Coleen: Forever (Waking Forever Series Book 5) Read online

  Horrified, Coleen moved back, the mineral smell of blood clinging to her as Isla lay motionless under her. Stumbling backwards, Coleen looked down to see she was covered in blood.

  “Coleen? Coleen?” A very alive Isla was standing in front of Coleen, the book clutched in her hands. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  Coleen swallowed the lump in her throat. Her fears of losing control and harming Isla had taken their toll, and she felt sick with what she had imagined. “I’m sorry.”

  Isla put her hand on the side of Coleen’s neck. “There’s no need to apologize, but tell me you’re okay.”

  Coleen covered Isla’s hand with her own. “I’m fine. Should we get to dinner?”

  Still concerned, Isla laid the book on the coffee table. She framed Coleen’s face with both her hands, her brown eyes scrutinizing Coleen. “I know we’ve only just started, but you can talk to me.”

  Nodding, Coleen turned her lips to Isla’s palm. “I know.”

  Isla cocked her head to the side, her eyes scanning Coleen’s face.

  “What?” Coleen suddenly felt uncomfortable under Isla’s scrutiny.

  “You’re beautiful.” Isla blushed and took a step back.

  “You sound surprised.” Coleen immediately missed Isla’s touch.

  Shaking her head, Isla started to walk toward the front door. “I thought it that night even, when you helped Julian and me.”

  Coleen followed Isla out the front door, waiting as she locked it. “I thought the same thing about you.” Coleen unlocked her car.

  Isla walked around to the passenger door. “I think you’re exaggerating.”

  Coleen opened the driver’s door, and then paused. “I thought you were one of those women who didn’t need reassurances that she’s attractive?”

  Isla frowned as the two women got into the car. “I’m very comfortable with me. I just find it hard to believe you could see much of anything since I was covered in discharge powder from the airbag.” She latched her seatbelt. “So no reassurances, I’m just calling bullshit.”

  ***

  “You don’t eat much.” Isla commented, a piece of romaine lettuce from her Caesar salad dangling from the end of her fork.

  Coleen had left the choice of restaurant up to Isla. She had chosen a mid-range contemporary American bistro that boasted an eclectic wine menu. Coleen was on her second glass of a dark red Malbec, and was enjoying the blackberry, blueberry and raspberry notes when Isla made her comment.

  “I ordered a salad and pasta.” Coleen chastised herself for not cultivating at least some taste for human food. It allowed for a more seamless blending that was now proving difficult.

  Isla leaned in. “You realize you’re supposed to eat the food once you order it?” She playfully winked.

  Coleen lowered her voice to a whisper. “Are you certain?”

  Isla grinned. “I’ve heard rumors to that effect.”

  Not wanting the evening to derail on account of her nonexistent appetite for human food, Coleen put her wine glass down. She managed to feign enjoyment of her wedge salad, focusing most of her attention on the lettuce and bleu cheese crumbles while skipping the bacon.

  “You should be finishing up with your master’s soon?” Coleen put her fork down, hoping Isla wouldn’t say anything more about the half eaten salad.

  Isla finished the last of her salad. Before she could answer, their waiter, a man in his late twenties with stylishly messy brown hair and piercing green eyes, interrupted to remove their salad plates. “Ladies, can I get you another round of drinks?”

  Coleen had wanted to order the entire bottle of Malbec, but when Isla ordered a Shiner Bock beer, she thought it best not to polish a bottle off by herself. She would have a difficult time explaining why she was not incoherently intoxicated.

  “I’ll have another beer, please.” Isla smiled at the waiter, and Coleen listened as the man’s heart rate sped up.

  “Another wine for you?”

  Coleen looked at her nearly empty glass and shook her head. “I’m driving.” She turned her attention to Isla when the waiter walked away. “So, your master’s?”

  Isla nodded. “I received the highest marks on the defense of my thesis, and the hooding ceremony is in a week, not that I’m participating.”

  “Why wouldn’t you?”

  Isla chuckled. “Because it’s practically extortion how much they charge for the robe and the invitations. Not to mention the tickets themselves.”

  “Then let me get them for you. Consider it a graduation gift.” The smile on Coleen’s lips quickly faded as she could see from the stunned look on Isla’s face she had misspoken. “Or – you could take out a small loan.”

  Isla looked down as she shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want – I mean I already feel we’re not exactly on a level playing field.” Isla frowned, clearly irritated with her inability to articulate her feelings. “I’m struggling with the flowers, and the book.” Her eyes shot up. “Not that it isn’t all great, but I can’t possibly –”

  “Repay me?” Coleen voice was soft and reassuring.

  “It’s not that. I understand this is what people do when they’re dating, but I just don’t have the money.” Isla’s eyes filled with tears.

  Coleen stood up and moved to the seat next to Isla, and turning the chair to face her, took a surprised Isla’s hand in hers. “You can pay for dinner if it makes you feel any better.”

  Isla laughed. “Nice.” She dabbed at the corner of her eyes with her napkin.

  Coleen grinned and quickly kissed the back of Isla’s hand before returning to her chair. “Or I can focus all of my gift giving tendencies on your brother.”

  Isla took a drink of her beer. “If you could just channel that to his birthday and holidays, that would be great.”

  It was over six months until December, and Coleen worked to mask her surprise at Isla implying they would still be in each other’s lives then.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Isla asked.

  Coleen shrugged. “I’m happy you want to still know me in December.”

  A flush of color found Isla’s cheeks. “I’m happy the idea of that makes you happy.” She finished the last of her beer. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure how much longer Julian and I were going to be in San Antonio.”

  “Why’s that?” Coleen pushed back the panic that tightened around her chest.

  “I’ve been accepted at the University of Texas Health Science Center here in town for their doctorate program.” Isla’s smile broadened as she spoke. “I was relieved to get in here; otherwise, I was going to have to consider moving us to Austin.” She shook her head. “I hated the idea of selling the house and moving Julian to another school.”

  Coleen nodded emphatically. “I’m relieved too.”

  Isla narrowed her eyes. “Are you?”

  “Yes. You seem surprised that I would prefer you in San Antonio.” Coleen was failing miserably at indifference, and had gone too far to reverse her course.

  Isla smiled and shook her head, her gaze never straying from Coleen. “Not surprised. Pleased you have a preference.”

  “My preference where Julian and you are concerned is the closer the better.” Coleen managed to take only her third bite of lettuce, the taste of grass and pesticides nearly forcing a gag reflex.

  Isla finally turned her gaze from Coleen, and nervously wiped the corner of her mouth with her napkin. “I don’t want to make assumptions, but you remember what I said at Stone Werks about frivolous affairs?”

  Coleen nodded. She had gone out of her way to be engaged with Isla throughout their last few outings. In fact, Coleen had enjoyed the woman’s company more than she had hoped to. Now, faced with what she sensed was Isla level setting their relationship for the better, Coleen struggled to contain her excitement.

  “I remember, and you should know I like you, and I’m certain you like me.” It was the truth. Something Col
een was finding more difficult to steer clear of with Isla.

  Isla smiled, and pushing her plate back, leaned forward. “I would prefer if we just liked each other.”

  Coleen’s brow arched, and she took a full three seconds before she could decide what to say in response. The moments passing seemed like hours to Coleen as her usually nimble mind fought to formulate a coherent statement. “Are you asking me to be exclusive?”

  “I am. I think otherwise, given how much Julian likes you, it could get confusing for –”

  “I don’t have a problem with that.” Coleen knew the combination of relief and eagerness made her sound ridiculous, but she couldn’t help herself.

  Isla’s face lit up with a broad smile. “Great.”

  The waiter arrived, removed their salad plates, and placed their entrees in front of them. There were several minutes of comfortable silence as Isla sprinkled red pepper flakes over eggplant parmesan, and Coleen intentionally took several bites of her rigatoni and marinara dish.

  “Would Julian and you like to come to my house for dinner this week?” Coleen glanced up at Isla. Though she couldn’t conceive of any reason her offer would be turned down, she was still nervous with anticipation.

  “Sure. We could do it Thursday. I can let the sitter leave early to make up for keeping her late last week.”

  Coleen put her fork down, and took a drink of her wine. “I trust you blamed me for that?”

  “Whenever possible.” Isla smirked.

  Coleen could feel Isla, and all the complexities their relationship harbored, intruding more and more into her world. She had spent centuries dreading and avoiding entanglements, particularly with humans, but the intrusion itself was proving enjoyable. It was the consequences Coleen feared.

  Chapter 11

  “I was hoping to stay in tonight.” Claudio sat on the leather sofa in Coleen’s den, with his feet resting on the wooden rectangular coffee table, and a glass of Glenlivet in his hand.

  “I have guests this evening, and I would love you to eventually meet them, but I need tonight alone.” Coleen had no intention of introducing Isla and Julian to Claudio. She didn’t trust her friend to see them as anything other than meals.

  Claudio shrugged and pushed himself up from the sofa. “I suppose I could make myself scarce.” He finished his whisky in two long gulps, and put the empty glass on the table. Claudio crossed the room and stood in front of Coleen. Taking her hands in his, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “When am I allowed back in the house?”

  Coleen couldn’t help but smile at her friend. In spite of his rough edges, he was a decent person, and someone Coleen enjoyed having in her life. “Midnight, and then we can go hunting in the Hill Country.” She affectionately squeezed Claudio’s hands before releasing them. “So don’t fill up.”

  Claudio walked toward the front door. “Not possible.”

  Satisfied her friend would give her the space she needed, Coleen walked back into the den, and picked Claudio’s discarded glass up. Before she could take it to the kitchen, the gate buzzer rang.

  “Yes.” Coleen spoke into the small speaker near the front door.

  “Hi. It’s us.” Isla’s cheerful voice filled the entryway, and brought a smile to Coleen’s lips.

  “Wonderful.” Coleen pressed the button to open the gate, and quickly took the empty glass to the kitchen. Coleen returned to the entryway, and opened the door to see Isla and Julian making their way up the walkway.

  “Did you have any trouble finding the house?” Coleen was getting better at small talk, even though she still took issue with it.

  “None.” Isla hugged Coleen, and then with her arm still around Coleen’s waist, looked down at Julian. “Jules helped with the navigation.”

  Coleen put her hand on the boy’s shoulder. “It’s nice to see you, Julian.”

  Julian took Coleen’s hand in his smaller one. “I like your house.” He smiled as he walked past Coleen, pulling her into the entryway.

  Isla followed the two in, and shut the door. “I’m trying to be cool, but this house is amazing.”

  “I’ve spent a lot of time getting it the way I like it.” Coleen looked down at Julian. “I did just make a new acquisition I hadn’t even realized the house was missing until I met you.” She nodded toward the large den off the main entrance.

  Julian released Coleen’s hand, and quickly left the room. “Awesome!” Julian rushed toward a forty inch flat screen television that was mounted to the wall with a PlayStation 5 sitting on the cabinet in front of it. “You’ve got Lego Batman 5, and Disney Infinity 4.0, and Madden NFL! The new one.” Julian shuffled and reshuffled the thin plastic cases, his eyes wide with excitement.

  “You’re his new best friend.” Isla stood next to Coleen, clearly pleased to see her brother so excited. “But his birthday isn’t for another three months, and I know it isn’t Christmas.” Isla playfully punched Coleen’s arm. “You’re going to spoil him.”

  Coleen shook her head. “He would have to behave badly to be spoiled. He’s indulged.” Not waiting for what she was sure would be a pithy comeback from Isla, Coleen joined Julian in the den.

  “The gentleman at the store said those were some of the more popular ones for his age group. I had no idea there was even a need to rate a game, but evidently parents frown on their kids seeing – what was it – suggestive themes, nudity, violence, blood, gore, and crude humor.”

  Isla looped her arm through Coleen’s, and leaned in. “I’m partial to crude humor myself.”

  Her attention still focused on Julian, Coleen smirked. “I thrive on it.” She turned, and pulled Isla to her. The warmth of her body sent a shiver through Coleen, and she quickly stepped back. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Vodka and cranberry, if you have it.” Isla followed Coleen to the bar. “How long have you lived here?”

  Coleen opened the ice bin, and scooped several cubes into a glass. “Five years.” It had been longer, but since she looked like a thirty three year old, a half decade seemed reasonable. “Chopin or Belvedere vodka?”

  “I haven’t had either, so your call.” Isla sat down on the sofa. “Jules, are you even going to participate in the conversation tonight, or have we already lost you?”

  “Lost me.” Julian looked up at Coleen. “Can I play one now, please?”

  Coleen stirred Isla’s drink, squeezed a lime in it, and then poured herself a Glenlivet. “That’s up to your sister.” She crossed the room, sat on the sofa next to Isla, and handed her the drink.

  “Thirty minutes.” Isla took a sip of her drink, and casually rested her hand on Coleen’s knee.

  “That’s not enough time.” Julian was furiously trying to unwrap the Lego Batman case while managing something akin to a whine.

  “It’s more than no time at all.” Isla quickly countered.

  Coleen, enjoying the siblings’ back-and-forth, made a suggestion. “He could play after dinner, too.”

  “That’s fine, but we have to leave at ten.” Isla leaned forward and put her drink on the table. When she leaned back, she entwined her fingers with Coleen’s, and laid her head on Coleen’s shoulder.

  Coleen felt the room shift slightly as she swallowed the lump in her throat. “That’s how long I have you then?”

  Isla turned so the heat of her breath as she spoke spread across Coleen’s neck. “For tonight, anyway. He’s got school in the morning.”

  In spite of the urge to pull Isla to her, Coleen forced herself to stand up. “Do you need help with that, Julian?” This is a mistake. Having her in my house is too intimate. Coleen closed her eyes, and willed the room to be still.

  Isla reached for her drink. “You haven’t been around very many kids, have you? He could get that thing going with his eyes shut.” Isla took a drink. “Have you ever thought about having kids?”

  “I had a son.” Coleen nearly screamed as soon as the words left her mouth. She had never talked about Gamil to anyone before. As fond of
Isla as she was, she hadn’t imagined she would ever mention her son to a human.

  Isla put her drink back down on the table, and got up. She closed the short distance between them, and wrapped her arm around Coleen’s waist. “Is he –”

  Coleen stepped away from Isla, her voice barely above a whisper. “Gamil died when he was ten.”

  Isla looked at Julian, and then taking Coleen’s hand, led her into the entryway. Cupping Coleen’s cheek with her hand, Isla’s voice was low. “Coleen, I’m so sorry. How?”

  Unable to make eye contact with Isla, Coleen felt the almost overwhelming urge to run. “A virus. It was very sudden.” No matter how far she ran, Coleen knew the tether that tied her to Isla would not snap. That realization only made the urge to flee more pressing.

  “Were you and his father together?” Isla hesitated, and then shook her head. “Never mind. I’m sorry, that was too personal.”

  Barely able to manage the intense feelings Isla’s touch sparked in her, Coleen gently pulled the woman’s hand away from her cheek. “I like how forward you are, so don’t apologize. Besides, I brought him up.”

  Coleen now held both of Isla’s hands in hers. She reveled in the feel of Isla, but also needed to control the amount of physical contact between her and the human. “I was never with his father.” She knew better than to explain that relationships nearly three thousand years ago between a man and a woman rarely constituted being with someone in the way Isla was implying.

  Isla pursed her lips in concentration. “Artificial insemination?”

  Coleen nodded. “Something like that.”

  “Is this a 3D television?” Julian’s voice echoed from the den.

  Coleen, her eyes still fixed on Isla, grinned. “I think the clerk mentioned something about that.”

  “Are we done talking about Gamil?” Isla’s voice was layered with curiosity and worry.

  Coleen felt her control returning, and pressed her lips to Isla’s. “For now.”

  A short, round woman, with cropped brown hair, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black chef’s jacket entered the room. “Ms. Andrade, dinner is ready.”