Chapter Two

Phoenix lay in bed, not wanting to do anything. Sadie would find her soon enough. She wasn’t moving until they could talk. Feeling slightly depressed, she wasn’t up for being social. What in the world was she going to do about Jayden? Heck, if her parents knew the situation, they’d freak out. She was freaking out herself.

“Okay, time to stop pouting and tell me what’s going on,” Sadie demanded as she pushed the door open and bounced on the bed. Phoenix couldn’t keep a half smile from appearing on her face at the relief of just having Sadie in the room.

“I hope you have a lot of time,” Phoenix warned warily.

“I have all the time in the world,” Sadie eagerly answered, rubbing her hands together for added drama. Phoenix told her the entire story, from the moment in the woods up until just an hour earlier. She had to give Sadie credit because she didn’t interrupt once, though it was obvious she really wanted to. Her mouth was hanging open by the end and her eyes were wide.

One thing Phoenix loved about Sadie was that she didn’t doubt her for even a moment. She took Phoenix at her word and knew she was speaking the truth.

“What are you going to do?” Sadie asked, completely perplexed, once Phoenix stopped speaking.

“That’s why I told you everything. I don’t know what to do. It doesn’t seem real. Do I stay with him and act like nothing is wrong? Can I ignore what I saw and what he’s told me? How can I act normal when my world’s been flipped upside down even more than it already was? I’ve never loved someone the way I love him, but what if I’m being stupid?” Phoenix fired her own questions back at Sadie.

“Phoenix, it’s hard for me to comprehend any of this and I know you’d never lie to me, but to believe the things you’re telling me is to let go of everything I’ve ever been taught. Now I understand why some people say ignorance is bliss,” Sadie whispered without answering a single question.

“Jayden said he could wipe my memory and make me forget everything I saw,” Phoenix said. She knew it was the chicken’s way out but she almost wished he had done that without even giving her a choice.

“You’re not going to let that happen, are you?” Sadie practically shouted.

“Of course not, but it almost seems more bearable than dealing with the truth,” Phoenix sighed. The girls sat for several minutes in silence. They were both thinking of the unfathomable things in the world. Angels, demons, monsters – all of it real.

“Okay, let’s break this down. Are you afraid of Jayden?” Sadie asked. Phoenix thought for a few moments.

“No, not at all,” she finally answered.

“Does he look any different? Act differently from when you first met him?”

“No, if anything, he’s been walking on eggshells, concerned he may frighten me,” Phoenix said. Her brows were puckered as she thought back over the last several days. She’d been the one avoiding him. He’d given her space and then calmly talked to her. He hadn’t acted like a monster.

“Only you can decide what you’re going to do. I can listen and offer my opinion but I won’t lead you one way or the other.”

“He was sent to lead me to my death. Not just me, but all of us. What if he goes back to Vyco and we all die because of it? What if he just decides to kill us himself?” Phoenix asked.

“Phoenix, there’s always what ifs, but you can’t live your life that way,” Sadie said. “If you love him, then you trust him. If you can’t trust him, then you can’t be with him. A relationship has to be built on trust or it will never work. You can’t live in the middle and be with him if you don’t. You also have to trust yourself and your instincts. They’ve never steered you wrong before. Personally, I’ve never felt anything bad from him, but of course, I haven’t tried to analyze him, either. I think you know what you want to do – you’re just afraid to admit it. There’s bad in all of us, but we choose to not act on it. I want to slap Jessica at least once a day, but I refrain. I want to take an extra cookie once in a while, but I know I’m stealing if I do. We all have urges to do wrong things but we hold those urges inside. Jayden made a wrong choice, but he’s trying to make up for it. It’s up to you whether you can forgive his past choices or not.”

Phoenix stared at her best friend, surprised at how much she’d grown up. They were practically adults, with all they’d been through, but Phoenix still pictured them as thirteen-year- old girls with no more than the usual adolescent problems.

“When did you get so wise?” Phoenix asked with a smile.

“I learned from the best,” Sadie answered, her eyes glinting with humor.

“I do love him. I know he only turned back to his true form to protect me from Vyco. He’d never even hinted at violence before that moment. He was always trying to protect me. The night those men tried to harm us, his eyes were so frightening, but then he calmed himself and was right there by my side. I think I’ve known all along what choice I was going to make, but I felt foolish just rushing in. He’s good, Sadie, and I know he’d never let anything happen to me. His sister is good, too. She loves John so much. How can I be angry or fearful with him when all he’s ever done is tried to keep me safe?”

“I think if Brian erupted with massive, hot angel wings, I’d have to jump him,” Sadie said with a laugh, breaking the last of the tension. Sadie certainly knew how to lighten the mood.

The two girls embraced, and Phoenix soaked up the warm support from her best friend. Her fear and confusion seemed to evaporate and suddenly all she wanted to do was talk to Jayden again. He’d looked so miserable as he explained his past to her. She knew he was afraid she’d leave him and she felt empowered by the fact that he’d let her go if she wanted to leave. He wouldn’t force her to stay in the relationship, even though he could, whether it was physically or mentally. He had powers to control her, but he loved her enough to never use them. Technically he might not be human, but he was more human than many people she knew.

“I guess I should find Jayden and talk to him. He’s been pretty anxious,” Phoenix said.

“Okay, we’ll meet up after lunch and you can tell me all about it, unless of course he doesn’t let you get away, or puts some mind spell on you,” Sadie said with an evil laugh and a wiggle of her brows. It was a perfect moment to make Phoenix smile. Only Sadie would decide to make light of the awesome powers Jayden had. It was better to make light of them than to dwell on the unknown.

Phoenix grabbed Sadie and gave her one last hug. The girls walked from the room together before heading in different directions. Sadie went to school, while Phoenix went to hunt Jayden down. She didn’t want to wait even an extra minute.