“I know. I’m sorry I’ve been pressuring you.” A few seconds of silence passed before she added, “You have so much spirit. You’re someone’s muse—probably someone up there. You don’t have to go to church to believe in a higher power, sweetie. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“You want to talk to your dad? He took the day off. He’s here.”
“Sure.”
She handed him the phone.
“Hi, DD.” My dad had always called me DD La Rue. DD for Darling Daughter. Even my mom had started calling me that sometimes.
“Hi, Dad. How are you?”
“Good. Your mom is making me banana macadamia nut pancakes. I can’t complain.”
“I miss you.”
“Miss you too, DD. Come see us, we’re not that far. I saw that you were at that concert in Oakland. Two miles from the house.”
It stung that I had hurt him. “How’d you know?”
“Facebook, silly.”
“Ha! Well, I was on a date.”
“Anything serious? A good guy?” he asked.
“I thought I liked him, but in the end, he wasn’t who I thought he was. I’m sure I won’t see him again. No big deal.”
“Be safe, my Darling Daughter.”
“Always, Dad.”
We said I love yous and good-byes, and then hung up. I headed toward the pedestrian path on the bridge. I needed ten extra minutes before dealing with Tracey. It was a crisp and clear morning. No San Francisco fog in sight. I shivered from the breeze as I walked quickly toward the center of the bridge. I was chanting the name Lucian in my mind.
When I got to the middle, I leaned over and looked down. It was so far to the water that it was hard to see the detail in the rippling current. It was just a terrifying black void full of unknowns.
“Lucian, who are you?” I asked aloud.
I squinted, trying to see the movement of the water. The soft lapping against the beams of the bridge were actually waves beating violently against the concrete and steel. I leaned farther and farther until a gust of wind blew me back.
I could feel him. He was there.
“OH CHRIST, OH God, what is she doing?” I was barreling toward her so fast I could feel my wings cramping.
She had said my name. I had been lost, tormented, looking everywhere for her. I’d gone to the apartment, but she was gone. Abigail had no idea where Evey was. She mumbled something about Evey leaving really early to go do denim for Tracey. Abigail wouldn’t even look up from her phone to talk to me. I wanted to slap her for not caring. Cursing loudly, I flew to the warehouse, but it was empty. I headed toward the bridge, and that was when I heard Evey say my name.
I was flying toward her. She was leaning over the guardrail almost entirely, her feet dangling off the ground. I pushed the air toward her. She gasped and found her footing back on the walkway. I sat perched on the railing, poised and ready to react. I wondered what she was doing. She squinted, staring straight forward, then she jumped up and dangled over the railing again, farther this time. I popped into a body walking by and appeared behind her. It was a male, attractive, around her age.
“Hey there, what are you doing? That looks dangerous,” I said to her.
Her body stiffened, and her feet hit the ground. She waited five whole seconds before turning around and looking at me. Taking a step closer, she stared into my eyes. Her mouth was slack, as if she couldn’t find her voice.
“Do you want me to call someone for you?” I asked.
She stepped even closer. She was studying me with intense focus. “I know it’s you,” she said quietly, barely loud enough for a normal person to hear over the wind and traffic.
“Excuse me?” I said.
“I know you’re in there, Lucian.”
I blinked. Fuck. “Sweetie, I think I should call someone for you.”
“I can smell you. I can tell it’s you.”
I hadn’t zapped her good enough. It occurred to me that I could zap her again in that moment, but I didn’t. She reached for my hand, but I pulled it back. I was going to try to convince her.
“What is your name?”
“You know my name,” she shot back. “I remember. It’s like a foggy dream. We held each other, but I remember. You were in my house, in my bed. I know it’s true.”
It was hard to continue lying to her. “Do you have a car in the parking lot that I can walk you to?”
“If you don’t know me at all, why don’t you leave me alone?”
“I’m concerned for you. You seem troubled. And you’re basically hanging off this enormous bridge. It’s dangerous.”
“Leave me alone,” she said.
I needed to try a different approach. I smiled, fairly certain this guy had a nice enough face. She didn’t smile back. “It’s not every day you see a gorgeous woman dangling precariously over the rail of the Golden Gate.”
“I’m no damsel in distress.”
“No?” I couldn’t take my eyes off of her mouth.
She came closer. What is she doing? She leaned forward.
“Kiss me, Lucian,” she whispered near my ear. “I want you to kiss me, but I want it to be Lucian.”
I couldn’t control it. I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t deny her.
When I left the stranger’s body and revealed myself to her, our mouths collided. We were kissing, our tongues twisting, our hands going everywhere. I spread my wings as far and wide as I could to wrap them around us as we kissed. We were cloaked, invisible to the rest of the world. Only Evey could see that we were cocooned by a curtain of black feathers.
She pulled away from my mouth, breathless. She was putty in my arms.
“I want you,” she said. “I want you inside of me.”
Zack’s voice echoed in my mind. The only way you can be together is to take her out.
“Did you hear me? I want to be with you,” she said before kissing me again.
I pulled away. “Like have sex?”
“Yes. That, and I want to be with you forever. I don’t know how I know that. I just do. I’m in love with you, aren’t I? And you did something to me?”
“It’s a mind trick, Evey. You’re meant to feel that way toward me.” We were still huddled inside my wings.
“If we can’t be together, I’ll jump and you won’t be able to stop me. I can feel in your fingertips how much you love me.”
I touched her cheek and ran my fingertips down her jawline. It was true. Every cell in my body ached for her.
“Ahh, touch me everywhere, Lucian, please.”
I kissed her hard. Her legs gave out. I held her body to mine. “Do you trust me?” I asked.
“More than anyone.”
It pained me to hear that, knowing what I was about to do.