Miracle

Pt. 14

"Ooooh," Lily groaned loudly as her eyes slowly fluttered open. Momo was curled up on her chest, looking up at her with curious green eyes. "Meow," he chirped, pawing gently at her cheek.
She slowly sat up, cradling the side of her head. Her eyes scanned the familiar surroundings: her bedroom, her bed. She looked down at her clothes - the same dress she'd worn last night with her friends. Had the events of yesterday, the red monster, the terrifying portal, the claws digging into her arm, just been a drunken dream? It had felt too real, the sheer panic of running for her life, the pain.

She glanced down at her arm. If it had truly happened, there'd be visible marks. Her brown skin was clear, unblemished. "I guess I... I just dreamed the whole thing," she murmured, picking Momo up and setting him on the floor.
Lily padded into her bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. She pushed her bangs out of her slightly red, tired eyes. Her makeup was smudged, and her hair looked like a literal rat's nest. She must have really gotten wasted last night to end up looking this way.

Her eyes moved to the side of her neck, and she saw it: a small, vibrant red crescent-shaped patch of skin.
She raised an eyebrow, reaching up to rub her fingers over the smooth skin. Lily had no tattoos and had never really had an interest in getting one. So why would she randomly get one last night? She rubbed hard, seeing if the mark would come off or fade, but it stayed put. "God, what's my mom going to say when she sees this?" she mumbled. At least she could hide it with makeup or simply put her hair over it.

Rummaging through her cabinets, she first pulled out a scrunchie, tying her hair into a high bun. Then, she grabbed a bottle of Tylenol, popping two pills into her mouth. Her head was absolutely pounding. At least her 25th birthday hadn't gone too badly yesterday. She just wished she remembered more about what happened after Cherry's show, after they all went to the bar.

There were so many unanswered questions and holes in her memory. Her head felt like she'd been hit by a truck.
"Tylenol, do your magic," she mumbled before pulling off her clothes and hopping into the shower. As the warm water cascaded over her, her mind drifted back to her dream. Why had she dreamed about Alexander with big wings? She hadn't seen or heard from him in a whole year. Why would she randomly have that dream? She made sure to scrub hard on the new red patch of skin on her neck. It had to be fake, she thought. She couldn't believe she'd just randomly gotten a tattoo, and one that had no meaning to her, no less. It was all just too random.

She let out a heavy puff of air. "How could my best friends let me get this?" she whispered as she finally finished cleaning. Climbing out, she wrapped a towel around her body and walked into her room. She didn't have plans until later in the day when she had work, so she just pulled on an oversized Seventeen shirt, some black lace panties, and a pair of night shorts with sheep on them.

Making her way into the kitchen, Momo followed close behind, his orange tail held straight in the air. She yawned, closing her eyes and stretching her arms above her head.
"Um, hey."
The male voice made her stop dead in her tracks. Her eyes sprang open, snapping over to her kitchen table. There, sitting casually, was Alex. Memories of her dream flashed in her mind, vivid and terrifying. She instinctively backed away, her back hitting a shelf of books. "Go away... Please, get out," she said softly, fear shaking her to her core.

He stood up, walking a little closer. He realized her body was trembling and stopped, holding up his hands in surrender. "Hey, hey, it's just me. I'm not going to hurt you."
Even though he said he wouldn't hurt her, she still seemed hesitant. She shook her head, not fully believing him. That thing she saw in her dream had killed someone. Who knew what Alexander, in real life, was capable of? Was she losing her mind? Was it a dream, or... or did last night really happen? But that's impossible.

"Okay, I understand. I have a lot to explain," he tried to reassure her, his voice gentle. "First of all, I want to let you know you're not crazy. Last night did happen."
She looked into his blue eyes, biting her lip. He hesitated a second before continuing. "I'm an angel... I'm a Guardian Angel... your Guardian Angel, Lily," Alexander stuttered over his words, taking another step closer.

She ran her hands through her hair. "That's not possible, Alex! Are we both just fucking losing it?" She ran her fingers frantically through her messy hair. He walked closer before pulling his shirt over his head, holding it in his hands "What the hell are you doing?" she asked, her eyes momentarily drawn to his muscular, smooth body with its defined eight-pack. In that moment of shock and fear, a part of her still registered how perfectly sculpted he was. Damn, could this man really be this perfect?

"I'm showing you the truth for once," he said. And then, huge white wings gracefully sprang out from his back, filling the small kitchen. Lily gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth.
So it was all real. Everything she thought was just a dream was real. "Oh my god," she whispered. He gave her a little smile; he understood her shock and confusion. It wasn't every day you met an angel.

"You know, you're not supposed to say his name in vain... I heard he really hates that," he teased gently, trying to lighten the overwhelming tension.
She walked closer to him, looking up into his bright eyes, slowly reaching out and running her fingers over the soft, downy feathers. "I'm so sorry I just disappeared like that," Alexander said, his voice laced with genuine guilt. "I shouldn't have let him even get close to you." His fists tightened around his shirt, unable to meet her gaze.

"At least you came when I really needed you," she said softly, finally meeting his eyes. He shook his head as he retracted his wings back into his back, then pulled his shirt back over his head, leaving behind the intricate wing tattoo on his skin. "No, I shouldn't have just left you like that. Can we sit? I'll explain everything." she nodded, leading them to the couch. They both sat down. Momo, seizing the opportunity, leaped into her lap. Lily smoothed his fur.
"Okay, Alexander... explain."