Ten
Early the next morning, Melina found herself yet again banging on Maddox’s front door. She hoped it rattled a nasty hangover. He deserved to suffer, and she was going to serve him some more pain as soon as he opened the door.
The door swung open, and he stood there, clear eyed with an anxious look on his face that fell the second he laid eyes on her.
“Oh, hey, Mel. Come in.”
Taken aback she scowled and walked in. “Were you expecting someone?”
“Uh…no.”
“Didn’t look that way.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “It’s pretty early.”
“I…The news…”
“I haven’t looked. What now?”
“Oh, you know, just really ugly stuff. Pictures of you and your friends partying last night. They’re saying you’re a heartless bastard who celebrated right after Selena’s funeral and disrespected her family and her memory.”
“What?” He pulled the headlines up on his watch and grimaced. “This is bullshit. I didn’t go out last night. Those pictures are from months ago.”
“No one will believe you. There are accounts of your actions last night by witnesses.”
“Yeah. Paid off liars.” He looked into her eyes. “Someone’s creating this.”
She crossed her arms.
“You believe me, don’t you?”
“Yeah. But only because I can see you’re clean.”
He looked back at the headlines. “Who do you think would do this?”
She laughed darkly. “You have as many enemies as you do admirers, M. Brokenhearted exes. Jilted boyfriends of girls you stole away from them. Just psycho fans. Could be anyone. They’re not saying you did anything criminal; it’s just really bad optics. Regardless, do you have an alibi?”
“No. I was alone.”
“I’m going to have to start babysitting you. We’ll have to go out and be seen doing nothing but wonderful stuff. Make sure this shit can be refuted by other eyewitnesses.”
“You’re so good to me, Mel. I don’t deserve it.”
She smirked. “Don’t worry, I’m keeping an account. Your bill will come due.”
He chuckled and hugged her. He thought about telling her about Erin. He needed to tell someone. And she would keep his confidence. It wouldn’t be breaking his word to Erin to not tell anyone if he shared it with Melina.
“Something happened to me yesterday. I need to tell someone about it. Will you promise to keep it secret?”
She nodded.
The rain slid down Erin’s shoulder blades in thin lines. Shivers lifted on her heated skin as Maddox’s hands smeared the water over her back. He blurred, came into sharp focus, and then blurred again. His eyes trapped her. Nowhere to hide. He saw everything in his beautiful, brooding, grey-green eyes. She tried to push him away and saw her hands only pull him closer. Leave me alone…I hate you. Touch me more. Fill me up. Take me higher…I wish you were dead.
Erin woke on a moan. She lay in bed for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling, on the verge of tears. She rubbed her hands together trying to massage the pain away. All the incredible light and heat that ran along her veins ached now. She would do her best to ignore it. She could manage through it. Perhaps it would ease over time if she didn’t see Maddox again.
Erin pressed her hands to her lower abdomen. She felt bruised inside. The shame came back as she remembered she’d told Selena not to be with him because she’d just end up as one of the many. But what was she?
No. she wasn’t one of the many. She was the one. She was special to him, whether he liked it or not. What they shared was spiritual and beyond either of their control. She groaned and rolled her face into her pillow. She wanted to see him. And she never wanted to see him again.
She got out of bed and went to her dad’s room. She sat on the bed next to him and put her hand on his.
“Dad?”
He roused and blinked at her. “Hi, honey.”
She touched his forehead and felt his pulse. “I think my blood helped a little. Do you feel well enough to get up? I’ll make you breakfast.”
“No. I still feel too weak…When are you going to invite your young man here, so I can meet him?”
“Madd—uh, I mean Jaris. I told him you were too sick.”
“We had a deal, Erin. Invite him.”
“Okay, Dad.”
“I just wish this guy was your life mate.”
She bit down on her lip. “Me too.”
She almost told her dad about Maddox right then. The words were right there, pushing in her throat. Should she? Then he could die feeling happy, and she’d never have to tell him she planned to end it. But she’d have to introduce him to Maddox and she’d have to act pleased….
Nope.
She got her dad some water and went to get ready for the day. She’d go to Halussis and check in at work, even though Journey had given her time off to grieve. And she’d go to Paradigm and drop in on Jaris.
She laid out her clothes and abruptly realized she hadn’t showered after she came home last night. Maddox was still all over her.
She went straight to the bathroom. The water hitting her skin took her right back there. Back to the garden in the rain. She closed her eyes against the memory, but that only made it sharper. She needed him. She’d suffer through it, and she’d deny it, but she needed him. She hoped he was suffering as much as she was.
She got out and stood looking at the clothes she’d laid out on the bed. Today she was going to look hot, or as close as she could come to it. Jaris would want her.
She put on the one pair of jeans she knew hugged her just right and a flouncy, green, sleeveless top. She tousled her hair, put some big hoops in her ears, and finished with a pair of heels.
“I’m going out, Dad. I’ll be back in a…”
Her words died off as she strapped on her watch. The headlines slapped her in the face. She looked at the pictures of Maddox and saw red. Incensed, she marched from the house.
Melina listened and didn’t interrupt. He left out the details, wanting to keep them to himself, and he was sure Mel would have stuck her fingers in her ears anyway and shouted, “TMI!”
“What do you think I should do?” he asked.
“Hmm…I’m not sure. I have some ideas, but I need to meet her before I can tell one way or the other. You want to keep her, I’m assuming?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“You’re willing to fight for her?”
“I am.”
“She held a boyfriend over your head…There may come a time to do something like that to her. Not yet, perhaps.”
“What? Get a girlfriend? I can’t do that.”
“Not a real one… Me. I’ll be your stand-in.”
“Why? What good would that do?” he asked, confused.
“Jealousy is a great teacher. She wants to run away. She wants to deny your connection. She doesn’t want you, but I’d bet anything she doesn’t want anyone else to have you either. If you can arouse jealousy, she’ll have to consider why she feels it.”
Maddox shook his head. “I don’t think she’ll ever feel any such thing. She wants me dead.”
Melina shrugged. “Still might be worth testing.”
He looked up, his muscles tightening.
“What?” Melina asked.
“She’s coming right now. I feel her getting closer.” He stood and went toward the front door.
Melina grabbed him and pulled him back. “Oh, no you don’t. Sit down. I’ll answer it.”
“Why?”
“Just an experiment. Humor me. Let me take her measure. Follow my lead, and don’t contradict me. Sit,” she ordered again.
He snorted and sat down on the couch, shaking his head. “I don’t know why I trust you so much. Just please don’t scare her away.”
Melina crossed her arms and leaned against the door, waiting. In a moment, a loud knock sounded on the other side, but Melina didn’t answer it.
“What are—"
She put her finger to her lips in a shushing motion.
Erin knocked again, louder and longer. Still, Melina didn’t move. He stood. She jabbed her finger at him, a stern look in her eyes. He frowned but sat back down. Erin knocked again. Melina sighed, ran her fingers through her hair, and opened the door.
“Hello,” Melina said vaguely.
Erin’s eyes were blazing, but she blinked and took a step back. “Um…Who are you?”
“Who are you?” Melina shot back.
“I’m…um. Erin. Is Maddox here?”
“He is.” Melina didn’t budge to let Erin in.
“I need to talk to him.”
“What about?”
“That’s between me and him.” Erin’s voice went hard and chilly.
Melina shrugged and stepped back so Erin could come in. She stalked into the room and stopped short when their eyes connected. Damn, it hurt. Like a punch to the brain straight through his eyes. He forced himself to hold still, but it was difficult. He wanted to grab her and hold her until she absorbed into him. She was so hot. So damn beautiful, and she was dressed to entice. Had she done that for him? Or to torture him with what she wouldn’t let him touch?
One thing was for sure, she was flaming mad.
“How could you?” she demanded.
“What?”
“How could you act like that last night? I know you’re a self-centered ass, but don’t you even have one ounce of respect or decency?”
He stood up then. “You’re talking about the headlines.”
“That didn’t happen last night,” Melina said, coming to stand next to him. She wrapped her arm around the back of his waist.
Erin’s gaze fixed on Melina and there was a stronger rage that flashed there than the previous one.
“Someone is trying to taint the public’s opinion of me, Erin. Those pictures weren’t from last night. I wasn’t with those people.”
“Where were you then?” she demanded.
“He was with me,” Melina said smugly.
Everything Erin was feeling hit him in the chest. Anger, confusion, jealousy, sorrow. He put his hand on Mel’s shoulder and looked into her face. “Give us a minute.”
She nodded and walked past Erin and out the front door. Alone, they stared at each other. Too much played across her face. The confusion and hurt in her eyes surprised him.
“I’m sorry about the media. A friend asked me to come out and party last night, but I turned him down. I would never do anything to be disrespectful of…Selena. At least not intentionally. I promise.”
She rubbed her forearms and looked down. He felt her emotions shift. He was thankful for this. Thankful he could tell her the truth and she accepted it because the connection laid everything open.
“Okay.” She sighed. “I’m sorry for…barging in on you like this…and your company. Is she…”
“What?”
“Never mind… I don’t have a right to… I mean, I don’t care. I…I’m going to see my boyfriend in a few minutes anyway.”
“Lucky guy.”
She looked back at him and flinched. “Are you mocking me?”
“No. I think he is a lucky guy. I want to kill him for it, but I don’t think that will enhance your opinion of me.”
To his shock, she smiled, somewhat wickedly. He quirked an eyebrow, but her expression shifted before he could ask her why she was looking at him like that. He didn’t want to play games with her. She could play all she wanted, but he wanted to be honest.
“I dreamed about you.”
She swallowed, and he felt her panic. It urged him on.
“You look incredible, Erin. I don’t like it. I don’t want anyone gawking at you, and I know they will. I want you to stay here with me so we can start to get to know each other.”
“You just want sex,” she accused.
“Hey, if it happened again, I wouldn’t object. Yesterday was mind-blowing. But I’d be more than happy to just spend time with you. I don’t know you. I want to.”
“Why are you talking like this?” she demanded.
“I’m just being honest.”
“I can tell, and it’s pissing me off.”
He chuckled. “You want me to lie to you?”
“Yes! No, that’s stupid. You’re screwing with my…my…”
“Your misconceptions of who I am?”
She frowned at him. “Maybe,” she admitted grudgingly.
“I’m hurting, Erin. Our connection makes me hurt.”
“Me too.”
“I know if you’d let me touch you, it would ease the pain.”
She looked fearful and on the verge of tears. She licked her lips. It almost unmade him. He’d been obsessing about her lips so much.
She took a step toward him. “Just hands. For a minute.”
He reached for her and clasped her hands in his. The first second was terrible. A stinging burn that vanished the next moment into ecstasy.
“Oh…” Shivers surfaced on her skin. “Holy shit.” She breathed.
He kept his mouth shut, thinking similar thoughts on the sensation. After a minute, the feeling eased back into a pleasant hum.
“Please stay with me today, Erin.”
“I can’t.” Her voice wasn’t steady.
“I was going to visit my sister. You could come with me.”
Her eyes rounded. “That’s quite the carrot, Maddox. Meeting Tesla…that would be…” She shook her head. “I’d be terrified to meet a legend like her.”
“She’s just my sister. She’s a brilliant, gifted, sweet, pain in my ass.”
Erin laughed, making his heart swell. Then she shook her head again. “No. I can’t. I wouldn’t feel right about it.”
“Why not?”
She looked away, her cheeks coloring. What was that about? If only he could hear her thoughts and not just feel her emotions. Feeling what she felt didn’t let him know why she was feeling it.
Erin pulled her hands away roughly. “That’s enough,” she snapped. “I have to go. Jaris is waiting for me.”
“Okay. Fine. We should exchange numbers before you go.”
“Why?” Her tone was waspish.
He shrugged. “Just in case.”
She pursed her lips.
“I won’t bother you. I just want to know you can reach me if you need to. Okay?”
“All right fine,” she caved. “I’ll give you my number, but you won’t be able to reach me. My watch is old and not very consistent. So if you drunk dial me, it will be a total waste of smarm.”
He laughed. “Well, that’s a real problem.”
She lifted her wrist up to him, and he put in his number. She did have the junkiest watch he’d ever seen. He scrolled through and grabbed her number so she didn’t have the chance to give him a bogus one.
She turned and headed for the door.
“Touching helped me,” he said quickly. “Did it you?”
She turned back. “Yes. It helped.”
“Will you come back tonight? Just for a few minutes? We could just hold hands again. I’m sure it would help me sleep. Take the edge off the pain.”
“I don’t know.”
“I could come to your place if it’s too much trouble for you to come here.”
“No! No way! You can’t come to my place.”
“I know where it is.”
“How?”
He rolled his eyes. “Erin, please. I could find you across the universe. You only live a few miles away.”
“Stay away from my house.”
“Only if you come back.”
“Ugh! Fine!” She opened the door and walked out. “I hate you!” she yelled as she slammed the door.
A smirk lifted his lips for a moment, then he smiled broadly. “Yeah, yeah, run away,” he said to the closed door. “You’re mine.”
Melina came back in after Erin was gone. “So?” she asked. “How did that go? You’re smiling, so it must not have been that bad.”
“She told me she hates me again, but she agreed to come back tonight…What did you think?”
“She was shooting daggers at me from her eyes when I touched you, so that’s a good sign.”
He sighed. “She's different.”
Melina laughed. “Different than what you’re used to?”
“Yeah. It’s really appealing….I’m going to see Tesla, wanna come?”
“I guess so. I said I was going to babysit you.”
He used his portal and took them to Tesla’s home. His heart sank as soon as she opened the door. His mind was on Erin, and he’d already forgotten the bad press until Tesla gave him that look.
“It’s a lie, I swear,” he said quickly before she could flay him.
Tesla narrowed her eyes and then nodded, turning her attention onto Melina. “Hey, you. Haven’t seen you in a while. Your reputation’s going to get tainted hanging out with the manwhore.”
Melina snickered.
“Stop calling me that,” Maddox griped.
“The nickname doesn’t apply now, Tesla,” Melina said. “Now that he’s found—”
He poked her in the side. “It’s my news, isn’t it? Shut your trap.”
“News that negates your womanizer title?” Tesla gave him a scrutinizing look, then she jumped and grabbed him. “You’ve found your life mate? Is that it?”
“You’re too smart sometimes,” he grumbled.
“Well, where is she? Who is she? Why are you even out and about? You should be locked away somewhere with her.”
“I know,” he said through clenched teeth. “She hates me.”
“What’s going on?” X asked coming up behind Tesla, wrapping his arms around her.
“Maddie’s found his destined life mate, and she hates him,” she chirped it out happily like a little bird.
X just blinked at Maddox for a second, then he threw his head back laughing. “Oh, it serves you right.”
“Thanks a lot, X.”
X shook his white-blond head, chortling, and let go of Tesla. He kissed her and backed away. “I’d love to stay and hear more, but I’ve got to head into work for a while.”
“I’ll tell you everything later,” Tesla promised him gleefully.
“If you’re going to make fun of me, can you at least make me coffee first?”
“Oh, all right. Melina, do you want some, too?”
“Yes, please.”
The three of them headed into the kitchen, where Tesla attempted to pick him clean of information. The more he told her, the more she quit poking at him and turned thoughtful.
“Have you told Erin about Bess?” Tesla asked seriously.
He flinched. “No…She hasn’t given me the chance to talk to her hardly at all. It’s nothing I’m looking forward to either. I’d rather not tell her.”
“She needs to know,” Tesla insisted.
Melina nodded in agreement.
“Well, as funny as this has been, I’d like to meet my new sister sooner rather than later. What can I do to help?”
“I need two new watches. One for me, one for her. I want them connected. She has the oldest watch I’ve ever seen. Can you make hers pretty?”
Tesla smiled. “No problem. Anything else?”
“A portal between her room and mine. One she can close on her side.”
“So you want it to just be there, and I’ll put a door she can use to keep you out?”
“Yeah. I want her to feel comfortable with it. In control of when she wants to let me in or not.”
Melina socked him in the arm. “That’s brilliant, M. No wonder the girls always fell all over you. You’re seriously smooth.”
“Thanks.” He scowled, rubbing his arm.
Tesla gave him an approving nod. “I second that. Very good idea. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll have your watches and the portal.”
Maddox and Melina sat outside on the front stoop and chatted while Tesla worked her magic in her workshop. He stood abruptly, flame and sparks surging through his hands.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know,” he grimaced. “My hands and—” He hissed in pain, touching his mouth. “My lips, they burn.” He cried out as his heart began to burn as well. “It’s Erin, somehow.” He inhaled sharply.
Mel grabbed his hands and looked sternly in his eyes. “Betrayal?”
He could hardly breathe. “She’s with her boyfriend. He’s touching her. He kissed her. Everywhere he is, I can feel it…it’s burning me.”
“That bitch. I’m gonna kick her ass. How could she?”
The pain began to drift away. He took a steadying breath and shook his head. “Thanks, Mel. For having my back, but don’t worry about this.”
“But she—”
“She’s doing what she feels she needs to. I can’t expect her to let go of someone she cares for just because I fell into her life.”
Angry light still glinted in her eyes.
“Let it go,” he said.
“Fine. For now. But she better watch it.”
“Do you think it hurt her as well?” he asked.
“Let’s test it.”
The next second, Melina was all over him. He staggered back in shock as she held onto his collar and kissed him roughly.
“What the hell?” he exclaimed when she let go.
“Did it hurt?”
“Yeah. Not quite the same level.”
Mel smirked. “Good. Then you know she felt that. It burned her. And I feel better cause I got some small piece of revenge on her for hurting you.”
“Geez, you’re vicious. Warn me next time you decide to jam your tongue in my mouth.”
She smirked. “Not a chance. That shocked look on your face was priceless. And we can hold off messing around ever again unless your girl needs another reminder.”
“I appreciate it, but I want her to give him up because she wants to, not because I’ll burn her otherwise.”
Melina narrowed her eyes at him. “Being valiant has its place, but remember, nice guys always finish last. You said you would fight for her.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do.”
“Just make sure you don’t fight too passively. She wants you to want her. Even if she won’t admit it to herself yet.”
“How do you know?” he asked.
“I would if I was her.”
Erin gasped and pulled away from Jaris, fire scorching her lips. It was worse than before. It hurt when she first came to see him, and he gave her a kiss. But this time, he wasn’t kissing her, and her lips burned a quick searing sting. Maddox? What was he doing to her?
“What’s wrong?” Jaris asked. “Every time I touch you, you jump.”
“I’m sorry.” She took a step back from him and turned away.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
Misery twisted inside her. It wasn’t fair. Tears pushed behind her eyes. “Oh, I have the worst news. I didn’t want to tell you, but I didn’t realize it would be like this. Feel like this. You’re going to hate me.”
“I could never hate you, Erin.”
“I guess we’re about to find out.” Her voice was bitter.
She turned back to him, her shoulder’s squared. “I found my destined life mate.”
“Oh…”
All the blood drained from his face. He sat down and put his head in his hands. She waited, the tears beginning to spill from her eyes.
“Congratulations…I’m happy for you, even if I’m sad for myself. I just found you…” His voice was desolate.
She sat down next to him. “No. I’m going to reject him. I want to be with you.”
“What? That’s crazy, Erin. I mean, I want you, but we did only just get together. You can’t give up your mate for me…The agony—”
“It’s Maddox!” she shouted.
“Oh shit.”
“Yeah! Exactly! After the funeral, I just lost it. My dad is dying, I felt so alone, the roof started leaking. I snapped. I knew he killed Selena. I grabbed a knife and headed to his house. I was going to kill him. I couldn’t get through the magic protections around the place, but he came out and…Oh!” She wailed and covered her face. “I hate him so much.”
Jaris knelt in front of her and rested his hands on her knees. “Did he do it? Did he kill Selena?”
“No. But still, it’s his fault she’s dead, even if he didn’t cut her up. I won’t stay with him.”
“So why haven’t you ended it already?” he asked.
She sniffed, trying to organize her thoughts. Why hadn’t she? She had a reason. “I want to make him suffer first. I want to humiliate him the same way he’s humiliated so many others, and now I have the power to do it.”
Jaris frowned and looked down.
She wiped the tears from her cheeks. “What? Do you think me heartless?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I understand, but is he really as bad as all that?”
“What? You’re defending him?”
“No. I just wonder if the person behind the public persona is more real. I don’t want you with him. Not for a second. But until you end it, how can we be together? I thought infidelity was impossible with life mates.”
She exhaled raggedly. “That’s why I kept jumping when you touched me. It burns.”
“I see…What can I do to help you through this time?”
“Can you come to dinner tonight? I made a deal with my dad. I promised to bring you to meet him. He wants to know someone will care for me when he’s gone. I’m not asking that of you, by the way,” she added quickly. “To take care of me. I can take care of myself. It’s just the way he thinks of it. It literally is the request of a dying man. Please?”
“Of course, Erin. I’ll tell him how I feel about you and that I’ll take care of you.”
“Thank you.” She leaned down and kissed him. She tried to ignore the pain, but after a second, she broke away. The burning was too intense. “I should go. I need to check into work for a while.”
“I’ll be by at dusk?”
“That’s great. Thank you for this, Jaris.”
“Sure.” He smiled, but there was only sorrow in his eyes.
She touched his cheek. “I’m so sorry. Will you give me a few days? I’ll make it right.”
He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “I’ll wait…but you have to tell me if your feelings for Maddox change.”
“They won’t.”
Erin went to the hub and waited in line for her turn to go to Halussis. Her mind and heart tussled and fought while she stared at her feet. She still had some time off work, but she really needed to see Journey.
A memory of her and Selena waiting right where she stood now thrust into the forefront of her mind. Grief massaged deep into her shoulders, over and over its ghostly fingers rubbed deep into her flesh, leaving brittleness behind.
While he was still at Tesla’s house, everything Erin was feeling hit Maddox in the chest. He clutched at his heart and gasped.
Melina grabbed his hand. “You okay? What’s happening?”
He shook his head and walked away. “I’m okay.”
He went back outside and took a deep breath. It wasn’t what she was feeling that hurt him, it was that he could do nothing to ease it from her. If things were different, he’d go to her. He wanted to. The most he could do was to tell her later that he felt it and wished he could have helped…
Wait. He lifted his head. Was that really all he could do? She could feel his emotions just as he could feel hers. He could feel something for her, send it to her.
Trying to feel happy would seem callous, and he didn’t think it would balance what she felt. It would just be a sharp contrast that would seem jerky. He focused, comfort. Comfort was about joining the person suffering, at least in his mind. Empathy and understanding. He’d never lost a close friend to death. But he had lost someone he loved because they weren’t who he thought they were. That was as close as he could come to it. As much as he didn’t want to rehash something painful, he focused on his memories of his ex-lover, Bess, and how he felt when he learned the truth of her betrayal. Not the anger, but the pain.
Since she wouldn’t let him hold her hand through this physically, he’d have to spiritually.