Phoenix Moon

Welcome to Paradise (Part 1)

I followed Andre through the woods. He had one of my hands in his as he pulled me along. I had no clue where he was taking me, but it definitely wasn't home. I didn't mind though. Right now there was nothing complicated about us. I guess there never was for Andre. I was just Lily to him. Not his mate, or the girl who kept him from her, not his best friend's sister, just me. I let go of everything and tried to forget why I shouldn't be here. Andre and I could be friends without me breaking down every other second.

We walked in silence for a while, both lost in our own thoughts. The tingly feeling from holding Andre's hand never left my mind. Suddenly something occurred to me.

"Where did my nickname come from?" I'd never thought to ask before, that's what he had called me for as long as I could remember.

"Do you remember our 3rd year class when we were still littles?" How could I forget? It was the first time I had been in a class without Lukah. On the second day of school I broke down crying because I had no one to play with for free-time. The kids in my class started teasing me for it. Andre was the only one who never said anything mean to me. He stood up for me, and we had been friends ever since.

"I remember"

"Do you remember the finger paints Mrs. Carmichael always had?"

"Yeah" I had no idea where this was going, but I played along.

"That entire year you only ever used the blue paint. I remember asking you why once and you told me it was because blue was better. That was the only reason you needed" He stopped to laugh. I had to giggle a little too. It really was ironic. His eyes were the reason blue was, is, my favorite color, but he would never know that. "I even tried to convince you to use green and you refused. You were the most stubborn little girl in the world, and I liked that. You weren't afraid to want things your way. The nickname reminds me of that strong little girl that wasn't scared to be friends with the outcast"

"What do you mean by outcast?"

"My eyes aren't exactly normal Lil. People notice." He chuckled, but I sensed something beneath the surface. Maybe I wasn't the only one the kids made fun of.

"You're right. They aren't normal. They are beautiful, and unique. They are a part of who you are, and that should never change." I said firmly. I had stopped walking to emphasize my point. Andre looked up at me sadly. He really didn't understand how amazing his eyes were, instead a few unkind things had convinced him that he should be ashamed of his anomaly.

"Andre." I looked him dead in the eye as I continued, "I love your eyes, so stop beating yourself up about them. Besides you could make practically any girl swoon with a single look."

"Really?" A corner of his mouth lifted teasingly. My cheeks flushed, and I couldn't form words, so I just nodded. I had just admitted a piece of my secret, and I was afraid it would scare him off. "Thanks Blue. That means a lot coming from you" He said with a smile. "Now c'mon. I'm assuming Luke doesn't want you out long" He didn't wait for an answer before he turned and kept walking. We fell into a comfortable silence, as I tried not to read too far into anything Andre had just said..

I didn't recognize any of my surroundings, which was strange because I knew these woods like the back of my hand. Finally the curiosity got the better of me. "Where are you taking me?" He turned his head to look back at me, eyes shining with a mischievous glint.

"You don't remember?"

"Should I?" He seemed disappointed. I wracked my brain, trying to figure out what I was missing. I had a strange sense of Déjà vu, but couldn't figure out why.

"Maybe. You'll see" He dropped it at that, and we continued in silence once again. I strained my ears, and heard the faint sound of running water. Andre seemed to be heading that way. I grew more curious with every step. I wanted to know where we were going.

"Almost there" Andre's voice broke through the silence. I looked up and spotted a line of dense brush, but couldn't see any farther. Just before we hit the bushes he turned left. Andre seemed to be looking for something, but I hadn't the slightest idea of what.

"Ah ha" He said finally. He then turned to look at me "Close your eyes" He demanded.

"Why?" I wasn't the kind of person that liked surprises.

"Because I said so." I scrunched my nose. That was not a good enough reason. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Do you trust me?" Did I? Yes. I looked into his gorgeous eyes and nodded slowly. "Good. Now close your eyes. I promise I won't let you go." This time I complied. The rest of my senses seemed to sharpen as I lost my sight.

I felt Andre run his warm hand down my arm. "You're so cold" he whispered, more to himself than to me. His hand finally connected to mine and I held on for dear life. I heard rustling but I couldn't tell what he was doing. "Just go exactly where I tell you to." His voice was soft, and right by my ear. His breath tickled my neck, making me shiver. He placed his other hand on my hip, and I felt his chest brush against my back.

"Two steps forward" I did as I was told. "Now duck your head a little bit," I felt him pull me slightly to the right as I bent. "Good. Take a couple of small steps." Tall grass made my leg itch as I walked. I tripped over something, sending my heart racing, but Andre caught me easily.

"I've got you. Don't open our eyes." His voice sounded so serene. It calmed me down almost instantly. "Ok. Keep your head down and walk forward a little more. We're almost there." I couldn't help but smile. Although I would never admit it to Andre, I was excited.

"Now stop." I halted obediently. "Are you ready?"

"Yes" I squeaked. His voice was still dangerously close to my ear.

"Then open your eyes." I did, blinking as my pupils adjusted to the sunlight. Finally I was able to take in my surroundings. I let out a gasp as I understood exactly where I was.

"Welcome to Paradise"