Eden

Chapter Six Answer

Titan’s tall, block-and-mortar façade loomed over Fleet Rink. Summer was just a few weeks away, and the rink had been transformed from its usual icy amusement to a popular hangout for local rollerbladers. Jared parked in his usual spot, kissing my lips before I stepped out onto the sidewalk and to the front entrance of the lobby.

I paused, the first few steps without Jared felt strange. Except for the few hours I spent getting ready for the wedding, Jared and I had been side by side every day for a week. An unsettling feeling came over me, as if I’d forgotten my cell phone or locked my keys inside the car.

I pushed through the front door and walked across the lobby, dismissing my unease. Jared remaining in the car meant that everything was just fine. If he sensed even the slightest bit of danger, he would be next to me.

“Get a grip, Nina,” I whispered to myself. Inside the elevator, I pressed the button, and took a deep, cleansing breath as the doors slid closed. When they opened again, the relaxing breath proved to be futile.

“Well. Look what the cat dragged in,” Sasha said. One hand on her hip, one hand holding a short stack of papers, her long red curls set off her sharp features. A mature person would admit that Sasha was beautiful — I, however, had accepted long ago that Sasha brought out the stubborn, angry child within.

“Oh, my. Did you get yourself a perm while I was away? I guess the eighties are coming back.” I brushed past her, deciding against shoving my shoulder into her bony arm.

“Hot rollers. Grant has made a point to mention the curls today, too.”

“Where is Grant?”

“In his office. He waited for half an hour in yours. You’re late.”

“I came straight from the airport. Why are you still here?”

Sasha shrugged. “I keep whatever hours Grant keeps.”

I rolled my eyes and held out my hand. “Are those for me?”

“Yes,” she said, handing them over. “I was about to make copies.”

“That won’t be necessary. Thanks for staying, but you should head home.” I took the papers and made my way to Grant’s office. His shoeless feet, in hideous tan and green argyle socks, rested on his desk.

“There she is: Mrs. Peanut.”

“Don’t start,” I said, setting the documents on his desk. “I told you I would be right over. Why did you send Sasha to make copies of these?”

Grant covered his face with his hands. “Sasha’s a sweet girl — to me — but she’s an overachiever. I’ve been making up things for her to do.”

I laughed once. “She wants the assistant job. That’s why she’s been in your hair.”

“In my hair, in my office, in my desk, in my face, in my way. She’s incorrigible. I honestly don’t have enough for her to do. She refuses to help out in the other departments and won’t leave until I do.”

“Grant. She’s an intern. She shouldn’t refuse to do anything.”

Grant thought about my comment for a moment and then nodded. “That’s true. You can give her a new assignment in the morning.”

“Oh, no. You’re not pawning this off on me. Sasha is your problem.”

Grant fell back against his chair. “I don’t want to upset her, and you don’t seem to mind. I thought you’d be happy to do it.”

“How has this company lasted so long with such a weenie in charge?” I said, scanning the document. “Are these…bullet points?”

“I had Sasha type it out. I told her I didn’t want to forget anything.” I made a face, and Grant shrugged. “I didn’t see her for an hour. She had trouble perfecting the margins.”

“Grant, you know this account inside out. You didn’t need to touch base with me. Just get the damn agreement signed and send them on their way.” I stood, irritated he had wasted my time.

“I plan on it. The trouble is, this deal has the potential to take Titan in a different direction than what your father had envisioned.”

“Jack envisioned making money. Do the deal.”

Grant’s shoulders fell, and his eyes lowered to his desk, despondent.

“Wait a minute…,” I said, pointing my finger at him. Grant immediately tensed. He was caught. “You didn’t want to talk about the meeting at all! You wanted me to take care of Sasha for you!”

Grant reached out to me. “You don’t understand! She reorganizes my desk every morning! She makes lists for my to-do lists!”

“You’re not married to the woman. I can’t believe you pulled me away from my first night back from my honeymoon for this.”

His eyebrows shot up. “How was it, by the way? Must have been somewhere tropical. You managed a decent tan. I never thought you would run off and get married. Jack wouldn’t have approved.”

“You can’t elope when you’ve been engaged as long as we have. It was more last-minute planning. I’ll call you tomorrow between classes for updates.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Grant said, staring at the information packets on his desk. Sasha had undoubtedly worked on them throughout the week. They were color-coded and alphabetized. “She…uh…thought it would personalize the packets to put their names on them. In calligraphy.”

“She’s a calligrapher?”

Grant slumped in his chair. “She thought we should hire one for the task.”

My face flushed. Grant was now allowing Sasha to misuse company funds for one of her ridiculous whims. “I’ll have a talk with Sasha tomorrow. Beth has mentioned that the filing room needs some attention.”

“Break it to her gently.”

I rolled my eyes. “Weenie.”

My office looked exactly as I’d left it. Beth had de-cluttered a bit during the week, but other than that, it was untouched. I sat in my father’s chair and let out a cleansing breath. Taking over the company wasn’t supposed to happen until after graduation, and I wondered how I would juggle my last year at Brown with my pregnancy and the pressure of running Titan. I would be a mother before I’d be a college graduate. Everything was happening so fast.

A familiar pair of hands gently touched the bare skin between my shirt and neck. Jared’s thumb massaged into my tense muscles. My head automatically bowed, and I sighed. Without a word, he kneeled behind me and let his lips trail from my shoulder to my neck. I tilted my head, making the passage easier for him.

“You never come in here,” I said, smiling. “I must be really tense.”

His hand made its way down my shoulder, arm, and then traveled slowly down my side, resting on my stomach. His fingers pressed into my skin, palming my belly like a basketball. His firm grip took me off guard, and I felt my eyebrows move in, curious what he was up to. His lips weren’t as soft as they usually were; instead they felt dry and scratchy.

“A little lip balm goes a long way, love,” I whispered.

“Is this unpleasant for you?” A voice rasped.

I looked down. The hand cupping my stomach had pasty, abnormally long fingers. The nails were filthy, and came to a point at the ends.

When I turned, a pale face and black eyes were just inches from my face. The creature grinned, revealing two rows of unnatural, razor-sharp teeth.

I sat up straight and blinked my eyes. The office was dark and quiet, except for the sound of my heart thumping in my ears. My breath was quick and shallow. The frightening man was no longer behind me, but a dark figure sat in the green chair on the other side of my desk. I gasped.

Jared reached out. “It’s okay. It’s okay, it’s just me.”

“Oh,” I said, touching my fingertips to my chest.

“You’re shaking.”

“Bad dream. I must have dozed off.”

“It’s been a long week,” Jared said, forcing a small smile. “My dad wasn’t there, was he?”

“No,” I said, trying to calm myself. “No. I don’t know who it was. Someone with too many teeth.”

Jared nodded once. “I could sense them.”

“Or it’s just that I’m pregnant. I’ve read pregnant women notice an increase in nightmares.”

Jared frowned. He was always one to imagine the worst. With good reason, granted, but it would be nice if he would admit for once that something perfectly normal could be the culprit. I stood, grabbed my briefcase from the floor, and then shoved my feet into my shoes. I didn’t remember taking them off. I must have been exhausted.

“Claire called,” Jared said.

“Is something wrong?”

“Ryan’s fine. They were wondering if we wanted to join them for dinner.”

“At the hospital?”

“They’re bored.”

I ran my fingers through my hair and wiped the mascara that had likely smudged under my eyes. “I am hungry. That’s the best time to eat hospital food, right?”

“I thought we could bring some take-out.”

“Even better,” I said, opening the door. “I know just the place.” Jared put his hand on the knob over mine, and leaned down to kiss my lips. Instantly, I felt better. His lips were their usual soft and smooth. Not as warm, though.

I took a deep breath and smiled. No bullets raining down, no explosions, and no men breaking into the building with automatic assault rifles. Our first day back would be without event. I dared to hope that Hell would wait until the baby came to bother with threats. Their typical pride and overconfidence would give us a little more time to plan, and to win over some key allies on the other side.

As we drove through the streets of Providence, it suddenly seemed like the home I had known in my childhood. In that moment, it wasn’t harboring threats at every corner; it didn’t seem dark and sinister. It was the picturesque, bustling, traffic-heavy town I remembered. Where I was born. Where my child would be born, and where I’d walked the streets with my father. Providence was the backdrop of my love story with Jared. It was still home, and this is where we would make our stand.

“You’re curiously relaxed this evening,” Jared said.

“I don’t know,” I sighed. “Everything just feels right.”

“That’s encouraging.”

We picked up dinner and then made our way to the hospital. When the elevator doors opened, Jared grabbed my hand and led me to Ryan’s room. The door was open, but it was quiet inside.

Claire sat next to the head of Ryan’s bed. Her head was resting on her fist, and she was smiling at him. Ryan’s fingers mindlessly twisted a section of blanket next to Claire’s arm. They seemed to be engaged in a sweet conversation about nothing in particular. I remembered when I was in that chair, giggling at Ryan’s nonsensical humor, and I was glad to see the light back in his eyes.

The IVs and telemetry leads were no longer streaming from different parts of his body. He seemed so relaxed with Claire next to him. I reached out for Jared’s hand. His knuckles brushed against mine as our fingers interlaced, and I looked up at him. He was smiling at his baby sister, pleased to see her finally content.

Ryan’s eyes wandered to the doorway where we stood. Claire slowly turned our direction and offered a small smile.

“Knock, knock,” Jared said, holding up the bags of take-out. “Cheeseburgers. Nina said it’s your favorite.”

Ryan’s smile turned into a cheesy grin, and he threw his head back. “Oh, thank God! I thought I would starve to death.”

“Oh,” Ryan said, chewing an oversized wad of cheeseburger. “Red Stripe has the best burgers. Seriously. You shouldn’t do this to me in the hospital. I might think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

Claire rolled her eyes. “Could you be a little more dramatic about a cheeseburger?”

Ryan stopped chewing, and wiped the bit of ketchup off the corner of his mouth with his wrist. “You don’t have to be jealous of a burger, honey.”

“Oh, brother,” Claire said. She pointed at Ryan. “Do you see what I have to deal with? Will one of you call OSHA?”

“I don’t know,” Jared said. “You looked fairly pleased when we walked in.”

Ryan took another bite and then smiled. “She acts tough every time someone visits. She doesn’t fool me, though.”

“Who else has visited?” I asked.

“Mom. Kim. Beth. Chad. Josh…yeah. That’s about it. No, wait….”

“How did that go? With your mom?” I asked.

Claire frowned, and Ryan winked at her. “It went fine. She’s developed a theory. Since the last time I was in a hospital you showed up, and now Claire’s here, Mom thinks I’m getting myself hurt over girls.”

“Aren’t you?” Jared said with a wry smile.

“Shut it, Jared,” Claire warned.

I handed Ryan his cup of soda. “You know, this is becoming a habit.”

His whiskers were far beyond a five o’clock shadow, and his hair had grown downright shaggy. He looked so much older than the last time I’d seen him in that hospital, and nothing like the Marine in the photos he'd sent with his letters. “Tell me about it. I thought I said two hospitalizations ago that it was your turn?”

“I took a turn.”

“Yeah, so you almost bled out, big deal. I’m three to your one.”

“Well, I’m pregnant, so I’m due for a hospitalization this year,” I said, processing the words as I spoke them.

Ryan laughed. “Wait…what?” he said, his face morphing from amusement to concern.

I looked to Claire. “You didn’t tell him?”

She shrugged, her platinum, angled tresses bouncing when she did so. “It’s your business to tell. Way to dump it on him, stupid.”

I frowned. Ryan mirrored my expression. “Congratulations,” he said. He glanced to Jared, sent him a lightning-fast dirty look, and then returned his focus to me. He pushed up in bed, sitting taller.

“Say it,” Jared said.

Claire watched the exchange, clearly unhappy. I wasn’t sure if she was just sensing Ryan’s change in mood, or if it was her own reaction to the sudden, unpleasant turn in conversation.

“It’s not my place to say anything,” Ryan said.

“You have my permission,” Jared said. After his last word, he gestured for Ryan to continue.

Ryan rolled his eyes and looked to Claire. “Isn’t this exactly what none of you wanted to happen?”

Claire seemed uncomfortable answering for her brother, but she quickly shrugged it off. “Yes and no. Not going along with the prophecy in Shax’s book would have been the safer route — in theory — but Hell would more than likely still anticipate its completion. Now that it’s happened, it’s a means to an end. We have a better chance at getting Heaven on our side.”

Ryan was right to ask Claire. Jared was well known for lengthy explanations. Claire went right to the point.

Ryan’s eyes drifted away from Claire to me. “Are you okay?”

I shrugged. “Great. Fantastic, actually. I feel like I could run a marathon.”

Ryan smiled. “That’s good.” He turned to Claire. “That’s good, right?”

Her nose wrinkled. “Why are you asking me?”

“I don’t know,” Ryan shrugged, “I thought you might know better than anyone else.”

Claire stood, laughing once. “I’m hardly the expert. It’s never been an option for me, so I didn’t bother asking my mother about the details.”

“Why wouldn’t it be an option?”

Claire rolled her eyes. “Because I’m busy.”

“With what?” he said, dubious.

Claire placed both of her palms facedown on the bed and looked at Ryan. “Keeping you alive.”

Ryan’s hand slid slowly across the blanket. His fingers layered hers. “Well…what if we were together? That could make it an option.”

Claire straightened quickly and crossed her arms. “Dream on.”

The corners of his mouth turned up. He enjoyed unsettling Claire far too much for his own good. “Am I wrong?”

“First of all,” she said, shifting her weight, “it’s never going to happen. Second, I’d have a hard time protecting you when I’m as round as a bowling ball.”

“I bet you could,” Ryan said. “I can stay out of trouble for nine months.”

Claire raised an eyebrow. “You can’t stay out of trouble for one month. You’ve been hospitalized, had major surgeries, and needed extensive rehabilitation three times in as many years.”

His eyes turned soft. “I would if I had to. I’d do it for you.”

She cupped her hand over his mouth. “Shut up.”

Jared fidgeted, feeling out of place. “Uh…we should go.”

“No!” Claire said. She pulled back her hand and wiped it on her leggings. “No, you should stay. I’ll uh…I’ll get more chairs.”

“I’ll help you,” Jared said. He briefly kissed my cheek before following Claire into the hall.

“Wow,” I said, taking a seat beside the bed. “You can clear a room better than I. And that’s saying something.”

Ryan frowned. “She’s tough. Tougher than you.”

“Without a doubt,” I nodded.

“No…I mean yes, but not in the physical way. She’s here every second while I heal. I know she has to watch over me, but she doesn’t have to sit beside my bed and hold my hand.”

“She holds your hand?”

Ryan offered a half-smile. “The first morning — when I woke up — she was holding my hand with both of hers. The second I opened my eyes, she let go. But yes, she did.”

“Okay, but you don’t have to torture her. By her actions, she must care about you. This is Claire you’re dealing with. You can’t force it.”

Ryan turned on his side, leaning on his elbow. “Nina, you’re pregnant. Some rough shit is going to go down. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the day you give birth to Lil’ Bitty Saint Ryel.” He pointed to my stomach, “But I think we can all agree that taking time for granted is precarious.”

“Precarious,” I said. “I’m so impressed.”

“Shut your face,” Ryan grinned. “I love her. I want to be with her. And not just around her. It’s even worse knowing she’s not here, but she’s still somewhere around.”

“I know the feeling,” I said. My eyes unfocused as I remembered a not-so-distant past where I struggled studying in my dorm room at Andrews Hall, knowing Jared was somewhere nearby. Talking into a microphone hanging from my wall, standing in the freezing rain. Knowing he would come.

“I think she likes me, too, she just won’t admit it. I just gotta crack that shell.”

Ryan’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Good luck,” I said.

Claire and Jared returned carrying chairs in their arms.

“I love you,” Ryan said, looking straight at Claire. She stood, speechless.

“Smooth,” I nodded.

“I…uh…,” Claire said, looking around. She sat the chairs on the floor and then looked at her brother. “Someone else might visit…I better get more chairs.”

When the door closed behind her, Ryan looked down and laughed once without humor. “So stubborn.”

“Better than stupid,” Jared said.

Ryan’s head jerked up. “Excuse me?”

“Let her do her job,” Jared said, his voice flat.

“Coming from you? That’s hysterical.”

The tension between them thickened the air in the room. “Come on, guys,” I said.

Jared’s eyes were tight, and Ryan leaned forward a bit. Any civility between them had always seemed forced. It was only a matter of time before they exchanged words.

Jared shifted. “What is that supposed to mean, exactly, Ryan?”

“You seem to forget why everyone is in this mess to begin with. If you’d done your job by the book, none of this would have happened. So how about you let us all make our own choices without judgment?”

Jared’s body was rigid; his jaw tight. I waited for him to let Ryan have it — to come back with one of his undeniable and logical retorts, but he didn’t. Without a word, he left the room.

“Finally…he’s speechless,” Ryan said, relaxing back against the bed.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” I said.

Ryan frowned. “Why not? Because he’s Jared? He has no problem telling everyone else what they’ve done wrong, but he hasn’t made the best choices, either. He insinuated I’m keeping Claire from doing her job when he was in the same situation not too long ago.”

“I know.”

“Then why defend him? Why can’t you just say, ‘Ryan, you’re right. Jared’s wrong.’”

“Because he’s trying his best. Because everything he does, he tries to do what’s right, and what is in everyone’s best interest. He loves me, and you rubbing it in his face after the fact is just cruel.”

“He should keep his opinions to himself,” Ryan said, crossing his arms.

“Trying to hold on to some control in a situation where he has none is not unreasonable. Claire is his baby sister. He’s loved her far longer than you have, and he has firsthand knowledge of how hard it is to be in love with your Taleh. He’s just trying to save her from what we’ve experienced. You should think about that.”

Ryan raised an eyebrow. “So you regret it?”

“What?”

“You regret falling in love with him? Knowing everything?”

“No, and no! Of course not. It’s just hard, that’s all.”

“What isn’t?”

“A normal relationship?”

“Says who?”

“Normal people.”

“What would you know about normal people?”

“I know a few!” I said. Ryan was attempting to subdue a smile. He enjoyed getting under my skin. Poor Claire. She wasn’t the most patient person, anyway, and the most annoying, argumentative, persistent butt nugget — as Bex had once called him — was in love with her.

“What are you smiling about?” he said.

“Oh, nothing. Feel better,” I said, waving to him before opening the door.

“Wait! You’re going to leave me alone?”

“We’re never alone,” I smiled.

Jared stood in the hallway with Claire. She was looking up at him, whispering words of comfort. He seemed to be a bit calmer, listening to her every word.

“He’s all yours,” I smiled to Claire.

“Huh?” Claire said.

I took Jared’s hand. “He knows the exact thing to say to throw you into a rage, and you just let him.”

“It’s different with him. I can’t explain it other than pure, unadulterated hatred.”

“Once upon a time it was me he was after, and now he’s being just as annoying while pursuing your baby sister.”

“Exactly.”

“What if he wasn’t?”

“Wasn’t what?” he said, clueless as to where I was going with the conversation. A rush of exhilaration swept over me. Jared being on the wrong side of enlightenment was quite satisfying.

“In love with Claire. Honey,” I said, standing on my tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck, “this is a very good thing.”

“For you, maybe,” Claire grumbled.

“Did you forget what it means that he loves her? They are meant to be together; not him and me. Best of all? You would’ve had to deal with Ryan either way, but because he loves Claire, it isn’t because you’re watching him annoy the crap out of me — it’s because he’s annoying Claire.” I allowed a proud, wide smile to stretch across my face, even though Claire looked as if she wanted to shove her fist into the wall. Through my face.

Jared’s face relaxed, and he chuckled. “All true,” he said, leaning down to kiss me. “It could be worse. Much worse.” He looked to Claire. “Sorry. Good luck.”

She glared at both of us as we departed down the hall.

“Er…hey, Nina?” Claire called.

I turned, noticing again how tiny she was. Her skintight blue leggings and oversized, off-the-shoulder T-shirt made her seem even smaller. Her ankle-high boots scooted across the hospital floor as she approached.

“Yes?”

She laced her fingers on top of her head, clearly exasperated. “You really think I’m just being stubborn? You think that’s why he’s my Taleh? Because we’re meant for each other?”

“Yes,” I said. “You care about him, don’t you?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. She let one hand fall to her side; the other to her mouth. “I guess so.”.

I looked to Jared and gestured with my eyes to Claire. Jared frowned, but when I persistently jerked my head in Claire’s direction, he spoke up. “It’s okay, Claire. I can’t say I like the guy, but I don’t see another purpose for it to happen the way it did. Do you? Because if you do, I’d love to hear—mmph,” he puffed, jerking when I elbowed him in the ribs. I didn’t hurt him, of course, but I still enjoyed his reaction.

“No,” Claire whispered. “I don’t see another purpose.” She walked slowly to Ryan’s door, deep in thought. She turned the knob, and then shook her head. “Doesn’t mean I should muddy the waters.”

We followed her in, noticing her pulling her chair farther away from Ryan’s bed. She ate her burger quietly, and Ryan watched her for a moment, and then looked down when he realized he wouldn’t get the reaction he’d hoped for.

I felt bad for him. I knew all too well how awful it felt to love someone who insisted on keeping a distance. “So you’re feeling better? When do you report back for duty?”

“They gave me a week off. Too bad I wasn’t on duty when this happened. Could have saved me a chunk of change.”

“Don’t worry about the bill, Ryan,” I said. “It’s taken care of.”

Ryan opened his mouth to argue, but he knew it was futile. He had no way to pay for what the little insurance he had wouldn’t cover. He managed a humble nod. “This is my last time. Next time it’s someone else’s turn. I’m not playin’ around. I mean it.”

Claire’s frown softened, the corners of her mouth turned up an infinitesimal amount. Her expression reminded me of the way Jared used to try to hide his emotions when he was fighting tooth and nail to stay away from me. Claire definitely had an uphill battle. Ryan was far more persistent than me.

We enjoyed our late-night dinner, teasing one another about our last few days together before Jared and I left for Little Corn. Ryan recounted his recovery, and Claire halfheartedly complained about being his nursemaid. Mentions of demons, Shax, and Isaac sprung in and out of our conversation. Discussing the paranormal elements of my life outside of the Ryels felt both a relief and strange. But, there we were: sitting around a room, discussing the sickening odor of the hundreds of misshapen creatures scaling the walls of St. Ann’s.

“Have you heard about Father Francis?” I asked.

Claire nodded. “He’s home. The first night was touch and go, and then he came right out of it. His doctors were amazed.”

Jared touched my hand. Ryan’s eyes zeroed in on the movement.

“So,” Ryan said. “I hear you two skipped town for a while. You’re…tanner.”

“Yes,” I said, nodding once. “We went to Little Corn.”

“Again?” Ryan said.

Claire’s eyes didn’t leave Ryan’s face. She watched warily for an expression she didn’t want to see.

Jared squeezed my hand. “We decided to get married in the chapel there.”

Ryan nodded. It was obvious an inner monologue was monopolizing his thoughts. Claire didn’t move. She waited silently, but I couldn’t decide what she was waiting for.

“What’s the rush?” Ryan said.

“Didn’t you hear her say that she’s pregnant?” Claire said with disgust.

Ryan’s head jerked in her direction. “Yeah? So?”

I shrugged. “We were engaged, anyway, Ryan. It didn’t make sense to wait.”

“You’re married. To Jared.” Ryan’s eyes were wide with shock, his eyebrows as high as he could push them. Claire’s body was tense, her eyes fixed on Ryan. In the next moment, a wide grin plastered across his face.

“Congratulations, Nigh! That’s wicked awesome!”

Claire’s blank stare melted away, and she took a deep breath. She managed a small smile, and then looked to me. Had I not seen the same pleading expression on Jared’s face the year before, I might have missed it. She was worried that Ryan was still in love with me.

“Thanks,” I said, looking down.

Thinking back on the past year, the dynamic between the four of us couldn’t have been more different. Even so, it seemed every word uttered, every decision each of us made, led us to this very moment. Ryan looked at Claire with nothing less than adoration, and Jared reached over, resting his palm on my stomach.

A knock on the door abruptly disturbed our sweet little moment.

“Kim!” Ryan said.

Her clothes were dirty, hair a mess. A small brown satchel hung from her shoulder, secured under her arm. I assumed it was the book. She was forced to keep it with her at all times. Kim was the only one that could keep the Naissance de Demoniac safe from Shax and his demons.

She didn’t look like herself at all. “You!” She pointed to Jared. “You made me a promise, Half Breed, and you’re going to keep it.”