JM BENAVIDEZ

Page 26

I woke up to the sound of a soft tapping and I slowly blinked my eyes open. I could make out a dark shadow in my bedroom doorway and I squinted at it. "Hello?" The shadow shifted, taking a few steps closer. "I'm sorry to wake you. It's almost time for dinner." I smiled when I recognized Lael's voice before his outline. "Oh, come in. I couldn't tell who you were for a minute. It's pretty dark in here." He glanced around the room taking a few more steps in. "Lights on low." I commanded the lights and the room took on a low glow. "Very nice." I smiled and pointed towards the bathroom. "Check out the bathroom." He headed into the bathroom and I stretched, yawning loudly.

"This is amazing." Lael exclaimed before opening the shower door. "Look at this shower! It's almost as obscene as the bathtub." I hunched over the side of the bed and slid my feet out. "I think dad was hoping I'd invite the girls over, but I just don't know if I can handle all of the echoed squeals." I called back to him as he made his way back into the bedroom. "I really love this wall. It makes you feel like you're right on the beach." I nodded pointing up at the ceiling. "The skylights give it that outdoors feel too. I was thinking about asking dad to make me a patio on the roof so I could sit up there and look at the sunsets and stars. I just haven't gotten around to it yet." 

I ran my hands back through my damp, sleep tousled hair and then smiled when I caught him watching me. "What do you think? Could you live here?" I asked, sneaking in a piece of my conversation with Elijah. He sat down casually on the bed next to me, looking into my face. "I wouldn't mind. Although I would be willing to sleep in my current room if I got to wake up to this sleepy face every now and then." I smiled looking up at him with squinty eyes. "What this face?" He laughed and bent down, kissing me softly. "You are incredible no matter what time of day it is or what you're wearing." 

I giggled as I looked up at him. "Does that mean you decided what I should wear?" He motioned to his own dark plum colored long sleeve button up shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow and dark blue jeans. "This is what I'm wearing, why don't you decide what you'd feel comfortable in and I'll wait in the living room." I smiled. "So that means you won't be setting me up in translucent clothing?" He chuckled. "As much as I'd enjoy that, I think I'd prefer you be yourself and at ease." He stood from the bed and headed for the other room. He paused and turned towards the door. "You may want to bring a sweater or dress in layers in case you get hot or cold." I nodded and he closed the door behind him.

I walked into the closet. I knew I wanted a pair of dressy dark blue jeans and black flat slip on non-dress shoes. Then I decided on a thick white cotton dress tank with a grey knit sweater jacket. I accessorized with a long necklace and a few silver bangle bracelets. It wasn't really my style to add jewelry, but I figured it would put me up at his dress shirt level in look while feeling dressed down. I ran a brush through my hair, brushed my teeth and put on my typical black eyeliner. I put on plain, clear ChapStick for added moisture to my lips without all of the added color or gloss. I checked myself in the mirror and opened the bedroom door. "Will this work?" 

Lael was sitting casually on the couch and I noticed the vase of blue and yellow flowers on the table for the first time. He looked over his shoulder at me and smiled. "You look great." I pointed to the flowers. "Did you bring me those?" He nodded. "I did." I sat down beside him, inspecting the flowers more closely. "They smell lovely." I managed to choke out and he brushed my arm softly. "Are you going to cry?" I sniffled. "I might. Is that ok with you?" He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me back against the couch and his side. "You can do anything you want to. I won't stop you." I placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Thank you, they are just beautiful." 

He brushed his thumb across my cheek. "You deserve beautiful things. To have men who want to spend time making you happy. Who care more about how things will make you feel instead of how it will make them look. Who aren't afraid to stand up to you, to challenge you, to pick on you and make you laugh or even cry, as long as they are tears of joy." The dinner bell rang outside and Lael smiled down at me. "How would you feel about having dinner alone with me? Just the two of us?" I smiled up into his dreamy brown eyes. "You mean like how they do in movies? Without annoying siblings or parents watching your every move?" He nodded, caressing my cheek again. "I heard that you had mentioned wondering how things might be if we started splitting up for meals and I thought maybe I'd give you a little taste of what that could be like." 

I shook my head marveling over how simple he made it seem. "So I wondered how it might be and you decided to try it out?" He nodded, looking at me curiously. "Why is that so hard to believe?" I snorted. "Because it's a concept that never occurred to Elijah." Lael brushed my hair back from my forehead. "What did he do now?" I shook my head, offended by his tone. "Nothing." He gave me a scolding look. "That's not how I meant it. Elijah has a habit of speaking and acting before thinking about how it affects others." I looked up at him sheepishly. "He's not the only one. I'm guilty of that too." Lael brushed the back of his hand across the side of my neck. "So what did he do or say?" I shrugged. "It wasn't really what he said; it was just that it made me feel foolish for even thinking it." He nodded. "So try it on me." 

I stood up reaching down for his hand. "How about you take me to dinner and we'll continue our conversation there?" He took my hand, smiling as he stood up. "On one condition." I looked up at him adoringly. "You name it." He tilted my chin up. "You don't get bent out of shape over me asking for your dad's help with tonight." I raised an eyebrow. "You asked my dad for help? Why didn't you ask your dad?" He smiled. "I did that too. But I wanted to make sure my date appealed to you specifically and who better to ask than someone who knew you very well?" My mouth fell open as I marveled over him. "No one has thought to do that." He cupped my cheeks in his hands. "I had hoped that you had already figured out that I'm not like anyone else." I shook my head. "No you certainly are not. You are much better." 

I glanced down at the flowers. "Did he give you the idea for the flowers?" He kissed the tip of my nose. "You think your dad would tell me to bring you flowers?" I wrinkled my face. "No, probably not." He smiled. "I did ask him what colors you'd prefer." He smiled. "And then I saw the little lavender flowers in your kitchen and I thought maybe you would like them more than you had let on." I nodded. "I do have a soft spot for flowers, but not on clothes and I'm not big on the really flashy ones. Just the ones that don't draw too much attention to themselves. Like the little purple flowers that grow in the moss, those are my favorite." I smiled. "And cherry blossoms, since that's what brought my parents together. But that's more of a tree than a flower." Lael placed a kiss on the back of each of my hands. "What a beautiful contradiction you are." I looked up at him through my lashes, blushing. "And you as well." He nodded. "A perfect pair." 

He led me out the front door and towards the dining hall. I tried to ignore the sight of Aureliana fawning over Elijah and the two of them laughing cheerfully as we walked by, but it was burned into my brain. Lael led me past the lounge, library and art studio before looking over at me. "If it upsets you so much to see them together, why did you push the issue?" I forced a smile, trying to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Because I wanted everyone to have every chance at happiness. And because I'd rather find out now than later when my heart was fully invested." The scenery around us changed and we were walking across a field of short green grass with sporadic wildflowers, just like the ones Lael had brought me. I smiled as I saw them. "You picked them?" He smiled. "As I said, you deserve someone who spends the time to make you happy." 

I threw my arms around his shoulders hugging him and he picked me up, spinning me in a circle. He looked down into my eyes as he put me on my feet. "What if Aureliana or anyone else for that matter said they were interested in me. Would you make me go out with them?" I frowned. "I would encourage you, but not make you." He lowered his head, staring deeper into my eyes. "And what if I refused? What if I said you were the only one for me?" I closed my eyes, praying with all of my heart he meant it. "I'd hope that you always felt that way." I whispered, my voice cracking on the words. 

Lael lifted my chin. "Meira love, look at me." I smiled at his words, looking up into his eyes. "I don't care if it's just the two of us or if you want every other man in this realm too, as long as you still want me. But there isn't another woman here that can come close to you. You are perfect in every way, especially in your imperfections. You are one of a kind and the only kind I want." He ran his hand through my hair, cradling my face. "I don't want to chase you off or make you feel like you have to make a choice of any kind. All I ask is that you let me show you how easy loving me and being loved by me can be." I stepped closer to him, fisting my hand in his shirt and placing my forehead to his. "I knew that the moment you asked me if I could settle for you after having Amadeus and Zuriel." I looked up into his eyes. "As if you were the lesser. Don't you get it Lael? You are the grand prize, they were just appetizers. And honestly all they gave me was bad indigestion." He laughed, appreciating my analogy and I smiled up into his brown eyes that were a perfect reflection of my own.

"Look at us." I held up my hands to him and he pressed his palms against mine. "Our skin is almost a perfect match, our eyes a reflection of the other, our hair the same shade of brown. We could be mirrored reflections of the same heart, you and me." I took a deep breath and he laced his fingers through mine. "You are the only one who hasn't tried to pressure me in anyway, just encouraged me to make my own decisions. Even when I've tried to bait you, you turn it around on me and give me tenderness instead." His eyes danced. "And oh how you have tested me." I nodded, smiling proudly. "But at the same time, I know that you could run circles around all of the others because you haven't had to prove it to me." Lael kissed me sweetly, pulling our entwined hands between us. "A tiger doesn't have to attack you to prove that he's dangerous, you can tell by watching him. He doesn't have to growl at you for you to know he's a tiger, you can tell by his stripes. The same goes for a good man, his actions should speak for him." Lael released one of my hands and pulled me by the other. "Come on, dinner is waiting."

I leaned my head against Lael’s arm as we walked across the grassy field of wildflowers. He stopped in the middle of the field and looked down at me smiling. “Do you trust me?” I nodded. “Of course.” He grinned. “Hop up onto my back and close your eyes. I want to surprise you.” I kissed him, smiling adoringly. “You already do.” He turned his back towards me and bent down. I wrapped my arms over his shoulders and climbed up onto his back. I squealed when he stood up, bouncing me higher up onto his back. He laughed and looked over his shoulder at me. “I’ve got you.” I placed a kiss on his cheek. “I know it, you just didn’t warn me first.” He smiled. “Ok, now no peeking.” I nodded, hiding my face in the crook of his neck as I closed my eyes. “I promise.” He smiled. “I’m going to jog us the rest of the way out of the field, so no panicking.” I kissed his neck, tightening my hold on his shoulders. “I’ll try not to.”

He did jog for a little bit and then he walked slowly, navigating over, under and around objects I assume were the trees that had lined the field. After a little while he paused and patted my arms. “Keep your eyes closed, but drop your legs, I’m going to set you down.” I did as instructed and He carefully set me on my feet, turning towards me. “You aren’t peeking are you?” I shook my head. “You are always worth the wait.” He pulled me close, rewarding me with a kiss. “Sweet girl, I feel the same way about you.” He reluctantly pulled his hands away and took a step backwards. “Stay right there, I’m going to step away for a minute and I don’t want you to fall.” I reached my hands out for him, pouting. “You are going to leave me?” He touched the tips of my fingers. “I’ll be just a few feet away and you’ll never leave my line of sight.” I nodded reluctantly. “If you have to.” He pulled his hands away and I could hear him walk away. I listened intently as I heard him shuffling things around. “Light.” He spoke softly a few feet ahead of me.

All movement and sound seemed to stop and I turned my ear towards where I had heard him last. “You can open your eyes now.” I took a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes. Lael was standing on the edge of a wooden platform floating in a small pond surrounded by blooming cherry trees. There were floating lanterns in the water around the pond and it glittered off the water. He held his hand out towards me, smiling like an angel of heaven. “You like it.” I crossed the short distance, taking his hand. “I love it.” He brushed his thumb across the back of my hand as he helped me step up onto the platform. There was a table with a candlelit dinner set for two on one side of the platform and then on the other side was a large circular couch with extra throw pillows to lounge on. Lael helped me get seated in my chair and then stepped back to the edge of the platform. He used a large pole to push off the bank of the pond, so we floated towards the middle. He set the pole down and then joined me at the table.

“It’s not at all what you were thinking was it?” I looked around at the glorious sunset and lanterns sparking off the water lined with cherry blossoms. I fought back the tears that threatened my eyes and whispered softly. “It’s so much better.” He reached his hand across the table and I placed my hand in it. “I may have you isolated on this little island, but I’ll take you back anytime you’d like. So if you get cold, tired or bored just let me know.” I looked down at my hand wrapped casually in his and then looked back up into his eyes. “What if I never want to leave? What if I want to stay with you forever?” He caressed my hand. “Just because I take you back, doesn’t mean I have to leave you.”

I wrinkled my brows thinking about our conversation earlier and he pulled his hand from mine as he motioned to the silver lid covering my plate. “Place your hand on the lid and whatever you’d like to eat will be hot and ready for you.” I bit my bottom lip at the innuendos in his words and glanced up at him hungrily. “And what if I wanted you?” He smiled, chuckling softly. “I’m always hot and ready for you.” He winked and crossed his hands in his lap, waiting for me to decide what I wanted to eat. I thought that Italian might be a nice change, but the thought of spending the night with red sauce on my white shirt was not appealing. I placed my hand on the lid as I decided on chicken fettuccine Alfredo. I removed the lid and smiled at my mouth watering meal. He nodded approvingly and then placed his hand on his lid, removing it to reveal the same thing. 

He placed his hands over the frosted wine glasses. “Fill.” I smiled. “You look like you’re doing that all by yourself.” He shook his head. “Nah, the food is all my dad. The landscape and lanterns is all your dad.” His eyes lit up. “Which reminds me.” He turned and looked over his shoulder. “Levitate.” Some of the lanterns lifted up off the water, floating in the air around us. I shook my head in amazement. “As a little girl I would ask my dad to describe the lantern festival almost every night before bed. But it’s even more breathtaking when here with you.” He lifted his glass of wine, toasting to me. “To keeping you breathless.” I smiled lifting my glass. “Only for you.” Something flickered across his face before we drank our toast but was gone instantly so I let it drop and drank. As we set our glasses down he picked up his fork and motioned towards my plate. “We should eat before our food gets cold. I promise we can stare at each other all night.” I giggled and picked up my fork and we started eating.

As we sat there in silence eating and casting glances up at each other, I marveled over how at ease I felt with Lael. Even though he went out of his was to please me and I was sitting in this beautiful environment, I didn’t feel out of place. I felt like I was exactly where I belonged. I swallowed my bite and decided to bring up our previous conversation. “How do you see our relationship progressing if it continues to be the three of us? Do you see anything changing from the way it is now?” I shook my head. “Although I’m not sure it will even be an issue after seeing Elijah and Aureliana earlier. But this was the conversation he and I had that upset me.” Lael set down his fork, wiping his mouth on his napkin before turning all of his focus on me. “I have no expectations. So why don’t you tell me how you see things progressing and I’ll try to figure out what Elijah was being an idiot about.” 

He said it so matter-of-factly that I laughed. “In his defense, he doesn’t know my back story.” Lael nodded, leaning back in his chair. “So tell me.” He looked at my mostly empty plate. “Are you done eating? We can sit over there where it’s more comfortable.” I nodded and we stood up. He held out his hand for me and I took it, letting his lead me to the couch. He sat down, extending his legs and crossing them at the ankles. I kicked off my slip-on shoes and scooted next to him, tucking my feet under me as I turned to face him. He placed his arm over the back of the couch, placing his hand on my shoulder as he turned towards me. “Continue.” I took a deep breath, organizing my thoughts. “In my first relationship with Zuriel and Amadeus, they were pretty intent on it being one relationship; me and them; not two separate relationships with each of them.” 

Lael smirked shaking his head. “And that freaked Elijah out. What did you say?” I shrugged. “I just asked what he thought about the idea of cohabitation.” Lael took my hand in his, continuing to rub my shoulder with the other hand draped over it. “What exactly did he say?” I frowned. “What? As in move in together and sleep in the same bed?” I shook my head. “Or something like that.” Lael pulled me closer to him. “He has no idea so spent that first night sleeping with both Zuriel and Amadeus. I’m sorry.” I tried to shrug it off and he lifted my chin. “If he knew, he wouldn’t have said it. And if you explained to him about why you thought it was a good idea he’d probably agree with you. He’s just simple minded and doesn’t look beyond the present.” 

I blinked up into his eyes. “Why do you think I feel it’s a good idea?” He brushed my cheek. “So you don’t have to choose or flip back and forth. It’s one big happy family at all times. No one is ever left out and you don’t feel like a part of you is always missing.” I nodded. “It seems like such a simple concept. How can you see it so plainly and he can’t?” Lael frowned. “I don’t think he has thought about it from any perspective other than his own.” I shrugged. “But when we’re apart, don’t you feel that way? Like you’d rather be here?” Lael nodded, his eyes meeting mine. “I never want to be anywhere else.” His words clicked in the back of my brain. Lael didn’t think Elijah felt the same way towards me that he did. “You don’t think he feels that way?” Lael wrinkled his brows. “I don’t know exactly how he feels, but I do know how I feel. I feel like I can’t breathe when you aren’t right here beside me and if he felt that way, he’d do anything to keep you with him.”

He shifted, turning towards me. “I know in this realm it seems antiquated and irrelevant, but I’d marry you Meira. I’d stand before all of the others and declare myself to you, promising to love no other for as long as I lived. I’d move in with you and share your bed every night, waking up to your beautiful sleepy face every morning. You’d be the last thing I saw every night as I kissed your lips before falling asleep to the sound of your soft breathing in my ear.” He caressed my cheek tenderly. “I’m not going anywhere. I love you.” I smiled and he smirked. “And I don’t care if that means I have to share you with Elijah’s blind ass or not.” I chuckled as he brought his lips down to mine. “He’s blind if he doesn’t see that you are the reason the sun rises and sets every day. The reason for every breath that we take, because all we want is to spend another moment with you.” He shook his head. “And if he doesn’t see it, then he doesn’t deserve you.”