Ceaseless (8 page)

              
“Pagan, wow. You look amazing,” Jay said as he stepped toward me
,
 leaving his new friend behind.

              
“Please don’t let me interrupt you,” I replied
,
 turning my attention to the girl left waiting on his response.

              
He was nervous.  I smiled at him reassuringly. “Really, Jay. I don’t mind. Finish your conversation. I’m in 
no 
hurry.”

              
Jay studied me a moment and I could see the indecision on his face. I wasn’t
 the lovesick seventeen-year-
old he’d left behind. 
That ship had sailed. He shook his head and closed the distance between us and rested his hand on my lower back. “I’m ready to go. I was just being friendly.”

              
The frown on the girl’s face said otherwise. I moved his ha
nd 
from my back and took a step back. “If you were asking her out then please go finish what you started. You’re being rude.” I whispered.

              
He let out a sigh. “Fuck.”

I watched him as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. I knew him too well. I could read his body language. “You weren’t supposed to hear that. Dammit. I’ve screwed this up. Asking her out while waiting on you was disrespectful. I’m sorry.”

              
I shrugged, “I’m just on this date because Miranda begged me. You know I can’t tell her 
no
. 
So, no worries.
 I’d say you could take the redhead instead of me but Miranda needs me tonight. So, you’re stuck with me.”

              
Jay’s eyes went wide, “Wait. No. I don’t want to be on a date with anyone else. I want to be with you. I’ve missed you. That back there was just me being a dick. I’m used to asking girls out whenever one seems entertaining. But it’s a habit. I would turn her and anyone else down if I had a chance at going out with you instead.”

              
Well, that was sweet but it was
 
unfortunate. Because, habit or not, I wasn’t stupid enough to go there. 
“That habit of yours isn’t a healthy one and it’s mean. Go finish what you started. I’ll wait with Miranda and Nathan.” I replied and walked toward the door where Miranda and Nathan had 
gone 
to give us some privacy. Not that we needed it.

              
“Sorry for the hold up. Once he is finished finalizing his date 
for 
tomorrow night, we’ll go.”

              
Nathan closed his eyes and shook his head. “Stupid,” he mumbled. When he opened them back up he looked at me apologetica
lly. “I’m sorry about that. He’
s a major flirt. But I guess you know that.”

              
Actually I didn’t. Back in high school he hadn’t flirted with anyone but me.

              
“The Jay I know would never 
have 
done that. It pisses me off. I wish you’d flip him off and go back upstairs. Maybe call up Dank Walker since he’s hot after your bod and wow him with your sexy ass.” Miranda was mad. Jay was in for it.

              
“You know Dank Walker?” Nathan asked. “As in Cold Soul’s lead singer?” I could hear the disbelief in his voice.

              
“Yep she knows him. I saw him carrying her books to class today.” Miranda replied smugly. I hadn’t realized she’d seen that.

              
“Okay, I’m ready. Again I’m sorry about that.” Jay said as he came up beside us.

              
“You’re a dick,” Nathan replied. “A stupid dick.”

              
Jay 
let out a frustrated sigh, “Yeah, I know.”

CHAPTER 7 

Pagan

              
If Jay apologized one more time I was going to cram a breadstick down his 
throat
. At least then he would shut up. I’d tried to change the subject several times and when that didn’t’ work I’d started joining in on Miranda and Nathan’s conversation. Which worked out well for a
 
while but now they were huddled together whispering on their side of the large booth and we were on our side with my purse between us as a barrier.

              
“Are you going to forgive me?
” Jay asked.

              
“I am not mad
,
 Jay. There is nothing to forgive. I’m on this date for Miranda. I never agreed to it because I wanted to spend time with you. So, please
, l
et’s talk about something else.” I was a broken record.

              
“So this 
dis
inte
rest I’m getting from you is not because I was a jackass but because you really didn’t care about seeing me to begin with?” he asked with a small amount of surprise in his tone.

              
“Exactly. You’re 
an old friend
. 
It was nice to see you the other night but that is about it. I’m here for Miranda.”

              
Jay leaned back in his seat and fiddled with the napkin on his plate. “I had one shot to change your mind and I screwed that up.” He was pouting. Fantastic.

              
“We had our thing. It is a really g
ood memory but now we’re older. Things change.”

              
“You
r
 taking my breath away when you walk into a room hasn’t changed,” he replied when he lifted his eyes to look back at me.

              
That might just be sweet enough to get him out of trouble if I was interested. He was just a good friend. I reached over and squeezed his hand.  “Thank you. That was nice to hear. But can we just agree to be friends. That way when your habit of asking attractive girls out gets in the way we can laugh about it,” I teased.

              
Jay gave me a crooked grin. “God, I’ve missed you.”

              
“Well I haven’t really missed you all that much,” I replied then burst into laughter at the hurt look on his face. “I’m joking. I missed you too.” Maybe. When I thought about him. Which hadn’t been much over the past year.

              
“Have you two made up over 
there? Because if I hear
 Jay apologize one more time I may shove him into oncoming traffic,” Nathan said from across the table.

              
“Yes
,
 all is well. We are going to be friends and Jay can ask out anyone he wants to
,
 whenever he wants to.” I replied. Nathan studied Jay for a moment with a concerned look on his 
face, and then
 forced a smile.

              
“If y’all are okay with that set up
,
 then we are too.”

              
Miranda nodded,” Yep. Sounds like a good plan. Besides, Pagan has a date with Dank Walker 
Friday
 night
. He gave her backstage passes 
to his concert. And he’s letting me in too.”

              
“How did you know about that?” I hadn’t said anything to her about it yet.

              
She shrugged, “Gee told me.”

              
Figures. Gee was making sure I came. She’d already figured out Miranda got me to do things I didn’t want to. After, tonight though, I really did want to go. Dank Walker didn’t seem like such a bad decision after being out with a 
“
normal
, nice” 
guy
.
 At least when I was with Dank he acted like I was the only person around.

              
“Did you just 
meet
 him last night at the club?” Jay asked with a scowl on his face.

              
“No. He picked up her shoes when we got here yesterday. She dropped a 
whole 
box 
of shoes 
in the street
.
 
H
e got of
f
 his big bad motorcycle and came pick
ed
 
them 
up 
and
carrie
d 
them
 to her room. I think he’
s stalking her.” Miranda wiggled her eyebrows.

              
“His band isn’t known f
or their good reputation. They’
re rowdy and they get into trouble. Hanging around him isn’t safe, Pagan.” Jay didn’t sound convincing.

              
“So far he’s been nothing but nice, polite
,
 and very attentive,” I replied as I scooted out of my seat. I wasn’t going to be put in the position 
of 
defend
ing
 Dank to Jay. That was ridiculous.

              
“The important thing here is 
my best friend
 is 
dating
 the lead singer of Cold Soul and I have backstage passes. Let’s not get off topic,” Miranda chimed in. Nathan didn’t look real thrilled with this either. 
Now b
oth 
of them 
were scowling. A little jealousy would be good for Nathan. Miranda was making it seem too easy.

              
“Why did he give you tickets backstage?” Nathan asked 
as he reached 
for Miranda’s hand.

              
“Because he knew Pagan wouldn’t go 
without me
,” she replied. She was also very right. I wouldn’t brave that scene if she 
wasn’t
 beside me.

              
“Hmmm,” was Nathan
’s only 
response.
 Poor guy. He wanted to protest and knew he had no right
 becaus
e
 h
e
’d just met her.

              
“So, what movie are we going to see?” I asked to change the subject.

              
“Well I was 
gonna
 suggest an action movie since there are several out I
’d like 
to see
,
 but after hearing that y’all are 
gonna
 be hanging out with a 
rock band
 
later this week
 I feel the need to step up my game. So whatever romance you 
want to see
 I’m willing.” Nathan replied.

              
Miranda laughed, “Oh
,
 you’re in luck. I’ve 
seen
 the only romance out right now. It sucked.”

              
“Thank God,” 
Jay sighed dramatically.

              
“Action movie it is then,” Nathan announced.

Dank

              
I sat on the edge of 
Pagan’s 
bed and glance
d
 at the clock for the hundredth time in the span of ten minutes. “How long
 has
 she been gone?” I asked Gee as she walked into the room.

              
“I was with you, remember?”

              
She had been
,
 but she’d 
headed home 
before me
.
  I’d started worrying about Pagan with neither of us 
watching over her
.

              
“Before you point out that I got back an hour before you, 
I might as well tell 
you I 
made a quick stop 
along the way. I checked in on 
Pagan’s 
mom and did a sweep to see if I felt the little voodoo bitch around here anywhere. He’s gone. Her mom is good.”

              
I couldn’t get mad at her for that.

              
“She’s with him.”

              
Gee only nodded. She and I both knew this had to happen. I couldn’t stop it. Her
 heart had to choose. But 
damn
,
 it was hard. Today she’d melted against me the way she used to. She hadn’t pushed me away
;
 she’d wanted me. I
 know that
 part of her remember
s
. Her body responded to me. I had to believe her heart 
wa
s 
strong enough to restore her memory. The warmth of her soul’s presence washed over me.

              
“She’s back,” I said standing up. She’d entered the building.

              
“I’ll see what I can find out. But behave yourself in the corner,” Gee replied
,
 waving me away. I wasn’t visible to humans in this form. I backed away to stand in the 
far corner
of her room and waited.

              
The door swung open and Miranda 
came in 
chatting
 happily. I couldn’t understand what she was saying because all I could focus on was the 
high heeled boots
 and short skirt Pagan was wearing. HELL. I was burning those as soon as she got them off her body. She 
could 
cause wars
, 
the way she was dressed. I was going to hunt him down and kill him if he touched her. I’d take his sorry soul whether it was time or not.

              
Gee cleared her throat and I tore my gaze off Pagan’s 
deliciously
-
dressed
 body to glare at Gee. She must have read the intent on my face
; she gav
e me a warning look
. 
Those boots 
were
 
going missing. The skirt 
wa
s 
too.

              
“
That
 wasn’t so bad now was it?” Miranda asked smiling over at Pagan.

              
Pagan rolled her eyes and unzip
ped
 her boots. Maybe I wouldn’t burn them after all. I’d hide them instead. See if I could get her to take them off for me sometime.

              
“You rocked Jay’s world. When did he get so full of himself? Geez. Love the fact that you told him you couldn’t care less 
that 
he asked that tramp out. And what was up with that? I mean he was here to pick you up and she was hitting on him. Desperate much?”

              
Pagan pulled the boot off slowly and if I could drool I was pretty sure I w
as
. Damn that was hot. She reached for the other boot to do the same thing.

              
“I don’t care. She can have him. Why did I date the guy for three years? I don’t see the appeal.”

              
Her words broke into my lustful imagination and I snapped my head up to 
look at 
her fa
ce. She didn’t like him? What? But h
e was her soul
 
mate.

              
“He’s different from what I remember. He was boring.”