Chapter 6
Alex burst out laughing. I actually had to back up because he doubled over and grabbed his gut. The others rushed over to see what was going on. Exactly what I wanted to know.
“Is he okay?” McKenzie asked.
Lexi’s eyes widened as she shook her head at Alex. “He looks hysterical, and I don’t mean funny. He looks like he’s having a fit or something.”
“Alex.” I waited for him to stop laughing and explain the joke I’d clearly missed.
“I’m sorry.” He was breathing heavily, and his face was bright red.
“What was so funny?” Did he really think I’d been joking?
“Absolutely nothing.” He looked at me, and all the warmth left his face. “I just had to laugh because, otherwise, I would’ve flipped out and attacked poor old zombie-Matt over here.”
Matt was still standing by my side. He didn’t seem to comprehend anything that was going on around him—not that I did either.
“He’s not a zombie. Please, don’t call him that.”
“I know he’s not. I’m not mad at him. He’s just the next in a long line of guys who have come between us.”
“That’s not fair. You know that’s not true. The only guys who have come between us are Matt and Chase. And you can’t even really include Matt because he and I were together before you and I were. If anything, you—”
Alex put his hand up to stop me. “Don’t. Don’t go there. I didn’t take you away from him.”
“I know. I’m sorry. That was stupid.” Ugh, I hated this. Alex wasn’t wrong about things coming between us. I got why he was upset, but it wasn’t like Matt and I were going to run off and live happily ever after as humans while Alex rotted in the underworld. I’d never do that to him, and he had to know that.
Alex ran his fingers through his hair, tugging the ends in his fists. “I’m so damn tired of this. When do I get to have you? Really have you?”
Lexi laughed. “Why am I not surprised Jodi’s a prude?”
I glared at her. “That’s not what he meant, Lexi.” At least I didn’t think it was. I knew that was on his mind. We hadn’t been together like that yet, but he was talking about more than that, and she was cheapening our relationship.
Lexi held her hands up. “Whatever.”
“All right, everyone,” Arianna said. “Alex and Jodi don’t need an audience. Move along.” She ushered them away from us, giving my arm a quick squeeze before she followed.
I moved toward Alex, but he backed away. “Don’t do that.” I advanced on him again. “Don’t push me away. You just said there were too many things coming between us all the time. Don’t you be one of them, too.” He stopped, and I took his hands in mine. “I’m yours, Alex. All of me.”
“No, you’re not. You want to raise your human soul and your human boyfriend. What the hell do you think is going to happen when you’re both alive again? Together?”
I hadn’t thought about it like that. Would my human feelings for Matt come back? “I wasn’t planning to raise Matt so we could be together again. I only wanted to get him out of here. I swear. Alex, if I could raise you and bring you with me, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I want you with me. Leaving you is the only thing stopping me from raising my human soul right now.”
He pulled me closer to him. “I’m not mad at you. You know that, right? It’s just this situation. Ever since Chase came, I’ve felt like I’m not good enough for you.”
“Alex—”
“No, let me finish. You have all this power. You can do things no other Ophi can. And what am I? An average Ophi. Nothing special. I don’t deserve you.”
“That’s not true. I may be the Chosen One, but I chose you.”
“Great, so I’m special by extension?”
“That’s not what I meant. You’re the only guy I’ve ever loved, Ophi or not. Yes, I had strong feelings for Matt. Yes, I still want Matt to be happy. But I don’t love him. I love you. Being with Matt again isn’t going to change that.”
“Being with him? You mean you aren’t just going to raise him? You’re going to keep him with you while you find a way to get us out of here?”
Crap, I was making this worse. “I don’t want to do this alone. Like I said, if I could take you with me, I would.”
“How is Matt going to be of any help to you?” His jaw tightened; he was gritting his teeth. “I hate to say this, but it seems like you just want some extra time with your old boyfriend.”
Was he wrong? Was I trying to get more time with Matt? “I’m not going to lie. I do like the thought of getting a second chance with Matt.”
Alex let go of my hands and turned away from me. His hands clenched into fists, and he swung at the rows of asphodels, sending white flower petals flying everywhere.
“Alex!” I grabbed him, but he kept swinging. “Not like that! That’s not what I meant. Please, if you love me, hear me out.”
He stopped, but his whole body shook with rage. He shrugged my hands off his arm.
“Matt was my friend, too. I didn’t just care about him as my boyfriend. For most of the time I knew him, he was one of my two best friends. I owe him this. I owe myself the chance to make things right and to say goodbye to him for good. I know I can’t keep him in my life. It’s too dangerous. But I think I should at least get to say goodbye to him on my own terms, not because he died, not because I have to run away and fulfill my Ophi destiny. I owe him the truth.” Now I was breathing heavily. I’d blurted all that out, wanting to say everything before Alex got the chance to cut me off.
“You don’t still have feelings for him?” He was staring out over the asphodels, unable to look me in the eyes.
“I do still care about him as a friend, but that’s all. As a friend.” I reached for his arm again, and this time he didn’t pull away. “When this is all over, when we’re out of here and back at the school, I promise it will just be you and me. No one else. For as long as you want me.”
He turned toward me and took my hand. “I’m holding you to that promise.”
I smiled, and a tear ran down my cheek. “So, what now?”
“You don’t have to ask for my permission. You’re the leader, remember?”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean I can’t ask for your input. You are my boyfriend, aren’t you?”
“Through bad and worse, apparently.”
“Come on, don’t say that. Things haven’t been all bad.” I touched his cheek, and even without me transferring any power to him, he smiled.
“No, definitely not.”
I reached up to kiss him, but he stopped me. “We have company, remember?”
I’d kind of forgotten about Matt. “Right. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize to me. It’s actually nice to see that I can make you forget about everything else.”
“You do that to me a lot, you know. I’m sorry if I don’t always make you see that.”
He kissed the top of my head. “I guess we need to find two bodies for you guys. A guy and a girl. Unless…”
“Don’t even think it. I’m not putting Matt into a girl’s body.” I couldn’t help it. I laughed. Poor Alex. He was so desperate not to lose me to Matt he wanted to make Matt a girl. “You are so lucky I love you.”
“I know.” He smiled, but his tone was completely serious. I leaned forward and kissed him. I knew Matt was watching us, but I didn’t care.
“Okay, so how do we find out where the new souls are? I need to find them almost immediately when they arrive.”
“I think we need to talk to Tony. He’s our expert.” Alex took my hand and started toward Tony and the others, but I held him back.
“Hang on.” I turned to Matt. “Matt, will you come with us, please?” He stared at me, not understanding.