A Touch Mortal

Chapter 39





Az stood near the door, leaning against it as if he wasn’t entirely sure whether he was going to let them leave or not.

“You’re sure you have your cell phone?” he asked for the third time. Eden pulled it out of her pocket, again, and flipped open the screen.

“See? Fully charged. We’ll be fine, Az. Just a movie, maybe something to eat after if we feel up to it.” She smiled, hoping it was passable. Butterflies wreaked havoc on her stomach. He was going to decide it was too dangerous.

Under her jeans, the skirt she wore was bunching up. She fought the urge to smooth the rippled material, knowing it would only draw attention.

Libby came out of the bathroom, grabbing her clutch off the couch. She’d changed into a sweatshirt and baggy jeans. He’s going to know, Eden thought, panicking. Libby could get away with the casual look, but Eden never dressed like this. She wasn’t even sure she’d worn the jeans before tonight.

“Ready, hon?” Libby asked innocently.

Eden glanced back at Az. He tapped his hand against the doorframe before dropping it.

“Ugh. Just the movie and back,” he said as he finally stepped aside. “And you have to promise you’ll call me if you so much as get a funny feeling.”

Libby squealed, hooking Eden’s arm in hers. Eden smiled back; the girl’s enthusiasm was almost too much.

“Gabe’s gonna kick my ass,” Az mumbled. “He wants one of us with you at all times.”

Libby raised three fingers. “He’ll never know. Scout’s honor, ’kay?” She patted his cheek playfully. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ve got your back.” Eden caught the wink Libby gave him, his face going red.

Clever, Eden thought. Libby had probably said the same thing to Adam that she’d played up to Az. It wasn’t like the guys were likely to get together and compare notes or anything.

They pounded down the stairs without looking back. Eden heard Az’s footsteps on the landing above them, pausing at the railing, but he didn’t follow.

Eden hesitated at the security door. She glanced back over her shoulder, up the stairwell. A rush of guilt hit her. No, she thought. It’ll be fine. I deserve this. She took a deep breath. The door opened and the stairs were empty. Eden ignored the disappointment tempering her relief. Libby pulled a plastic bag from her pocket once they’d gotten to the alley.

“Best I could do without it looking all wonky,” she said.

From their apartment the only window view on that side was in Eden’s room, and she’d been careful to lock her door before leaving.

With no threat of prying eyes from above, she unbuttoned her jeans, handing them off to Libby, who’d already shed her extra layer. She rolled them tight, tossing both pairs into the bag before adding the sweatshirts on top. She tied the bag, then lifted an overturned soggy cardboard box and set the bag underneath.

Libby twisted her hips, flaring out the bottom of her skirt.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Eden wrapped her arms around herself, glad she’d gone with long sleeves. Even though the material was thin, it still offered her a little protection. Libby insisted on forgoing coats. If they were supposed to be taking a cab to the movies, they really weren’t necessary. Another little detail to give Az reason to believe her.

“I can’t believe we have to do this. Confession?” she said, turning to Eden. “I was absolutely terrified of you that first night. You were so in control. Why are you suddenly letting them tell you what to do?”

Eden slowed her footsteps. “Can we not talk about it, Libby? I just want…this,” she said, twirling her hand around. “A normal night out without f*cking drama.” Her voice grew frustrated, the tension creeping back into her shoulders.

“Ya know what?” Libby stopped, peeking out to case either side of the street before leading the way out of the alley. “I’m sorry I brought it up. Let’s just forget about all that for now and have fun. Sound like a plan?” she asked, her eyes trying to pry a smile from Eden.

“Yeah.” Eden forced a grin. “Sounds like a great plan.”

“Freedom!” Libby sighed as they headed out of the alley, waving down a cab. Eden laughed as they slipped into the backseat. “Ready for your surprise?” she asked before turning to the driver. “Aerie, please.” The driver nodded absently, starting the meter.

“Aerie?” Eden asked.

“Yeah…” Her face glowed as she undid the snap on the clutch, pulling out two tickets and handing them to Eden. “Have you heard of Dawn’s Supernova? There was a video up on FreePlay and it’s already gotten like a million hits in five days. Totally went viral. So they’ve gotta be good, right?”

Eden’s mouth dropped open. “Libby, I can’t go there.”

“What’s wrong?”

“The first night, when Az brought me home and Gabe got all messed up. We were coming from Aerie.”

“Okay,” Libby said slowly, her voice full of disappointment. She glanced down at the tickets. “Well, what did the guy look like?”

Eden hesitated. “I didn’t see him.”

She still remembered the fear on Gabe’s face when they’d been chased out. Alone, she didn’t know who to run from.

Libby scoffed. “So let me get this straight. You have an invisible enemy who you’ve never yourself seen and you can’t go out because the boys don’t think it’s safe?”

“It’s just…” The memory of the music sent a shiver of anticipation through her. “Maybe just…maybe just for a few songs.”

“Are you sure? We don’t have to go there. This is supposed to be fun. If you’re gonna be uncomfortable, we can do something else.”

“Like what? Go home?” Eden shook her head. “No. We’re out. You’ve already got the tickets. We’ll just stay for a few songs.” It was a flimsy excuse, but she couldn’t help it. She deserved a f*cking night out.

Twenty minutes later, the cab pulled up to the curb. The crowd spilled over the sidewalk. As Eden opened the door, she was rushed by half a dozen teenagers.

“You got tickets? How many?”

“I’ll buy them off you!”

“Whatever he’ll pay, I’ll double it.”

She shook her head, making a rush for the door. The show had started half an hour ago, but the crowd gathered outside showed no signs of weakening.

“This is insane!” Libby yelled, gripping Eden’s waistband so she didn’t lose her in the crowd.

The same bouncer was at the door. Eden looked down the street, unsure why she hid her face as she held out her arm for the wristband.

As the door swung open, Eden forced herself to concentrate on the throbbing strobe lights. She wandered past a few teenagers clustered around the door, stopped dead in their tracks. Libby caught her hand as the last of the keyboard notes faded, pulling her along behind her through the crowd, toward the stage. They didn’t make it, only midway across the floor when the drums, too, went silent. Eden glanced around. The place was packed. They’d be anonymous enough.

The room stopped gradually. The flailing arms around her settled, falling calmly as every head turned up to the single spotlight streaming down on center stage.

Eden kept her own eyes to the floor. Without the chaotic movement, she tugged Libby’s arm, easily winding forward. No one else was taking advantage of the stillness.

At an earsplitting wail, her eyes flicked up to the stage. It was him, the same singer. He screamed, dragging his hand over the strings of the guitar slung across his chest. Before she could wince, his fingers raced across the frets.

No one should be able to play that fast, she thought. He shredded up and down the neck of the instrument, the motion enough to make her lightheaded. Some kind of classical riff spilled through the amp, but she couldn’t place it.

“Do you know what that is?” Eden asked.

Libby shook her head, rapt. “I’ve never heard anything played like that.”

Eden’s eyes swung back to the stage as the notes surged and died, the fingers holding the final chord in a diminished fifth. His head hung, loose curls spiraling down to his collarbones. His shoulders rose and fell with every breath.

No one clapped. The last time she’d watched him play, cheers and screams had drowned out the last notes of every song. This time the audience was too spellbound and dumbstruck to believe it had ended.

She was close enough to see a smile twitch the corners of his lips before he touched the strings again. The smile; it was like a secret they shared, and Eden’s cheeks stretched with the wide grin plastered across them. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t even been looking at the audience; she was sure the smile was meant for her.

When he reached for the microphone, a sigh broke from her. She needed to hear that voice again. Eden strained closer, leaning against the sweaty back of the girl standing in front of her. She felt Libby fill the space behind her.

“This is for…” He stopped, adjusting the guitar, and raised his head. The light hit his face and Eden got her first clear view of him, cheekbones highlighted as he squinted his eyes, shading them with one of his hands. He started from the left side of the crowd, sweeping his brooding dark eyes over them. When he paused in the middle, Eden was almost sure he was looking at her, but then they moved on. “Anyway, she’s supposed to be here, so…”

He slipped his hand across his shoulder, pulling the strap, and stepped up to the mic as he sung the first line. “These lies that permeate my life, I saw you standing there.” He strummed a delicate melody, humming softly, shifting the song into a lullaby. “Words fall like pebbles to the floor, my mouth is filling up with stone. I fell the longest drop of all. Oh God, don’t you take her away.”

“Jesus, it’s like Az could have written that. He’s singing about us. Me and Az.” Eden spun around to Libby, unsure of what to do, but sure she had to do something. She compromised by pushing her sleeves up. A second later, she pulled them down again. “Doesn’t it sound like he was? Am I crazy?”

“Actually, I thought it was about me.” Libby gazed up at the stage. “Maybe it’s like a horoscope? Everyone thinks it’s just for them, because they want it to be. That’s gotta be it, right?”

“Right,” Eden agreed absently. Libby gave her a strange look.

“You don’t know him,” she said. “I mean, there’s no way it could actually be about you.”

“I guess not.” Eden took in his face again, studying the perfect cheekbones, the full lips. Knew the features. Even the curls seemed familiar. “Maybe he looks like Az?” she asked. “Just a little?”

Libby considered it for a moment before shaking her head. “I don’t see it.” She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, checking the time. “We’ve got about an hour and a half before we should be back. A little more if we’re going to dinner,” she said, throwing her fingers up in air quotes at the last word and smiling. “I need water.”

“I’ll be here,” Eden said, turning back to the music, but Libby grabbed her hand, pulling her along. She tried to jerk away, but Libby only squeezed tighter.

“I promised I wouldn’t let you out of my sight. And I’ll never be able to make it this close again,” she yelled, leaning in to Eden’s ear as the band struck up, launching into a fast song at top volume.

Libby dragged her, shoving through the first rows of people packed in behind them before they were able to just dodge around them.

Eden felt shoulders bumping into hers and closed her eyes, trusting Libby to guide her away from where he screamed out lyrics. Without him to distract her, she slowly became aware of the bare skin around her. Her fingers itched.

She glanced back, but his eyes had rolled up into his head as his body crashed against the mic stand, thrashing as the drums pounded. He wasn’t even really singing words anymore; it sounded like he was speaking in tongues. The connection she’d felt to him was lost in the noise, but the crowd was the opposite. They’d come to life again. Mad seizures of dance erupted in her wake. Something slammed against the top of her hand, strong fingers gripping her wrist as she curled her fingers into a fist. She spun to face a bouncer, a dark block cupped in his hand.

“What the hell is that?” she demanded, yanking her hand back. There was a cold spot, liquid drying on her skin.

“He wants to meet you. Head backstage after the set,” he said, winding his way through the crowd.

Libby turned to her, face radiant. Eden didn’t return the smile.