Chapter 13

"This is impossible." I toss my hair in frustration. I swear to god we've said the exact same things a thousand times. The smooth red velvet of the couch slips over my fingertips like a waterfall.

Jon paces in anger and I'm pretty sure slight jealousy. I can see that he wants to believe it but he can't. I'm not sure if I can either. Connor is just sitting there, staring at the two of us.

Our entwined hands no doubt. I can't even help it. All I want to do is touch him and never stop. Oh my god I did not just think that. What the hell is wrong with me? I do not get like this. I am not romantic. At all.

"I still ship it." It breaks the ice. I start to laugh and Luke joins in.

"What do you mean still?" Connor smiles, and I can see his genuine joy for us. He's so much like Will. Go with the flow, calm and easygoing. The thought of my older brother sends a slight sting of guilt through me. I'm supposed to be at a sleepover right now. I hate this lying. I hate it so much, I feel like I'm two different people.

I've felt like that for years but now that I actually get to be who I want to be, I hate having to pretend anymore. But I can't reveal this to my family. I'm scared of them. I'm literally shaking every time I go home because It's just too much.

Knowing that they want to kill me, it hurts so much. I jump out of my skin every time someone even taps me on the shoulder. "Actually I told Luke that I shipped you two when you chucked the weight at his head." Laughing I turn to look at Luke. He's gorgeous and annoying and frustrating and beautiful. And mine.

Mine forever. And just knowing that is enough to make me smile. Smile and forget about my family. And that's the dangerous part. I forget when I'm here about my family, about how they're against us. I forget that for the majority of my life I thought we were evil. Because there's no way this perfect boy in front of me, one who looks like an angel, is the devil.

"Fine." I raise my eyebrow at Jon, who continues to pace.

"Fine." He repeats, "You're soulfinders. But if you hurt her, I'll kick your ass."

"Whoah wait! If I hurt her?" He says in mock anger, "I think it's far more likely for her to hurt me. Total double standard."

"Yeah but we like her better." Luke throws his hands in the air laughing.

"Thanks Jon. " I smile at him, and he smiles back. "Isn't that kind of a Dad line?"

"I figured someone ought to say it." Jon slides over to Connors chair, pulling him out of it.

"We'll leave you two alone!" Connor shakes his head, in complete outrage.

"No we won't."

"Yes we will." Jon pulls him backwards, and the two scramble out of the room. "Use protection!" Connor screams after him and I instantly blush. While laughing of course, Connor has that effect on people. He can make you the subject of the joke and instead of feeling embarrassed or alone, all you want to do is laugh along.

"That went well." I say cheerfully.

"Yeah, for you." He mutters sarcastically. "I'm getting my ass kicked."

"We didn't finish our game!" I announce, quite happy to keep playing. I want to know more about him. After all I'm supposed to spend my life with this idiot. He sighs, settling into the couch. I can almost see him roll his eyes.

"Favourite colour?"

"You suck at this game." I accuse.

"How the hell do you suck at 20 questions?"

"You ask lame questions like that!" We're glaring at each other, inches apart. "Fine. If you could be any other person for a day, who would you be?" I bite my lip, slowly going through celebrity's in my mind. Who would be the best to be? "No thinking about it! Whoever comes into your head first." "My mom." Why the hell did I say that? But I know it's true. I would want to be my mother for a day if I could. I want to know what it would feel like to be valued. Valued for your power and just for who you are instead of being background noise. I want to know what it feels like to actually live a day without the fear of the mark pressing down on you.

Luke's eyes watch my face, like he's memorizing it. But he doesn't push me to talk. He waits for me to work through it. "Ok." His voice is softer than velvet, quiet in the still air, despite the fact that we can hear Connor and Jon's yells from the training room. "Favourite song?" I ask.

"And you said favourite colour was lame!".

"That's because it is. Now talk." Exhaling exasperatedly he says

"I'm not sure. I like a lot of older songs." I shrug, staring at my fingers. " Now you. What are we going to ask you?." He muses out loud "Worst childhood memory?" I don't really want to talk about my childhood but I nod slowly. Worst childhood memory… I sift through them. There was the day I got the mark. The day I quit dance lessons. The day I got told I looked too slutty wearing a dress. I was 13, I didn't even know what slut meant. No, not the worst. One jumps out at me and I start to talk. "So we were out in the city for a while when I was 12. And we went to a McDonald's for food and I started to feel really really sick." I pause, this needs more explanation than I thought. " when I was little I used to get, I guess panic attacks? I'm not sure what they were but it wasn't good. I'd freak out and I couldn't breathe and.." I shutter. I haven't had one in years.

Actually the one I'm talking about might have been my last one. "Anyway I started to feel really sick. See that morning I had snuck onto my brothers laptop, and I had found out that there had been a shooting yesterday of 5 kids with the mark. I was terrified and angry and guilty and just so confused. I didn't understand why it was happening, why I got to live and they didn't. So I left to go to the washroom, to try to calm down."

I can remember trying to control my breathing by pressing my head against the cold walls. Throwing up as I picture the bullet hitting kids. Kids younger than I was. All I could see was the children, terrified faces and than the one harsh noise that would be the last thing they would ever hear. Never seeing their families again.

"I was probably in their for 30 minutes. Maybe longer, but it doesn't really matter. Because they left. Either way my family wasn't there when I walked out. Their car wasn't in the parking lot. And they weren't in the restaurant." Luke sharply inhales and that's the first time that I remember he's beside me. His hand slides into my own and I squeeze it.

"I didn't know their cellphone numbers and I didn't have any money. So I sat down and waited. I remember it started to rain. And I got all these weird looks from people but I still sat and waited. I have no idea how long I was there for but I knew it was a long time. I was freezing and starving and soaking wet. And finally, my oldest brothers car pulled into the parking lot. I got in and I didn't say a word to him the whole way home. I don't think I said a word to anyone when I got home. I just walked up to my room and stayed there. And the sad part is no one tried to get me out. They just left me yup there. They were more comfortable with pretending I didn't exist than an actual confrontation." I am not going to cry. I am not. I do not cry

. "I'm so sorry" He whispers into my ear, pressing his lips just below.

"If it helps they're idiots." I stifle a laugh, turning so I'm facing him.

"Why?" I breathe out, not wanting to break the silence.

"Because they let you go. The whole time you've been here, they've been letting you slip away. And trust me, we're never going to let you do that." His eyes darken a fraction and I lean closer, basking in his warmth.

"I'm never going to let you go. I promise." And just like that, our lips are connected. I'm not sure who kissed who but it doesn't matter. All I can feel is Luke, overwhelming everyone of my senses. Making me feel alive.

"Aria! Luke! Get in here now!" We break apart gasping for breath.

"Dibs." I say calmly once I've recovered.

"On what? Killing Connor because I'm sorry but there's no fricken way that I don't get to at least help…" He cuts off when he sees me shaking my head.

"Well what then?" Smiling I lean closer until we're pressed together. "Ari?"

"On this." I whisper against his skin. "On your kiss, on your lips, on your time, on your hand, on your heart. All mine." And with that, I sit up. Swinging my legs onto the floor and hopping up.

"Let's go see what they want!" He groans, "I'd really rather not." I stomp my foot. Than stop. I probably look like a petulant 4 year old. "Oh C'mon." I grab his hand and pull. And pull. Honestly nothing's happening which is more than a little frustrating. It's not my fault I'm small. It's just unfair that he's fricken 6 foot.

What is with woman in our family being short. I mean seriously, Crystals the only one who's broken the curve. "This is unfair." I announce, quite dramatically. He chuckles, obviously mocking me and the fact that I can't get him up. "Maybe I can convince you a different way?" His eyebrows instantly raise. I slide forward so we're in a very similar position to when we were kissing.

"And now guess what I'm going to do?" I make my voice sound husky as I run my hands up his chest. He shakes his head and I can feel his breathing quicken.

"Flip the couch!" Quickly I pull the couch back using telekinesis. Flipping it forward sends Luke flying forward and off the couch. I've been practising with Jon. Apparently I'm a fast learner.

"Damn. Isn't it a little early in the relationship to be lying to each other?" He gets to his feet gingerly, and I feel a slight pang of guilt.

"See that's why we're going to be a phenomenal couple!" He laughs, leaning over to flip the couch back to its original position. "Yes we are." Smiling, I spin away. My bare feet collide with the wood floor as I skip down the hallway. He rushes after me and it occurs to me in one big rush, exactly how at home I am here.

Because right here and right now, nothing could hurt me. And it's all because of these 3 boys who have made me feel more like me than I have in years. And it's an amazing feeling.

Authors Note

Filler chapter for right now. Just some fluff between Luke and Aria. The song that I used a quote from when Luke is talking to Aria is "Dibs" by Kelsea Ballerini. It's a really nice song and I thought that it was cute.

Anyway next update may be a little late but I promise that it will happen. Things will start to heat up next chapter. Honestly, I have two endings to this story so I'm deciding between those.

So I need to think about that but we aren't close to the end yet so I've got time. Anyway have a Merry Christmas (if you celebrate it) everybody and Happy Holidays