that has been harboring a crush on you send I introduced you? Glasses wearing, sub shop working Toby? I…” He shakes his head and sighs.

“I know. Trust me, I know.” Now I sigh. “And that’s not even the worst part. Because the only reason he didn’t get to finish the job, was that I, I beat him to it.” I start to shake. “I killed him before he could kill me.”

“In self-defense rabbit, yeah, it’s not like you did intentionally.”

“But that’s just it Chance.” I squeeze my middle tighter. “I could have stopped if I wanted. I could have just stunted him so that I had the opportunity to get away. But I didn’t. I held on until he caught on fire. The only reason I even let go was to get away from the fire in the store. There is no telling what I would have done if that didn’t happen. I
wanted
him to suffer. That’s not normal Chance.
I’m
not normal.”

He laughs bitterly. “I’m not saying any of this is normal rabbit. I’m just trying to tell you that I get why you did it. I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t have wanted him to suffer. Because I do want him to and trust me I wish I could have been the one to do it. But that doesn’t matter, I trust you, and that’s all that’s important.”

“No, it does matter, because I don’t trust myself, not when it comes to not hurting you. So if I think we should back off a little, I don’t think I’m asking for much. Do you?”

“Yes!” He moves close to me again, but stops before being close enough to touch. “It is too much. We’re so freaking close to understanding all this bullshit that has been building for months. And now all of a sudden because of one accident, that I don’t think is a big deal, you want to just hide. That’s messed up rabbit, and you know it. Can’t you just give this a try? Please? I’m begging you here.”

His chest rises and falls in rapid succession, but I don’t have to see it or hear him gasping to know it. I can feel it. As if it was me feeling it for myself. That alone gets me on my feet and putting as much distance between us as I can. It doesn’t stop the feeling, but it certainly makes me feel better, even if it’s only an illusion.

I’m clear across the room, when I have to close my eyes. “Chance stop, please, just…enough…I can’t…”

Chance is so quiet for a minute that I think maybe he’s left. But then I hear him let out a heavy surrendering sigh. “So that’s it then rabbit? After all this time, it’s going to be you that runs away now. That’s what you want right? To run from the truth until you can’t anymore and all you have left is to face it?”

Without opening my eyes, I nod.

“All right, okay, that’s fine.” I hear him get to his feet. “But know this. I’m not going anywhere. So when you’re ready to let me in, just let me know okay? You can trust me rabbit. And I know I can trust you, I’m not afraid.”

He starts for the door, that’s when I allow weakness to slip; I open my eyes to watch him.

With his back to me, all I can see is his large lean frame walking away. There are no perfectly clear blue eyes to mourn, just the softness of his dark waves that I wish I would have touched one last time. In a matter of seconds he reaches the door, opens it, and disappears from my view. Tears form in my eyes, because even though I can no longer see him, I can still feel him.

Our hearts beat a little irregular, almost like they’re breaking.

It’s a while before I move, and when I do, I can’t help wondering if maybe I just made the biggest mistake of my life. Is he right? Am I just being afraid and irrational with wanting him to not be around me right now? I’m sure I am, but it’s still true. There was a moment when what I took from him felt too good to be right. If that’s what I feel when I feed, then I have a problem, because I liked it, like really liked it.

Just maybe, I think I should have taken my family up on their offer. Clearly I’m no better than them.

Tears form in my eyes then, but I bite the inside of my cheek until I taste blood, to keep them from falling. I can’t break. Not now, not when I have to be stronger than ever. Whether I like it or not, I’m in this alone. I have to be. The alternative is feeding on the one person I actually love, be it accidental or not. If I know anything now, it’s that Toby probably won’t be the last to try and come for me. And if Riana had it right, then Hell will be right behind them. It’s me against everything else and I’m not even all that worth it.

Sighing, I finally move and go straight to my bed and crash on it. Reflexively, I curl into a fetal position and wrap my arms around my legs and squeeze until it hurts. I’m considering letting the tear fall regardless when something moves out of the corner of my eye. It’s a shadow and it’s not mine. No. Wait. It’s not a shadow.

Its shadows, as in more than freaking one, and moving without a body – well, that’s just fantastic.

I quickly sit up and search out where they’re coming from. They lead me to the big bay window just right of my bed. I reach it just in time to witness the shadows converging into an undistinguishable form, a human like form – floating several feet off the ground – at my window. Chills suddenly rush along my skin as warmth spreads within me. It’s familiar. A heat like the sunshine on a mid-summers day fills me at my core. My soul answers its call for the second time tonight. And for the second time, my ability comes to me without my having to reach for it.