The Wanderers Beginning: The Wanderers, Reborn, & Unforgiven (97 page)

             
“How do I know you didn’t cast a spell on me?” I teased. “You just admitted you’re half- witch and you’re also half-vampire which I’m unsure how that works,” I said, getting slightly off track. I shook my head. “You could be more powerful than I am aware of,” I said, semi kidding. At first it was a joke, but now that I actually said it, I was a little frightened it could be true.

             
He smiled, sensing my uneasiness. “I don’t need a spell to convince you to be with me.”

             
The slightest touch of his hand on my hip melted away any doubt. “Oh, really, than how do you plan to do it?” I provoked.

             
“Like this,” he said, cupping my face with his hands, leaning down, and kissing me softly. My lips quivered from the soft touch. He pulled back and his hand slid down to my shoulder. My eyes were still closed and I could hear him laughing at me. “Ella, you can open your eyes,” he whispered.

             
I pressed my lips together, savoring the taste of his lips on mine. Then I slowly opened my eyes and looked into his. They were sparkling, tender, and adoring. “I should go,” he said, smiling.

             
“You can stay. I mean you can sleep here. I mean…” I slapped myself in the forehead embarrassed by my ramble. “It’s just that with Billy gone, it’s lonely, and sometimes scary all by myself. There’s the extra bed so…”

             
“I’ll stay.”

             
I let out a sigh of relief. “I have some extra blankets over there in that chest and I’m just going to go into the bathroom to change,” I said bashfully. I searched for some pajamas that were not 1950’s-ish as Cameron had said. I found some silk pajama pants and a kami. I grabbed them and went into the bathroom to change. I quickly checked myself out in the mirror and saw my swollen black eye. I sighed, knowing there was nothing I could do about it. I brushed my teeth and carefully washed my face, then closed the door behind me.

             
Roman was lying on my bed in just a t-shirt and boxers. “I like those pajamas better than the granny ones,” he said, smiling big.

             
“Uh, that’s my bed. That one is the extra bed,” I said, pointing to the one over by the window.

             
“Wouldn’t you feel safer with me right next to you?” I crossed my arms and waited for him to get up. “The bed over there is colder because it’s next to the window.”

             
“And you would know how?” I glared. I remember him telling me he never stayed in this room with Mackenzie. Something about her having a no boy policy, which I found hard to believe.

             
“Look, we can be mature about this. I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself. You can even put pillows in between us.”

             
“I might believe that if you weren’t in your boxers.”

             
“I always sleep in my boxers,” he frowned. “Did you expect me to sleep in my jeans?”

             
“Whatever,” I said, crawling into the opposite side of the bed. He put two pillows in between us. I lied facing the wall. He laid flat on his back and stared up at the ceiling.

             
“Goodnight Ella.”

             
“Goodnight Roman.”

I slept like a baby that night. When I woke up in the morning, the pillows between us were gone, and I had my head on Roman’s bare chest and my arm around his waist. I got up quickly and slid over to my side of the bed. “Good morning,” Roman said grinning.

             
“Morning,” I said, pushing the hair out of my face. “Umm, what happened to your shirt?”

             
“I got hot so I took it off.”

             
“And the pillows?”

             
He shrugged. “When I woke up they were gone.”

             
              “How long have you been awake?”

             
“Not long.”

             
“Why didn’t you wake me?”

             
“You looked so peaceful I didn’t want to disturb you.”

             
I got up off the bed and noticed the pillows were on my side of the floor. “Oh,” I thought to myself. I looked over at Roman who was still lying comfortably. Okay, so here comes the awkward part. “Well, um, thanks for staying,” I stammered.

             
“We could go to breakfast together, if you want?” he said, standing up. That’s when I noticed his ripped body. His six pack abs, the way his boxers hung low on his hips. “Like what you see?” he said, noticing my lingering eyes.

             
“Shut up,” I said, hitting him. He moved closer, pulled me into him, and kissed my lips ever so softly. “What was that for?” I asked breathless.

             
“Just wanted to know what it was like to wake up next to you in the morning and be able to kiss you.”

             
“And?”

             
“Eh,” he laughed.

             
“Very funny,” I said, pushing him and walking away. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me down on the bed. “Hey!” I yelped, giggling.

             
He pinned me down and said, “You know, you really should start practicing more. You’re losing your touch.”

             
“You ever think I’m letting you pin me?” He smiled big and pressed his lips to mine. I felt comfortable in his arms, safe. I lost track of time the minute his lips connected with mine. The only thing that broke us apart was when Dean sent me a message in my head to meet him and our parents in their room for breakfast.

             
“I have to go,” I whispered as he moved his lips down to my neck.

             
“It’s Saturday, what do you have to do that’s so important,” he mumbled as he brought his lips back to mine, distracting me. If Dean wasn’t shouting in my head to hurry up I never would have left my room.

             
“Uuuhh,” I whined. “I have to go.”

             
“Nooo…”

             
“Yes I have to. My parents are here.”

             
He stopped dead. “Talk about mood killer.”

             
“I know but you weren’t listening.”

             
“Can you blame me,” he smiled, nibbling on my neck.

             
“Okay, okay. Parents, parents, parents,” I repeated, trying to get him to stop.

             
He sighed, pulling back. “How long are they here for?”

             
“With my parents, who knows?”

             
“Will I see you later?” he asked with a little desperation in his voice.

             
“I think I can find some time,” I teased. He laughed and gave me a quick peck and then got dressed.

             
I opened my door and peeked outside to make sure no one was around and then told Roman it was safe for him to leave. He gave me another quick kiss and sweet smile before he left. I felt like I was floating on a cloud. My head was spinning and my body was tingling. All that changed the second Dean started screaming in my head again. Then after he was done it was my dad telling me to get dressed and head to their room.

             
Ugh! This was so unfair that I couldn’t talk back to them. I hated that they could get in my head like that. I quickly changed, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. When I got to their room Dean started whining. “It’s about time you got here. I’m starving.”

             
I rolled my eyes and sat down on the couch. “Good morning sweetheart,” my mom said, kissing me on the cheek. “You seem in better spirits today.” She stepped back and took a good look at me.

             
“What?” I said, feeling uncomfortable under her stare.

             
“Nothing,” she said smiling brightly. Her smile faded when she looked at my horrible black eye. “I wish there was something we could do about this?” She gently reached up and I flinched. “Sorry honey.”

             
“Why has someone not healed it yet? Surely there are other healers on campus,” my dad said.

             
“Yes, but they are only used for emergencies and this isn’t considered one,” I shrugged. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt as much as it did and I’m a fast healer. I’m sure it will be gone in a few days.”
I hope
, I added to myself. “So what’s on the agenda for today?”

             
“As soon as your father finishes up we’re going to head out for brunch,” my mom said.

             
“But we can’t leave campus?” Dean shot me a look to shut up.

             
“Ella, you will be with your father and I and they cannot tell us we can’t take our own children off campus,” she smiled. I never thought of that.

Dean and I spent all morning and all afternoon with our mom and dad. We had brunch, then my mom and I went shopping while the boys did…well I didn’t know what they did, but they weren’t bothering us. “Did you decide if you’re going to the dance or not?” my mom asked.

             
“Um, yeah.”

             
“Why didn’t you tell me? Do you have a dress yet?”

             
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think I was going.”

             
“Don’t worry honey. You’re beautiful and sometimes that can be intimidating to a boy. I’m sure someone will ask you.”

             
“Thanks mom,” I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t think I was that pathetic.”

             
“No honey, you’re not pathetic. You’re special.”

             
“Okay just stop. You’re not helping.”

             
“Why don’t you just ask someone? Didn’t you say there was a boy you liked?” This was her way of fishing for information. Trying to subtly slip questions in there I wouldn’t normally answer.

             
“Mom! If you would just please stop I can tell you that I already have a date.”

             
“You do? That’s great. Tell me all about him and why you do that we can look for a dress,” she gleamed.

             
“Mom, this isn’t like prom. I don’t think you need to go all out. Something simple will be fine.”

             
“Isn’t this dance to celebrate Ostara?” I shrugged. I had no idea. “Ella, aren’t you paying attention? What have you been learning?”

             
“Sorry, I’ve been a little distracted with everything else that’s going on.”

             
“Honey I know. I’m sorry. I know this can’t be easy for you,” she said sympathetically.

             
“I’m dealing.”

             
She pulled me in for a hug. “I think going to this dance will help you get your mind off of things. Take this opportunity to enjoy yourself,” she smiled tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “Now, let’s go find you a dress.”

             
We shopped for about an hour and everything she picked out was a ridiculous, puffy gown. “What about this one?” she asked, holding up a black, strapless gown that looked like the one I wore in my last dream.

             
“Definitely not,” I said. I looked through the racks ready to give up when she held up another dress. My eyes lit up when I saw it.

             
It was perfect.

             
It was a long, white, strapless dress. It reminded me of the one Reese Witherspoon wore in the movie ‘Walk the line’. “Try it on,” my mom said. I went into one of the dressing rooms to try the dress on. The fabric felt like silk on my skin and hit just below my ankles. I fell in love with it the moment I put it on. “Well?” I stepped out of the dressing room and my mom gasped.

             
“You like it?”

             
“You look beautiful,” my dad said. He and Dean had come into the shop while I was in the dressing room. “You look like a princess,” he smiled, placing his hands on my shoulders. If I didn’t know better I swear it looked as if he was going to cry.

             
“Dad,” I said, rolling my eyes at his comment.

             
My mom turned to the cashier and said, “We’ll take it.”

             
We headed back to the school and I hung up my dress in the closet and then changed. My dad wanted to see the progress I was making with Gabe. I wasn’t happy about having to do this on the weekend. The weekends were my time off, but who was I kidding. I should know better than to expect any time off. My life if anything was always changing.