Evan Elemental (The Evan Elemental Series) (8 page)

The
guy, Anders I guess, loses the fake smile and slides his cold gaze from me
until it lands on
Lex
. "I wish I could say the
same."

Lex's jaw
somehow manages to tighten further, but he remains still. "What are you
doing in town?"

"Relieving
you of your..." Anders pauses and glances at me with a smirk,
"duties."

"Bullshit,"
Lex
growls, but his eyes betray his uncertainty.

"Relax,
Alexander," Anders replies with a humorless chuckle. "I'm sure
Mags
is clueless about what you two have been up to, seeing
as she thinks you're God's gift to this green earth, but I guess she has a job
for you. Elsewhere."

"Come
on, Evan,"
Lex
says, ignoring Anders. "Let's
go back to the house."

"But..."
I start to protest.

"Please."
Lex
looks at me then, his eyes anxious and pleading.
I bite my lip to keep it from trembling, that weak achy feeling back full
force. His hand clings to mine as we both turn and leave without looking back
at Anders. I let the fingers of my free hand trail along the rough bark of the
trees that we pass as we walk along the path toward the house. I count each
tree that I touch in my head. It's a mindless exercise meant to keep me from
thinking about the implications of what Anders said and the cruel pleasure in
his eyes as he said it.

Instead
of heading to the main house,
Lex
leads me to the
guesthouse where he's been staying. This house is much cozier than the estate.
It sort of reminds me of home back in Connecticut with the fireplace in the
living room and the reproduction Revolutionary War era accent furniture.
Lex
gives me a half smile that makes his right cheek dimple
and tells me to make myself at home before heading into the kitchen to make a
phone call.

I find
the bedroom without really trying. It's a large room painted cobalt blue and it
sits at the back of the house with big windows overlooking the orchards.
There's a large four-poster bed dressed in white. Besides that, there's no other
furniture in the room except for an antique looking trunk and a writing desk
that is similar to mine.

I
hesitate for half a second before hopping onto the bed. It makes my heart pound
deliciously to know that I'm in the place that
Lex
sleeps, where he dresses, where he undresses. I can even smell him on the down
comforter, that dark woodsy scent that always clings to him, that clings to the
air in a room long after he's left.

I hear
footsteps in the
hall,
reminding me that I'm not alone
and that
Lex
and I have yet to be alone in a room
with him longer than fifteen minutes. The idea of being alone with him, in this
secluded little house excites and unnerves me. I sit up quickly and pull my
knees up to my chin, trying to look casual. When he saunters into the room and
sees me sitting there, he breaks into a grin, but his eyes are full of
something else: pain.

"
Lex
? What's wrong?"

He
sighs, his expression relaxing, and hops into the bed next to me. He lies back
and rests his arm behind his head. I keep my gaze locked on the view of the
late afternoon sun shining down on the apple trees, but my attention is fixed
entirely on
Lex
.

"I
just spoke to your grandmother."

"Oh.
And?" I ask with as much nonchalance as I can muster.

Lex
takes a little too long to
respond, and my heart sinks. "And, I have to go away," he says
finally.

My
throat feels like I've swallowed a bowling ball, but I manage to speak anyway.
"Away? For how long?" I whisper.

Lex
leans up and grabs me around
the waist, pulling me down onto the bed with him, our bodies falling together
as the mattress caves under our weight. I rest my head on the crook of his
outstretched arm, our faces only inches apart. I notice the slight tremble in
Lex's hand as he slowly raises it and trails his thumb down my cheek and along
my jawline. He lets out a shaky breath. "Two months."

Two
months. I feel the numbness begin to creep in, waiting to take over and send me
back to unfeeling darkness. "No," I choke out, my voice barely a
whisper. I'm not sure what I'm saying no to, if it's to losing him or to what
will happen to me the second I'm alone again. I didn't realize how much I've
begun to rely on him, and it scares me. I never allow myself the indulgence of
relying on anybody.

Lex
doesn't say anything for a
moment. He gnaws on the inside of his cheek while he contemplates what to say.
Absently, he traces my lips, causing another shiver to course through me. His
eyes darken. "It's not so long. What I have to do... it might not even
take two months."

I pull
back and turn my head away so that he can't see the tears forming rapidly in my
eyes. "You're going to forget all about me," I pout. I've never
pouted in my whole damn life, but right now I'm finding it difficult to get a
grip. I need him here. I can't be left alone, I don't trust myself. But I don't
tell him that, I don't open up because that's not what I do.

Lex
groans and tightens his hold on
me; he places his hand on the side of my face and gently guides my head until
I'm looking at him again. My heart picks up speed and I suddenly feel less
weepy. I revel in the closeness, in the hard line of his body, in the depth of
his now onyx black eyes.

"That
would be impossible," he whispers his hand sliding down to cup my neck.
"I assure you, that I will think of nothing but you."

I press
my face into his shoulder to hide my grin, before looking at him again.
"Who is that guy, anyway?"

"Anders?"
Lex
asks. I can tell he's trying to sound casual, but
his eyes have gone hard and his body tenses momentarily. "He works for
your grandmother, same as me."

He
slides his hand down my neck, tracing his thumb along my collarbone. It's
taking a lot of effort on my part to stay focused. "The same...job, as
you?"

Lex
smiles that slow, playful smile
that I can't seem to get tired of seeing. "If by job you mean having to do
whatever your grandmother tells us to do, then yes."

"That
sounds horrible," I tease.

Lex
gives a throaty laugh that
sends electricity fizzing through my veins. "It's not, actually. Some of
the things I get to do are...amazing."

He catches
my frown and
smoothes
it away with the pad of his
thumb. "Everything except making me leave you, that is."

"Maybe
I could call my grandmother and ask if you can stay." I know he would
never agree to that but I have to try.

"Then
she would definitely know something was going on." His tone is playful but
his eyes are serious.

"Is
..
.
something
going on?" I aim
for casual but fail miserably. I blush and try to look away, but
Lex
gently cups my face, forcing me to look into his
smiling eyes.

"Absolutely,"
he says in that dark, smooth voice he seems to save only for making me come
especially undone.

"Then,
would it be so bad if she knows?" Hell yes, it would be bad. Magda is all
about propriety and I don't think she would consider this at all proper.

"I
honestly don't care what she thinks, but she does have the power to keep us
apart. For good."

"Power?"
I ask, taken aback. "Like mine?"

His
mouth turns up at the corner and his eyes go a shade darker, if that's
possible. "No. Not like yours. Your power is special; it's unlike anything
I've ever seen. Unlike anything I've ever felt."

I blush
harder than I ever have before. The heat pools under my skin and flows through
my body, a cleansing ravenous fire
that courses
through me.
Lex
slips his arm under me and, in one
fluid motion, pulls me on top of him so that I'm straddling his hips. He slides
his hands up along the outside of my thighs until his palms rest on my hips
just above the waistline of my low-rise jeans. I watch in silent awe as Lex's
eyes fill with a needy, desperate hunger. A soft moan escapes my lips as his
hands slip under my t-shirt and travel up my sides.

"Evan,"
he whispers, the desire fading into a different sort of neediness, a plain fear
that pierces my heart, "please
don't
forget about
me."

My own
eyes go wide with surprise. In all my insecurity I didn't once consider his. It
never occurred to me that someone so dark and beautiful could be so vulnerable.
I lean down, take his face in my hands, and press my lips to his. I aim for
gentle and reassuring but my mouth is quick to yield to his and the kiss
quickly deepens. The passion rips through me and it's thrilling, but it's also
scary as hell. I pull back and rest my head in the curve of his neck while we
both catch our breath. He holds on to me tightly as I tremble.

"Never,"
I whisper, fierce and breathless, "never."

.

The sky
is a soft blur of pink and copper as we make our way back to the house hand in
hand. I'm putting on a brave front, but inside I'm falling apart. Watching
Lex
pack his things was torture. We barely even know each
other but I can't bear the thought of being separated from him for so long. I
try to drag my feet, but the walk is still too short.

When we
get to the house
Lex
holds open the door for me and
we enter the kitchen. Anders is sitting at the large
butcher
block
island eating a sandwich. Thelma is fawning over him, gushing
about how happy she is to see him. I shoot him an icy glare and start to walk
by when Anders stands quickly and blocks my path. I have to physically bite my
tongue to keep from taking out my anger and frustration on him, don't kill the
messenger and all that.

"Let
me introduce myself, I'm Anders
Drewe
." He holds
out his hand and I take it reluctantly, giving him a weak shake.

"Evan,"
I reply tersely.

"Nice
to meet you, Evan."

I drop
his hand and he grins. "You too."

I
glance at
Lex
out of the corner of my eye and see him
watching us, his expression difficult to read.

"Well,"
I say in as bright a voice as I can manage as I sidestep him and continue to
toward the door, "we'll let you get back to your sandwich."

Lex
takes my hand as he walks past
me, causing Anders easy grin to fade and morph into a scowl. Who knows what his
problem is. I suppress a sigh and let
Lex
lead me
from the room, focusing on nothing but his hand in mine. We're walking so close
together that I can feel the cell phone in his pocket buzz against my hip.
Lex
ignores it, his eyes fixed on me. When we get to the
entryway we pause and I look at him questioningly.

"
Wanna
come upstairs?" I ask, managing to keep my
insecurities out of my voice.

Lex
squeezes my hand and rubs the
back of his neck, a now familiar nervous tick. "I can't," he says
simply.

"Why?"

"I
have to go." His expression is pained. I refuse to acknowledge the meaning
behind his words.

"But,
you have a few more hours, right?" I grip his hand tighter but he gently
pries it from mine.

Lex
moves in front of me and places
his hands on either side of my face.

"Evangeline,"
he breathes, resting his forehead against mine. "I will not rest until I
return to you. I swear it." His voice has a hard, determined edge to it
and his words touch me to the core. I choke down a sob and tilt my face up so
our lips meet. Our kiss is pained and gentle. I taste the bitter saltiness of
tears that aren't mine.

"Close
your eyes," he whispers, pulling back slightly from the kiss.

"
Lex
..
"

"Close
your eyes," he insists gently.

I
squeeze my eyes shut tight and feel a gentle breeze against my face.

"Evan?"
I hear Anders call from somewhere behind me. My eyes flutter open;
Lex
is gone. I look down at my hand, which I realize is
clenched. Slowly I unfold my fingers revealing the familiar contours of my
pendant. I run my thumb over the smooth stone, expecting to feel the usual
spark of electricity. Instead, I feel nothing.

With
Lex
gone I can feel myself starting to slip into my old
mindset, picking up some of the habits I'd forgotten in the wake of my parents'
death. Bad habits. The first bad thing I do is
pilfer
all the liquor I can from various bar carts and cabinets scattered throughout
the estate. The second bad thing I do is
call
Jessie.
Jessie is the kind of girl who knew everyone anywhere that likes to party. If
she doesn't, she knows
who
to call to find out. She
isn't in Price five minutes before she finds a party for us to go to. Jessie is
also the reason I got sent to an all girl private school in my sophomore year,
but that's another story.

"Evan,
I can't believe you waited so long to call me," Jessie pouts as she gazes
at me with mock sternness. I roll my eyes and take a long drag off the joint
she brought. I'm not used to smoking anymore and it burns. I clear my throat to
stifle a cough.

"I'm
sorry, Jess. I was just going through some shit," I reply lamely. If I
were honest, I would have told her it didn't even occur to me to call her until
I had no one else. I take another drag to numb the guilt.

"It's
okay. I just feel bad that I couldn't be there for you." She casts me a
sympathetic look and returns to her rapid texting, the subject already settled
in her mind. With a sigh, she tosses her phone onto the coffee table and
bounces up. She proceeds to wander around my room touching things as she
passes.

"I
can't believe you live here," she says, the tone of her voice equally bored
and impressed, something only Jessie can pull off.

"I
know, right?" I look away and try to focus on something else, but my mind
has gone somewhat foggy.

"This
town sucks though," she says with another sigh.

The
silence between us is heavy with unspoken thoughts, but, luckily, it's
momentary. Jessie's phone goes off, causing it to nearly vibrate off the coffee
table. Jessie squeals and snatches it up.

"Finally,"
she exhales, her lips turning up in a satisfied smirk. Her fingers hurriedly
tap out a response to whoever is on the other end. I wonder
who
she could possibly know here, but I'm already stoned to apathy, so I don't give
it much thought.

"Okay.
We lucked out. There's a party in the woods just a few miles from here,"
she announces, bouncing up and down in her excitement.

It
sounds sketchy, but I'm past caring; I just want to get fucked up and forget
all of the messed up things going on in my life.

The
joint is burnt down to the nub and it scalds my fingers as I suck out the last
of it. I hold the smoke in my lungs until they scream at me. The flame in the
gas lamp on my desk flickers. I exhale and stub the roach out on the coffee
table.

.

The
cool night air snakes across my bare skin making me shiver. I'm starting to
regret wearing only a skimpy black tank top and jeans. I reach up and unfasten
my barrette, letting my hair fall over my shoulders. It provides little relief
from the cold.

Jessie
whistles. "Wow," she says, "your hair is so long now."

I look
down to where the ends of my hair fall a few inches below my waist. "Yeah,
I guess." I glance at Jessie who is walking a few feet in front of me.
"And yours is so blonde," I comment taking in her freshly bleach
blonde hair that's cut at a stylish angle just above her shoulders.

"Yeah,
I was getting sick of the red. This girl I know, who's in beauty school, hooked
me up."

We
lapse into silence and continue to pick our way through the dark trees. Jessie
and I have been walking for ten minutes into the woods near the edge of town. It
had been tricky getting out without a chaperone. I let Jessie do all the
talking since she's capable of being more charming than I am in tricky
situations. Luckily, Anders is out of town, because he's been breathing down my
neck and wouldn't let me get away with this; the rest of the staff is a bit
more easygoing.

The
buzz is starting to wear off and I'm left with a sick, achy feeling. I don't
want to be tramping through the woods headed to some hick party, not really. I
want
Lex
. I press my lips together and force his face
from my mind. It's been two weeks since he left and I still haven't heard from
him.

"Look,"
Jessie says suddenly.

I stop
short, almost slamming into Jessie's back. She steps aside so I can see the
flickering light of a fire up ahead. I take a deep breath and follow her
through the trees.

The
party Jessie promised appears to be nothing more than a dozen
drunk
townies sitting around a campfire in the middle of the
woods. They all stare at us when we enter the clearing. Jessie just smiles and
picks out the biggest, prettiest, dumbest looking guy and
turns
her charm all the way up.

I skulk
in the background, unsure of myself. It's like freshman year all over again,
when Jessie and I first met. I had snuck out to see a local band play in a bar.
The bouncer wouldn't let me in so I ended up sitting on the curb trying not to
cry. That's where Jessie found me and took pity on me. She snuck me in the back
and I went on to have one of the greatest nights of my life.

After
that first night we mostly went to see bands in bars. I went for the music,
Jessie for the boys. My parents had no clue what we were up to half the time. I
felt bad for lying to them, but I didn't think they would understand or
approve. To them I was a hard working, well-rounded, model student.
The perfect daughter.
They didn't have an inkling of the
darkness inside of me that sits like a depthless pool waiting to drag me in.

Music
was the only thing that kept me from the edge and, for a while, it worked. But
that darkness let Jessie pull me in, and then it was drugs and alcohol. I
managed to stave off sex. It wasn't love I wanted, only emptiness. My parents'
death had left me numb, but
Lex
had brought me back
to life. Since he's been gone, all of the weak and vulnerable feelings that I
managed to avoid are here in full force leaving me open to the terrible
melancholy that has lived with me always and I'm back where I started: looking
for a cheap thrill to keep life and emotion at bay. It isn't right and I know
it. Still, I go along, waiting to see what will happen. I left the necklace at
home but, somehow, I can still feel it burning against my skin, a fervent
warning that I ignore.

After
talking with the guy for a while, Jessie saunters back to me. "I guess
we're early. The real party starts at midnight," she says with a shrug.

"Midnight?
What the fuck, Jess.
I can't stay out that late."

"Please.
You've been locked up in that museum for, like, two months. You need to have
some fun." She puts on a fake pout which is unnecessary: I already know I'm
going to give in because the idea of going back to the estate and lying in bed,
where the only thing there is to do is think of
Lex
,
my parents, and where the hell I'm going in life, terrifies me.

"Whatever."
Jessie flashes me an impish grin and bounces back to the guy before I even get
the word out. I roll my eyes and take a seat on a nearby bench improvised out
of two stumps and a two-by-four.

I take
a cursory glance around the clearing and notice a boy with flaxen blonde hair
and dark eyes watching me. When I catch his eye he looks away quickly. I
feel power, different than what I'm used to
,
bubble up inside of me
. It's the power that comes from being
the most beautiful girl in the room. I can self deprecate and ignore it all I
want but I know the truth, that I'm not exactly lacking in the looks
department. Even Jessie admitted it once. Of course, she was drunk and didn't
remember the next day.

I stand
up and walk over to the pitiful bonfire under the pretense of warming my hands.
It doesn't take long for footsteps to sound behind me. "I don't think I've
seen you before."

I turn
my head slightly and look over my shoulder, giving him a half smile. He's
handsome, sure, but I feel nothing. I know that if I wanted I could have him,
but I don't want anybody but
Lex
, and a few weeks, or
even months, won't change that. I look back at the nearly dead fire and squint
my eyes. I put all my focus and concentration on the fire and suddenly it roars
to life. The boy steps back, cursing. I can feel the warmth dance across my
skin, but it doesn't burn me.

All
eyes are on me now, but I play it cool and just shrug. Inside, I'm exhilarated.
My power is getting stronger every day; I can feel it. I don't need to be
fucking around in the woods with a bunch of kids. I'm better than that.

I'm
just about to call Albert and have him pick me up, when I feel a tap on my
shoulder. It's that guy again. I bite the inside of my cheek and force a smile.

"Are
you okay?" he asks, his forehead wrinkled cutely.

"
Hm
?" I reply, as if I don't have any idea what he's
talking about.

"You
almost got burned to death," he says, his voice laced with confusion and a
tinge of curiosity.

"Oh.
Uhm
, I'm okay. I run cold anyway," I respond,
lifting my shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. It's taking a lot of effort to keep
the smug grin off my face.

He
gives me a shy smile and I feel bad for not being attracted to him.

"I'm
Josh." He looks at me expectantly and he's so polite I'm surprised he
doesn't offer me his hand for a friendly shake. Then again, we're teenagers at
a
kegger
in the middle of nowhere, so I guess that
wouldn't really be appropriate.

"I'm
Evan. Evan
O'Fion
."

He
gives me a thoughtful look before responding. "That's an interesting name.
You from around here?"

"No."

"No
one comes to Price just to visit. It's too boring." He eyes me
inquisitively, but his tone is teasing.

"Just
because I'm not from here doesn't mean I don't live here." I try to look
bored, but for some reason this conversation is making me nervous.

"We
don't get a lot of new families." This time his tone is plain. I shrug my
shoulder again and give him what I hope is a playful smirk.

"You're
nosy."

His
lips turn up back into an easy smile. "Just curious," he replies, looking
away. I can tell he's not even close to letting it go, but I'm not sure how
much I should tell him. I silently curse myself for being so paranoid.

"I
didn't move here with my family," I explain, my voice tight with
apprehension. "I came to live with my grandmother." I feel somewhat
satisfied with that half-truth.

"Who..."
he starts to ask but the sound of footsteps crashing through the woods
interrupts his interrogation. Everyone stops talking to watch as a group of ten
or twelve people enter the clearing. The sight of the girl who leads them makes
my blood run instantly cold. It's none other than Delia Holloway. Instead of
the neat little skirt and sweater set that she wore to tea, she's dressed in
denim cutoffs and an eyelet halter-top. Her blonde hair is tied high in a
ponytail with a red satin ribbon.

Delia's
eyes wander around the clearing before they land on me; her lips curl up into a
cruel smirk. I straighten up to my full height and shake the hair from my
shoulders, giving her a smirk of my own in response.

"Evangeline,"
she coos, her voice deadly cold and mocking as she stretches out every syllable
of my given name. "I see you finally left that dreary mansion to join the
living."

The
emphasis she puts on "living" makes my stomach curl.

"If
this is what you call living, then yes." I look her straight in the eye
without so much as flinching. Her eyes slide from me to Josh.

"Joshua.
Long time no see." Her tone is casual, but I can tell the statement is
loaded. Josh shifts uncomfortably and rubs the back of his neck without
responding.

"Mom's
pissed," she continues, unaware or uncaring of his discomfort. "You
were supposed to come to dinner yesterday."

My
eyebrows shoot up involuntarily. Mom? I glance at Josh to find him looking at
me apologetically. There is no way he can be related to that bitch.

"Yeah,
well. I have my reasons," he replies finally, not taking his eyes off of
me.

I
glance at Delia who rolls her eyes. "Whatever. I'm here to party, not deal
with your bullshit drama."

Her
eyes scan me one last time before she turns and is absorbed back into her
clique. I turn to see Jessie staring at me with wide eyes; my face grows hot
with the now familiar sensation of a blush. I am so not ready to get into this
with her right now. Luckily, pretty-guy distracts her again and I'm momentarily
saved from another confrontation.

"I'm
sorry about that." Josh says softly, bringing my attention back to him.

I let
out a tired sigh. "It's not your fault."