Lost in Embers (Rising From Ash Saga #1)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

I do not like this vision of me. My outfit and face do not match at all, and I wish the mirror would just lie to me. Makeup can’t go over an open wound, and the look of a badly beaten woman does not sit well with me, but I have to bear it for the night. The short black romper I stole from Sofia doesn’t leave much to the imagination. What is baggy on her, is skintight on me, with my boobs piling out over top. Paired with high-heel tan wedges, I should feel fierce in this outfit. Hopefully, it takes away the attention from my face, which has now managed to bruise, not to mention the stitches look swollen and oily with Neosporin on them.

Aidan still hasn’t reached out to me; not sure if I was hoping he would or not. He better still come tonight. Who am I kidding? He will show up. After another brief conversation with Dino, I excused myself to my room to do a little thinking, and I haven’t surfaced since. Part of all of this makes sense, while the majority of my questions remain unanswered .

If all of this is true, how does Aidan know about it all and not my mother? And why wouldn’t she say anything to me? Apparently, I can take the form of any person, but Aidan only can take one other form? What does that mean? Who else is he?

Also, Dillion is a Grimmer, and the fuck if I know what that is. I’m not sure what all of this means, and until I figure it out, my mouth will be kept shut. Something is changing within me. Never before have I felt so in touch with my body. The electricity running through it feels so right. I do not doubt that I’m meant to be this way, but why? How? Perhaps the box my father is guiding me to will hold the answers.

“Ava! Let’s go. You never take this long. Come on, we don’t want to be late.” At least Dino’s voice is back to normal, like none of our arguments ever happened.

“Coming!” Gracefully I put one foot in front of the other and into the general living area, “Let’s go!” I look at the three men sitting there waiting for me on the couch. I frolic my way to the door, but not before giving Dino a giant hug for no reason. I hope this burst of energy lasts all night.

On the table to the left of the door sit flowers, the same beautiful bouquet that was found in Aidan’s room. “Oh, these definitely have to be from my mum.”

The card reads the same as the other; they are from Dillion. Quite excessive indeed, but whatever floats his boat. Do I bring it up to him or not? A small thanks will be polite, and that’s all that needs to be said.

“Personally delivered for you this morning by Dillion.” Ryan makes his name sound French as ever as it rolls off his tongue. I let out a too-big laugh, put down the note, and continue to frolic my way out the door and down the hallway. Like children, Ryan and Shawn breeze past me, playing grown-up tag. That’s just the drunk version, which includes tackling in some sort of a brutal manner, or just flat-out trying to make the other look bad in front of a woman.

“Look, I’m sorry about before. I’m just so protective over you. You are my best friend. I cannot stand to see you in pain.” Dino takes a long pause before he continues. “You look beautiful tonight; that outfit is terrific. But seeing the hurt on your face is killing me.” I give him a shrug; I don’t know what other gesture to make. “I know it hurts. You just flinched with a small movement.” How sincere Dino can be from time to time.

“I love you.” My words are true, even though my voice quakes a bit. I lean against him, and he wraps his arms around me nice and loose, careful not to pull me too close.

“And I you. So, what’s up with Dillion? Sending you flowers?” For some reason he seems excited about this, and it sets me back a bit. His extreme happiness that someone sent me flowers is a bit off-the-wall.

“He sent some to Aidan’s room for me too. Seems a bit over-the-top, but it is a sweet gesture.” Admittedly, it was the last thing I expected, considering my friends treated me to this birthday bash in Cancun. The surprise flowers are nice, though.

“For what it’s worth, which might not be much to you anymore, he seems like a nice guy.”

“Dino! Are you actually suggesting I consider this man? What happened to the whole meeting people on vacation bit?” I scold mildly. He has never liked any man I’ve shown interest in.

“You know I love you. Not only do I love you, but I’m in love with you. I always have been, probably always will be. I know this is the first time I’m saying it. I told Cross…”

Well, now I need to pick my mouth up from the floor. Is he actually confessing his love for me? No words, none.

“Cross didn’t like that I said that. That’s what we were arguing about on the terrace before you came running over. Ava, you are the most beautiful, most intelligent, and sweetest person I have ever met. I would have to be an idiot to not want to be with you or love you. The fact of the matter is I know you view me as just a friend, so I won’t ask you to change that. All I’m asking is for you not to date him.” He swings his strong arm in the air, waving his hand around. “Dillion seems like a good guy; if you won’t give me a chance, at least give it to him. Not that barbaric asshole, Aidan.”

Well then, what should I say? This day has been a lot. Dino is my best friend, without reservation. How can I look at him the same? I love this man, but not the way he loves me. Could I ever love him like that? The cool breeze of the lobby fans runs across my face and against my tender skin. The uncomfortable feeling makes me close my eyes. Just the slightest touch, and I’m uneasy.

“Speak of the devil…” Dino nods his head to the right, and there is Dillion, standing tall, wearing shorts and a nice button-down.

“I thought we were meeting everyone on the outside deck for dinner?”

“I called him and said if he wanted to walk you, this is where we could meet. I wanted to get a few things off my chest before I handed you over to him.”

“You called him? You can’t just hand me over to someone like that…” We are at a standstill as Dillion takes his long strides toward us. “You know I’m too nice to say no, es pecially for Sofia’s sake. This is absurd. You tell me you love me, yet hand me off to someone else?” The bitterness of my words even hurts me.

“Fine. Go.” I wave him off as though he’s below me, an action I never thought I’d make toward my best friend. How can he do this to me? What has he said to Dillion? Nothing is beyond his reach at this point. Not a good way to show he loves me.

“Are you okay?” Dillion reaches to touch my face, but I subtly pull back; my face is too sensitive to touch. It was nice of him to completely ignore my reaction and move a step closer to me... not. “I won’t hurt you, promise.”

The closer he gets, the more I fall into a haze, like he has put a trance on me and gives us an unspoken trust, yet my stomach churns like I should vomit. How can my body be telling me so many different things? He reaches his hand to my face once more, testing the boundaries, and this time I let him dust the hair away from my cheeks. I see everything in a fog until I speak and break the spell.

“I’m just a little sore, that’s all. Can we go to dinner now?” It would be great if another burst of energy hit me, and I mean fast. If I plan on making this night one of epic proportions, I need to at least be able to walk, but no. I feel unsteady on my feet, so Dillion takes my arm and wraps it in his, a term my mother calls “putting your leg in bed.” I make sure to make this as impersonal as possible, since every instinct I have is telling me not to get close to this man.

“Thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful.” I refuse to walk in awkward silence, and that is one of the only things I can think to say.

“You are very welcome, sweetie.” Gag me, now. “Plenty more to come.” Why does he sound so certain of himself? Aidan is certain of himself, but that’s different; on him it makes me feel safe and protected.

“Aidan and I…” Dillion needs to understand where I stand, but once again I’m at a loss for words. “Aidan and I…” Out with it, Ava!

“You and Aidan are not a couple. What has he done to you?” His eyes look me up and down, until they land, staring at my forehead.

“Then why did you send me flowers to his room?” Blatantly I ignore the other part of this conversation. Aidan is not the bad guy. My tone reflects I’m tired of everyone thinking he is.

“I wasn’t sure you were going to be there, I just wanted to have all my bases covered. He needs to know that I want you. Dino told me what he thinks of him. I have to have you, and since you are not his, I can steal you away.”

“You do realize the definition of steal is ‘to take away another person’s property without permission’?”

“You are not his property to take.”

“All right, touché, no one owns me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not his, figuratively speaking.”

“Why would you even want to be with someone who your best friend dislikes?” Talk about a day of me being nothing but railroaded from all angles. “You are a magnificent woman, Ava. Please let me have the chance to show you.” Who is this man? I do not question my self-worth, but how does he know anything about me?

Thank God we have reached the deck. Everyone is there waiting; I mean everyone. I bolt from Dillion as fast as I can. Given my state, it isn’t fast enough. Sofia stands at the bar, in a pink minidress. The bar is closer to me than our table, so that is my first stop. She turns and looks at me in shock and then back to Dillion, making his way to the table.

“Don’t ask.” The only words out of my mouth, and since Sofia knows me well enough, she drops it that instant.

“Here.” She hands me something more colorful than the brown I normally drink. “Let’s dance the night away, if you are up for it.” Just because she won’t say anything doesn’t mean she isn’t going to notice my mangled state.

“Aidan is going to have to do without you the rest of the night, because I’m stealing you away. I have so much to tell you!” I love her more than ever for that statement.

“That sounds good to me!” I let out a soft giggle, a girls’ night is exactly what I need. I know everyone else is here to celebrate my birthday as well, but they can keep themselves entertained whenever Sofia and I sneak away.

“He cannot take his eyes off you, ever. Look at him now.” One look over her shoulder, and I know exactly who she’s referring to. Aidan’s blue eyes intensely gawk at me. He clearly saw me walk in with Dillion. Even when he’s not right next to me, his presence makes me feel safe.

“You’re next!” She points and laughs at me. Marriage, that’s funny. She’ll be lucky if I don’t die of a heart attack by tomorrow. Now that she’s hitched, it’s all lovey-dovey, all the time, and trying to marry me off. My mother would be proud.

“If Dino has his way, I’d either be marrying him or Dillion. He confessed his love for me, then said if I wouldn’t give him a shot, at least I should give Dillion one.”

“That’s odd. Who says that? Especially knowing you and Aidan are, well, whatever you are.”

“Let’s talk about it later.” Now we are on a mission to let loose and have a great night, with or without the men involved. I need this. To forget, if only for a little while .

This reminds me of our first night here in Mexico, with the same ambiance and DJ. We let loose, jumping up and down like crazy people, singing at the top of our lungs. Sofia is constantly making sex eyes to her now-husband from across the deck. It is quite funny actually; a few men thought she was looking at them, and they couldn’t be more wrong. As for me? I’m doing my own thing, not making eyes at anything, letting the music swoop over me and just trying to stand on my two feet.

“Dance with me,” some man yells in my ear and distracts me, pulling me out of my zone. Not even bothering taking a look at him, I instantly brush him aside with a polite shake of the head. He asks once more.

“No, thank you, I prefer to dance alone.” If you can even call what I’m doing dancing, with my ribs aching, the motion is kept to a minimum. Sofia rolls her eyes in my direction. She always said my dancing would attract any man, especially when I really got into it. This trip is proving her right.

“Come on, baby, you know you want to.” What a sleaze ball with greasy hair. He is clearly drunk, and funny enough, I recognize him from hitting on nearly every girl tonight. Too bad I’m not drunk, or else I would force myself to throw up on his face.

“No, I really don’t.”

Sofia grabs my hand, and we move to the other side of the dance floor. There, problem averted. One peek at the table, and Aidan is nowhere to be seen. Neither is David. Meanwhile, all the other men, including Dillion, have made conversation with a table of girls sitting to the right of us. Good, let’s keep that up, boys!

Another song passes, and we continue dancing until the same drunk man stands in front of me again, getting closer than he was before. His breath is putrid, and he looks irate. I must have really ticked him off.

“I said let’s dance.” His harsh words insinuate that he wants to do more than dance. So do his actions as he leans in and tries to grab my waist.

“I won’t warn you again. I said no; get your hands off me!” I swat his hand away from my waist, and he shoots me a playful, evil grin. His eyes flash purple and stay that way. When his ill-intentioned grin widens, he grabs my wrist and pulls me close. The alcohol pours off his breath as he lets a low rumble growl down my ear.

Everything happens so fast. In a matter of seconds, I twist his wrist and have it bent back, bringing him to his knees on the dance floor. I don’t even realize my motions as they are happening.

“Ava.” Aidan is standing behind me, calmly whispering in my ear. “Let him go now…” He reaches for my hand to release the drunk man’s wrist from my grasp. We both see the man’s eyes turn from purple back to a calm brown, and I know inside he’s not human. His eyes, now brown, reflect fear. He thought I was going to hurt him, like kill him, the fear is stricken all over his drunken face.

Taking defense classes couldn’t have made my reaction this strong; it is something else. I would not react this way; normally I would continue to say something or just move along and chalk it up to a drunken man on vacation. This is so different, because I wasn’t thinking; it just happened on pure instinct. Evading an attack that wasn’t even happening. Sure, he touched me, but he wasn’t a threat so to speak. There was no need for me to put up a bulwark.

“You're lucky she only broke your wrist. Move along.” Aidan speaks down to the man, and he scurries off the dance floor, holding his wrist and shattered ego. “Come, let’s get something to eat.”

Aidan is calm and collected as he leads me off the dance floor and to our table. Sofia and David trail behind us but still within earshot. She’s talking about how she’s proud of me that I acted instead of just being nice about it. Apparently, she believes some guys just deserve that. Did he, though? Or do spells exist, and was he under one that made his eyes turn purple? Coming from such an independent woman, it is a compliment to hear her gush about me.

“Aidan, I don’t know what happened…”

“You were protecting yourself. You are changing, and your instincts kicked in because you felt threatened. On the bright side, you saved me from beating that guy to a pulp.” His lighthearted smile makes me giggle. He pulls out my chair and gestures for me to sit.

Sofia and David are so involved with each other and the boys are, well, being boys. So, Aidan and I can continue this conversation. “I know that I have been dodging this all day. It’s been hard to digest everything, but is this part of it? Me, you know, hurting people?” I can feel the frown coming over my face. This isn’t something I like to think about or want to happen. I look down at my intertwined fingers, moving my thumbs over each other in worry.

Aidan lightly lifts my chin, those eyes piercing into my soul. “Yes, your instincts protect you. You will learn to hone them. You do not have to hurt people, Ava. In fact, if you choose, you will save many. I will do everything I can to help you with that, I’m already acting on your behalf.”

“Thank you.” No follow-up questions from me. I just let my body do what it wants and lean into him. I press my lips against his for a sweet, tender kiss. It’s a simple thank-you for reassuring me of my goodwill. It’s unclear how long our lips are locked for, but when my eyes open, the food has arrived, and everyone is back at the table. Dillion is scoffing in his seat, not pleased with the public display of affection.

Here it goes. My face turns beet red, and it makes me nervous. Someone needs to remove the limelight from me; this is so uncomfortable. I fidget in my seat, and Aidan reaches over and gives my knee a little reassuring squeeze. Instantly I’m relaxed. He places his hand in mine, our fingers lace, and he places our hands on the table. Once again, marking his territory, showing he’s not ashamed of the kiss we shared, or who witnessed it. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him shoot a brief smile in Dillion’s direction. In return, Dillion swipes his middle finger across his face. Trying to conceal that it is aimed at Aidan, his movement is so fast I think only Aidan and I witness it.

I’m surprisingly hungry. The last time I ate was probably at the wedding, unless Aidan somehow managed to get food in my system when I was passed out. My sweet, sweet man ordered me a meal fit for a king while I was drinking at the bar and dancing. It constantly amazes me how he knows what I like, even after such a short amount of time. The meal should come complete with clogged arteries. I have a mouth-watering full rack of ribs in front of me, along with garlic mashed potatoes, Caesar salad, and assorted veggies. He threw a few greasy appetizers in there for good measure. I inhale my food. Just as I’m finishing up, everyone still looks to have full meals on their plates. Did I even breathe while eating?

“Let’s go for a walk!” My food coma is just about to sink in when Sofia’s dark hair touches the side of my face. She leans over my shoulder, ready to go. This is the first time we have finished our meals before the men. Mental note: make fun of them for that later, they are turning into bitches.

“Remind me, I have your birthday gift back in the room.” With those words, Aidan cautiously releases my hand from his, only after placing an uncorrupted kiss on the palm and closing my fingers around it. Such a sweet gesture, and one that I will never get tired of.

I slide my shoes off, and off we go.

The water is still warm, even though the sun has gone down and the saltiness lingers in the air from the ocean water. I love walks on the beach, especially on nights like this.

“So, spill,” Sofia eggs me on as she gives me a shove deeper into the water.

“Well, I don’t even know where to start. Everything is changing, and I’m not sure how to take it all in.”

“Changing how? You are the one who says the only constant in life is change, and it is how we deal with those changes that make us who we are. I cannot count how many times you have said that to me. Whatever it is, I’m sure you will overcome the obstacles just fine.”

“Way to use my own words back at me.”

A belly laugh comes out of her, like I haven’t heard in a while. I wasn’t being funny, it was an honest observation, but the laughing is contagious.

“I’ve been waiting for the day that you ask me for advice. It feels good; unfortunately, the only advice I have is your own.”

“Well, I’m glad I can give myself advice through a third party, then,” I giggle.

“Tell me about Aidan. What happened? I haven’t seen you since the day of the wedding. Oh, and what’s this all about?” She gestures her small hand the length of my body, starting with my feet and ending by waving her hand around my face.

“All due to my clumsiness, I’m afraid. I ran into a wall.” Not the first time it has happened, so it’s believable, and surely not the last. My problems don’t need to be laid out for Sofia, especially since I don’t know what’s going on yet.

Well, she’s in awe, amazed that I can even cause this much damage to myself. “As for Aidan, I think he informally asked me to move with him. I just brushed over the idea and didn’t acknowledge that he said it to me. It’s like he has a sixth sense for me. I feel drawn to him; it’s unlike anything I have experienced before. Dino hates him. Speaking of Dino—I don’t know what to do with him anymore. The plane flight and drive home should be interesting.”

“Dino is just jealous that you are with Aidan and not him. Although I’m not sure why he’s pushing Dillion on you. He must hate Aidan a lot, but it doesn’t make sense, since all he does is take care of you or want to…”

“He thinks Aidan beat me,” I state bluntly, even though the words disgust me since they could never be true. It is foul that Dino would even go there about Aidan. He thinks so little of him.

Sofia lets out a loud one-time laugh. “ Ha! That’s absurd. That man is in love with you, and you are too.”

Am I in love with Aidan? I have never said those words to anyone before, not even in my dreams. It hasn’t been enough time for me to love him. I stand still, contemplating the thought. Love.

“Ava, you are so wise, yet with matters of the heart, you won’t completely open up anymore. Perhaps it’s because of your dad, or Lucas…” If only she knew. I have opened up to Aidan so much. Sure, I haven’t told him about my dreams ye t, but a bomb going off isn’t ideal conversation, but I have opened up to him.

She looks me in the eyes and grabs my hands, similar to how her and David were standing when they got married. “I was reading a book of quotes on the plane ride here, and there is a quote that stuck with me. It reminds me of David and also you and Aidan:

“Love has no time constraints. There is no time frame for when a person can fall in love with another, it just happens. It’s spontaneous, unpredictable, it’s timeless.

“Just accept the fact you came to Mexico, and for whatever reason, you have fallen in love. And that is perfectly fine. You have to risk it all to get it all.”

There she goes again, using my advice and giving it back to me. You have to risk it all to get it all. I say that to everyone. With great risk comes the potential for a great reward.

The words I have never said before float so gently out of my mouth: “I love him.”

“Come, we should be getting back before they send out a patrol to look for us.” Sofia isn’t wrong, these men can be extra protective. As we make our way back to rejoin the group, the air feels lighter with my realization.

“Go on, Ava, tell Aidan what you realized!” Sofia unnecessarily chimes into my conversation with Aidan as soon as we sit back down at the table.

“Way to throw me under the bus.” Glaring at her isn’t helping her to stop talking.

“I don’t like waiting,” Aidan playfully throws Sofia off her rant before she can do any more damage.

“One day I will tell you, promise.” And I will. His beautiful fleck-filled eyes close as his hand grazes my lips and a low growl comes from deep within him. He tightly shuts his lips to muffle the sound, and when he opens his eyes again, they are that magnificent blue.

He looks around the table to make sure our conversation is private and whispers in my ear, “You do this to me, Ava. Your touch. So many other things, too. My passion for you knows no bounds.”

His words fumble around in my mind—passion, not love.