Chapter 12: Time to think

Kell:

“Hey, bro, what happened last night? You came in and disappeared.” Carrick asks as he casually slumps down in the front seat of my car. I don’t answer at first because I’m too preoccupied with the thoughts of Amara as I speed the car up on the way to school. I need to talk to Amara about last night’s epic blunder.

Carrick snaps me from my thoughts when he smacks my shoulder and asks. “What’s wrong with you today, Kell?”

I keep my eyes straight ahead and answer. “It’s nothing man, I’m just tired. Football practice is a killer.”

Carrick leans his head back on the headrest with a frown but doesn’t ask again.

I need to talk to Amara and explain my abrupt departure. But what do I tell her?

After a moment, Carrick adjusts the volume on the radio and mutters. “I went out with Haley last night.”

By the tone of his voice and the look on his beaming face, I can see that it must have gone well. But like the dutiful brother that I man, I ask. “How did it go?”

He gazes out the window and runs his fingers across the corner with a secret smile. “It was great. She was great.”

I frown when his expression becomes serious, and he says, “I think she’s my mate.”

My eyes flinch at his words. “What? Are you serious?”

He nods his head and waves his hand out the window. “Her scent… It feels like home… I just know.”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. Not because I’m not happy for him, but because I wish it was that easy for me.

“I’m happy for you, bro. Have you…” I clear my throat. “…have you told her what you are yet?”

He shakes his head and laughs sardonically. “No, I haven’t. I wouldn’t even begin to know how to tell her.”

Brow furrowed, I rub my thumbs across the steering wheel as I look ahead. “Aren’t you scared?”

He shakes his head with a snort. “Of course, I am. But she’s my mate, and I want to be with her, so nothing else matters.” His words reverberate through my mind and give me pause.

Does it really matter?

Once we get to school, Carrick rushes out of the car to meet Haley. I look around, but there’s no sign of Amara. Crap! Maybe she’s avoiding me. I mean, it was a dick move to run out on her the way I did. She’s probably pissed.

Not knowing what to do, I sit in my car for a couple of minutes and think. What do I say? I don’t know how to make things right. How do I explain to her that our kiss was incredible, but I had to stop because my wings and claws came out? I can't imagine a scenario where I'm saying that without sounding like a freak or a complete asshole?

Regardless of how she feels about it, I know that I have to make things right. I just can’t stop thinking about how good she felt in my arms.

Exhaling deeply, I slide out of my car and look around anxiously. Unfortunately, my anxiety is unwarranted because she’s not in school.

Throughout the morning, I continue to keep a vigilant eye out for her, but she never appears. The hallway is packed with students rushing to their lockers or simply lounging around. Several girls wave as I pass by, but I ignore them. Making one last-ditch effort, I pass by her photography class, but to my frustration, she is not there either.

Where is she?

My worry surmounts, and I can’t help but feel that something’s wrong. It’s a gut feeling that keeps niggling in the back of my mind.

Eventually, I bump into Haley and Carrick, who seem cozy, smiling, and whispering near her homeroom. Carrick gives me a puzzled look. “What’s up?”

I look at Haley, who gives me a shy smile. “Hey Haley, have you seen Amara?” Haley shakes her head. “She’s not here today. She texted me yesterday and told me that she wasn’t feeling too well. Juliet says that she called in sick this morning. We called her house, and the maid said that she was too sick to talk. She said that Amara is resting and will see us tomorrow.”

I gaze down at the floor as my anxiety heightens. Something is not right with Amara. Carrick places his hand on my shoulder with a speculative frown, “Are you alright, Kell?” I nod my head and move around him. “I’m fine. I’ll catch up with you later.”

At first, I think he’s going to argue, but then he nods his head and turns back to Haley. There has to be more to Amara’s sickness. That’s when I decide to see her. It doesn’t matter that she might be pissed at me. I need to see her and make sure that she’s alright so that this feeling of wrongness can dissipate.

As I maneuver my car out of the lot, I think about what I’m going to do. I don’t even know where she lives. Then a thought strikes me. I pull out my cell phone and dial a number. “Hello, mate. Aren’t you supposed to be in school learning or something?”

I ignore his questions and ask. “Listen, Azazel, I need an address. Can you get it for me?”

He chuckles in reply, “Please tell me that you’re not stalking someone. I don’t think Alex would be too happy if your arse wound up behind bars.”

I shake my head. “No, man. It’s not like that. She’s really sick, and I want to make sure she’s alright. Now, can you get me that address or not?”

He snickers. “Very well. What’s her name?”

I roll my eyes. “It’s Amara Vega.”

He huffs out a breath. “Oh, the beauty queen. Alright, hold your bollocks.”

Strumming my fingers over the steering wheel impatiently, I listen as Azazel presses a few keys on his computer. “And… I got it. I just texted you the address. Anything else, mate?”

I sigh in relief. “No. That’s it. Thanks.” Before he can say another word, I disconnect the call.

It takes me a few minutes to get to Amara’s home. The house is a freaking mansion. No joke. It looks like something from those Jane Austen movies that Nevaeh used to make us watch. I drive up the long driveway and gaze around the grounds in hopes that I might spot Amara, with very little luck. The house is pretty pretentious looking. For crying out loud, the center of the long driveway has a fountain with baby cherubs pouring water in flagons. The house is even more intimidating up close, but I’m not deterred. I need to see Amara.

Before I lose my courage, I park my car and walk up the stairs.

Heart pounding wildly, I adjust my leather jacket and shirt before I ring the doorbell.

An older woman with thick gray hair answers the door. “Yes, may I help you?”

I take a deep breath and give her my most charming smile. “Hi, I’m Kell Cross. Amara and I go to school together.” I look down at my bag and remove a random notebook. “A few of our teachers asked me to drop off her homework since she’s sick.”

The older woman looks at the notebook then back at me before she opens the door wider and waves me in. Releasing the breath I was holding, I relax my shoulders and follow her in.

The house is just as overwhelming as it is outside. She gives me a gentle smile and gestures to the stairs. “Her bedroom is the fourth one to the right. I left her some soup, but she refuses to open the door. She just tells me to let her sleep. Let me know if there is anything I can get you both.” She steps around me with an encouraging sweep of her hands. “Go on.”

Gazing up into the winding staircase, I lick my lips and slowly make my way up the stairs. The hallway is long and ominous, which creeps me out a little. I look around at the hallway paintings until I find Amara’s door.

Taking a few hesitant breaths, I knock on the door. No one answers. I knock harder this time, but she still does not answer. My worry surmounts. What if something happened to her?

Swallowing deeply, I lean my ear on the door and use my angel hearing. To my relief, I hear a distinct heartbeat. It’s very slow. Too slow for a human. Panicking, I knock harder. “Amara! Open the door!”

That’s when I hear a distinct moan of pain. I don’t know what to do. I turn the knob, but the door doesn’t give. So, I take a deep breath and use my angel strength to turn the knob again. This time the knob breaks, and the door opens. The room is in complete darkness because the shades are drawn.

Stepping into the darkroom, I gasp when blazing heat hits me in the face. It feels like I’m walking into a furnace. My angel eyes roam around the room, but Amara is nowhere in sight. “Amara. It’s me, Kell.” I say, but there is still no answer.

I look at the bed, but there’s no one there. However, I know that she’s here when a small whimper evokes my senses. I look around until my eyes fall on a lump on the floor. I can see a small hand sticking out from under the thick comforter.

Feeling panicked, I rush over to the prone form and raise the covers. Her eyes are closed, but her body is shaking uncontrollably, which should be impossible, considering that it’s at least a hundred degrees in the room. Kneeling down to touch her brow, I snap my hand back in shock. Her skin is as cold as ice. Sweat gleams on my skin, but there’s not a drop of sweat on her.

“Amara,” I whisper gently. After a second, her eyes sluggishly open. Almost as if it’s a struggle to stay awake. Her blue lips tremble as she slurs out painfully. “I’m so cold. I can’t get warm.”

Not knowing what else to do, I wrap my arms around her body and carry her to the bed. At the contact, Amara cries out in pain. “Shh, baby, I got you,” I whisper calmly.

Her ice-cold hand slips out of the sheet to wrap around my neck as she tucks her head beneath my chin and sobs weakly. “Please, Kell, I’m so cold.”

As gently as I can, I lay her on the bed and try to sit up, but she won’t release me. “Please don’t go.” She begs. “You’re so warm.”

I don’t know what to do. She says it’s cold, but I’m already drenched in sweat. Running my gaze around the room, I try to figure out what to do next. Then a thought strikes me. “You have to let me go, Amara. Let me run you a warm bath.”

She shakes her head, panicked, and stutters out through her chattering teeth. “No…no more baths…they don’t work. I…took six…I can’t get warm.” She says desperately as her words end in a tremor.

Worry turns into disbelief when she exhales, and her breath comes out in a fog. Fuck! I curse out in desperation. Having no other choice, I release her and step back. She whimpers in pain and tries to reach for me, but her fingers quiver and fail to get a grip. Her eyes plead with mine, “Please, Kell. I’m so cold.” Her words spur me to take action. Moving closer, I remove my jacket and t-shirt and throw them in a nearby chair. Her eyes widen with surprise. “Wh…what are…you…doing?”

I don’t reply. Instead, I unbutton my jeans, keep my black boxer briefs on and crawl over her. “I’m going to get you warm. Do you remember last year when Mr. Shelton talked about frostbite?”

She gives me a confused nod as she pulls the covers under her chin. “Well, he said the best way to keep your body warm is through body heat,” I say as I reach for her cover and pull it off her.

She looks so cute with her thick flannel pajamas and socks. “I’m going to take some of your clothes off.” She shakes her head weakly.

I point to my chest. “Look at me. I’m warm. Do you want to get warm or not?”

She remains quiet until a shudder wracks her body again. Oo…ok…kay.” She stutters out quietly.

Without another word, I pull her pajama bottoms and top off. The mere sight of her body covered in lacy pink underwear almost undoes me. She’s perfect.

Amara’s next shudder snaps me back to the matter at hand. Sliding into the bed, I crawl in behind her and pull her body into mine, chest to chest. Sighing with relief, she pliantly curls her body into mine and closes her eyes. It’s almost humbling how trusting she is.

I can’t help but flinch when my body makes contact with her icy skin. She’s so cold that If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was holding a corpse. Sliding the blanket over us, I tuck it snugly around our bodies and kiss the top of her head.

It doesn’t take long for the shudders wracking her body to die down. Feeling exhausted, I lay my chin on her shoulder and rub my palms up and down her arms to keep her warm and whisper. “What’s wrong, Amara? Why is your body this cold?”

Looking weary, she runs her fingers over mine and whispers sleepily. “It’s the visions. It all started with the visions.”

Before I can ask, her voice drifts off, and her breathing slows down. Her eyes are closed, and she’s fast asleep in my arms. That’s definitely a first for me. Feeling tired myself, I place a kiss on her shoulder and close my eyes.

At first, it’s difficult to fall asleep knowing that the girl of my dreams is fast asleep in my arms. Thankfully, as an angel, I can regulate my body temperature so I don't overheat.

Unfortunately, that does not extend to my body’s sexual reactions. My body hardens at the feel of her curvy backside, fitting snugly against my hardening shaft. I really want to turn her over and kiss her, but I know that’s the last thing she needs right now. I continue to rub my hands up and down her body to warm her further. Eventually, my body relaxes, and sleep overtakes me.

It’s very late when I’m awakened by the sound of my cell phone ringing. Wiping the drowsiness from my eyes, I slip out of her silken arms and rifle through the pocket of my jacket. It’s Alex. Shit!

I press the answer button and put the phone against my ear. “Hey, Alex,” I whisper quietly.

Alex’s response isn’t as gentle. “Is there a reason why the school left me a message saying you weren’t in school today? Your brother said he saw you this morning. So where the hell did you go, Kell?”

Jaw tight, I rise from the bed. Amara's chest moves softly as she continues to sleep. “I did go to school, but something came up. One of my friends was really sick, and I wanted to make sure she was okay.”

He exhales loudly. “What, friend, and why aren’t you home yet? It’s eleven o’clock.” Surprised that I slept so long, I move to the window and move the curtain aside. It's pitch black, and the moon is out. “Um… it’s this girl named Amara. I guess I lost track of time.”

His calm voice resounds through the earpiece. “Then you have half an hour to get home. Got it?” I turn back to Amara’s still form. What if she has another episode? Fuck!

“I can’t,” I answered steadily.

“What do you mean you can’t? What the hell is going on, Kell?”

I gaze into the quiet night. “Like I said… my friend…the girl…she’s very sick, and there’s no one to take care of her. I don’t want to leave her alone. Please, Alex. I swear it’s nothing bad. I just don’t want something to happen to her.”

Alex’s exasperated sigh reaches my ear. “Fine, but I want your ass in school by morning, and I better see you home after that.”

Relief surges through me. “Okay. I’ll do that. Thanks, Alex.”

He says a few noncommittal things then hangs up.

Still, in my boxers, I walk back to Amara’s bed I gaze down at my beautiful girl. Unlike earlier, her cheeks are rosy, and her breathing is steady. My sweaty chest tingles and my skin feels tight. I can’t deny it anymore. I want her more than anything, and I don’t know what to do about it. My mind is in turmoil, but I know that it would be a waste of time to think about it right now. So instead, I crawl back into the bed and pull her into my arms. What I do know is that we fit perfectly.