“You okay? You look a little pale," he said under his breath.
“Just tired.” I fought a yawn as I took my seat at the table.
Everyone passed the cartons back and forth, dumping mounds of food onto our plates. I hadn't realized how famished I was until the smell of spicy eggplant and orange chicken wafted up from my plate. Words escaped me as I deftly twirled Chow mein onto my chopsticks and shoveled chicken into my mouth. Thankfully, Robert took the conversational reins and regaled Becky with stories about Europe. She clung to his every word. If there was anything Becky loved more than her computer it was traveling.
After dinner, Becky and Aaron refused to let us help clean so Robert and I went to the living room and sat on the couch to nurse our full stomachs.
“How you doing?” Robert asked as he gave me a thoughtful smile. We sat close together. The smell of his cologne hung in the air. I was already a little lightheaded from the wine and the smell of Robert so near made my head spin.
“I’m fine, why do you keep asking?" I cocked my head to the side.
“I’m just making sure.” He leaned even closer so he could keep his voice low. “You used a lot of Magic today. That’s not something your body’s used to yet.”
“I’m much better now that I have food in me.”
“Good.” Robert smiled and brushed my hair behind my ear.
I returned his smile and held his gaze for a moment. His eyes were soft and tender. I looked down, trying to hide the blush that had rushed to my cheeks, but Robert lifted my chin back up to look at him. The tenderness remained but I saw a fire that wasn’t there a moment ago. I leaned a little closer to him and he moved his hand from my chin to my hair. I could feel the hesitation in his shoulders as our lips grazed and he pulled me against him.
A loud crash came from the kitchen and the magic of the moment disappeared. His hand fell from my neck and I backed away from him.
“Everything alright?” Robert called out, clearing his throat.
“Yeah!” Becky yelled from the kitchen, followed shortly by angry mumbling between her and her brother.
Becky and Aaron joined us a minute later and Aaron selected a movie on Netflix. Becky sat on the couch next to me in a way that made it impossible for me not to be pushed against Robert and Aaron sprawled out on the loveseat to the left of us. The movie was a thriller and while I normally loved them I found myself not in the mood to see people get hunted down and killed. I thought Robert could sense I wasn’t enjoying the film because he put his arm around me and gave me a slight squeeze. It was a reassuring gesture and I was grateful to have someone who knew the ins and outs of what was going on with me. I did feel a little guilty that Becky wasn’t this person. She had always been my rock to lean on in the past, but there was no way she could comfort me now. I picked up my glass to take another sip of wine but discovered it was empty.
“Let me,” Robert said, taking my glass.
Aaron stood needing a refill as well. “Another one, Beck?” he asked.
“Yes, please,” she said with a smile. Becky paused the movie and the guys went to the kitchen to refill our drinks.
“You seem different with him,” Becky noted.
“I feel different,” I bit my lip trying to keep my feelings from gushing out of me. After all, the guys were just in the other room.
“You guys balance each other out.” Becky’s smile stretched from ear to ear as she lightly bounced up and down next to me. “He seems good for you,” she added.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I said, needing to hear the words myself.
“You can’t honestly tell me nothing’s happened between you guys.” Becky leaned closer, anticipating some juicy gossip.
“Not a thing.” Resentment laced my reply. Had Becky and Aaron not caused such a ruckus in the kitchen then maybe something more would have happened, but c’est la vie.
“Well why not?” she asked, near whining with disappointment. She eyed me and I could tell that she assumed I was the one holding things up.
I shrugged. I really didn’t have a good answer for her and it frustrated me as much as it did her.
“So you do want something more to happen,” she declared, reading me like a book. Becky’d always had a knack for picking up on my emotions.
“It’s complicated,” I sighed.
“What’s holding you back?”
“Honestly, nothing on my part. He’s the one who’s hesitant.” I let out another sigh. I did want something to happen between us and knew it would eventually. I flushed, thinking about the kiss from my vision. It was filled with so much passion, so much need. My skin tingled at the thought of his touch. I really did hope this was a vision and not just a fantasy.
“Bullshit, I’ve had my eyes on him since I got home. He watches you when you’re not looking, and he dotes on you like you’re royalty,” Becky challenged.
“He’s just worried about me,” I mumbled. Of course he looked at me like I was royalty. The Magical world had been waiting for me for generations.
Robert and Aaron came back in the room and Becky let the topic drop. Robert handed me my glass and sat back down beside me. We finished watching the movie and I had to turn my head from the screen for the last half. I couldn’t stomach watching people be brutally murdered, even if the blood was just red-dyed corn syrup and the victims were just actors. Robert put his arm around me and I rested my head against his chest. As I listened to the even beating of his heart, exhaustion took hold of me and I fell asleep in his arms.
Chapter 16
I awoke the next morning still feeling a little worn out. A low hum resonated deep within my bones. My magic wasn’t the monster of anxiety it had been before, but it had definitely grown in strength while I slept. I stretched my arms and legs and rolled over to look at the clock on the nightstand. Seven thirty-two. I had a good half hour before I actually needed to start getting ready for the day so I grabbed the journal Robert had given me from off the nightstand.
Propping myself up with a couple pillows, I got comfortable. The journal felt like a ton of bricks in my hand as I ran my fingers over the soft leather cover and gently flipped it open. The binding crackled like kindling as I slowly turned each page. I stopped a couple of entries in and began to read.
14 December, 1789
Belinda’s words fill my thoughts. My bones will be dust in the earth by the time her prophecy comes to pass, but I cannot help wondering about the future. It must be such a curse to know all that has passed and what is to come, to not be able to live in the present moment. I admit to seeing the benefit of getting a glimpse of the future now and again, but what would I do with that sort of information? Would I stop trying in the now and simply wait for the future to come? Would my inaction lead to an alternative future? It is silly of me to ponder such things, I know. Soothsayers aren’t like the rest of us. The blood in their veins gives them the strength to harness their ability. Still, I can’t help but wonder if it must be hard for them to always know.
“Aren't like the rest of us?” I said, re-reading the line. What could the writer possibly mean by that? I rose from bed and walked to the living room in search of Robert. As I turned the corner, I re-read the paragraph again.
I looked up from the journal as I reached the back of the couch to see Robert still fast asleep. One arm lay across his chest while the other lay on the pillow above his head. He wore a grey t-shirt and a quilt over the bottom half of his body. His hair was messy and his face wore the stubble of a long night. My heart tugged at the sight of him and I smiled at how peaceful he looked. I wanted to go to his side and run my fingers through his unkempt hair, but instead I settled for the loveseat adjacent to him. Turning my attention back to the journal I flipped forward a couple pages while I waited for Robert to wake up.