Tug Of War - Coming Back Soon

Chapter Twenty

"Would you stop that?" Talisa snapped, pressing a firm hand on Inaaya's bouncing knee.

Biting the tip of her tongue, Inaaya turned to her friend and shrugged lightly. "Sorry!"

Talisa rolled her eyes, pulled her hand back then turned to the TV, ignoring Inaaya like she had been trying to do for the past hour.

Inaaya breathed in deeply, stared ahead at the TV too and rested her hands on her knees to keep them from bouncing. She knew Talisa was one interruption away from lashing out.

It was Talisa's off day, meaning there were no bloodthirsty vampires to meet with, and all she had wanted to do was to laze around and watch a good action thriller or two. However, that plan went awry the moment an excited and nervous and impatient Inaaya joined her in her bedroom.

Inaaya was going to see Axel after one month, one week and two days, not counting the brief glimpses she got of him before the panic blurred her vision. The last time she had caught sight of him was when he was speeding away from her. Later that day, she found that he had left the city indefinitely for some pack business.

Since then, a lot had changed. Inaaya was training with the hunters. She had gotten Talisa to help alter the graphic memory of the violence. It had taken Talisa four attempts but finally, Inaaya wasn't having nightmares about it anymore. She was sure she wouldn't have a panic attack now upon seeing Axel. Or hopeful, at the least.

Eventually, the news of Axel's return came to her today. He was coming home and Inaaya couldn't wait to see him, hug him, kiss him. It had been long overdue.

With a sudden jump, Inaaya turned to Talisa on the couch. "I can't! I'm sorry, I just can't sit still!"

With nostrils flaring and eyes narrowed, Talisa looked at Inaaya then brought her hands near her neck as if to choke her. "Argh! What? What is it now?"

Inaaya flexed her jaw downwards then scrunched her nose slightly as if to apologise. Grasping Talisa's hands that were threateningly close, she gently rested them in the vampire's lap. Then, sighing Inaaya let her eyes meet Talisa's again as a small smile began curving at her lips. "Axel! I can't wait to see him." A laugh bubbled in her throat and escaped her lips in a soft giggle.

Talisa's eyes softened and slowly, she too let a smile spread on her maroon-coloured lips. Gently squeezing Inaaya's hand, she watched her friend unable to contain her happiness. "It's been so long since I've seen you smile like that. I may not have supported your decision before but this smile convinced me that modifying the memory was the right thing to do."

Inaaya smiled wider and leaned forward for a quick hug, which Talisa returned. "Thank you," she said earnestly, squeezing Talisa's hand with both of hers.

"You're welcome," Talisa replied then dismissively, pulled her hand out of Inaaya's hold and turned back to the TV. "Now let me watch those abs in peace."

A chuckle escaped Inaaya's throat but before she could respond, more like irritate Talisa some more, the doors to Talisa's room opened. In walked Silas, with his pupils dilated, lips curved in a seductive smile and shirt unbuttoned to display an eight-pack.

He came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Inaaya then quickly covered the front of his pants with his hands. "Uh... hey, Inaaya..."

Inaaya pressed her knuckles to her quivering lips as slow tremors coursed through her body. "Oh, hey, Silas! I see travelling has been real hard on you..." she trailed off, bursting out laughing just as Talisa slapped a hand on her knee, breaking into a laughter as well.

"Alright, alright! Enough now, come on!" Silas' pleas fell on deaf ears as both the women laughed heartily, ignoring the butt of their joke who was reddening by the second. "Hey, Inaaya, shouldn't you be on your way to Beta Axel now?"