tonight?” Arianna pointed across the town to the brightly-lit mansion at the edge of the city, Turner’s childhood home.
“ No, it’s always lit up like that. I think my dad likes to be a sitting target.” Turner stretched and sat up. “My twelve hours are almost up. Time to get you back to Devin.”
“You’re seriously going to give him twelve hours? I thought you offering to spend time with me first was so that you could keep me longer. You’re not one to be following the rules,” Arianna teased. Turner smiled and shrugged.
“ I’m just your future keeper,” Turner replied. “He’s…” Turner didn’t finish. Arianna raised her eyebrows questioning him.
“ What happened while I was asleep?” Arianna wondered. Turner was keeping something to himself.
“ Nothing… everything.” Turner brushed off his slight mood and was back to normal.
Arianna prodded further. “Please,” she asked. “What’s going on that I should know about?”
“There’s something going on, and we can’t seem to figure it out,” he replied. “You know me, I’m the brawn, not the brains. And this time we need more brains to figure it out than we need brawn. I’m not very good at even that.” Memories of the attack at the park haunted his mind. “I’m helpless. When you passed out after the council meeting, we brought you back to your room for a night. At one point you got up and tried to walk out of the apartment. We found you passed out.” Turner hesitated. Arianna didn’t remember anything of the past few days and assumed she just spent it in bed. “You were there lying on the ground barely breathing, and I could do nothing. I am useless.”
“ I’m just a bit under the weather,” Arianna added, trying to get Turner off the self-bashing he was doing.
“ No, that’s not it. Yes, you’re sick, but it’s more than that.” Turner was being elusive.
“ How can it be more?” Arianna didn’t understand what was bothering him beyond her being sick.
“ Just let me explain. I really didn’t want to do this to you on your birthday, but you didn’t wake up yesterday. I would have told you then.” Turner was actually at a loss for words.
“Told me what?” Arianna asked, taking control of the conversation.
“I think you are meant for Devin,” Turner replied. He sighed and looked over the city. This was going to be much harder than he thought. “I realized while you were asleep, you belong with Devin. He knows you better than anyone. When we got back to your room, he put you to bed and made plans to come here. I was left to watch you. You started to have a seizure, and there was nothing I could do. Devin came in and the instant he put his arms around you, you stopped. I just saw what I always suspected, you two are connected. There will never be that between us. He won. I’m throwing in the towel,” Turner admitted, defeat in his voice over loss of the dream of making Arianna into his own girlfriend. Turner stood, looking at the city and not at Arianna, hunched over, defeated.
“ You don’t want to be my keeper?” Arianna asked, shocked, as tears began to well up in her eyes.
“ No, no, please don’t cry. That’s not what I’m saying at all.” Turner turned quickly at the sound of her sniffles. Turner wiped the tears away. “I’ll stand beside you until the day I die. I’ll always be here, as your friend, your best friend. Nothing can change that.” He hurriedly looked back to the city to avoid her now silent gaze.
Arianna stared at Turner as he looked down at the city. He was right. She loved him, but it was more in a friendship kind of way. He was exciting and unpredictable, and a lot of fun to be around, but she didn’t feel for him what she felt for Devin. Turner reached over and took her hand.
He gave her a Turner smile before adding, “I think this is one of the rare times that if I don’t return you, he might actually go wolf hunting like he always threatens. We better
“ No, it’s always lit up like that. I think my dad likes to be a sitting target.” Turner stretched and sat up. “My twelve hours are almost up. Time to get you back to Devin.”
“You’re seriously going to give him twelve hours? I thought you offering to spend time with me first was so that you could keep me longer. You’re not one to be following the rules,” Arianna teased. Turner smiled and shrugged.
“ I’m just your future keeper,” Turner replied. “He’s…” Turner didn’t finish. Arianna raised her eyebrows questioning him.
“ What happened while I was asleep?” Arianna wondered. Turner was keeping something to himself.
“ Nothing… everything.” Turner brushed off his slight mood and was back to normal.
Arianna prodded further. “Please,” she asked. “What’s going on that I should know about?”
“There’s something going on, and we can’t seem to figure it out,” he replied. “You know me, I’m the brawn, not the brains. And this time we need more brains to figure it out than we need brawn. I’m not very good at even that.” Memories of the attack at the park haunted his mind. “I’m helpless. When you passed out after the council meeting, we brought you back to your room for a night. At one point you got up and tried to walk out of the apartment. We found you passed out.” Turner hesitated. Arianna didn’t remember anything of the past few days and assumed she just spent it in bed. “You were there lying on the ground barely breathing, and I could do nothing. I am useless.”
“ I’m just a bit under the weather,” Arianna added, trying to get Turner off the self-bashing he was doing.
“ No, that’s not it. Yes, you’re sick, but it’s more than that.” Turner was being elusive.
“ How can it be more?” Arianna didn’t understand what was bothering him beyond her being sick.
“ Just let me explain. I really didn’t want to do this to you on your birthday, but you didn’t wake up yesterday. I would have told you then.” Turner was actually at a loss for words.
“Told me what?” Arianna asked, taking control of the conversation.
“I think you are meant for Devin,” Turner replied. He sighed and looked over the city. This was going to be much harder than he thought. “I realized while you were asleep, you belong with Devin. He knows you better than anyone. When we got back to your room, he put you to bed and made plans to come here. I was left to watch you. You started to have a seizure, and there was nothing I could do. Devin came in and the instant he put his arms around you, you stopped. I just saw what I always suspected, you two are connected. There will never be that between us. He won. I’m throwing in the towel,” Turner admitted, defeat in his voice over loss of the dream of making Arianna into his own girlfriend. Turner stood, looking at the city and not at Arianna, hunched over, defeated.
“ You don’t want to be my keeper?” Arianna asked, shocked, as tears began to well up in her eyes.
“ No, no, please don’t cry. That’s not what I’m saying at all.” Turner turned quickly at the sound of her sniffles. Turner wiped the tears away. “I’ll stand beside you until the day I die. I’ll always be here, as your friend, your best friend. Nothing can change that.” He hurriedly looked back to the city to avoid her now silent gaze.
Arianna stared at Turner as he looked down at the city. He was right. She loved him, but it was more in a friendship kind of way. He was exciting and unpredictable, and a lot of fun to be around, but she didn’t feel for him what she felt for Devin. Turner reached over and took her hand.
He gave her a Turner smile before adding, “I think this is one of the rare times that if I don’t return you, he might actually go wolf hunting like he always threatens. We better
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