I'm dedicating this chapter to: rlm1948 one of my readers that has been dedicated in leaving comments at the end of the chapters. (Much appreciated, looking forward to hearing what else you have to say!) As always I love to hear from my readers, please feel free to comment or message. Enjoy the latest chapter.
I think I stopped breathing when I saw them—sitting there waiting for us. The word awkward with a capital 'A' was nowhere near big enough to describe this situation.
With his hair disheveled and wet, Jaxon sat in his chair leaning it back against the wall. He was facing the staff kitchen entrance like he knew we'd return through it at any moment. Jessica sat across from him fluffing her perfectly curled hair. Her eyes snapped up when she heard the feet of Jaxon's chair hit the floor with a loud thud that echoed throughout the room.
"See, I told you they were here together," she chirped, smiling like she half expected a pat on the head from him.
Ugh, I super don't like this girl.
As we got closer to the table, Jaxon stood up and pulled out a chair for me to sit. "Hey, Wren, glad to see you've dried off from all the rain. Jessica said you looked like you got caught out in that downpour." He pushed the chair in for me.
I can't imagine that's all she had to say, my internal voice chimed in silently.
Kellan sat down across from me like there was nothing out of the ordinary and looked at Jaxon. "So, to what do we owe the pleasure of you joining us?" he asked.
Just then my phone alert sounded indicating I had a new text. "Sorry, I haven't let my grandmother know where I've been, she's probably checking in," I said, tasting the lie on my tongue.
The truth was my grandmother knew people texted each but how they did it was a mystery to her. If she wanted to talk to me, she'd call, and the only other person with my number was Sage. I pulled my cell from the back pocket of my jeans and unlocked it.
Hey, how's my favorite patient?
OMG - SOS @ Stompin' Grounds. Pls come quick, I typed.
Leaving school now, B there soon.
Soon? Soon better be like now. I had a feeling this conversation was going to turn nuclear before she got here. I put the phone away and rejoined the conversation.
"Still taking things that don't belong to you?" Jaxon said as he threw his arm over my shoulder.
I felt like I had missed a part of what they were talking about. I glanced at Kellan trying to piece together what Jaxon meant. His eyes flared a bright blue and he clenched his fists like he was barely holding his emotions in check.
That's when I noticed the glass of water in the middle of the table begin to frost over on the outside. A second later it exploded across the table pummelling Jaxon and Jessica with shards of glass and ice.
Jessica was out of her chair like lightning, jumping up screaming like she'd been shot, shaking the ice and glass off of her skirt. The melting ice had already soaked through the plaid fabric leaving an enormous wet spot on in the middle of her skirt making it look like she had peed herself. I couldn't help but smirk at the sight of her, feeling a small slice of justice had been served to the most deserving person I could imagine.
Crack!
The loud sound echoed throughout the room. A log in the fireplace had snapped in two and rolled out onto the floor heaving a dense cloud of gray smoke with it into the open space.
Everyone in the room had turned to look in the direction of the noise trying to figure out what had happened—everyone but Jaxon.
He was fuming like he wanted to kill Kellan and was somehow restraining himself. When he picked the large chunk of glass out of his arm, Jax's eyes lit up a bright gold, matching every bit of Kellan's in their intensity.
"You two clearly have issues with each other. What's the possibility of you both just leaving me out of it?" I said breaking the silence. "I'm pretty sure I've had enough for one day." I rubbed my still swollen jaw and got up from the table letting Jaxon's arm fall from my shoulders.
Jessica snorted like she had figured out the punch line to the inside joke I'd missed. "Listen, princess," she said as mocking tone, "I think it's a little late for that." She gave her skirt a final wipe and took her seat once more.
The guys sat there glaring at each other, with Jaxon ignoring the crimson trail of blood that dripped from his arm and pooled onto the floor next to him.
"Wait," Jaxon said sounding almost distressed that I was leaving. "You didn't seem very surprised about that glass exploding," he said like he was putting pieces of a puzzle together. "What else did he tell you? Did he mention this?" He stood up and took a step closer to me, then pulled the collar of my t-shirt exposing where the tear mark was just below my collarbone.
His face went white as he looked at the tiny mark on me. Then his eye flashed with anger and lit up a dark amber color. "You son of a..." he trailed off. He squared off to face Kellan. "You are so going to pay for that," he yelled as he leapt across the table landing a solid right hook on Kellan's jaw sending him flying backward onto the floor.
Jessica just stood there like an uninvited garden gnome glaring at me like she wished I could spontaneously combust in front of her so she'd be rid of me.
"What the heck's the big deal?" When I looked down where the blue tear shaped mark graced my skin it wasn't there. It had vanished. Instead, tattooed across my chest in its place was a spray of water that looked like it might be as large as the one I'd seen on Kellan.
With the two guys distracted, knocking over the chairs and trying to pummel each other into an abyss, I rubbed my thumb hard along the mark trying to see if I could get it to come off. Nope, it was on there for good. This mark is going to be hard to explain to Gran.
I stood there bewildered, trying to figure out how it was even possible for this watery etching just to appear on me. Ethan startled me to my senses when he hopped the counter and landed in front of me. He and peeled the two idiots apart holding Jaxon in his grasp. Ethan was muttering something about Jaxon not being allowed on the premises, saying that he and Jessica better leave immediately. Daryl and his group had gotten up from where they were sitting and were now standing behind Kellan looking like they'd love a reason to join in. Pulling free of Ethan's hold, Jaxon shrugged and straightened out his shirt then turned to face me.
"Fine, I'll leave, just as soon as I talk to Wren," he said. He dusted himself off and pushed his way through the group toward me. He had a cut above his eye, and his arm was still bleeding from where he had removed the glass shard. His jeans were ripped in several places and hung on him showing off his lean muscular build. When he took a couple of paces towards me, my instincts kicked in, and I backed up bumping into a chair behind me. Kellan practically jumped out of his skin when Jaxon got within a foot of me.
"Relax Kellan, I'm not going to hurt Wren," he said holding up a hand in his direction. Jaxon had his back to the group and looked at me with his eyes still glowing a golden hue, "He's not the only one with skills you know."
He opened one of his hands and revealed a low fiery flame that clung to his palm burning brightly. With the back of his hand facing the rest of the group, they couldn't see it. As quickly as the flame appeared, he closed his hand again then opened it once more with his fingers spread wide releasing a puff of smoke that floated up from his palm.
"That can't be..." I trailed off mystified, not knowing what was an illusion or real anymore.
"I thought I already made it clear earlier," he said ignoring how baffled I must have looked trying to figure out how he had done his little demonstration. "I want you all to myself, but I'm happy to give you a bit of a refresher." He smiled like he wasn't taking no for an answer. Then without notice, he closed the distance between us and placed both of his hands on either side of my face with fingers looping through my hair and then lifted my chin up as he pulled me in and kissed me hard scorching my lips. When he lifted his mouth from mine, I was left smoldering with the memory of where his lips had pressed against mine. Before he released his hold, I noticed he wore a necklace. It was mostly tucked under his shirt, but the three beads I could see were translucent red, a solid brownish white stone and a bright glowing purple one that looked like it had been turned on like a nightlight.
"You and I have a date tomorrow night, and I'm planning on showing you just how hot we would be together," he said in a confident voice. Then as quickly as he had staked his claim he released me to turn and face Kellan nose to nose as if he already knew that Kellan would be there seething and ready for round two.
"All right you two, seriously break it up," I said fed up with all the garbage they had dished out to me all day. I pushed my way between them forcing them to back up, so they were either side of me. "I can't believe I'm even saying this," I said pausing to sigh. "You two might be the hottest guys I've ever seen, but that doesn't mean I'm going to start calling either of you, my boyfriend. Got it? Come on, don't you think that's expecting just a little too much? I just met both of you, oh, what like eight hours ago. And so far I've been punched, knocked unconscious—twice, and sent to the principal's office because of the two of you. Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure I can think of a hundred more romantic ways to get to know someone." I was seething mad, and for the first time today had found my voice of reason. With my newfound sense of strength, I faced Jaxon wanting to give him a piece of my mind while I was on a roll, "What's up with all the public displays of affection? Geez."
"I can't help it when I see something I want, I go after it," he said with a smile. "Besides, you weren't complaining when I kissed you earlier today." He peeked at Kellan, acutely aware that he was standing next to me hearing every word.
"Uh, that's because I was pretty much knocked unconscious lying on the gym floor," I replied, starting to feel slightly flustered again.
"Sure, you can say that but you and I both know that isn't the truth, don't we? By the way red really is your color," he said, taking my hand kissing the top of it.
Oh. My. God. My head was spinning out of control trying to catch up with what he just said. The daydreams are...or some portion of them are...and if that, then Kellan and I in the empty classroom...and oh god, Jaxon kissing my ankle? I groaned and washed my hands down my face. My face flushed as I evaluated the steamy actions of my bold dreamlike self. Can someone just kill me now like put me out of my sorry embarrassing misery?
As my brain slowly absorbed my new warped reality, I glanced over at Kellan. He hadn't even so much as flinched at what Jaxon had just said. The hurt look I had seen pool in his eyes when I answered his question earlier was now starting to make sense. It also explained his unfailing resilience now. He already knew that Jaxon had done those things and worse he was aware I had let Jaxon do them. Ugh, today is chalking up to the day that just keeps giving.
"Enough with the PDA already." I snatched back my hand. Before today, I never so much as been kissed by a guy and I was not super comfortable with all the attention he kept throwing my way.
"What? You let him kiss you." He sulked and pointed at Kellan. "I'm just making sure you know all your options." He crossed his arms over his chest, letting the blood from his arm stain his shirt.
"Really? You know that do you?"
"Yeah, I do. But maybe I should let Kellan explain that one." A cold rush of air wrapped around me as the door to the café opened behind me.
"Hey, everyone what's up?" Sage asked walking in to stand next to me. "Wow, Jaxon that looks like a nasty cut, I'd ask what happened, but after all that transpired today while hanging out with Wren, I think I can probably guess." Her eyes rested on Kellan behind me. "Anyway, I'm just here to get a hot chocolate." She smiled and waved at Ethan. "Would you mind Ethan?"
Ethan looked at Jaxon and then at Kellan, trying to assess if they had cooled off enough for him to resume his duties. "Sure, give me a minute," he said. Then he walked around the counter to start and make her drink.
Jessica was now standing next to Jaxon hanging off him. "If you're ready to leave, would you mind giving me a lift? Lizzy had to go, and I don't feel like walking all the way home."
It was clear that Jaxon wasn't about to leave if that meant he was leaving me with Kellan, but he also wasn't about to say that. "Yeah, I'll give you a ride," he said looking annoyed with her.
Sage returned with her drink in hand. "Hey Wren, I'm on my way home. Can I give you a ride?"
A sense of relief washed over me. I just wanted to go home and absorb everything that had happened today. "That would be great. Kellan would you mind if I grabbed my bag from your truck?"
"Sure, I'll grab it." He picked up his jacket, threw it on, and headed out the door. Sage and I stood there with Jaxon as the rest of Daryl's group returned to their seats.
"Hey, are we still on for tomorrow night?" Sage asked Jaxon while she sipped her drink.
"You bet, looking forward to it. Robin and I were planning our night out before we left school. We thought we could pick the both of you up from your place around seven, or you could head over to mine around then. Does that work?"
"Either works here. We can sort it out tomorrow. Wren, is that good for you?" she said giving me an out if I wanted to take it.
"You're planning something? I know I'm looking forward to seeing what that might look like." I smiled and followed Sage toward the front door.
Jaxon caught up to us before we got there, "Hey, Wren, I am sorry. Kellan and I," he paused as if trying to think of the right words to say, "let's just say we haven't ever gotten along, and it drives me crazy that he likes the same girl I do. Forgive me?"
"Yeah, don't worry about it. We're good. See you tomorrow?"
"For sure." He blew out the breath he was holding. "Come on Jessica," he said like he was less than happy about having to drive her home. He held open the poster covered café door. As Jessica walked through it in front of us, she flicked her hair over her shoulder into my face.
"See you tomorrow Sage," she said like I was completely invisible and not even there.
As we made it through the door, Kellan was standing waiting with my bag on the other side. Completely ignoring him, Jaxon walked past him down the steps to an expensive looking black car. Just before getting in he looked up at me and smiled. Then got in, started the car and drove off spinning the tires on the gravel in the parking lot. The car turned right onto Main Street taking them through the center of town and out of view.
The cool afternoon air made me shiver, having left the warmth of the cafe. Without saying a word, Kellan peeled his jacket off and wrapped it around me.
"I'll give you a minute. I'm going to start the car," she said pointing to a silver car parked in one of the stalls.
"Are you okay?" he asked genuinely concerned. "I had no idea Jaxon would show up here. The cafe isn't somewhere he generally comes. Probably because he knows I'm usually here."
"It's not your fault. I'm pretty sure Jessica speed dialed him when she saw us come in together. What's the story between you and her anyway?"
"Is that an official question?" He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Only one question per day. No rule breaking, you."
"So there is a story then."
"I'm free for lunch tomorrow if you want to try asking me then."
"Ha. I don't think that would be even close to one of my first questions for you," I said thinking of the newest etching on my chest, Kellan's tattoo, what he knew about my dreams, how we knew each other and the questions kept rolling on. "By the sounds of it, if I want to get any answers to the million questions I have swirling in my head, I might need to book you for lunch and dinner for the next six months." I laughed and put my hands in the pockets of the jacket.
"I don't know I'm pretty booked up. How about we start with lunch tomorrow and we'll see about the next six months after that." He brushed a lock of my hair out of my eyes. "Maybe, this time, we'll try somewhere Jaxon won't know where to join us?"
"Ah, but what will I do for entertainment then?" I said jokingly. I started down the front steps and turned around at the bottom walking backward toward Sage's car, and I hollered back to him, "Okay, you better pencil me in for lunch. See you tomorrow."
He nodded and waved back as I got into the car.
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(Temporary water circle tattoos for you all! You ROCK.)