The Seven Devils (YA "New Adult" Romance) (19 page)

“Oh my God!” I cried, bouncing up and down.

Neil and Josh laughed. “So I figured we could make a long weekend of it,” Josh continued. “Maybe stay in the city from the 22nd to the 27th? How does that sound?”

I stopped bouncing. “But I could never afford that. And what would my family say if I missed Christmas?” I asked. “Plus I have a band concert on the 22nd,” I said, a little embarrassed. How lame would it be to miss the Philharmonic because of a high school band concert?

Josh and Neil exchanged a long look.

I searched their faces. Were they talking about me?

“Ellen,” Neil began. “I don’t think your family will mind if you’re gone over Christmas. I’m not even sure if they would…” he trailed off.

“Notice?” I asked. Neil nodded.

Josh put a hand on my shoulder. “Ellen, come with us. I promise you’ll have a great time. We’ll be your family this Christmas.”

I nodded, trying to swallow the overwhelming feeling of abandonment that seemed to swell up inside me. “But the trip, the hotel… it’s expensive. And I’m sure I have nothing appropriate to wear to your concert.”

Josh laughed. “Well, I can get us all there; there’s no need for plane tickets when I’m around. Plus you don’t have to worry about the dress or hotel, Neil has plenty – “ he cut off abruptly. Neil was clearly giving Josh a look. “Well, we’ll figure it out,” Josh said quickly, and stood up. “I’d better be going.”

Neil and I stood too. “But what about Maya?” I asked. “Is she coming too?”

Josh grew a little red.

“You still haven’t spoken to her??” I demanded. When Josh gave me a sheepish smile I smacked him lightly on the arm. “Go there, right now, and introduce yourself.”

“Now?? But it’s the middle of the night! What would I say?” Josh asked.

“I’m serious. Just go. You’ll figure it out,” I said, crossing my arms.

Josh looked embarrassed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Do I look alright?” he asked, fixing his hair.

I laughed. “Fine. Just go get her!”

Neil wrapped an arm around my waist. “You heard the lady. Go get her.”

Josh squared his shoulders, gave a determined nod, and a second later he was gone.

“Wow,” I said, staring in awe at the spot where Josh was standing just a moment ago.

“It is definitely impressive,” Neil said. “So do you think he’ll do what you said and go introduce himself?”

“He better,” I said.

I turned and wrapped my arms around Neil’s waist and laid my head upon his chest. “What was going on a minute ago? What did you stop Josh from saying?” Neil remained silent.

“You have plenty of what?” I l prompted, leaning back so I could look into his eyes.

He gazed back into my eyes and ran a hand through my hair. “He was going to say that I have plenty of money.”

“What?” I asked, very confused. I gestured around his father’s study. “I thought this was all your parents’ stuff.”

Neil nodded. “It is. I have my own money.”

“But how? You don’t even have a job. How much money are we talking about?”

“Remember the science competition I was in last month? I’ve been doing those for years. The prizes are always referred to as scholarship money, but since everyone competing already has a full-ride to whatever college they could possibly want to go to, the money is just given to us outright,” Neil explained.

“So you win science competitions sometimes? How much could they possibly pay?”

“I’ve won every one since I was eligible to compete at 13, except for one year. This one kid, a future astrophysicist, the things he discovered… he really blew me away. He deserved first place that year.”

“Neil, how much?”

Neil looked away for a moment. “I didn’t want to tell you. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable? How much?” I asked again.

“A few hundred thousand,” Neil said.

I just stared at him. What would it be like to be eighteen and have that kind of money? I suddenly felt completely overwhelmed and sat on the floor.

Neil joined me and rubbed his hands up and down my arms. “Ellen, it’s not a big deal. It doesn’t change anything.”

“Neil,” I said, tears filling my eyes. “A few minutes ago you and Josh were here, talking about how we’re family. I felt so safe and happy. I felt like I finally belonged somewhere.”

“You do belong,” Neil said. “Here with me.”

I shook my head and tried to swallow back the lump in my throat. “You’re some kind of genius. You have money, you can go to any college you want. Josh is rich and famous, and oh, by the way, you both have superpowers. How do I fit into this equation? I have nothing. I’m not as smart as you are, I can’t play as well as Josh can, I’ll probably end up at some state school while you’re living it up at Harvard or wherever. I’m nothing. I’m nothing compared to you two.”

Neil shook his head and tried to speak but I interrupted him.

“You’re in better shape than I am, you know how to cook and I can’t. Even Maya has a special ability. Can you imagine if Josh and Maya get together? What would it be like with the four of us together? I’d stick out like a sore thumb. Why would you ever want to include me when you could have someone more your equal?”

“Ellen,” Neil said calmly. “Please look at me.”

I brought up my eyes to meet his and then wiped away my tears as best I could.

His eyes seemed to devour my face, and all I could think about what how awful I must look at that moment. As if to verify this, I let out a post-sob hiccup. Embarrassed, I looked back to the floor.

“Do you remember our first self-defense lesson?” Neil asked. “Do you remember how your mental image of Derrick was flawed?”

I nodded. “This isn’t like that, Neil. I’m not confusing your height or weight. Everything I just said about you is true.”

“Okay, but think it all through. You said that I’m smart. I am, but so are you. Any time I explain something new to you, you pick it up immediately. I don’t think there’s anything you couldn’t learn. Plus it’s unfair to compare levels of intelligence with me when I immediately know everything that you know just because I can access it. It’s like I’ve been cheating all my life. Does that make sense?”

“Exactly. I can’t compete with you. You’re superhuman.”

“Why are we competing? I am trying to do the best I can with what I’ve been given, just as you are. I use my intelligence to ensure I’ll be able to continue my education and be able to live once my parents kick me out at graduation. I’m in better shape than you, and just barely by the way, because I have had so much anger and pain in my life. I had to work off all that steam any way I could find how. I can cook because no one would do it for me. Ellen, all the good things you list about me are things that I’ve made for myself because of all the shit in my life. You talk about my special abilities like they’re these marvelous things that make me better than everyone else, but to me it feels like iron shackles.”

I shook my head. “Why?”

“I have certain goals… certain things I want to do with my life, but then I think about what I can do and feel such pressing guilt. If I can read people’s thoughts, shouldn’t I be a judge so I can convict all the guilty and save all the innocent? Or what about all the autistic children in the world? What if I could learn exactly how their minds work and unlock the secret of communicating with them? I could drive into the worst ghettos in the world and have the rapists and murderers kill themselves and give some coked-up single mother the courage and strength she needs to give up drugs for good. I feel as though I’m wasting my life if I don’t go do these things, and yet they’re not what I want for myself. I don’t want to be a slave to my powers. But you… you don’t have to worry about any of this. You have the freedom and the luxury to follow your dreams.”

I thought about all he said as Neil closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he took my hand in his and said, “Close your eyes.”

I squeezed his hand gently and shut my eyes. I felt his chest move up against mine and his breath near my ear. He held himself close to me and gently guided me with a hand against my back to the floor. I kept my eyes closed and ran my hand over the thick carpet as his body lifted away from mine. We were right near the fireplace and I could feel the warmth envelope my body.

“El, I don’t know for sure where I’m going in this life, but I know I want you there with me.”

I opened my eyes. Neil was holding himself above me, so close, yet not letting himself touch me. “I want to give you a better life.”

“But you’re going to leave me,” I whispered, finally speaking the fear that had been eating me up inside. “You graduate in just a few months and I still have another year.”

Neil shook his head and traced the worry lines on my forehead. “I’m not leaving you. I couldn’t.”

A mixture of relief and guilt flooded through me. “I don’t want you to put off your life and hang around this town just for me.”

Neil lowered his head and kissed my neck ever so softly. “Come with me,” he whispered.

A shiver of excitement shook through me until the doubts crashed in again. “How? I’m not old enough.”

He traced along the low v-neckline of my t-shirt lightly with a finger, down towards my cleavage. “I’ll figure something out.”

I closed my eyes and imagined leaving this town with him. Neil’s graduation was just six months away. I could leave my family behind and go with Neil wherever he wanted. It sounded too good to be true.

When Neil’s lips touched mine I pulled his body down into mine, hard. Our bodies collided and my tongue slipped lightly into his mouth. A soft growl rumbled through his chest as he eagerly returned my kisses. He stopped momentarily to rip his shirt off over his head and I was dazzled by the warm flickering tones of the fireplace dancing across his chest and abs.

Neil ran a hand up under my shirt, lifting it towards my shoulders and lowered his head to kiss my stomach. I slipped my shirt the rest of the way off and squirmed as his light kisses tickled my sides. My heart raced as Neil’s hand slipped under my body to undo my bra. As I slipped it off for him, Neil groaned and moved his face up to take one my nipples into his mouth. The second he did, my body exploded with ecstasy. I moaned and writhed under his body. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I ran my fingers through his dark hair and allowed him to continue his attentions on my breasts.

He moved slowly up my chest and his mouth connected with mine once again. As we kissed he pressed his body into mine, and for once he didn’t hold himself back. He grinded his crotch into mine and I felt the hardness hidden beneath his pants. I had to break away from his kisses as my breath was suddenly coming only in short gasps. Neil slipped his left arm under my neck and lightly nibbled on my ear. My hands rubbed the strong muscles of his back as he lifted my butt slightly towards him with his other hand. It all felt like a dream, a dream I never wanted to end.

The sensation of his cock rubbing between my legs was almost more than I could take and I moaned his name. With a final long kiss he sat up, kneeling between my legs, and undid his belt. As I watched his strong fingers undo the button on his jeans and move towards his zipper it was as if my stomach flew up into my chest. Raw panic screamed throughout every inch of my body.

Neil immediately froze. I saw his chest rise and fall rapidly in the firelight and he swallowed several times. I tried to get my breathing under control. My whole body trembled uncontrollably.

“I’m sorry, Ellen. I’m so sorry,” he said quietly. He reached into the chair where Josh had been sitting earlier and handed me the blanket I had brought for him. I held it to my chest and buried my face in it, turning away from Neil and towards the fire. I felt so ashamed.