Heavenly (14 page)

Luke's decrepit blue Suzuki rumbled toward me. Relief coursed my veins. He pulled alongside the curb and I opened

the rickety door and got in. The heater blasted in my face and at my feet, but I was shaking so bad, the warmth didn't help.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

I could barely sputter out the words, my lips were frozen. "Walking."

"In this weather? Were you at Brady's party?" After I shut the door, he pulled onto the road and we slowly drove

through the snow building on the street.

"Y-yeah. What're you doing out?"

He shrugged. "Driving."

"Things bad at home?"

"No. I just needed to get out for a while."

I knew how purifying a solitary drive could be but I hated to think he'd been out smoking. "I can't believe you found

me." My wet clothes clung, cold and icy, but the warmth from the heater finally silenced my chatters.

"Yeah. This weather's something, else, huh?"

"You know Brady?"

"I know his brother, Kevin."

I didn't ask for more. The days of him sharing truth with me were long gone. We both told each other what we wanted

the other to know and nothing more.

At home, Luke pulled into the driveway and put the car in park. The engine idled. "You're not coming in?" I didn't

want him driving in these rough conditions; the danger sent familiar panic-for-a-sibling through my system.

"I'm not ready to come in yet."

I held his gaze as long as I could and wondered where he would go, what he would do. He finally looked away, as if

impatient or bored, I wasn't sure which.

I got out and leaned in the door frame. Begging was useless. "Be careful."

He nodded. "Yeah."

I shut the door and stood, shivering again, watching him back out the rattling car. The soft red gleam of his rear lights finally vanished in the white haze of snow.

- - -

Inside, the warmth of home sunk into my chilled flesh. The scent of our dinner. Little Caesars, still hung in the air. I

shut the door. Lights were off, the house was quiet. At eleven o'clock, I figured everyone was in bed, so I crept upstairs

anxious to peel off my wet clothing. Mom and Dad's bedroom door was closed, no light underneath. I headed down the hall

in the opposite direction to my room, passing a montage of family memories framed and hung on the walls. Like life passed

before my eyes, the pictures brought to mind happy vacations, celebrated holidays, and treasured birthdays. Abria's door was

closed and locked. I paused and didn't hear anything coming from the other side.

In my bedroom, my cell phone rang. I quickly plucked it from my purse, sitting on my bed. Britt.

"Where are you?" Britt asked.

"I came home."

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah. Brady and I were about to hook up and he didn't even know my name."

"What? No way. The skeeze."

"Yeah."

"How did you get home?"

"Luke."

"Oh, okay."

"You having fun?"

"Yeah, but I want you here."

Laughter and music blared in the background. I appreciated the thought, but knew it was just that: a thought. She was

completely fine without me and we both knew it. "Go have fun. Tell me what happens tomorrow."

"K. I will. Bye."

I put the phone in my bag and heard a thump from Abria's room. Often, she awoke in the night. She'd climb and jump

and make all kinds of noise, waking up the rest of us with her laughter and gibberish. I didn't want Mom to freak because she thought Abria was climbing out the window. Still damp and cold, I went to Abria's room in hopes of getting her back to sleep

before she woke the whole house.

A line of white peered underneath her bedroom door. Yup, she was awake. Thrill rushed inside of me. What if

Matthias was here?

I unlocked her door and opened it.

She stood at her window, but the window was still closed. No Matthias. Disappointed, I went in and shut the door so Mom

and Dad wouldn't hear anything and wake up.

"What are you doing awake, Abria?"

She had her fingers on the lock and without caring that I was there, she went back to work, trying to figure out how to

open it.

"So Mom's latch thing worked," I said, going to her. "See? You can't get out now, so why don't you just forget about this boring old window?"

"She sees the world out that window."

I whipped around. Matthias stood with his back against the far wall, hands in his pockets, a smile on his lips. I must

have imagined the extra twinkle in his blue eyes. My heart started to pound. His gaze swept me from head to toe, and he

came away from the wall. "You're soaking to the skin wet. Are you all right?" he asked.

I warmed at his question, loved that he was concerned about me. Could I fake being hurt or some other such

ridiculous thing? Would he finally touch me? I couldn't lie to him, the pure honesty in his face and eyes pierced my

conscience and wouldn't allow it.

"I'm fine. Just a little wet."

"A little? You look like a sewer rat."

I cocked back my head. "Thanks a lot."

"No." He held up a hand, apologetic. "I don't mean it like that. It's just you are so very... wet." His gaze traveled over me again, sending sparks just beneath my trembling skin. "You'll catch your death."

"Well, I guess if I was going to die, you'd be the one to tell me."

His face flushed. "There is no such thing as the grim reaper, Zoe. I'd have thought you were smart enough to have

figured that out by now."

I was so happy to see him, I didn't care that I was soaking wet. I didn't even care what I looked like, which I imagined

was pretty heinous. I didn't care if I was going to die. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, so relieved, so filled with

contentment.

A long silence stretched between us. I wanted the keen look in his eye to be for me, though I was sure it was more

due to genetics rather than desire. I had so many questions for him, but now my mind was annoyingly blank. Behind me, I

heard Abria at the window. Because Matthias' gaze was intense, almost unbearable, I turned and looked at her, a shiver racing down my spine. "Are you here because Abria was going to open the window?"

The warmth of his body came up behind me. He'd moved closer. I closed my eyes, aching to turn around and stand

against him.

"Abria is safe." His tone was soothing.

Sure enough, Abria hadn't figured out how to open the window yet, though her small, deft fingers were working the

latch. So, if he wasn't here for Abria... my mind let loose a flock of fantasies.
He's not mortal, you flamer. He's on a mission,
a specific mission to help Abria so get your head out of your heart and stop thinking of yourself.

"She's safe until she figures out this window," I rasped, then cleared my throat. The heat of his body and the

overwhelming strength in his being radiated like the sun had dropped from the sky and was perched in Abria's bedroom, its

fire pressing through my wet clothes to my shivering skin.

I turned and faced him, wanting to see how close he was. I caught the first scent of him—clouds in a bottle—wispy,

fresh and clean. The front of his silky ivory shirt nearly came into contact with my sweater. For a long moment he stared

deep into my eyes. I waited for him to take a step back but he didn't.

"If Abria is safe, then why did you come?"

"I think you know the answer to that already, Zoe."

I swallowed.
No, please tell me he's not reading my thoughts. Please.
"You were out for a casual late night check of the neighborhood?" I teased.

The sparkle in his eyes told me he was amused with my response. "That was it, yes. Flying around like Peter Pan,

dropping pixie dust here and there."

"I'd like some of that pixie dust, if you have any left."

He lifted his hands and for an instant, I had the fantasy that he was going to set his hands on my shoulders, draw me

to him and kiss me. Slowly he lifted his hands over my head and rubbed them back and forth, as if releasing invisible magic

over me. I looked up and laughed.
So much for fantasies.

"Now you're dusty," he said.

"Wet, cold
and dusty.
Nice." I shivered. A faint line formed between his brows.

He stepped back. "Perhaps you should change into something dry."

I didn't want to leave, in case he was gone when I got back. "That's okay. I'm drying, slowly but surely."

"Please. Get into something warm."

I passed him, my eyes glued to his, backing out the door like a star-struck groupie at a celebrity sighting. He smiled

and nodded again, gesturing that it was okay for me to go, he'd be there when I got back.

I'd never undressed so fast. I tossed my wet clothes in a heap, grabbed dry underwear, my pink fluffy terrycloth robe

and slippers and raced back to Abria's bedroom, tying the sash tight around my waist.

Matthias had Abria in his arms; both were peering out the window and into the dark night.

"You see the lights, Abria? They sparkle, don't they? Like the stars in Heaven."

Abria, silent, attentive, and calm, looked like any normal little girl discovering something for the first time. I leaned

my shoulder in the jamb, let out a sigh. To have that kindly effect on people... that power, not for powers sake, but for the sake of comforting another.

"She's so good when you're here," I said.

He turned, gave my robe a once over, and his grip around Abria tightened. He looked at her and lightly skimmed her

cheek with his finger. "I'm happy to help her."

I closed the door. "Why does it make you so happy? Not to sound harsh or stupid or anything. It's just that most

people are pretty selfish."

"Few things bring satisfaction like being there for someone."

"Did you always feel this way? Or was this something that happened to you because you... after you... died?"

He chuckled. "Definitely after I died." He set Abria on her feet and she scrambled to the window.

I crossed his direction. "So you weren't always perfect." His warm laugh filled the room. "I'm far from perfect, Zoe."

"No, seriously. Don't be modest. You have this way about you... it's... so real. Like there's nothing fake inside of you anywhere." Whoever he was, I understood that he was beyond special. "Are you Divine?"

"That's very flattering of you to ask. No, I'm not."

"Good, because then you'd have nothing to do with me."

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm a sinner," I smirked.

"Every mortal is."

"So, you don't sin anymore? Is that part of... being who you are now?"

"I can't be where evil is,
Zoe."

I shiver chased down my spine. "Seriously? Wow."

He nodded. "Ironic because, in my life I was... let's just say I wasn't sin free by any stretch."

"I want to hear about your life." I moved to the foot of Abria's bed. Matthias, still standing next to the window where Abria stared up at the stars, leaned his back against the wall, crossed his arms and got comfortable.

"What would you like to know?"

"When were you born?"

"Nineteen oh seven."

The date slugged reality into my stomach. Slowly, I eased myself to the edge of Abria's mattress and sat. "That long

ago?"

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know, I guess I kind of thought... by the looks of you... that, maybe... well... maybe you'd just died."

He laughed. "That I was a freshie? That's what we call them on the other side. Spirits who've just come through. No.

I'm not a freshie. But compared to some of the chaps hanging around there, I guess I could technically pass."

"Nineteen oh seven," I murmured. "So, how old were you when you... sorry, it's kind of awkward to talk about it."

"I was twenty years old." His gaze shifted from Abria to me.

That was all? Gone so soon. "Oh..."

"It was a short life. And I'm sorry to say, not one I'm particularly proud of." He reached for a strand of Abria's hair, and the strand slipped through his fingertips. "But that's the miracle. It's not over."

Our eyes met. His sparkled, like looking through a mirror and into eternity. "I'm blown away by that," I said,

marveling at him. "I guess, in my heart, I hoped there was more."

"You're a pondering woman." I swallowed.
Woman.
"Why do you think that?" "I never knew any women who thought beyond the moment. They were too distracted by, oh, I don't know, the latest fashions, which party to attend, the

current scandal."

"Oh, I'm distracted by those things, too."

"Of course." A grin spread on his face. "But I can tell you ponder. That's a rare quality. It takes discipline to tune out so you can tune in." "Nicely said. Were you a writer in your lifetime?" He laughed. "I wish. No. Nothing that gallant." "What did you do?"

He looked away a moment, and the corner of his jaw twitched. "I worked for my father."

"Oh, nice. Like a family business."

He snickered. "You could say that."

"Those were popular at the turn of the century. I love history. Itś my favorite class in school. Wait, if you were born

in nineteen oh seven, that would have put your right in the center of the roaring twenties. How cool is that!"

A curious smile played on his lips. "Cool. Another word from Zoe's vocabulary?" I nodded. "It means awesome.

Super nice. Really neat."

"I see. Cool."

"Yeah, it came into vogue around the nineteen seventies, went out of vogue and now it's back again."

"The world spins around and around. It only makes sense that its inhabitants and everything in it would as well,

right?"

I laughed. "I guess so. Tell me about what it was like to live when everything was wild and carefree. Did you..."