Hey everyone,

I am so so sorry for not updating. My bestie Mitali was literally eating my head off! So, without further delay, here's the next chapter!

Date Night

I just couldn't imagine my parents had taken a liking towards Patch. It was the exact reason why he was taking me to Delphic. I had tried so hard to convince myself that I hated him, but it was very difficult when my own parents were in favor of him. He was annoying one time and super good the other. I just couldn't describe him, just as I couldn't describe my feelings whenever he was near.

He had told me that he would take me to a date. Delphic was a little far from Avalon, where we lived, and closer to the beach. The Archangel at the amusement park of Delphic was the major attraction to the people.

I waved my parents a goodbye in the afternoon when they left for the airport. Then I called Hazel to come and help me in getting ready. But she declined, saying something. I just rolled my eyes at the blatant lie.

When the time was quarter to six, I was finally ready. I didn't want Patch to think that I had made an effort to dress up for him, but it was kind of true actually(hehe). I had chosen a black off-shouldered, knee-length dress with a thin strap going around my neck, crisscrossing on my upper chest. My hair was let down in soft curls on my shoulders. No heavy makeup, just some eyeliner and lip balm. My phone and some cash were in a black clutch matching my outfit.

Exactly at six, the doorbell rang. Taking one last look in the mirror, I skipped down the stairs. Putting on a pair of sandals whose straps curled around the length of my calves, I grabbed the house keys and took a minute to steady my breath. Then I opened the door. I stood at the doorstep, my hands together in front while he assessed me.

Patch was as usual clad in black, a shirt with jeans and a jacket on top. His eyes roamed from my face to my legs and then back up, just like he had done yesterday. But instead of giving a smirk, his eyes widened a little. I was blushing furiously, and liked the idea that we had worn matching colors. He took my hand and kissed the back of my palm. "Looking beautiful, angel," he said. I blushed even more and flashed a lopsided smile. Never leaving my hand, he waited for me to lock the front door. It was a little difficult to do it single-handedly, but I somehow managed it. Then he led me to the driveway.

I hadn't expected Patch to own anything else other than his bike. But he had a Commander Jeep (black, of course) waiting on the driveway. He led me to the passenger side, opened the door and closed it when I was settled. He then went to the driver's side and hopped in. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded. He started the engine.

When we reached Delphic, he again came to my side and opened the door. I got out and stared at the park. Everyone was enjoying here, and screams were to be heard from the rides. Patch paid the entry fee and we walked in. His left was hand was around my waist, but I didn't think too much about it.

For starters, we rode on a couple of harmless rides, after which we had some ice cream. Then, he suddenly said, "Ride the Archangel with me." I craned my neck, staring up at it. High pitched screams echoed down as the cars thundered over the tracks.

"Two people to a seat." His smile changed to a slow, daring grin.

"No." No way.

But he didn't listen to my pathetic excuses and dragged me there. In step with Patch, I made my way to the back of the line leading up to the Archangel. A rush of screams lifted, then faded, far above in the night sky.

"I haven't seen you at Delphic before," Patch said.

"You're here a lot?" I asked, keen to know more about him.

"I have a history with the place."

We edged up the line as the cars emptied and a new set of thrill seekers boarded the ride.

"Let me guess," I said. "You played hooky here instead of going to school last year."

I was being sarcastic, but Patch said, "Answering that would mean shedding light on my past. And I'd like to keep it in the dark."

"Why? What's wrong with your past?"

"I don't think now is a good time to talk about it. My past might frighten you."

Too late, I thought.

He tightened his arm around me, a connection that caused the hairs on my arm to rise.

The frigid wind wrapped around me, and when I breathed in, it filled me with ice. But it didn't compare to the chill Patch's words sent through me. I had never thought about his past before, but now I got a little curious.

Patch jerked his chin up the ramp. "Looks like we're up."

I pushed through the revolving gate. By the time we made it to the boarding platform, the only empty cars were at the very front and the very back of the roller coaster. Patch headed toward the former.

The roller coaster's construction didn't inspire my confidence, remodelled or not. It looked more than a century old and was made of wood that had spent a lot of time exposed to Delphic's harsh elements. The artwork painted on the sides was even less inspiring.

The car Patch chose had a grouping of four paintings. The first depicted a mob of horned demons ripping the wings off a screaming male angel. The next painting showed the wingless angel perched on a headstone, watching children play from a distance. In the third painting, the wingless angel stood close to the children, crooking a finger at one little green eyed girl. In the final painting, the wingless angel drifted through the girl's body like a ghost. The girl's eyes were black, her smile was gone, and she'd sprouted horns like the demons from the first painting. A slivered moon hung above the paintings. I averted my eyes and assured myself it was the frigid air making my legs tremble. I slid into the car beside Patch.

The cars rolled backward, and then lurched forward. Not in a smooth way, we headed away from the platform, climbing steadily uphill. The smell of sweat, rust, and saltwater blowing in from the sea filled the air. Patch sat close enough to smell. I caught the slightest trace of rich mint soap.

"You look pale," he said, leaning in to be heard above the clicking tracks.

I felt pale, but did not admit it.

At the crest of the hill there was a moment's hesitation. I could see for miles, noting where the dark countryside blended with the sparkle of the suburbs that gradually became the grid of Avalon's lights.

The wind held its breath, allowing the damp air to settle on my skin.

Without meaning to, I stole a look at Patch. I found a measure of consolation in having him at my side. Then he flashed a grin.

"Scared, Angel?"

I clenched the metal bar drilled into the front of the car as I felt my weight tip forward. A shaky laugh slipped out of me.

Our car flew demonically fast, my hair flapping out behind me. Swerving to the left, then to the right, we clattered over the tracks. Inside, I felt my organs float and fall in response to the ride. I looked down, trying to concentrate on something not moving.

It was then that I noticed my seat belt had come undone.

I tried to shout at Patch, but my voice was swallowed up in the rush of air. I felt my stomach go hollow, and I let go of the metal bar with one hand, trying to secure the seat belt around my waist with the other. The car lunged to the left. I slammed shoulders with Patch, pressing against him so hard it hurt.

The car soared up, and I felt it lift from the tracks, not fully riveted to them.

We were plunging. The flashing lights along the tracks blinded me; I couldn't see which way the track turned at the end of the dive.

It was too late. The car swerved to the right. I felt a jolt of panic, and then it happened. My left shoulder slammed against the car door. It flung open, and I was ripped out of the car while the roller coaster sped off without me. I rolled onto the tracks and grappled for something to anchor myself. My hands found nothing, and I tumbled over the edge, plunging straight down through the black air. The ground rushed up at me, and I opened my mouth to scream.

The next thing I knew, the ride screeched to a stop at the unloading platform.

My arms hurt from how tightly Patch held me. "Now that's what I call a scream," he said, grinning at me.

In a daze, I watched him place a hand over his ear as if my scream still echoed there. Not at all certain what had just happened, I stared at the place on his arm where my nails had left semicircles tattooed on his skin. Then my eyes moved to my seat belt. It was secured around my waist.

"My seat belt…" I began. "I thought—"

"Thought what?" Patch asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"I thought … I flew out of the car. I literally thought … I was going to die."

"I think that's the point."

At my sides, my arms trembled. My knees wobbled slightly under the weight of my body.

"The Archangel," I murmured, looking back over my shoulder at the ride, which had started its next ascent.

"It means high ranking angel." There was a definite smugness to his voice. "The higher up, the harder the fall."

I started to open my mouth, meaning to say again how I was sure I'd left the car for a moment and forces beyond my ability to explain had put me safely back behind my seat belt. Instead I said, "I think I'm more of a guardian angel girl."

Patch smirked again. After the Archangel ride, we didn't go for other rides. Instead we just roamed around the place. I felt a little nauseous and walked slowly till I felt better.

Dinner was a quiet affair with aromatic candles at the beach. Looking at the frothy waves filled me with a sense of tranquility and calmness. I felt relaxed, after the Archangel experience. I have always loved water, but not indoor pools filled with chlorine. Patch noticed this, and asked, "Like beaches?" I nodded. "Good, we could have a walk after we finish."

As he had said, we walked along the shoreline, just where the water met the sand, holding hands after dinner. Soon, Patch chose a dry spot and sat down. I sat down beside and leaned into him. Try as I much; I couldn't stop myself from getting attracted to him. Sometimes he was annoying, but he did not try to harm me in any way. I felt as if he also cared for me genuinely. Therefore, I stopped resisting myself and accepted the fact that I liked him very much.

Patch was humming a tune and tapping his fingers along with it on my knee. I just watched the night sky, listening to him. I observed that clouds were gathering, getting ready for a storm. After sometime, he laid back down in the sand and spread one of his arms, inviting me. I smiled and rested my head on his arm, which immediately curled around my waist. We stayed like that for sometime. I smiled in his chest, thinking about how easily I was falling for him. He was a package of smart, sexy and mysterious, exactly my type, I realized. And this night felt so romantic except that Archangel, exactly how I liked.

I lifted my head to gaze at his perfect face. His eyes were closed, enjoying the moment. I smiled. I went near his face, looking at his lips. Shall I kiss him? Would it be too straightforward? I always used to tell him that he annoyed me and I would like him to go away. Should I go back on that now? For the first time, I was in a dilemma. Then, without further hesitation, I closed my eyes and pressed my lips to his, waiting for his reaction. I was in a very awkward posture, half bent over him, my hands on either side of his head.

He opened his eyes in surprise, but didn't pull away. He turned to my side and pulled me down as he did so. Wrapping his arms around me, he kissed me back with passion.

Seriously, I had not thought my first kiss would be so romantic. I had also not thought that I would be bold enough to kiss someone. I couldn't stop grinning and blushing when we pulled back for air. I buried my face in his chest while he buried his in my hair.

"First kiss?" he asked. I nodded in his chest, barely.

"Mine too," he said, making me blush even more.

We stayed silent for sometime. After that, we got up and brushed the sand from our clothes. Then we made our way to the Jeep. We had just gone and sat inside the jeep when it started raining. Not just any rain, it was a heavy downpour. I sighed. Patch started the engine and drove out of the parking lot.

We were on the highway back to my home, when suddenly a tree fell on the path due to the storm. Patch hit the brakes, sending us forward, and the jeep skidded to a halt. I exhaled loudly. "That was a narrow escape," Patch said. I groaned. Now we had to take the long route. Patch put the jeep in reverse gear and we headed to the other road.

Minutes later we were on the coastal highway, driving right along a cliff just above the ocean. I'd been this way before, and, when the sun was out, the water was slate blue with patches of dark green where it reflected the evergreens. It was night when I had come, and the ocean had been smooth black poison.

We were halfway between Delphic and Avalon, on a stretch of lush and unpopulated highway, when steam spewed suddenly from the hood of the Jeep. Patch braked, easing the Jeep to the roadside.

"Hang on," he said, swinging out. Lifting the hood of the Jeep, he disappeared out of sight.

A minute later he dropped the hood back in place. Brushing his hands on his pants, he came around to my window, gesturing for me to lower it.

"Bad news," he said. "It's the engine."

I groaned again. The engine had to give out now. Patch raised an eyebrow and said, "May it rest in peace."

"It won't move again?" I asked.

"Not unless we push it."

Of all the cars, he had to own this.

"Where's your cell?" Patch asked. I fished my iPhone out from my clutch. But the battery was dead. He smirked, taking out his. It was dead too. I sighed. So much for our romantic date. He scouted the horizon. "Two choices. We can flag down a ride, or we can walk to the next exit and find a phone."

I stepped out, shutting the door with force behind me. A chill went down spine and my teeth clattered instantly. Noticing this, Patch took off his jacket and covered me with it. I pulled it tighter, inhaling his scent. "I think there's a motel at the next exit. I'll go call a cab," I said, my teeth chattering harder. "You wait here with the Jeep."

He cracked a slight smile, but it didn't look amused. "I'm not letting you out of my sight. You're looking a little deranged, Angel. We'll go together."

Crossing my arms, I stood up to him. Though I liked him and all that, I was not going to a motel with him. We just had a make up session at the beach. Who knew what would happen there? "I'm not going anywhere near a motel with you." Best to sound firm so I was less likely to change my mind.

"You think the two of us and a slummy motel make for a dangerous combination?"

'Yes actually,' I thought.

Patch leaned back against the Jeep. "We can sit here and argue this." He squinted up at the riotous sky. "But this storm is about to catch its second wind."

As if Mother Nature wanted her say in the verdict, the sky opened and a thick concoction of rain and sleet hailed down.

I sent Patch my coldest look, then gave him my famous lopsided smile.

As usual, he had a point.

Twenty minutes later, Patch and I washed up at the entrance to a grand looking motel. The outside lights were switched off. The only light was from the lobby and other rooms from various floors. I glanced a wet poster about the best service offered here. The rain cascaded down, and I didn't think we would be returning to the Jeep anytime soon. Which left Patch, a motel, and me in the same equation for an undetermined amount of time.

The door chimed on our way in, and the desk clerk stood abruptly, dusting Cheetos crumbs off his lap.

"What'll it be?" he said, sucking his fingers clean of orange slime. "Just the two of you tonight?"

"We need to borrow your phone," I chattered, hoping he could make sense of my request.

"No can do. Lines are down. Blame the storm."

"What do y ou mean the lines are down? Don't you have a cell? And you say you offer the best service?" I hissed.

The clerk looked to Patch.

"She wants the best room you have got," Patch said.

I swiveled to face Patch. 'Are you insane?' I mouthed.

The clerk tapped a few keys at his computer. "Looks like we've got … hang on … Bingo! A deluxe five starred king."

"We'll take it," said Patch. He looked sideways at me, and the edges of his mouth tipped up. I narrowed my eyes.

Just then the lights overhead blinked out, plunging the lobby into darkness. We all stood silent for a moment before the clerk fumbled around and clicked on an industrial size flashlight. And this was the best-rated motel. God!

"I was a Boy Scout," the clerk said. "Back in the day. "Be prepared."

"Then you must have a cell phone?" I said.

"I did. Until I couldn't pay the bill anymore." He drew his shoulders up. "What can I say, my mom's cheap."

His mom? He had to be forty. Not that it was any of my business. I was far more concerned about drying myself.

"How do you want to pay?" the desk clerk asked.

"Cash," Patch said.

The desk clerk chuckled, bobbing his head up and down. "It's a popular form of payment here." He leaned close and spoke in confidential tones. "We get a lot of folks who don't want their extracurricular activities traced, if you know what I mean." My mouth hung open at his words. Did he seriously think us like that? Maybe our appearance had given him that idea.

"This is crazy," I told Patch in an undertone.

"I'm crazy." He was on the brink of smiling again. "About you. How much for the flashlight?" he asked the clerk. I smiled at his compliment.

The clerk reached below the desk. "I've got something even better: survival size candles," he said, placing two in front of us. Striking a match, he lit one. "They're on the house, no extra charge. Put one in the bathroom and one in the sleeping area and you'll never know the difference. I'll even throw in the matchbox. If nothing else, it'll make a good keepsake."

"Thanks," Patch said, taking my elbow and walking me down the hall.

At room 106, Patch bolted the door behind us. He set the candle on the nightstand, and then used it to light the spare. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook it like a wet dog. I chuckled. He stopped what he was doing and pulled me close. He was about to kiss me again but I pushed him back and shook my head. I didn't want to lose my self-control now. He smirked, knowing fully well why I had pushed him away.

He then assessed me from head to toe. Judging by his expression, I knew he liked it. My dress and his jacket were clinging tightly to my curves. My hair was on one of my shoulders, and I thanked god silently for the waterproof eyeliner.

"You need a hot shower," he said. Taking a few steps backward, he ducked his head inside the bathroom. "Looks like a cabinet full of shower gels and towels. And if you want a bath, there is a bathtub."

"I want to go home," I said. I desperately wanted to. I wanted to go home, take a long and luxurious bath, and have some soup. I also missed my own bed very much.

"That sounded more like a question than a statement," said Patch.

"Then ans wer it."

His rogue smile crept out. "It's hard to concentrate on answers with you looking like that."

I glanced down at Patch's black jacket, wet and clinging to my body. Then, having no other choice, I brushed past him and shut the bathroom door between us. I filled the bathtub with hot water and peeled off my clothes. I rummaged through the shelf above the sink and added some of the fragrant bath gels to the water. I stepped in and closed my eyes, trying to picture myself at home. Then I thought about our date and smiled. It had been great, except this storm.

I massaged my neck and head, loosening the knots of stress. Sometime later, I got out and drained the water. Taking two of the towels, I wrapped one around my head and the other around my body. Except my inner wear, I hung the other clothes near the window of the bathroom.

"Patch?" I whispered through the door.

"Done?"

"Blow out the candle."

"Done," he whispered back. His laughter, too, sounded so soft it could have been whispered.

Snuffing out the bathroom candle, I stepped out in the towel, meeting total blackness. I could hear Patch breathing directly in front of me. I didn't want to think about what he was—or wasn't— wearing, and I shook my head to fragment the picture forming in my mind. "My clothes are soaked. I don't have anything to wear."

I heard the sound of wet fabric sliding like a squeegee over his skin. "Lucky me." His shirt landed in a wet heap at our feet. My eyes widened in shock, although I couldn't see him clearly in the darkness.

"This is really awkward," I told him.

I could feel him smiling. He stood way, way too close to kiss me. When I thought he was going to do that, he turned and went to the other side of the room.

Then I could hear him opening a closet that I hadn't noticed before. He came back and handed me a bed sheet like thing. It was like a full-length dress, with elastic on top and off-shouldered. I smirked, leaving my towel and wearing it. I must be looking like a Greek goddess now.

Then remembering that he was there, "You should shower," I said. "Right now."

"I smell that bad?"

Actually, he smelled that good. Of mint, and all things associated with great fragrances. But I didn't voice it loud. Patch disappeared inside the bathroom. He relit the candle and left the door ajar, a sliver of light stretching across the floor and up one wall.

I sat on the bed with my back to the headrest and waited for the lights to come back on. Patch had chosen the shower to the bathtub, and now he was singing very loudly. I laughed at his childish behavior. Then I thought about how I was going to spend this night. With him. In this room. Only one bed. Help me, God.

The water stopped, and a moment later Patch strolled out wearing a towel around his waist. He left the bathroom candle lit and the door wide. Soft color glowed through the room.

One quick look at him and I could tell Patch clocked several hours a week running and lifting weights. A body that defined didn't come without sweat and work. Suddenly I felt a little self conscious. Not to mention soft. He went to the closet and took out another bed-sheet, only this was shorter than what I was wearing. He put it around his waist, similar to where his towel was. I was staring at him wide eyed the whole time. If I looked like a Greek goddess, he looked like the most handsome Greek god ever.

"Which side of the bed do you want?" he asked, making me flinch.

"Uh …" I felt nervous. And there was no couch either here in this room. It was exclusively made for couples.

He gave a fox smile. "Nervous?"

"No," I said as confidently as possible under the circumstances. And the circumstances were that I was lying through my teeth.

"You're a bad liar," he said, still smiling. "The worst I've seen."

I put my hands on my hips and communicated a silent 'Excuse me?' Just then the lights came on, and I blinked a few times to adjust to the light. We could see each other clearly, and I immediately blushed, remembering how I must be looking right now. He stared at me with his mouth wide open, and my face went as red as a tomato.

"Come here," he said, coming near the bed and pulling me to my feet. I felt my earlier promise of resistance melting away. "God, you look so gorgeous," he whispered. I exhaled deeply. Another ten seconds of standing like this and my defense would be blown to smithereens. Then I knew that it would go way further than the make-out at the beach.

A mirror hung on the wall behind him, and over his shoulder I saw two scars. They covered almost his entire back, upside down V scars gleaming black on his skin. My whole body went rigid. I tried to blink the scars away, but they were there for good.

Then I remembered something, which I had read sometime ago. I didn't why I remembered that all of a sudden.

Fallen angels. They had the same scars, from where their wings had been ripped off before getting thrown to Earth. They were supposed to be evil, and could manipulate anybody's mind for their own benefit.

Without thinking, I slid my hands up his chest and around to his back. A fingertip brushed his right scar. Patch tensed under my touch. I froze, the tip of my finger quivering on his scar. It took me a moment to realize it wasn't actually my finger moving, but me. Only me. I was sucked into a soft, dark chute and the lights in that room went off.

I was standing in a cemetery. It was a full moon night, and I could see everything clearly. There were graves everywhere. I recognized this place. It was near my home in Avalon. But how did I come here? Maybe because I touched his scar. Oh, right. I had read that anyone who touches a fallen angel's scar get sucked into his memory. So, if I was right, this was Patch's memory.

I looked around, and found two figures seated on graves near to me. I went to them. One of them was Patch, I recognized his eyes. But he was intently focused on the other person. Or angel. The other guy was so alike Patch, they could be twins. But his eyes were a deep shade of green. As I watched, they changed their color to blue, just like mine.

I went and waved my hands in front of Patch's face. He didn't even blink. Then, I started dancing between them. None of them felt my presence. So I just stood quietly and listened.

Patch was talking, holding a photograph in his hand. I leaned closer and got a shock. It was my picture, taken some months ago. But how did he get it? "This girl is a Nephilim? I am not so sure," the other guy was saying. I caught the word 'Nephilim'. I knew that word. But I was that? No, this can't be true. "I checked it and I am sure." Patch said.

"I will go to her school and befriend her. I'll even act like her boyfriend if needed. Then when she will completely trust me, I will kill her. And, I am human." Patch said, with an evil glint in his eye. Tears started to form in my eyes. So that was his plan? He used me. I remembered reading about 'sacrifices'. He had told me that day in the pool hall.

Before the other guy could say something, I was sucked into darkness again. I was back in the hotel room. But, I was lying on the bed, my wrists above my head, also pinned to the bed. By, my heartbreaker. I could never believe that I fell for this guy.

Patch was straddling my hips, mercilessly staring at me. Because of this position, the dress was about to slide down from my chest. His eyes were not warm anymore. "Tell me, what did you see? Answer me girl," he barked.

Okay, okay, *cutely pouting* sorry for the cliff hanger. Hopefully, I'll update very soon!