The Forsaken (Book Three in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Salvation To Come

“Does it hurt?” Aidan asked.

I smiled. “Does it look like it hurts?”

I’d bumped into Aidan on the way back from sparring class. It was one of my crappier days. I was still learning some of the new techniques I needed to know for final. He’d taken me home and wrapped up my ribs. I was badly bruised.

“You should be more careful.”

I laughed which hurt. “I try. It’s not easy when your sparring partner is a two hundred pound solid muscle bear.”

“What are they doing pairing you with a bear? You’re only sixteen.”

“I’m just that good I guess.”

Aidan gave me a dirty look. Not because I thought I was awesome but because my ribs were bruised by a senior boy half my size.

“It’s still not right. And then they let you go home on your own?”

“Aidan, its fine. Really. I’ve been through worse.”

His hands were gentle as he smoothed the tape across the gauze.

“It doesn’t matter. They shouldn’t let him hit you so hard. I would never hit you that hard. No matter if it was just practice.”

“That’s sweet,” I said.

He smiled. “It’s the truth. If my parents taught me anything it was you never hit a girl. I know sparring class is different but…”

“It’s a good thing to know, Aidan. And they’re right. No man should hit a girl. Except, of course, in sparring class.”

He looked up at me, chocolate brown eyes searching mine.

“You’re something else, you know that?”

I smiled. “Thanks. Are you done?”

He smoothed the tape one more time and nodded. I lowered my shirt and we sat there. Aidan twirled the tape around on his pointer finger.

“So Heidi and I split,” he said.

I smiled. “Is that supposed to mean something? You split with a girl every week.”

“I just thought you should know…you know…just in case.”

“In case what? I feel an urge to flirt with you? I never need an excuse for doing that.”

He grinned. “Well as long as we’re on the same page.”

He put the tape down on the coffee table and stood up. He grabbed the strap of his messenger bag. “Be more careful next time, ok?”

I nodded and he gave me a kiss on the cheek. He squeezed my shoulder and left. I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. Sure I had a crush on Aidan but it was never going to go anywhere. That’s why it was so easy to play around with him when he was single. What, I imagined, would it be like to date him for real? Maybe…

I was woken up by Alvus. He was digging around in my brain.

Wakie Wakie. Time to move on.

“Alright Georgiana. Time to get some information out of Michael. Let him in.”

My brain felt like mush but when Michael sank in, he made it a bit better.