The Illusion (Book Two in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Saying Goodbye Before You're Gone

Chapter One

(Soul Meets Body by Death Cab For Cutie, Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace)

I leaned out Aidan’s window, scanning the area for any security members on patrol. Security had increased exponentially in the past couple of weeks and I couldn’t help but feel like there was a storm brewing.

“I don’t think anyone’s out there,” he joked, sliding his hand up the back of my shirt.

“Stop that,” I said, my tone colored with a laugh. “You’re distracting me.”

Aidan’s hand drifted further up and splayed against my bare skin. We hadn’t done it yet, mostly because I wasn’t ready. The other part was because I was in love not only with Aidan, but with someone else. It’d taken me a while to realize it and now sex would just make it even more complicated. Not that it wasn’t already complicated, being in love with two very different people was like a weight. A weight I couldn’t get rid of or even alleviate for a brief time. But that didn’t stop me from fooling around with Aidan. It probably should have but if I was going to move on, be in love with only one, then I needed to do this

I ducked back in and turned to face my boyfriend, Aidan Hanover. I took in his tanned features for what felt like the hundredth time that night. He had dirty blonde hair and endlessly deep, dark chocolate brown eyes. His smile was easy and all knowing.

He pressed me closer and kissed me. “You don’t have to go,” he said afterward. “You still have one set of clothes in the bottom drawer.”

After my near death experience six weeks ago and then my admission that I wasn’t ready to sleep with him, we’d just decided that I would spend the night, clothes on of course. I liked being near him. Aidan was my balm for all things hurtful. He alone could make it all go away and I couldn’t get enough of it.

At first I just took a change of clothes with me and would use his shower in the morning. We’d even synced his alarm clock to allow for us both to have shower times. Then a week in he promptly informed me that he’d cleared out room in his bottom drawer for some of my clothes. That way I wouldn’t have to keep lugging them over.

“I know. But I’m pretty sure my Dad is doing a bunk check in the morning.”

“He usually doesn’t do that until the weekend.” Aidan frowned. “Do you think he figured it out?”

“Either that or Luke did. I’d put my money on Luke. He can usually tell where I am and if I’m in trouble but…”

“But what?”

“He’s been acting weird lately.”

Luke was my Guardian. He was an ageless being who wouldn’t even tell me his real age. He was assigned to me when I was very young, every Slayer gets one. And he’d already pledged he’d be with me longer than was required. Usually Guardians were reassigned when their charges turned eighteen. I was seventeen and he’d already told me his intentions months before. Plus he was my best friend. The one person I could tell everything to. He knew everything there was to know about me and he never judged me, no matter what I did.

I’d told him about my guy situation and though he frowned on it, he tried to give me advice on how to deal with it. Aidan was the obvious choice. He was the same age, he was a member of the Tainted Breeds, and there was no conflict between our two races.

The other guy, however, well, he came with tons of baggage.

“What do you mean weird? He still acts like he has a pole shoved firmly up his—“