Turning her head she saw Jaison looking rather annoyed at her. Was it him that caused fear in her earlier? Suddenly, he stormed over. Next thing she knew he was towering over her, staring angrily into her eyes. “You tell me we can't be friends and that you don't hang out with people, yet here you are hanging out and being friendly with someone? Why, why not me? What did I do to make you not want anything to do with me?”
Ayalet stood there like a deer in headlights, overwhelmed. Why WAS she able to be so open with Zack but not Jaison? Why did Zack make her feel so relaxed and calm but being near Jaison made her feel like an electrical current was zipping through her entire body? She hated seeing him so…. angry, was she wrong or did she see something else? Was he hurt..or maybe jealous, why did he care so much? Ugh this was making her head hurt again.
Zack barged between them and pulled Ayalet behind him, “You have no right to speak to her that way.”
“This is between Ayalet and I, not you. Butt out!” Jaison gritted out between his teeth. Their faces were within an inch of each other. Their faces bright red with anger, she almost expected punches to start flying.
To avoid any trouble she weaseled in between them, “Jaison, you wouldn’t understand. He understands me and is helping me better understand myself. It’s not you and has nothing to do with you.” As she stood between them, she realized how tall Jaison was. She was standing at 5’6 while he had to be a good six inches taller than her. Wondering, she looked over at Zack. She never noticed that he was also taller than her but not as tall as Jaison. Maybe 5’10 if she had to guess. She felt so small standing between them.
Utter hurt filled his eyes, “How do you know if you don’t give me a chance to help you? How do you know I wouldn’t understand if you don’t give me a chance to hear what you have to say? You keep shutting me out.”
As she stared into Jaison’s eyes, she felt her body getting pulled backward as Zack slipped between them silently. For a moment it felt like the wind was holding its breath, the two of them stood there, eyes unmoving, challenging.
Jaison was the first to break the silence, “Who are you even?”
Before Zack had the chance to respond, Ayalet pulled Zack’s arm and dragged him back behind her. She held his hands gently, “Zack, thank you for standing up for me but this doesn’t concern you.”
From behind her, she felt Jaison pull her close to him in a possessive manner. His arm wrapped around her back and gripped her shoulder. She looked up into his face to find him glaring at Zack, as if challenging him. For a few moments they just stared into each other's eyes, Ayalet unsure of what to do. Her back felt like it was on fire with Jaison so close. At first it was a searing pain, as if her skin was melting off but at the same time it almost felt pleasant. As if the warmth of the sun was leaning against her back and slowly filling her body, overflowing. Her thoughts withered away in the heat of her emotions, of his closeness.
Through the fog she could hear mumbling, a discussion. Oh shit, the boys. With the thought of them, her hearing cleared up.
“I need to speak with her for a few moments, you can stand within sight if it REALLY makes you feel better.” Jaison looked down into her face and continued, “Ayalet, can we talk… alone?”
His molten eyes staring down into her, her mouth grew dry as she nodded her head and mumbled out an agreement. The instant she agreed, Jaison steared her away from Zack. They walked to the other end of the block before he stopped and faced her toward him, his hands resting on her shoulders.
Her eyes were staring into his as he began talking, his words uninterpretable as she became lost in a trance. He was just staring at her now, did he ask her something? “What?”
“Ayalet, pay attention.” The edges of his eyes crinkled as his brow lowered. He didn’t look mad, more sad as the edges of his lips angled downward. His fingers warm as they wrapped around her shoulders. His lips, she couldn’t look away. The last time she tried to kiss him popped into her mind and brought her back to reality.
“I can’t. I can’t focus with you touching me. Give me some room to breathe.” She wiggled away from him and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to clear her mind. She didn’t realize she had been holding her breath.
He looked impatient but gave her a foot of space between them before he asked, “Better?” She nodded her head in response. “Okay, now I am trying to understand this situation. First you go and kiss me the first day we meet. Which by the way confused the crap out of me. Then you go and avoid me, refusing to talk to me. Which again, confused me. We go to the party together and you seem angry at me but I don’t know why. Next thing I know, I see you with this guy Zack. You two seem close, he’s constantly touching you yet you don’t want to even attempt to have a conversation with me. If that’s the case, then why did you kiss me? And why does it seem I arouse feelings in you like just now? Do you like him, are you dating him?”
She felt overwhelmed by his explanation, “No, we’re just friends.” She didn’t mean to be sending mixed signals, she wasn’t trying to. It was her stupid heart and head, they couldn’t reach an agreement.
“Then why do you let him hold you? Why do you seem so afraid to be near me? What have I done wrong to you?” He reached his hands out toward her and jerked to a stop as if realizing what he was about to do.
“Because I can’t think straight when you’re around! I don’t understand my own mind, I just lose myself when I'm around you, and it scares me.” She wrapped her arms around her body, her entire body buzzing.
“See, it’s the same for me but all you do is avoid me. I’m trying to get closer to you but you’re pushing me away when all I want is to get to know you.” His hand reached up into his hair and pulled at it lightly. “You are infuriatingly hard to understand and get through to.” Suddenly, his hands were behind her head, his lips against hers, kissing her. Lightning shot from her lips before traveling along her nerves from her face down to her toes and back up to her heart; kicking it into overdrive.
Instantly the kiss deepened, his hands dug into her hair and pulled her closer. Her hands then drifted up to his sides. The shocks jumped back from her fingers to his body. Little shocks kept vibrating her body. Images of the Seraphs briefly zipped into her mind before disappearing. She went to pull away to catch her breath but before she could move away he was pulling her back. This time he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Her womb tightened with want and her whole body sparked like firecrackers. Her mind completely clouded over as her tongue began a dance with his, dashing and twisting together. Images of a tree and a tall man with four wings looking upward slipped into her thoughts. The man turned around but before her mind could register she was back in her body again.
Next thing she knew, she was stumbling backward, leaning against the side of a building. Her breathing was heavy and ragged. Next to her, Jaison’s eyes were looking down at the ground, he stood there a moment confused. Zack popped up next to her, his hand on her shoulder, “Are you okay?” Not able to properly get air into her lungs she nodded. She raised her head to look at Jaison. His eyes met hers before turning to Zack.
His breathing was just as heavy as hers but he managed to say to Zack, “Keep your hands to yourself, I don’t care what you are to her.” He then walked away.
Ayalet stood there frozen to the ground. “Ayalet, Are you okay?” Zack asked from behind her, his concern clear on his face.
She nodded, “I’m just so confused. I don’t know what I want. Jaison, he makes me. I don’t know, feel. And that’s what confuses me, I don’t know how to let someone in and trust them not to hurt me.”
Zack came around to her front and wrapped her in a hug, “Aya, You’ve let me in. If you really like him, I’m sure you can let him in as well.”
“You just called me Aya.” She felt her throat close up a bit, “I haven’t been called that since.” She paused, taking a breath to avoid crying, “my parents.” She gave in as a tear fell down her face.
Zack tightened his arms around her, “Is it okay that I call you that?” She nodded her head in response as the tears continued to flow. Zack just let her cry as he leaned his head down on top of hers. His hand rubbing circles on her back.
After her crying dwindled away, Zack spoke up, “Why don’t we go get a drink somewhere.” He turned his head from side to side, “Any recommendations?”
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she nodded, “Yeah, we could go get something at the coffee shop across the street.”
“I’m down with that.” He smiled down at her. His closeness suddenly bothered her a bit, she pushed away from him. Zack’s closeness made her think of Jaison and his kissing her.
“Zack, no one says that anymore.” She tilted her head in the direction of the coffee shop. “Come on, a smoothie sounds pretty good right now.” Looking both ways she started walking across the street.
Running after her, he said, “Oh, I thought it was a common phrase in this dimension.”
Turning her head to meet his gaze, she chuckled, “Yeah, it used to be like that in the 70’s. Nowadays, most people just say cool or something.”
Standing outside the door, she paused, “Can you make sure to not be as touchy here. It’s unusual behavior. Okay?” He nodded his head in agreement and she took that as a safe cue to walk through the door.
The smell of coffee exploded in her face as she opened the door. She turned to Zack, “Do you like coffee?”
Zack deeply inhaled before quickly exhaling, “I love coffee! Though I’m rarely allowed to have it. I get into a bit of trouble.”
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
“Oh? Do explain.” She teased him. “Here, we can sit for a minute before I get in line.”
Sitting down, Zack shyly explained, “So, the first time I had coffee, I was really young. My parents made some this one morning and I mistakenly drank my mom's cup. She had added a decent amount of sugar, making it this bitter, sweet flavor. Anyway, I guzzled it down within minutes and soon after I was a bottle rocket of energy. I was running around the entire house; I broke some glass ornaments and was trailing a marker in my hand along the wall as my parents tried to catch me. I eventually ran out the door and into the community market and well . . . I climbed a few of the fountains, some stands and got in a lot of trouble. Low and behold, I’m not allowed to have coffee anymore.”
Ayalet could feel a huge grin spread from ear to ear and her jaw had dropped with awe at what he had done as a child. Would he behave the same if he had the coffee now? “Well, have you ever had decaffeinated coffee?”
“Decaf, as in it doesn’t have caffeine in it?”
She nodded her head to his question, “Yeah, so you should be able to avoid the sugar rush.” She barely held back a laugh at the thought of the sugar rush. “And you get to enjoy the flavor.”
He was half out of his chair and reaching across the table, “Yes, yes, yes please!” He made a shooing motion with his hand, “I want that, the decaf coffee!”
She chuckled at his response, “Any flavor you’d prefer?”
“There’s flavors?” He sat back down and contemplated, “Surprise me, as long as it’s not sea cucumber flavored.” He smiled up at her.
“Zack nothing is sea cucumber flavored.” Sea cucumber? Sounded gross. She shook her head as she got up. He is so enthusiastic about everything, he made things really refreshing and fun.
Leaving Zack at the table, Ayalet stepped up to the back of the line behind three other people. The woman in front of her was roughly her same height. Her hair was a dark blood red cut in a short pixie style. Her skin tone was pale while her features were very angled in a way that reminded Ayalet of someone from a different country or time period; maybe egyption. She had slightly angled mossy green eyes with high cheekbones and a small slightly upturned nose. She was impatiently tapping her foot, looking around the coffee shop intensely. Ayalet wondered where she’d come from; she looked like a model... and definitely not from around here.
As the thought crossed her mind, the woman turned around and faced her. She took Ayalet in for a second before she opened her mouth, “Hi.” She smiled at Ayalet, “I’m new to the area, is this place any good?”
A half smile lifted one side of the woman’s face that made Ayalet think of something predatory. She then bumped into Ayalets shoulder playfully. At her touch, Ayalet felt an electric shock almost like a static sting on her arm. “I saw you kissing that guy outside. How great for you that you found your love so soon.” For a second, the lady’s face twitched with an emotion she couldn’t recognize.
“Oh no, no. You’ve got it all wrong, we’re not even dating let alone in love. I barely know him.” Wait, did she just say ‘so soon’? What did she mean by that?
“I see, I keep forgetting the newest generation is so much more open to forms of affection.” Ayalet wondered what she meant when she said the newest generation. She looked only a few years older than Ayalet herself, at most in her early twenties. But there was something very odd about the way she spoke, maybe she was from a different country? She didn’t have an accent though which was strange.
A loud crash could be heard from outside. Every head lifted to the sound. Half the customers sitting in their chairs either stood up to get a better view while the rest gathered at the window. She herself angled her head to find a car crash outside. There was a bit of smoke and the cars looked pretty banged up but it didn’t look too extreme. She turned back in line. There would be an ambulance soon, she saw multiple people calling 911; nothing she could do to help. Looking back at the woman she found her nonchalantly staring at her nails with a bored look on her face; not the least bit concerned with the accident outside. Odd.
Ayalet looked over her shoulder at Zack to see he was in his chair staring at her, or rather past her. He looked like a spooked cat, his body stiff as he roughly gripped the chair next to him. His feet in a half runner pose on the balls of his feet, getting ready to stand up fast if he needed to. She wondered what had him acting this way, it was strange to see the normally carefree guy so serious. Was he spooked from the crash? Then why was he looking in the opposite direction of the car crash?
Turning back around, she noticed the woman, whatever her name was waving kindly over in Zack's direction. Probably at Zack himself considering no one else was sitting on that side of the coffee shop. She seemed fine to Ayalet, so what was wrong with him?
The woman grabbed her coffee from the counter and headed toward the door. They then called Ayalets name from the counter to retrieve her drinks. She went to grab them but when she turned back toward the woman, she was about to walk through the door. Calling after her she asked, “Wait, I didn’t catch your name.”
The lady just smiled as she waved, “No worries, We’ll be seeing each other again very soon.” And with that, she was out the door and gone.
Shrugging her shoulders, Ayalet headed back to the table to join Zack after ordering. Walking up, she noticed he still looked like a spooked cat, “What’s wrong?”
At the sound of her voice he seemed to visibly calm down. “Ayalet, do you know that woman?”
Looking back toward the door where she last saw the lady, she responded, “No, that was the first time I’ve met her. Why?”
“I sensed dark energy coming off her.” Obviously seeing something she wasn’t; He stared out the door, his eyebrows tilting down, placing a shadow over his eyes. It made him look a few years older and certainly not the Zack she had come to know in this brief period. It scared her a bit, worried her that maybe she was wrong about the lady if she spooked him this much.
Again, Ayalet tilted her head sideways as she shrugged her shoulders, “she seemed nice enough to me. I mean she was a little odd but it was probably just your imagination.”
Zack just kept staring out the door. Grunting in response to what she said, he then said, “I don’t think so.” Ayalet jumped at the sound of her name being called. Getting up she walked over to the counter where their drinks slid over to her. Returning to their table, she slid the hot cup across the table to Zack as she sat down.
“Try it, I think you'll like it.” Zack tore his eyes away from the door, took the cup and sighing heavily took a sip. The air around him changed immediately. His eyes lit up before he took a bigger gulp of his drink. Apparently too fast because he started coughing.
“You okay?” He nodded his head in response before he patted his chest and he coughed a bit more. “Did it go down the wrong tube?”
He cleared his throat, “Yeah, it tastes just as good as I remember. And it’s not caffeinated? I can’t tell the difference, though it has been awhile so what do I know?” He went and took another big gulp, “It tastes soooo good! What flavor did you choose?”
“Hazelnut with a bit of sugar in it. Not too much though because I don’t want to be cleaning up after you later.” He wiggled in his seat, filled to the brim with excitement. She’d have to get him some coffee from the grocery store. She took a sip of her own drink, her usual, strawberry mango. Her own taste buds lighting up with joy. They both sat silently, enjoying their drinks and of the silence while watching people walk by outside, the sun beating down on them.
She enjoyed the quiet, the warmth and the ease of Zack’s company. They just sat in silence together as they drank the remainder of the cups. She was confused about the nameless lady and wondered when next she would see her. She spoke so strangely.
After finishing their drinks, they walked out the doors and back out to the main street. Zack started rubbing his tummy, “Despite the drink, I am still hungry so let’s go get some food.”
Ayalet chuckled, “Then let’s go. Though it’s never a great idea to go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.” She slipped her arm through his as she directed him down the street, further into her small city downtown. On their way down the street, they passed the post office, town hall, and the dollar store before having to cross the street to get to the town grocery store.
Walking in the front doors, she pulled a grocery list out of her pocket.
“Wooow, there is so much here! Back at home our market is generally open out on the streets with little stands, but this is huge and so colorful!” Zack said with his mouth slightly open as he gazed around in awe.
“Let’s just go up and down the aisles, I have a list but let’s see if we can find some new things for you to try.” Pulling out the list Ayalet read it out to Zack. “So we need some fruit and veggies since we are going to be at the house, we can make some simple meals. We should get some pasta, and some eggs and bread.” Ayalet looked down the aisles as they walked through the store. “Maybe some oatmeal or cereal.” She turned to look at Zack as she pointed down the coffee aisle. “Do you want some Decaffeinated Coffee? There is an old coffee pot that still works at the house so we can make it.”
“That sounds great. WOAH you have fish here? We are so far away from the ocean!” He said excitedly as he half galloped past the coffee aisle to the seafood section.
A thought crossed her mind, “Do you need to eat fish? It's pricey but we can get a little.”
Zack waved a hand in front of his face as if he was waving away the question. “Naw I just didn’t know you could get food from the ocean so far away from it.”
The rest of their shopping was uneventful. They wove through the aisles, gathering the needed food before paying. Finishing up their grocery shopping, they walked out the entrance doors with bags of food in their hands. “We can’t get distracted by anything; we need to get this food home.”
He nodded his head in response as they headed in the direction of home.
~~~~~
After they walked in the front door, they put the food into the cabinets and the fridge.
Ayalet sighed after she finished putting everything away before she turned to Zack, “what would you like to eat now?”
“That pasta stuff you were talking about at the store sounded interesting.”
“Oh you mean the veggie alfredo? Yeah we can make that; plus it's good as leftovers just in case we get hungry later.”
Once they finished eating, Ayalet grabbed their plates, brought them to the sink before returning to the couch with Zack. She let out a sigh, it had been a long day. Sitting there her mind began to review what had occurred earlier that day; a wave of emotions washed over her as tears started trailing down her cheeks.
Zacks pulled her in close for comfort on the couch. Luckily he didn’t ask what was wrong because she didn’t think she could find the words. He just held her tightly, rubbing her back while she cried. “Is it Jaison?” Ayalet froze but nodded in response. It was at least one of the reasons anyway. “I’m sorry Ayalet, I’m here. Cry all you need.”
In between sobs, she asked, “Was he mad at me? Why does he make me feel so crazy all the time? I mean, I don’t know how he makes me feel. He confuses me.”
“I don’t know Aya.” His hand rested on her head, the warmth calming her. “I’m sure you’re tired, why don’t you take a nap.”
Ayalet shook her head, “No, I don’t want to sleep. I want to do something. I don’t want to overthink it right now. I need to get out of my own head.”
“Well, don’t let him worry you too much. Ooh, hey, why don’t we go back to the lake where we met for a few days? We’ll walk this time, I really want to see how you got through the gateway. Plus, the hiking will be good to clear your head.”
She nodded her head in response, “Hiking sounds really good right now.”
Zack pulled her head close onto his shoulder and started running his hand through her hair. It felt so relaxing. With each stroke of his hand she felt the stiffness in her shoulders and neck slowly disappear. The last thing that ran through her brain as she slipped into dreams was the thought of Jaison kissing her and the woman who mistook him for her lover.