Light in the Storm

“What exactly happened?” Those were the first words out of my mouth once Eve reentered the room. I fixed the pillow behind Nick, not caring that there was dry blood on it and my sheets now. He protested when I tried to help him sit up, but he ended up needing it when he felt a surge of pain again. I felt so useless. He was hurting and I couldn’t help him; I couldn’t do anything but stay by his side and wait… but that’s all he said he wanted.

He was truly my hero.

“Well,” she breathed, slowly trailing over to us. Her eyes focused on Nick as he patiently waited for her answer, his thumb grazing over my skin lazily. “I’m assuming you don’t want the obvious?” she mumbled, knowing we didn’t need her to tell us that Coimbra’s venom was coursing through Nick: I already knew that.

“Coimbra bit Nick,” she started with a sigh, “and the amount of venom that was flowing through his veins was more than harmful. When venom hit’s the bloodstream, it cuts everything off; your sense of knowledge, feel, hearing, sight. All you feel is pain up until the last beat of your heart, and then it’s over.”

I shivered at her words and looked down at Nick quickly, surprised by how calm his face looked. He glanced up at me slowly, his intense eyes swimming with emotions, and I knew I had questions to ask.

“So what’s the difference with Nick?”

“Well, why don’t you explain what you were feeling first,” Eve murmured. She took a seat at the edge of the bed and waited for Nick to speak, her eyes completely focused on him.

“Umm,” he sighed uncomfortably, wincing as he shifted. I darted forward and helped him move, smiling as he blushed. “I could feel pain obviously. At first, it felt like I was shocked, like I didn’t know what happened. When I dropped, I was numb, but there were certain parts of me that felt like I was on fire. I couldn’t breathe and all I could focus on was how fast my heart was beating and how much pain I was in,” he informed lightly, his expression full of concentration. “And then I felt it… all at once, everything came flooding to me. The outside of my body felt numb and I couldn’t move-”

“But you did,” I interrupted. I bit my lip as they both focused on me now; Nick with a confused expression and Eve with one of intrigue. “I mean… you kept wiggling and shaking, like you were having all these spasms at once.”

“I didn’t feel it,” he shook his head. He allowed his eyes to close and he clutched his head, letting us both know that he had a headache. I would too if I went through something like that. I watched him lick his lips before continuing, his eyes still closed. “Everything was burning and it felt like everything was forced. I could see things, but they were blurred, and I could hear Lonnie, but I couldn’t say anything.”

“But you did,” I interrupted once again. “You said my name…” He gave me a confused look, not quite knowing how to respond.

“I remember wanting to call out to you, but I didn’t think I actually did…”

“So your thoughts were clear?” Eve asked, her voice interrupting our intense eye lock. I wanted nothing more than to wrap him in a tight hug and spend the night that way. He turned his head slowly and swallowed, giving a shrug the best he could.

“I could see her, so I knew she was there, but I couldn’t focus on her long enough to acknowledge her presence.”

“Were you able to focus on anything else?” Eve sounded like a doctor. I wondered if she would be… if she wasn’t a witch.

“Just the pain,” he answered, his voice slightly strained. It surprised me though, when he added the next part. “But I remember thinking about Lonnie like she wasn’t there. I remember everything going black and I couldn’t feel anything anymore, but I could see her there.” His voice was so soft and unsure that it made my heart flutter. Eve looked towards me as if she wanted some sort of confirmation. I didn’t know what he had been thinking, but I knew that he had stopped moving for a second.

“He was squirming at first, and then all of a sudden he just… stopped. It didn’t last long though, before he started shaking again.”

“And that’s when you used your magic,” she stated knowingly. I gave her a weak nod and focused my direction back on Nick again, raising my free hand to his cheek--it was warm and soft and I smiled.

Nick twisted slowly and pulled his arm out, gripping my waist. He pulled me down so I was leaning and allowed me to rest my head against his chest, comforting me for reasons I didn’t understand… until I felt that tear slide down my cheek.

“Nick’s in pain, but you could suffer too Lonnie,” Eve whispered, but I could barely hear her words. I wrapped my arm around him tightly, only loosening it when I felt his body jolt. I could feel his lips press against my head and I squeezed my eyes shut tight. “To see what you saw…” she trailed off; I could only imagine her dazed expression. “It had to have been horrifying.”

I nodded quickly in response and pressed my lips to his bare shoulder, sliding my arm up his chest. I gripped the silver chain tightly and held on for dear life, afraid he’d disappear, but he didn’t and I was almost surprised. He stayed in my grasp and held me the best he could, continuously placing soft kisses against my hair.

“So why aren’t I dead?” Nick asked suddenly. I could feel myself pull back harshly, the rawness of his voice and the realization of his question hitting me. I knitted my eyebrows together and sat stiff in my spot, not quite sure if I wanted to even listen to anything that had to deal with the death of Nick, even if he were sitting right in front of me… alive and beautiful.

“If you were fully human, you would be,” she informed us, her voice soft. Nick didn’t even blink where as I almost fell backwards. “And, thanks to Lonnie, there’s no chance of you dying from an aftershock.” Nick looked up and gave me a soft, sincere smile. I couldn’t return it, but I could feel my glow start to act up again. “The animal blood in you can surprisingly fight off a lot of things when mixed with human blood, but only if the cause isn’t natural.” He nodded with understanding and they looked at each other like they knew something I didn’t. I was about to ask when she continued. “When you first felt the pain, your body was taking in the venom and, when you stopped moving like Lonnie said, that would have initially been it… you would have been dead-” I cringed, “but you started feeling everything again because your body wasn’t done fighting.

“You were bitten as a wolf. The wolf blood in you was what received the contamination. I’m assuming you phased back within a few moments after that?” I nodded for him, knowing he was still a little fuzzy. “You know that your animal blood is quick to stay locked away when your in your human form. You have separate chambers that hold everything you’re able to phase into. When you’re in your human form though, your animal instincts can come out. Say there was a steak sitting right in front of you; would you go for it?”

“Yeah,” Nick answered quickly, his expression saying it was obvious.

“But what if there were five steaks; would you eat all of them?” He cracked a smile and nodded, resisting the urge to lick his lips. I had to shake my head to keep from laughing. Eve grinned.

“Nick can carry many animal traits into his human form. Like wanting all that steak, he’d sometimes get into a playful mode, one where he wants to run around and wrestle almost.” I had experienced that already. I nudged him lightly and ended up grinning, curling my fingers around his. “And then there are times where he’s in his targeting mode, so to speak.”

“What does that mean?” I questioned, furrowing my eyebrows as her lips twisted into a faint smirk.

“It’s almost like a mating season, but when you add it to his male teenage hormones, it’s an all the time kind of thing. There will be times where he’ll be in “the mood” --she used air quotes-- “and then there will be times where his actions might give off hints without control.” I looked down to find Nick’s expression blank, though a faint blush took over his cheeks. I knew I should’ve been embarrassed too, but I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped my mouth. I quickly shut it once I remembered that we had already… done something about that. I couldn’t help but wonder if waiting until after the marriage was a little hard for him though.

“So how did this save me?” he grumbled quickly, eager to get off the topic of his hormones. Eve smiled.

“Right, well when you phased into your human form, the blood that held the venom was being pushed away, vanishing. But it still carried out into your human bloodstream. By this happening, the venom was easily spread through, making your heart beat faster than it normally would have when you receive a bite.” I could see the image of his chest moving rapidly and I remembered the way it looked, almost like his heart was going to push through him. I felt faint. “By Lonnie using her magic on you, though it’s unclear of what she did, you were obviously calm enough to slow down. Your heart rate went back to normal and your body was unresponsive, giving the venom no time to react again.”

It was silent for a moment and I took the time to stare out my window. It felt as if I hadn’t been home much, like I hadn’t really felt at ease here in a while. Like I didn’t belong in a normal world. Looking down at Nick and his thoughtful expression as he stared at the wall, I knew it was true. Nick and I weren’t normal. We belonged somewhere where we could be open and free in our relationship and our lives overall. It made me wonder what exactly would happen after the wedding… and when exactly that was. But I had other questions, ones that pertained to this moment in time.

“So,” I started, trying to take everything in. “When I… calmed Nick, I slowed his heartbeat down? Which means that I helped stop him from reacting to the venom?” I didn’t quiet understand that.

“You did,” she nodded, clasping her hands together. “By slowing his heartbeat down, you also put him into a state of oblivion. When he finally did wake up, he was completely confused for a moment and he kept asking where you were. I’d say that he still thought you two were outside and in danger.”

I glanced down at Nick to see if that were true, but all I could see was his embarrassed and uncomfortable position. Nick didn’t like being confused or wrong… ever. I heaved a sigh and lifted my hand up, catching his attention immediately. His eyes followed my movements, eventually shutting when my fingers tangled in his matted curls. I knew he probably wanted to get cleaned up, but he’d have to rest for a little while longer.

“So… that’s in then?” I wondered, glancing at Eve while running my fingers through his hair soothingly. He sat back involuntarily, a look of peace covering his features. He just needed to relax and that I could help with. “I mean, he’ll be okay? Nothing’s the matter?”

“No,” Eve smiled, chuckling lightly at how worried I was. “He just needs some rest and he’ll probably be able to sleep everything off, granted he’ll still have some pain for a few days maybe. It depends on how fast he heals.”

I nodded in understanding and glanced over at Nick yet again. I could feel my lips tug up at just the sight of his comfort, his chest rising up and down with even breaths, almost as if he were asleep. I continued my actions for a moment, slowly stopping to rest my hand on his warm forehead. The gash didn’t look as bad, but it still made me cringe.

“Can you ask my dad if we have any band aids?” I murmured without looking up, refusing to take my eyes off of him. It only then occurred to me that my dad and Eve had been… kissing. I didn’t want to think of that now.

“Sure,” she whispered. I could feel the bed shift underneath me and I scooted closer to Nick, careful not to disrupt his sleep. I could hear the door open but silence followed, and then Eve spoke. “You know, it really surprised me… how much you care for Nick.” It surprised me too. I didn’t expect to be so… involved and shaken. I knew I loved him and I knew I would do anything for him, but nothing bad had really ever happened to him. It only led me to realize how much I really did need him, how much I wanted him in my life permanently. I bit my lip.

“This is probably a silly time to ask, but when exactly is our… wedding?” The words seemed to roll off my tongue without much of a struggle like I had expected. I continued to stare down at Nick, gently dragging my fingertips over his bruised cheek -- he didn’t even stir.

“It’ll be very soon after the battle,” Eve whispered after a moment. I shut my eyes and inhaled deeply, the image of myself on the field taking over. I had to think of every possibility possible….

“What if one of us doesn’t make it?” My voice almost cracked and it was so quiet that I didn’t even know if I had spoken. It was silent for a moment and I kept my eyes closed, doing my best to fight off the images of the continuous nightmare away. It was only a matter of time before I had to see it again… before it actually happened.

“You’ll both be fine, Lonnie,” she tried, her voice surprisingly sure, but I knew she couldn’t be.

I wanted to believe her, but my thoughts were hasty and I had to ask, “But what if one of us doesn’t?”

Silence took over once again and I thought she had left, the only sound being Nick’s soft breathing. I didn’t want to think about the bad things, but the things that could happen were things that would change everything. If I… didn’t make it, what happened to everyone? Would Lucas be in power? Would he take over the whole world and not just ours? Would he get rid of Nick or force him to help? There were so many things, but one question kept popping up: would Nick move on? I knew the whole soul mate concept, but Eve seemed to be moving on. Was that even possible? Did that mean Nick could eventually move on, just like Eve?

And what if Nick… I didn’t even want to think about it. I could feel tear's pricking my eyes but I knew I had to understand everything. How would everyone go on without the great wolf? Wouldn’t his people be in chaos? His family would be broken and I… I struggled to think about what I would do.

“That’s something no one can answer,” Eve finally spoke, catching me off guard. I looked up and behind myself slowly, taking in her sad expression, but I could see the hope in her eyes and I knew I had to focus on the positive. I had to focus on fighting back, on saving Nick and everyone else. “I’ll go get that bandage.” The door squeaked closed after she disappeared and I sighed and looked back down at Nick, pulling the blanket farther up on him. His head lifted up and his eyelids slowly opened, drooping as they revealed his chocolate eyes.

“You don’t have to sit here, you know,” he slurred lowly, already closing his eyes again. I smiled.

“I want to, though.”

He sighed lightly and reopened his eyes, blinking a few times to help keep them open. I watched him struggle to sit up before I took action and leaned forward, resting my hands on his bare shoulders. His skin was warm and soft and I found myself wanting to cuddle against him once again.

“Nick, you need rest.”

“No, I’m fine,” he argued weakly. Even when he was tired he still managed to be stronger than me. He used me as leverage to pull himself and then smiled when I pouted, gripping onto his forearms for added support. “I’ll stay up with you.”

“You need to go to sleeeeeep,” I stressed, dragging out the last word. He chuckled and rolled his eyes, a smile gracing his perfect lips.

“I’ll sleep when I’m ready,” he informed me, his tone letting me know that he was still capable of taking control. I groaned with disapproval, but it didn’t faze him.

“You’re too stubborn, you know that Jonas?” I couldn’t help but smile when he raised his eyebrows, his whole expression making me giggle.

“Oh, so now we’re at last names? I see. You don’t like handicapped guys.” He gave me a pretend pout and turned his head, crossing his arms for an added effect. I laughed a little louder.

“Oh please. Don’t be such a drama queen.” His eyes widened as he turned to me, one eye almost twitching, and I bit my quivering lip to keep any more laughter from spilling out.

“So now I’m a priss, a drama queen, and a prude? Gee Lonnie, you sure know how to treat your soul mate.” I didn’t know why I found it so funny, but I couldn’t contain my laughter and ended up snorting. Snorting. How embarrassing. I instantly covered my mouth and looked at Nick, who was eying me deviously, a smirk covering his lips.

“You… just… snorted,” he drug out, his voice hard taunting, telling me the obvious. “You snorted like a pig!” My mouth fell open and I punched his shoulder, getting him to laugh that velvet sound.

“It’s not funny!” I tried, but I failed, his laughter fading out my attempt to recover.

“Awe, my Lonnie’s a little piggy,” he chuckled, dead set on holding this against me. So what? Lonnie Stewart: 3--4 if you count wolf boy, and even 5 if you counted the beauty mark thing. Nick Jonas: 1. I was clearly winning on the insults.

“Oh, cram it Jonas.” I knew it was a joke, but snorting in front of your boyfriend slash fiancé was not one of my finest moments. I blushed.

“It’s okay Stewart,” he breathed once his laughter quieted down, though his eyes still held amusement-- I was happy that he was in a better mood. “I thought it was sort of cute.” His words only made me blush further and I pushed his shoulder again before crossing my arms. “Come here,” he murmured, nodding his head back a bit to motion me forward. I did as he said, placing my hands on either side of his blanket covered thighs, and locked his gaze. He lifted his hands up and cupped both of my cheeks, pulling me towards him easily. My heart acted up within seconds and I held my breath when his lips met mine. He turned his head a bit and pressed his lips more firmly against mine, moving them at a slow, sensual pace. I had never really felt so drawn in with just one kiss before.

I liked it.

He pulled away slowly but kept his hands on my face, his head still cocked as he smiled dreamily at me. Looking at him, just being with him like this… it was one of the moments I didn’t want to end. But Eve came in and Nick pulled back, refusing to show much affection in front of people.

Dang.

“I found the band aids,” she smiled, a light chuckle leaving her lips once she saw us. “Nick, you’re supposed to rest.”

“I told him!” I piped up, getting him to roll his eyes.

“Ah, so Nicholas isn’t listening to the rules? I knew it’d only be a matter of time before he rebelled,” she joked, getting me to grin like a child who had just been commended. He shot me an “oh please” look, but I stuck my tongue out and plopped down beside him. I didn’t really think about her words until after I saw Nick eyeing me, his eyes darting to Eve who was watching discreetly while she opened the box… like she knew something.

Like… maybe she knew what we had done.

I wiped the smug look off my face in an instant.

“Here we are,” she cleared her throat, smiling as if nothing was up. I hoped not.

She handed me the little strip and I quickly took the white papers off, turning to face Nick. He leaned forward with a sigh and shut one eye when I brushed the curls away from his cut. He pursed his lips and held his breath, and I couldn’t help but laugh a little; he was too cute. I centered the bandage over his cut and pressed down lightly, though firmly enough to get it to stick, and rubbed my thumb over it carefully. He grabbed my wrist and his eyes locked mine while he brought it down, placing a kiss to the top. His intense eyes never left mine while he dragged his lips, twisting my arm just barely to place a kiss on the inside of my wrist. I wanted to tell him to stop trying to make me faint, but I liked his actions too much.

Both of us had forgotten Eve was in the room and once Nick realized it, he dropped my hand while his cheeks showed a rosy color again. Eve watched us for another moment before blinking quickly and standing up straight.

“Your father said you had some visitors.”

I furrowed my eyebrows and glanced over at a still tired Nick, only to find his expression mirroring mine.

“Umm… okay?” I questioned, shrugging my shoulders.

“I’ll tell him to send them up,” she smiled, closing the box and heading towards the door. Them?

It wasn’t even a minute before I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Nick eyed me carefully and tried to sit up again, but I stopped him once I realized he wanted to stand.

“No Nick,” I scolded quickly, tugging him back down.

“I’m a big boy Lonnie,” he informed me, his tone soft but firm, “and I can take care of myself.”

“Not on my watch,” I grinned, setting my hand on his shoulders. I curled my fingers around them slowly, twisting my body so I could face him better. I knew he probably thought I was looking at him funny, but if he wanted me to stop then he needed to put a shirt on. I was dying over here. “Relax,” I breathed, leaning down because I was on my knees again. He craned his neck slightly and looked up at me, his warm breath fanning across my lips. I wanted to kiss him but I stopped when I heard the a soft knock on the door, my eyes shutting tight with slight frustration. All I wanted was to be alone with Nick, but I was very interested to see who was here. Sitting back, I watched him give me a wary look. I leaned forward quickly and gave his cheek a firm peck, grinning when he blushed and looked down at his hands.

“Come in,” I said loudly, biting the side of my lip in anticipation. I smiled widely suddenly, unusually happy to see Anna’s head poke through the door. She eyed the two of us and grinned right back, slowly stepping in.

“Lonnie,” she said carefully, trailing her eyes to Nick. “Nick.” And, once again, it was only then that I realized that we hadn’t really talked much. I knew she knew that Nick and I… and I knew that she knew about my little episode and Josh seeing Nick as a wolf. I didn’t know, however, what she thought or even believed. I gulped.

“Hey Anna,” I smiled, this time a little more timidly. Nick offered a polite hello and leaned against the pillow, wincing only slightly as the next wave of pain flowed through him.

“Umm… what’s going on?” It was a simple question, but to Nick and I… it was so very complicated.

“What do you mean?” I remembered giving Nick the car for his birthday and how, then, everything seemed so normal between me and Anna. She thought I was normal and maybe then I wished I was, but now I knew that I couldn’t be and that I didn’t want to be. I just wanted to be me, to be with Nick, and I had to let her know that sooner or later.

She had to know the truth.

“Well,” she cleared her throat. “I haven’t seen you in school since…” she trailed off, looking down at her feet awkwardly. It was almost like she couldn’t look at Nick and I, like she’d get a mental image or something.

Thanks Josh.

“I’ve had a lot going on.” My answer was quick but I didn’t want to hide from her anymore. I rubbed my eyes roughly, glad I didn’t wear any eyeliner today. I didn’t need to snort and look like a raccoon.

“Lonnie,” she whispered, biting her lip. “Josh is here too and, I dunno…. I thought we could all talk?”

I took a quick glance at Nick’s loose figure, surprised that he didn’t tense up. He gave me a look that said fine and I gave her a nod, taking a moment to snuggle into his side. I knew everything would be coming out now. Anna reached for the door and in stepped Josh, his eyes immediately focusing on us, but he looked… different. He looked almost sorry. I gave him a slight smile.

Josh and Anna stood by the door while I cuddled up to Nick on the bed, but none of us spoke a word. The silence was almost awkward and all of us looked so lost--I needed to break the silence.

“Nick,” I murmured, taking a glance at him from behind my bangs. He connected his gaze with mine and, without speaking a word, he seemed to know what I want. He nodded. “Guys… this is something you have to keep secret, something that no one can know.” The two looked at each other with a mixture of confusion and worry, but ended up nodding once they realized I was waiting.

“You can trust us,” Anna whispered, and I trusted her.

“Josh, what you saw the other day… with my panicking and Nick’s… wolf-ness--” I could hear his light chuckle from beside me-- “Well, it’s a long story and I’ll just give you the run through.”

They nodded.

Oh boy.

“Nick’s a… wolf. He’s human, but he can phase and, when he’s a wolf, I can hear his thoughts. His eyes are gold when he phases and it matches my glow… because I’m a witch. His eyes are the color of my glow because we’re soul mates, and that means we were meant specifically for each other. He came to our school because, him being ready to take the title of the great wolf from his dad, was supposed to find the great witch… aka, me.” I waited for a moment, inhaling deeply. I could feel Nick’s arm tighten around my waist and he shifted, tired of sitting in the same spot. My eyes, however, were locked on a deathly-still Josh and a wide-eyed Anna.

So… I continued.

“My mom was the great witch and she died to save me. I have powers and I’m trying to get them under control, and I’m glowing right now but you can’t see it because you’re human.” I had to stop talking so fast. Taking a deep breath again, I glanced up at Nick to make sure he was okay with all of this; I was surprised when he opened his mouth, taking over.

“There’s a black magic that Lonnie defeated last year, but it’s back. There was a lot of trouble with who was on what side and now that we know, we’re better prepared to fight… but it’s not just for our world this time. Everyone is in danger if Lucas defeats Lonnie, and by her seeing what she sees, we know it’ll be harder.”

“Umm…” Anna spoke slowly, her expression completely blank. I knew this was a lot to take in, but if I could do it, so could she. At least she didn’t have to live it. “So… you’re a, umm, you’re a wolf and Lonnie’s a witch, and you two are soul mates, destined to be with each other forever and fight by each other’s side to save all of man kind?!” Her voice got louder as she rambled, and her eyes sort of popped open, like she was digesting it already so quickly. I blushed at her words and nodded, as did Nick, both of us waiting for something else to be said. “OHMYGOSH!” she gushed in one breath. I wasn’t caught off guard and Nick wasn’t either, surprisingly. We both knew Anna by now. “That is soooo romantic! I can’t, oh wow. I can’t even…” she shook her head wildly and grinned, her giggle sounding through the air.

Josh, on the other hand, stayed blank.

“Surprised?” I laughed nervously, sliding my hand down to connect with Nick’s that sat underneath the comforter. He twisted his fingers with mine, his warmth immediately washing over me, and I had the sudden urge to play with the necklace he had given me.

“Like, really surprised!” she confirmed, nodding quickly. She rushed forward suddenly and sat on the edge of my bed, eying the two of us with a smile. So much for any awkward images she had. I was thankful that she was taking this so well. “So, umm… you two have obviously-”

“Let’s not go there, please,” Nick said quickly, obviously holding a mixture of discomfort and embarrassment. I giggled.

Oh, how I missed Anna.

“Alrighty Nick. No problem,” she grinned, pushing her hair back. He sighed with relief and sat himself back again, catching her attention. “But what’s the matter with him?” She whispered it to me, almost like she was afraid of bothering him by asking. I sighed.

“We had a… minor run in earlier. He got hurt pretty badly, but he’s okay now.”

“She used her magic to help me,” Nick grinned, nudging me as I blushed and Anna squealed.

“Lonnie, this is so weird and awesome at the same time. I mean, I don’t know if I can seriously believe that my best friend is a witch and her boyfriend is a wolf!” She was so happy that I decided to lay another piece of big information on her.

“Nick’s actually, umm, my fiancé.” Nick didn’t’ seemed fazed by the word, he just kept his eyes closed while I lifted my hand up, showing her the ring. She had seen it before, but only knew it to be a “promise ring.” Now that she knew it was an engagement ring, she flipped.

“Oh my GOD! Lonnie Stewart and Nick Jonas are getting married?!”

I was surprised the whole world didn’t hear. If my dad didn’t know about this, I’d be afraid of what he might do. But he knew and he loved Nick, so I was safe.

She lurched forward suddenly and wrapped both of us in a tight hug, completely oblivious to Nick’s wince. He embraced it though, surprisingly, and gave her a soft pat on the back.

“Congratulations!”

I heard a new voice suddenly and I almost didn’t recognize it, but it caught all of our attentions. “You’re sixteen.” Josh looked up for once, his expression unreadable, but he didn’t look angry.

It wasn’t like I had some big speech prepared to defend my maturity and eagerness to get married to Nick, because I didn’t. And it wasn’t like I didn’t know sixteen was young to get married, because I did. But when I thought about the words “married, Nick, and sixteen“… nothing seemed out of place to me, especially when you added the words “I’m, to, getting, at“, and placed them in this order: I’m getting married to Nick at sixteen. It seemed… natural.

“I know,” I sighed, glancing up at Josh again.

“Are you getting married because you have to or what?” he seemed generally interested rather than irritated, and it made me wonder what was up with him. It surprised me when Nick spoke up though.

“I’m not going to lie and say no. There would be a point in our future, a point rather soon if not now, that we would have to get married. As leaders of our kind, we have specific rules to follow. We discussed this with the council and decided that, since we are young, getting married now would be the best decision. We have to stay strong because we’ll always have duties and knowing that we’re the strongest together only fuels the decision to take that step and spend the rest of our lives known as husband and wife,” he said smoothly. It always amazed me by how confident and knowledgeable he spoke, but he wasn’t finished. “But-” he started strongly, his lips pursing for only a moment before continuing, “it’s more than just a have-to thing. When we met each other, it seemed to be a have-to thing for me. I knew the rules and I knew what would happen, and we knew that we felt differently about each other. But when I finally realized how I felt about her, I knew I wanted to be with her. I love her and, even though I’m not so great at these kinds of things, I’d want to marry her eventually anyway. Granted I might have asked her a few years into the relationship, if everything was normal and we were just together, but right now… right now I know that we’re doing this because we want to. Not because of any rules or because we have duties, but because we truly love each other.”

I think my mouth had dropped open sometime during his little speech and, while listening intently, those butterflies came back to swarm my tummy again. Nick was different, so incredibly sweet and structured, and when he spoke everyone listened.

And when he spoke, I knew that we loved each other. And it would always be that simple. When everything else was a mess, full of unknown obstacles, I could always count on Nick’s sweet voice to tell me that he loved me, and then everything would be okay.

It was so cliché, but it was so… us. We were us. And that’s what made me smile.

“And I think it’s pretty clear now that Nick doesn’t follow all of the rules,” I spoke up, giggling when he gave me a look. He ended up smiling though, shaking his head at what I was implying. “So, umm… besides the whole “our lives might be in danger” thing, what do you guys think?” I bit my lip and focused on Anna’s extremely elated expression before glancing over at Josh and his softer look.

“I think…” he trailed off, obviously struggling. I waited though, I waited because I knew I wanted his approval. I didn’t need it and if he decided he didn’t like this, well… I didn’t care. But I wanted to be his friend and I wanted him and Anna there… at my wedding. I wanted them there for us. “I think you guys are too mushy for your own good.” And there it was, his smile. Anna sighed heavily, the sound coming out as more of a squeal, and we all knew that we were in this together. Everything was in the open and uncovered, and some things were going to be okay.

Nick glanced down at me with that same sweet smile, and there was something different in his eyes. They were softer, more open, and I knew that we really were going to be together forever. As soul mates. As best friends. As lovers, as weird and crazy as that sounded.

“I love you,” he said lowly, his words mixing together nervously. I smiled a full on smile and nodded, shutting my eyes when he pressed a warm kiss to my lips.

“You do know that that’s forever now, don’t you? I’m holding you to everything you said.” He gave off a soft laugh, both of us completely ignoring Anna as she excitedly yelled at Josh about all things “Lonnie and Nick.”

“I know, but I think a forever with you is okay. You know, what with all your snorts and whines and weird quirks,” he smirked, pulling me into his chest. He pressed his forehead to mine as I scoffed, poking his side with a smile of my own. His smile lightened and I didn’t know how much happier I could be for the moment--it was definitely one I had been needing. “But… I think a forever with you Lilliani Stewart, well, it might just be the best thing to come. The light in the storm, so to speak,” he grinned almost cheekily, his chocolate eyes sparkling.

And then it clicked. That was all I need. No matter where Nick was, no matter what was happening, us was what I needed. This was what I needed to know to defeat Lucas. The future Nick and I had together was the key because, no matter what thoughts Lucas put in my head, I would always see the wedding. And I knew I would win.

“I like the sound of that.”