Rourk searched her face and decided she was
telling the truth. Relaxing his grip, he stared into her eyes.
“Make no mistake. If you go near the girl again, I will kill
you.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever, I have
no interest in the girl.”
Rourk sensed she was trying to look calm but
could tell she was visible shaken.
“She is lucky.”
“What?” Rourk asked.
“Lucky to have someone who cares so much for
her.” Looking down at her black leather Converse, she scuffed her
foot against the concrete.
“Just get out of here,” Rourk sighed.
He watched the dark elf walk down the alley.
She turned once to look at him and then hurried on. Watching the
girl disappear around the corner, he hoped his chosen one had made
it home safely.
He closed his eyes to check on her and saw
she was home. A rush of relief filled his body. The constant
worrying could stop for the night. He headed home.
***
Keegan was lying in bed asleep when someone
knocked on the door. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, and called,
“Come in.”
Her mom stuck her head in and smiled.
“Hey.”
Keegan grinned back, running her hands back
through her hair. “Hey, Mom.”
Emerald walked in, pulling the door to behind
her, and propped on the edge of the bed. Staring at her daughter,
she pushed a strand of her hair out of her face, her blue eyes
searching. “What are you thinking about?”
Keegan glanced up at her mother sheepishly.
“Rourk.”
A smile crossed her mom’s face as obviously
recalled the days when she used to dream about her own chosen
partner. “You’ll meet him soon enough.”
Sighing, Keegan said, “It seems to be taking
forever. Why do I have to wait until I’m eighteen?”
“You know why. For now, just focus on
enjoying your high school years. Have fun with your friends. Be a
teenager.”
Keegan knew it was an argument she couldn’t
win. So instead, she snuggled against her mom’s side and asked,
“Will you tell me the story of how you met dad?”
Her mother’s blue eyes lit up. She climbed in
closer to Keegan and put her arm around her daughter, then started,
“As you know, it’s forbidden for us to meet our partners before
we’re both of age. Your father was much older than me, so he had to
wait longer than most.”
Keegan watched her mother’s face as she
spoke. She loved hearing this story because it took away any doubt
or fear she had about meeting Rourk.
Her mother continued, “I needed a new book,
so I went to the bookstore. First I decided that a coffee sounded
like a good idea. As I was fixing my coffee, I looked up and made
eye contact with a man. I was so taken back by my physical reaction
to him that I almost spilled my coffee. I left quickly, forgetting
all about my book.”
Keegan asked the same question she always
asked, “Why did you leave?”
A slight smile appeared on her mother’s lips.
“I felt guilty. I knew I was promised to a man I was going to meet
in three months. I shouldn’t have been so instantly drawn to
another.”
Keegan sat up a little on the bed, as if to
hear the rest of the story a little better.
“I walked as swiftly as I could, knowing
someone was behind me. I willed myself not to look back. I thought
surely it couldn’t be him. He followed me the whole way down the
mall. Once I reached the end, I had to turn around. He planted
himself in front of me. His legs were spread more than shoulder
width apart and his hands were in his pockets. I thought, ‘who does
this man think he is following me, and why is he acting so
arrogantly’?”
Continuing after a brief pause, she said, “He
asked me if I would like to go out with him. I said no. He was so
confident though that he gave me his number and told me to call
when I changed my mind.”
Keegan loved that part of the story because
she could imagine it clearly. Emerald’s face was luminous, her eyes
in the past.
“I looked at the number often but resisted
the urge to call him. I was really upset with myself because I
could not get this stranger out of my thoughts. I was so nervous
when the time came to meet your father. I was worried I would not
be attracted to him or that we would have nothing in common. You
can imagine my surprise when I came face to face with the arrogant
stranger.”
“And neither of you had any idea that the
stranger you had met at the mall was your chosen?” Keegan asked,
not needing an answer because she already knew.
Emerald laughed. “Nope, we didn’t know at
all!”
Looking up, her cheek resting against her
mother’s shoulder, Keegan said, “I hope Rourk and I will be as
happy as you and dad.”
Her mom slid from the bed, her warmth leaving
Keegan’s side. She reached over and pulled the blanket up as she
had done many times when Keegan was a child. “That is the beauty of
our kind. You will be. He’s meant for you.”
Keegan grabbed her pillow and tucked her arm
under it, then rolled to her side. “Do you think Rourk will get me
a ruby engagement ring?”
Her mother laughed, “I guess we will have to
wait and see.”
Another sign that her parents belonged
together was her mother’s engagement ring. Her mother had an
unusual name, even for an elfin—Emerald. The day they met he handed
her a box that contained a stunning antique emerald engagement
ring. He said when he saw it he knew it was for her, and at the
time, he wasn’t even aware of her name.
Ever since Keegan was a little girl, she had
dreamed of her wedding day. One thing she knew for sure was she
wanted a ruby engagement ring with diamonds on the sides in an
antique setting. She hoped Rourk wouldn’t mind. He probably
intended on giving her a diamond like everyone else.
But, maybe not. Maybe he would know exactly
what she wanted. She was imagining scenarios of Rourk proposing to
her as she drifted off to sleep.
***
Keegan woke the next morning realizing she
had slept like a rock. Just thinking this brought a smile to her
face. She loved metaphors. Rocks don’t sleep, but were always
charged with energy.
Remembering that tonight was the party at
Patrick’s, she jumped out of bed and into the shower. Her brother
banged on the door after some time and told her to stop singing. So
she just sang even louder.
To pass time, Keegan walked through the
woods, taking some more pictures and enjoying the sunshine. She
knew it was just a matter of time until fall ended and winter crept
in, making it too cold to be outside taking photographs.
She loved their land. Her parents had
purchased the seventy acres of untamed wild before Keegan was born.
It was mostly wooded and surrounded by farmland, so the seclusion
was absolute. Her father’s security measures meant it was safe for
her to wander freely. Even though she made fun of Thaddeus and Sam
for spending so much time in the woods, she was guilty of it
herself.
Keegan spent much of the afternoon lounging
around her room with the television on while she chatted on
Facebook with friends. All everybody could talk about was the
party.
For dinner, Emerald made stir-fry, cooking a
wok for Keegan with only vegetables, and piling a second wok with
beef for Thaddeus and Richard. Her family’s idle chitchat made her
antsy; the day had seemed to drag on eternally.
Lauren and Anna showed up around seven to
help her get ready for the party, toting make-up bags in their
wake. She had to admit they both looked hot. Lauren was wearing a
black and white polka dot strapless dress with a fuchsia sash tied
at the waist. The short dress accented her long legs and the dark
color was a stark contrast to her pale skin. Anna wore black skinny
jeans with a gorgeous floral tunic that showed off her long neck.
She refused to conform to the “dress to the nines” theme.
Keegan took a bunch of photos of them to post
on Facebook and Tumblr later. With Anna’s wildly colored make-up
and Lauren’s smoky eyes, they were made to be photographed.
Keegan decided on a green, one shoulder
chiffon dress with black heels. She let Anna do her make-up but
made her promise to not get too wild. Lauren put Keegan’s hair up
with loose curls falling down around her face.
“Your lips and eyes stand out even more than
usual with your hair up,” Lauren said, fluffing the curls around
Keegan’s face.
“Aw, thank you, but I think all the credit
goes to you and your magical skills,” Keegan responded, happy with
the girl who was staring back at her in the mirror.
Lauren laughed, gesturing to herself
dramatically. “I am quite magical.”
Standing up, Keegan paused so Anna could run
a blusher brush over Keegan’s cheeks one last time.
“Anna, you should change into flats,” Keegan
said, frowning up at her friend. “You already tower over me as it
is.”
“Sure, blame me for your diminutive stature.
If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were secretly a
pixie.”
“As if!” Keegan laughed loudly.
Once they were all satisfied with their
looks, it was time to go.
I
nitially they were going to take Lauren’s car, but
Keegan’s father offered to drive them. Keegan didn’t know if it was
because he was worried they would drink or he just really wanted to
do something for his daughter. He dropped them off, fashionably
late, of course. By the time they arrived, the party was in full
swing.
Patrick’s house was in a big suburban
neighborhood. It was a nice two story brick Colonial with lovely
landscaping and enough space between the houses to justify a party.
All the windows were alight and the solid
thump thump
of the music’s bass
could be heard from the sidewalk.
When they walked through the door the first
thing they saw was Patrick, obviously drunk and with his arm around
some blond chick. He saw the girls walk in and sauntered over to
them, leaving the blond pouting.
“You guys are going to catch this house on
fire,” he said loudly, throwing his arms around Keegan and Lauren’s
necks. The blond chick did not appear to be thrilled by the
statement, her glare speaking volumes down the hallway.
Lauren and Anna looked at Keegan who just
rolled her eyes, grabbed them by their arms and pushed past
Patrick. He was officially off her list.
The speed at which Lauren found Josh was
astonishing. No sooner had they found the mass of the party dancing
in the living room then the two of them were off making out in a
corner.
The music was blaring too loud for
conversation. The room smelled like liquor and sweat as partygoers
rubbed against one another in the dimly lit room. One of Keegan’s
favorite songs came on, so she grabbed Anna and they went out and
lost themselves on the dance floor.
Halfway through the song, Patrick danced his
way onto the floor and screamed over the music, “Hey, I thought you
were coming here to see me?”
Shooting him a disgusted look, Keegan turned
away and pulled Anna further across the room.
Guys are such jerks
. She
couldn’t wait until she turned 18 and didn’t have to deal with them
any longer. She wondered what Rourk was doing at that very moment
and whether he might have been at a party with a girl.
***
Why is she doing this to me?
Rourk moaned inwardly.
She seemed to be thinking of him often these days. It was driving
him crazy.
He was playing “Left for Dead” on his Xbox
360 and the urge to throw his controller at the wall was mindless.
He tried to continue slaying zombies but couldn’t stay focused.
Frustrated, he tossed down the controller and got to his feet, just
like a puppy dog obeying its master. At least, that’s what he felt
like.
He closed his eyes to get a grasp on where
she was. He liked the hunt and tried to figure out her location
from her surroundings. Grabbing his car keys, he headed for the
truck and set off in search of her.
The house was so loud he could hear the music
from a block away. Once he was in front of the house, he closed his
eyes but didn’t like what he saw.
What is she doing at a place like this?
he
thought.
There are
so many drunk kids acting like fools, and she’s dancing like she
doesn’t have a care in the world
.
Rourk watched as a blond kid approached
Keegan. The kid was obviously drunk, and it appeared he was trying
to get her to dance with him but she turned away. The kid grabbed
her by the shoulder and turned her around, causing anger to surge
up inside Rourk. When she pushed the kid away again, it was none
too gently, and Rourk didn’t bother to suppress the smirk on his
face.
Next, an orange-haired lanky boy approached
her. She looked excited to see him. He started dancing with Keegan
and her friends, but Rourk wasn’t sure if the kid was really
dancing or just playing around; he looked like an imbecile.
Unfortunately, he could tell Keegan liked the guy just from the
look on her face.
His heart slammed in his chest and adrenaline
raced through him. He couldn’t stand the thought of Keegan having a
crush on someone. There was no getting over the effect the girl had
on him. Even with all his training, he was not prepared for the
feelings she evoked in him.
Turn and leave,
he kept telling himself, but his
legs wouldn’t cooperate. He was captivated by her, and not just by
her beauty; there was something more.
***
Keegan was relieved to see Donald approach
them. She was getting sick of Patrick constantly annoying her with
his disgusting beer breath and too-friendly hands. She smiled as
Donald danced up to her and Anna.
“Where did you learn to dance, Donald?” she
said, trying to suppress the giggles his gyrating instilled in
her.