Cyrosphere 4:: Gathering of Lives (4 page)

Luke asked, “Will you spend the afternoon with me?”

Ginger’s smile fades and states, “Going hiking with Lupio. We need to finalize Stacey’s surprise birthday party.”

Luke pouts. She strokes his arm for good luck.

Ginger replies, “Stop pouting. You’ll see me in a few hours. We have plans tonight, right?”

Luke nods and answers, “I will see you later.”

Ginger responds, “See you growl a lot.”

He smirks and strolls down the avenue. She sighs and gets back to work.

Chapter Sixteen:

Two hours alter and twenty minutes later, Ginger sits down on a rock besides Guadalupe Haas.

Ginger asks, “How’s your mysterious boyfriend?”

Lupio smirks and replies, “Fine.”

Ginger snaps, “It has been over several months and you hardily told me anything. Oh, he’s Greek.”

Guadalupe answers, “I know.”

Ginger demands, “This is annoying. I am your bestfriend and you have shared no details.’

Lupio states, “Maybe I’m just private.”

Ginger rolls her eyes and snarls, “Please. You told me about a certain orgy you were invited to.”

Lupio laughs and responds, “In do time babygirl.”

She punches him in the arm.

Lupio asks, “How about Stacey’s party. Half the reason for today’s outing.”

Ginger rolls her eyes and states, “And misses out on gossip. I’d rather discuss your dating life.”

Lupio laughs a hearty laugh and responds, “Some other time. Focus on the party.”

Ginger snarls, “At the house in two weeks. The day before her birthday so October 29, seems fitting.
Its Halloween theme swaray with lots of booze.”

Lupio asks, “And how do you plan to pull that off?”

Ginger answers, “With your help of course. She’s turning 21 only once. This party has to be awesome.”

Lupio smiles and states, “Agreed.”

She gets up.

Ginger asks, “How’s business?”

Lupio yawns and replies, “I own my own business now. I just fired this pixie
Nome. A great carpenter.”

Ginger gasps and says, “Pixie Nome?”

Lupio smiles and responds, “Nomes, elves, and fairies are magical nature users of magic, respect!”

She smiles and nods. They begin to walk to their cars.

Guadalupe asks, “So when are we going for that run? You have been slacking lately super girl. I can’t believe you crammed five years of schooling in three. You will get your PhD next?”

Ginger shakes her head and answers, “Not yet. I barely just got a BA in English Literature and working on a BS in Business Management. I am playing around with the idea of owning my own company on the side of teaching of course.”

He nods and asks, “How’s the writing?”

Ginger answers, “Not since…”

Lupio frowns and states, “You need to talk about Lucy.”

Ginger snaps, “I’m just not ready. Drop it.”

Lupio says, “Fine, but when is the last time you visited Frost or Caleb?”

Ginger responds, “I haven’t.”

Lupio replies, “I know. That’s my point.”

She looks into his eyes and the concern is touching but she didn’t want to deal right now.

Chapter Seventeen:

Ginger pulls up besides the Prius and the hybrid.

She thought, “Nice to see Yvette home. The girl has been wearing herself
ragged in the hope to get promoted to judge.”

Walking inside the house, the smell of brisket cooling made her mouth water and stomach growl.

Ginger smiled as she turned the corner to see Yvette getting the dinning room table ready. Stacey was bringing in dishes with Peter.

She thought, “OMG. This is happening. They are moving up the wedding. I knew they couldn’t wait three entire years to jump the broom.”

Ginger smiled as she sat.

The food was amazing, Aaron out did himself again. It was halfway through dinner that Stacey clicked and clacked her water glass to get everyone’s attention. All eyes turned to her, as she smiled down at Peter who was now sporting a mustache and jelled his normal spiky hair into a tiny ponytail.

Stacey says, “I have an announcement.”

The table grew quiet awaiting her big news.

Stacey continues, “I am finishing my BA in Criminology by the end of the term. I am starting at the police academy in the spring, so we’ve decided to move up the wedding.”

Gasps and clapping followed. The clapping was Aaron and Yvette had gasped before recovering. She closed her mouth and cheered alongside her father. Ginger stared in silence. All eyes turned to her.

She smirked and said, “I called it.”

They all bust up laughing.

Ginger responds, “Three entire years engaged. I knew you guys wouldn’t last. So how soon do we need to pull this all off?”

Peter says, “Summer. We want a destination wedding.”

Aaron asked, “Where?”

Stacey grinned and says, “
Italy.”

Yvette jumps up and claims, “Oh yell yes. I’m down.”

They all laugh and start back eating.

Chapter Eighteen:

Two weeks flew by and Ginger was ready to surprise her bestfriend. She was greatly sad that Caleb and Frost weren’t coming. Every since Frost broke
up with Crystal last year, he has been distant.

She was sad for him. Her bestfriend had become distant with space, but maybe they needed that space to help grow. If she was sure of anything, their friendship would endure and no amount of space would stop that.

Walking into the house, she called Yvette to make sure she got the cake. Jordan and Kyle came pulling up behind her to help set up streamers and balloons.

She put them to work, while she dashed upstairs to bring down Stacey’s gifts. This year she opted out for three important ones. One book was on crime because that’s who Ginger was a reader. She got two similar ones on profiling and investigating, which totaled one awesome gift.

The second was a spa weekend away at a small resort and the timing was perfect. It was a little getaway before her wedding and before she started at the academy.

Last was a spectular gift, one she hoped Stacey would appreciate. A house, it wasn’t grand or anything that amazing but a great first house. It was a three room house to give them privacy and a start to a new beginning.

She thought, “I hope they like it.”

Soon people start showing up, once Penny arrived with Jurnee. She pulled away to go upstairs to shower and change, and let Penny pulled out her outfit. She was happy that Penny grew fonder of Jurnee, and it gave her hope to try dating again.

She smiled to herself, because it made her think of Luke.

Aaron came home shortly after Ginger got back downstairs with a smiling Penny who was so giddy. Every since she learned control, Ginger was able to block out thoughts and emotions. She had no idea what Penny’s surprise was but was sure it would be huge.

Those two made love seem small compared to theirs, and required constantly trying to match them.

She wondered, “Am I going to like this surprise?”

No time to dwell, as she got a quick text from Peter alerting her they were on the way back. Thank God Yvette pulled up just at that moment. She wasn’t alone.

Mark was here. He was here with Yvette.

Ginger thought, “What the fuck is going on?”

She gasps and says, “Oh shit.”

Chapter Nineteen:

It had been two entire years without a word to each other and he suddenly he popped up here at her home, and at Stacey’s 21
st
birthday party.

Ginger spun around and saw Leo. She was fine with him; they’d gone back to being friends. He took one look at her and she saw his concern. His gaze reached over her shoulder and he also gasps.

Leo says, “Are you okay?”

She nods and responds, “Tryna be.”

Leo sighs and replies “Are you sure? Want me to tell him to leave?”

She shakes her head and answers, “No, Stacey will be here soon, and so will my boyfriend.”

Leo nods and smiles.

He states, “You bringing Luke?”

She smiles and says, “Of course. He had a late meeting, or else he would have helped me set all this up. I can deal. Today, I have to. No drama at my best friend’s birthday party.”

Leo smiles and answers, “Good luck.”

Ginger whispers, “I’ll need it.”

Stacey came home, they all jumped out and yes she was surprised. Ginger let her shields drop to feel that excitement. How could she not? She was ready to party.

The hours flew by and ginger was happy that the party was a success. Yvette was even talking to a friend of Lupio’s. He promised to bring her a healthy, blooded single man and he delivered.

Damien Avalon was a journalist at Trek Publishing. How the lobo demon knew Guadalupe?

Lupio later told her that he plays darts with the guy. Small world, but what was amazing was Luke holding her hand. Sure they had sex, but the small romantic gestures like this made her giddy inside. The normal 15 years old inside never got to experience small moments of happiness, so she was making up for lost time.

Luke asked, “You seem tense. What’s wrong?”

Ginger sighed and answers, “Mark is lurking around somewhere.”

Luke gasps and asks, “Mark the guy that kissed you. The one that broke up your fling with Leo?”

Ginger nodded and states, “The one and alone.”

Luke answers, “Leo talk to him.”

Ginger stunned asks, “What?”

Luke responds, “You need closure. Go see what he wants. I trust you and love you.”

She smiles and says, “And that is why I love you more.”

Ginger grabbed his curly hair, pushing forward as she kissed him.
Biting his bottom lip as he withdrawn. Luke had lust in his eyes.

He says, “Wow.”

Ginger says, “Be back soon.”

Before she could walk twenty feet, Mark pulled her close to him. His woodsy scent sent her brain down memory land and passion was ignited. How could she ignore his presence, what they shared simple.

She pulled back, adding distance made her realize this was her past. A mistake. Time to deal and move forward.

Ginger demands, “Why are you here?”

Mark smirks and states, “We need to talk. I figured you hang up on me so in person was the only solution. Stacey and I are acquiesces so I got her a gift.”

She thought, “That damn smirk. Still makes me swoon, but I won’t be dragged back into dramatic land.”

Ginger snarls, “Fine. Talk quick. I have places to be.”

Mark smiles and says, “It’s Caleb. He is in trouble. When is the last time you talked to him?”

Guilt raced through her body, the same words that many had told her.

She lets the moment hang as tension builds.

Mark continues, “What I thought. He needs your help. My informative says he is in danger, and I believe time. We need to go handle this now.”

Ginger shockingly answers, “I can’t.”

Mark asks, “The boyfriend. Bring him along. He is an elf.”

Ginger rolls her eyes and states, “That’s not it. I am through with all this. I fulfilled my past in destiny.”