Enemy Love

Enemy Love (Chap. 9)

Chapter 9

Ileana

I nearly fell to the bed. I couldn't look him in the eye, I hid behind my hair, staring hard at my tightly clasped hands as if he would just tell me that he knew and I wouldn't have to go through this. "There's something that you should know," I said slowly, "I've known from the first time that I saw you, but I never realized it until Isis pointed it out to me later that night." I took a deep breath and the rest just came out in a rush, "Quinn, we're Inspirits."

His mouth fell open and he just stared at me, his eyes wide. After a few seconds, he said "what?" so quietly that I wasn't even sure that was what I heard.

I felt tears well in my eyes, yes, this was going so well. "We're Inspirits, Quinn, soul mates."

His face was ashen. Slowly, he sank to the floor. "I-it can't be."

Tears began to fall down my checks at his dejection, but I didn't notice them. "It is, as Eda said, Isis can see that... and I've been able to feel your emotions too. When you were hurt, I was sore and tired, just like you were, but not as bed, and now... now, when I think about you, I can feel your emotions almost as if they were my own."

His head fell forward into his hands and he mumbled something.

"What?" I asked, not getting off of the bed even though it was killing me to see him go through this alone.

"I felt that too," he said flatly, "you were worried about someone, it was just a few hours ago."

My breath froze in my throat. I know that I have done it to him- not on purpose- but I still wasn't sure that I liked the idea of anyone being able to read my emotions. "I was worried about you," I whispered.

He looked up at me with bewildered and afraid eyes and suddenly I couldn't take it anymore, I got off of the bed and sat next to him on the ground, putting my hand lightly on his back. He threw his arms around me and buried his face in my hair, breathing hard. I held onto him just as tightly as he was holding onto me, trying to give him what comfort I could.

"I could leave," I had to say this, it was the only choice that we had, "then you would never see me again and this-"

He lifted his head. "No."

I blinked, a little surprised at his blunt refusal. "I- what?"

"You're not leaving." He seamed to be in control of himself again, at least he was in enough control to glare at me.

"But then we could go on with our lives. If I could get far enough away then maybe-"

"No," he repeated and his arms tightened around me. "I- don't know if I can accept, even believe, all of this Inspirit thing, but the one thing that I do know for sure is that I can't let you go. Don't ask me why, because I'm not sure myself, you're not leaving me and that's final." His eyes went over my face again and he froze. "Were you crying?"

I turned my face away and slipped out of his arms, then sat on the bed again. "No," I lied, even thought we both knew I had been.

He stood up and sat next to me, not touching me at all. "You're really sensitive," he asked me slowly as if he was just figuring it out, "everything that people say to you could really hurt you even though the same thing wouldn't hurt others."

I hid behind my hair again. "Isis used to tease me on how I felt too much. She's the only one who no matter what she says or does, it doesn't hurt me nearly as bad as everyone else because I know that no matter what, she still loves me. She even helped me through this-" I gestured helpless between us, meaning our... connection "- and she doesn't really like you..."