My mom looked over at Brian, smiling at him. She really liked him, so much that she didn't bother to order take out on this dinner. As much as I wanted her to leave, I didn't. If she left Brian would try to kiss me. That deadly kiss that would leave his body cold and stiff. Dead. Part of me hated that I was doing this to him, and I knew that I was going to end of hurting him. That even though Alek had said that I would get hurt too, it would be Brian confused and lost of what was happening. I tried not to think of Alek or Jasmine or anything Mai related during this dinner, but I had finally come to think of it as This is who I am. "So have you met Chloe's new friends Alek and Jasmine?" I started choking on whatever was in my mouth.
"Alek? and Jasmine?" Brian looked over at me "I don't think I have met them" Right, for a very very good reason. My mom put down her fork and started laughing.
"I remember the first time I met Alek" My eyes widened "A few weeks ago actually I came home and he was laying in Chloe's bed." Brian's turn to put down his fork.
"Yeah" I explained to Brian "We were studying"
"Without the books, right? That's what I said pretty much when she told me that" How did my mom ruin this? A nice normal dinner and then BAM! There it goes down the sink with the left overs from tonight. "It was funny how he was so casual about it" I was going to kill her. My phone was going off in small spurts, a phone call. Perfect interuption right? No. It was Alek. Why was he calling me? I ignored it.
"Alek's just a friend" How did I find myself always saying that to these people. Mom, Alek is just a friend. Brian, Alek is just a friend. Why did I have to explain Alek to everyone. He was that hot british mai- I mean was the annoying British Mai that protected me from all danger risking his life for me. No big deal... Okay, I lie. Big Deal, Alek did everything I asked of him except leave me unprotected. He was the guy I depended on besides Paul. Brian was just the guy I had feelings for that I could bring out and not worry about him growing claws and starting a fight with the waiter. Alek was Alek. Just like Brian was Brian. Two different people, two different hearts.
"Who keeps calling you?"
"Alek" Not even thinking about it I said that, how could I say that. I was trying to prove that Alek was just a friend and here he was calling me...again. It was like the Mai instincts kicked in in that moment. "Hello?" I said and heard heavy breathing.
"Please tell me you're at home" he scared me, the amount of worry in his voice.
"I'm with Brian and my mom at home" I confirmed not trying to sound worried "Where are you?"
"Don't come looking for me... I'll be on your rooftop tonight, but right now things are going on and you need to be safe. Get Brian out of the house."
"Alek-" I looked at my mom, were my eyes tearing up? "Where are you?" I repeated.
"I'm on my way to your house now" Lie. The line went dead and I looked at Brian, who looked hurt. I know, Alek calling me getting all strange and the bed story. It looked bad on me.
"Well. I think I'm going to go, seeing as I'm not the only guy in your life" Way to be a jerk! Trust issues much? I said Alek and I were just friends! We are just friends, I care about my friends. I care about Alek. "If there was someone else, you shouldn't be going around like a whore" My mom stood up and pointed to the door.
"Get out of my house and don't come back. You will not sit here and tell her what she's doing, when you have no idea what's going on" Like you mom, you have no ideas what is going on.
"Glad to" Brian opened the door, a bloodied up Alek had his hand by the door fixing to knock. He looked like hell, I put my hand of my mouth because to be honest it scared me. Brian just walked past him with that 'You deserve it' look. Ass.
"Oh my God- What is going on here?" My mom shrieked. This was becoming one of the worst nights ever.
"Mom Look in my phone and call Valentina now!" I was going to have to tell my mom what was going on, this was too far. I caught Alek as he began to fall. My mom was on my phone, I couldn't hear her. "What happened to you?"
"Protecting you" Alek's voice was weak, he was weak. I put him on the couch and held his hand. I felt completely useless in the whole thing. Above his eyebrow he had a deep cut that would need stitches. He had a goosebump on the left side of his forehead and a few minor scraps and cuts on his cheek. His ankle looked sprained or worse, and his shirt had tears down it, but no cuts. Healing like a Mai was amazing. Alek had to be in pain, not as much as being thrown off of Coit Tower pain but still... "I'm fine. You didn't need to call Valentina"
"Yes I did" Don't cry, I told myself, Do not cry over this. Valentina just walked into my house running to Alek "Who did this?" My mom stood behind all of the mai, Valentina was getting information from Alek. While Jasmine was talking to me. I felt bad for her, here are these people talking about Mai and the order and protecting me.
"Who has been here?" Valentina asked smelling the air.
"Amy, Paul and Brian just left" I said crossing my arms, "in a very bad manner"
"Brain?" Valentina looked at Jasmine and Alek "I've smelt him before, his scent."
"What is going on here, I'm going to ask that one more time. Is this some joke? Is this Paul's group?" I frowned at her, Paul's group of nerds?
"No mom, we need to talk"
"You think?" She was in panic mode, Alek was standing up now looking at my mom. I felt his hand intertwine with mine for a few seconds as I looked into his eyes instead of my moms. What was he doing? Comforting me? Valentina and Jasmine's faces were reflecting the same question.
"You'll be fine" He said and then let go... "I'll be here to help you" I'd prefer Jasmine because if Alek had been the one to explain to me (By himself) what I am then I would have pushed him off the building. This was different though, this was my mom. I told my mom to sit down, because she would have to... this was going to be the hardest thing I've ever told her.
"We are mai" I looked at her, as she nodded like 'WTF is a mai'. I think I need Paul, he would do so well and be so honored to tell my mom. I felt like I was doing an oral report on what Mai really were in front of my teachers. "So pretty much mom I'm a cat and I've been sneaking out every night almost with Alek and Jasmine to train because there are these people after me. They're trying to kill me, I've died once already but no worries nine lives like a cat but that's just me. Alek is mai, and I know that doesn't explain why he was in my bed but really he's on the roof every night. Jasmine and Valentina are mai too. Jasmine is Valentina's daughter and Alek is her nephew. They all protect me from the Order A.K.A the bad guys..." It came out in a rush, I was surprised she'd even heard any of it.
"Okay, so you're a cat what is Alek. Your mate or something?" I groaned inwardly, why was this so hard for people to get.
"yeah pretty much" Alek put his arm around my shoulder
"Alek!" Valentina warned "No he is not her mate... He's her protector. I don't know what kind of relationship they have outside of that."
"They're good friends" Jasmine would now decide to talk "Clearly Alek would do anything to protect Chloe just like all of us"
"But why were you in her bed?" That still was all my mom wanted to know. I just told her I was not human, and she wants to know why Alek was in my bed.
"I wonder the same thing" Valentina coughed "I mean Meredith we can talk further about the whole Uniter thing but really I couldn't tell you a thing about Alek and Chloe" Alek smirked from his spot beside me, like he wanted to tell them something that would get me in trouble. He opened his mouth and I hit him in his chest.
"Ow" He whined when everyone looked at him "Don't have to be so mean" I almost growled, then Brian started calling me. I answered with a loud sigh.
"What do you want?" I asked completely uninterested.
"Who are you with?"
"My Pimp" I would hear about that later, but for now it was nice to see Alek's smirk on his face. I wondered what we looked like from the outside to people. Alek and I being close friends suddenly, making inside jokes and laughing about things we agreed on. I think I might be falling in love with Alek Petrov very slowly, or that's how it would look.
"Is he O.K.?" I liked the question but I had learned that you can't take back what you said, it was impossible to erase that moment from time even if you did that whole forget those minutes happened.
"Do you mind not calling me back?" It would have sounded so much serious if Alek hadn't of tickled my side. I felt everyone's eyes on us. "I mean really, I'm not a whore and if you are that insecure to think little sixteen year old me is off with one of my friends than that's you." Alek took my phone adding in the lines that he was way too old for me any way. Then he hung up. "Thank you" I smiled at him.
"Just protecting you"
