Beckoning Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #1)(39)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Calvin nodded and once again tried to touch my arm. I flinched away again.

“Let me leave immediately!” I yelled at Blake.

Blake took a step closer to me. “As I told you last night, you cannot leave.”

“Charlotte, you want to leave? You want to leave me?” Calvin cried. I had expected this to be hard, but the pain was so much worse than I had imagined. He sounded too wounded, and my own heart hurt as I jabbed at his. I ignored him as best I could, trying to avoid his pained face.

“Why not? Why can’t I leave?”

“You are needed here,” Blake said evenly.

“To do what?” I asked, not caring about the answer.

“Protect your people.”

“Protect my people? You mean pillage other nations?” I said harshly, trying to control my rage and hurt.

Calvin looked over at Blake. “Can I please speak with her alone?”

“Of course.” Blake shot me an icy stare. “You need to get her into line.”

Once Blake left, Calvin tried to move closer to me again, so I moved back. This continued until I was backed against the wall. I tried to look away, but I knew it was no use.

“Charlotte, why are you doing this? Do you not see that we can have everything; we can be together and have it all. You belong here with me.” He tried to soothe me with his words.

“But my family, Calvin.” I was angry at myself for letting tears fall from my eyes.

I tried to turn my head as he wiped away some of my tears, but once he had touched my face, it was hard to move.

“If it’s family you want, we can start one right away. I know that where you come from you would be young, but here it is what is expected.”

“Start a family?” I spat, shocked. “Are you crazy? I’m sixteen, and I’m still in high school!”

“None of that matters. What matters is that we want to be together. I have dreamed of us spending our life together from the moment I met you. We will be able to give our family everything, without ever worrying about supporting them. Is that not what you want?” Calvin asked softly, willing me to give him the answer he wanted to hear.

“Calvin, I’m not ready for any of that yet.” I had been unprepared for this conversation, and it was only making me more uncomfortable.

“You will be, and I will wait if I have to, wait if you need me to, but please calm down.” Calvin put his hand under my chin and kissed me hard on the mouth, a very different kind of kiss from his previous ones. I immediately pushed him away.

“I cannot touch you? I cannot kiss you? Charlotte, I know you love me as I love you. What is going on?” Calvin asked with the first hint of anger in his voice.

“Love me? Calvin, this is not a natural love; it’s some crazy chemical imbalance or something. How do we even know it’s real?” I knew that each word would feel like daggers to him.

“Not natural? This is the most natural thing ever. You and I are meant to be together. I am meant to protect you.” He tried to kiss me again. I slapped his face, almost reflexively, and the action surprised both of us.

He touched his face where I had hit him. Although he was clearly not physically hurt, the slap had the intended effect. “Charlotte, we have to do our duty.” His voice was colder than I had ever heard it.

“Why are you just going along with Blake blindly? Have you thought that maybe he’s wrong?” I asked, because I felt I needed to at least give him a chance, no matter what Naomi had said.

“Wrong? Blake is the only reason we even found you. Other nations are going to attack; we need to be ready to defend ourselves.”

I finally allowed him to look into my eyes. “So it’s just defense then, no invasion?”

“Well, we may have to preemptively strike—”

“That’s not defense, Calvin,” I interrupted.

“Charlotte, we can talk about this. I think this can all be forgotten if you calm down, go upstairs, and get changed,” Calvin said in a businesslike tone. I could hardly believe how fast our relationship was spiraling out of control.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Blake had returned and was standing inside the door.

“I am begging you. Please just do what is asked of you,” Calvin pleaded, and I realized that I hadn’t noticed that he was playing with a strand of hair that had fallen out of my ponytail. I had worked myself up, but that gentle action was breaking my resolve. It would be so much easier to just be with him.

He must have noticed a change in my expression and a softening in my stance. “There, there, Charlotte. I am here to take care of you now. Please let me,” he whispered.

That was enough to get me back on track. That was all I needed, another overprotective male figure in my life.

“Calvin, I am a prisoner here and nothing more. I am not going to go all Stockholm syndrome on you,” I practically screamed.

“Stockholm syndrome?” Calvin asked confused.

I heard someone laugh from the doorway; I hadn’t noticed that James had come in. “Wow, such anger. Calvin, can you not keep your girl in line?” James asked coolly.

“You jerk!” I had tears streaming down my face. “You’re the one who brought me here, brought me to the people who killed my mother! How could you?”

“I did promise you answers. At least I was honest.” He didn’t even try to hide his distaste for me.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, even though I was pretty sure I knew what was coming.

“Watching you last night, I got the sense that you two lovebirds had met before,” James said, taking a few steps into the room.

Calvin nodded, and Blake looked surprised.

“But you didn’t think it was important to tell me? You thought it was fine to come away with me without mentioning you had already been inside the gate?” James continued, moving closer.

“You didn’t ask.”

“Somehow, I think you realize that is hardly an excuse.”

Calvin broke in, “Do not talk to her that way, James. You have no right.”

“No right?” James asked coldly. “You do realize you should be thanking me for delivering her here, right? Without me, we would still have no Essence.”

“James, your role is of course appreciated, but it was your duty,” Blake said slowly.

“Appreciated?” James asked angrily. “As soon as you found out I was not the Gerard, you pushed me aside. But you know what? Who cares? At least I’m not expected to actually be with her.”