Chapter Eighteen

Tall flames licked at the charred, outer walls; the smell of burning wood wafted out with the smoke; ashes swirled up, swept hither and yon by the breeze. The entire setting seemed eerily familiar, apart from two, major differences: first and foremost, when Helena had set fire to that building, she had done so in broad daylight. Secondly, Helena had not used any accelerants, but, as she closed in on the building, she couldn’t help but notice the distinctive smell of gasoline. Still, she wouldn’t concern herself with the similarities between the two fires. The witch of Paxton was not alone. A large shadow on the grass ahead of her, forced Helena to focus on the stranger that stood before the building, with his back turned to her. The few beams of moonlight, along with the leaping flames, cast their light on his head, revealing to her his hair color: short and black. It was Cliff Daniels.

Her heart leapt for joy. She believed she would never see him again. With a snap of her fingers, she changed into black jeans, a purple sweater and a brown coat. But, her initial excitement didn’t last long. Helena had broken up with him for a reason. Being close to him was as dangerous for him, as it was for her. She could not linger there. Nevertheless, the sound of a pinecone, being squashed beneath her boot gave her away. Cliff turned around and faced her, the green in his eyes sparkling under the moonlight, sending shockwaves coursing through her body. Helena desired to speak to him, tell him how much she had missed him, but, as their eyes met, and he started towards her, the shame that brushed across her senses robbed her of the will to part her lips.

“It worked,” he uttered in his deep voice, as he halted before her. “You’re here.”

“What worked?” she inquired, lightly shaking her head sideways, as she stared up at him.

“I didn’t know where you lived, and I wasn’t sure if you’d pick up your phone if I called you,” Cliff explained, as the black circles under his eyes became all the more clear to her. “I’ve had a pretty hard couple of days. I’ve really missed you, Helena.”

“Cliff, please,” she sighed, breathing heavier, as she tore her gaze away from him. “Please, don’t do this to me.”

“Do what to you, Helena?” he wondered, his hot breath puffing along her jaw, as he leaned over her.

“Tempt me;” yes, that’s what she desired to tell him. With his mouth so close to her, his saddened eyes taking hold of every bit of her, she longed for one more kiss: one more embrace; one more time with him in bed. Yet, she didn’t have the heart to confess anything to him.

“You set fire to a crime scene,” Helena remarked, glancing up at the flames above him. “You could lose your job for this.”

“That building was already destroyed,” Cliff countered, as his lips curled into a bitter smile. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“What do you want me to say, Cliff?” She spoke in frustrated tones, unable to hold her emotions back anymore. “That I’ve missed you, too? That letting you go was a mistake? What? Will any of it matter?”

“Yes, it will,” he croaked, his forehead gently brushing hers, as he gazed deeply into her eyes. “It will to me. I was drowning in grief when you found me, princess. I was losing it; I didn’t even want to get out of bed in the morning. You made everything…” he paused, “so much easier.”

“Princess?” breathed Helena, feeling her heart thumping in her chest, as he traced his index fingers up her hands.

“Yes,” Cliff whispered, resting his forehead against hers. “You look like a princess of old, frozen in time, still waiting to be rescued by her knight in shining armor. Like the finest, porcelain doll I’ve seen in my whole life.”

“Cliff…” she said, her voice wobbly, her lips quivering, as she felt his warm hands on the sides of her neck. By then, his confession had knocked down her defenses. He had spoken more kind words to her in a few seconds than she had heard in decades. Helena’s temptation was getting sweeter by the second, as he struggled to claw his way back into her life. And he was so gentle with her, so true that he made her heart melt. She couldn’t resist him anymore. Placing either hand on his hips, she held him near, as she tipped her head up. All the tenderness she had been missing out on poured out on her lips, as their mouths joined in a hot, passionate kiss. Helena circled her arms around his waist, eager to sense his body heat, as Cliff’s fingertips caressed the back of her neck. He threaded his fingers into her long strands, his warm breath puffing along her chin, as the tip of his tongue teased her lower lip. Never before had a mistake felt so right. Never before had giving in to temptation tasted so sweet. Intoxicated by his sensual kiss, the witch put her inhibitions aside. Her shame gave its place to the desire to have him, hold him in her arms, and the need to keep him in her life. To do that though, she had to reveal her most precious secret. But, who would she share it with, if not with him? Who would she confide in, apart from the man who had persisted, the man who had been honest with her, since the day they met? Yes, he worked for the government, his job dictated that he reported everything to his superiors, but Helena trusted that he could keep it secret. If he didn’t, he would lose her forever.

“Cliff…” she whispered, opening her eyes, as he laid a short kiss between her nose and her upper lip. “Listen to me. I didn’t end it between us, just because of the distance. There’s more; a lot more.”

“Talk to me,” he urged, sliding his hand up her head, as his face was lit up by a broad smile.

“I can’t. Not yet,” Helena responded, her voice picking up volume as she did. “Give me thirty-six hours, and I’ll tell you everything. Do you still live in ‘Star Deluxe’?”

“Yeah,” Cliff responded sharply.

“I’ll be there tomorrow night,” she sighed, as a cool breeze blew through her hair, tossing it about. “I’m not sure about the time. Please, wait for me.”

A simple nod served as her answer. Helena leaned in, and rested her head on his broad chest, feeling wave after wave of relief washing over her. She hadn’t lost him. Once again, he was there, determined to win her back. He had offered her the prospect of a real relationship with him; a relationship she had turned down before, but now, she was not going to make that mistake again. The witch of Paxton had been waiting for an end to her loneliness for far too long to let it slip out of her grasp.