Chapter 21
LUCIA
My heart thumped hard against my chest when I heard someone open a door. I knew exactly who it was, and exactly where they were coming from. Tyler and I stared at each other in silence, unsure of whether what we should be prepared for. Then when the footsteps became louder I began to shift in my seat. And there he was; silent, unfazed and standing innocently at the door of the living room.
“Jesse,” Tyler mumbled from where he sat.
Jesse slightly smiled. I wasn’t entirely convinced though. There was something off, something...weird.
“Are you alright there?” Tyler hesitantly asked.
With a small nod Jesse began to walk towards us, yet he didn’t say one word. When he was finally seated, he shifted his gaze at me. My mind was racing; thoughts of what was wrong with this boy filled my mind. He was acting strange, and I know that all the blame had to be placed on Lucifer...but Jesse just couldn’t let himself go like that. He had to fight! Right? No one in their right mind would want a demon possessing them, let along with the permission of the devil!
“What do you want?” I bluntly asked.
Jesse’s blank gaze didn’t change.
I wasn’t sure who I was asking. But someone had to answer even if it wasn’t Jesse who did. “What do you want?”
“Nothing,” Jesse replied. His voice quavered a little.
I bit my lip. And from the corner of my eye I watched as Tyler gazed at me. “Who are you?” I asked again.
The boy in front of me stared for a few seconds before answering. His voice was beginning to shake. “Jesse...”
Shaking my head I grasped my hair. I didn’t know what was going on. My mind was blurring, my judgment was clouded! I didn’t know what to believe. I didn’t know who to believe!
“You don’t believe me do you?” Jesse whispered.
I look up through my fallen hair and shook my head.
“That’s a shame.”
“Who are you really?”
He shrugged. “I told you; Jesse.”
I shook my head frantically. “I’m serious!”
“So am I...”
For a couple seconds I stared at the boy across from me. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. Was he nervous? I couldn’t tell. Rolling my eyes and shaking my head one last time I stood up.
Tyler stood up as well. “I can’t be in the same room as you,” I mumbled towards Jesse. “Unless I know exactly who you are.”
“Now you know exactly how I feel then,” He replied back.
I glared at him. “I guess so...”
“Look I don’t mean to be rude. But what exactly do you want?”
“What?” Tyler mumbled.
“Why are you two still here anyways?”
“We already told you...” Tyler replied.
I shrugged. I felt like giving up on this boy so badly. It wasn’t even worth all this confusion anymore.
Suddenly I found Jesse standing only inches away from where I was. And just for one hopeful second I thought I had seen some recognition in his eyes, but it was gone the moment I saw it. “I’m scared you know...” he whispered.
I felt a small tug on my arm. Waving Tyler’s hand away I turned my attention towards Jesse. “I know.”
“And I’m really sorry I can’t remember you...”
Another tug, “I’m sorry too.”
“Lucia,” Tyler whispered from behind me. But I ignored him. I was suddenly so focused with the boy in front of me. Something inside me was screaming for him to change his mind, it was begging for Jesse to trust me again. I wanted to help him, to protect him, to save him from all the terrible things that Lucifer was planning for him.
“So I hope you understand when I say,” My heart then stopped when the words flew from Jesse’s mouth. “I need you two to leave.”
“I-I don’t understand.”
“There’s literally nothing for you here. There’s no point.”
Tyler was now frantically trying to get my attention. If it wasn’t for his good intention I would have slapped his arm away right there and then. “You’re kidding right? Do you know what you’ve done the last couple of hours?”
Jesse shrugged. “Whatever it was, I’m sorry. But it’s finished now. And I don’t think anything else will happen. So...it’s safe to say I’m fine.”
I shook my head. “No, you aren’t ‘fine’! You just told me you were scared! You can’t be just ‘fine’. You have no idea what’s coming for you!”
Jesse’s face grew stern. “I am scared. And you’re right; I have no idea what’s going to happen to me. But if I can be frank about this, I’m pretty sure everything that’s happened to me so far, is because of you.”
I stood there in silence as Tyler gave up with my arm and began to step between Jesse and me.
“I saw what you did to him in the kitchen,” Jesse gestured towards Tyler. “I don’t want you near me anymore...”
My jaw fell, my heart cracked, and my eyes burned with anger. “Jesse...”
He shook his head as Tyler took my hand. “Let’s just go Lucia,” Tyler whispered.
“No, I’m not leaving you alone!” I felt my voice rise, my chest squeeze and my body shake.
“Lucia,” Tyler begged.
Jesse sighed as he pointed towards the front door. “Please...just...”
And something came over me, something strange and desperate. It’s like my body was literally screaming this time. I couldn’t just leave Jesse. Not after I saw him again. Not after I saw what Lucifer could do to him. I wasn’t going to throw this boy into the fires of hell!! He didn’t deserve to go there again. He didn’t and never will deserve to go there. I wanted to him to remember me; I wanted him to realize that I was here for him. If I left now, who knows what could happen to Jesse. And at that moment I didn’t care that Tyler was in the room, or that this Jesse was probably not even my Jesse. All I cared about was the fact that he was asking me to leave, and I knew I couldn’t do that.
So, as if I wasn’t in control of my own body, I felt my feet begin to move. I squeezed my way around Tyler, barely noticing his grip around my hand tightening. Then when I was just inches away from Jesse’s face, I looked at him in the eyes. They were dull. A dull, blank, and lifeless...he wasn’t there. He was never there in the first place. But that burning feeling inside my gut that grew in flames was now climbing up through my throat. And then for some reason, I believed that no matter how dull Jesse’s eyes were at the moment, he was still in there. Behind this dark power, somewhere beyond underneath was Jesse who was just trapped within himself. Then before I knew it, that sensation of anger, guilt and sadness was filling me from toe to top.
Exasperatingly Jesse whispered “Lucia, please just leave...”
With that I seamlessly and desperately reached for Jesse. My hand caught the back of his neck, and I felt my eyes grow almost sad. But before Jesse could say another word, I kissed him. At this point I was literally begging with my every being for him to remember, to recall anything and maybe even everything.
For a moment I felt his lips kiss back. My heart shook inside my chest. But before my hopes grew Jesse harshly threw me off. I felt myself fall back against Tyler’s chest. He stood stiffly behind me.
Then as if someone had punched me in the stomach, Jesse let out a laugh; a cruel, heart cutting laugh. “You’re completely pathetic!” He spat.
I turned my face away.
“I’m impressed though,” Jesse snickered. “I didn’t think you would have it in you!”
Harshly I shut my eyes closed. This was not happening. This was not happening!
“Bravo!!” Jesse began to mock me with by applauding. “But you must admit, I played the part of your little boyfriend pretty well, no?”
I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. But I was surprised that Tyler didn’t say anything either.
“Oh there, there little one...” I felt a hand touch my shoulder. “Clearly you miss the lad, and clearly you really cared for him...and I’m awfully sorry your little kiss there didn’t turn out the way you planned.”
I cringed.
“Don’t touch her,” Tyler quietly huffed.
“Oh my,” Jesse cackled. “She touched my first no? My little innocent touch isn’t as bad as her scandalous kiss!”
“Don’t. Touch. Her.”
Suddenly Jesse grabbed my face, his fingers squeezing my cheeks forward. “Look at you; you’re quite the girl hey? Why don’t you plant another one on me, yeah?”
Angrily I whipped my face away from his grip.
“Well that was rude!”
Tyler threw an arm around me as he suddenly took a step towards Jesse. “I’m warning you Jesse...”
“What are you going to do huh? Kiss me too?!”
I took a step forward. This entire thing was just so tiring...my desperation, my anger...everything. And just like that I felt my hair grow hot and I found myself fist to face with a demon.