Ever (19 page)

“Yeah, me, too. I was wrecked,” I replied, taking a bite of my sandwich.

“Oh great. Here she comes.” Naomi slipped on her shades as Val approached, but even though she was successful at hiding her eyes, I caught the waver in her energy.

Part of me wondered why we were all still pretending to be civil to one another when it was obvious that Val was pissed at me, and Naomi was pissed at Val. Still, we both smiled at our resident energy vampire when she slung her purse onto the stairs.

Val sat down without a word. I could see that her energy was dull and gray. Subdued. Dara was right behind her, and she gave the rest of us a worried look.

“What’s up?” I asked.

Val let out a long sigh, her head bowed, but other than that gave no answer.

“She’s sooo depressed about Mike,” Dara supplied.

The guy from the pizza place?

“I’m sorry, Val. I know how much you liked him.” I was trying really hard to focus on helping her, even though I could sense that she was about to lash out. I could literally feel something building in the air. Thanks to my new understanding, I knew that what Val was doing now was probably an unconscious attempt to raise her energy. I slammed up my barriers to shield myself from the potential blast.

Right on cue, Val wailed, “You guys could never understand what it’s like! I mean, I meet the hottest, sweetest guy ever, and I can’t even see him! Unless you’ve had, like a
real
relationship, you could never understand!”

There was the dig. Val was using her relationship status to bring the rest of us down. I could see swirls questing out, as the insecurities activated by her words impacted Naomi and Dara. Her energy smoke came closer but it bounced off my invisible barrier. The others weren’t so lucky. Both Dara’s and Naomi’s energy took a hit, their auras darkening as some of their energy was siphoned.

Naomi and Dara both looked depressed now, while Val seemed to gain control over herself. I didn’t like what I was seeing, but I wasn’t sure how to stop it. I wanted a way out, but leaving now, while Val was obviously distressed, wouldn’t be cool. My phone buzzed from my pack and I pulled it out with as much nonchalance as I could muster. Other than my folks, the only people whom ever texted me were sitting right in front of me.

I peeked at the message and hid my face behind my hand. Smiling would
so
not be appropriate right now. But Jaren was thinking about me. My heart beat faster at the idea of seeing him again. Alone.

Jaren: Point Park. 3:00 p.m.

I quickly typed out a reply without taking my phone from my pack.

Me: Okay.

Jaren: Bring
The Archive
:)

Me: Okay.

I contemplated adding my own smiley face before hitting send, but reconsidered. Why couldn’t I think of something cute to say back? I was totally lame. I went back to my lunch, renewed at the thought of being alone in the park with Jaren Wilder. I was even able to handle Val’s play-by-play description of what exactly she did in the woods with Mike. What she let him do to her sounded pretty gross. I let my thoughts drift back to how amazing it had felt to sleep wrapped in Jaren’s arms. I nearly choked on my water, drawing the attention of all three girls, as I imagined doing the things Val described—with Jaren.

Suddenly, those things didn’t seem as gross any more.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The Kiss Stealer

P
oint Park was named for the steep cliff that bordered it on one side. The place was rugged and beautiful, dotted with trees and shrubs. There was an old, abandoned lighthouse sitting proudly atop the point’s drop-off over the ocean. Of course, there were tons of ghost stories about that place. A historical society did tours on Sundays with a creepy old caretaker. Every year, the high school drama club staged a pretty decent haunted house there. I had never gone inside it, but I had spent quite a few afternoons just inside the gate that surrounded the lighthouse, beneath a majestic tree with branches that extended out like they were asking for an embrace.

Had I always had an affinity for trees? Maybe so, and now I knew why. There was good energy here. It wasn’t as strong as what I had felt in the woods of Yosemite, but the tree in the park hummed with a quiet presence all its own. Maybe it had always compelled me, even though I couldn’t sense the energy then the way I could now.

It turned out that I wasn’t the only one who liked this particular place. After saying hello and pointing to the spot next to him under the tree, Jaren explained that it was one of his favorites, too. He had spent time here as a child—it was a wonder that we hadn’t run into each other at the park before.

“So, read me the attunement that involves the herb from the bookstore, and then we can go through the other ones, too, to make sure we haven’t missed anything.”

“Um, sure.” I pulled out the journal and noticed the slight tremor in my hands as I opened it. I took a deep breath to steady myself.

“Don’t be nervous.” His warm hand covered mine and I jerked away, irritated at how easy it was for him to read me.

“I’m
not
nervous!”

Jaren grinned wickedly, raising a sculpted brow as he looked down at my shaking hand. All thoughts of the attunements flew right out of my head. I couldn’t get the memory of kissing him out of my mind. It was probably just a one-time thing—like he said, to distract me. As I ripped my attention from his beautiful mouth, Jaren reached out and trailed one long finger down my arm. I stopped breathing altogether, both of us watching as goose flesh followed his lazy progress toward my wrist. Finally, I met his eyes, surprised to find that they had darkened from blue to a stormy gray. What happened next was entirely unexpected.

“I can’t get that out of my head either.”

I heard myself gasp as Jaren leaned toward me, determination in his eyes. My eyes fluttered closed and finally his warm mouth came down on mine. I prayed that this time, I would be able to control myself, but I failed miserably. I had no idea what I was doing in the make-out department, but my body seemed to just take over, which was great because I had been rendered incapable of rational thought the second he touched me.

Jaren’s mouth was heaven. His tongue moved like velvet, tracing my lower lip.
The Archive
fell out of my hand into the soft grass that carpeted the ground. He placed gentle pressure on my shoulders and I reclined until I was lying on my back. My legs fell open and it was the most natural thing in the world for him to position his long, lean body between them. Jaren held himself over me, kissing me like his life depended on it. White-hot fire rocketed from my lips straight down into my toes. Urgently, I found my hand fumbling at his waist, seeking the hem of his tee shirt.

Finally, my hand found what it sought so desperately. I splayed my hand over his smooth, warm back, pulling him closer. He pressed into me, rubbing right against a certain spot between my legs that made me ache. Skin on skin, my hand moved over the taut muscles I found under Jaren’s shirt.

I let out a low moan and Jaren responded with a slightly pained groan of his own. Then he tore his mouth from mine. I was swimming in a sea of bliss, wanting nothing more than for him to kiss me again. I was an addict, drugged by his beautiful mouth. I reached for him, but Jaren levered himself up and away from me, breathing hard.

It was several moments before I could move at all. I lay there, panting like I had just run the track. Once I was able to open my eyes, I expected him to be grinning at me, in that self-assured way he had about him. I touched my fingers to my kiss-swollen lips. I was surprised to find Jaren regarding me, his eyes nearly black with intensity.

“Uh,” was all that would come out of my mouth.

“Yeah. That about sums it up.”

He sounded frustrated. Had I done something wrong? I opened my mouth and then closed it again, having no idea what to say. I picked myself up, my legs feeling like rubber, and retrieved
The Archive
from where it had fallen. Jaren stared at the lighthouse as I hesitated, wondering what to do. This was not how I expected the aftermath of my second kiss to be at all. Suddenly, everything seemed so wrong. Several minutes passed as I waited for him to say something—anything. Anything at all.

He didn’t.

“Maybe—maybe I should go,” I whispered. Yes. I should leave. Go home. Crawl under the covers and never come out. I could do home study…I began to shuffle around for my things.

“Don’t go.” Jaren still sounded pained.

“Did I—did I do something wrong?” I asked in a tiny voice, fearing the answer.

Well, I didn’t need an answer, did I? All I had to do was to look at Jaren. Obviously, I had done something very,
very
wrong. His energy was all jumbled, and he seemed to be focusing on a spot far out in the ocean. He held himself stiffly, as though he could hardly stand to be around me.

Well,
he
had kissed
me!
Again! It wasn’t my fault I didn’t know what I was doing. Suddenly, I was angry. I planted my hands on my hips.

“It’s not
my
fault I don’t know what I’m doing! You could give me some kind of, like, advanced warning when you’re going to do that, you know!” I cried.

I turned toward the lighthouse, crossing my arms over my chest. My nipples were poking out through my pathetic excuse for a bra even though it wasn’t cold outside. I hunched my shoulders, trying to make my predicament less obvious. Thankfully, the only other people visible in the park were yards away, paying us no attention.

Jaren stood up, rather awkwardly. I peeked at his face and noticed the tension was replaced by that familiar, lopsided grin. “What did you say?”

“You heard me! If I’m not…doing it right…well, it’s not like I know what I’m doing or anything.
You’re
the one who kissed
me!
You can’t just expect me to know…”

I trailed off at his incredulous look. “
What?
Stop looking at me that way, Jaren Wilder!”

“I’m sorry! I just assumed…was that—was that time in the grove your first kiss?”

I blushed to the roots of my hair.
Wasn’t it obvious?

“Are you making fun of me?” My voice had gone up an octave and tears pricked my eyes.

He went all serious and quiet. “No. Not at all. Please believe me, Ever.”

“Am I that bad?” I whispered. God, this was so embarrassing.

“Oh, hell.”

Jaren pushed his hands through his hair, making it stand up all spiky and sexy. “You’re so innocent. You really have no idea, what it’s like…”

I had no clue what he was talking about. Innocent? That’s how he saw me? Of course I was “innocent.” No guy had ever shown me the slightest bit of interest until now, and I knew it was because I had the body of a ten-year old boy. Until last week, I was sure I would die a never-been-kissed virgin.

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t believe we are having this conversation.”

“Well, we don’t have to have any sort of conversation,” I retorted. “You’re the one who asked me to meet you here. You’re the one who insists on, um, kissing me unexpectedly! And then you act all butt hurt about something…”

“It’s not my butt that hurts, Ever.”

Huh?
I must have looked totally confused because he finally gestured to himself, well,
there,
and understanding finally dawned.

“Oh! I mean…oh. Um, so what you’re saying is that you…oh.” I couldn’t even get the words out. I was sure I was a brilliant shade of purple by now.

Jaren shook his head. “I just can’t believe that was your first kiss back there at the grove…looks like I’m one lucky guy.”

Lucky?
Well, now I knew that Jaren Wilder was certifiable.

“You kissed me to distract me,” I said slowly.
Not because you wanted to.

“I kissed you to distract you but I had to stop before we went too far. It wasn’t the place. Or the time.”

Oh. Wait, really?

“I guess you should know—I’ve had a few girlfriends.”

Duh. Look at him! Why did the thought of Jaren kissing another girl make me feel like someone was pressing a searing hot poker directly on my heart?

“I’ve done my share of kissing.”

Ouch! Why was he torturing me with these evil words?

“But nothing has ever compared to the way I feel when I kiss you, Ever.”

“I have nothing to compare kissing you to,” I remarked honestly.

A dark cloud seemed to come over Jaren’s face as he asked, “Do you want to compare kissing me to someone else?”

I didn’t. In fact, the thought of another boy’s hands on me made me feel ill. I guess Jaren took the opportunity to read me then, because he relaxed, and the heaviness faded from his face. I entertained the notion that he might actually be jealous. There was no way. The hottest guy in school…jealous? Over me?

“Okay, then.”

“So…it’s not normal then? The way it feels when we, er…” I wasn’t sure how to process what he was telling me.