Chapter four is finally ready! Sorry for the seriously long time between updates, life's been kind of crazy in the past few weeks. Should be settling down a bit, at least for now, so... Yeah. Here it is.
Summary: Brian takes Chloe out for a long, romantic drive. However, Chloe's good afternoon turns into quite a mess of a night as she regrets the dark secrets she's keeping from him. The dangerous sort. In the meantime, Meredith goes out for a business dinner with risky company, necessitating a rescue by Alek. As if Chloe's life wasn't messy enough.
Hope you enjoy! :)
CHAPTER FOUR: DANGEROUS LIASONS
"Mom?" I called as I walked through the front door with my head spinning.
She was halfway down the stairs, smiling as I walked in. She had on a pretty black dress and heels, apparently going somewhere.
"Big night?" I asked with a grin.
"Nah," she responded, but betrayed her answer with a subtle, subconscious nod. "Just a little business meeting."
"Now?" I asked, finding her apparel a bit fancy for an early afternoon meeting.
"Dinner tonight," she responded, "Trying out a few dress options now."
"Well, this just so happens to be hot," I commented lightly, "It's got my vote!"
She laughed. "Then this it shall be."
As she headed back upstairs, I went straight for a chair in the kitchen. Resting my head in my hands, I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my still-racing heart. This morning had taken a course I'd never have expected, one I probably wouldn't even have believe had I not experienced it firsthand.
I was pulled out of my reverie a few minutes later, jumping as I heard my cell phone ring. As I reached for it, I saw Brian's picture glowing on the display. I smiled at the remembrance of something my father had told me just minutes earlier: The Uniter could kiss humans. Or, more importantly, I could kiss Brian. Finally. This Uniter thing did have a perk.
"Hello?" I smiled as I answered the phone.
"Hey Chloe," his smooth voice carried through the line, "I've called you like 7 times, where have you been?"
"I, uh,' I paused, thinking. "I went for a little walk." There. That worked. At least it wasn't a complete lie. Then I continued, changing the subject, "What's up?"
"I was just wondering if maybe you'd want to do something today... with me?"
My smile spread. "Brian Rezza, I would love to."
"How lucky for me then, Chloe King," he responded, laughing as he drew out my name the way I had his.
"Have anything particular in mind?" I asked, honestly up for anything.
"I was thinking that maybe I could pick you up and we could just go for a drive, maybe get some coffee since we've always been so good at that. But I'd go anywhere and do anything, as long as I'm with you."
"That sounds lovely. Perfect actually." I started on my way upstairs as I spoke, hoping to grab a jacket for the cooler-than-expected day.
He proceeded to tell me he'd pick me up in ten minutes as I ran into my room, my smile only growing.
I quickly picked up a jacket hanging off the back of a chair and called out a quick "Bye Mom, love you, have fun!" as I walked past her closed bedroom door in the hopes of a quick escape.
No such luck. "Stop." came her even voice through the thick wooden door as I heard her high heels click across the hardwood floor of her room.
I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily, hoping she'd hear my melodramatic expression of angst, but stopped dead in my tracks. I owed it to her after my earlier disappearance, the one she hadn't so much as questioned thus far.
"And where exactly might you be going?" she asked as she stepped into the hallway with her arms folded over her chest in an authoritarian sort of manner. "For that matter, where have you been?"
"I went for a walk this morning," I retorted without even pausing to think for a split-second. That was my story and I was sticking to it. Plus, I couldn't easily tell her I'd been to meet her long-gone husband. "Needed some alone time to think. And now, I'm hoping to go spend the day with Brian... Please?"
Her stern look melted into a far softer one instantly. "So, is this a date?" she teased, "Or are you still calling yourselves 'just friends'? Because I don't believe for a second that a simple friend has ever made you look so happy."
"Well..." I explained, "We are just friends. I mean, it's nothing official. But... I think I love him, Mom."
She smiled knowingly, pulling me into a hug and whispering a simple "I know." into my ear. When we broke away, she gave me a light push and added, "You'd better get going!"
I wasn't about to argue with that. Slinging my jacket over my shoulder, I ran down the stairs, taking a quick peek out the window as I passed it by. Brian's car was just pulling up outside my house, so I made a bee line for the door.
He smiled as I climbed down into the passenger seat, angled in his seat in order to speak to me more easily. "You look beautiful," was all he said.
I smiled. "Oh hush. Just drive."
With that, he did just what I'd asked. His little BMW hugged the road all the way to the coast. After stopping to grab coffee to go, we wound up and down a high road with a scenic overlook, the narrow road dropping into the ocean right at the street's edge. We talked and laughed, never even considering anything but the here and now, content with simply being together.
After driving for about an hour and a half, he pulled into a small lot on the edge of the road. Much to my surprise, he hopped out of the car the second it rolled into park, running around the it to open my door for me.
"Why are we stopping?" I asked, confused by his unexpected action.
"We are stopping because I want to show you the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said, then with a smile he added, "Except for you. It has absolutely nothing on you."
Well. He was just showering me with compliments today. I didn't respond, only allowing him to throw his arm around my shoulders and going along where he walked. At the edge of the little dirt parking lot was a gap in the guard rail protecting cars from the death-defying drop below. He pulled me toward that little gap, guiding me with him down the steep incline.
"Are we... allowed to be here?" I asked, wondering but not necessarily caring either way.
He grinned in that way only Brian ever could, pulling me closer to him. "Honestly? I don't know. But I guess if there's no sign expressing direct disapproval of it, why not?"
"Why not," I repeated, snuggling up under his arm.
When we reached the end of the trail, it became readily obvious why he'd brought me there. We were standing on a small outcropping in the rocky shore, waves lapping up and quite nearly reaching the spot where we stood. The ocean ran for an expanse of miles, the sounds of the waves mixing with that of the birds above and the assorted forest life around us, the noises floating together to form the most perfect song. In the distance, mountains were visible, looming high above sea level, standing like giants in contrast with the water. A light fog hung in the air, not heavy enough to botch the beautiful view, just enough to add to its magical effect.
We stood for a long time, huddled together in the cool breeze, before I remembered the thing I'd been wanting to tell Brian. "Oh!" I exclaimed, then apologized as I felt him jump at my sudden outburst. "I have a surprise for you!"
"Oh yeah?" he murmured, "What might that be?"
"Remember how I told you I couldn't kiss humans, because... because I'm Mai?" The fact that he knew my secret was going to take some getting used to.
"Yes, I have a vague recollection of the events of last night," he quipped, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Of course I remember."
"Well," I began, dragging out my words in a slow tease, "As fate would have it, I'm not just any Mai, I'm a special Mai. The Uniter."
"Which means...?"
"Which means I was sent to reunite our species, to restore the peace between humans and Mai."
"And...?"
I was really just milking it at that point, watching the excitement build in his hazel green eyes, wanting to soak up every bit of the pleasure I was deriving from keeping him waiting. "And, I can kiss humans! I can kiss you!"
His mouth dropped open at the words, and I watched as his expression of shock turned to one of joy, then to something else, something I couldn't quite place. I was expecting a response, simple words, but that wasn't quite what I got.
He simply pivoted himself to face me, leaning down and pressing his lips to mine in one smooth motion. It took me a while to even realize what was happening, to become accustomed to the feel of his lips against mine, really and truly against mine, to fully realize the taste of his mouth, but when I finally caught on, I was basking in every bit of that glow. I felt him smile into the kiss when I finally engaged, when our lips began to dance together perfectly, a fire igniting in my heart.
It was a long, honest, and above all absolutely beautiful kiss. When we finally pulled back, he smiled, taking me into a tight, intimate hug immediately. And it was collectively one of the best, the most sincere, the most wonderful moments of my life.
"Wow..." he whispered after a while, "And who do I have to thank for this revelation that you can kiss humans?"
I froze. I'd been stupid. So so stupid. Of course he was going to ask how I found out, and what exactly could I tell him? My long lost father returned, swooping back into my life with a whole load of revelations? Oh, and then I might as well have told him that that very father had killed his mother...
"Uh..." I stammered, blindly searching for the words that wouldn't come. "I... Uh... Well... Valentina."
"Who?" he asked, never having heard the name before.
Great. The webs I was weaving were oh so intricate. Now Alec was going to be a part of this, or more of a part of this? "Uh... She's my... Guardian. She protects me. Helps me. Teaches me." Huh, not bad for an on-the-fly, blatant lie.
"Oh... well please do tell her how much I appreciate it. Because I really appreciate it."
I giggled uncomfortably, "I'll be sure to tell her that."
We stood in silence for a few more minutes, staring out over the ocean while mist spread upwards, wrapping us in itself like a cool blanket. After about five more minutes, Brian led me back to the car, and we were on our way back home, the sun already low in the sky.
By the time we got back to my house, the moon was already visible in the dark nighttime sky. I turned to Brian as he pulled up outside, smiling and thanking him for the day. "I had so much fun," I said, and it was entirely true. "Would you like to come in for a little while? Maybe have some more coffee?"
He agreed, walking up to my door with me and staring out at the night while I fumbled with my keys, moving to unlock my door with shaky hands. I was worrying about the possibility of him being 'in shock' for a while as a result of my kiss, a side-effect my father had mentioned as entirely possible. I wasn't even sure of the meaning 'in shock' might hold. When I finally pulled the door open, I turned to him, only to have my fears fulfilled.
Brian was sitting on my steps, cradling his head in his hands. I'd have asked him if he was okay, but everything happened so quickly in the next few minutes that stopping to chat was never a choice.
I'm not even sure in what order everything happened. All I remember was hearing a shriek from inside the house and turning to look for its source, finding my entryway in shambles. My mother was huddled in the corner with her knees pulled up to her chest, trembling in fear as she watched the scene unfolding in front of her. Alek was in my house, struggling with another man I wouldn't have recognized, had Brian not mumbled the small word "Dad?" in a shaky, dizzy voice. Alek was covered in blood, and I couldn't even tell whose blood it was. It could've been his. It could have been my mother's. Or it could have been Brian's father's. All I knew was that, accounting for the excess scarlet liquid smeared all over the rug, all over Alek, and probably all over the rest of the room's inhabitants, there was plenty of it, probably a bit from each of them.
Because my life wasn't complicated enough.
Alrighty, so I hope you guys enjoyed that! Sorry for the major lag between updates. As I said, life's been insane. But now I'm back to reality & Chapter 5 should be readily avaiable soon, if you're interested that is. & if you are, please do let me know. Want to see this continue? Got opinions? Tell me so! As always, much love to all the reviewers!
Also, I just wanted to share in a moment of silence for the families impacted by 9/11, especially so close to its 10th anniversary. My Sociology class watched remembrance videos today; tough to see, to say the least. So, just wanted to keep those people in our minds! Thanks!