on
between the media and protestors. I’ve got angels in my house, for
crying out loud.”
She squealed in shock.
“They’re in your house?”
“ Yes.”
“ Angels?”
“ Yes.”
“ Oh my.”
Oh my indeed, I thought
wearily.
“ Maybe I should come up for
a visit?” my mom suggested.
“ Mother! No.” God forbid my
mother come see what a disaster I’d made of everything. I’d never
hear the end of it. “Please, we’re about to have dinner, so I need
to get off the phone,” I lied.
“ It’s a little late for
dinner, isn’t it?” she reprimanded.
I moaned. “Mom, please stop
trying to dictate my life when you’re several states
away.”
“ I’m sorry, sweetie. Just
remember that you’re my son, and I worry about you all the time, no
matter what.” She’d never let me forget that I was her son. She
once threatened me with what she called “the raising you
bill.”
“ I know,” I cajoled. “I
love you.”
“ I love you too, son. You’d
better call me.”
“ Yes, Mom.” I ended the
call before she could start lecturing me on another aspect of my
life.
Relieved the conversation
was over with, I fell asleep with Jenna curled against my body,
both of us content and wildly in love. I thought nothing could ruin
that night. Thought things were finally calming down and going my
way.
I was wrong.
CHAPTER 8: GO OUT ON A
LIMB
Lately I’d been having
these wild and vivid dreams about the angels battling, causing me
to be overly exhausted during the day. However, tonight I had been
at peace when I’d gone to bed and slept like the dead. I should
have expected everything to go to shit—should have prepared for
it.
I’d only ever heard my
smoke detectors go off during their yearly testing. I was thankful
for my diligence, because the deafening wails of the detectors woke
me—suddenly and startlingly. My heart thumped a menacing beat as I
hurled the covers away from Jenna and me. She was bleary-eyed and
confused, not understanding the sound that had awoken her were the
smoke detector’s desperate cries, warning us.
“ Get up!” I shouted, though
Jenna had a hard time understanding me.
I pulled on a T-shirt, glad
I wore my pajama bottoms that night. I ran to the door and
cautiously placed my hand on the wood. It was hot, and I jerked
back. Smoke spilled in from under the door, and I coughed at the
onslaught. My heart lodged in my throat, thinking of Jules and
Firen just down the hall. I’d made sure to put her in a room with
no windows. I swallowed thickly—holy shit, I’d made a huge mistake.
I tried not to panic. I had to hold it together for Jenna. I
whipped back around and ran to Jenna, who had finally grasped what
was going on. In her face, I could see the same thoughts I’d just
had cross her mind.
“ Jules!” she screamed in
utter terror as she tossed my robe over her head and ran for the
door.
I blocked her path, which
was a lot harder than one would think. She fought against me,
yelling and beating on me to move. It broke my heart, but I
couldn’t let her go into the hallway. I couldn’t lose her. The
alarms changed their tune, squealed, and abruptly stopped their
wails, though I heard a faint echo from the alarms on the other
side of the house. That wasn’t good.
“ I have to get to Jules,”
Jenna cried as I yanked her toward the bedroom window, though she
dug her feet in the whole way. I grabbed my cell phone from the
bedside table as I passed and pushed it into Jenna’s
hands.
“ I know,” I said, voice
rough. “Get out of here and call Gabby. I’ll get Jules.” She
started to argue with me, but I silenced her with a quick kiss.
“Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to her,” I swore. “I love
you.”
“ Love you too. Now go!” she
demanded as she tore open the window. “Hurry!”
Grabbing a heavy coat, a
shirt, and boots from the closet, I raced to the door. I slipped
into the boots and pulled the coat on, zipping it up to cover my
nose.
between the media and protestors. I’ve got angels in my house, for
crying out loud.”
She squealed in shock.
“They’re in your house?”
“ Yes.”
“ Angels?”
“ Yes.”
“ Oh my.”
Oh my indeed, I thought
wearily.
“ Maybe I should come up for
a visit?” my mom suggested.
“ Mother! No.” God forbid my
mother come see what a disaster I’d made of everything. I’d never
hear the end of it. “Please, we’re about to have dinner, so I need
to get off the phone,” I lied.
“ It’s a little late for
dinner, isn’t it?” she reprimanded.
I moaned. “Mom, please stop
trying to dictate my life when you’re several states
away.”
“ I’m sorry, sweetie. Just
remember that you’re my son, and I worry about you all the time, no
matter what.” She’d never let me forget that I was her son. She
once threatened me with what she called “the raising you
bill.”
“ I know,” I cajoled. “I
love you.”
“ I love you too, son. You’d
better call me.”
“ Yes, Mom.” I ended the
call before she could start lecturing me on another aspect of my
life.
Relieved the conversation
was over with, I fell asleep with Jenna curled against my body,
both of us content and wildly in love. I thought nothing could ruin
that night. Thought things were finally calming down and going my
way.
I was wrong.
CHAPTER 8: GO OUT ON A
LIMB
Lately I’d been having
these wild and vivid dreams about the angels battling, causing me
to be overly exhausted during the day. However, tonight I had been
at peace when I’d gone to bed and slept like the dead. I should
have expected everything to go to shit—should have prepared for
it.
I’d only ever heard my
smoke detectors go off during their yearly testing. I was thankful
for my diligence, because the deafening wails of the detectors woke
me—suddenly and startlingly. My heart thumped a menacing beat as I
hurled the covers away from Jenna and me. She was bleary-eyed and
confused, not understanding the sound that had awoken her were the
smoke detector’s desperate cries, warning us.
“ Get up!” I shouted, though
Jenna had a hard time understanding me.
I pulled on a T-shirt, glad
I wore my pajama bottoms that night. I ran to the door and
cautiously placed my hand on the wood. It was hot, and I jerked
back. Smoke spilled in from under the door, and I coughed at the
onslaught. My heart lodged in my throat, thinking of Jules and
Firen just down the hall. I’d made sure to put her in a room with
no windows. I swallowed thickly—holy shit, I’d made a huge mistake.
I tried not to panic. I had to hold it together for Jenna. I
whipped back around and ran to Jenna, who had finally grasped what
was going on. In her face, I could see the same thoughts I’d just
had cross her mind.
“ Jules!” she screamed in
utter terror as she tossed my robe over her head and ran for the
door.
I blocked her path, which
was a lot harder than one would think. She fought against me,
yelling and beating on me to move. It broke my heart, but I
couldn’t let her go into the hallway. I couldn’t lose her. The
alarms changed their tune, squealed, and abruptly stopped their
wails, though I heard a faint echo from the alarms on the other
side of the house. That wasn’t good.
“ I have to get to Jules,”
Jenna cried as I yanked her toward the bedroom window, though she
dug her feet in the whole way. I grabbed my cell phone from the
bedside table as I passed and pushed it into Jenna’s
hands.
“ I know,” I said, voice
rough. “Get out of here and call Gabby. I’ll get Jules.” She
started to argue with me, but I silenced her with a quick kiss.
“Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to her,” I swore. “I love
you.”
“ Love you too. Now go!” she
demanded as she tore open the window. “Hurry!”
Grabbing a heavy coat, a
shirt, and boots from the closet, I raced to the door. I slipped
into the boots and pulled the coat on, zipping it up to cover my
nose.
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