“I can't, Emma. You are my other half.”
She rolled her eyes. “No, I am not,” she said, looking at the purple roses and spraying them.
Then I could see it, see a memory of Shad’s when he had once come into that store, and bought a purple rose to place upon her car. His own memory along with her thoughts from her melody of that event floated into my soul, and I could see how captivated he had been by her.
I hate it. I hate that he can see it; that memory is mine,she said within her soul.
Shad’s thoughts and feelings rushed through me again as if on a mission to destroy my composure, and I tried to pull them back, but Shad’s feelings and memories were only getting more and more difficult to combat within myself.
“Shad, ever the romantic,” I said with a chuckle, trying to distract myself from those inner struggles. She sprayed water on my face in annoyance, then turned away.
“Don't talk about him.”
“It’s true, sweet. He was ever the charmer.”
Her body’s silhouette was framed perfectly in front windows of the shop. The setting sun, with its pinks and purples, gave off an other-worldly beauty illuminating behind her. I clicked a few times on my camera, capturing those moments. She turned back around, and I stood there, looking at the digital viewfinder on my camera's screen.
I know Shad, and he was honest with me. He waited for me, didn’t he? I will wait for him.
“I see you are rethinking my brother and his virtues.”
“I am not,” she said, slamming the spray bottle onto the counter.
“It's okay. I don't want to stop you. Many have been fooled by him in the past.” A lie. I wasn't sure she would be able to pick up on it. Lying, while having a soul, was difficult, but I found a way around it. I didn’t want her to like my brother, but I could see how she viewed him: perfect. Did that lie fit my needs? Yes.
“How would you even know, Cade? You were, supposedly, dead for most of his life.”
“Ah, but I heard all I needed to hear, sweet.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“But Emma, you are just that—my sweet love, the other half to my soul.” I walked over to her to touch her.
She pulled back.
“If I buy you flowers, will you let me kiss you?” I knew what her answer would be, but I was, again, trying to remind her of what Shad had done to gain her trust and to show her how flimsy of a relationship they really had.
“Get out of my head! And he didn't buy me flowers so that I would kiss him. I really—” she stopped speaking, but her words floated to me between our souls:I hate you.
“Hate is close to love, my dear,” I took her shoulders in my hands. She wasn't going to get away from me that easily. I pulled my arms around her tightly and wanted to shout for joy as her body seemed to melt against mine as it relaxed and let our melodies really meld together. I could sense that note inside of her, the one I needed and had, strangely, almost entirely forgotten about—that one note that Shad had given to her. I needed it if I was ever to return to Terra. I would bide my time. I needed more time.
“Look at me,” I commanded, and she obeyed, looking directly into my eyes.
You are not Shad,she said inside our souls.
“I am very glad I am not Shad right now,” I whispered into her ear, close but still in control of myself. I was getting better at controlling my physical desires.
“I can't,” she said, trying to move away.This is the man who murdered my parents.
I did not murder them, sweet. It was an unfortunate accident, caused by some of my men.We needed to get past that. She needed to know that I was on her side.
What?
Some of my men were watching you and got too close. Don't worry. I took care of them. I never wanted your parents to die, Emma.
I could see her thinking over my words as I grazed my fingers up and down and in circles on her waist, surprised that she let me touch her in that way without pulling away from me.Am I getting to her? Finally breaking down that wall? Will she finally be mine? We will be so incredibly powerful together.
You hurt Ryker. I could never like you after what you did to him.
