Loving the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 2) (9 page)

I’m smiling as I stab my key into the lock of my apartment. Sebastian is going to be so excited when he sees what I bought for him.

I feel terrible for the little argument we had this morning. Not that it was really a
fight
, I just don’t want us to ever be upset with one another. I know that’s going to happen—couples always fight—but I don’t want him to ever doubt how much I love him.

Throughout the day at work, I couldn’t stop thinking about my dream. No matter how much I wanted to push it out of my head, I couldn’t. As much as I want to forget about it, the truth is that I’m worried. Sure it only happened twice, and they weren’t exactly the same, but I’m still bothered by them. Who was calling my name? What’s the significance of the meadow? I’m not entirely sure I was in the meadow the second time, but I’m pretty sure I was. Oh, this is too confusing. I really need to forget about them and focus on the good things in my life, like Sebastian, my friends, and Mom. We text, talk, and video chat practically every night. I miss her like crazy. She told me she’s seeing that guy George who went to high school with her. She wouldn’t go into too many details, just told me she’s enjoying herself. I’m more than glad that she’s giving dating a shot.

She’s also spoken to Sebastian a few times and seems to love him more and more each day. I wish we could visit her more often, but money is tight. Sebastian’s determined to get a job to help out with the expenses. I love him for that, but I wish he wouldn’t worry about it so much. As much as we need to be responsible, I’d like him to enjoy being human. He didn’t have a childhood. It was stripped away from him.

I push the door open and enter the living room. The place is completely dark, except for the sun shining through. It’s five in the afternoon, light enough to see, but still dark. What’s going on? Is Sebastian sleeping? Did he go out?

The lights turn on, and I look at the switch, where Sebastian stands with a large smile on his face.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

He grins. “I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise? I have one for you, too.”

His eyes fill with excitement and curiosity. I rummage in the shopping bag and pull out a box. When he sees what’s in my hand, he laughs. “Popsicles.”

I hand him the box. “Remember how you told me you wanted to try one, but couldn’t because you were a genie? Well, now you can.”

He envelops me in his arms, kissing me. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Thanks! I’ll put it in the freezer.”

“Don’t you want one?”

“Soon. I have a surprise for you.”

“What’s the surprise?”

He smiles crookedly. “Aren’t surprises supposed to…surprise you?”

I groan. “You’re killing me.”

He chuckles, then puts the Popsicles away and takes my hand. He lifts it to his lips and gives it a soft kiss. Then he leads me to the dining room. The air gets knocked out of me when I take everything in. The table is covered with a white tablecloth and two sets of dishes and utensils. Two candles sit at the center, and a salad bowl is in between the two plates. Soft music plays. The lights are dimmed.

“Sebastian,” I say, my voice low. I’m so touched by all of this that I can hardly get a word out. “This is beautiful.”

He takes my hands. “I want to show you how much I love you.”

I gaze into his blue eyes, eyes that are filled with nothing but his emotions for me. They’re so raw that I can feel them deep in my toes. “We must think alike because I bought the Popsicles to show you how much I love you.”

He pulls me close, pressing his lips to my neck and brushing them down the length of it. My hands curl in his hair as I push myself even closer, wanting us to be one. My eyes flutter as I moan. Sebastian is moaning, too, but his comes from the back of his throat, as if he can’t get enough of me. I can’t get enough of him, either.

“Sebastian,” I rasp.

He continues letting his lips roam over my face, from my forehead, down to my chin, across to my ear, down my neck, sending electric jolts to each part of me.

“Do you think we should eat first?” I ask.

His mouth is on mine for half a second before he pecks my nose, then nuzzles it. “I’d have you for dinner.”

I lightly slap his chest. “Did you read that somewhere?” I tease.

He beams. “I saw it on TV.” His smile drops. “Did I get it all wrong?”

I tap his nose. “Nope. You got it just right.” My eyes move to the salad bowl on the table. “Did you make this?”

His face reddens and he massages the back of his neck. “Macy and Andy helped me. I told them I wanted to do something special for you. Andy helped me with the music and the candles. Macy and I worked on the salad. As for everything else, well…I used magic.”

I fling my arms around him. “Everything is amazing and I can’t wait to try it.”

Smiling, he takes my hand and leads me to the table. I stop walking when a thought hits me. “We’re not dressed right.”

He scans his clothes. “You’re right.” He snaps his fingers and a white tux appears on his body. “What would you like to wear?”

“Where are you getting everything from?”

He shrugs. “Nowhere. My magic is very powerful now and I’m able to create things out of nowhere. Just like I created the prom dress for you.”

“Can we keep everything?”

“I don’t know.”

I stare at him as another thought hits me. “Do you think you can create money?”

“I’m not sure.”

I pace around. “If you’re able to create things—fancy things like that tux—do you think we can get rich? I mean, is that even ethical?”

He watches me pace, not saying a word.

“What exactly are the rules?” I continue.

He raises his hands helplessly.

“You have to be getting the stuff from somewhere.”

He gently takes my arm. “Lily, can’t we just enjoy ourselves? Why does everything have to be right or wrong? Why can’t I please you with my magic?”

I stroke his cheek. “I’d love for us to enjoy everything, but I hate to think of us taking things for free. We need to pay for everything we take.”

“But I’m not stealing. I snap my fingers or wave my hands and things happen.” He waves his hand over me and a green dress appears on my body. It reaches just above my knees. “I don’t know where it comes from,” he says. “Maybe nowhere.”

I head over to him and check the tag on the back of his tux. There is no designer listed there. Is it possible that this really doesn’t belong to anyone? If Sebastian can create anything and everything, does this mean we can be rich? I shake my head. This is too confusing.

Sebastian takes my hands. He looks so sad and disappointed. I want to kick myself. He spent hours working on this dinner to make it perfect and I’m ruining it. He’s right. We don’t have to worry about technical things right now. We should enjoy ourselves.

I haul him to me. “I’m so sorry, Sebastian. This dinner looks amazing. Let’s sit down and eat.”

We make ourselves comfortable across one another and Sebastian pours us some Coke. We clink glasses. “To our future,” I say.

His eyes are intense as they bore into mine. “To our future.”

We taste the salad. It’s a blend of different vegetables with a delicious dressing that doesn’t seem to be part of this world. “This is so good!” I say.

He smiles. “Macy and I worked on it, but I added a little magic touch to make the whole thing come together.”

I bend forward to kiss him. He takes hold of my chin and tilts it up to pop kisses on my neck. “You’re beautiful, Lily.”

Butterflies flap around in my stomach. He’s said this to me more than once, but it feels like it’s the first time. “Thanks. You look very handsome tonight. I mean, you’re handsome all the time, but…” I press my lips together.

He laughs. “Thanks.”

We finish up the salad, and then Sebastian snaps toward the kitchen, where a waiter comes out, holding a tray of food. I gape at Sebastian. “You created a waiter?”

“Just for tonight.”

“What happens to him when we’re done?”

“He disappears, I think. It’s like he never existed.”

I nod, forcing myself to relax. Why shouldn’t Sebastian and I enjoy his magic if no one is getting hurt? This waiter isn’t real. He was created just for tonight. He has no life, no family, no future. Once we’re done, he goes back to being nothing.

“Thanks,” I tell the waiter as he pours some soup into my bowl. He bows, serves Sebastian, then walks out. Sebastian and I try the soup. Delicious.

“I have good news,” he says. “I applied for a job.”

“Really? Where?”

“A delivery boy at the supermarket a few blocks away. They don’t require a GED. I have an interview next week.”

I grab his hand that’s resting on the table. “That’s great!”

He nods, playing around with his soup. “I’d like to help out more.” His eyes meet mine. “I don’t feel comfortable using magic all the time to make life easier for us, either. I’d like to be a human like any other guy. But we can have some fun every now and then, can’t we?”

“Of course we can.”

He smiles. “I just want to make you happy.”

After dessert, he does exactly that.

***

Turns out our clothes aren’t for keeps. As soon as we took them off and threw them on the floor of my bedroom, they disintegrated. I guess they’re a one-time-only use. I’m glad we don’t have to worry about the moral and ethical aspect of Sebastian’s magic, though it does suck that the perks aren’t here to stay.

Sebastian is sitting on the couch, watching TV as he licks a Popsicle. He’s on his third, and doesn’t seem to get enough. I bet he’ll finish them all in the next two days.

I’m in my room, dialing Macy. I want to thank her and Andy for everything they’ve done for Sebastian and me. Dinner was perfect. Romantic, special, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

“Hey,” Macy says. “What’s up?”

From the tone of her voice, I can’t tell if things are going well with her and Andy. She seems to be in a good mood, but there’s a sadness as well.

“I just want to thank you and Andy for helping Sebastian out with his surprise. It was wonderful, so thanks. And that salad, yum. Why didn’t you tell me you can make salad like that?”

“I don’t know. It’s something I came up with recently.”

“Nice. Looks like I’m not the only chef around,” I joke.

She doesn’t join in my laughter.

“Is everything okay with you and Andy?” I ask. I hate talking about my relationship with Sebastian when she might be having problems with Andy. It’s very selfish of me. “Or is there something else bothering you? You know you can tell me anything.”

“I know.” She sighs. “We had another fight and he stormed out.”

“About what? Your neighbor?”

“No, it was about something stupid. Nothing to do with the engagement or our future. I don’t know. Lately, we have been getting on each other’s nerves. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to move in together.”

I hate to think of the two of them growing apart. They love each other. They belong together. I know it’s sometimes healthy for couples to take a break, but I can’t stand the pain in my best friend’s voice. I wish I could do something, but she and Andy need to work this out on their own. The only thing I can do is be there for her.

“I’m really sorry, Macy. And I’m sorry for talking about Sebastian and our romantic dinner.”

“Don’t be sorry. It’s great that you found someone. You deserve to be happy.”

“So do you.”

She’s quiet.

“Do you want me to come over?” It’s past ten, and I have to get up early for work tomorrow, but I don’t care. Macy needs me.

“That’s okay.”

“Are you sure?”

She laughs lightly. “Lily, you have an amazingly sweet smokin’ hot boyfriend living in your apartment. The two of you had this awesome romantic dinner. So yes, of course I’m sure I want you to
stay home
. I’ll be okay.”

It bothers me that she’s all alone in her apartment, but she won’t let me come over, no matter how many times I ask. “Andy loves you,” I tell her. “Just remember that. You guys are going through a rough patch—”

“Been there, done that,” she mutters. She and Andy got into a major fight junior year of high school and broke up for three months. Then they made up and hadn’t left each other’s side once, except for now.

I wish I could give her a hug. “You’ll get through this, too.”

“I hope so.”

“Virtual hugs,” I say.

That gets a small chuckle out of her. “Thanks, Lil.”

I’m thrust awake. All around me is pitch black, the only light coming from the radio clock near my bed. It’s three in the morning.

Reaching to my left, I don’t feel Sebastian. My hand moves all over the bed, but he’s not here. Flipping on the bedside lamp, I find the bed empty.

Noises come from the bathroom. Coughing and the sounds of a toilet flushing. Getting out of bed, I head for the bathroom and knock on the door. “Sebastian?”

He doesn’t respond. I try the door and find it unlocked. I step inside and see him curled up on the floor. I rush to his side. “Sebastian, what’s wrong?”

He moans. He’s drenched in sweat and his hair sticks to his forehead. I push some of it aside. He looks so sick…

He shoots to a sitting position, bends over the toilet, and vomits. After he’s done, he lies back down and moans. I scoot closer to him and rest his head on my lap. I don’t know what’s going on with him, if he ate something bad or…I don’t know. The last time he got this sick, he was a genie and couldn’t consume anything. But this can’t be the same situation. He’s not a genie anymore, and shouldn’t have that problem. And he’s eaten human food before and was okay. This must
be something he ate.

“Lily.” His voice is weak. He smiles sadly. “I feel so ill...”

“Maybe you ate something…” But we ate the same thing. Why is he getting sick when I feel fine?

He reaches up to touch my cheek. “I’ll be okay.”

His face is pale and his body is trembling a bit. I grab a blanket from the closet in my room and throw it over him. His eyes flutter before shutting. I rest my hand on his back. “Sebastian, you need fluids. I’ll get you a drink.” Unlike the last time, when he got sick as a genie, he couldn’t drink.

I return with a glass of water and hand it to him. He nods, seemingly too weak to talk, and gulps it down. My hand rubs circles on his arm as I wait to see if he’ll puke that up, too. He doesn’t. “Are you feeling better?”

“Little,” he whispers. I bite my lip as I watch his eyes shut and his chest rise and fall. After placing my hand on his forehead, I sigh. He doesn’t seem to have a fever. That’s a good sign. Whatever this is, it might not be serious. Maybe a stomach virus, or a bad reaction to the food we ate. Sebastian doesn’t have a doctor. I’m going to monitor him and if he gets worse, I’ll bring him to the hospital.

I look down at him. His eyes are opened and he’s gazing at me with gratitude.

“Sebastian?” I say. “Do you want to go to bed?”

He slowly sits up, and I help him to his feet. He’s heavier than he was as a genie, and I nearly buckle over at his weight.

“Sorry,” he whispers, his eyes shutting as he wobbles. I manage to drag him into the hall before we collapse on the floor. He hugs his knees to his chest, his body quaking. I tighten the blanket around him.

“Sebastian.” There’s a pitch in my voice. I bite my lip as I look around for…I don’t know exactly. “Are you okay?”

He nods, his eyes still shut.

“Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”

His eyes shoot open. “Hospital? No. I’m okay.”

He looks far from okay, and panic starts to consume every part of me. “Can you use your magic to heal yourself?” Why didn’t I think of this sooner?

Nodding, he lifts a shaky hand over his chest and manages to wave it around before it falls limply on the floor. I stare at him, waiting for the color to return to his cheeks, for the sweat to dry off, for his body to relax. None of that happens.

Why can’t he heal himself? Is he only able to heal others? “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?” When I look at him, I find him breathing softly. Maybe he just needs to sleep this off.

Taking him to the hospital might be risky, because he’s not one hundred percent human. What if they find something inside him? I need to protect him.

But I’m not going to ignore the obvious signs that he’s not well.

I’ll stay right here. If he doesn’t get better, I’ll take him to the ER.

***

A hand slides into mine and squeezes. When I open my eyes, I find Sebastian sitting before me with a sweet smile on his face. His face that is no longer pale. His hair isn’t damp and his body isn’t trembling. Whatever that was, it’s over.

We’re in the small hallway between the bathroom and bedroom. The blanket is wrapped around me.

“Hey.” Sebastian kisses me. “Good morning.”

“Are you feeling better?”

He smiles again. “Much. Thank you for taking care of me.” He pulls me into his arms. I unwrap the blanket and throw it over both of us. The air conditioning is very strong here.

I rest my cheek against his. “You really scared me.”

“I’m sorry. I think I may have gone a little overboard with the Popsicles.” He cups my face in both hands. “I’m okay, Lily.”

“I’m so glad. But I’m a little confused. Why couldn’t you heal yourself?”

He peers at his hands. “I think I didn’t have the strength.”

“So you normally can heal yourself?”

He shrugs helplessly. “I have no idea. Everything is so new and confusing.”

“We’ll figure it out. Together.”

He nods. “And I need to learn to take things slow and not overdo it.” He gently rubs his stomach. “I’ll be careful next time not to stuff myself too much. Human food is delicious, though.”

I rest my head on his shoulder. My gaze travels to the living room, at the clock hanging on the wall, and my heart skips a beat. “I’m late!” I shoot to my feet, causing the blanket and Sebastian to topple to the floor. “Sorry!”

He gets to his feet, following my gaze at the clock. “I’ll whip something up while you get ready.”

“Are you strong enough to use magic?”

“Yes. I mean, I hope.”

“Be careful, please.”

He nods, and I dash into the bathroom. My boss has been watching me closely ever since I took off those days to go to California, and I don’t want him to think I don’t care about my job.

As much as I want to sit down and enjoy the breakfast Sebastian prepared for me, I only have time to gobble it down, drink some orange juice, kiss my genie goodbye, and fly out the door. Inferno is only a few blocks away from my house, and I probably look like an idiot running like this, but I don’t care. My dream is still to get into culinary school. It probably won’t happen in the next year or two, but it’s going to happen. I’ll make sure of it.