Forever and Always by H. T. Night

up, Broham?” I said to Tommy.
    “You were already in a fight?”
    “You know me, Tommy.  Confrontation tends to find me no matter where I am.”
    “You and I both, brother, you and I both!”
    “It’s all we know,” I laughed.
    “But still, Josiah, I know you. You need to pace yourself. You can't waste ass-kickings on every Tom, Dick and Harry vampire and werewolf you meet. One of these days you’re going to get caught off guard.”
    “I'm always caught off guard. That's when I'm the most dangerous!”
    Tommy paused, “That's true.” Now Tommy seemed distracted.
    “What's wrong Tommy?”
    “Be safe. It's driving me crazy that I'm not there with you.”
    “You know I had to this by myself, but that means a lot to me.”
    “It better. Well, I don't want to take all your time. This poor little lady has been waiting around for your call for the last twenty-four hours like a puppy dog.”
    I heard a smack !
    “Ouch!” Tommy said, in response to the smack I heard. “What Lena, you're trying to tell me you weren't gazing lovingly at your cell waiting all day for your knight in shining armor’s call?”
    I heard a bigger smack !
    “Hey, Josiah, you better put your woman on lockdown. She is out of control right now! Later, buddy!”
    “Bye, Tommy.”
    “Hello, Josiah,” Lena had apparently grabbed the phone from Tommy. It sounded like they were having a lot of fun. I missed that. I was in Europe flying around castles and into open windows. For what? To save the world? Who was I kidding? I wanted to go home real bad. I had never felt more homesick than I did at this moment.
    “Josiah, don't listen to him.” Lena said.
    “So, you weren't hoping I'd call?” I said, pretending to be hurt.”
    “No, Sweetie. Of course I was. I just wasn't so Air Supply about it.”
    I laughed. “I miss you, Lena.”
    “I miss you. too.”
    I was quiet. “Lena,” I said.
    “Yeah?”
    “I won’t be able to talk to you for awhile. The little blue guy wants me to be focused.”
    “Really? How long will that be?”
    “However long it takes to be trained, I guess.”
    “That sucks. What is this guy? Some kind of communist?”
    “I don’t think he’s too political,” I said, laughing. “Lena, I love you.”
    She was quiet, and then after a few seconds I heard a loving exhale, “Forever and always, Josiah.”
    I smiled.
    “Josiah, do you have any idea when you'll be done?”
    “I don't know. Hopefully, it will only be a week or two. He's doing this Yoda meets Mr. Myagi thing with me. Everything he says is some grand life lesson.”
    “That's cute.”
    “Oh, if you could only see this creature, Lena, he’s anything but cute.”
    “Be safe, baby.”
    “I will.”
    “And no more fighting! Tommy is about to take a plane down there to be with you.”
    “Tell him I’ll be okay. How’s everyone else?”
    “They're good. We aren't exactly the Brady Bunch here. You're kind of the nucleus, and when you're not around, everyone seems like they are just trying to play nice.”
    “Are you talking about Yari?”
    “Her, me, everyone.”
    “How is Yari?” I asked.
    “I told you already, she’s good.” Lena didn’t sound too happy about answering that question. Yari was still a touchy subject. She didn't have anything to worry about when it came to her. Don’t get me wrong, Yari was hot as hell, but Lena was my world. I decided not to press the issue and say goodbye. “I'm going to go,” I said. “I'm going to rest.”
    “Goodbye, Josiah”
    I put the phone down and layed on my back on the lumpy, uncomfortable bed. Whenever I stay at a hotel, I never get under the covers. It grosses me out. I can kick a seven foot tall werewolf's ass. but dirty sheets are my Kryptonite.
    Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know… another superhero reference.

Chapter Eight

    I used the bedspread in my hotel room as an extra covering over the drapes of the room. No sun was getting in and that was the way I liked it.  I layed down and tried to