An Eternity of Eclipse (25 page)

“We have to stop by the bakery before the shelter,” I told him so that we wouldn’t forget. “I want to buy everyone cupcakes and ice cream today. ”

Eclipse nodded and smiled at me. He proceeded to throw me off with his next reply. “How about I pay for everything? I know that you should be conserving your money right now, so I’ll take care of it from here. Anything and everything you want to buy them, I’ll pay.”

I stared at him with a dumbfounded look. After a long stretch of silence, I gathered up the courage to voice what I neglected to ask him when we were outside. I felt a bit ashamed and self-conscious to pose this question, but it was a query I needed an answer for.

“You actually know about my financial situation? Like
everything
about it?”

He shrugged offhandedly. “I know enough.”

Though I felt uncomfortable about the depth in which he might know about my financial situation, I made sure to keep my face composed. Instead of talking about my financial dilemmas (and ruin my already strange morning), I widened my eyes when I came to my greedy senses. It just occurred to me that a Demon had offered to pay for
everything
I wanted. This was like a dream come true!

“Will you really pay for everything?” I inquired eagerly, my eyes already glimmering with anticipation. All the possibilities of what I could purchase percolated within my mind, and I couldn’t contain the excitement rising within me.

He nodded again. “I will. Anything to make you smile, I will.”

“Can we stop by other stores and buy them toys, school supplies, and other fun and educational things too?!” I pounced greedily, not even realizing that I was raising my voice until I saw a few heads turn our way. I blushed, but I was too energized about what I was hearing to go back into my introverted shell.

“Yes,” Eclipse reiterated, laughing warmly at my unfiltered reaction. “Like I said, I’ll give you anything and everything you want, Teacup.”

“Why did you make me pay for the bus fare if you had so much money then?” I breathed out, still on a high from Eclipse’s generous offer.

A devious smile slid across his kissable lips. “You should’ve seen your face when you thought I was going to be mooching off you the entire time I’m with you,” he said with a stifling laugh. My face turned red with embarrassment when he added, “You’re adorable and funny as hell when you’re stingy with your money, Teacup.”

On that lovely ending note, he threw his head back and laughed freely. His warm laughter bounced across the walls of the bus. All around, the female species in the bus just stared at him and sighed as they all took in his sexy laugh and how beautiful he looked.

Unfortunately, even though I was mad at him for laughing at me, I, too, found myself a part of that admiring group.

I sighed, tiredly resting my head against the window.

This was going to be a long day.

"And I’ve waited a lifetime for my happily ever after with him."
17:
The Eclipse of Grace

Three connecting buses, a long crossed-out bullet point list, and bags upon bags of purchased items later, Eclipse and I were descending down the steps of the bus that stopped right in front of the shelter.

Get this: there were no bus stops in front of the shelter—or anywhere close to the estate for that matter. Due to the fact that the bus lady was so fond of Eclipse, she made the extra effort to drive us all the way to the front door of Sanctuary. Although it was disturbing how much she lusted after him, Eclipse, being the skilled charmer that he was, managed to thank her and make her feel ultra special as we brought down all of our bags and waved goodbye to her.

Ugh, so heavy . . .

I had never walked around carrying so many things in my life. Though the office supplies, computers, and clothes we bought were prearranged by Eclipse to be shipped out later, we still walked into the shelter with an abundance of valuable items. In all honesty, I was tempted to ask Eclipse to buy more stuff because I felt extremely greedy for Sanctuary.

Regardless of my desires for them to receive as many things as possible, I didn’t want to encourage Eclipse and make it appear as if I was enthralled by the fact that he could give me everything I wanted. I was aware that Eclipse wasn’t giving Sanctuary everything under the sun because he had a heart of gold. He gave them these gifts because he wanted to show me one of the positive aspects of giving my soul to him, which was the prospect of unlimited wealth.

In addition to knowing his motives, I also knew that it was one thing to donate my own money and help them with my own time, but it was an entirely different thing to have Sanctuary be indebted to an entity like Eclipse. If there was a universal balance in the world, then I only wanted it to waver slightly—I didn’t want to tip it entirely. Nothing good ever came out of being too greedy, especially with a Demon involved.

Despite my continued reservations towards him and his motives, Eclipse proved to be a force to be reckoned with in regards to his presence around everyone else. As soon as we walked in, he literally became the sun that illuminated the room. There was such a godly charm to him that if I hadn’t known he was a Demon, I’d probably find myself falling head over heels for him as well. He looked exactly like an Angel, walking in with a surplus of gifts for the residents of Sanctuary.

And let me tell you: everyone at Sanctuary adored him.

I introduced him as my friend to the pastor and his wife. Truthfully, I felt bad for lying because I was sure Pastor Kim wouldn’t appreciate shaking hands with a Demon. I half-expected Eclipse to contort his face in disgust that he was standing next to a pastor. To my surprise, he had the complete opposite reaction. Eclipse got along so well with Pastor Kim that you wouldn’t believe this was a Demon talking to a pastor. The adults at Sanctuary adored him, but the demographic he garnered unwavering love from were the ones I didn’t want him to meet in the first place: the kids—or in Eclipse’s blunt terms, “The Baby Midgets.”

While we were in the living room, Woo, Timmi, and Sony divided up their time between happily playing with OinkOink and helping Eclipse set up the Wii console. By the time they were done setting up the game, OinkOink had fondly settled on Sony’s lap (I knew those two would get along well). The boys, Eclipse included, started to eagerly play the Super Mario game in the four-player mode. Pandemonium took over the living room with cheers of victory, roars of laughter, and moans of loss as the adventure of the game overtook them. It got so intense that even OinkOink was barking in cheers and whimpering in misery along with them.

The whole time, I couldn’t help but be amused as I watched the smiles on the boys’ faces grow brighter and brighter. Though this didn’t help with the misery I wanted to enjoy from them, a bigger part of me was happy that I was able to witness such a memorable sight: the spawn of Satan spoiling kids at a shelter by playing video games with them. I also found myself amused while I watched the three little girls sit all around Eclipse, staring up at him with stars in their admiring eyes.

It was the cutest thing—until I realized they were gazing at the Demon of Lust like he was going to be their future husband.

Oh my flying pigs
, I groaned inwardly.
This is so unhealthy.

“Lulu, Anni, Kimmi,” I called, getting up from the couch I was sitting on. “Do you girls want to help me bake a cake?”

They each looked up at me with hesitant eyes. The girls clearly did not want to part with Eclipse, who was busy coaching one of the younger boys on how to kill the bad guys. When they looked like they were ready to reject my request, I gave them a hopeful smile and added, “Please?”

At my plea, they relented. They might be in love with Eclipse, but they loved me more.

“Okay, Grace!”

With big smiles on their faces, they got up on their little feet and ran to me, their dresses fluttering at the hasty movements. They moved past me as I herded them towards the stairs. Sounds of excited footfalls spilled down the stairs before another chipmunk voice accompanied us as we stepped into the kitchen.

“Grace, I want to help too!” Like a racecar, an overall-clad Sony zoomed in at full speed behind us. Close at his heels was OinkOink, who was barking happily as he pattered along beside Sony.

“Arf! Arf! Arf!”

“Okay then,” I approved, proud that I had my own kids who’d rather hang out with me than Eclipse. I was beginning to grow envious of the adulation Eclipse received from the people of Sanctuary. It was reassuring that these kiddies chose me over him.

“Okay, are you guys ready?” I took the cake mix out of the pantry and began opening the box.

The three little girls and Sony stood in a single-file line behind me. It was something they always playfully did whenever they were awaiting my further commands.

“Grace! Grace!” the twins, Lulu and Anni, prompted with eagerness. Their curly pigtails dipped back while they gazed up at me with twinkling eyes. “Can we bake the cake in the shape of a heart?!”

This made me laugh. My heart warmed at such an adorable request. I may have had sadistic tendencies, but I wasn’t a total sadist. I was a sucker for these kids and was not immune to their cuteness. “Of course!”

How could I say no?

“Can we write someone’s name on it too?” Kimmi added eagerly. She stared up at me in anticipation, her braided pigtails dipping back as well.

I laughed again, having yet to register where this conversation was headed. Mindlessly, because I was so distracted with their adorable dispositions, I curiously asked, “Whose name do you girls want on the cake?”

“Eclipse,” they said dreamily, and I felt my smile corrode. I frowned inwardly. I should have known these fangirls wouldn’t have left their heartthrob unless they could bake him a heart-shaped cake as a token of their love for him. Girls. So predictable at
every
age . . .

“But isn’t Eclipse Grace’s boyfriend?” Sony broadcasted at once, looking at the girls like they were bad people. Sony was normally soft-spoken with the girls. It threw me off to see him speak so sternly to them. “Why are you girls going after him when he’s taken by her?”

My eyes enlarged at Sony’s ludicrous words. Who the hell said Eclipse was my boyfriend?
“What?”

But the damage was done. After hearing this mind-blowing statement, tears quickly manifested in the girls’ eyes. They gaped up at me in horror.

“He’s your boyfriend, Grace?” Lulu asked, her lips quivering. There was a tinge of sadness in her voice after hearing that her future husband was taken. There was also shame in her voice for going after my boyfriend of all people. The girls loved me. The last thing they would endeavor to do was hurt me.

“No!” I assured her, feeling awful that she was looking at me like she was a home-wrecker. The unanticipated misery permeating from the three girls was amusing to me, but in all honesty, I could only handle immersing myself in the misery caused to them by other aspects in life. I didn’t want to be a contributing factor. Feeling my protective nature prevail, I shook my head and bent down to give all three girls a reassuring smile. “No. No, he’s not.” When they still appeared sad, I playfully pinched their noses. “Aw, come on, girls. Don’t feel guilty. He’s not my boyfriend, okay? He’s just a friend.”

“Who’s just a friend?”

Speaking of the Devil.

“No one,” I answered, straightening up upon hearing his voice.

I whirled around to find Eclipse standing at the doorway of the kitchen. He was leaning against the door and he looked as breathtaking as ever.

“What are you guys doing in here?” His strong aura saturated the room as soon as he walked into the kitchen. He casually placed his hands on Sony’s shoulders when he came to a stop behind him.

“Baking a cake!” Sony answered, staring up at Eclipse with respect coloring his eyes.

“Baking a cake?” Eclipse laughed, his eyes meeting mine. “Why?” He jutted his chin towards the stacks of red velvet cupcakes on the kitchen counter. “We bought so many cupcakes.”

I wanted to tell him,
“Because the girls were staring at you like you’re their future hubby. In an effort to protect them, I had to get them away from you.”
I vetoed the temptation since it was inappropriate for the G-rated audience around us.

Eclipse took a quick glance at the girls, all of who were staring at him with bashful adulation. A grin of knowledge surfaced on his handsome face. I surmised that even though I hadn’t said anything, he must have already figured out that my motive for baking a cake was to get his susceptible young fangirls away from him. Even though he was amused with my actions, he said no more on the matter.

“The boys and I are done playing. We want to watch a movie,” he told them, his voice soft and proper. He gazed at them as an older brother would to his baby sisters. “I think I already know Sony’s answer, but did you girls want to join us up there as well?”

The girls bobbed their heads enthusiastically. “Yeah!”

He laughed, lifting his hands from Sony’s shoulders. He swept past the girls and I to approach the kitchen counter behind us. He grabbed the plastic container holding the cupcakes and lowered it down for them. “Okay then. Grab a cupcake and go make your movie selection. Teacup and I will be up with you in a second.”

I scowled at him, furious that he had the audacity to use that horrendous nickname with the kids around. As a response, he simply smiled at me as the little ones grabbed their cupcakes and took off, scurrying up the stairs with an excited OinkOink fast at their heels. 

Not wanting to be left alone with Eclipse, as I was sure the kids would spy on us if we were alone for too long, I made a run for the stairs as well. On the way out, instead of grabbing one of the cupcakes Eclipse was offering, I grabbed an apple in its place. I hadn’t forgotten about my double-calorie intake hex that Eclipse had so cruelly placed on me. I had barely taken a step when the fruit disappeared from my grasp and was replaced with a mouthwatering red velvet cupcake instead.

“As much as I encourage the eating of forbidden fruits, red velvet cupcakes are always the exception,” Eclipse said faintly, the sexy lilt in his voice causing my tummy to perform elated somersaults.

He was proper when in the company of the little girls, but when alone with me, he was raw and untamed. Alluring heat naturally rolled off his body and settled around mine. In that instant, the kitchen felt too inadequate to hold both our presence. White-hot heat fluttered over my body just from him towering behind me, but when he leaned in close to my ear, all I could feel was the eruption of volcanic lava.

“And for the record,” he whispered, his enticing lips brushing against my ear, “I will never be your friend. I am and will always be something more to you.”

“Yes,” I conceded breathlessly, somehow managing to hold onto my bearings, despite the fact that a single drop of blood was beginning to slide down my nose. I inhaled deeply to keep the treacherous drop from revealing itself to Eclipse. He was already effortlessly irresistible. I didn’t need to encourage his flirtatious behavior by letting him see that his mere proximity was turning me on. With my rationale returning to me, I appraised him with narrowed eyes and said, “Yes, you will never be my friend. You’re a Demon. That’s the only thing you will ever be to me.”

A faint grin curved his lips. Before he could reply with a retort of his own, the kids’ chipmunk voices and OinkOink’s high-pitched barking started to vibrate from the upstairs living room. They were announcing that they had made their movie selection and were getting ready to watch it. Without giving Eclipse the opportunity to say anything else to me (and desperate to get away from him so that my nosebleed wouldn’t worsen), I ran away from him and climbed up the stairs. I could hear Eclipse’s soft chuckle as he followed after me. He was clearly amused with the sight of me running away like a scared little mouse.

The kids cheered in excitement after we walked into the living room. They took it upon themselves to play the movie, turn off the lights, and usher us towards the floor. After we took our seats on the carpet, the kids gathered all around us.