Page 80 of Wings of Lies
He stepped out with a half-eaten apple, and I stood, taking him in. He wore the same outfit, the same closed expression, and the same drop-dead gorgeous looks.
“I was wondering if I’d see you again.” I walked over to him, and he didn’t back up. That was progress. Now, I just had to figure out how to make him talk. “Are you always this quiet?”
He shook his head.
So just with me. Damn.
When we first met, he talked, asking questions about me, but now, if I asked questions about him, he barely answered. Maybe I needed to talk about myself, and then he’d reciprocate.But where did I start?
“The first time we met, you asked about who I was. Well, if you want to sit, I’ll tell you a little bit.”
He gracefully sat against a tree as I crossed my legs and faced him.
“Obviously, I’m part angel,” I said, pointing at my eyes. “Like you.”
He tensed when I acknowledged what he was, so he really hated any conversation related to him. That didn’t bode well for getting to know him.
I sighed. “I’m—” Nope, I couldn’t tell him my age without too many questions popping up. “I have—” I couldn’t tell him about my powers, who we were running from, or why we stayed isolated.
“I love chocolate,” I laughed at myself at the pointless fact I provided.
His lips twitched, making me smile again at almost getting him to drop the closed-off expression with my dweebish behavior.
I looked down, playing with the hem of my t-shirt, thinking of something better to mention. Something a bit more real that wouldn’t give away anything too important but still let him in. Why I even wanted to let this handsome stranger in, I didn’t know. But something told me I should.
Or I was just lonely.
“I told you last time I hated my father, and my mother lied to me. Nothing’s changed since then. I’ve…” I glanced up at him, then back down. “I’ve had a pretty difficult life.” What a freaking understatement, but that was the most he’d receive. “Because of things that happened, my mom’s gone overboard on the protection. To the point, running away sounds pretty good.”
“Don’t you dare. Stay here and stay safe,” Aspen demanded.
Was it weird I found it endearing that he wanted me safe even though he snapped at me? Probably. I shouldn’t let him affect me. We didn’t know each other. I didn’t know his intentions or how he kept finding me, but I couldn’t help it. I’d blame it on the fact that my onlyfriend was my mom. This was the most I’d ever talked to someone, besides my mom, since middle school—let alone a guy.Nineteen-years-old and I haven’t even had my first kiss.
“You want me to stay safe, which is curious in itself, but what exactly do you want me to stay safe from?”
Surprise, surprise, he didn’t answer.
I glanced at the ruby angel wing at his neck, smiling. He kept it. I should ask him why he did, but he probably wouldn’t answer. “The necklace I gave you. Did you know it was an amulet toprotectme?” If that was what you called it.
“No.” He looked like he was about to take it off.
“Don’t. It doesn’t work anymore. Nor do I want it back. Once upon a time, it had the ability to…” Calm me was my go-to description, but I no longer liked that definition. “Take away extreme emotions that could trigger my powers. My mom doesn’t want me to use them because I’m a danger to myself and all the hiding and running we’ve been doing. But I’m so sick of it.” My voice cracked. “It’s been fight after fight with my mom about my powers, our life, my isolation.” I stared hard into the layer of golden pine needles, refusing to bring my blurry gaze up. “I’m tired. I want to live, to be normal,” I whispered, throwing my burdens at this stranger and most likely freaking him out.
Pine needles crunched and shifted. Tingling fingers tilted my chin until I met the soul-wrenching blue depths of his eyes, finding his angel ring next to a cobalt one. He was double-ringed, like me, meaning he was extremely powerful. Double-ringed angels were rare, or so I read. Each color represented something. But for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what the cobalt signified. I’d have to sneak my mom’s texts again when I got home and check.
“I’m here.”
“Except you don’t talk. Two to three words seems like your limit.”
“I said eight before. Plus, I’m a good listener,” he said, smiling with a lightness I could bask in forever. I was in trouble when he lit my skin on delicious fire brushing my cheek.
I was pretty sure my stomach fluttered out of my body. Aspen had dimples. For one moment, I contemplated that all my isolation made me insane and he was a hallucination. I lifted a hand and poked his cheek. His abrupt laughter did untold things to the hollow ache I’d been living with for most of my life.
Shit. So much trouble.
“Tell me something about yourself.” He stopped laughing. “I’ve lived a life filled with lies and secrets. For once, I want to be in the know. One thing. Tell me one thing,” I begged.
His flat expression and silence killed me. I was so sick of not understanding my life. Things always happened to me, and I was always left in the dark. My mom just started giving me answers, but I lived in a constant state of half-truths and mysteries. I wanted it to stop. I needed it to.
