your mind.”
“And you thought just by being here, you could change my mind if I did have different ideas?”
She smirks, “Did it work?”
Oh boy would it have if I wasn’t already decided.
I answer her by lowering my lips to hers. She meets me half way and opens her mouth slightly deepening our kiss. Man, am I toast.
The doors to the car open, so I break our connection.
I look down into her eyes, “Sara, I have to go to my grandmother’s. I didn’t exactly tell her where I’m going, so you can’t come up there with me.”
She nods, “I know, I’ll meet you.”
I get up and reach my hand out to her. She grabs it getting up. I notice her pink mini-dress that barely covers her thighs. As if her legs weren’t long before. I have to peel my eyes away from her body before my body betrays me.
We exit the train and head in opposite directions agreeing to meet later that night. It’s going to be a long afternoon.
***
I take a bus uptown to my Gam-aw’s apartment. She greets me when I knock on the front door.
“Hi James, did you travel here like a normal person?”
I laugh, “Actually Gam-aw I did.”
I gently hug her and follow her into the living room. Smells waft through the air making my stomach grumble.
“I thought I’d feed you before you go.”
I smirk, “Thanks Gam-aw, I’m so hungry.”
“How does chicken and potatoes sound?”
“Wonderful.”
“It won’t be done just yet, let’s talk first.”
“Okay, before you start, let me first tell you that I know what’s going on in the sea.”
She sits down next to me and it seems as though the couch swallows her up.
“Good, that was my main concern that you didn’t know about the other cities coming. If you do know, then why are you going?”
This is the hard part. I rehearsed this but a lie is never good especially since she has been telling them for me. I owe her big.
“I’m going to spend a little time to help them plan. I don’t want to be there when it actually happens but I want to help in any other way I can.”
She seems satisfied with my answer. I’m relieved, not sure how many more lies I have in me for the people I love. It seems like such a betrayal. Well, exactly what I am going to do.
***
I wait for her to fall asleep a fat>
She whispers, “James, before we go, will you kiss me like you mean it, like it’s our last kiss?”
I turn to her, gather her in my arms and devour those lips like it’s the last kiss I will ever have. This girl could very well be the death of me and I will be fine if it comes to that.
Chapter 15
Ever
Renewed by my grandmother’s confidence in me, I feel the need to get back to Jack. I have to get this over with. I know it’s going to be bad but not sure how bad.
I travel back to Amber’s dwelling with my heart in my throat. I have to calm down or I’ll lose it before I even utter a word. Unfortunately, he’s not here. It’s late at night so I’m surprised that he’s missing. Great, this will be even harder at the Erebus caves. I reluctantly swim out toward the front door. Before I reach it, Amber meets me in the main room.
“Ever, we need to talk.”
Ugh, I am tired of talking. The one person I want to talk to is not here.
“Amber, I really don’t want to go another round with you. My mind is made up. I know you can’t see it. Maybe if you loved someone from the land, you would have a better understanding…”
I trail off not knowing what else to say. She pretty much disowned me in our last conversation so I’m just done.
Her face grows soft.
“Ever, you’re right, I don’t exactly understand. Maybe I can’t but I worry for my brother. I worry that when you leave, he’ll be lost to us all, for good.”
She tries to lift my spirits, which must be transparent on my face. Then takes a moment to pause and smile before adding, “I worry that Jack will pull an ‘Ever’.”
I relent trying to shake this feeling of doom rising in me, “You