Smolder Chapter 13

“Benjamin?” Jade mouthed to Aiden, disbelief was written across her face. He nodded curtly, waving her off as he focused on his phone conversation. She tried to reach for his thoughts, but his mind was suddenly a fortress ironclad and impenetrable.
“He said he’s called you eight times,” he muttered, cupping the receiver.
Jade snatched her phone, her stomach sinking when she saw eight missed calls from an unknown number. Silenced, as usual. Dang it, Jade, she scolded herself. What happened to his phone?
Aiden’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Okay. Uh-huh. On their way here. Today. I’ll notify the Council. Yup. Okay, here’s Jade.” He handed her the phone, eyebrows raised in question.
“Good news or bad news first?” Benjamin’s voice was calm, yet it carried an undercurrent of urgency.
She sighed. “Bad news first. Always.” She figured it was better to end on something good rather than stew over impending doom.
“Demons are gathering in Lecanto,” he said bluntly. “I don’t know why, but it can’t be good. And it can’t be a coincidence that it’s happening just days after you arrived.”
She sank back against the wooden platform. Some news was better received horizontally.
“Do you think they’re going to attack Crystal River?” she asked weakly.
Aiden chuckled, though there was no humor in it. “No, that would be idiotic. This town has defenses like you wouldn’t believe,” he said loudly ensuring Benjamin heard through the line.
“Agreed,” Benjamin said. “I think they want to draw you out into the open.”
“Simple, then. I don’t leave, and they go away,” she replied with forced optimism.
Benjamin was quiet for a moment. “Maybe, but I know you. You don’t let others fight your battles. What would you do if they started hurting people to get to you?”
She winced. He already knew her answer. “Yeah, I’d destroy them. Vigilante-style.”
Aiden gave her a look of amused approval, while Benjamin sighed audibly, as though he had hoped for a different response.
“So, what’s the good news?” she asked, eager to shift the conversation. “I’m sure Aiden won’t let me do anything without consulting the Council first.” She shot Aiden a pointed look. He nodded solemnly, and she rolled her eyes. His transformation into Crystal River’s rule-abiding golden boy was complete.
Benjamin’s tone lightened. “Well, if all the demons are heading there…”
She jumped up as realization hit her. “You’re coming!” she practically shrieked. She just knew he was grinning on the other end of the line. “When?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and this is a new cell phone, by the way,” he added with a chuckle.
Aiden reached for the phone. Jade slapped his hand away. “Jade, we need to get the Council. This isn’t some lover’s rendezvous.”
Aiden’s tone was clipped, jealousy simmering beneath the surface. Jade clenched her jaw but understood things would never be the same between them not now that she knew how he truly felt.
Benjamin’s voice pulled her back. “I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“Love you too,” she replied, her mood instantly buoyant. Benjamin was coming, and that was all that mattered. A silly grin spread across her face, impossible to hide.
Aiden stretched out his hand, silently demanding his phone. Jade relented, letting it drop into his palm. He slung his bag over his shoulder and started walking off the platform.
“Where are we going?” she called, running to catch up.
“To alert the Council. We need to talk to the head Council member.”
“Let me guess...”
Aiden smirked. “Yup.”
Jade trailed slightly behind as they approached the small, cottage-like house on the corner. Overflowing flower boxes framed gray-blue shutters, and the matching door stood against the vibrant garden. Reds and oranges spilled over the brick walkway, nearly swallowing the path in their enthusiasm.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. She wanted to knock. Letting Aiden handle it would feel like hiding.
She rapped her knuckles against the door once, twice, three times. The shuffling of feet on the other side made her stomach tighten but when the door opened to reveal her grandmother’s smiling face, all her nerves melted away.
“Jade! What a surprise. Please come in,” her grandmother said warmly. Her voice, lilting and musical, put her at ease.
“Aiden’s here too,” she added, tugging him into view. Her grandmother welcomed them both inside.
The living room was modest, the floral sofas sagging with age. The walls held only a few paintings and photographs none featuring her mother. The lack of personal touches sent a pang through Jade’s chest. She had hoped for something more some tangible connection to her mother.
A sharp voice interrupted her thoughts. “Who’s there, Amber?” A cane appeared first, followed by her grandfather. His use of her grandmother’s name; her mother’s name struck a chord Jade wasn’t prepared for a bittersweet realization settled in: she didn’t share the family name.
“Miss Cooper. Mr. Francis,” her grandfather said, nodding as he eased onto the couch. “What brings you here?”
Aiden stepped forward, his voice steady. “We’ve received word that demons are gathering in Lecanto. It’s unprecedented, and we believe they might be planning to target Jade.”
Her grandfather raised a hand to silence him. “How reliable is your source?”
“Very. This person has saved our lives more than once and would do anything to protect Jade,” Aiden said, careful not to mention Benjamin’s name. Jade exhaled silently in relief. Crystal River wouldn’t tolerate her relationship, not in a million years.
Aiden continued explaining, but the details felt hollow. Demons were on their way, and the end of the world loomed again just another day in life, Jade thought grimly.
“I’ll call an emergency Council meeting to discuss this. Aiden, take Jade home tomorrow morning at ten o’clock we’ll announce our decision in the town square. Start spreading the word, please.” He stood and left the room as abruptly as he had entered, leaving no opportunity for Jade to bring up her mother or father.
Amber, her grandmother, walked them to the door. Aiden stepped out first, but as Jade followed, a soft, wrinkled hand gently clasped her forearm.
“Jade?” Her grandmother’s caring eyes met hers, brimming with something unspoken. “Please, give him time. Just have patience.”
“I will,” she replied softly. Her grandmother’s hand squeezed hers, adding an extra ounce of love to the touch.
“You are just like my daughter strong and willful. It scares him because he cares so much. He always has.”
Jade placed her other hand over her grandmother’s and held it there. “I understand.” She turned to leave but froze mid-step when she caught the glimmer of unshed tears in her grandmother’s eyes. This is killing her, she thought. Maybe she needs me just as much as I need her.
For a fleeting moment, Jade hesitated. She unclasped the chain around her neck, sliding her father’s wedding ring and the locket free. She removed the locket with care leaving the chain to slip back beneath her shirt.
“Until he’s ready, why don’t you take this?” Jade offered, placing the locket in her grandmother’s palm. “I’ll get it back soon maybe at dinner.”
Her grandmother’s lips quivered as she accepted the charm. “Thank you, my dear.” Jade turned and left quickly before the lump in her throat could grow any larger. As she glanced back, she saw the way her grandmother’s face glowed as she opened the locket.
Aiden waited patiently at the end of the path, his bag slung over his shoulder. They walked in silence for a while, the unspoken tension thick between them.
“So…” he ventured.
“Yeah…” she echoed. She hated the awkwardness. The air seemed to press in, thick and suffocating. Is this me feeling out of place, or is it him?
“So, that was weird before,” he said softly.
“What? The part where I can read your mind or the part where we almost…” she trailed off, her cheeks flaming. Did I just say that?
He froze for a split second, his mouth opening as if to respond, but no sound came out. She could almost see the gears turning in his head as he decided how to handle it.
“Oh, was that you?” he said finally. “You know, women throw themselves at me all the time. I lose track.”
She let out a surprised laugh grateful for his attempt to defuse the tension. It was almost heartfelt, even if she could tell he was deflecting. Some things would have to be addressed eventually, but tonight wasn’t the night.
“It must be exhausting,” she teased, slipping into her playful mode. “I mean, just today I saw at least a dozen blondes fighting over you. Poor me, I don’t stand a chance.”
“A little hair dye and you’d fit right in with my adoring fans,” he shot back. “Fair warning: I require them to carry ‘I Heart Aiden Francis’ signs at least once a week.”
“Oh no! I left mine at home.”
“Unacceptable.” He shook his head mock-seriously. “Tsk tsk.”
They both laughed, easing some of the earlier tension. After a moment, she grew serious. “Should we talk about this whole mind-reading thing?”
Aiden shrugged, his tone light. “What, how you’ve gone all Professor X on me? No biggie. I just need a sweet motorcycle helmet.”
“Aiden, I’m serious—”
“So am I. I’m thinking flames on the side. Very badass.”
She shoved him playfully. “I’m serious. I’ll never try to read your thoughts on purpose. I’d never invade your privacy like that.”
“I know,” he said simply, his shoulders relaxing. “It’s not your fault. You saved my life and almost died in the process. It’s not surprising something like this happened.”
She shrugged. “Still, let’s not tell anyone, okay?”
“Agreed.” he nodded as they turned onto the path leading to his house.
Would she tell Benjamin? The thought lingered. Keeping it from him felt dishonest, but how could she tell her boyfriend that she had a psychic connection with her best friend; one who was also hopelessly in love with her? Especially when it had almost led to them kissing.
The questions haunted her through the night and well into the following morning. Between her confusion about Aiden, excitement to see Benjamin, and worry about the demons, the 10 o’clock Council meeting passed in a blur.
The Council decided to send out a scouting party to investigate the demons. Aiden, having received the information, was naturally in charge. Jade insisted on going despite objections that her presence would only make things more dangerous. To her dismay, Aiden’s sister Summer invited herself, and Isa, Aiden’s high school ex, tagged along too.
As they loaded into Aiden’s sleek sports car, Jade couldn’t help but feel this was going to be an unforgettable ride for all the wrong reasons.