My Soul Keeper (4 page)

I’m waiting as they prep Marie. Simone is by her side offering comfort, her blue eyes the only attribute on display from her full scrubs and mask. I can sense her nervous energy, a gentle tremor in her hand as she squeezes Marie’s.

“Can you feel this?” the doctors ask Marie, spraying a chemical on her skin. She shakes her head. It doesn’t take long at all to make the incisions to her naval. A small amount of time passes once the doctor reaches in and pulls the vessel from her womb. I reach my hand over and wait as they cut the umbilical cord. I release the life’s soul into the vessel, the light from the soul traveling through me to reside in its new life until I will return for it. A few seconds later the baby cries indicating a successful transfer. I hear Simone praying the whole time and I feel her emotions radiating from her.

I ache with sorrow, knowing that in a short few months, I will be taking the soul back and leaving Simone the pain of mourning. I wish I knew her destiny and why this had to happen to her. I’m angry with myself for becoming too involved with Simone’s life. This is how it’s always been; my souls are used for a greater purpose, to sculpt and change destinies. I have never questioned my job before her. Never wanted to not be who I am before her. Her power over me, without even knowing she has any, is unacceptable. I need to cleanse her from my thoughts. I leave and plan to stay away for a few weeks to wean myself from the thrall she has over me.

Jacob’s sitting at the breakfast bar eating cereal when I walk into the kitchen.

“I‘m going to have to start charging you food rent soon,” I joke as I reach for a bowl and pour my own.

“You haven’t left this house since your brother was born. If I didn’t come here, I would never see you apart from at school, and that would be criminal. Look at you.”

I look down at the ratty looking sleep shorts and vest with a coffee drip staining the white material I’m still wearing, and raise my eyebrows. “I’m sorry. I should make more of an effort. Maybe we could take Junior for a walk when he wakes up, then later do something just the two of us?”

Walking to where I’m sitting, he rubs my shoulders, and then lays kisses down my neck. “Doing something just us two sounds promising. My house is empty, my parents are away. I was going to throw a party but I’d much rather it just be me and you. You could stay over?”

I look up at him over my shoulder. “My dad’s leaving. I wouldn’t want to leave Mom alone.”

“I’m a big girl. Go have fun,” Mom interrupts us, coming into the kitchen.

Jacob squeezes my shoulders. “You sure, Mom?”

“Honey, you do more than enough. You haven’t done anything together for ages. Go have fun.”

“Okay. I’m going to shower and get dressed.” Kissing Jacob on the cheek, I go shower.

The presence is back in the house. After not being here for weeks, someone’s here, I sense it.

“Simone, you finished? You’ll be wrinkled like a prune.”

Jacob’s voice comes through the door. The handle drops and I remember I didn’t lock it.

“Don’t, Jacob! I’m naked!” I shriek.

“It’s locked, Simone. Calm down. God, am I ever going to see you naked?”

I reach for a towel and step onto the fluffy rug. I look at the door; it’s not locked. I reach for the handle and tilt it down. It easily opens.

“Hey.” Jacob’s filling the doorway, his eyes smouldering as he takes in my attire.

“Hey, I forgot underwear.” I look over at the dresser. He pulls me into him and smothers my lips with his. There’s no fire building, no flutter or fireworks.

“Don’t tease me, Simone.”

He breathes against my lips and I feel my stomach turn over with nerves. “Sorry to interrupt. Your mom let me in.” Gabrielle’s voice carries into the room.

“God, do you try to ruin my life, Gabrielle? Or do you just have really bad cock block Jacob timing?” He huffs and throws himself onto my bed with a dramatic sigh, gaining a giggle from both of us.

“So, Liam said it’s a party at your house tonight, Jacob. I invited a few people. Hope that’s okay?”

He lifts his head to glare at me. I shrug my shoulders and he sighs in defeat. “Fine. It’s a party at my house, then.”

I stayed away for three weeks, two days, six hours, three minutes, and one second. I thought about her constantly. Fought my own will and patience raging war with the need I had to just inhale her scent, breathe the air she breathed. I was consumed by this girl and no matter the length of time I kept the connection at bay, her draw was an invisible force, summoning me to obey and go to her. I have lived a long time, faced many trials and the will to keep my distance was almost impossible to control. I pulled from every part of my soul to give me the sense I needed to stay away. She was a Destined and I was nothing to her, an essence in the air around her that she didn’t even know I was affecting, calming the atmosphere in her home. There to bring her pain and grief, dim the light shining so bright inside in her.

He’s in her room pacing when I arrive. I hear the shower running. He stops outside the bathroom door and calls out to her, going for the handle. I dematerialize into the bathroom and hold the door shut as he attempts to open it. Simone lets out a screech, telling him not to. She steps behind me, heat from her body creeps up my spine. I slip out of her way. The water is beading on her skin like crystals then forming tears. I want to trace their journey as they cascade over her skin. I want to reach out and touch her. I disappear before I break all rules.

I appear to Matthew, a two-year-old who is nearing the time when I’ll have to collect his soul.

“Hello, Matthew, what do you have there?” I ask as he chews on something in his chubby little hand.

“Yummy.”

A smile tilts my lips. “It looks yummy.”

“Hey, mister. Who are you talking to?” His mother comes in to wipe his messy face. “I think it’s bath time,” she tells him, scooping him up into her arms.

“I’ll see you soon, buddy,” I tell him with a little wave. I leave, appearing in my corporeal form just as Gabrielle is coming out from Simone’s house. She’s on the phone, talking in a hushed, nervous tone. She’s edgy.

“So things are getting close. We need to act tonight, or it’s all for nothing. There are only so many times I can interrupt.” She angrily talks into her cell, pacing the length of the drive. “I know and I will but she has to be something special,” she continues. I’m curious to whom she’s talking to, to know if it’s related to Simone somehow. I was becoming insane with the need for knowledge on her, and beginning to hate myself for how I’d become some kind of obsessed school geek with a crush on the head cheerleader.

She notices me and looks back to the house, then to me. “I have to go. Yes, tonight. Okay.” She quickly wraps up the call.

She flips her phone closed and walks toward me. “What are you doing here, Shamar?”

“Just checking in, thought I’d say hi. You look stressed, everything okay?”

“Yes, fine,” she snaps.

I see the curtain twitch and then she looks straight at me...
Simone.
Her blue eyes draw me in, my heart rate spikes and I’m held in her thrall. Her gaze glues me to the spot; she’s so beautiful.

“Shamar!” Gabrielle growls, breaking the connection.

“I’m going,” I tell her, without having to hear her berate me.

I take Junior from his pram and hand him to Mom. “How was your walk? Where is everyone?” she asks.

“The walk was nice. Jacob’s gone to get some supplies for a party, and Gabrielle is outside taking a call but she’s not staying.”

I pull the curtain back and look out to see bright blue eyes looking back at me. They’re almost turquoise. His dark wavy hair makes the colour even more striking. He’s beautiful. His prolonged gaze back at me makes me feel lightheaded. I want to reach for him, but Gabrielle says something to him, and he turns and walks away. Air rushes into my lungs in a sharp whoosh; I realize I had been holding my breath. What is up with my hormones lately? Why can two complete strangers have an effect on my body, but my own boyfriend doesn’t?

I go to the back garden to lie on the hammock for a while before I need to get ready for Jacob’s party. Grey clouds roll in but the sun’s orange glow burns behind them. It’s like watching a fire blaze through a misty window.

I sense the usual pull, like Heaven’s reaching out for me to take its hand. I close my eyes and the blue eyes of the stranger appear in my thoughts. Full lips dampened by his tongue, perfect smooth skin… Small pellets of rain moisten my skin and the breeze licks at the drops, turning them to icy tingles on my face.

“There you are, honey.”

I startle, opening my eyes to the darkness of night. I bolt upright. “Oh my God, how long was I out here?”

“Well, it’s eight o’clock. Your phone’s been going crazy on the counter.”

“I’m meant to be at Jacob’s. I’m not even ready. I must have fallen asleep.”

I jump to my feet and rush up the stairs. I pull a few items from my closet and decide to go casual in low-rise jeans and an off the shoulder top I borrowed from Leah. I leave my hair to flow loose down my back and apply a little mascara and lip-gloss.

My phone rings; I hit the connect button. “Where are you?”

“I’m sorry, Jacob. I fell asleep. I’m on my way.”

“Is this about us, Simone? About finally having sex? Because I’ve been patient, but I’m getting fed up with waiting.”

“I just dropped off to sleep, Jacob. I’m on my way. Why are you talking like that? Have you been drinking?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. I just want us to go to the next step. You’re torturing me, Simone. It’s not fair to tease me all the time.”

“Jacob, I’m not. Can we talk when I get there?”

“Fine.”

I end the call, rush down the stairs and head out the door to my car. It’s only a ten-minute drive.

When I pull up on the side of the road, the driveway is full. There are people out front and music is vibrating from the house. I make my way through the crowd of people. Leah intercepts me as I spot Jacob across the room.

“Hey, bitch, where you been? Your boy’s been having a hissy fit.”

I laugh and shake my head. “I fell asleep.”

“Simone…” Jacob stumbles through the sweaty bodies dancing in the middle of the room. He reaches us, pulling me into him. Beer scent pours from him as he slurs my name.