Protector of Hearts

Chapter 19

Author's Note: Oh jeez, both of my stories are almost done. I've already finished writing OoTG, and this one is nearly done.

Enjoy guys~

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Adventures start due to the lack of parents.

            The higher I swung, the more I wanted to fade away. I sat on the same swing in which I had found the girl that turned me into a Protector.

            Footsteps. Or was it just the wind?

            No, definitely footsteps.

            “Can you come down to earth for a minute?”

            ****

            I skidded to a stop, wincing slightly from the rough texture of the ground touching my feet. My hands were gripping the chains tightly, and I had a slight want to get away from Aleck.

            “You forgot shoes,” he said, throwing a pair of sandals to me, taking a seat on the swing beside me. “I know you must be disturbed by this, but –”

            Hold up.

            Disturbed? Try three times as much as your definition of disturbed, add some uncertainty, and that’s what I am. Not just disturbed.

            “I really thought about it,” Aleck said. “I know your policy, and so I thought if I could seriously win your trust… and this was just about the most drastic thing I could’ve said.”

            I wonder if Aleck thinks sometimes or if he just does the first thing that pops into his head. I mean, I could’ve done without hearing that you were an Aclyte.

            “Come on, do you want me to use some cheesy pick up line?” Aleck looked like he was holding back a smile.

            Try and make me laugh at a time like this.

            “I’d give up my immortality just for you,” he grinned slyly.

            I’m not sure why I found it so hilarious, but I burst out into laughter, doubling up. Maybe because this isn’t some line you’d hear at all.

            “So what do you say?” Aleck asked through my laughs.

            So what would I say? There was the fact that he was a demon and that I was a person that killed them. There was the fact that he was a player. There was the fact that he could steal my Heart easily. There was the fact that he could kill me.

            But you know what?

            He’s still my best friend.

            I think it’s time to stop torturing myself and just smile.

            But of course.

            I feel like the main character of some frustrating romance series. You know, when the female protagonist is so damn obviously in love with the freaking hot interest but denies it for the entire series till the last episode when she finally says yes? You could easily say yes early on, but of course there’s always the consideration of what problems there are and will come up.

            I kind of feel like that right now. That I’ve put off saying yes because of all the problems I had figured would pop up.

            Then again, there’s such thing as plain procrastination.

            Yeah, I’m probably going to end up thinking of all the problems that comes with saying yes later.

            ALECK’S POV

            I fell for my best friend. How much more clichéd can it get?

            I bet Lin’s thinking that right now. It’s kind of amusing to hear her pointing out things that come right out of a game.

            Letting myself go, I kissed her.

            Feels right as always.

            ****

            There’s still a problem. No, scratch that. A major problem. My family of demons.

            “Where’d you go?” Lili yawned. It was near ten, and she always went to sleep earliest. Hugging a stuffed animal the size of her, she gave me a half awake look.

            “Out for some fresh air,” I smiled.

            “Read me a story,” she whined.

            “Not tonight, okay? I have to get up early tomorrow,” I said. She huffed but left without another complaint. Aaron walked out of the kitchen, drinking down a glass of milk.

            “You… look different,” he said slowly.

            “How so?” I asked, licking my dry lips, tensing up.

            “Hm, did you change your hairstyle? No… well, something just seems different, I really can’t put my finger on it,” Aaron said thoughtfully. “Ah well. I’m going upstairs.”

            I let out a sigh of relief.

            “What’s with the sigh? Hiding something?”

            I jumped, and turned around to see Jennice giving me a look over her phone. It vibrated luckily, and she went away.

            “She has a point.”

            Another jump.

            “Jeez, do you guys have nothing better than to scare me?” I complained. Alex, Dad, whatever, was standing behind me this time.

            “So what’s with the sigh?” he asked, a smile dancing on his face. “Girl issues? Or is it demonic puberty?”

            “It’s nothing,” I waved off. “Can’t a person sigh around here?”

            “Fine, fine,” he held up his hands in mock defeat. “Just remember, you can tell your dad anything.”

            “Uh huh.”

            ****

            My family. Their demons. That means they have a dislike to most Protectors, even though there are so few now. I’m lucky that I’ve known Lin this long. They haven’t attacked her yet because Trent and I (Aaron maybe) are on good terms with her, and therefore, she was on good terms with the family. But even they have a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Pretty sure dating a Protector crosses that line.

            Another thing would be that I told her I was a demon, and an Aclyte. No matter who it is, never tell a mortal that you’re a demon. If word ever got out that I told her that, I’d be… well, I’d be breaking a strict law and the punishment is severe to say the least. Trent’s being nice since he understood the moment, but I should still be cautious around him, not piss him off or something.

            But it’s kind of hard to keep dating a Protector under the radar.

            ****

            Demons can live without Hearts. I mean, I don’t have to steal them to keep my immortality or something. Our bodies are like mortals, we need to eat and drink just the same. Stealing Hearts just in the effort to find the Silver Heart and… no, I don’t think I should be saying what Hearts are used for. Not yet anyways. Enough secrets have already been revealed.

            You know, now that I think about it, I’ve never seen Lin’s Heart…