Page 56 of Muse (Fighting Fate)

“Aiden and I were four. We were supposed to be at kindy together, but he was sick that day, so it was just me. When the centre rang and said they were evacuating because of the riots, Dad came to get me...”

I paused to take a few steadying breaths. I was trying to keep the quiver from my voice, but there was just no stopping it.

“We’d almost made it out of the district. We only had one more block to go, but someone had set a car on fire and it’d exploded, blocking our way out. Dad grabbed me out of the car and decided to carry me to safety. There were so many people. I remember thinking they all sounded so angry. Dad kept telling me we were nearly there, to not worry. That it was going to be alright…”

The pictures that I’d tried so hard to bury broke free in my mind, hitting me in full technicolor glory. My breath hitched, and when I spoke again, my voice came out sounding little more than a whisper.

“I remember the police came then. They looked so scary with their helmets and shields, but Dad ran towards them anyway. I was so confused. I didn’t know what was happening. I remember smoke appearing out of nowhere, and my eyes stinging so badly I cried. I was so scared. There was so much noise. So many people yelling and screaming. And cracking. I remember that sound the most. It was terrifying.” I paused, unsure if I could control the memories now I’d released them.

“The next thing I knew, Dad yelled and fell down.” My voice broke. I knew I was only four when it happened, but that memory was one of the clearest ones I had out of my whole life. I could still feel his arms around me as we fell. “I didn’t know it then, but he’d been shot. He told me to run to the police, but I didn’t want to leave him, so I stayed, holding him and crying. I remember looking around, waiting for someone to come and help us, but no one did. There was so much blood, but no one seemed to care…no one even thought twice that they were walking over the top of me or my dad as he lie there dying...” I closed my eyes, letting the horror of it wash through me for a minute.

“Mia-”

The pain in Jace’s voice brought me back like a slap to the face. I took strength from that and drew in another deep breath. “I don’t really remember much of what happened after that. I can only remember being picked up by a policeman and screaming when he took me away from my dad. Then I was being put in the back of his car.”

The sound of the patio door sliding open drew my attention and I looked up to see Jace standing there with his phone to his ear. I lowered my phone as I stared at him, realizing my cheeks were wet with tears. “…And ever since then, it scares the hell out of me to be in a crowd.”

Jace walked towards me slowly, never taking his eyes off mine. Cautiously, he reached for me, gently pulling me into his arms.

The instant I was in his embrace, I knew I was where I needed to be. There was suddenly a lightness inside me I’d never known before. It was as though he’d taken the heaviness that had been my burden all these years and lifted it off me.

I melted against his chest and closed my eyes.

We stayed like that for a long time, just silently letting his energy wash away my pain. It was amazing. It felt like by telling him, I’d ripped off the scab that had been festering for all these years, and now, in his arms, I was finally beginning to heal properly. For the first time in my life, I actually felt as though I had a real chance at a normal life. It felt wonderful.

So wonderful I started to cry again.

Jace pulled back to look at me, taking my face in his hands. His thumbs brushed over my cheeks softly, wiping away the tears that were still escaping. The hurt in his eyes made my heart break, and the only way I could show him I was okay was to tilt my head back and push up on my tiptoes for a kiss.

He met my kiss hesitantly, but when I reached my hand around the back of his neck and pulled him further into me, he let go.

He kissed me soft and slow. It was completely different to any other kiss we’d shared. It was like a concentrated form of healing energy, and I swore I could almost feel the hurt in me dissipating.

When we parted, Jace looked me deep in my eyes. “Thank you,” he said softly.

It was perfect. I didn’t want any more than that. I took his hand and walked him over to the bed, climbing in and gesturing for him to follow me. He kicked off his shoes and slid in beside me.

I didn’t wait for him to make the first move. I needed to be close. Pressing myself up against his chest, I kissed him deep. As though reading my mind, Jace wrapped his arms around me, pulling me hard into him.

“Jace…?” I whispered as his lips moved along my neck.

“Yeah, baby?” he murmured.

“I want to be with you.”

He kissed the little sensitive spot below my ear before pulling back to look at me. “What do you mean?”

I swallowed. Damn, my emotions were all over the place. “I mean, I want to be yours. Always.”

He smiled. “Good, because I’m not ready to let you go just yet.”

I pulled him back down to kiss me and let myself get lost in the feel of him. He touched me and kissed me in all the right places, working me up to such a state, I was panting for more.

I groaned. “God, Jace…I want you so much…”

He chuckled in my ear. “I know, baby, but we can’t…”

I let my head flop back on my pillow and huffed out loudly. Glancing at Jace, I frowned and then threw in a pout for extra emphasis. “I didn’t think periods could get any more annoying than they already were.”

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