Part 4 (1/2)

”I thought you would be able to help me help them.”

”Help them? There is no helping them. They need to stay away from each other, it's wrong and against the law.”

”I can't force them to stay away from each other, it's not right ... I'm going to find a way out of this.”

”Ruby, don't go off on one of your little missions again. It doesn't help; you only make things worse for yourself and others.”

I flinched at his words but I didn't bite back at them. I needed Eli on my side, not against me.

”Eli, I -”

”No. Leave it to me. I'll deal with it.” He stepped away from me and began walking away.

”This is why I never told you anything the first time,” I admitted.

He stopped in his tracks, turning abruptly to face me, his hard stare burning into mine.

”I knew you would leave me out of it and handle things yourself. I don't want it to add to your stress. I've done enough damage to you. It was a mistake coming to you for help or advice, forget I said anything.”

I didn't think I would regret telling Eli about Mila and Gabriel, but I did. Would he tell Mr Aleksandrov? Or report Gabriel to higher authorities? All this time I was scared of telling Mila my secrets in case she told someone, perhaps she should be more worried about me telling her secrets. It hasn't been half a day and I've already told someone. Does it make it okay if I thought he could help?

I pushed past Eli but he stopped me by wrapping his warm hand around my waist. His touch electrified me and my heart raced. I used all the muscles in my body to keep myself where I was and not hurl my body at him.

”You did the right thing by telling me. I'll do some research about G.o.ddess and guardian angel student relations. I'm sure I can find a loop hole. It won't be easy, but at least it's something. Keep them away from each other until I get back to you with more information.”

I nodded. He retracted his hand from my waist and attached it to my wrist, giving it a quick rub with his thumb.

”Thank you for telling me. I shouldn't make you feel like you can't tell me anything. I may not be your guardian angel anymore or bonded by a tattoo, but I'll always be here for you.”

”Thank you.”

I never thought a guy could affect me the way Eli does. When I'm away from him, I tell myself I'm exaggerating, that I'm building his looks and his personality up too high, but then I see him again, hear him again, and he's even more perfect than I imagined before.

I hadn't realized my thoughts had brought me all the way back to my dorm door, unnoticed. The door screeched loudly as I opened it and stepped in.

”What the -?” I gasped.

So far, so bad. Mila and Gabriel were lying on her bed; Gabriel pulled his face away from hers. His lips glistened in the light that poured in from the door; lip gloss covered most of his mouth and the surrounding skin.

”You need to get out of here now,” I warned.

”Ruby!” Mila snapped.

”Mila, you know the rules.”

I sounded like Eli. When I first arrived at SS and Rylan brought my text book back to my dorm, I invited him in, not knowing the boy/girl policy. If it was up to me, I'd leave and let them finish whatever it was they were doing or were going to do, but it wasn't. I told Eli I'd keep them away from each other and that was something I was going to do.

Gabriel kissed Mila's forehead and left the room, sparing an apologetic glance in my direction.

”What are you thinking? Are you crazy?” I said, closing the door.

”You didn't have to be rude.”

”Mila, I'm risking our a.s.ses here trying to help you. Pulling stupid stunts like this is going to ruin everything. What if it was Mrs Ploit at the door? What if it was your uncle? Think, Mila! Don't ruin Gabriel's life or your own. Give me time to figure something out. Eli -”

”You told Eli? Ruby, what were you thinking?”

Mila jumped off the bed and began pacing the room, biting nervously at her fingernails.

”It's okay, Mila, we can trust him,” I a.s.sured her.

”Trust him? He works for my uncle; he recently spent a few months with the higher power, he -”

”Your uncle was the one who started this. He gave you clearance to go on a date with Gabriel. He made no effort to prevent this situation, so relax,” I interrupted, frustration lacing my tone.

”What if Eli rats us out?”

”He won't.”

”How do you know?”

”Eli brought me back from being a vampire when he could have killed me; he saved me when Hank attacked our cabin, he risked his own life to save mine, he killed a fellow guardian angel for me ... He wouldn't rat us out, I know him.”

”That was when you guys were bonded, when he was your guardian angel. That was his duty, what's stopping him now?”

I knew what was stopping him; he cared about me. If he reported it, I would get in trouble for knowing and not reporting it. If anything happened to Gabriel, it would destroy Mila, and in turn, destroy me. No matter what he did, it would link back to me and I know he didn't want that. I wanted to tell her all of this, but I couldn't. The timing was too risky.

”... Nothing.”

The Best Laid Plans....

”You look fine.” Mila sighed whilst flicking through a Vogue magazine, not sparing a glance in my direction.

I was standing in front of the mirror a.n.a.lyzing my outfit. The short red dress I got from Camilla and Aunt Jen for my birthday looked fantastic against my finally tan skin. The heels I chose to wear were much smaller, only an inch or two off the ground. I didn't want to roll my ankle again.

”Why are you getting so dressed up? I thought you didn't care about dinner.”

”I do care.”

It was only dinner with Hunter, but I still wanted to look nice. It had been years since I've eaten at a restaurant and I wanted my return to be special.

”It's just been a while since I've eaten at a restaurant.”

”Oh, I forgot.”

Hunter knocked gently.

”Are you ready?” he asked softly through the cheap wood of the door.