The other end of the line was quiet. Finally, “There are a great many things we need to discuss. What in particular would you like to talk about?”
“I think it would be better if we met up in person.” I bit a nail as I said this. I wasn’t sure how seeing Andre would affect me.
“I’ll be over there in an hour.”
“Uh, Andre, on the way over, you should probably pick up a newspaper.”
***
Almost exactly an hour later, there was a rap on the door.
Oliver squealed. “It’s your hunk of burning love!”
I threw Leanne’s pillow at him as I made my way to the door. “Can you please do me a favor and try to tone down your comments?”
“Never!” Oliver said, but his words were drowned out by the thrum of energy coming from the other side of the door.
I’d felt the current for the last minute or so, but now it was almost unbearable. Like a magnet, the closer I got to my counterpoint, the stronger the pull.
I opened the door, and my breath caught in my throat.
Andre stood in front of me taking up the doorway, and the vision of him almost brought me to my knees. Dark, wavy locks of hair framed those high cheekbones, square jaw, and arching lips that I’d dearly missed. But what captivated me were his glittering eyes. At this moment, they looked the same as they had in the painting that hung above his bed—the remorseful Andre who’d fought in the crusades.
Before I knew what I was doing, my fingers reached up and grazed his cheek.
He too brought his hand up to my face and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb.
“I hope this means you’re happy to see me,” he said, his voice low.
I didn’t respond; I couldn’t. I tried to remember that why I’d kept my distance for so long—he scared me. Only now, as he stood here and wiped away my tears, that reasoning seemed awfully fickle.
A voice cleared his throat behind me. “Trust me, she is happy to see you,” Oliver said. “Thought I’d throw that out there since she’s a mute right now.”
The spell was broken, and the rest of the world came back into focus.
Andre glanced over my shoulder at Oliver. The moment he did so, the remorse was gone, replaced by the powerful, self-assured man I’d first met.
I stepped to the side so that Andre could come in while I grabbed my coat and bag. He sauntered in, his gaze focused on the fairy sprawled out on my bed.
The two had met once, after Andre found Oliver, Leanne, and I in the woods near the entrance to Otherworld. That same location was now taped off, the scene of a horrific crime.
“Andre, you remember Oliver,” I said.
Oliver shook off the loose candy wrappers littered along his body and got up to take Andre’s hand.
“How could I forget?” Andre said, taking Oliver’s hand. Oliver was memorable like that.
“Gabrielle’s said so much about you,” Oliver said. “You know, since you two parted ways.”
Andre glanced at me and raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t worry,” I said to Andre. “None of it was flattering.”
He frowned, and I slipped on a jacket and slung my book bag over my shoulder. “’Kay, I’m ready to go.” I turned to Oliver. “Are you leaving right now too?”
“Hell no I’m not leaving,” Oliver said, walking back to my bed and making himself comfortable. “Sexy, naked men are showing up here at all hours of the day. As if I’d pass up that opportunity.”
Andre narrowed his eyes. “What’s this?”
I almost groaned. So much for progress. Andre hadn’t been here five minutes and the possessiveness was back in his voice.
Oliver smiled mischievously. “Oh Gabrielle has had a string of admirers who’ve shown up in this room buck naked—probably thought flashing her would land them a date.”
I put a hand to my face and began massaging my temples. This was so not how I wanted the reunion with Andre to begin.
“Really?” Andre said, his voice deceptively calm. Oliver, for his part, failed to notice how menacing Andre had become.
“That’s not even the best part,” Oliver said, still enjoying himself. “One showed up in her bed last night demanding to have sex with her.”
A muscle in Andre’s jaw jumped.
“When she said no, he didn’t take her rejection too well, so she had to throw him across the room.”
“Oliver, just—stop talking,” I said. He must’ve heard all of that from Leanne since I never mentioned these details.
“Did he hurt you?” Andre asked me. His voice was soft and lethal. His body tensed and that muscle in his jaw jumped again.
“Andre, no, calm down.” I practically pushed him out the door. It was time to go.
“Bye Oliver!”
“Bye! Have a good evening. Oh, and if you two do the nasty, I want to know—” I slammed the door on his words.
“Sorry about that,” I said to Andre.
His eyebrow was raised. “‘If we do the nasty?’ I didn’t realize you were that happy to see me.”
“Oh please, eat a slice of humble pie. You’re not getting lucky tonight.”
Chapter 5