The Guardian Angel

Chapter-15: James

One moment we were kissing. And the next, she had fainted. This could only happen to me. Kissing a girl and have her faint. Wonderful. Seems my string of bad luck didn't end in Afghanistan.

I laid her on the bed, pulling the quilt over her and collapsed on the chair next to her bed.

This gave me time to think. How I knew she had been in the incident including deaths of many people, I had no idea. But somehow it just clicked. The reason was probably since I was supposed to be dead. The reason I met her not even a few days after I had died. How else could we happen to be in the same city, same bar, at the same night?

There was just this.... Feeling I'd had when we'd kissed. It'd taken me back. A long time ago. Death. Fire. Deception. I didn't know what to make of it. But I knew I should tell her. There were a lot of things about her she didn't know herself. How I knew, I didn't know. Like I said, it was a feeling. Feeling was an understatement. It was more like.... I knew it.

I ran my hand through my hair. I probably shouldn't have told her. It must have come as a shock. I thought through the incidents of the day. First, the encounter in the bathroom, which was already a harrowing experience. Second, her friend was about to be attacked. Third was me telling her about the whole death thing. Sure, I wasn't being very clear since I myself had no clue as to what was happening. As my mind processed and assessed the events of the day, I was dimly aware of my eyelids slowly shutting.

I woke up to Leah groaning and grunting. Her eyes were shut tight as she muttered something in her sleep. It was late at night, judging by the dark sky outside. I was probably going to regret this, but I didn't know any other way.

I climbed in beside her and shifted her head onto my lap. She stopped and shifted back into a peaceful sleep. I sighed, relieved. 

Then she started thrashing wildly. Her eyes scrunched up, tighter than before. I had no idea what to do. I grabbed my phone about to dial 911. Just as I was about to call, she stopped and turned toward me; her brown eyes bright with fear. I sighed with relief.

She crushed me in a hug as she racked sobs against my chest. She sobbed for a few minutes as I hushed and comforted her. I was worried. I didn't know what made her act like this, but I also knew that there was nothing I could do, no matter how much I wished to chase away what was troubling her. Finally, she leaned back and looked at me with bleary and watery eyes.

"What happened? Are you alright?" I asked her in a soft voice, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

My answer was a searing kiss. Her lips tasted salty, drenched from her tears. Her arms wrapped around my neck and my hand automatically held the small of her back as she straddled my hip. We moved away, her forehead leaning against mine, as we both caught our breath.

Her eyes were full of life, completely contrasting from her earlier expression of grief and sorrow. My hands traced an imaginary path around the side of her face, slowly traveling down her neck, making her breath hitch. I loved the power my touch had. To make her heart beat faster, make her breathing shallower and more... Desperate.

"James." She whispered, her parting lips releasing a breath of hot air that blew against my finger. My own name did strange things to my heart, pushing out the fear that had strangled it not moments ago.

My eyes found hers as I cupped her cheeks, the passion in her eyes driving me towards her once more. And this time we met halfway.

I switched our positions quickly, making her gasp lightly granting me better access to her mouth. Our tongues wet and warm, explored each other's mouths. The heat between us grew. I slowly lifted the hem of her top my hand slipping beneath it, my hand pressing against her hot and smooth skin. Her hands gripped my tee, bunching it up in her hands

Then I came to my senses. No. It wasn't right doing it like this...... The first time we had sex won't be because I took her when she was emotionally weak and unable to think straight. I lifted my self off her, my chest squeezing and aching at the sudden distance between us. She looked up, confused and disoriented.

I brushed the hair out of her face. "Go to sleep, Leah. I'll see you in the morning."

She was about to say something but I quickly left, shutting the door softly behind me.

I made my way to the couch and crashed into it. Just as I laid down, my body ached to go back to her. All of my senses warred and fought against me, asking me to continue what I had started. Did I not want to? I wanted to more than anything. More than anything I had felt in a while now. Natalie had hurt, but there was always something keeping me from getting to close to her.

Leah had turned my entire life upside down ever since she stepped into it. And if it meant that she'd be a part of my life, I was ready to have it upside down. I didn't know what she wanted. Not sure if she wanted me even half as much as I wanted her. The kiss between us had just fueled things further. 

I was sure of one thing that I had started. I had ignited a fire in my heart and I was afraid I'll never be able to douse it. What bothered me more was the question, Did I want to douse it? The answer to that, I knew already. No. I did not want to douse it. Instead I wanted to bring all the gas in this world to fuel it.