My Night Breeze (The Breeze Series) (16 page)

“I have to leave early today. If you still want a ride home, it’s now or never.”

Audra sat back and began to close the book. “She’s my ride.”

Mateo didn’t reply, but started
to pack up his own things along with Stephen and Chris.

“Did
n’t you drive today?” Molly asked Chris.

“Yeah
, but there’s no point in studying here if everyone else leaves,” Stephen replied for him.

The group walked
out of the library together, some stopping at lockers to put things away. Audra waited for Stephen and Chris to stop at their lockers before leaning into Mateo.

“Do you want to come over? I really need all the help I can get.”

“I think you’re just using me,” he commented.

To make a point
, he ran his hands down her back causing her to shiver involuntarily. His tiny smirk reappeared. She playfully glared at him, grabbing his hand and holding it. A strange expression flit across his face, but she couldn’t place it before it disappeared. He ran his thumb against her hand, heading towards Molly’s car.

Molly pulled up to the front of Audra’s house, and Mateo got out of the back.

B
efore Audra could exit, Molly questioned her. “Are you really okay?”

“Yeah. I’m good
,” Audra said.

“I can see why
,” Molly commented.

“Were just friends.”

“Right…‘friends.’” Molly laughed.

Audra shook
her head in response, using her key to open the front door. She and Mateo kicked off their shoes, walking towards the living room, when the sight of Jim stopped them dead in their tracks. Jim’s shocked expression matched hers except his seemed to be transforming into anger.

“Study group was cut short. And I h
ave a test tomorrow,” Audra said preventively.

“Living room
,” Jim stated.

“Dining room
,” Audra stated clearly.

She did
n’t wait for a response, heading into the dining room. Jim just wanted a minute alone with her to complain, but it couldn’t be helped. He couldn’t teach her, so no point in getting aggravated about something that was out of his control. It’s not like she had broken any of the rules either. She put her bag down on the table just as her mom came down the stairs.

“Mom, I’m studying for a test with my tutor
in the dining room,” Audra said quickly.

Mom popped
her head into the room with a smile, welcoming Mateo. “Good to see you again. Thank you for helping her.”

“Not a problem
,” Mateo said politely.

Audra put
out the notebook and textbook, getting settled next to Mateo. The cushions made a world of difference to her back, but it was nothing compared to the feel of his hands on her. She glanced up at him at the same time that he looked over towards her. This was ridiculous. She had done nothing but think of him all day long. It was almost distracting enough to cause her to lose focus on the assignment at hand, but it was the only hold she had on him.

Jim made
excuses to keep going in and out of the kitchen, constantly walking through the dining room to check up on them. It didn’t deter her from leaning into his side—a seemingly innocent gesture to focus. If Jim noticed he didn’t say a word, and Mateo didn’t seem to mind in the least. As the chapter came to a close, she almost pouted knowing that he wouldn’t stay to hang around.

“Thanks for coming over. It means a lot to me.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll keep you from failing too badly,” Mateo joked.

“Mean.”

He laughed in response, placing his backpack on his shoulder. They walked towards the front door where she was reluctant to open it. When did she become so needy? Or worse…when did he become the one she was so needy for?

The silence dragged
on for a moment when he finally spoke up. “I better go. I have my own homework to do now.”

“I know.
Thanks again,” she replied.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Just as he started to step out the front door, Mom came over.

“Oh
, you’re leaving already?”

“Yes
, ma’am,” Mateo replied.

“Would you want to stay for dinner?”

The offer sent a surge of hope into Audra’s chest. She had never loved her mom more than in this very moment. The thought made her smile wide inside when thoughts of sharing that meal with Jim and worse, her dad, came to mind. It would be awful. Before she could say anything either way, Mateo declined with a shake his head.

“My dad has dinner waiting. I can’t abandon him.”

Mom smiled and nodded in agreement. “Maybe next time.”

Mateo returned the smile
, but it didn’t touch his eyes. She waited for her mom to walk away before she went over to him. She walked him to the end of the path with one single thought in mind.

“How sick is he? Is there anything I can do to help?”

“It’s not that kind of sickness,” he said.

“I don’t understand.”

“He has a drinking problem. I like to think that he won’t drink too much with me around,” he admitted.

“But he has in the past?”

Mateo didn’t respond verbally but gave her a comfortable hug not to hurt her back. “I’ll text you later.”

The dinner table was strained with awkward tension, more so than usual. Jim sent glares her way but didn’t voice his disapproval. Mom, being her upbeat self, tried to coax Dad into a happier mood without progress. Dad didn’t bother trying to acknowledge her any further since the last discussion. It just seemed easier that way for him, but she couldn’t understand his coldness towards her.

“Audra had
a guy over today,” Jim commented nonchalantly.

Her jaw dropped
practically down to the floor. Did he really just put that out there like that? Mom quickly came to the rescue explaining the tutor session. Audra couldn’t even attempt to save herself. The shock was still running coarse throughout her body. How could he betray her like that? She didn’t even do anything wrong.

“Boys are not allowed in the house. Do you unders
tand me?” Dad seethed.

“
I had a tutor over. My grade will go down without him. But it doesn’t bother me if I flunk it,” Audra replied coolly.

“You will do no such thing young lady. And you can drop the attitude right now.”

“I was only following the rules,” Audra said.

“The rules have been cha
nged,” Dad stated.

Audra picked
up her plate, cleaning it in the kitchen. As she walked towards the stairs, Mom called her back into the dining room.

“I just wanted to make it clear that you did nothing wrong today, okay
, sweetheart?”

“I don’t care
,” Audra replied.

“Audra
, please.”

“Nothing I ever do is right. So I just don’t care
anymore,” Audra said.

Audra made
a point by deliberately walking out, up the stairs and into her room, locking the door behind her.
*****

She grabbed her notebook and book for first period, leaving the rest in her locker. Overnight it seemed that her back had been healing rather rapidly. Even though it was a welcome relief, part of her was saddened by the thought of losing Mateo’s constant touch to make her feel better. She grit her teeth; those thoughts shouldn’t be so strong in her mind. She shouldn’t want him as much as she did so soon.

She closed her locker and noticed
Mateo walking in the hall towards his own. She met him just as he arrived. She was stopped short noticing his turtleneck. It felt out of place for him regardless of the chilly weather. Not bothering to wait, she wrapped her arms around his neck until he groaned softly.

“What happened?”
she exclaimed, quickly letting go.

Mateo declined
to respond.

“
Hey, are you okay?”

Mateo gave
her a stoic expression. He was acting completely unlike his usual self, especially when they were together. She gently peeled down some of the material against his neck; leaning up on her tiptoes she noticed the purple bruises. She sucked in a deep breath as tears pricked her eyes. Only then did he place his arms back around her, holding her close.

“I was so worried. You didn’t text me.”

“It was a long night,” he finally replied.

She closed
her eyes, wanting nothing more than to be able to do for him what he had done for her. Even if she couldn’t take the pain away, she’d like to at least make it tolerable. All the thoughts of his being impervious to infliction slipped from her mind. Super powers couldn’t save you from everything, apparently. She didn’t lean into him like she usually did for fear that she may hurt him further.

“Audra, we can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“Your br
other is—”

“Not going to tell me who I can hang out with
,” Audra finished.

“I was going to say, coming.”

No sooner had the words passed his lips that the shadow of Jim as well as Tobias appeared over her shoulder. She didn’t bother trying to hide her agitation, especially after the night before. Tobias was an added complication, but she had no sympathy for him either—he was, by extension, another Jim. And she wouldn’t change her opinion after one night’s sleep.

“Grab your stuf
f,” Audra said before turning around.

“We need to talk
,” Jim stated.

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“I have plenty,” Jim reiterated.

“I don’t care
,” she replied, turning on her heel away from him.

The clank of the locker alerted her that Mateo had collected his things. She gave
him her full attention.

“Ready?”

Mateo nodded at the same time Tobias advised, “Audra, don’t do this.”

“This has nothing to do with you
,” she said firmly through gritted teeth.

Her tone and clear anger froze them both in shock. She had
never been the type to hold a grudge, let alone speak to anyone with such force. The expression on her face as well as the certainty in her voice must have made it clear not to mess with her. The quiet doormat she used to be no longer resided here.

Audra and Mateo went to homeroom; she sat down beside him in the back of the room. He kept
his head lowered allowing his hair to eclipse his face. It left an empty feeling inside her chest, like he was hiding from her. She wanted to say so much, but there were no words she could say to help. She also didn’t want to upset him by saying the wrong thing.

“My dad said I can’t have company over anymore.”

He tilted his head in her direction but said nothing.

“It seems like they’re trying to keep me sheltered or boxed in. I don’t know why
, but something tells me it has to do with the memory attacks.”

“You’re still having them?”

“Very few now, but I feel like I’m supposed to be figuring it out. Why else would I get them?”

Mateo did
n’t respond. She made a point of seeking out his hand, entwining their fingers. He didn’t massage her hand like normal, and she used both of her hands to cover his. His eyes watched the gesture, but his features didn’t change. She didn’t bother wasting her time with further words. It was clear he was somewhere else, but at least she could be here when he needed her to be.

A fine layer of leaves caked the lawns as Mateo and Audra strolled the sidewalk, hand-in-hand. The sun dipped behind the ominous clouds causing Audra to wish deep inside that the rain held off. Two weeks of on and off thunderstorms had left a constant chill in the air, but it hadn’t mattered with him. He was all the warmth she needed.

They had spent a great deal of the afternoon at the public library, getting assignments done ahead
for next week. However, Mateo assisted her in looking through some newspapers from around the time of her memories. Nothing of use came up; nothing about any strange incidents or anything that seemed recognizable to her. After a few hours of research and no further information to go on, they left the library, strolling through the neighborhood.

The houses all start
ed to blur together, the street signs losing their meaning in the endless comfort of Mateo. The only reason she even noticed the light green house was the tension she felt rising through their clasped hands. It only took a quick glance of his features to notice the conflicting emotions.

“What is it?”

“My house,” he said.

“I don’t have anything to do tonight if you want to keep walking.”

He scanned the driveway and shook his head. “Come on.”

Leading her up the
driveway with a black vehicle parked in it, they went toward the front door. He unlocked it and poked his head in first. The welcoming silence encouraged his calmer mood, having her follow. The living room was bland with only a couch and an old chair in front of a TV, and an end table stained with rings from drinks. He sighed audibly, clearly relaxing a great deal.

“
Dad had a business trip. I forgot.”

Mateo led
her upstairs into his bedroom where he made sure to lock the door. Looking around the room, she was taken aback by the tons of sketches hanging up on the wall. The majority were sketches of things assigned from class—statues, fruit and nature. However, what caught her attention was the small collection of eyes. She leaned in closely, taking in the details of the pupil, iris, lashes and eyelid creases. It was almost hypnotizing, and she was unable to relinquish her attention from it.

“It’s a specialty.”

“I’d have to agree. This is amazing, Mateo!”

“Not sure if this is my talent or his…”

“Why do you do that?” she asked.

“Do what?”

“Separate your human self from your other self?”

“Drawing wasn’t an option on my home planet. I was busy doing other things.”

Curiosity started to seep into her veins. He had yet to tell her details of his other life, and the chance of him spilling any information about it sent excitement into her chest. Audra noticed his pad and pencil on top of his desk. She collected them only to hand them over. He accepted them with questions in his eyes.

Audra sat down on his bed and
batted her lashes at him playfully a few times until he caught on with a grin. He grabbed a stool, putting it in front of her and began to sketch. The concentration on his face was priceless. He reached out a few times, tilting her head in the direction needed to capture certain details, even running the pad of his finger against her eyelashes with a smirk.

“Soft.”

“Taking advantage,” she murmured. “Is your planet in our solar system?”

“No.”

“Is it like here? Changing seasons?”

Mateo sighed
, making a few more movements against the pad before holding it out. The sketch was absolutely mesmerizing. His talents made her feel humbled in his presence. He could be an artist with works in a famous museum. If he stayed that long. A sudden thought hit her smack dab in the face. Why was he here? Did he plan on leaving soon?

“It’s always warm
, but we stay underground.”

“Oh. Why?”
she inquired.

“It’s a long story.”

He tore the sheet from the pad and tacked it up on the wall. He scribbled her name beneath it and smiled in turn. She walked up beside him to look at her eye surrounded by the collection and exhaled. Now she was just another piece to add to his puzzle—a puzzle that she knew nothing about. The little amount of information he divulged didn’t even begin to help her understand what he had going on.

A stra
nge mellowing of her mood started to seep in. She was so comfortable being around him now, but she knew without warning he could just vanish as quickly as he came. It was irrational, especially with him standing beside her, but it started to cause anxiety in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around her waist, clutching as though it was the only way to stay in one piece.

“You al
l right?”

Audra nodded
. The sound of her phone chirping with a text caused her to practically jump out of her skin. She tugged her phone out of her pocket reading ‘A Message From Jim.’ Shoving it back into her pocket was the first thought, but that was an immature response. It could be something important. She clicked open the text message.

Where r u? Mom is worried.

“Oh. Well, it seems I have to get home.”

“I’ll walk you
,” he offered.

“No need. I didn’t realize you lived so close to me.”

He didn’t respond but followed her downstairs to the front door. She carried her backpack on her left shoulder as she reached out for the door handle. Mateo cleared his throat catching her attention. His demeanor still seemed to be on edge, but she couldn’t put her finger on why exactly.

“Is he coming back tonight?”

“No,” he admitted.

“If you get lonely
, we can go for another walk.”

She waved farewell and made
her way home.

With the nights closing in early while lasting longer with deeper hues of purple and blue, it felt majestic to be under the dusk sky. It was almost tragic to be locked away for the evening in her bedroom. The stereo blasted through the wall from Jim’s room. The voices were muffled, but she knew Tobias was the visitor, his laugh distinct.

She looked
at her phone for the hundredth time, wishing for a message from Mateo. It hadn’t looked like it was going to be a rainy night, but as the hour crept later, she started to lose hope. Audra left the window lifted up an inch from the sill in a last ditch effort. Changing into her pajamas, she snuggled into her pillows, wishing for the impossible. The unknown future of where she would end up, the unknown past from which she came and the unknown feelings spurred her forward.

“Come…” a gentle voice beckoned
.

The sight of the
sizzling heat around her evoked a cough from deep in her chest. A tender hand clasped hers. Pulling her towards the door, the heat lessened with every step. She squinted, trying to see clearly, but only a black-cloaked form was taken in. The door suddenly tugged open and the person disappeared through it, losing the grip of her hand.

“This way…” the voice called
.

Audra froze at the doorway. It wasn’t that she couldn’t move forward
, but her will was strongly against it. She turned back to look inside, but nothing made sense to her eyes. Her feet shuffled back towards the heat, a guiding force towards the continuing flapping. A badly burnt hand reached out of the flames towards her when firm hands grabbed her by the throat from behind.

“I’ve got her. I’ll
take care of it,” the voice said.

A black bag descended
over her head, blocking her sight further, leaving her vulnerable and fearful until she lost consciousness.

Audra blinked
her eyes open to gray hovering above her. She lifted her hands, letting her fingertips graze his face for only a moment before realizing she was awake. It was only a dream…or a memory. She sat up making a point to wrap her arms around him, the security of his presence holding her together. He patted her back soothingly until she released him.

“It happened again
?”

“Yeah
, but this was different. It wasn’t as overwhelming. Something changed,” she said.

“What changed?”

“I was pulled out against my will. I wanted to stay.” Audra searched his face within the darkness of her room, but he didn’t give anything away. “I think…it’s my fault. I think
I
did it.”

She sat up rubbing her eyes until something strange caught her eye. Beside her bed was Mateo on the floor, deep in sleep with his hair obscuring the attractiveness of his features. She couldn’t believe he stayed the entire night…especially with her admission. She didn’t think he believed her to be right. It was clear in his eyes that he had other ideas about what happened.

Her mind wa
s already rushing through different scenarios, but it was too early. She plopped back down upon the pillows. Thoughts of having to sneak him out in broad daylight started to seep anxiety into her stomach. Trying to keep him trapped inside her room could work, except for the fact that she had no TV in it and nothing to really keep anyone’s attention for longer than a few hours. Herself included.

Rolling over to her
side to spy on him, she noticed him starting to wake up on his own. His eyes slowly started to open as he pushed his hair back behind his ears. She was once again stunned with the pure attractiveness of his face, piercing and all. The caring and overprotective being inside enhanced it. Trapping him inside her room sounded better every second.

“I’m
gonna head home,” he advised.

Audra tried
to hide the sad expression about his leaving with a nod but seemed to fail. He got up from the floor sitting beside her, nudging her shoulder.

“You can c
ome over if you want,” he offered.

She agreed
, following him to the window. With the all clear, he slipped out and down the tree. She went to the closet grabbing an outfit and went straight to the bathroom. Changing her clothes and locking up the window, she began her descent down the stairs when noises in the kitchen reached her ears. Any conversation with a family member would do nothing but darken her mood; she diverted quickly out the front door.

The streets we
re fluctuating between lively and quiet. Only a few cars passed by, but some front yards had piles of raked up leaves ready to be bagged. And some of those raked piles were entertaining children. She lost herself within the sights around her before realizing she had already made it to his house.

The
driveway still only held the one vehicle, and it spurred her forward to ring the bell. Only after doing so did panic start to rise. Was she becoming clingy? He spent the entire night with her, spent all of yesterday with her, and now she was putting herself upon him. Maybe this was happening way too fast. Audra glanced back towards the driveway trying to make a quick decision if she should leave. It was only one quick ring. He might not have heard it.

Audra bit
the inside of her cheek and started to walk towards the driveway just as the creak of the door sounded. Mateo tilted his head in her direction with a confused look.

“Where are you going?”

“I…um…” she stumbled.

Audra shrugged
, making her way inside and into the living room. He continued towards the kitchen where she followed his lead. He pulled out a carton of eggs and heated up the frying pan. He inquired if she wanted some, and she accepted the offer. It wasn’t long before he whipped up scrambled eggs and toast. She filled up two glasses of orange juice, setting the table.

Breakfast wasn’t even on
her mind, but her stomach began grumbling knowing that it was now an option. He sat down across from her putting the filled plates out for consumption. The inner struggle of not wanting to eat in front of him but starving started to play war inside her mind. She looked over to notice him plowing through his portion without a second thought. It caused her to chuckle in her mind.

She forked
through her meal slowly regardless of the inner fight to scarf it down. Thoughts slowly started to work themselves into questions, but she didn’t want to offend him, especially this early in the day. The questions wouldn’t slow for a moment and finally forced their way out of her mouth.

“Mateo…the human side, do you know his life story?”

“I know everything that he knows. It’s part of the process,” he said.

“Process? Like an actor learning the lines in a play?”

“It’s much more complicated than that,” Mateo said.

Audra looked
back at her plate feeling unsure of his mood. How was she supposed to know all the answers? There were still things he wouldn’t tell her, and she understood why, but her curiosity was getting the best of her. She felt the urge to ask another question bloom in her chest and consequently stuffed a fork full of eggs into her mouth. That should help at least a little.

“The process of injecting myself into the
human’s life is very complicated and well above your level of understanding. In simple terms, once I am joined with the human, his entire life is played like a 3-D movie. All his memories of family, friends, love all flood together, so not only am I aware of the person’s past, but I know their thoughts, ambitions and preset actions to move forward.”