Gift From A God Ch. 09

I wanted to tell her, I wanted to just lay it all out and get it off my chest. Even if she ran screaming after hearing what I was capable of, at least it was out there. It was so much of a burden to carry around. And not just about the powers, but about all of it. How can you ask for forgiveness if you can't confess your sins. Beyond the rules though, I knew it was wrong to shoulder her with that kind of knowledge. Especially about me. Catch-22 anyone?

I sank down to the floor and put my head between my knees. I had to find some way to deal with this or I was going to lose it. Again.

"Kristel, I didn't mean to leave you. I woke up in the middle of the night after we got back and went for a swim. I was out there, just relaxing and...and the fit hit the shan."

"Wait...you were at the pool? Did you do that?" She took a step back.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Oh my god." That didn't sound good. It must have been worse than I remembered.

"I didn't mean to," I told her, "it was an accident. There was a fight. Some...people, who know about what I can do, don't like it. Rather they don't like what side I'm on. Those people want me fighting for them, I guess you might say."

"Who are you fighting?"

"No one!" I stood up and began pacing. I was to agitated to sit still. Kristel took another step back, which caused her to bump into the bed and she sat down with a little squeak of surprise. "I don't want to fight anyone. I didn't know about all that when I signed up. There's this whole big thing going on between them that has apparently been going on for a long time, and I landed in the middle of it. They didn't bother to inform me. I'm almost as much in the dark as you are. There's so much I wish I could tell Kristel, really. But I can't set that kind of burden on you. I'm sorry, Kristel, but I just can't."

I turned to look at her, to see how she was responding, but wasn't offered much. She was just sitting there, hands in her lap, with a bit of a shocked expression on her face. I went over in front of her and kneeled down, taking her hands in mine. She was a little stiff at first, but she softened up after a moment.

"Look, if you don't want to be involved anymore, I can make it so you don't remember a thing. All of this will go away. I'll understand. You're probably right, I should have never involved you this much."

"Oh Stephen, I don't want to stop. I really like all of this, I do. I'm sorry I yelled at you too." She put her hand on my cheek and gave me a tender look, for which I was grateful for. "I guess we're both having some trouble adjusting. But is it safe? Safe to be around you if you've got these people after you?"

"I think after what happened the other night, they might leave me alone. And I won't let any of them hurt you." I think I needed to reassure myself of that more than her. And could I protect her from myself if He decided to make another bid for control? It had been awfully quiet in my head lately. It made me wonder what he was doing. And what about Set? I didn't get the impression from Raven that Set was one to give up easily.

"What happened after the fight? Where were you the rest of the time?"

Sigh.

"I was going through a lot of stuff...emotionally. I had some things I needed to sort out." To kill myself or not to kill myself, that is the question. "It's better now though. I'm still a little shaken up about it. That's why I hopped out of bed so fast a bit ago. I'm still coming to terms with a lot of things."

"Aw babe, I'm sorry. She leaned down and kissed my forehead. "See."

"See what?"

"See how much better it is when you talk to me."

"Ha! I didn't tell you much." I got up and sat next to her, feeling the tension in the room ease. I pulled her into my arms and gave her a soft kiss.

"Well no, you didn't," she said, after we had broken apart. "But it's not always about how much you say, or even what you say, that's important. You included me. Girls are funny like that sometimes. We have this strange need to know what our boyfriends are up to when they disappear for two weeks."

"I'm your boyfriend now?" I was a bit surprised to hear those words come out of her mouth.

"Well if not, this is the longest one-night stand of my life. Is that going to be okay?"

"Doesn't bother me." I told her. And it didn't. I liked how it sounded when she said it. "Does this mean you don't want to meet Katie? If she'll still talk to me that is. I was hoping to introduce the two of you."

She looked at me for a second, searching my face and then she laughed."I can see what you're thinking before you even say it, buddy."

"What?" I said, all mock innocence. "I think you would have a lot in common with her. Similar taste in men. And stuff." I gave her a big grin.

"Uh-huh." She said in a way that meant I could keep pitching my bullshit all I wanted, she was buying none of it. "Maybe, if you can behave yourself. Now," she said, standing up, "I need a shower. You're not feeling to clean, are you?"

She walked towards her bathroom, crossing her arms and pulling the little blue dress up and over her shoulders and tossing it aside. She glanced back briefly as I watched her nude form disappear around the wall and into her shower. The invitation was obvious. Suddenly I was quite sure I'd never been dirtier in my life.

To be continued...