© Amber Kalkes 2014
*Song Of The Chapter: "The Body Breaks" By Devendra Banhart
Chapter Five: Revenge Is A Dish Best Served To Someone Else.
It had been two days. Seth hadn’t reappeared since he stormed out. So, I figured he had an epiphany and decided I wasn’t his soul mate. Not that I blamed him for it. Though I had to admit it, I was in pain. I felt like something was torn from my chest. Like I was missing a major piece of myself. Of course, this didn’t stop me from doing my routine. I had appearance to keep up.
I mean how upset would the local wildlife be if I don’t read a book on the porch? Answer: they could not give a shit. But it was all I had to keep me going through the misery. I had no one to blame but myself for that, of course.
You were being smart, the bitchy voice in my head stated.
Yeah, and look where that got us. He’s gone and he hates me.
Well at least we have our smarts.
Dear voice in my head, I hate you.
The phone inside rang and I jumped. Who the hell would be calling me? Running inside I grabbed the phone off the reciever and held it to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Sylvie?” a male voice asked.
“Maybe. Who’s this?”
“Ethan Glenn.”
Oh well fuck me. “Hey, Ethan. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Well, I was wondering when you wanted to hang out.”
Seth said no.
Seth also left two days ago with a word.
Touché brain.
“Well I’m not doing anything today really.”
“Awesome! Um, how about around two?”
I glanced at a grandfather clock in the hallway. Well it was noon. That was enough time to gussy myself up a bit.
“Two will be fine.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you over at Tegan’s Tags, okay?”
“Sounds good. Bye Ethan.”
“Bye Sylvie.”
I hung up the old yellow phone onto the rotary receiver. Well if Seth wasn’t interested anymore who was I to turn down a semi-date? Besides it was technically going to be my first date. Which was borderline pathetic to be having a first date at nineteen. Unless meeting John Stevens behind the jungle gym in kindergarten counted? I mean it was a pre-chosen place with romantic intention.
Technicalities.
I began the trek up to my room, which was a few flights up, thinking about what to wear when I heard a car pull into the drive way. There was a large bay window over the entry you could through while on the stairs so I looked out to see a red jeep sitting outside of my house. I sighed and walked back down the stairs.
As I walked out I grabbed a few grapes from the vine I had been eating before and popped it into my mouth. I was a bit of a nervous eater. Of course that was when I noticed whom it was driving the vehicle. Trying to act nonchalant about it I leaned against a column on the porch.
He stormed out of the jeep, slamming the car door and stalked toward me with hurt written all over his face. I was beyond shocked and I was sure my eyes were bulging out of my face like in a cartoon. I nearly choked on the grape I was eating but tried to hide it.
“Well, don't you look relaxed.” he accused.
Fuck, he looked like hell. He had deep circles under his vibrant green eyes. He looked hungry, tired, and in pain more then anything. He was wearing his usual jeans and t-shirt combo but they looked like he had been wearing them for days.
“You look.... like shit, honestly.” I managed after a minute.
“Yeah, well, I feel like it.”
“You left me.” I pointed out
He ran his hands down his face. “I know.”
“Then, why are you here?”
“I want to be together.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Already?”
He stood across from me with his hands in his pockets looking lost again. “Don't you miss me?”
“Define ‘miss,’” I said, just to be cruel.
“Come on,” he whined. “Please, I can't be apart from you this long.”
“You chose this.” I pointed out, again.
“Well then I'm un-choosing it.”
“I don't need you to be happy.” Lie.
“But I need you.” he whispered.
“That's not my problem.” God, I am a bitch.
“Yes it is. You think I don’t know how miserable you are? I’m your mate Sylvie. I can feel your emotions when they’re as strong as that.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “You can feel my emotions?”
“They're more like a sixth sense, miss it and it’s gone type deal but I can definitely tell.” He said looking at me with devastation on his face. “Sylvie, everything in me wants to be with you. My wolf needs you or he gets restless.”
“Wolf?”
“Yeah, look this isn’t the time to explain this.” He sighed looking around at the tree line. “It’s not safe right now. Can I come in and we’ll talk?”
I shook my head. “Your right this is a bad time because I have a date in a few hours.”
Seth’s eyes narrowed and his body got tense. “What do you mean a date?”
“I mean what I say.” I replied simply. “You were gone two days without a word, what was I supposed to think. Apparently I’m appealing to people other then you.”
“You are mine!” he growled loudly.
I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms. Well there you go Seth you gone and made me mad!
“Shit job you did showing that!”
“You accused me of lying to you and using you for my own personal gain! Did you really think that wasn’t going to hurt me? Did you really think I wasn’t going to be pissed at you for a while?”
Good point but I was too mad to give in.
“Yeah well consider this a lesson then. You can be pissed and take time but let me know you still want me. I thought…” I trailed off and looked down feeling tears in my eyes. Damn traitorous eyes.
I looked up at him and his face softened. “You thought what, Sylvie?”
“I thought you didn’t want me anymore. Eventually it’ll happen, you know. Everyone leaves and then I’m alone again.”
The tears fell out then and I cursed myself. No crying!
Seth was suddenly very close to me. How had gotten there so quickly and how had I not noticed? I jerked back a bit when I saw how close he was. He frowned a little before resting his palms on my cheeks so he could make me look at him. The tingles I had been missing came flying through the skin of my face. This was heaven in a touch and I was pretty sure I was losing my mind.
“Sylvie, I promise I will never leave you again. I was just upset. That happens sometimes. People get mad but then they cool off and then they talk it out.” He said slowly.
“They do? I mean I’ve never had anyone that mad at me before. I just figured you’d prefer my honest feeling on the subject.” I mumbled. “But I am sorry if I hurt you.”
He gave me a sweet smile and man did I miss his smiles. “Forgiven.”
“But, um, I do have to go get ready.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“Um…I still have that date.”
“No.” he gritted out.
“Seth.” I sighed. “I can’t be rude and stand him up. He’s really nice.”
“Is it Ethan?”
My answer was evasive at best. “Maybe….”
“Sylvie.” My name was a warning.
“Seth.” His was a whine.
“Call him and cancel.”
“I don’t have his number.”
“Then how did you set up the date?”
“He called me.”
His jade eyes narrowed. “Then star sixty nine it.”
“Seth.” I sighed stepping out of his hold.
“Sylvie, I can’t and refuse to share you.”
“It’s one date.”
“No.”
Now, I was mad again. “You’re not my lord and master! I can do what I want!”
“Your acting like a brat.” He gritted out.
“And your acting like a petulant child!”
Seth began pacing and tugging at his hair. “Why can’t you just do this for me? Just cancel it and we’ll discuss everything. I’m trying to calm myself down right now and your yelling at me isn’t helping.”
“I’m going Seth and if you don’t like it then you can just shove it.” I said in a hard tone. “I’m not a child and you don’t own me. So, let me live my life how I want to.”
“Are---are you rejecting me?” he asked looking like I just slapped him with a fish.
“What? No!”
“Then why are you doing this?” he asked, the look of hurt not off his handsome face.
“Because.” I sighed, collapsing onto the porch swing. “I don’t know what it’s like. To feel normal, I mean. All I deal with is your pack bullshit. Now, I care about you, Seth, I really do. Yes, I know you for like a day but I care about you. But I need a life outside of this too. You can’t be my everything.”
Seth had stopped pacing to look at me during my little speech. His eyes went through a range of emotions as I spoke. Finally he hung his head in what I kind of hoped was defeat. If it was I was decided to work on feeling guilty about it.
“Fine.” He grumbled. “But I’m coming with and if he makes one move I don’t like I’m breaking his arm.”
I shrugged with a grin spreading across my face. “Whatever you say.”
“And make it clear it’s not a date. You want a friend not a boyfriend.” He stipulated.
“If you say so.”
Seth then opened his arms for me and I went into them. My cheek laid on his perfect chest and his arms wrapped around me. I was not securely in a Seth cocoon of warmth. My whole body was tingling as my stomach was somersaulting in giddy nerves. This was our first hug! Shit, I was turning into a girly girl. Rein it in Sylvie!
“This is all going really fast.” I commented into his shirt. “I didn’t think we’d have this conversation till at least we hit actually dating stage.”
Seth’s chin balanced on the top of my head.
“Yeah, but this is how it’s supposed to be. Normally you would be marked and mated by me already.” He said and I pulled back to see a sheepish grin on his face.
“Uh, explain.”
“I would bite you, that’s marking, and mating well…. its self explanatory.”
“So fucking?”
His eyes got wide. “Jesus, Sylvie.”
“What?”
“Don’t say it like that!” he scolded.
I snorted, “Jeez, sorry, Mr. Baby ears.”
“Mr. Baby ears?” he repeated incredulous.
“Anyways,” I said rolling my eyes. “I have to go get ready.”
His face soured. “I still don’t like it.”
“Good thing I didn’t ask you to.” Then with added bitchery I stuck my tongue out.
About a half an hour later I was done getting ready. I had on a cream peasant dress that fell just above my knees, a pair of light brown booties (courtesy of a very pushy Tegan) and a light brown tweed half jacket. My hair was as impossible as ever and it was demanding to just be its naturally disastrous self. So I left it down cascading over my shoulders. As I rushed down the stairs I found a stock still Seth staring at me with an open mouth and wide green eyes.
“What?” I asked panicked. “It looks stupid doesn’t it?”
“No, you look….” He trailed off and then cleared his throat. “Yeah, you’re not going.”
“Seth.” I said in a warning.
“Sylvie, I’m sorry but you are too beautiful to be left alone with any other male but me. What kind of mate would I be if I allowed that?”
I gave him a shy smile, blushing. “A very nice one who can help me out of it later.”
His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Really?”
I shrugged. “We’ll see.”
As I jumped off the last step next to Seth he swept me into his arms and smashed his lips into mine. His tongue didn’t ask as much as demand entrance which I granted. His hands intertwined into my hair as my hands were fisting his shirt so he was closer to me. Part of me really wanted to stay with Seth and tell Ethan to go screw himself. The other half wanted me to show Seth what happened when he played hide and seek at my expense.
Finally we pulled away, both panting. Yeah, I was probably a tramp from making out with one guy as I went to go meet another one. But at the moment I didn’t care. I knew I was Seth’s from day one. But now he needed to know that I was not going to be easy score. No, Seth needed to know that Sylvie Marie Marcum was not a bitch to mess with.