Ineffable Plan

Hours had passed and Aaron still hadn’t returned, but I wasn’t worried. I couldn’t formulate a thought in my head to be worried about. The guys and I were still in the living room. Aside for the TV is was pretty silent. My eyes scanned the room. Julian was asleep and so was Ryland, who was slumped over and leaning on me. Jeremy and Emmanuel were watching whatever was on the TV.

As I stared into the empty space in the middle of the living room, Aaron suddenly appeared. He was bloody, like Julian, Ryland, and Jeremy had been. All the guys rushed up to greet him. Brotherly hugs were shared and the five of them were all smiles. I sat and watched it all from my seat on the couch. The same goofy smile I’d been wearing for the past three hours, plastered on my face. The guys finally dispersed and Aaron turned to look at me with a small smile on his face that quickly faded into a frown.

“What did you do?” He asked turning to Emmanuel.

He laughed lightly. “She was very worried about you and wouldn’t stop thinking. You should see the things that go through her mind.”

“I have,” Aaron answered with a smile.

“Then you know what it’s like.”

“Well, fix her please,” he said as he stood in front of me and ran his fingers gently through my hair.

Emmanuel bent down in front of me and took my face in his hands again.

“Look at Manny,” Aaron whispered softly.

As soon as I did I was bombarded by my own thoughts and emotions. I closed my eyes momentarily and when I opened I noticed Aaron and Emmanuel looking down at me, worried.

“Aaron!” I screamed as I jumped up and tackled him, almost causing us to fall. He managed to steady us, and then wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, pulling me close.

“Are you ok?” He whispered into my hair.

I took a step forward so that I was pressed against him. “I’m not the one covered in blood,” I mumbled. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

“Okay!” Julian said very loudly. “That’s enough of the lovey dovey stuff. Separate!” He pulled us apart and pushed us into the kitchen.

“Julian!”

“Get him cleaned up,” he ordered throwing a rag at me.

I rolled my eyes and turned to look at Aaron, who was now shirtless. I couldn’t control the blush that painted my cheeks. As I was cleaning off the blood on Aaron’s chest, Emmanuel walked into the kitchen.

“Don’t ever do that to me again,” I growled.

He smiled softly at me and turned to his brother. “Did you get it done?”

“Yes.” Aaron’s fingertips were brushing lightly across my cheeks as he spoke. “I got it done.”

Emmanuel smiled wider. “You look a little distracted. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Aaron nodded, still staring down at me.

“Come on, guys,” Emmanuel said herding his brothers out of the kitchen. “See you two in the morning.”

“G’ night,” I whispered as they left.

Now it was just Aaron and I.

I spent the next twenty minutes cleaning and bandaging his wounds. I should have noticed that his cuts had already turned to scars and that I was only wiping away the blood, but I didn't. I was too wrapped up in having Aaron back here with me. He was touching my face with his fingers and planting soft kisses on my hair and occasionally my cheeks.

“I think that’s it,” I said looking up at him momentarily. He kissed my forehead.

“Aaron, this would be a lot easier if you’d loosen your hold on my waist.” I was attempting to clean up but his arms held me close to him.

Aaron laughed lightly and pulled me back towards him. “Leave it. Someone will get it tomorrow.”

I nodded and turned to face him. “I would bug you to explain everything to me like you promised, but it looks like you could use some rest.”

“So do you,” he replied.

I moved closer to him and buried my face into his chest. “Sleep in my room tonight?” I asked quietly. My face was heating up as I spoke the words.

“Of course.”

------

I had showered, dressed and was now sitting at my desk. In front of me was the book from the library, the letter from my dad and the small silver thing that came with it. What did this all mean? There was a small knock on the door and I looked up to see Aaron standing in the doorway.

“What’re you doing?” He asked as he approached me.

“I’m just looking through some stuff.”

“Get up,” he said softly. When I did, he took my seat and pulled me down onto his lap. “You figure out any of this stuff yet.” He picked up the book and skimmed through the pages.

“Do you know what it is? Because if you do you should tell me,” I groaned. “Why don’t you just tell me?”

“I can’t. But I’ll give you a clue. You’ll have to put your hair up.”

I pulled my hair into a ponytail. I watch as Aaron picked up the silver trinket. He then adjusted the pendant on my necklace so that it rested on the center of my chest. Then he pressed the trinket against the pendant and I heard a small click sound. I hadn’t even thought that the two could be a set.

He was now holding the trinket/pendant thing a little above my chest. “This might tingle a bit.” He whispered before he let it fall and land on my chest. Immediately I felt the burning, only this time it was much stronger than before. It was almost scorching hot. I waited for the burning to stop like it had before but minutes had past and it didn’t lessen.

“What’s happening? Why isn’t it stopping?” I asked. He was sitting underneath me, smiling reassuringly.

“The link isn’t complete.”

“What?” I asked.

He cupped my face in his hands. “Do you trust me?”

I nodded and he pressed his lips against mine. It only lasted a few seconds before he pulled away. I watched curiously as he placed the edge of his thumb in his mouth and bit down. He pulled his thumb out. It was bleeding.

“You only have to taste a little,” he said as he raised his thumb to my lips. Because it was Aaron, and because of all that had happened that day, I went along with it. I put his thumb in my mouth and sucked a little blood into my throat. For a moment, the necklace scalded my skin and then it stopped.

“What the hell just happened?” I asked Aaron. Then everything went black.