Burning Desire - Sequel to Burning Paradise

Chapter Two

Mom and Dad are sitting at the kitchen table, looking sombre and serious. I sit down opposite them, crossing my arms. Mom looks at her hand entwined with Dad's and then at me, “Honey, we wanted to talk about something that is very serious to me and your father. We know you and Rhys are getting serious now and it's clear to us by what we just saw outside that you're enjoying the relationship...”

I groan (MY PARENTS JUST SAW ME KISS MY BOYFRIEND, DOUBLE CRINGE!) and put my head in my hands, “Mom, please. It's not like that.”

“I'm sure it isn't, Donna.” Mom nods, but she obviously doesn't believe me, “But we still want to say this. You have to be careful about these things. You're young and you're in love. You don't know when it can happen. So keep this with you at all times.”

Dad pushes a condom at me. I look up at him, horrified, spluttering, “Dad, Mom! You can't be serious! I don't need this.”

Because he doesn't want to, no matter how much I want to.

I push the sneering voice away mentally and shove the condom back at them, “I don't need the condom. If I do need it, I'll take it sometime.”

“Honey, I know this is embarrassing for you. But we want you to be safe.” Mom looks at me with a raised eyebrow. Groaning, I pick the condom up and then leave the room, jogging up the stairs into my room.

I close the door and take in the neutral walls against the dark furniture, a deep contrast. I go over to my twin-sized bed and shove the condom in the drawer of my bedside cabinet, locking it away.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Yeah, I wish it was that easy.

Pushing the unwanted thought out of my mind, I undress into my tank top and grey shorts and then clamber in between the sheets.

I end up crying myself to sleep...

I get out of my car and push the keys in my pocket. As usual, Rhys is waiting for me by the entrance. I stop when I see him, breathless, taken away by his beauty. I feel the familiar ache in my chest as I always do when we have an argument that begs me to just forget everything and run my hand through the hair at the back of his head.

But I know I have to stay firm or else he'll never give in to what I know we both want.

I see him fidget, biting his lip anxiously as I don't make a move to go up to him. Then I know what I have to do. I walk straight past him into the school, ignoring him completely, even though it hurts every cell inside of me to do it. I hear Rhys calling my name, sounding confused from behind me. Taking a deep breath, I continue striding forward, even though it feels as though I'm dragging my feet through hardening cement.

Then he's by my side. “Donna, what's wrong? Are you still upset about yesterday? I said I was sorry about that. Please talk to me. I'm sorry.”

Fighting back tears at his desperate tone, I keep my mouth tightly shut and open my locker, transferring books to and from it. Rhys holds my wrist and gently but firmly turns me to face him. He closes his palm over my cheek and the warmth of it spreads through me, breaking every last resolve of mine down.

“I'm sorry.”

I sigh, taking in a shuddering breath, “I don't blame you for anything, Rhys. I blame myself. I expected too much from you in such little time. We've only known each other for nearly a year. We can't jump into things. I'm okay with it.”

“No you're not.” Rhys shakes his head, “You can't lie to me, I know you. And you're not okay with this. I can sense how much you want this from me. My hands are tied, Donna. I want this, too, but we have to keep strong.”

I look up at him silently, “Why do you have to be responsible? Why do you have to be so perfect? Why can't you just do the wrong thing?”

Rhys stares at me and then chuckles, running a hand through his hair absent-mindedly. “I just can't, I guess.” He shrugs and then takes my hands in his, bringing them to his lips and kissing them, “And I just can't bear to see you hurt, Donna. Can you just wait, at least until you turn seventeen?”

I sigh, knowing my answer. Rhys smiles and kisses my forehead, “Thank you. Thank you for this.”

I try to smile back, but it's not a real smile. Rhys looks at my expression and bites his lower lip, “How can I explain how much I love you? There's not a word or a phrase or a gift that can express it. I want this just as much as you do, even more than you do. It takes so much of my resolve to tell you no. Donna, you are my everything. Nothing will ever change that.”

I nod, reaching up to wrap my arms around his neck and snuggle my face in the soft crevice of the area between his neck and shoulder. I feel his muscles relax and he hugs me back so tightly, my feet are barely touching the ground. Before I know it, I'm sobbing silently into him.

Rhys pulls back to look at my face, “What's wrong?”

“I'm sorry.” I say, burying my face back in his shirt, “I just make you go through so much and make so many difficulties for you but you're always the one who has to say sorry to me when it should be the other way around.”

He doesn't reply, he just holds me tighter, even when the bell rings and the crowds begin to disperse. “I love you.” He mutters into my hair, “I'll love you forever.”

“I love you too.” I say, “I love you so much, it hurts.” I feel him chuckle and I sigh with relief, relaxing as I listen to his steady heartbeat. I feel my eyelids drooping and my knees collapse from under me.

“Whoa!” Rhys holds me up and looks into my sleepy eyes, “What happened?”

“Oh, I nearly fell asleep.” I say, giggling. We look at each other and burst into peals of laughter. We hear a hallway monitor muttering to himself and look at each other with horror plastered over our faces. Rhys pulls open my locker and shoves me inside, hopping in after me. We crouch in the small space, pressed against each other. I hear the monitor, “I swear I heard people laughing here. Oh well.”

I sigh in relief as I hear footsteps going away from us. I look at Rhys, who sighs back at me, a faint smile playing at his lips.

At lunch, I pull my knees up in front of me in the cafeteria, watching as Rhys and Avril argue about whether potato chips are better than fries.

He sounds pretty convincing for someone who doesn't have to eat.

One of the perks of being a fallen angel. The other ones are heightened senses, not having to sleep and inhumane speed and strength. Oh, and an intense rate of healing. I would love to have that last one. The rest, I'm not so sure about.

I yawn and my head flops sideways on to Rhys' shoulder. I'm asleep before I know it, catching up on what I lost last night...

“Donna!”

I feel Rhys' hand on my cheek, shaking me awake. I sit up, stretching, “What time is it?”

“Time for Biology!” Rhys and Avril both laugh at me.

I shake my head, pretending to be disgusted, “Oh, whatever.” I get up, slinging my bag on my shoulder. Rhys follows pursuit, still chortling.

                                                                                                                         ***

I give Avril a quick squeeze and watch as she runs up the garden path and in the front door before carrying on down the street. I look in the windows of shops and then I freeze in front of the thrift store. I see the reflection of a boy. Brown hair, emerald eyes, a long face, a sneering expression. I look back but there's no one there.

I begin walking again. Could it be – No. We got rid of Elijah and the rest of his measly crew last summer when I threatened them with the life of their Master's daughter. Still, fuelled by fear, I run all the way home, only stopping when I'm safe in my room. It's only when I've locked the door do I turn around and see him. My eyes go wide and my heart skips a beat.

He's back.