Final Curtain

Mel's POV

Bike shopping was tiring. Even eye-candy-Jensen wasn't doing a thing for my boredom. Still, being out and about beat sitting in my apartment wondering who the hell sent me that text a week ago. No more texts had come in, which I took as a good sign. For the last week, I discovered there are many hours, minutes and seconds in a day to fill. I'd spent most of them drawing, trying to get thoughts of murdering people sending me crazy texts. So, yeah. Fun.

And I hadn't heard anything from Nathaniel since our awkward little meeting. Which I'd also thought about. Too much. Why would I think about that?

God.

My head was a muddled mess.

I heard Jensen talking bike parts and things like horse power—again. I just cared if the thing was curvy and pretty.

That sounded so girly for a girl who'd survived a Cult of assassins.

Anyway, I groaned when he shook his head at the salesman. Would me pulling on his arm be too bratty? Hmm. Yup. But if he rejected the next one I was so doing it. I distracted myself with a poster about some dirt bike race. Held my interest for about five seconds.

I unlocked my phone's screen. Not caring if anyone was looking, I put it on selfie mode and grinned cutely, snapping one. I snapped more, making weird faces that made me chuckle on my own. I clicked on 'gallery' to see the results. In the midst of sweeping picture after picture, one I hadn't taken—right now—stared back at me, causing strange jellyfish stings over my skin.

We were somewhere outdoors—Central Park, maybe—trees, blue skies and some skyscrapers loomed in a distance. I was sitting behind Nathaniel, one arm was wrapped around his neck as I leaned forward, pressing our cheeks together. I was smiling. And... so was he.

It was a whole different specimen of smile. It radiated warmth, content, happiness. His eyes...

I gulped looking up quickly. The salesman was back.

"Well, we have this new Italian model. It has..." I sighed tuning the guy out. Instead, I looked at Jensen's face. It was tightly focused, sometimes he nodded at what the man said, when he liked what he heard.

"I think it's a good one."

"Really?" I beamed breaking eye contact

Jensen snickered at my amazement. Obviously he didn't realize how long we'd been at this. Almost three hours. We'd gone to four different stores. No joke.

"Yeah, really."

"Wow. I mean, wow. I thought you were going to drag me to every bike shop in New York."

"Sorry if I care about your safety."

"You met me days ago."

"That doesn't mean I want you to ride into a wall, sweetheart."

My face lit with a smile. Quickly, I looked away, facing the uninteresting poster from before.

"Worried I'll see you smiling?"

"Don't flatter yourself." I muttered. I had to force myself to stay statue-still when he bowed his head. Hot breath slapped my face and I got a strange feeling in my stomach.

It was... unpleasant. I think. Because I wished Jensen's exhales were cooler, like... My brow pinched severely.

Like whose?

"Hey, you okay?" I blinked slowly, having a hard time coming down to Earth. "Melissa? Are you alright?"

Except for the strange shivers running down my spine and the craving for cool breath running along my neck? Yeah, I was super.

"I'm fine..." I pushed out, putting some needed distance between us. "Can I ask you something? It's personal."

Jensen got back to full height as he looked down with searing blue eyes. Lovely eyes.

"Damn. I was hoping you'd save those for our first date."

Our what the what?

He snickered at my raving look.

"Aren't you a cocky dude." I flashed a dark glare, he shrugged confidence unwavering. "Well, I was going to ask why you agreed on helping me. But I guess you answered it."

Jensen wagged a finger my way.

"I can give you a few more reasons. For one, you liked my bike. Two, your spot-making-decision-moment was totally crazy." He shrugged. "I like crazy. And you're hot. Even if I didn't like crazy, I'd still be here. Hot tramples crazy every time."

Well, then.

Clearing my throat, I chose my next words carefully.

"I think you should know something then..."

He slapped on a mock-horror expression, "Are you a swinger?"

"What? No!" I covered my mouth, laughing. "No... Nothing like that. It's just... I'm not really looking for a relationship. Don't get me wrong, you're good looking and funny, but I have this... situation with..."

"Another guy?"

"Yeah. It's complicated and delicate."

"Isn't it always?" Jensen murmured heaving a sad laugh. "Just friends?" I nodded. "I'm not making any promises. I might break them."

I looked at a bike aisle hiding a grimace. Leave it to me to attract cocky bastards.

Sighing, I put my phone away, pushing the photo into a private folder of my brain. The man was showing off the bike Jensen agreed on and I wanted to actually look at it—no need for sidetracking.

"It's a NINJA ZX-10R ABS," Jensen filled in. "It's—"

It was awesome.

The color was flat ebony, the panels were sleek and lusterless. It had edges and curves looking very sophisticated and the tires? They were sleek. Beautiful. There was a little green surrounding the inside of each tire wheel, making me love it more.

"I didn't understand a word you just said." Jensen scratched his head, letting his eyes court the Kawasaki bike. I nearly sputtered a laugh. "I like it, though."

"It's one of the safest bikes out there." No one would say, it was big, reaching a little above my hip and its design made me think of extreme velocity rampages.

I wavered, "You're going to teach me how to ride it?"

"I agreed before I knew you only wanted to be friends—" I slapped his arm with the back of my hand. Jensen grinned. "Joking. Yes, of course. You wouldn't even start it, otherwise."

"Okay, that's insulting. I'm not an ignorant." I shook my head, turning to the man. I talked prices with him—Jensen wanted to intervene, and did so, bargaining for the best deal possible. Why did men always assumed they could make prices lower?

While negotiations were well underway, my phone chimed. Dread doused my veins as I pulled out. Please don't be a creepy message, please don't be a creepy message...

It was from Aric.

I put a hand to my chest heaving a huff, relieved.

He'd texted me his address, a request I'd sent him this morning so I could go over and show him the text. I wasn't comfortable doing it over the phone.

Jensen put down the final price and I arranged with the stand's owner so that my bike—I couldn't stop grinning—would be delivered tomorrow at my apartment. Luckily, I had enough garage space for it. We shook hands with the salesman before leaving, once outside, Jensen turned to me.

"So what's the situation type?"

I stopped fishing for the keys to my Ford, tilting my head to see him better.

"Excuse me?"

"You said there's a guy and it's complicated. What's the deal? Unrequited love? Cheated, but you still like him?"

Lips parted in a silent whisper, for a moment, I couldn't utter a word. Until the taboo folder in my brain split open and that photo burned in my mind's eye. A bitter taste settled on tongue.

"It's none of your business." I plunged my hand further into the bag, my fingers brushed the key. I pulled it out and clicked open my car. "I meant what I said. Friends. I don't want anything serious—"

Jensen leaned on the open car door, eyes blazing like ten blue suns. I backed up banging my shoulder into the Ford.

"How about casual?"

My eyes hardened in a glare.

"Or casual."

For a while, all he did was look into the depth of my own gaze. I refused to shift, daring him to argue on this matter some more. Jensen was really nice, jaw-dropping-sexy with his dark hair and bright eyes, but my palm was twitching. I wasn't going to be pushed around by a guy I'd just met or any guy, not again. I must've developed some backbone courtesy of Nathaniel's rough treatment.

I won.

Jensen cocked his head pushing away from the car, lips settling into a lazy grin as he walked backward, eying me.

"I think I like you, Melissa." A jesting chuckle left me. "That wasn't a joke."

My mouth pressed tightly. I shook my head getting in and slamming the door. Looking out the window, I watched as he threw a long leg over his monstrous bike—helmet already on—and he looked over a shoulder, eyes shielded by the visor.

I turned away abruptly. The roaring engine came to live seconds later.

Next, I punched Aric's address into the car's navigation system, setting course.

***

Aric lived in a suburb of sorts, his house was two levels tall. Cute and rustic for Queens. I pulled up on its driveway. Out of the car I rubbed my arms, cursing my denim jacket. It was getting too cold for spring clothes. Winter was approaching full force. Vegetation kept the house guarded from prying eyes. I took it that it was on purpose, considering his line of work, Aric couldn't afford snooping. I walked past the little iron gate, trudging to the door, knee high boots clicking off the paved path.

One second I was ringing the doorbell, and before I knew it, it swung open almost making me dive into some bushes with the scare. He'd opened it so silently... I hadn't heard steps or locks. Talk about stealth mode.

"Thought I was a ghost, did you?" At the mention of 'ghost' I paled. He boosted a long laugh. "Good to know some thing's never change." He nodded me in, still smirking and I held back my tongue. Making five-year old faces wasn't the best defense.

Surprise struck me. Aric's house was clean, tidy, with only the necessary furniture for what I could see. Maybe he didn't just have this house—his accent was Australian. He probably spent a lot of time there, not in the U.S.

Was he staying because of Anna? Aww, that would be so sweet!

"Your house isn't a bachelor-pad. Congrats." I said, following him into the kitchen. He motioned for me to sit on a chair, I did.

"The fact I'm not a bachelor helps." He got me there. Aric's face was cleanly shaven, he was wearing a thick sweater—smart guy—and dark jeans. His attire choice made his glowing green eyes pop. "How have you been?"

I shrugged one shoulder, "I'm not sure. Good? Confused?" I repressed a giant sigh handing him the phone. I held up my hands. "I have no idea what that means. I read it, re-read it over and over trying to... jog some memories or something... But nothing."

Aric's jaw ticked as he flexed it. I think that meant he didn't like what he was reading.

"Do you think it's this... Nolan?"

"I don't know," he answered gruffly. "It's doubtful, though. This seems like something Drew would say. He didn't know her."

"Drew?"

My half-brother stilled. He'd been about to say something. Why had he stopped? I slit my eyes remembering this wasn't the first time he seemed to avoid saying certain things around me. The other day at the coffee shop? He'd stopped Anna from finishing a sentence. Of course, this could be me being paranoid.

"She was Nate's adoptive sister. Anna told you, yeah?" Blinking, I swallowed. Anna had told me. She hadn't sounded like a good person, and was Aric implying she called her brother 'pet'? That was sickening!

"Isn't she dead?" Slowly, he nodded. "Well, she can't be sending me texts. Unless..." I gripped my satchel. "Ghosts are real and... and they have phones in the afterlife! Or maybe she slipped into a poor bastard's body and used their phone."

Aric regarded me with an odd look. I shied away from his eyes, using my long hair as a barrier, goofiness dying straight away.

"I think it's safe to assume none of the above are possible, little sister." He gave my phone one last searing glare, before handing it back, I took it like it was a hot potato shoving into my bag. "You don't remember, but this wasn't the first text you've received. There was another one and someone broke into your apartment and..." he trailed off, looking far off.

I leaned over the table, expectant. Aric jumbled our conversation topic suddenly.

"You should talk to Nathaniel. He's been awful to be around ever since your talk. I don't know how much more it will take for him to resort to stalking." He mussed. I sat straight, alarmed. One eyebrow arched with elegance. "Relax, luv. British humor. Ha, ha, ha?"

I eyeballed Mr. Funny Guy.

"You're scared."

My lips fumbled for coherent phrasing, "How...?"

"I've known you for a while. I know what makes you scared."

To stop my foot from bouncing with an insane tempo, I got up and leaned on the counter, pressing a hand to my right temple.

"It's... I feel like I've changed. In ways I don't even understand or thought possible." I rubbed the band-aid covering the pad of my index finger. "I cut myself today."

Aric delivered me a sharp, concerned glare.

"Not on purpose. It was a paper cut." I deadpanned holding up the injury. He breathed easy. "I used to get the worst dizzy spells and nausea at the sight of blood. Even with one little drop. Today... There was nothing. Just unease and grossness."

"Hmm," he intoned. Was that good or bad? Was I reading too much into my lack of squeamishness? "You're worried you've changed in order to fall for Nate, aren't you? That's why you're so reluctant when it comes to you both."

He nipped it straight in the butt. Aric was insightful. I liked that.

I nodded solemnly, throwing open my arms.

"Did I become totally different? Did I think it was okay for him to play mind games with me, hurt me...?" I whispered squeezing both temples, shaking my head with a rough groan. "I'm scared of finding out the answers. And from what I remember, he's not my type. If I had a type it would be someone sweet like Parker. But now I'm attracted to guys who have a bad boy vibe and motorcycles and..." Aric silently gaped. "I'm sorry. This is awkward, isn't it?"

Shaking himself off, he waved a hand in dismissal giving me a green light.

"Hum. I met a guy on campus a few days ago. I flirted with him from the get-go. Which isn't me or wasn't. Did I flirt shamelessly like that before?"

That caused a small grin to appear on Aric's face.

"If you had, Nate would've most certainly gone bonkers." Right. Good to know we were both into monogamy. "Not everything is black and white Melissa, there are gray areas and Nathaniel isn't the person you remember. I think you're hitting on this college bloke because you know something is missing. Your mind doesn't remember, but your heart? That's a whole different story, luv."

"You're saying... Jensen is like the Nathaniel I don't remember?"

"Yeah,"

"That's why I'm attracted to him? Because I subconsciously want to fill a void?" Again he nodded, nonchalant. "But... Shouldn't I be pulled towards him? Nathaniel, I mean."

"In your head he's a bad guy. You haven't spent more than ten minutes together for him to show you he's not the person you think he is."

Guilt poured out of me as if I'd been stabbed. Gutted. I could see Aric was trying to be gentle about the whole thing, withholding judgment, but those green pools shimmered with disappointment. It made me rock by on my heels.

He broke eye contact sauntering over to the fridge grabbing a bottle of sparkling water.

"I think you need to slow down." He took off the cap taking a long swig. "You need to stop. Trust what everyone's telling you. I know it's not easy, that you're afraid of what you might have become, afraid of Nate, your whole relationship... But you need to evaluate everything."

Aric sounded totes experienced in life. Like a great guru that knew everything about anything and he made me relax. Made me feel understood.

"I think I liked you before."

He chuckled deeply, "What's not to like? I'm irresistible."

"You definitely got Anna on board."

"That was mutual. She's a feisty little thing, took ages for me to unfreeze her heart." His eyes grew both tender and soft. I imagined Anna told him some secrets about her past.

Did I even know all of them? I liked to think so. But she'd been an Assassin for so long and hadn't told me...

"I told Jensen I wasn't interested. Just wanted to be friends."

An eyebrow lifted.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I thought it was the right thing to do. For everyone." I hoped Aric didn't read into this as me having feelings for his brother, because obviously, there was something buried. But I wasn't ready to open Pandora's box.

Not without digging up what happened between us. There was only one way to do that, though, the other half of our relationship remembered. I didn't. I needed Nathaniel. That also meant I had to... trust him. Trust him to tell the truth—surely enough, Anna and Aric didn't know every little detail of us.

I bit my thumbnail.

"You really don't know anything about who might've sent that text?" I was hoping the sole purpose of coming here hadn't been so he'd kick my ass into gear and play psychologist. Sadly, Aric shrugged his round shoulders.

"I'll try looking into it. If you get anymore of these—"

"I'll tell you." I swung the satchel's strap over a slim shoulder.

Aric didn't walk me to the door, he was too busy building a hot-dog. I let myself out and walked briskly along the pavement, hugging myself close. A sudden rush of cold wind blew harder, my teeth chattered. Yup, I needed a better jacket. Perhaps a woolen swearer, too.

Just as I stepped outside Aric's property, I plowed into a hard, rippled surface. If anyone heard the yelp I gave they'd think I'd hurtled my nose into a wall. But walls... they weren't warm. Or smelled like musk and... A sweet scent underlined the muskiness, it brought Christmas to mind but before I got a good reading on why exactly I stumbled back a step, lifting my wide gaze.

The whole expanse of his chest was taut, his shoulders were broad and he had pecks—freaking pecks! I shouldn't have been astonished that his stomach was so totally, deliciously ripped. Saying he had a six-pack didn't cover it.

As my eyes caught on the narrow hips a throat clearing sound came from the 'wall' I'd been so shamelessly ogling. I found bright cognac eyes faster than I liked to admit.

Nathaniel stared me down, standing at his six-feet mark while I gulped, standing at five-feet and five inches.

"You should watch where you're going, sweetheart."

Recuperating from the sudden encounter, I licked my lower lip, finding my voice.

"You should take your own advice." His smoky glare didn't yield. My body unconsciously shifted my weight. "And don't call me that."

"What?" he stepped closer, I stepped back not liking the close space we were suddenly sharing. Or... My breathing itched... Maybe my body liked it too much. "Sweetheart?"

With another step closer and me making another backward, I tried stepping around him, nodding all the while. One strong arm shot right—blocking the safe passage. I tried left, the same thing happened.

"Would you stop..."

My throat dried as Nathaniel took more steps, stirring me—us—somewhere of his choosing. Soon, my back sunk against metal. The tall fence around Aric's house, my brain kindly supplied as if that would distract me from the obvious danger looming in front of me.

"Stop what?"

Why was he out here? Without a shirt no less! Since when had sweatpants become proper clothing for people and wasn't he cold? His skin did look flushed. Sweat trickled down the dipped abs, from his hairline too.

I think... he'd been running.

"This," I emphasized looking at each of his arms on either side of me—trapping me. "What are you even doing here?"

"I should be asking you that."

"I asked first."

Nathaniel's lips parted with a lavish grin.

"I've been staying here," his hands gripped the fence harder, my own fingers curled around the slim bars behind me. "Aric didn't tell me you were swinging by."

"Aric didn't tell me you were living here, either." I grumbled trying desperately to avoid staring at... Well, at any part of him. "Can you back off now? I need to go."

"Where exactly? Anna told me you quit college." Dang it, Anna. "And besides," his voice lowered, deepening into this lust-dropping tone causing me to think of sex. With him. Which I didn't remember, but clearly we'd had. "I forgot how much fun riling you up is."

His breath hit the slope of my neck—cool breath. Yep.

My palms were beginning to sweat. I was divided. My body screamed with something primal, want, need. Meanwhile, my mind struggled between what I remembered and what I'd been told—about that message, the drawing, picture. It all had my heart roaring.

"Stop," I heaved softly, passing him a tantalizing side-glance hoping to sway him.

A deep sound emanated from his throat—a growl of pleasure mixed. His face shifted into slight pain.

"That's not helping," he said through gritted teeth, sounding tortured.

Quickly, I dropped the gaze. I wish he'd drop the bedroom-eyes, too. I saw the play of emotions across his face, in his steamy irises, all the time feeling my muscles blocking and pulsing each time Nathaniel moved an inch.

There was a minute—for one single minute—when I thought he was going to lean all the way down, touch our lips together, he didn't. Nathaniel pushed himself back with force taking the heavy atmosphere along.

I still wouldn't breathe deeply, which was bad. I needed oxygen. Badly.

He put both hands on his hips—I kept eyes on his face, where the five o'clock shadow took care of my girly delirious mind.

Good grief.

"You still haven't answered my question, sweetheart." He smirked openly at my distaste. "What are you doing here?"

I wanted to get away. I needed to leave. Because I could feel my self-control slip dangerously low.

"Aric can tell you." I stepped toward the Ford. This time, Nathaniel made no move to stop—

"I thought about what you said." My body froze, I whirled to face him and got blown away by the tired out face. His face was much better than last time, almost all bruise marks were gone, but sunken shadows loomed under his eyes. "About you needing space and time to figure out what you want—if want me in your life."

"I..."

"There are a million reasons why you shouldn't want me, princess. You knew them before and you still wanted me. I did awful things to you, more than you remember. But somewhere along the way you decided I was worth saving." Nathaniel locked arms over his bare chest, muscles flexed but I was enticed with his speech. "I couldn't understand why... and after a while I stopped wondering and just let myself be with you." A hand racked the damp ash hair, Nathaniel looked at me straightly. "It's the happiest I've ever been and I want to feel that way again. With you. But I can't... I can't force you to remember, to want me like before. Or to want me at all." Helplessness stained his voice. "I could never be that selfish with you."

Our gazes gravitated slowly but surely to each other,

"Even if you don't remember that."

The grip on my bag's strap loosened. It had something to do with the slow, growing humidity behind my eyes. A ghost tightened its grip on my airways—my lips smacked together, pressing as hard as possible.

"If you want to move on..." he paused abruptly, scrubbing a hand along his face—his eyes. Nathaniel's eyes were hooded, hidden from view as he spoke next. "If you want to move then move on. I'm not going to sabotage your attempts or whatever."

My heart gave a giant squeeze for reasons I understood, but also for a life I didn't remember, for something I'd lost and might never get back. Suddenly, the idea of moving on appeared crazy, an impossibility too big for me move past.

"I don't..." I began, wincing at the sizable headache. "I don't know what I want. Some things are clear, like with college, because I know exactly how I feel about it. Other things..." I closed my eyes, heaving, "With you," I shook my head angry at myself. "I don't know."

"What does that mean?"

"It means..." I pressed my shoulders into my car—praying Aric was happy about his talking-skills. "It means, the only way I can decide what I want is by getting to know you. I want to at least try."

His eyes fluttered in complete bewilderment. A smile tugged at me. The awe made him look younger, more innocent.

Okay.

I was venturing into strange territory. Clearing my thoughts, I opened my car, climbed in, aware of being watched—closely. It wasn't like when Jensen watched, though. It made me feel tingly. Not like a hot piece of ass.

After buckling myself in the driver's door closed. I jumped. From outside muffled laughter rang out. Nathaniel made a gesture with his hand telling me to roll down the window. Biting my lip with hesitation, I lowered it with an eye roll.

"What?"

My crude tone did nothing to ease the small sardonic smile. His eyes were so brilliant all of a sudden, radiant. With hope, I realized. I felt guilt ease into cracks. Nathaniel placed both elbows onto the open space, lowering his head until we were eye level.

"Drive safe," he whispered, eyes lingering on my lips for beat. Then, he pulled away taking several steps back before turning and heading into the house.

Tiny pieces of anxiety converged together, forming a massive ball of doubt and haste. What had I done?

Maybe Anna was right—I was going crazy.

I could be making the biggest mistake of my life because of a tiny glitter of emotions I just... couldn't shake. Something that could destroy me. But it wasn't like I signed a contract or anything, I said I wanted to try and know him.

Yes, trying was the least I owed him.