Remember

Chapter 5

I opened my eyes tiredly, squinting to read the time on the clock. 11:15 AM. I yawned, stretched and stood up, hearing quiet music coming from down the hall. It was coming from the right, so I knew it was from Dean’s room. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly got dressed into light denim jeans and a short sleeved green turtleneck before I tentatively left my room, closing my door quietly behind me. I undid my ponytail and ruffled my hair before I slipped on my black pair of Airwalk moccasins. I tip-toed down the hall, my ears begging me to get closer and closer so I could hear Dean’s magical voice. I knew it was ‘Broken’ by Seether, and the thought of singing for him almost made me turn back around. But I figured I would play along in his silly little game, and belt out a tune. What’s the worst that could happen? His miraculous voice kept going, and I suddenly realized this was the version with Amy Lee. His door was open slightly, and I peered in to see him standing and looking completely absorbed in the music.

“You’ve gone away. You don’t feel me, here anymore…”

I took a deep breath just before Amy Lee’s part was up, and pushed his door open more before I began:

            “The worst is over now and we can breathe again
I wanna’ hold you high, you steal my pain away
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight!
I wanna’ hold you high and steal your pain!”

            Dean was facing me now, his smile as bright as the sun, and we continued to sing softly, yet powerfully…

            “'Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don't feel like I am strong enough
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away.”

            We continued to sing our parts, moving a little as we did so, letting the music take us away from reality, I guess. Or maybe it was something else… Dean seemed driven, like singing was his passion, or calling. He was great at it, after all. By our last words we were right in front of each other, palms raised and pressed together, flames engulfing each, and our eyes were locked. I smiled, deciding to break the silence. “Hi…” In retrospect, there were a million other things I could’ve said, but the moment was leaving me a little speechless, and his upcoming grin didn’t help. He grinned, looking me over. “See? I told you that you could sing. You have a voice better than hers…” I laughed, shaking my head. Amy Lee was amazing! Not to mention my favorite rocker chick of all time… “She’s the greatest-no one’s better than her.” “Oh, I beg to differ. I know you have a better voice.” We just stood and stared at each other, our flames burning bright. I could see something awaken in Dean’s eyes ever since I started singing, and for me to know that I had had that much of an impact on someone was indescribable. It was like my voice had opened up something deep within that dark and sexy exterior of his, and I longed to know what it was. “Where were you yesterday? I didn’t see you, or hear your music playing…” Dean smiled, looking touched that I had noticed. “I was out, actually. Say…would you want to go somewhere with me? You’ve been inside ever since you came here…” Something told me to say no. The little voice inside my head said that doing this was not only stupid, but wrong since I was already sort of involved with Dante. But I was a risk taker, and a mischievous smirk played across my lips. “Yeah…let’s go,” I murmured, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the door. Chi hopped off of Dean’s bed and padded after us, and we left the castle unseen. Dean took the lead once we were outside, and he lead us toward the outback courtyard. “So, where are we goin’?” I asked, walking beside him as we began our journey through the forest. He just smiled, his deep cerulean eyes staring at me intently from under his sienna hair. “Well?” Dean didn’t say anything, and I rolled my eyes even though his attention toward me made my heart beat faster. After a few more minutes of walking, the trail we were on lead us to an old, small barn. I raised an eyebrow at him, leaning to one side. He turned and smiled, flicking his gaze toward the barn. “I hope you like horses, although I get the feeling that you do…” he murmured, pulling the doors open with both hands. I stared at the two magnificent horses that were nestled comfortably within their stalls. “Jace? Are you okay?” Dean asked, but I walked past him and toward the darker horse, which had been staring at me the whole time. It’s dark brown eyes were gleaming as I gazed into them, and I pressed my palm against it’s face. “Yeah, I’m fine…” I whispered, jumping when he appeared next to me. The horses stamped their feet in surprise, and Dean chuckled to himself. “Her name is Rain, and that’s Battle…would you like to ride her?” I smiled and nodded, narrowing my eyes to him playfully. “How did you know I like horses?” I asked, helping him get saddles and bridles. He shrugged, strapping a saddle over the blanket on the stallion he was going to ride. “We’re a lot alike, and I just figured this was something we had in common.” “What if you had been wrong?” I challenged, gently saddling up Rain and hopping on her back. He laughed and shrugged, the two of us walking out of the barn on our horses. “I would’ve come up with something else.” I smiled to him, absorbed with nostalgia. I had ridden horses growing up, which I kept well hidden as I got older. There was nothing like galloping on a horse with the wind rushing through your hair, the Earth beneath your feet, and the world around you just a blur of colors. I looked over Dean and his horse, admiring them both. Battle was a huge black Clydesdale with a snow white mane, tail and fur around his hooves. He had a large pink scar running along his flank, and it reminded me of my stomach. Rain’s dark blue coat had streaks of black and even silver, and her mane and tail were the same eerie color. I looked back at Chi after realizing how good Dean looked on a horse. I could see his was itching for a good run…I was too. It had been too long since I had ridden, and I wanted to relive the feeling more than anything. I kicked Rain and whipped the reigns, not hard enough to hurt her, but hard enough to tell her I meant business. She whinnied and ran forward, and I grinned to Dean from over my shoulder. “Race ya’!” I called, Chi barking and running at my side. “Hey!!” Dean yelled, and I could hear Battle’s hooves pounding against the ground just as hard as Rain’s. My adrenaline was pumping almost as fast as when I killed demons, and I soon lost myself within the moment. It was just me and Rain, running through the forest without a care in the world. I looked over when Dean caught up with me, his hair whipping back majestically as if he were being filmed. My hair didn’t look nearly as good; it thrashed around violently like flames to gasoline. “Nice way to cheat!” I grinned, narrowing my eyes playfully. “You like that, huh? There’s more where that came from!” I noticed another path leading away from the one we were currently on, and I slowed down Rain so we could change courses. “Hey!!! Where are you goin’?!” He shouted, and I just laughed as we charged forward. Soon, he was out of sight, and all I could hear were Rain’s hooves, the birds chirping, and my excited, labored breathing. We jumped over logs and streams, galloped up steep hills, and I ducked from low hanging branches. Suddenly, the two of us burst out from the undergrowth and into a large meadow. The grass was tall and swaying in the breeze, and the delicate flowers reminded me of ballet dancers. There were a few trees scattered throughout the rolling green hills, and a lake was only a few yards away. To my surprise, Dean had beat us here, and my mouth hung open. “No way!” I shouted, Rain and I trotting over to him. Dean turned and smiled, skillfully sliding off of Battle. “Yes way!” He teased, catching me as I hopped off of Rain. I rolled my eyes as he put my down, Rain and Battle rubbing noses. “I’m a big girl, Dean; I can handle myself,” I muttered as he set me down gently. He frowned, looking me over. “It’s no fun when I can’t help you. You sing, you fight, you ride and you wield magic..” I smirked, leaning to one side. “That’s not all I can do!” Dean laughed, his eyes widening. He looked embarrassed by my joke, and sat down beside me. I copied his movements, sitting down next to him. “How come you’re so cool now? You’ve been acting different ever since this morning…” I noted, looking him over. He shrugged, meeting my gaze slowly. “This beautiful woman came into my room and starting singing to me with the voice of an angel…Things tend to change, when that happens.” I smiled, almost shyly, rubbing my arm in discomfort. I wasn’t used to getting romantic compliments, and the butterflies in my stomach made me feel weak and stupid, like a little girl. It’s not that they didn’t make me feel joyful and special, it’s just that when I let my guard down-and when I let men get too close-I get hurt. I was tired of being used and played with, and even though I knew Dean would never do that, old habits die hard. But I smiled nonetheless, touched by his words. I don’t ever remember being talked so sweetly to, and it made me a little giddy. I met his gaze after a few minutes, feeling exposed and naked. I never let anyone see the nicer, shy side of me, and Dean was taking it in intently, like he actually liked me this way. “D…can I be honest with you for a second?” I murmured, my heart hammering in my chest as I thought about my next words. “Only for a second?” He teased, and I rolled my eyes as I shoved him. I straightened after he stopped laughing, taking a deep breath. “T-There’s something about you that makes me want to tell about me…about my life. No matter how disturbing and twisted it is, I want you to know the truth…about everything I am and everything that I do. And I’m not sure why. I-I feel different around you than when I’m around any other guy.” He smiled, and I appreciated his understanding of how hard it was for me to admit that. I wasn’t one for sharing my romantic and passionate feelings, but with him, it was different. It was easy, and natural, and I that’s what I wanted him to realize. His smile grew serious, and he gently rested his hand on top of mine. “Then tell me this-do you like me?” I froze, biting my lip with uneasiness. Damnit Dean!! This is hard enough for me as it is!!  “…Yeah, I do Dean,” I whispered, entwining my fingers with his. His eyes were warm and captivating as I stared into them, and I hadn’t realized he had moved closer to me until his other arm was around my waist. “I like you too, Jace. A lot…” He murmured, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. For once, I wasn’t uncomfortable with this close contact. If it were Dante…well…Dante wouldn’t have been this romantic. He was flirty and immature, but this moment was intense and serious. I just sat and watched this dark angel in front of me, the pain swirling around within his gaze. I liked to think that I was taking it away with each smile, but I could never say that to him. The atmosphere around us was so thick, you could run your hands through it, and it somehow was drawing us closer together. I watched as he leaned toward me slowly, and unable to help myself, I leaned forward, closing the space between us. Our lips met, and it was like magic. I closed my eyes as his tongue brushed mine, my heart melting within my chest. As we grew more passionate, my hands caressed his face, and the deep moan that came from him sent seductive shivers down my spine. I felt this happiness like no other as I kissed him, and it was as if we had both been waiting for it. We pulled apart from each other at the same time, and I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face, no matter how lame I felt. The moment had basically come straight out of a movie, and I replayed it over and over in my head until Dean spoke. “And you can kiss!” I laughed lightly, allowing myself to cuddle closer to him. “You too,” I murmured, and for a few moments, we just sat in silence, reveling in each other’s company. Dean looked me over a few minutes later, helping me to my feet. “Come on, we better get back,” he murmured, the two of us hopping on our horses and riding back. We fed them, took off their riding gear and settled them back in their stalls before we made our way back to the castle. “Are there more horses? I saw two other stalls,” I murmured, looking up at him. He nodded, looking toward the castle. “There are two more males, but Savlian has them hooked to the carriage, I guess. He probably needed something from town,” he explained, which stirred questions about Savlian within me. Chi padded alongside us, tired out from his run. Once we made it out front and on the steps to the doorway, Dean tapped me on my shoulder. I turned, watching as he made a deep crimson rose out of fire. He handed it to me with a bow, and I smiled sweetly to him. I went again to open the castle door, but when he just stood there, I looked him over. “You coming?” I asked sarcastically, leaning to one side. Dean shook his head, surprising me. “Actually, no. There’s someplace I need to be. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow morning when I get back. But for now, can I have a kiss to last me until I see you again?” I smiled, leaning forward without any sarcasm or argument. See? This guy really was changing me, and whether I liked it or not, I couldn’t help it. Again, time stood still, all noise vanishing until our lips were apart. We pressed our palms together, watching as they caught fire; his the normal reds, yellows and oranges, and mine the exotic blacks and purples. “Good night, Jace,” he murmured charmingly, handing me the rose. I took it tentatively, brushing the side of his face with my palm. “Night Dean.” With that, we parted our separate ways, and I headed into the castle before I could watch him leave. I went straight to my room, setting my rose on top of my amulet’s case when I saw the lily from Dante. My stomach lurched, and I held it loosely. Damnit Jace!! How could you be so stupid?!? I sighed in defeat, shaking my head. I didn’t want them to think I was stringing them along, or that I was a tease, because I so wasn’t. I just couldn’t help myself. I liked each of them for totally different reasons. Dante and Dean were the complete opposite of each other, and somehow, I was falling for them both. Why couldn’t they be meshed into one guy?! I sat down on my bed, looking out of my window. In the end, there could only be one… A few minutes later, there was a knock at my door. Before I could respond, it opened, revealing Dante, looking as handsome and irresistible as ever. His maroon hair was tousled in that sexy way of his, his pale blue eyes glinting with mischief. “Damn…I thought I could have walked in on you while you were changing…” I smiled weakly, humming a laugh. “What, no smart comeback? Uh oh, what’s up?” While I was surprised, and a little touched, that he had actually noticed, I shrugged and shook my head. “I just…have a bit of a dilemma…” “…About…??” “I’m not telling you!!” “Maybe I could help?” He asked, giving me his puppy-dog eyes. I laughed, shaking my head. “Don’t think so, pal. Nice try, though.” He shrugged, flopping down on my bed and leaning on one elbow. “So…where were you today?” I smirked, tossing my hair over my shoulder. “Out…” He narrowed his eyes, looking me over. “Yeah, I kinda’ noticed that!” I shrugged, still smiling. He paused for a minute, looking a little shy as he spoke. “Well…I was thinkin’…” “Wow! You actually think?!?!” I teased, unable to help myself. He laughed at my fake surprise, but continued. “Maybe since you’re pretty cool…and I’m fucking awesome, that we could hang out for the rest of the day.” The voices in my head were screaming at me. One was telling me “Yes! Hang out with him! He’s fun and you like him!”, while the other voice growled “NO!! What, are you fucking stupid?! You just spent the day with Dean, and now you want to mess it up by getting involved with someone else!! Just say no!!!” It was easy for me to tell myself no…but you try resisting Dante! Besides…I did like him. “Sure, sounds like fun. Just let me grab a quick shower first.” Dante smirked and waggled his eyebrows, biting his lips seductively. I rolled my eyes, though my heart skipped a beat. I quickly went through my drawers and grabbed some clothes, waving to him over my shoulder as I headed to the bathroom. I let the hot water relax me, and I imagined all of my worry, stress and anxiety flowing down the drain. It was a technique Dean had taught me to help clear my head, and I found myself thinking about him as I got dressed into black boy-cut boxer shorts and a dark red v-neck t-shirt. I sighed, drying my hair before heading back to my room. I skillfully twisted my hair into a ponytail just as I was outside of my door, and I was surprised to see Dante laying on my bed with his arms behind his head, eyes closed, and jamming out to my ipod. He was tapping his foot in the air, his mind totally clear. I was surprised his demon senses hadn’t picked up on my presence, but decided to have a little fun, and I grinned my trademark “bad girl” smile. I chucked my clothes into the hamper from wear I stood, not even double-taking to make sure they had gotten in. I snuck to the foot of my bed, positioning myself to pounce like a lioness. I leapt and landed above him, my arms and knees bordering the outside of his. His eyes flew open right before I reached the bed, and I laughed. “Boo!” He swiped the ear buds from his ears so fast, I hadn’t seen his hands move. “Geez, Babe! You almost gave me a heart attack!” “You’re a demon! You can’t have heart attacks…can you? Besides, couldn’t you sense me coming?” Dante narrowed his eyes, and I flashed my “innocent  girl” grin, which not only distracted him, but every other guy. He shook his head, continuing. “I was thinking again…” “Twice in one day?! Holy shit!!! It’s the apocalypse!!!” I shouted, jumping to my feet. Dante pulled me back down on the bed with him so fast, I was dizzy until he positioned himself on top of me, our noses touching. I sucked in my breath in surprise, wishing he couldn’t hear my pounding heart. “I know a way we could make an apocalypse!” I laughed awkwardly as neither of us moved, and I wondered why he hadn’t tried to kiss me. I was thankful, since I don’t know what I would’ve done, but was oddly curious as to why he was only doing some harmless flirting. “That didn’t even make sense,” I muttered, his mint-scented breath gently tickling my face. He looked surprised that I had noticed, since I guess this was where most girls would be giggling and taking off their clothes. He shrugged, leaning forward slowly, almost irresistibly. Something inside me screamed “NO!”, and I quickly slide out from under him and jumped to my feet. His disappointment and surprise almost hurt as I gazed at him, but with a blink, those emotions were gone from his eyes, and I began to wonder if I had seen them at all. He spoke, leaning on his elbow and looking me over with lustful eyes. The look made me want to crawl back into bed next to him, but luckily his voice broke the temptation. “Well, I figured since we can’t be alone while food is around, that me, you and Spikes could watch some movies and eat.” I smiled brightly; a perfect way to end the day. “That sounds great! Oh…but I’m on the end of the couch because I don’t want to break his face if he tries to feel me up…” Dante laughed, standing up. “That would be awesome to see!” We headed downstairs laughing, and I almost reached out to hold his hand. I guess the “lovey dovey” feelings from Dean hadn’t quite wore off yet, and I tightly held my hand at my side. Open affection between Dante and I would just be weird, unless they were hot make-out sessions, and the thought of Dante even being slightly romantic made me laugh to myself. I heard Chi’s nails clicking as he padded down the stairs after us, and I waited for him at the bottom of the stairs. Dante turned and watched me for a moment before leaning over the railing. “Reese!” He called, and I looked from the living room to the kitchen to see which room he would pop out from. My money was on the kitchen, since both the kitchen and living room lights were on, plus the TV. “Yeah?” His head emerged from the kitchen, and I smiled to myself. “Order us some pizzas.” “Alright,” he muttered, his voice suddenly scratchy like a teenager going through puberty. I laughed to myself, following Dante into the living room. We sat on the black leather couch, me of course being on the end. I looked around, suddenly remembering Savlian, and the whole reason I was here. “You know anything about this Savlian guy? What, is he nocturnal, or something?” I asked, my suspicions about him being a vampire surfacing. I’m sure Dante would’ve sensed it, since he was a demon and a demon hunter, so I immediately threw that away. “Not really. He keeps to himself in his study and secret rooms…he’s nothing to worry about,” he muttered, leaning back and putting his feet up on the coffee table. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. I so wasn’t convinced!!! There was something way off about that guy, and I wanted to find out what it was… Reese walked in and stared at me, a dopey smile on his face. “Is it just me? Or do you get hotter every second??!” I rolled my eyes, smiling coyly at him until I felt Dante’s arm around my shoulder. I turned to him, completely surprised. Was he being possessive??! Was he jealous??! It was kinda’ cute, but possessive guys never lasted long with me. It’s one thing to be a little jealous of some guy hitting on your girl, but to act like you own her was another. I shrugged my shoulder a little, tossing his arm on the back of the couch instead of on me. Reese laughed, Dante’s eyes unreadable. “Oohhh, denied!!!” “Oh sure! That’s why she’s sitting next to me , ya’ dumbass!” Reese continued laughing, but stopped once Dante’s words finally registered in his brain. He looked over at me, extremely disappointed. “Awww, Jace! That’s not cool…” he muttered, looking completely defeated. I shrugged, twisting my mouth to the side. I could see Dante smiling fondly at me from my peripheral vision, but decided not to call him out on it now…even though it was kinda’ weird. I guess he just found it cute, but again, his gaze was far more intimate than that…like he knew the look well. “Sorry Reese Cup! I only like cool guys…maybe when you’re older…” Reese’s jaw dropped, and Dante laughed loudly, it bellowing charmingly throughout the first floor. ”Denied!!!”  He mocked, the three of us quieting down a few moments later. “So, what about the food??” “Relax, pizza boy! It’ll be here in like…fifteen minutes.” I looked Dante over for a moment before turning toward Reese. “He likes pizza?” I asked in surprise. His body looked as if he were a fitness/exercise guru, and only ate healthy food. Although, his personality screamed pizza, alcohol and junk food all the way. They both stared at me like it should’ve been blatantly obvious, and I shrugged sheepishly. “If by ‘like’, you mean he has an orgasm every time he takes a bite, than yes.” I laughed, watching as Dante crept toward him like I imagined him to try on me in about five minutes. “Reese…you know I only have orgasms with you.” He stalked closer toward Reese, climbing over me on his hands an knees. “Ya’ know, when we’re both naked and under the sheets-you’re just SO incredibly sexy! God, I just can’t keep my hands off of you!!” Dante reached out to caress Reese’s face, and I couldn’t contain my laughter any longer. ”WHAT THE FUCK?!?!  Dante, get the hell OUTTA’ here with that shit!!!” Reese screamed, jumping at least three feet into the air. He bolted out of the living room, and I burst out laughing, holding my sides. Dante laughed with me just as hard, and it took me a few minutes to settle down. “That was the funniest thing I think I’ve ever seen!!” I gasped, regaining the feeling back in my face. Dante shrugged, already completely over it.  He looked me over with a sexy smile, and I swallowed hard. Chi was growling and glaring at Dante in the background, and I wondered if it was because he didn’t like Dante, or if it was because I was already involved with Dean. “That should give us a few minutes…” he murmured, inching closer to me. “Few minutes for what?” I questioned, playing dumb. He chuckled and raised his eyebrows. It took all I had to look away from him and roll my eyes. “You’re so full of it.” “You could be full of me.” I smacked his arm roughly, and he laughed, though the lust didn’t leave his eyes. “Oh my god, you pig!!” I hissed, Dante’s eyes reluctantly leaving me as Reese came back into the room. He sighed, sitting back up and mocking Reese as he laid down some ground rules. We debated which movies to watch, each of us picking three. Dante picked “The Hangover”, Reese decided on “Your Highness”, and I chose “Van Helsing”. Reese set up our movies to watch in order, popping in “The Hangover” and hitting the pause button once the doorbell rang. “YES!!!!” Dante shouted, running over to grab the pizzas. “Damn! I know how I can get him to do stuff now…just offer him pizza!” I hissed, shocked by his ‘pizza love’. Reese nodded, and we laughed in amusement. Dante was so excited, that we already had plates, a liter of soda, some cups, and a few beers ready on the large wooden coffee table in front of us. We watched “The Hangover” while we ate, laughing and cackling throughout. I still couldn’t get over how much Dante loved pizza. We had ordered four boxes, and he practically ate one and a half by himself. But he worked it off well, because he still had a delicious body!!! Toward the end of our second movie, “Your Highness”, when we were all relaxed, Dante’s “sex” button magically turned on, for what reason, I had no clue. He would kiss my neck or run his hand up my thigh, which at one point, I layed my legs across him because I thought he just wanted to rub me. After some rejection and hard stares, he got the hint, though I could tell he was still itchy for some “excitement”. And for some reason, that got me a little excited. I wasn’t sure how that was going to pan out, though by now I was on my second beer (pacing myself, of course. I hated being drunk…what a waste of alcohol!). Dante had two and Reese had one, both of them done and just on soda again. Soon, “Your Highness” was over and “Van Helsing” was on, which was good and bad. Good, because I loved that friggin’ movie, but bad because the later it got and the less funny the movies became, the more Dante became attracted to me. And while his attraction got me a little riled up, I didn’t want to do something that I might (but highly doubted that I would) regret. I tried to shake my thoughts, but I knew Dante could feel them, which kind of freaked me out. I read the cable box, seeing that it was only 12:00 AM, the night still young. “Wanna’ ditch this and do something more fun?” Dante whispered in my ear, raising his eyebrows. I hummed a laugh, quickly looking him over and then away before I changed my mind. “Tempting Baby…tempting.” “C’mon…” he uttered, inching closer to me. I refused to look at him, and settled for crossing my arms and closing my eyes. “You and I both know we want to…” He twirled my hair around his finger, and while the simple gesture sent pleasurable chills up my spine, I was not caving in. I turned to him, narrowing my eyes playfully. “You’re so full of yourself! You’re not as hot and awesome as you think you are…” Dante stared at me, actually looking a little self conscious. It vanished with the cocky grin I loved, yet hated, and he covered it up with a joke. But I would always remember that he had a vulnerable side, and that stirred up something within the both of us. “But I am still hot and awesome!” I sighed, shaking my head. When would Dante learn that I’ve been with guys like him, and that I wasn’t some easy bimbo?! He smiled, giving up and admitting defeat…or so it seemed. He just moved closer to me, his arm slung around my shoulder. When “Van Helsing” was over, I flipped on the lights and laughed when I saw Reese snoring and leaning over the side of the couch. I laughed and cleaned up, Dante actually sticking around to help me. I ate another piece of pizza as I did so, turning off the TV and PS3. I began to make my way upstairs when I heard an “Ahem” from behind me, which made me flinch a little. I turned to see Dante, pizza hanging out of my mouth. He laughed and smiled, and I quickly tore off a bite. “So? Whattaya’ wanna’ do now?” I swallowed and shrugged, eating two more bites before answering. “Dunno…oh, and we’re not doing that!” Dante laughed and held up his hands in surrender, the two of us walking up the stairs. I finished my pizza and Dante opened his bedroom door. I raised an eyebrow and leaned to one side, eyeing him. “Why are we going in your room??” “Because I wanna’ show you something…” I laughed, shaking my head. “No way!!!” “Not that-but don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll see that soon.” I gaped, and he conveniently scampered out of the way before I could smack him. He closed the door behind me, and I took another look around his room. The last time I had been in here was when he had fought demons, and I wasn’t paying attention to much else besides him, that night. He had a big wooden dresser beside his bed, a nightstand on the other side. His sword was leaning against his dresser, his guns on top of it. Just when I scanned the coat rack, hamper, closet and pin-up girl posters, I noticed a black electric guitar. I turned to him, my eyes bright. “You play?!?” I asked, completely amazed. I pegged him for a rocker, but I wouldn’t have guessed that he actually played guitar! “Yeah, a little…” He admitted shyly. I smirked, an idea forming in my head. “Can I hear something?” I asked sweetly, batting my eyes once or twice. He shook his head after a moment of staring at me, his eyes still wide. “Uh…Reese is asleep.” I shrugged, untying my ponytail. He watched as my hair fell to my shoulders, and he had to give himself a quick mental “Snap out of it!” to get back on track. The way he watched me was really weird, sometimes…even though it could be flattering. “So?” I asked, walking towards it. He blocked me, shaking his head. “So…if we wake him up, he’ll be a whiny little bitch tomorrow.” I looked at his clock on his nightstand, rolling my eyes and sucking my teeth. “It’s not even one o’ clock! He’ll be able to get back to sleep…” Dante scratched the back of his head nervously, and smiled to him. “I’ll even sing with you!” Before he could stutter some excuse, I darted to my room and grabbed my ipod for some ideas. I knew he couldn’t play!!! I just wanted to see him try and bluff it!!! I came back in, flipping through my list of songs without looking up. “You know ‘Had Enough’ by Breaking Benjamin?” I asked, finally meeting his gaze. He nodded, but made no attempt to move. “Then play!” I challenged, leaning to one side. “Jace, I…” “Ha! I knew you couldn’t play!!” I laughed, grinning at him. He narrowed his eyes, that mischievous gleam shining. “Can’t play, huh??” He retorted, running over so fast, it was like a glitch in a game, or on a TV screen. He swung it into the air with one hand, plugged it into the amp, and caught it all in hyper speed. His fingers ran up and down the strings, hitting every note perfectly. My jaw dropped, and I watched him for a minute without saying anything. In fact, I don’t even think I was breathing… “I don’t hear any singing!!!” He mocked, calling over his magnificent music. I swallowed my pride and embarrassment, closing my eyes and opening my mouth to sing. Once I was comfortable, I opened my eyes to see him gawking at me, and we finished the song (my throat a little sore from the screaming parts at the end). “You can-?!??! That’s awesome!!!! But how-?!?!” We both said in unison, cutting each other short. I smiled, the two of us laughing awkwardly. “You’re fantastic at guitar, Dante. I’m sorry I ever doubted you!” Dante looked up at me, his smile dreamy from my compliment. He actually looked touched, and I could tell I had reached that black and selfish heart of his. He shook his head, looking me over intently. “Me?? You’ve got a voice, Jace!! A killer one!!!” I smiled (no smirk or any hint of sarcasm) to him, dipping my head in appreciation. “Thanks…one more??” Dante grinned, hands readily on his guitar. “Go for it!” I grinned, beginning to sing “Lithium” by Evanescence.