Reflection (Book #2)

Chapter Nineteen

Ringing bounced through the house. I grumbled, trying to force my eyes open.

"I got it," Ben said, popping up and disappearing out of the bedroom.

I strained to listen as he picked up the phone.

"Hello?" He said. "Mom! What... Uh..."

I slid into the kitchen next to him.

He met my eyes and I felt him relax immediately.

"I went to your work," she scolded. "Wesley told me you were out sick. I just wanted to make sure you were still alive."

"Pfft. I'm not," he said.

I gulped, staring at the man who just days ago had been pushed almost to tears by his mother's opinions but now was completely unaffected.

"What?" She asked, not seeming to understand.

"I'm not sick, and I died yesterday. I'm Zuri now. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

"Ben!" I shrieked, trying to figure out what the hell was happening. "What are you doing?"

"She can't control my life. I'm happy. I have you. I don't need her to tell me what to do."

"It's hard for a mother to let go of her only baby," his mom said on the other end of the line.

"I'm still here. You don't have to let go of me. Unless you can't change your attitude, then you will lose me forever. I don't mind. Just let me know what you decide."

My mouth dropped open.

"What happened to you?" The woman asked, sounding like she was on the brink of tears.

"I'm not a little boy anymore. I'll talk to you later. Take some time to think about it, and then let me know." He hung the phone up and gave me a questioning look. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"You're so different. I didn't think you would change so much."

"Do you not like it?"

"I love that you're more confident, but I think it will take some getting used to," I admitted. "Before you were... goofy and sensitive. Now you seem so serious. It'll probably balance out in a couple years. The attitude you have now is just because of all the newness."

"Baba!" Alex shouted, jumping into Ben's arms. "You sound so funny now." He giggled, making Ben break into a smile.

"It's the new and improved Baba! The old version was outdated!" He joked.

"Alex, let me show you something," I said. "Let's play hide and seek with Baba so he learns to use his new senses, okay?"

Alex landed on his feet with an infectious grin. "I'll hide." He took off in a blur.

I smirked at Ben before rushing away from him. I curled up in our closet behind his clothes to try to throw off my smell. I heard him counting down from ten and mentally searching for me. It gave a tug at my soul to go to him, but I stayed put, holding my breath hoping he wouldn't hear me.

When he ran out his countdown, he slowly stalked towards the bedroom, trying to be quiet. The floor creaked under his feet and he sniffed at the air.  The closet door slammed open and Ben grabbed my hands, yanking me up against him.

"I found you," he said excitedly.

"It was easy, wasn't it? Now go find Alex. That will be a little harder."

"No, it won't," Ben said. "I can smell him from here."

I followed as he quietly stalked to the bedroom next to Alex's. He threw the door open and shouted, "Found you!"

Alex groaned. "That was too easy for you! That's not fair! Let's go outside."

"No," I barked instantly. "You cannot go outside."

"Why not?" Alex whined.

"Because Ben has no idea how to control himself around blood right now. You can't take him outside where he might see someone and kill them!"

"She's right," Ben said, and something about his voice sent a shiver down my spine. "I'm not ready yet. We will try later, after I've had some practice."

Alex pouted for a second, but then grinned mischievously. "Let's try your hearing."

We put Ben in a chair against the farthest wall of the house, then snuck into mine and Ben's bedroom. In a normal voice I said,"Can you hear me?"

Ben responded, "yes."

"How about now?" I whispered.

"I still hear you," he whispered back.

"Now?" I breathed as quietly as possible.

"Yes," he breathed.

I took a quick inhale of breath, and listened as his heart rate sped up. I giggled, and pushed Alex's shoulder. "Your turn."

Alex spoke in a normal voice, then a whisper, then a breathy voice. Ben was able to hear them all.

"Do you hear anything else?" I asked, as we walked downstairs.

"I can hear tires going over asphalt on the road outside. I hear both of your heart's beating. I can hear the wind blowing the leaves against each other outside." A bright grim broke out across his face. "I can hear everything!"

I nodded. "Your hearing got a major upgrade."

"Your whole body did!" Alex said, pushing on his chest. "You look like a body-builder!"

I chuckled as I stared at him. "You do, actually."

He flexed his arm, one eyebrow cocked up as he checked out his new physique.

"Look at those veins!" I traced one of the protruding blood vessels from the inside of his elbow to the back of his hand.

"Well, it's bedtime, kid. See ya tomorrow," he said to Alex.

I started to laugh, but then Ben slung me over his shoulder as he stood from the chair. "Good morning, baby. We love you."

"I love you, too," he said.

Ben put me back on my feet and pulled his shirt over his head. His hand gripped under my chin, and his eyes were burning holes through my body as he looked me up and down. "When you touch me like that, I can't resist you. I want you more than anything else."