Page 52 of Embers of Torment

I craned my neck, peering into the ebony space above us, littered with shimmering lights. I was mesmerized when I spotted the glowing white orb with its distinctive tail streaking across the night sky.

A wish? Okay, here it goes. I wish for Jace to be a permanent fixture in my life and for us to have the happy ever after that we both need.

Smiling wistfully, I hoped it would come true.

Chapter 16

Jace

Iknocked on Della's door to pick her up so we could head out to Fenway Park for the baseball game. I'd left her apartment hours earlier to go home and clean up, having spent the night. I smiled as I thought about her. She was a minx in the bedroom, coy and playful but bold in her remarks. In the broader sense, Della knew what she wanted in life and could be subtle, aggressive, or mischievous in attaining it, depending on the need. But there was another side to her—one she rarely let others see.

Della's past contained incidents of ridicule, threats, and scorn, and it marked her, the moments painful enough to cause scars. Those events created a layer of vulnerability and mistrust that she hid underneath the surface. From her comments, I learned it stemmed from a childhood of being bullied, the scenario an all too common situation and one I now loathed.

The knowledge of what Della suffered through was shattering. Shamefully, I knew both sides of that coin. My boyhood hadbeen devastating, from what I received and what I gave. I wished I could take back some of what I did, but the world didn't work that way.

That was one of the reasons I moved to Boston. To right a wrong that had haunted me for years. On the brighter side, I was fortunate to meet Della along my journey.

The lock turned, and my grin spread wide when Della opened the door. She was wearing the baseball jersey I had bought her for the game—the two of us a matching pair.

"Oh, lookie. Aren't we cute?" Della chuckled, eyeing our shirts. She pulled on her hem. "Mine fits perfectly. I'm not sure how you knew my size."

"I confess. I checked the tag on one of your blouses. I wanted to ensure I got it right. And by the way, we're not cute. We're stunning. Too bad once we get to the ballpark, we'll look like everyone else."

"Never. We're way more adorable. Anyway, you'll need to come in for a minute. I want to use the bathroom before we walk across the street to the T station."

I went inside and shut the door. Figuring I'd wait in the living room, I walked over to one of the shelves by the television and scanned Della's assortment of framed photos. There was one tucked away in the back I hadn't seen before. An older couple was on Della's left, and I assumed they were her parents. A man and woman, who looked several years beyond Della's age, stood on her other side. Based on their sandy-blond hair color and resemblance in facial features, they had to be Della's brother and sister. All five wore beaming smiles as they clustered in front of a decorated Christmas tree with their arms around each other.

I could feel the love and camaraderie emanating from that simple photo. And it struck a chord.

My childhood had been cold and brutal, and God, how I envied my classmates who had families that were loving and nurturingand included a father who cared. My misery had turned into hatred, which I directed onto others—one kid in particular.

"I'm ready," Della said, startling me. She waited by the door.

"Then so am I." Joining her, we headed downstairs, my dismal thoughts left behind.

It took some time, but we reached the Kenmore T station and began our walk up Brookline Avenue to the E gate at Fenway Park. We were halfway across the bridge over I-90 when a couple rushed past Della and almost knocked her over. Thankfully, I saw Della stumble and grabbed her arm, keeping her from hitting the ground and getting hurt. Frustrated at the couple's callousness, I went to reprimand them, but they were gone.

Reaching the ballpark, we maneuvered through the crowd and stood in the entrance line since Della already had our tickets. Kendra had dropped them off at Della's apartment during the week. We were next to be screened when a commotion broke out in one of the lines nearby. A woman was having a fit because staff had informed her that she couldn't take her leather backpack into the venue.

Della turned to me and shrugged. "I guess the lady didn't get the memo." She pointed to the clear plastic crossbody purse that draped across her shoulder.

"Apparently not, although I'm also guilty of forgetting you can't bring backpacks and large bags into most facilities anymore." I chuckled as I glanced at Della's chest. "I wondered why you had that small, see-through bag."

"Now you know. You're fortunate you only carry around a wallet. Oops, it's my turn." Della stepped forward when a staff member motioned her to do so. She was quickly screened and stood off to the side to wait for me. "Wow, that's the quickest I've ever gotten through security. You must be my lucky charm," she said when I joined her.

"Better that than a bad omen," I teased. Feeling playful, I bowed and made a sweeping gesture with my hand. "Milady, I promise to be your ever-vigilant confidant, protector, and talisman. Your health, safety, and happiness are of my utmost concern."

Della giggled, her palm covering her face. "Haha. Very funny," she said when she pulled her hand away. "But it's certainly comforting to know, Sir Jace from North Carolina, that you will valiantly thwart all threats while in my presence."

"Tis my duty, milady."

Laughing, we entered the ballpark and wound our way through the growing crush of spectators toward the nearest concession stand.

Eyeing the menu, I asked, "Do you want anything? I'm getting a beer and a hot dog."

"Yep. I want a Sam Adams and some nachos with extra cheese and jalapeños. Ooh, I want one of those jumbo pretzels too. I'm hungry since we worked off that huge breakfast we made this morning."

"That voracious bedroom appetite of yours tends to do that. I recall you pulling me back to bed for some additional calorie burning after we ate."

---