“I have to get out of here,” I whispered and turned back toward the door. His eyes were wide, and I felt bad for scaring him as I all but ran out the door.
“Gwendolyn, what’s wrong?”
I stood outside his door and paced. Cora was watching me, I’m sure wondering what my deal was. I was just being crazy—no big deal.
“I can’t do clutter. I’m sorry. I know this sounds crazy. I feel a little crazy right now, but you’ve seen my home. I like everything white, metal, and organized. You’re like a hoarder in there. It was too much. My senses couldn’t handle it. I’m sorry.” Just when I thought things were going okay…now he was going to see me as the freak that I was, melting doors, unable to handle a little mess.
“Hey, hey.” He came closer, his voice soothing.
“I’m not upset. I was just scared I did something wrong. Fuck. I didn’t wanna mess this up. It’s not a big deal. I should have thought about it. There’s no rush. I’m not going anywhere.” I could see the obvious need to touch me in his eyes, but I knew this time I would bolt.
He wasn’t going anywhere. He didn’t think I was a freak. I didn’t mess this up, and neither did he, despite thinking it was him.
“You didn’t mess anything up. I’m just a mess sometimes. My life is routine. Black and white. I’m not used to someone as colorful as you. It’ll take some adjusting, but I think I might like a splash of color here and there.”
It was as honest as I could be.
“When I first saw you, I thought you were like a blank canvas.”
I was a canvas, and he was the paint; maybe together we could be something beautiful.
I just had to really give it a chance. Take that leap, without knowing where things could go.
Closing my eyes and sticking my hand into my pocket for my small piece of metal, I rubbed my fingers over the cool surface and counted to ten.
“I’d like to try again sometime. Wanna walk us back home?” I opened my eyes and looked at him with a smile on my face—The first true smile I’d ever given him.
“Smile at me like that all the time, and I’ll do whatever you want me to. Forever.”
I laughed. Truly laughed at his theatrics, and started walking toward my house with Arthur by my side.
Cora was weaving between the two of us, seeming happy until she scooted too close to him and her tail knocked into Arthur’s ankles. His tall body went down quite dramatically with a string of curses.
“I knew that dragon would retaliate!”
Chapter Thirteen
Arthur
“Crap.”
I dove into the water without another thought.
People were close to drowning, and I had to do something.
My first call to duty as a Hero Society member had been for a sailboat that capsized in a bad storm that blew into the bay suddenly. The coast guard was on their way, but I was right around the corner, walking in the cold rain, running over my thoughts. I started heading back to my warehouse when the storm really kicked up, and I got the call from my communicator watch they’d given me.
At first, I tried to pull them to me, using the water to propel the three people that were swimming for their lives. With the rain pounding down on the water, and the wild sea, I was at a disadvantage for a save at this magnitude.
Instead of second-guessing why I was chosen, I dove into the water and swam to them. The water around me stayed calm, as long as I kept my thoughts the same.
“Help us!” A woman’s gurgled scream broke through the thunder, and I knew they were running out of time. Dammit.
Keeping my arms at my sides and opening my palms, I pushed my powers into them. If I couldn’t bring them to me, then I’d drive myself to them through the water.
Thankfully they were all wearing life vests, but their energy was low.
“Grab onto my arms!” I shouted when I was right by them. The man, woman, and young teenage girl grabbed hold and their panicked motions instantly dragged me under. I wasn’t a buoy, but the only way I could think to get them back to the shore was to push my power behind us like I did to get here.
