Saints and Sinners

Fifteen:

Fifteen:

She went back to his room and slept in his bed. Alina woke up with his arms wrapped around him. She shouldn't have felt safe. She shouldn't have felt comfortable. Except, she did feel both. At least, that morning she did. Alina tried to get up but found herself gently pulled to Aleksander's chest. He smelled her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Where exactly do you think that you're going?" Aleksander asked.

"We've got to start the day," said Alina.

"Do you know what day it is?" Aleksander said. "It's Saturday, it's the day of rest."

"Sunday is the day of rest."

"Depends on the religion."

"And are you a religious man?"

Aleksander snorted. "No."

"Then why should it matter if the two of us work?"

"Where were you planning on going?" Aleksander asked.

"I was planning on going to the library and studying."

Aleksander frowned. "Are you lying to me?"

Alina rolled her eyes. "No. I'm not lying. I told you that I would play ball. I'm going to play ball. I promise you. There won't be any running anymore. It was stupid for me to try. I probably wouldn't even to manage to stay away from Mal for that long."

Aleksander flinched. "You know you talking about my cousin is going to drive me crazy, right?" He rolled her over and had her pinned between his arms. "I don't like the idea of you and him having a life without me..."

Alina sighed. "There's nothing to worry about you know, don't you? I'm familiar with the consequences of what happens when soulmates don't comply...can I ask you something?"

"Go for it," Aleksander said.

"I know soulmates can feel each other. And I know that if you die, I die. What happens with the soulmates that are rejected? How...how can you reject someone?"

Aleksander made a face. "You really want to know?"

"Well, yeah. Is it just as simple as them getting ignored? How do they stay alive long enough to live in a shelter?" Alina asked. "What about Mal's mom?"

He took a deep breath. "Keep in mind, everything I know is second hand from watching soulmates com into the shelter. One way is to have sex with someone else that isn't their soulmate. It can drive them insane. Another is to stay away, but...."

"But what?"

"To make their relationship sexual only."

"How does that work?" Alina asked. "Is that even possible?"

"It sates their desires. But you're still weak."

"Weak?" Alina said. "What do you mean by that?"

"I told you, the longer soulmates are away from each other, the weaker they become. And the further that you get away from them..."

His voice drifted off.

Alina's heart clenched. "Death."

"Death," he said darkly, "soulmates are stronger when they are together. When there's real love, they're nearly impossible to destroy."

"You don't mean like immortal?"

He laughed. "No. That's an old myth. But you do have a prolonged life if you love each other."

Alina took a deep breath. "I'm terrible."

"What makes you think that?" Aleksander said.

"I was going to reject you." She sat up on her elbows. "I'm sorry I...I didn't know what I was doing."

Aleksander shook his head. "You don't have to apologize. You were scared. You were trying to survive."

"But the Saints want you to be good," Alina said, "I mean, that's the general idea. That's why they give you someone to care for. To love. Even if they aren't a Saint all of the time. I shouldn't have...I should have understood my role as your soulmate better. I'm sorry I didn't see that."

He reached out and stroked her cheek. "It's about balance, right? No one is going to be a Saint or a Sinner all of the time. If it were that simple, we wouldn't need each other to make everything work. We'd be able to sort everything out ourselves. But we're not meant to sort things out ourselves, we've got to rely on each other and know when to ask for help..."

Alina squirmed a little in the bed. "If soulmates are supposed to be about balance, we should find balance between work and pleasure, right?"

Aleksander chuckled. "Very nice, Alina. But there's no reason for you to go to the college today. Besides, you're not running from me now. I think it's time that we use this day to get to know each other."

Alina scrunched up her nose. "You know me. I'm Little Lina. I'm Mal's best friend. I'm a law school major. I grew up in an orphanage. What more do you need to be able to know about me?"

Aleksander shook his head. "Those are the kinds of things that everyone knows. I want to get to know the real you, Sunshine."

"How do you propose that?" Alina asked. "Are we going to stay in bed all day and talk?"

He smiled. "I like the sound of that. But I think we should probably at least eat breakfast. Ivan doesn't like it when people don't eat his breakfasts, and he works so hard at everything."

Alina grinned. "Well, I guess I can eat the waffles this morning. With chocolate."

"With chocolate, indeed," said Aleksander, and he kissed her on the cheek. Alina blushed fiercely.

"You don't think it's too soon for that?" Alina asked.

"Too soon would have been when I met you at Mal's graduation. It's past too soon, Alina, and I intend on having you every way that I can. Sweet, innocent, and dirty too."

She smiled at him. "I think I like the sound of that."

"Breakfast first, Alina. We've got to make sure that you're taken care of. If you're not taken care of, then I won't be either. Let's go and enjoy a little sin, huh?" Aleksander said. "Nothing like pleasure from food, you know. And waffles are a delicacy."

"So I've heard," said Alina.

The two of them got up, and then they went to have breakfast.