Two Books in One - Ominous Love and Paradox - The Angels Are Here (6 page)

Chapter Nine

I bolt out of the bedroom to the kitchen. Holy Moly, something's definitely burning. What's wrong with me? How could I have forgotten to check dinner? Chewing my lip, I peek into the pot on the stove. Most of the liquid has boiled away, but at least I can salvage the mince and vegies. Sighing, I add more water and leave it on the hotplate to simmer, but when I look in the oven to check on the garlic bread, a cloud of black smoke billows out, setting off the fire alarm. Great, that's all I need. Coughing from the fumes, I grab an oven-mit and yank the tray out. Shoot! The garlic loaf has turned to charcoal.

Seal comes up behind me holding a tea towel. “I'll take it, Eloise, you'll burn yourself.” He lifts it from me and puts it on the sink.

“I didn't burn myself, but I nearly ruined dinner.” Scowling, I hand him the broom and point at the ceiling. “Can you hit the button on the smoke alarm to stop that horrid noise? I’ll try and salvage what's left of our meal.”

“Sure, babe.”

I smile. He called me babe again. I turn to face him, but he's busy poking the alarm button. Humming
Justin Bieber’s
song,
As Long As You Love Me,
I toss the burnt loaf in the garbage and throw some spaghetti into a pot of boiling water.

The beeping stops and Seal leans the broom against the wall. “Anything else I can help you with, Miss Elle?”

“Oh, I'm Miss Elle now?”

He raises a brow. “Well, you told me to call you Elle.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You're not funny.”

Smiling, he holds his arms out. “Aw, come here and let me kiss you again.”

I don't need to be asked twice. I'm there in a heartbeat. And as I gaze into his smouldering-blue eyes, he slips his fingers into the back pockets of my denim shorts and kisses my mouth, his tongue devouring mine. His hair smells divine and the closeness of his body is driving me crazy. My pulse is racing and I’m overheating, but when he squeezes my hips, my senses go wild. I want to tear his clothes off and run my hands over his bare skin. I want more of him, all of him, though I wouldn’t have a clue what to do.

Pulling away, he
gasps for air, then lifts me into his arms, his left hand holding my bare thigh below my shorts. Whoa! As he carries me towards my bedroom, I wrap my arms around his neck and gaze at his face. His eyelids are heavy and his lips are red and swollen from kissing. He sure is pretty for a boy. As he lays me softly on the bed, I tingle with anticipation and wait for him to join me.

But
instead, he leans over and feels my forehead. “Eloise, are you okay? You're burning up. Is your head hurting?”

I look up at his beautiful, but serious eyes and gulp. Crap!
I thought he was going to make passionate love to me. I grab his hand. “I'm fine, Seal, but I’m burning for you. Make love to m.…”

BBOOOOMMM!

I jerk with fright as a deafening roar of thunder cracks above the roof.

Seal glances at the window. “That sounds ominous. The storm's getting worse. I'd better bring the wood in and check around the house like I was going to.” He smiles at me. “You’re su
ch a delicious distraction, honey.”

My shoulders slump with disappointment. I didn't even get to show him how much I love him. Just as well because I would have let him do anything. Jeez. What was I thinking? I’m only sixteen. And what if I fell pregnant? My parents would be mortified. I blow out a big breath and jump off the bed. “While you're getting the wood, I'll dish dinner out. You must be starving.”

He kisses my cheek. “Only for you, Eloise.”

I stare up at him. “Promise?”

Smiling, he pulls away from me and dashes out of the bedroom. “Lock the back door after me,” he hollers from the hallway.

I jump off the bed and pad down the hall to the sunroom. Lock it? I feel like locking him out for the night. I slam the door and turn the key. Why does he have to tease me? I never know where I stand with him. I peek out the curtains and watch as he loads logs into a bucket. Why didn't he say promise? I pout. He knew I was going to ask him to make love to me. He's not deaf. The big tease didn't say anything back though. I scowl. I bet he's still wondering if he has a wife or girlfriend. I hope not because he said I made him fall for me.
Well, I don’t want to
make
him fall for me. What sort of love is that? I want him to love me unconditionally like I love him. It’s a good job I didn’t have sex with him. And I won’t until he says those words and means them. Boys are weird sometimes. I don’t think I’ll ever understand them.

Heading back to my room, I grab my iPad and take it to the kitchen. After placing it carefully on the bench, I click on my favourite playlist to distract me from thinking about Seal.

The first song that comes on is ‘
Shut Up and  Kiss Me’
by Reece Mastin, which makes me even more frustrated. Darn it, I’m a glutton for punishment ’cause I can’t help singing along to the lyrics as I prepare dinner.

I dish the food onto two plates and place them in the oven to keep warm. Now to set the table. After throwing a lace tablecloth over the dining table, I place some candles in the middle and set out the cutlery and two crystal glasses. Perfect. Tapping my lips, I wonder if I should go into the cellar and grab a bottle of Dad's wine. I
giggle. Maybe that's not a good idea, not with my teenage head going crazy already, and who knows what Seal would do. We’re both bad enough sober. Instead, I pour chilled sparkling cranberry juice into two crystal glasses. I smile. All I need now is for Seal to come in.

But where is he? I march to the sunroom and look out the window. I can't see him, but a flash of lightning illuminates the garden, making me jum
p and reminding me that Seal and I were struck by a surge on the beach this morning. I remember the pain and how it knocked me unconscious. Jeez, what if Seal gets hit again. I shiver at the thought and run to the living room at the front of the house.

As I peer into the garden, a loud thunderclap rumbles above the house, rattling the windows again, but I can't see Seal anywhere. My stomach turns. What if he's left me because I asked him to make a promise? Holy crap. No! I dash into my bedroom and stare outside. Though it's dark and starting to rain, I can just make out a figure under the large gum tree. Surely it must be Seal. It has to be him. No one else could look that good in jeans. But why is he standing in the rain? There's plenty of chopped wood in the shed, and if he doesn't come in soon, he'll get wet, or worse. He could get struck by lightning again. I open the window and lean out to call him, then I freeze. He's pounding his fists on the trunk of the tree and yelling up
at the sky. Oh, God, please don't tell me he's got his memory back and found out he's married? My world falls from under me and I hold my face with dread.

A blaze of lightning hits the tree and opens up the sky. My eyes pop wide open, then I blink. Did I just see a silhouette of a man up in th
e clouds? I look again, but he’s not there. As a tremendous thunderbolt cracks above the shed, my eyes dart back to Seal. Holy cow
.
He's on his knees with his head in his hands, and he looks distressed. My heart sinks and I hold my chest. What's wrong with him? I want to go outside and comfort him, but I can't move my arms and legs. I seem to be paralysed, and when I open my mouth to call his name, no sound comes out. What on earth is happening?

All I can do is watch
things unfold like a scene from a scary movie. I’m afraid, but mesmerised by the brightest lightning I've ever seen as it dances and flashes in and out of the dark ominous clouds. I flinch as an ear-splitting thunderbolt reverberates above the trees, and when I look back at Seal, I tremble with a feeling of impending doom. He's sitting on his heels on the grass with his face in his hands, then he looks up at the flashing sky and shouts, “NOOOOO!”

His voice is so lo
ud, it echoes across the valley, then vanishes into the wind.

Chapter Ten

The sight of Seal in pain tugs at my heartstrings. What’s the matter with him? Has he got his memory back? Is his loved one dead? I can't bear to see him like this. I have to comfort him. Suddenly I’m able to move again, but before I get a chance to go to him, he gets to his feet and runs across the street towards the woods.

My stomach twisting into knots, I peer out the open window and shout, “Seal, come back!”

He ignores me and keeps running, then he disappears into t
he forest.

Crap! I twist a curl around my finger and wonder where he'll go. He has no money or even a jacket, and he's bound to get a chill. My heart is breaking for him. I want to cry, but what good will that do? I have to go out and look for him. What kind of person would I be if I didn't?

After grabbing an umbrella and a flashlight, I shrug into my jacket and dash down the hall to the front door. As I unlock it, the phone rings and I run back to answer it. My heart is thumping against my ribs, and though I pray that it's Seal, I doubt it's him. He doesn't even know my number. Breathless, I pick up the receiver. “Hello.”

“Hi, Elle, you sound out of breath. Is everything okay?”

Frigging hell, it's Tom.

“Elle? You there?”

“I …I can't talk right now, Tom,” I say into the phone, trying not to scream my head off.

“But I miss you, babe, and there's a great party going on at Richie's place tonight. Can I pick you up? I promise I won’t try anything.”

“Sorry, I can't make it.”

“Why not, Elle, and why haven't you answered any of my emails or sms messages? Is it 'cause your naked cousin is still there?”

“Tom, I have to go.” I have no time for his bullshit and I hang up. I run back down the hall, but as I reach the open door, I smack into Seal.

I gaze
up at him, relieved that he's back. But he just stands there, dripping wet. His hair is plastered to his forehead and his arms are dangling at his sides. He's looks so pale and forlorn and I just want to hug him, but he's staring at me with such an intense look of terror, he's scaring me.

My chest hitches and as I try to speak, my voice chokes with repressed tears. “W … what's wrong, Seal?”

Still staring at me, he raises his brows, his eyes widening, then he parts his lips and breathes heavily through his mouth, but he doesn't answer me.

I move towards him and wrap my arms around his waist, but instead of hugging me, he closes his eyes and inhales, his chest expanding and contracting. I lay my head next to his heart and listen to it beating, but he goes all rigid and clenches his fists. My mouth goes dry. He obviously doesn't want me to comfort
him, so I drop my arms and peek up at him. “What's the matter, Seal? You’re scaring me.”

After kicking the front door shut and locking it, he grabs my shoulders and glares at me. “I'm not Seal. Don't call me that. I can't be Seal anymore. And stop looking at me that way.”

Trembling, I back away from him, my lip quivering. I bite it hard to stop myself from crying. “Did you get your memory back?”

He throws his head back and sighs. “Yes, but I don't want to talk about it.”

I swallow a lump in my throat. “You have someone else, don't you?”

He strokes my cheek, his eyes softer. “You're so young and beautiful, Eloise. You can have any guy you choose, and I would choose you if I could, but I can't, not ever. I'm so sorry, but I have commitments.”

Uncontrollable tears stream down my face and I angrily swipe them away. “Are you going home tonight?”

He shrugs. “I don't think that's possible. I live a long way from here and I have no money. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I'll have to get a job.”

“You can stay here until you find work. No strings attached, I promise.” I'm mad at him, but I can't leave him out in the cold. I care for him too much. I touch his hand, and as usual, a thrill runs up my arm and into my heart.

“Thanks,” he says, looking at his fingers.
“I appreciate it. And I'll still take care of you while your folks are away.”

Blinking away a tear, I suck in a deep breath and ask the dreaded question. “Are you married?”

He shakes his head. “I can't talk about it right now.”

“Does that mean
yes
?” My face crumbles. “Who is she? I bet she's beautiful.”

H
e closes his eyes for a moment. “Oh, she's beautiful, Eloise.”

My blood boils. How can he be
so cruel? He could have lied or ignored me. Pressing my lips together, I glare at him. “Why did you have to say my name just then? Now, I know why you wouldn’t make that promise. You knew you had someone else, didn’t you?”

His lips twitch with amusement. “Fiery little thing, aren’t you.”

My jaw drops. “Fiery? You make think this is all a joke, but I don't. How long have you known who you are?”

His face drops and he looks sad again. “Since tonight's storm—just little glimpses at first. It confused me, so I ran outside to think.”

I frown. “So you knew
before
you went outside?”

“No, but when I carried you to your bedroom, I started to feel guilty. You’re only sixteen and I was trying so hard to resist you, then when that almighty boom hit, it triggered my brain and I started to get my memory back. You see, there was a storm when I lost it.”

I hold my hands out. “But where were you? I found you on the beach stark naked …. Crap. Who were you with? Her?”

The smirk returns to his face. “I'm not discussing my love life with you.”

That's it. I stamp on his foot. “No? But, you didn't mind letting me fall in love with you, did you?”

He runs his hands through his hair
. “Please don’t say that, Eloise.”

I squint at him. “Okay, I take it back. I hate you. And stop calling me Eloise.” Turning on my heels, I run down the hall to my bedroom and slam the door. And to think I was so happy an hour ago. Now, I just want to die. With tears in my eyes, I throw myself on my bed and punch my pillow as hard as I can. Beautiful is she? Well, I don't believe he's married. He's much too young. She’s probably some bimbo that will break his heart anyway.

I press my lips together. Well I'm not giving Seal up without a fight, not after the way he kissed me. And I already have a great weapon. Sniffing, I blow my nose into a tissue, then grab my cell phone and dial Tom's number. He doesn't answer so I leave a message. “Hi, Tom, it's Eloise. I've changed my mind and I'd love to go to the party with you. Pick me up in a couple of hours. Bye.”

I punch the air with my fist. That'll give Seal something to think about. But now it's dinner time. Smiling, I hop off my bed and march into to the hall. Seal isn't in the kitchen or the lounge room, so I tap on his bedroom door.

“Come in,” he hollers.

Turning the handle, I peek in. He's sitting on his bed, resting his elbows on his knees. He's changed into my father's pyjamas, but his eyelids are swollen as if he's been crying. Maybe he's worried what ‘Miss Beautiful’ will say when he goes back to her, especially if she’s found someone else. Yeah, in my dreams. I give him a half smile. “Dinner's ready, you must be hungry.”

He shrugs. “I guess so.”

“Okay, come and sit at the table.” I walk back to the kitchen and take the plates out of the oven. As I place them on the mats, Seal sits down and stares at the flickering candles. After selecting a song on my iPad, I sit opposite him and sprinkle parmesan cheese on my pasta, but as Guy Sebastian starts singing,
Battle Scars,
I nearly burst into tears. I blink them away and offer the bowl to Seal.

As he spoons the cheese onto his food, he watches me twirling spaghetti around my fork, but when he twirls his, it drops from his fork and plops onto his plate. Scowling, he chops it with his
knife and eats it with a spoon.

Holding my mouth, I chuckle. “Haven't you tried spaghetti before?”

He smiles. “Well, of course I've seen it, but I never had the inkling to try it.”

“I can make you something else if you like.”

“No thanks, it's really delicious, especially with the savoury mince and cheese.” As he sips the sparkling cranberry juice, the flames from the candles reflect in his eyes, making them even more dazzling.

I sigh with yearning. “Do you like cranberry juice? I can get you some wine if you prefer.”

He shakes his head. “No, this is fine, Elo … Elle.”

Holding my crystal glass, I roll my eyes. “It's okay, you can call me Eloise. I'll get over you, don't worry.”

He raises a brow. “Really? Is that why you're trying to free my inhibitions by offering me alcohol?”

My face grows hot. “No, I was just being a good host. Anyway, you haven't told me your real name. What is it?”

“Nathaniel, but you can call me Nathan.”

I lean on my elbows. “Okay, Nathan, but what's your surname?”

“Burns.”

“Hmm, Nathaniel Burns.” I twirl another string of spaghetti and say, “Well, I’m still calling you Seal.”

He looks at his hands. “Suit yourself, Elle.”

Ignoring his rebuff, I continue eating my dinner. At least I know his real name. Now I can do a web search, and who knows, I might find out if he's married.

We finish our food in silence, and I look at the clock. I've only got an hour to get ready for the party. I collect the dirty plates and carry them to the sink.

“Leave them, I'll wash them. You cooked a wonderful meal, Elle.”

Leaning on the sink, I stare out the window. If I stay near him much longer, who knows what I'll do. I hand him a tea towel. “Okay, Seal. The dishes are all yours. I'm off to have a shower.”

He raises a brow. “It's Nathan.”

Heading out the kitchen, I look over my shoulder. “You're no more Nathan, than I am Elle.” As soon as I'm in the bathroom, I lock the door and let out a long breath. Life is cruel sometimes. I so want Seal, but I know deep down if he does have a faithful wife or girlfriend, she’ll be worried about him. But I wish he'd tell me why he ended up here, and why she's so far away. I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help hoping she has taken off with another guy. My spirit lifts for a moment and I imagine myself back in Seal’s arms, listening to
One Direction
singing,
Over Again
.

With a sigh, I toss my dirty clothes into the linen basket and hop in the shower. After washing my hair, I wrap it in a white fluffy towel and dry myself. I’m not in the mood to go to a party, but if it makes Seal jealous, it’ll be worth it. Maybe when I arrive home tonight, he’ll take me in his arms and kiss me again. Quivering at the thought, I put on my pink terry-towelling robe and moisturise my face. But as I brush my teeth, I can't help worrying what sort of a night I'll have with Tom. What was I thinking? I grab my hairdryer out of the drawer and pad down the hall.

As I turn the knob to my room, Seal walks passed and looks me up and down. I want to smile at him, but instead, I go into my room and close the door. Feeling guilty about my plan, I turn on my laptop to do a search on Seal. If I find out where he lives, I might be lucky enough to find out who Miss Beautiful is. I type Nathaniel Burns into a search engine, but the guys with that name don’t look anything like Seal. He’s obviously a private person and doesn’t have a web profile, not one that’s visible. What a shame. I close my laptop and blow-dry my hair. Then I pile it on top of my head and clip it with a sliver comb.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I smile. I look much older with my hair done up, but knowing Tom, he'll soon have it in a tangled mess. I decide to stay away from him once we get to the party. I've no intensions of putting up with his shenanigans. Plus I'll have more fun with my girlfriends. I know Brooke and Ruby will be there because they'd never miss one of Richie's parties. And I'm sure one of them will give me a lift home.

After wriggling into my tight black jeans, I put on a bright red pullover. Perfect. I pull the sticking plaster off my forehead and gently dab on some foundation to hide the wound. Then I comb my lashes with heaps of black mascara and paint my lips and nails bright red to match my jumper. Great. I’m ready. I glance at the clock and wonder if Tom got my message. If he did, he could turn up any minute. My heart leaps into my throat and I wonder what Seal and Tom will say to each other. Crap. Now what have I got myself into? Chewing the inside of my cheek, I slip into my black leather knee boots and wait for the sparks to fly.

As I spray perfume on my wrists and neck, a car pull up near the house. Shoot
.
I stop to listen. When the doorbell rings, my stomach does a somersault. It's not like I want to go out, and definitely not with Tom. I just want to stay here and melt into Seal's arms like we’d planned before he got his memory back. I sigh with sadness. I know in my heart, if I stay home tonight, that's what will happen. Seal couldn't look at me the way he does if he didn't have feelings for me. Could he? Oh, what would I know, I'm just a hot-blooded ignorant sixteen-year-old. Plus Seal is committed to ‘Miss, or Mrs Beautiful’. Surely I don't want to be responsible for stealing someone else's guy, do I? I tap my teeth with my fingernail. So why am I trying to make Seal jealous by going out with a bozo like Tom?