Chapter 57-4

"Look, Gabriel. I know what I did was... Wrong. Considering the fact that I'd done it once before." "You didn't do it this time around." I furrowed my eyebrows. "Oh," "I love you, Alex. And I know you love me so I'm not worrying or upset." "But you're furious." "Not with you. With Cameron." "When have you not been furious with Cam?" He turned me so my back was pressed against his chest. He stretched his arm out for my head to lay on and rested his hand on my stomach. "I want to stop talking about him now." I nodded and my hair brushed against his chest. "That's fine." He stroked up and down my arms and both of us remained silent. I was getting sleepy with every stroke and I had to force myself to stay awake. "Go to sleep, Lexie." He whispered in my ear. I shook my head. "I don't want to." "Go to sleep." The tears were coming... "If I sleep... I know you won't he here when I wake up." His cool breath hit the back of my neck before he said, "If I wasn't here when you woke up... then you should know that I'll always love you," My body was shaking with unvoiced sobs. My eyes watering like a fountain and my face was screwed up with pain. "You should know that I'll never stop loving you. I'll never stop thinking about you. You'll always own a part of my heart and no matter how long this takes... I'll still be with you. And now that you have nothing to worry about, I want you to live. Be human. Do something I never had the chance to do. Promise me you’ll try." He moved my hair from my shoulder and kissed the skin. I touched my hand to his that was resting on my stomach. "I’ll try.” He buried his face in my hair as I said, “I love you." "And you know I'll always love you." He kissed the back of my neck. "Now sleep for me, sweetie." I started to feel my body relax and my eyes droop but I held on. I didn't want to sleep. I wanted to spend what little time I had left talking with him. His hands massaged up and down my arm and my waist making me feel even more relaxed. And without even realizing it, everything went black. And when I opened my eyes again, it was just about daylight... And the space beside me was empty. As I sat up and pulled the blanket tighter around me, I looked at the empty spot beside me. I sat there until the sun rose completely. I forced my tired body to its feet and shrugged on the t-shirt. I stood there by the stream staring at my reflection still registering the fact that Gabriel was gone… Gone. He’s… gone. I blinked the tears back and look up at the sky. I promised him I’d try to live a normal life. But I knew it wasn’t possible. Not after everything I’d been through. But for him I’d try… I clenched my fists as they started shaking. I was angry… I was emotional… And I was numb. I shut my eyes as I worked to let my wings rip from my back. The tips shot out of the t-shirt and stretched behind me. I shivered and shook my wings out. I let my wings vibrate and got used to the feel of them moving. My feet hovered off the ground momentarily and I dropped back to the ground. I didn’t have time to train or get used to the feel of them. I started moving them back and forth and pushed off the ground. I rocketed straight through the sky and into the clouds. My vision blurred as the tears rolled straight off my cheeks and into the cold air. I banked to the left and glided through the air with the intention of going straight home… Flying was the most exhilarating feeling in the entire world. But I couldn’t live in the moment properly. My heart was too broken and my body was too numb. When I caught sight of the house, I slowed down my pace and allowed myself to drop. I was tiring fast and I knew I had to have more experience to fly further distances. I hovered just above the ground and dropped to my feet. No one was out yet but she would be coming out of the house soon… I grunted as my wings moved into my back and cracked into place. I rolled my shoulders and watched the door open. My mother shut the door a little behind her with a large plastic garbage bag in her hand. When she turned to me she gasped and dropped the bag. I assumed she didn’t know I was missing. I assumed she didn’t see what happened almost eight hours ago. She looked at what I was wearing and frowned. “Sweetheart, what are you doing here dressed like that?” I’d missed my mother’s English accent. I missed her light green eyes and the way she used to resemble me. I missed her so much. I looked down at my dirty feet and inhaled deeply. “Mom, can I come home?” She noticed how my voice shook and rushed forward. Her hands grabbed my arms and she squeezed. “Of course you can honey. What happened? Is everything okay?” I shook my head, sighed and looked up at her. I put on a smile for her and said, “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. I just miss you that’s all.” She smiled and brought me in for a hug. “Aww baby, of course you can come home.” “And…” Be normal, he said. “I want to go back to school.” She pulled back and searched my face. I was thankful she didn’t ask me anything else about why I was here, what happened to me and how it brought me to her doorstep. She took me inside the rented house and explained to the family I was back. In time, I’d erase what was in their minds of me ever leaving. In time I would come to accept the fact that Gabriel is gone and will be gone for a very long time. But right now, I couldn’t do it. Right now, I was left without him and heartbroken. But it was my entire fault. That’s also something I would have to come to accept. I was left with two permanent marks in my life that will be impossible for me to remove. The first? Gabriel’s mark in my heart will be there forever now that I’m immortal. And the second mark? I looked down at my hand as I showered. I stared at the winding tattoo on my arm and ran it through my hair. The Mark of a Fallen Angel.