Graceful Deception

4. You've Got Some Serious Explaining To Do, Mister

***This chapter is dedicated to Solecism for the awesome review of Beautiful Heist!  Thanks again!***

Chapter 4

You’ve Got Some Serious Explaining To Do, Mister

 

I was in a daze as I reached up to place my hand in John’s, still staring at him like I thought he was going to disappear at any moment.  The stinging of my face was what told me that I wasn’t dreaming or hallucinating or anything like that.  And another thing that told me all of this was real?  I probably wouldn’t have been having that fuzzy, warm feeling spread through my chest and stomach as John helped me stand. 

“You don’t have to save me all the time, you know,” I murmured, brushing myself off with one hand while keeping hold of his with the other.  I swallowed hard, peeking up at him through my lashes.  Since when did I become shy around him? 

Oh, that’s right.  The last time I saw him.

When he told me he loved me.

I was staring at his mouth, which was still curved up into a half smile. 

“Seriously, what are you doing here?”

“Besides coming to get you before the Knights do?  It’s time.”

It’s time…What did he…?

Forget the shyness.  I was staring wide-eyed now.  “You mean you guys found the first scroll?  I get to come back?”

John nodded, wrapping his arm around my waist to pull me up against him.  “Yeah, we found it and you get to come back.  We made a deal, didn’t we?  Besides, Elena’s been pestering me about just giving in before we found it and coming to get you.  Especially after those texts and calls…”

My cheeks flamed as I looked down at the collar of his button-up shirt, my mind going over all of those texts and calls he was talking about.  So he was getting them…and hearing and reading my loneliness and longing in every one. 

He laughed, leaning down to press his forehead against mine.  I couldn’t help but look straight into his eyes, not when I could feel him staring straight at me. 

“You were never alone, Em.  Someone was always there watching you.  No one would have let anything happen to you with the Knights practically dozens of feet away from you every day,” he said, tightening his hold on my waist.  “But now no one’s going to have to be watching out for you in the shadows.  You’ll be with me.”

His smile softened as he pulled back just a hair, looking down at my mouth.  I knew what he was going to do before he started leaning forward again, his breath brushing softly across my face. 

“Alright, you two.  We’ve got no time for that right now.”

I jumped and peeked over John’s shoulder to see Stella and Ren standing there.  Stella was eyeing me, but Ren was watching her, almost like she was expecting her to fall over any moment.  Well, more like at the bruise that was blossoming across her right cheekbone and the blood from the cut on her lip.  I’d never seen the girl look so…disheveled.  But then again, she did just get into a fight with a guy twice her size and currently slumped back against the wall, his head dropped to the side, a trail of red dripping down from his nose. 

“Oh, my gosh, are you okay?” I gasped just as John turned around.  “Your face…”

Stella just shrugged.  “Nothing a little makeup won’t hide.  And I’ve definitely had worse.  Now,” she said, narrowing her eyes at John.  “You.  I told you I had this handled.  Why wouldn’t you just wait for us in the car with Ren like I told you to?  We were almost there.”