Soulsearch (Teen Paranormal Romance Series) (The Soulmate Series: Teen Paranormal Romance Book 2) (23 page)

“Okay, say I suspend my disbelief for a second and take you at your word.
 
I still don’t understand where this Michael Andrews comes in,” Tyler announced.

“That’s where the story gets a little weird and complicated,” Rider replied.

Tyler and Tara both shook their heads in surprise.
 
“Like it wasn’t before?!” Tara exclaimed.

Rider chuckled.
 
“I know, right?
 
Well, just wait, there’s more.”

The two proceeded to explain how they had discovered the woman they thought was Rider’s biological mother and her records had eventually led them to Zach and Cody.
 
Tyler was blown away at the thought of another set of body-sharers.

“I don’t know, guys, this is just really far out there,” Tyler declared after hearing the whole story.
 
“I mean, I know we’re friends and all, and I don’t want you to think I don’t believe you, but….How can I possibly believe you?!
 
I feel like I’m in an episode of The Twilight Zone!”

“I know, Tyler.
 
Believe me, everybody I’ve ever told has thought I was nuts except for my friend Paige.
 
If it’s too much we can leave.
 
We can pretend this never happened, go back to the way things were before.
 
Or we can leave you alone if you want.
 
You don’t ever have to talk to us again if you think we’re lunatics,” Rachel offered, hanging her head in shame.

“No, no!
 
That’s not what we want, right Tyler?!” Tara cried out.

“No, of course not,” Tyler agreed, but his doubt was still obvious.

Rachel and Rider sighed simultaneously then gave each other a look of relief.
 
“Obviously, we would prefer if you kept this story to yourselves,” Rider said, and Tara and Tyler both nodded.

With a chuckle Tyler replied, “No offense, man, but anybody I told would have to be wacked to believe me!”
 
The teens dissolved into giggles as the tension evaporated.

“Okay, so here’s an idea,” Tyler said when the laughter had subsided.
 
“What if we can’t find this guy because he’s not who he says he is?”
 
The others looked at him curiously.
 
“I mean, what if he’s like Superman — for lack of a better example.
 
Mild-mannered Clark Kent by day, superhero by night?
 
What if Michael Andrews is his superhero name, not his real name?”

“That makes a lot of sense!” Rachel interjected.
 
“If he can share bodies like Rider and Cody can, maybe Michael Andrews is his name, not his host’s!”

“Without more information, I don’t think there’s any way I can find him,” Tyler admitted.
 
“I can’t even find this company he supposedly works for.
 
I don’t think he’s being honest about his identity.
 
Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Tyler.
 
You did your best and you’ve been really helpful.
 
At least we tried,” Rachel encouraged.
 
“Let’s do something fun and get our minds off of all of this!”

“Have you guys ever played Minecraft?” Tyler asked with a heady smile.

chapter fifteen

Jessica had just gotten out of the shower Tuesday afternoon and was rubbing lotion all over her freshly shaved skin when the doorbell rang.
 
Thinking it might be the kids, she quickly threw on her bathrobe and went to the door.
 
Her heart skipped a beat when she looked through the peephole and saw Michael standing on her doorstep instead.
 
Her eyes lit up like spotlights as she flung open the door to greet her lover.

“Michael, you came!” she cried as she threw herself into his arms and inhaled the intoxicating fragrance of his skin.

“Jessica, I’m so sorry it took me so long.
 
You called for me days ago.
 
I can never forgive myself for making you wait.
 
I only hope my tardiness hasn’t caused you undue pain,” he apologized profusely as he held her at arm’s length and stared deeply into her eyes.
 
His gaze eventually traveled down the length of her torso, his mind imagining what lay beneath her robe.

“It’s okay, Michael.
 
You came; that’s what matters.
 
It’s not exactly an emergency.
 
But it is important, and I’m afraid I’m the one who should be apologizing, not you.
 
Something has come up that I have to tell you about, but before I can explain, I have a confession I have to make.
 
I’ve done something terrible, Michael, something completely unforgivable.
 
I’m terrified you’ll hate me when I tell you.”

“No, Jessie, you could never do anything that would make me hate you.
 
Never in a million years.
 
I….I love you, Jesse,” he admitted, dropping his head in inexplicable shame.

Jessica gasped as his words broke through the fog of her distress.
 
“Oh Michael, no!
 
You don’t know how many years I’ve longed to hear you say those words but you won’t mean them when you hear what I have to tell you!” She lamented, turning away to hide her embarrassment.

“Jessie, please,” he pleaded, leading her into the living room and shutting the door behind them.
 
He guided her to the sofa and sat down beside her, their knees touching.
 
“I promise I will forgive you, whatever it is you’ve done.
 
There is no offense so abhorrent it could make me stop loving you.”

“Yes, there is Michael, I can barely forgive myself.
 
Only recently have I even begun to try.”

“Tell me, Jessica, and let me decide how unforgivable it is,” he begged, his deep brown eyes boring a hole into her soul.
 
He was resplendent as always, but this time his suit had been replaced with dark jeans and a gray, v-neck tee shirt so silky it flowed like syrup over his bronze skin.
 
Jessica had never seem him look so casual, or so alluring.
 
It seemed so unfair that she would lose him just as he realized the depth of his feelings for her.

“Hold me, Michael, kiss me,” she begged, reaching up to twine her fingers in his hair.
 
His hands caressed her soft, smooth legs and slowly made their way up her thighs.
 
He responded with a groan as her robe slipped open and his hands found her slim waist.
 
They traveled up to capture her breasts as his mouth took hers.

“Make love to me, Michael, one last time before everything changes,” she pleaded, halting her kisses to gaze into his mesmerizing eyes.

Michael stared at her and wondered how she could possibly think he would deny her forgiveness for whatever petty offense she had committed when it was he who had treated her like secondhand goods all these years.
 
He never understood why she was so willing to take him back every time he returned.
 
She never asked why he wouldn’t stay, never pleaded with him to abandon his other life to be with her.
 
She just accepted what he gave her and loved him anyway, in spite of his shortcomings.
 
He desperately wished he could tell her everything, make her understand why he always had to leave, that he was trying to do the right thing.
 
He should never have come back to her in the first place, but how could leaving her now be the right thing?
 
Their love was the only thing that made sense to him anymore.
 
Everything else in his life had gone wrong, but loving Jessica was the one thing that was pure and constant.
 
In that moment he realized he could never leave her again.
 
He didn’t care about his duties or his destiny.
 
All he cared about was her.

“No,” he answered, pulling away from her.
 
It took all his strength to tear his hands from her skin.
 
“I won’t say goodbye to you, Jessica.
 
This isn’t the end.
 
I promise.
 
I’ll find a way for us to be together.
 
I want you, no matter what you’ve done.
 
I’ll always want you.
 
I’ll make love to you again on our wedding night.
 
Say you’ll marry me, Jessica.”

Jessica gasped as his words registered in her mind.
 
All these years she had longed to hear them, only to have him say them when she was about to break his heart?
 
She shook her head emphatically, dropping her chin in humiliation.
 
“Ask me again, after I tell you,” she whispered and lifted her eyes to stare into his.
 
She sucked in a breath and grasped his hand for support as she made her confession.
 
She couldn’t stand to look in his eyes, but couldn’t bear to look away.
 
“Michael, years ago, back when we first met, I had two abortions….and you were the father.”

Michael’s body went still and his face became wax as he stared at her in disbelief.

“I’m so sorry, Michael!
 
I should never had made that decision without talking to you about it, and I should never have kept it from you for all these years!
 
It was terrible and I understand if you never want to see me again,” Jessica moaned, dropping his hand and her head and letting the tears fall unabated.

“That’s…not…possible,” Michael stuttered, shock still freezing his features, and he shook his head trying to release them.

“It is, Michael.
 
It has to be.
 
You’re the only one…..the only one I’ve been with since the moment I met you.”
 
Michael gazed at her, a deep sadness in his eyes.
 
How had he done this to her?
 
Why had he led her on for so many years?
 
Why had he let himself fall for her, over and over again, when he knew he could never truly be with her?
 
Why had he let her fall so completely for him?
 
How could someone who was created to help others bring such destruction wherever he went?
 
His face clouded with anger.

Jessica saw the despair and rage on his face and hated herself for being the cause of it.
 
No matter how upset he was, though, he had to know the rest of the story.

“Michael, there’s more,” she began, and forced him to look at her.
 
“A few days ago I had some visitors and the story they had to tell me was so outrageous I couldn’t believe it.
 
But they knew things, Michael, things they couldn’t possibly know.
 
Michael, I think your sons are still alive.”

Michael jolted in surprise at her statement.
 
“What…how….what do you mean?” he exclaimed, and Jessica began to explain the unbelievable story the teens had told.

“Michael?” she whispered as he stared at her in awe, not moving a single muscle.
 
“Am I crazy for believing them, or is there something about you I should know?”

“Where are they, Jessica?” Michael finally replied, snapping out of his delirium.
 
“We need to talk.”

“Zach and Cody live here, in Allendale, but Rachel and Rider are in Indianapolis.
 
Do you want me to call them, see if they can come?”

“No, we’ll go to them,” he decided, and his face relaxed as he turned to look at the woman he loved.
 
“But first, Jessica, I want you to know that I forgive you.
 
It’s always been me who was in the wrong, darling, never you.
 
I should never have come home with you that first night, should never have tried to make you mine.
 
You were never mine to take, Jessica.
 
I’ve been telling myself that all your life, but I just can’t stay away from you.
 
You did what you did out of pain and desperation, and it’s my fault you were in that situation in the first place. I just hope you can forgive me when you find out what I really am.”

Jessica laughed, a soft sad noise that held all the joy and sorrow of her entire life.
 
She couldn’t believe he was so willing to forgive her for the offense she had agonized over for so many years.
 
She knew there had to be more to Michael that just a handsome, traveling business man in need of a warm bed and a woman to curl up with.
 
She wanted to hear his secrets, but was desperate to hang onto the lies that had let them be together.

“My request still stands, Jessica.
 
I want you to marry me. But I think it’s only fair if you hear my confession, too, before you make up your mind.”

chapter sixteen

Zach and Paige were sitting on Paige’s bed, quietly doing their homework when Zach’s phone rang with Jessica’s ringtone.
 
He had set it to sound like a car alarm going off if she called, so there was no chance he would miss it.
 
The loud gong made them both jump, and Zach could barely contain his laughter to answer the phone.

“Hi Jessica, did you hear from him?” he asked, a giddy excitement building up inside.