The Certainty (Book Four in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Like A Black Sunrise

“Game?”

“Pool. Come on, we haven’t played in forever.”

“I’m no good at pool. You know that.”

“Just like math.” He started off for the game room and I was reluctant to follow.

He went over to the stereo while I picked out a cue.

“Close the door,” he said. “Don’t want to disturb the die fest.”

I grabbed the cue I’d used the other night and jogged over to the door. I closed it and started racking balls, hoping this would take my mind off everything like he said. Luke found a station he liked and picked out a stick. He was very relaxed at that moment and I found it easy to relax too.

I took the triangle off and he motioned for me to break.

“So are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” he asked as I made my shot.

The cue ball smacked into the others and sent them scurrying across the table. This was my chance. I could get it all out in the open. I looked up at him, hope flooding through me. But the look on his face told me he had already formed an opinion and no matter what I said it would be the same.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“You’ve talked to Aidan.”

I looked up at him. “How did you know?”

“I know you.” He wasn’t even looking at the table. “You’re messed up about it and I imagine you asked for your brother and I to come early so you could talk to him about it.”

“You didn’t even bring me in here to play did you?”

He shook his head. “But if you want to we can. I’d rather you talk about what you need to so we can have a nice time. You shouldn’t have called him in the first place and you know it.”

Ouch. “It’s not what you think.” I tossed my stick on the table. “I didn’t do it for the reasons you think.”

“Then why did you call him? That was a can of worms you said was closed. What was the point in reopening it? Why do you keep doing this to yourself and the people around you? To Michael?”

“I talked to Jason.”

“You what?” He put his cue down carefully. “How? Does Michael…?”

“I think he suspects something’s wrong but he hasn’t said anything.”

“What happened?”

“The Angels let Jason into my dream. He almost killed me but that’s beside the point. He told me his reasons for…everything.”

“He did.” Luke crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s an interesting turn of events.”

“I guess the Angels thought it would give me peace of mind.”

“But it didn’t.”

“Nope. Made me call Aidan and he ended up flying down here.”

“He was here?” He looked a little stunned. “What happened?”

“We talked, we said goodbye again, and that’s it.” I wouldn’t meet Luke’s gaze. “I told him what he needed to know and that’s…” This was the part I really need to talk about but Luke interrupted me, not seeming to care much.

“What did Jason say? Why’d he do it?”

“Aidan.” I looked up at him. “Aidan was his endgame. It had nothing to do with me. He didn’t care that I was a hybrid. He didn’t care that I was bonded to Michael.”