Page 53 of Dragon Eye (Rise of the Dragon Master)

13

BRAXTON

In my life I had learned to let things go.

One thing I had discovered through everything I endured, was that the bad patches didn’t last forever, no matter how hard they seemed. Happiness was real, attainable, but the good times were the shortest of all. A series of grains of sand, if you will. Little moments that when put together created amazing things. However, they were easily missed if you focused on the darkness. So when you found a shimmering, golden grain of sand among the hard, dark rocks, you needed to grasp it and enjoy it for what it was.

That was the one thing I always tried to do. I clung to those grains of sand until they dissolved in my hand, then walked along my rocky path, searching for the next one.

Glancing at myself in the mirror, I focused on the ring that hung over my chest. The golden Dragon band glimmered under the light, but it didn’t glow. I had noticed the blue light always came and went, like the crystal was triggered by something, but soon after it went dormant somehow. Maybe it was one of those glow-in-the-dark pieces? Maybe it had just run out of “juice” or whatever made it light up like it did.

The weird coincidence was that it had completely stopped working since Evanna left.

Remembering her brought a smile to my face, though I couldn’t deny the sting my chest felt when I woke up on the beach and realized she was gone. I knew she had to leave that night, but waking up to see I was alone stung.

Every inch of my skin still tingled with the memory of how it felt being near her. It was insane, I knew it, but I finally understood what people meant by instant attraction. It was like my entire body awoke with her every touch, even parts of me that seriously needed to chill because I had just met her, but I couldn’t help it. I was totally and helplessly enticed by her.

My gut tightened again, remembering the feeling of her body against mine so close, chest against chest, legs intertwined, our mouths moving against the other with a quiet thirst and desperation I had never felt before. Like she was my release and I was hers. Damn, that had been so hot. It was like we were magnets, pressing closer and closer with each touch, kiss, breath, unable to get enough.

The way her soft body felt under my hands was mind-blowing. I wasn’t an expert but that was a hot-ass make out session if I ever saw any. The way she had pulled me closer with need while my body laid on top of hers… Fuck. So perfect. It was perfect.

Remembering her like that made my junk get ideas that would never come to fruition, so I forced my thoughts away from my need for her, reliving instead the first time I kissed her… and the slap that followed.

Laughter escaped me with the memory, and I shook my head. Perhaps Sam was right, girls were perfect when they were a little crazy. Evie was certainly both, and I wouldn’t change a thing about her.

As far as I was concerned that was the best first kiss EVER.

So much for letting go.

Throwing on a shirt over the ring, I finished getting dressed and stepped out of the bathroom. I needed to get to work.

When I walked into my room, my attention immediately travelled to the medical refrigerator next to my bed, and the lock box I had left on top of it. The one that contained my medicine. Hesitant steps took me to it, and I sat down on the bed, opening the box. My attention lingered on the almost empty bottles I had used daily, the ones that cost hundreds of dollars to obtain.

Because this wasn’t a prescribed treatment, and my condition was considered non-existent, it wasn’t covered by any insurance carrier. All I had was the doctor’s note from the man who agreed to help my father, believing these meds could somewhat treat my illness. He knew this was a hail Mary but I had no other options. Still, without the transfusions…

Making up my mind, I stood and took the box with me to the bathroom. One by one, I opened the vials and poured what was left of the medicine down the drain, throwing the glass bottles in the trash. There was no cure for what I had, and without my father’s blood it was pointless to continue the treatment, that much had become clear. Whatever was going to happen to me now was going to happen, there was no point in trying to delay it.

My gaze connected with my own eyes through the mirror, and I mentally prepared myself for what was to come.

* * *

“Dude, I get theI don’t kiss and tellrule, but if you kissed, DO TELL!”

I rolled my eyes at Josh while I handed a latte to a customer and sent a glaring look at Nick. “And they say guys don’t gossip.”

“Hey, I didn’t say anything!” Nick defended, bringing me a new lunch ticket from the hottie wave, and walking to another table to greet the new customers sitting there.

“It was Sam, actually,” Josh added from behind me, preparing a sandwich. “He said he lent you his car to go out with the blonde—”

“Evanna,” I corrected.

“Exactly. And just to be clear, we were not gossiping. We are not girls,” Josh scoffed while my lips twitched. “We were exchanging facts, with added commentary.”

Nick's laughter reached us when he stopped by the counter again, and he shook his head at Josh. “Dude, you are crazy.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Welcome to the Subway,” I greeted a group of girls, taking their to-go order.

“Seriously? You are not going to tell me?” Josh complained walking to my side to get the next sandwich order. “I’ve been nothing but supportive since the first day. Even when the others thought she was crazy, I thought she was quirky and endearing. I’ve been ‘Ebrax’s’ number one fan, and this is how you repay me?”

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