I remain relaxed for some seconds longer on the couch after Reika leaves for her bedroom. She was certainly taking this day better than the rest of us. Get a grip on yourself. Garth bellows in my head.
"For a guy who has an avid need for control, it feels unsettling for me to watch you lose it constantly. For a person..."
"Don't you dare finish that statement." I warn my voice as low as possible but still audible enough. He doesn't get to be the one to judge me while he has severally jeopardized us before because of women he had mere flings with. Plus, my control was not slipping it was just starting to be more tunnel visioned. And I hated that. I rise up to my feet not caring to stay around to hear what Garth has to say next.
Automatically following the way to her bedroom, my strides get longer and quicker as if I hadn't spent the whole damn day here. I didn't bother to Knock on her door since I thought she might be asleep. She was NOT. The sight that blesses my eyes knocks the air clean out of my lungs and has me staring at her in awe. Her towel was draped loosely around her torso and she was facing the mirror. Luckily it covered her lower body because my skin was simply heating up from what I was seeing now. She's gorgeous, mind-blowingly gorgeous and her body physique is insane. Her body was toned and her soft skin was tanned and I was in utter disbelief that she could even exist.
The tattoo on her back captured my attention next. It was also the first thing that I had seen the first time we officially met. The same tight feeling seized my chest and made me struggle to breathe. I knew what the tattoo meant, I just don't know why she had it. I felt almost deranged every time my brain tried to come up with a reason of as to why she would need that tattoo.
"Persona non grata." I say my voice low and barely audible but she startles and moves for the first thing she can reach with the agility of a panther and turns and flings it toward me. Shit. A curling iron was making its way directly towards my head but I catch it in the nick of time sparing my left eye.
"What the hell?" escapes my mouth before I can think better of what to say. After all I am the one that walked into her room.
"What did you expect coming into my room when I'm naked." She pauses and stares at herself. Fuck me. "Half naked." She corrects. As if that's making it better for me.
"Well I didn't know that. Either way I didn't see anything except for..."
"Doesn't matter, I don't care.... I remembered something..!!!" She pips out her hazel eyes going a bit wide for a second. "Aide." She whispers as if she is afraid of it. For what it's worth I use every ounce of self control not to reach for her especially when she's in a towel. Instead I fold my arms and keep my composure. "Aide." The name flows out of my mouth so naturally it makes me tense inside as if my heart would likely seize.
Relax yourself you idiot. "Nice, you remember your middle name." I say to her and she looks stupefied.
"That's my middle name?" The disappointment heavily coats her tone and I honestly kind of feel amused. She's beating herself up because she didn't remember her first name instead of being happy that she's progressing. Seems likely of her honestly. She's an overachiever. "What you don't like it?" I query the amusement clearly lacing my tone.
"It just... I expected better.... I mean I....." She trails off and sighs frustratedly. My God she's mesmerizing, even when confused. But one thing she is not is a damsel in distress. I trusted that she can easily get herself through this. Plus Garth was right. Distance. Although I'm afraid I might be on a fool's errand with that one now. "Don't worry about it honestly, it'll come to you. I'm gonna leave you to dress up."
I turn towards the door when she gets into my mind. I know. Is all she says and I halt in my tracks. "Know what?" I voice out. She walks towards me and stops right in front of me, the only thing between me and the door. "I KNOW." She calmly enunciates staring dead into my eyes and the depths of my soul. I keenly wait for the realization of what she might be talking about to hit but it doesn't. "What are you talking about?" I decide to finally ask seeing as I'm clearly lost at sea.
"That you can read...." She starts and the realization then dawns on me with the speed of lightning. I do the only logical thing that comes to mind and place my hand over her mouth my other hand automatically closing around her waist. We are so close together and in this moment I don't care because she has discovered something I had managed to keep hidden for two years. What the hell? Is it her Psythelian powers? I couldn't tell for sure.
She lightly bites on my palm and I look into her eyes. She widens then giving me a REALLY? look. I let her go. "I won't say anything geez." She admits raising her hands to her sides as if surrendering.
"How did you know? I mean you've only had your powers in use again for what? A day?"
"Boy you seriously think I needed to even use my abilities to detect that. You were so tense and rigid when we got back. You were also so hyper-fixated on the two of them it was kinda obvious and I obviously know that it's also draining you since Telena is insanely powerful." She states as if she's giving out instructions to go the grocery store. She was mad observant. More than your average mage. Talk about a polished weapon. Could she possibly get more sexy?
"Well damn, I don't know what to say." Is what leaves my mouth. For the first time I was dumbstruck. What do I tell her anyway? I can't lie she'll just read my mind.
"Why don't you tell them?" She asks.
"It's complicated."
"Is it because you're young?" She asks and I loose it and outright laugh. "Because I'm young? Are you trying to be funny? First of all, I'm 29, second, you don't need to know why."
"Why?"
"Well ain't you feisty today. Reika. You don't have all your memories yet, so that information does you more harm than good at the moment." I lecture. I sound like some dad but hey, who cares. It's my job to keep her safe.
"Stay." She says then, making my body tense and all my muscles lock. What the hell did she mean?