Page 4 of A Layperry's Hope
“I am terrified that this is a mistake,” he says, his voice going deeper, huskier than I’ve ever heard before. “But I also do not care. If tonight is all you will give me, then that is what I will have. For tonight, I am yours.”
I close my eyes as Ghenie ducks down, placing his lips against my own. My arms go around him, holding him like the lifeline he is. One kiss and I am swept away. One kiss and my life is changed forever.
Chapter Three
Ghenie
My heart hammers against my chest as I weave through the crowd. I don’t know where I’m going, only that I need to be anywhere but here.
The voices in my head are a cacophony of emotions which feed into my own. We’re a soundboard back and forth, feeding each other despite the fact that I need silence. I need time to process everything. I need solitude.
I go to the only place I can think to go; the place I’ve been staying in since Christian left. I hold Maribel against my chest and run, hoping that no one is watching. My people don’t need to see me like this, frazzled and upset over someone. I need to be in control. I need to be above this.
Yet the ache in my chest is unavoidable. It throbs, like an open wound. I can barely pull in a full breath.
“Oh, Maribel,” I whisper into my daughter's hair. “What am I going to do?”
I pull her away from my chest in order to look into her face. She gives me a giant grin. Apparently my run back home was entertaining for her. Some of that ache fades as I look into her face. She has his eyes.
I pull a blanket from the couch, stretching it across the floor before setting Maribel down on it. I set her on her stomach, letting her try to roll over. Then I sit on the floor with her, my back against the couch.
Christian is back. I had hoped he would come back but now that he is here, I can’t stop thinking about what happens now. I was so busy thinking about the what-if’s, I didn’t stop to think about what the reality of that would be like.
Not only is Christian back, but hekissedme. He didn’t say a single word, but his lips met mine. My fingers go to my lips. I swear I can still feel it. Warm tingles run through my skin as I think about it.
Will he be happy? Will Maribel’s presence mean something to him? Or will he hate me for not sending someone to Earth to inform him?
The Ancestors are a mixed bag when it comes to Christian. Some of them favor him, others tell me to stay away. They’re all trying to protect me in their own way. One soft voice tells me they’re happy for me at getting this second chance. That’s the one I hold onto the tightest.
There’s a knock on the back door. Before I can get up and see who it is, the door cracks open and my dad’s voice calls out.
“I’m in here.”
There’s some shuffling before both of my parents walk into the living room. My father, Plun, comes in first, his dark green brows furrowed in worry. My dad, Scrintum, comes in second. His skin is a pretty light pink color, his cheeks brighter than the rest of him. Both of them look like they’re breathing heavily with sweat on their faces.
“Did you two run here?”
“Yes,” my father says, leaning against the back of the couch. “We saw what happened and we rushed to come check on you.”
“By the Ancestors, Ghenie! How the heck did you run so quickly while holding my grandbaby? You’ve had a child recently and you can still outrun us. It’s blasphemous!”
That makes me crack a smile. My dad is always a bit over dramatic in the best possible way.
“What’s blasphemous is you taking the Ancestors’ name in vain. Again.”
My dad waves a hand at me. “Like they care. They’re dead!”
I rub my temples. They actually have a lot to say about that but I can’t deny the comfort that comes from a familiar inside joke. My parents know about the hardship that’s been placed on my shoulders. They know the basics of what it means to lead our people and be the living vessel for our Ancestors to speak through.
My father sits beside me on the floor and I immediately lean my head against his shoulder. His tail wraps around my back, holding me tight.
“How are you feeling?” My father might not be the most outspoken person but he’s always so gentle with me. He’s always here when I need him.
I let his question settle for a moment before covering my face with my hands and letting out a long groan.
“That bad, huh? I still think you should drag his ass to thematurous trial. Prove that you two belong together in the eyes of the Ancestors. Even if he’s not willing to brave the pit, surely you are, Ghenie.”
“I would run through the gauntlet if I thought that would do anything to win his heart but I fear it would not. Christian has made his feelings about our trial very clear. He believes one cannot win another’s heart, it must be given freely.”
