Page 43 of Shattered Heir
“Yeah, sorry.” I shook my head and climbed off of the bed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I am fine.”
He gave me a look, which I knew meant that he didn't believe me, and, of course, I was not going to tell him anything about it. I got the feeling Ryker would consider me more than just a friend. As in, he liked me, like he wanted to date me, or so he made it appear that way in the hospital, and ever since being back.
Maybe, if Shad had never existed, I would have pulled Ryker to me and would have kissed his face off. Heck, I wanted that when I was a little girl, but I knew that my heart was Shad’s from the moment I first felt his soul’s melody. It was like I was changed from it, never to be the same person again. I was only one-half of a person before meeting him, and only together did we create something beautiful and complete.
Okay, I understand how that sounds, I argued with myself. I knew that saying things like ‘Shad is my other half,’ made it seem like I believed that I am not a complete person without him. But, I was starting to see that when people used that term, ‘my other half,’ they may have had a different meaning altogether. Because, yes, I was my own person. Here I was, after all, standing in front of a worried Ryker. I had a body; I had a soul, and because I was a Magical princess, I also had a melody. They were all mine. Sure, I was an entire human being without any man. Sure—go women's movement—but, with Shad, when his melody was singing along with mine, when his hand held mine, it somehow made me more brave, and when his lips were against my lips—heck, even his person in close proximity to me, it somehow made me more than what I could have ever been on my own. He filled the gaps within the whole me. After I came to understand what I could have, I didn't want anything less than that. I looked at Ryker. He was such an incredible person. He deserved so much more than what I could offer him. Even if Shad left and made his way to the Ancient Lands, I would still be his; I couldn't help it. I also wasn't going to be one of those girls, or okay, one of those people who ran at the first sign of trouble. Shad had no soul, and that's a big deal. It was stolen by his stalker brother who, let’s be honest, I wasn't sure ifheeven was a complete person.He has one too many screws loose—if you know what I am saying.
I take offence to that.
Of coursehedid; I shoved Cade’s voice away.
“Mary is coming. Ten bucks says that she doesn't care one bit that I slept in your bed last night.”
Pulled out of my musings by Ryker’s statement, I placed my hands on my hips. Oh, it was so on. There was no way Mary was going to be okay with a boy sleeping in my bed. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure that I was okay with it, myself. “Make it twenty, and you have a deal.” I reached my hand out to shake his. He smirked as he took it and shook.
“Ah, good. There you are, Ryker. Happy birthday, Emma,” Mary said as she entered the room. She looked at me, and then at Ryker who had in the split second after we shook hands, dove back onto the bed. She looked back at me and then reached for me, pulling me into a hug. “I am so glad that you two have each other.”
I pulled away from her, my mouth open in shock.
“Mary, he slept in here last night,” I said as she smiled warmly up at me.
“Oh, good, Ryker. You should just do thateverynight, especially now that Cade is around.” I turned to look at a way-to-happy, smirking Ryker, who nodded.
“Uh, Mary—”
“Okay, I just needed to tell you that I am leaving early this morning, and I know you didn't want anything for your birthday, but we are going to have cake tonight.” She kissed my cheek and ran out the door with a, “Have a good day!” before I could object.
I turned to look at Ryker who was laughing so hard.
“What the heck was that?” I said, throwing a pillow at his smug face.
“What? I told you—or wait. Is this about the cake?” He caught the pillow, and I frowned.
“No, why doesn't she care that you have been sleeping in here?”
“Because, Emma, I am your knight, and I cannot ever do anything to hurt you. It is against my whole being.”
“Yeah, but you guys don’t even kiss more than one person on Terra, and you are saying sleeping in the same bedroom isn't a big deal?”
“If I had been anyone else, I would be dead right now.”
“Huh—” I said, sinking to the chair at my desk. There was so much about guardian knights that I didn't understand.
“I am going to go home and change; then I will come back to pick you up for school, but I have to take Shad, too.”
“For the millionth time, Ry, I really don't mind walking.”
“Are you sure? Even on your birthday?”
“Yes, positive, actually, and please stop it with the birthday stuff.” Although I loved Shad, I didn't like seeing him as a soulless, and I tried to avoid him as much as humanly possible. Yes, maybe that was a jerk move, but so be it. I watched Ryker’s feet as he headed for the door. He stood in front of it and paused, and my gaze traveled to his face.
“Oh, and I will get the twenty dollars you owe me later.” He winked at me, and I threw a pencil at him, and he caught it, which made me stomp my foot as the door closed. “I am a knight, Emma. I have awesome reflexes, and many other amiable qualities,” he called through the door.
“Amiable?”
“Yes.”
Chapter Twenty
