if he were good? Shouldn’t he be selfless, above our kind of love? Demons are self-serving, lustful, evil, and yada, yada, yada—and Gabriel wants to be with you. What white angel would be like that?
“Oh, and here’s a great one: have you ever heard of someone obsessed with her guardian angel? I don’t think so. That stunning freak show has dazzled you into oblivion.”
“No, you don’t get it…”
“He owns your ass!”
The silence suddenly stretched on, and Marina shuddered. I had nothing else to say. I wanted her to be happy, not to worry about me. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to see her priest.
My defeat sounded too loud in my ears when I exhaled. “Fine, I’ll go with you if it shuts you up. But just so you know, Gabriel and I are not together.”
Marina looked truly surprised. “What? You’re not, um, hanging out?”
“Well, he sort of is my twenty-four seven bodyguard, so he’ll be around, but we’re not…dating or anything. Apparently, it’d be kind of ginormous if we did, and not in a good way. Something about the big picture,” I added awkwardly. She snorted and rolled her eyes.
“You don’t say? Not that I’m a believer, but if hewere from the light, I betcha God would’ve sicced another guardian on you so fast it’s not even funny.”
It was my turn to ignore her words. “Please, tell me you haven’t told anybody else about Gabriel. I’d appreciate it if you kept this to yourself.”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one with interesting mood swings, because Marina instantly reached over to hug me. “No matter what, I never ever spill on my friends. Also, I couldn’t break this kind of news to Lucio. He doesn’t deserve any of this.”
****
I spent most of the day staring blankly at the teachers. I wasn’t mad at Gabriel anymore, but the way he’d lost his cool with the new angel scared me. He didn’t seem to trust him.
How I wished Gabriel would stop cloaking himself. I hadn’t seen him all day, and I already missed him. My stomach hurt when I thought about how amazing it felt to be kissed by him. Gabriel’s rule of no contact would be hard to uphold. I shut my eyes and stifled a whimper.
“Gaia, are you okay?” The teacher frowned down at me.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I just have a headache,” I lied.
“Do you need the nurse?”
Kyle studied me from the neighboring desk, and I looked away. “No, no, I’m okay.”
Throughout the day, with the sun peeking out and flooding every surface, I began to feel better.
Between Computer Apps and Pre-calculus, Gabriel finally materialized. He sucked the air out of me just by standing there in the nook by the band room.
“Gabriel! What happened last night?”
“Hi sunshine. It wasn’t safe for you outside, so I had to tuck you away.”
“Who was that guy?”
His laugh lines showed, and I loved it. I remembered the sensation of his stomach rippling with amusement under my touch. Already I wanted to break the no-contact rule.
“He’s nobody. Don’t worry about him.” Gabriel leaned against the closed door, and his gaze softened as it met mine. “I’ll take care of you, Gaia.”
****
Secret happiness began to seep in over the next days. My life shone bright and complete. After a week, I even manned up enough to apologize to Lucio. I caught him by the arm on the way out from class.
“Hey, Lucio?”
“Gaia.” He acknowledged me with a nod before staring off into the hallway.
“I’m sorry about what happened at the dance.”
“Yeah, it’s fine.” He didn’t turn to me, and his stance remained tense.
“I didn’t mean to run off like that.”
Brilliant, just brilliant, Gaia.
“Sure, it’s cool. I’m off to P.E.” Lucio pulled his arm discreetly out of my grasp.
“Right, sorry…” I watched him stalk down the hallway. As he turned for the west corridor, he shot a pained glance in my direction. His expression said more than words. Why hadn’t I understood that he felt something for
“Oh, and here’s a great one: have you ever heard of someone obsessed with her guardian angel? I don’t think so. That stunning freak show has dazzled you into oblivion.”
“No, you don’t get it…”
“He owns your ass!”
The silence suddenly stretched on, and Marina shuddered. I had nothing else to say. I wanted her to be happy, not to worry about me. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to see her priest.
My defeat sounded too loud in my ears when I exhaled. “Fine, I’ll go with you if it shuts you up. But just so you know, Gabriel and I are not together.”
Marina looked truly surprised. “What? You’re not, um, hanging out?”
“Well, he sort of is my twenty-four seven bodyguard, so he’ll be around, but we’re not…dating or anything. Apparently, it’d be kind of ginormous if we did, and not in a good way. Something about the big picture,” I added awkwardly. She snorted and rolled her eyes.
“You don’t say? Not that I’m a believer, but if hewere from the light, I betcha God would’ve sicced another guardian on you so fast it’s not even funny.”
It was my turn to ignore her words. “Please, tell me you haven’t told anybody else about Gabriel. I’d appreciate it if you kept this to yourself.”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one with interesting mood swings, because Marina instantly reached over to hug me. “No matter what, I never ever spill on my friends. Also, I couldn’t break this kind of news to Lucio. He doesn’t deserve any of this.”
****
I spent most of the day staring blankly at the teachers. I wasn’t mad at Gabriel anymore, but the way he’d lost his cool with the new angel scared me. He didn’t seem to trust him.
How I wished Gabriel would stop cloaking himself. I hadn’t seen him all day, and I already missed him. My stomach hurt when I thought about how amazing it felt to be kissed by him. Gabriel’s rule of no contact would be hard to uphold. I shut my eyes and stifled a whimper.
“Gaia, are you okay?” The teacher frowned down at me.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I just have a headache,” I lied.
“Do you need the nurse?”
Kyle studied me from the neighboring desk, and I looked away. “No, no, I’m okay.”
Throughout the day, with the sun peeking out and flooding every surface, I began to feel better.
Between Computer Apps and Pre-calculus, Gabriel finally materialized. He sucked the air out of me just by standing there in the nook by the band room.
“Gabriel! What happened last night?”
“Hi sunshine. It wasn’t safe for you outside, so I had to tuck you away.”
“Who was that guy?”
His laugh lines showed, and I loved it. I remembered the sensation of his stomach rippling with amusement under my touch. Already I wanted to break the no-contact rule.
“He’s nobody. Don’t worry about him.” Gabriel leaned against the closed door, and his gaze softened as it met mine. “I’ll take care of you, Gaia.”
****
Secret happiness began to seep in over the next days. My life shone bright and complete. After a week, I even manned up enough to apologize to Lucio. I caught him by the arm on the way out from class.
“Hey, Lucio?”
“Gaia.” He acknowledged me with a nod before staring off into the hallway.
“I’m sorry about what happened at the dance.”
“Yeah, it’s fine.” He didn’t turn to me, and his stance remained tense.
“I didn’t mean to run off like that.”
Brilliant, just brilliant, Gaia.
“Sure, it’s cool. I’m off to P.E.” Lucio pulled his arm discreetly out of my grasp.
“Right, sorry…” I watched him stalk down the hallway. As he turned for the west corridor, he shot a pained glance in my direction. His expression said more than words. Why hadn’t I understood that he felt something for
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