“My best friend. Sometimes, I feel guilty he died and I survived, but now I’m not so sure.” I shift in my seat. “This isn’t a real life, is it? Maybe I should let Finn do whatever he needs?”
Alek stiffens, stares ahead and I wait for him to drive. “You don’t want to go where Finn needs to send you.”
“What do you mean?”
Alek cups my cheek and drags his thumb against my lips, hitching my breath and fuzzing out the question I’m asking. He does know. “Like I said, it’s weird I met another me, and someone stronger.” As his lips hover close to mine, I shift my head back and look at him.
“Are you going to take my energy?”
“I said stronger; I can’t hurt you. I want you around because you’re like me. I’ll fight him - them - to keep you, so I don’t have to be on my own anymore. I’ve waited more years than you can imagine.”
“There are others, though?” I say, my voice a whisper, pulled into the seduction of his words and the flowing power from his fingers on my face.
“Others, yeah, but not many. Lizzie says she’s only met one other.”
I don’t understand all his words, can’t wait for explanations because all I want at this very moment is for him to hold me. I wind my fingers into his damp hair and lock my mouth on his. Alek responds with a hard kiss, flaring my body to life and the energy flows. I don’t mean to but I want him, too; the moment our mouths connect, I want to consume him, have him part of me. Alek tightens his arms around me and his damp leather jacket squeaks as his arms move, crushing me into an embrace which takes away my breath. Our mouths move together; in my mind, there’s bright white light and it’s coming from Alek. I have to have this - him - everything. Alek’s head hits the window as I climb onto his lap and hold his face tightly against mine.
Alek slides his hand down my arm, taking my hand is his damp palm. I jolt at the sensation and let his head go. I grip his hand, not wanting to let go of the power. I feel so alive, high. The rain coming down outside is beautiful. Rainbows are refracting in the drops sliding down the window. Where the rain was cold before, it now warms against my skin. I inhale; the leaves of autumn from outside of the car and Alek’s scent are magnified a thousand times.
“Let go of my hand, Rose.”
I look back at him, eyes wide, filling with the happiness flooding my system, even without his mouth on mine. Alek frowns at me, chewing on his mouth. “Let go. You don’t need it.”
But I do. All of this.
Alek wrenches his hand from my grasp, and my shoulders sag at the loss of him. The rain in his hair from the run to the car drips onto his beautiful face, onto those full, kissable lips I crave to have on mine again. I part my own and lean back to him.
Eyes widening, Alek turns his head. “Rose, don’t do this…”
“You started it.”
Alek grabs my arms and shakes me. “Do you want to hurt me?”
I blink back to reality as I ground myself back into the damp girl sitting in an idling, warm car with a pale-faced man. What did I do to him? Alek is pallid, lips almost white, and has a hand on the door. Is he about to run from me?
I giggle at the conceited, intimidating man suddenly nervous of me. Alek frowns which makes me giggle more. This is awesome, feeling so alive and happy, the fog and pain from the accident wiped away.
“Last time, you needed my energy to survive, Rose. This time you didn’t, and now look what’s happened.”
“I feel amazing!” And he could give me more. My attempt to grab his head fails and Alek grabs my wrists, gripping them away from him.
“For fuck’s sake, Rose, stop it!”
“I can still feel the energy flowing where you’re holding me,” I say and grin.
“I’ll get out of this car and leave you!” he snaps. “You’ll fucking kill me!”
“But we’re already dead!” My giggling returns. I have an urge to climb out of the car and run around in the rain, to feel everything that’s dulled for so long.
“You’ll send me to the Void, Rose. Do you want that? Who will help you then?”
“Finn, maybe? Ooh! I know! Tom Jones could help me.” I burst into song, singing ‘It’s Not Unusual’.
Alek’s horrified look grows. “You’re fucking high! Jesus, Rose.”
I stop and put a hand over my mouth. Well, I thought it was funny. He throws open the car door and climbs out. I’m about to respond when he slams it closed.
Wow.
I climb out of my side, into the rain, and lean across the car roof. “Sorry, Alek.”
“Will you stop touching me?” he replies gruffly.
I bite back another giggle. “Yes. I promise.”
The rains runs from his curls and down his face, now paler then a few minutes ago. His dull eyes hit me with reality. I’ve hurt him. “Alek…I didn’t realise what I was doing.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He shivers against the weather. “I need to go home and hope there’s a fucking Shade in the house. And you need to get back in the car before somebody notices how strange you look.”