Bound by Duty (Bound Series Book 1) (10 page)

I hadn’t moved from my original position on the bed, rapt with need for more of Rynna’s words. I wasn’t fading away yet, but it seemed as if I could. Like I could slowly lose the pieces of myself to this duty. Pieces I was only just finding and putting together.

“The boy she loved couldn’t stand it. He also understood the duty that fell to her and tried his best to honor her wishes, but as he watched her wither away, he realized he couldn’t do it any longer. So, one day as she walked her normal path to the castle, he hid in the bushes and snatched her off the path. She realized immediately who held her, as their magic had been too far apart for too long, and wept into his arms. He offered her two choices. He said that he would leave the village forever and let her do the duty she was bound to, or they could run away that very night. That she could choose love and the rest of the world would have to figure out how to save themselves. He told her that she couldn’t sacrifice herself for others unless it was truly what she felt she wanted to do. That she was choosing her fate; that her heart knew her path and she needed to trust it.”

Rynna paused again and I caught the sound of a sniffle on her end. She cleared her throat and ended her story with words I should have seen coming but was still shocked to hear.

“Your mother and father ran from our village that night and never returned, Amelia. They lived many blissfully happy years together and she never once voiced regret for choosing love. So, I want you to think about that. As you learn more about who you are and what you are capable of, know that you are not the first to walk this path and that the choices truly are yours. Your heart is yours to give, it is no ones to take. Not a queen. Not a prince. No one.”

“Wait. Ryn, that means you know more, right? You know more about who I am and what I can do?” I was so hopeful to finally get answers from someone I trusted. Someone who could tell me the whole truth.

“Amelia, I’ve already said more than I should have. I have to go. But think about what I said. Choose your path.” And with that, she hung up.

I stared at the disconnected phone in my hand, replaying her words in my head and connecting the dots from her words to my situation. Could I do that? Could I walk away from this? I didn’t have someone I loved asking me to run away, but I had something. Well, maybe I had something if I hadn’t ruined it completely already.

And, my mother. The mystery of a woman I knew so little about; she had been forced to make this same choice. I suddenly felt closer to her than I ever could have dreamed and found myself picturing her and my father in their younger days, in love and happy. Wishing I could have known those people for just a short time. I dropped back onto the bed and let my mind wander down paths it had never been. What could my life truly be like if it were my own choice?

It wasn’t until much later that I realized Rynna had never answered my original question and I still had no idea where my father was or how he was doing.

I circled our apartment for the fifteenth time, pacing the length of the living room and hallway, past the framed photos and cute decor we’d collected over the past few months. My mind was going in so many different directions, I just needed Bethany to get home already — before I changed my mind, yet again. Finally, I heard the entry door to the complex slam shut and her quick steps up the flight of stairs. I laughed a little at the shock on her face as I wrenched the door open. She stood on the other side wearing a look of surprise with her keys held up toward where the lock should have been.

I grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her in for a hug. This time, she did laugh and asked into my shoulder, “What’s gotten into you, chica?” I pulled away and couldn’t stop my grin. “I need your help, B. I’ve been an idiot. You were right. I do want to date Aidan. I like him. I really like him. You’ve got to help me get him back.”

That Cheshire smile was back as her eyes sparkled with mischief and she rubbed her palms together. “You’ve come to the right place, sugar. No one meddles in love lives better than a southern girl,” she said, her accent heavily exaggerated. We couldn’t stop the fit of laughter that brought on and collapsed onto opposite ends of the couch to make our plan.

I tugged at the bottom of my deep purple dress, already feeling uncomfortable with how short and fitted it was. Bethany came up behind me, smacking my hand. “Stop that now. You’ll mess up my masterpiece!”

I was standing in front of the mirror, debating on the right shoes for my outfit, and honestly couldn’t believe the miracle B had pulled off. She was still twirling and twisting the curls she’d spent an hour on, spraying hair spray here and there. As I continued to switch from one foot to the other, trying to make a decision, she finally let out a deeply exaggerated sigh and said, “The black ones. Good gravy, Amelia, if he’s looking at your shoes I’ve failed at life.” I couldn’t help but laugh, yet it was cut short as panic set in.

“Are you sure this is a good plan, B? I mean, did you tell Micah what we’re doing? Does he understand that we’re just going to crash their man date?” She gave me a sideways glance and hid behind my hair.

“
Ohmygod!
You didn’t tell him! B! This was
your plan
. I can’t do this. This is stupid. He’s going to think I’m an idiot.” I kicked out my leg, effectively tossing the silver shoe I wasn’t wearing across the room and feeling a measure of satisfaction at the sound of it smacking against my closet door. Only, now I had on one three-inch heel and not the other, so as I tried to glare at my best friend for being a deviant little coward, I looked and felt ridiculous. She stifled a laugh at my glare mixed with my odd posture, so I grabbed an old stuffed animal off the bed and chucked it at her head.

“I know. I
know
!” Bethany was laughing as she dodged the bear and held her hands up in surrender. “I know, girl. But, it’s all part of the plan! I’ve been on him for days about how he was such a jerk to Aidan and Aidan doesn’t seem to have many friends, so I subtly suggested they should check out Cole’s gym.” She shrugged, looking a little sheepish. “They’re both into training, right? And then I might have also subtly suggested they get some food.”

“B? Subtle? You’re about as subtle as a shovel to the forehead.” She shrugged again and smirked, giving me a wink. “Girl, I get things done. Now, put your damn shoe on and let’s go.”

As we pulled up to the restaurant where Micah told Bethany they’d be eating, she and I were still debating the intelligence of sending them to Cole’s gym.

“B, you understand that my brother is going to freak out if he figures out I’m dating Aidan, right?” I groaned at the thought. “I’ve never dated anyone. You know how protective he is. You couldn’t have sent them anywhere else?”

That was an understatement. When Cole figured out what I was doing, he was going to be furious. For so many reasons, not the least of which would be taking my focus off of wrangling my power. Which, at the moment, was pushing and shoving its way out of its box and into my system. Just to calm my nerves, I gave it a little push and let a small stream whiz through me. The eager anticipation it gave off at being close to Aidan again replaced the stone in my stomach and I was able to unbuckle my seatbelt and turn to Bethany.

She grabbed my hand, likely expecting my nerves. Squeezing it, she said, “Girl, I know you. You always do everything everyone else wants you to do. You’ve been a grown up your whole stinking life. It’s great your brother is back in your life but don’t you forget that he disappeared on you for years, leaving you on your own. Don’t you let him make your decisions for you. College — no… life, Amelia, is about doing it your way. Even if all you do is date Aidan for the next two weeks and then decide there’s someone else better on down the line, so be it. This is your life. Your choice. You make it.”

It was the second time in as many days I’d gotten the same speech from two women I loved and trusted. Two women who knew me. As I let out the breath I’d been holding, I said, “You’re right, B, as usual. It’s my turn.”

As we got out of her Jeep and walked around to head toward the front door, we both realized we had no idea what we were walking in to. Esmerelda’s was something else. It was all dark red brick and looked more like it had been snatched off of the streets of London than built in a beach town in California. It was two stories with a peaked roof and wrought iron detailing. It sat at an angle on the square block, the front door facing the corner. Sitting above the door was a huge stone statue of a woman with long hair dressed in flowing robes, holding something in her hands I couldn’t quite see. I forced a smile as I turned to Bethany. “Here goes nothing!”

The smile she returned was tentative as well, but she nodded and we walked inside.

It was dark and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust. The entry way was lit with low lighting and the walls were hung with ornate tapestries. This truly was the weirdest restaurant I’d ever been in. As we looked around, both trying to spot Micah and Aidan, a hostess approached.

Her eyes were cold and her tone clipped. “Excuse me. This is a private club and we don’t just allow anyone in here.” In her perfectly-tailored blazer and skirt, she looked more like a CEO than a hostess, but she stood behind the podium and made it clear that we had stumbled into the wrong place.

I started to speak, but my voice failed me. Bethany piped up instead, her voice louder than it needed to be. “Well, hiya! We actually were invited here. Micah Clair is expecting us.”

Grabbing my hand and giving me a look that made her intention clear, Bethany led me straight past the Ice Queen and into the main dining room. “Excuse me. Excuse me! Girls!” It took the woman a minute to extricate herself from behind her podium and that moment was all Bethany needed to locate Micah and Aidan at a table in the back of the room. Her pace quickened and just as the woman caught up to us, she caught Micah’s eye. “Well, hey there! Fancy meeting you boys here.”

First, I saw panic. Then, a quick flash of red as he looked around the rest of the restaurant as if he were expecting someone else. In one more blink, he was all smiles for Bethany.

There was absolutely something off with that guy. I was starting to wonder if buddying up to him might have its advantages in other ways when I remembered that Aidan was also at the table. Just as Aidan was turning in his chair, Micah finally addressed the squawking hostess. “Natalia, it’s fine. These ladies are my guests.” With just a few words and a quick cold glance of his own, Natalia completely shut down, nodded, and walked away. But, not before attempting to kill us with her death glare, which Bethany returned with her own “bless your heart” smile.

As I turned back toward the table, I found myself eye-to-eye with Aidan. He had stood up and was simply staring. Looking me up and down, his gaze moved from surprise to smoldering in the span of a few short seconds. It stopped my breath to think I could affect someone like this. That just a little make-up, some hair spray, and a dress could make him speechless. I was powerful in a whole new way.

I allowed a slow smile to develop. “Hi.” The Pop Rocks were back and the lid had busted off of the cage inside me. All I wanted him to do was touch me so I could feel that electricity between us.

“Well, hello yourself, doll.” Aidan’s voice was deep and thick.

Micah cleared his throat from behind us, reminding Aidan and I that we weren’t alone and that we were actually standing in a very strange restaurant with our friends. We turned to find Micah with his arm around Bethany, both seated at the table. She couldn’t stop smiling but he was doing a terrible job of trying to hide his scowl. “Won’t you join us?” he asked, gesturing to the other two chairs. Aidan pulled one out for me and we both sat.

“To what do we owe the pleasure, ladies?” Micah asked, a positivity I didn’t quite buy in his tone. “I don’t think I realized that you were planning to join us, Bethany.” He smiled as if he were amused but it didn’t quite make it to his eyes.

“A girl has to keep you on your toes,” she said with a laugh. “Besides, we figured you two would be bored after all that training talk, so we thought we could liven up the party. But, truly, Micah, honey, why are you eating here?” Her nose wrinkled as she looked around.

I allowed my gaze to roam and couldn’t disagree. There really weren’t any other patrons here and the whole place was dark and dreary. The paintings that hung on the walls looked like they’d been done hundreds of years ago. The brush strokes were thick, the paint colors dark like the rest of the décor, and the frames massive and gilded.

As I brought my gaze back around, I locked eyes with Aidan. He still hadn’t said a word outside of our initial conversation and simply kept staring. This time though, his stare was questioning. I was sure he was wondering what my game was, but at this point I wasn’t even sure. I just knew I wasn’t ready to be out with it yet, so I looked up at him from under my lashes and did my best to silently flirt.

“My parents actually own this place, so I come here often. It’s a private club though, which is why you had some issues up front,” Micah explained.

“Oh, so it’s like a country club? I’ve never been to a country club like this!” Bethany craned her neck to look around, as if she were expecting sunburned baby boomers to pop out in their polo shirts and ugly pants.

Micah continued, chuckling a little and shaking his head. “It’s something like a country club, but not exactly. You simply needed to let me know and I could have made it easier for you to come in. If you’d prefer, we can head elsewhere.” Thankfully, Micah had given his attention back to Bethany and they continued their conversation, deciding where we should go.

“Did you have fun today?” I asked quietly. We still hadn’t looked away from each other. Aidan’s dimple appeared as he smirked. “As much as I could, given the company. The gym we checked out is cool. I signed up. But, I’m not sure exactly why I’m here. Or, why you are.” His eyes roamed again and I allowed mine to do the same. He had on a black button down, the sleeves rolled to his forearms, and the ever-present leather cuffs on his wrists. His hair was intentionally mussed and I wanted to reach up and run my fingers through it.