A Deal With Death
Chapter Fifteen
We sleep for most of the day, not talking just lying in each other’s arms.
I knew he was waiting for night and it hurt.
Though I was Death’s Assistant I still felt betrayed.
I hated me for stealing him from me.
I couldn’t have him as Death’s Assistant but he wanted me more as her.
If I could tell him then things would be better but I couldn’t, I made an agreement.
I was not to tell anyone who I really was unless it was deadly necessary.
I left him at 8 having to go home and trying not to worry my mother.
I knew he wouldn’t do anything as he was waiting for Death’s Assistant.
I decided to go to ‘bed’ early that night telling my mother I was tired from the assignment.
I was in Caleb’s room at ten.
I stood in the darkness of the corner of his room.
He hadn’t moved since I had left him, he was still lying on his bed facing the ceiling.
“Caleb” I whispered feeling the protection of the cloak around me.
He sat up and turned to the corner looking straight at me.
His letters were still in the pocket of my cloak along with my list.
He climbed off his bed and closed the distance between us.
I held up my hands to keep him away from me, the closer he got the more chance he would have of telling who I was.
“Sorry Caleb I can’t” I shook my head.
“I want to know everything about you, I want to know the colour of your eyes, the tone of you skin and curves of you body.
I want to know you’re name, where you were born, where you died, I want to know everything about you.”
He thought I was dead?
“I’m not dead Caleb” my eyebrows knotted together in anticipation and worry.
“What?” he looked confused,
“I’m not dead, by day I live my life, a normal life I’m just paying off a debt” I explained.
“You’re not dead” he looked like a child at Christmas, I shook my head.
“Then we can be together normally tell me who you are and where to find you, I’ll travel across the world for you.”
His happiness was radiating from him but ending at me.
“I can’t tell you it’s in my contract”
His face fell “Can’t I at least see your face?” he asked, I shook my head.
“I’ve told you before to stick to things you know, there’s a good reason for that. You can never know who I really am, it’s no use.” I sighed.
This was a losing battle on both sides.
I wanted to be with him and I thought I had found my way.
He wanted to be with me, both of me, just one more than the other.
The form of me that couldn’t be with him was standing between the form of me that could be with him.
“You are all that I know now” he whispered, it broke my heart that he thought so little of me as Airlea.
“What about Airlea?” I choked, not really wanting to know the answer.
“She has the pieces of my heart that you wouldn’t take” his head hung low.
He was breaking himself between two girls that were the same.
“Give her your whole heart and forget about me. Live you life, live it happily with her. Forget me…” I stepped back as much as I could, creating space between us.
“My life is nothing without you” he confessed, this was all too much.
“Caleb…” I closed the distance “I’m always going to be with you though you don’t know, I’ll be here” I raised my hand to where his heart was.
“I’ll never leave you, close your eyes and I’ll be there” I whispered before disappearing fearing the closeness of our skin.
I had work to do anyway.
I knew he was waiting for night and it hurt.
Though I was Death’s Assistant I still felt betrayed.
I hated me for stealing him from me.
I couldn’t have him as Death’s Assistant but he wanted me more as her.
If I could tell him then things would be better but I couldn’t, I made an agreement.
I was not to tell anyone who I really was unless it was deadly necessary.
I left him at 8 having to go home and trying not to worry my mother.
I knew he wouldn’t do anything as he was waiting for Death’s Assistant.
I decided to go to ‘bed’ early that night telling my mother I was tired from the assignment.
I was in Caleb’s room at ten.
I stood in the darkness of the corner of his room.
He hadn’t moved since I had left him, he was still lying on his bed facing the ceiling.
“Caleb” I whispered feeling the protection of the cloak around me.
He sat up and turned to the corner looking straight at me.
His letters were still in the pocket of my cloak along with my list.
He climbed off his bed and closed the distance between us.
I held up my hands to keep him away from me, the closer he got the more chance he would have of telling who I was.
“Sorry Caleb I can’t” I shook my head.
“I want to know everything about you, I want to know the colour of your eyes, the tone of you skin and curves of you body.
I want to know you’re name, where you were born, where you died, I want to know everything about you.”
He thought I was dead?
“I’m not dead Caleb” my eyebrows knotted together in anticipation and worry.
“What?” he looked confused,
“I’m not dead, by day I live my life, a normal life I’m just paying off a debt” I explained.
“You’re not dead” he looked like a child at Christmas, I shook my head.
“Then we can be together normally tell me who you are and where to find you, I’ll travel across the world for you.”
His happiness was radiating from him but ending at me.
“I can’t tell you it’s in my contract”
His face fell “Can’t I at least see your face?” he asked, I shook my head.
“I’ve told you before to stick to things you know, there’s a good reason for that. You can never know who I really am, it’s no use.” I sighed.
This was a losing battle on both sides.
I wanted to be with him and I thought I had found my way.
He wanted to be with me, both of me, just one more than the other.
The form of me that couldn’t be with him was standing between the form of me that could be with him.
“You are all that I know now” he whispered, it broke my heart that he thought so little of me as Airlea.
“What about Airlea?” I choked, not really wanting to know the answer.
“She has the pieces of my heart that you wouldn’t take” his head hung low.
He was breaking himself between two girls that were the same.
“Give her your whole heart and forget about me. Live you life, live it happily with her. Forget me…” I stepped back as much as I could, creating space between us.
“My life is nothing without you” he confessed, this was all too much.
“Caleb…” I closed the distance “I’m always going to be with you though you don’t know, I’ll be here” I raised my hand to where his heart was.
“I’ll never leave you, close your eyes and I’ll be there” I whispered before disappearing fearing the closeness of our skin.
I had work to do anyway.