Ceaseless (Existence Trilogy #3)(16)

“Jay wasn’t that bad. He just started the night off asking another girl out while waiting on Pagan to arrive. We walked up on it. Pagan handled it brilliantly and comically but he still looked like an ass.”

Jay had asked someone else out? Did the guy not see what Pagan was wearing? Damn. I might not have to worry about this at all. He was an idiot. The last button on Pagan’s shirt came undone and she dropped it to the floor. I moved so that I could sink down on the bed and watch.

“She’s excited about Friday night. She won’t admit it but I can tell,” Miranda said, picking up Pagan’s discarded shirt and throwing it at her.

“You change your mind about guys in a band?” Gee asked. I wasn’t sure what she meant but I’d ask her as soon as she got out of here.

Pagan lifted one shoulder and I prayed by all that was holy that she’d take off that pink bra. This may be invading her privacy but I was Death, dammit. I should get some privileges. “I decided to not judge a book by its cover. Can’t hurt to give Dank Walker a chance.”

“He may want more than a chance,” Gee murmured for my ears only.

Pagan began to unbutton her skirt. Yes, please.

“I’m gonna go shower. Y’all feel free to talk about me because I know you will,” Pagan informed them and walked into the bathroom just before her skirt slid down her legs and hit the floor. I was tempted to follow her in there, but that would be wrong. She would be furious if she knew. I glanced over at Gee who looked ready to crack up laughing at me.

Chapter Eight

Pagan

“I stay out of sight and only whisper to you.

Words I can’t say. Words you don’t need to hear. Words I can’t keep from tangling my way.

Now, I can’t stand alone. I can’t ignore what I’ve been shown.

You’ve claimed me and I don’t care who knows. You’ve claimed me and I don’t care if it shows.

I’m weakened and I’m strengthened in your arms.

You’ve claimed me and I need to feel you close.

You stand wanting more than you could ever understand.

I stand helpless, needing to give in to your every command. Wanting to see you smile has consumed me and tied both my hands.

Nothing I offer could ever be worthy of your love.

It’s a miracle that you saw me and never ran.

I will spend my whole life trying to be the man you think I am.

Now, I can’t stand-alone. Now, I am under your influence. I can’t ignore what I’ve been shown.

You’ve claimed me and I don’t care who knows.

You’ve claimed me and I don’t care if it shows.

I’m weakened and I’m strengthened in your arms. You’ve claimed me and I need to feel you close.”

“You hold fire within your gaze.

It mesmerizes everyone you allow into your maze. I know nothing of your thoughts but I need to bask within the warmth of your rays. Nothing you do could ever be wrong. You’re forever perfect in every way.

Now, I can’t stand-alone. Now, I am under your influence.

You’ve taken over me and now, I can’t ignore what I’ve been shown. You’ve claimed me and I don’t care who knows. You’ve claimed me and I don’t care if it shows. I’m weakened and I’m strengthened in your arms.

You’ve claimed me and I need to feel you close.”

The hauntingly sweet music played over and over again in the darkness. I couldn’t open my eyes but I wasn’t scared. I knew I was safe. The words soothed me and eventually I fell back into a deep sleep. Bright blue eyes that glowed against the night were the last things I remembered.

“GET UP! You are like the sleeping dead. I swear. Get your lazy ass up. We have class in ten minutes,” Miranda was yelling at me while pelting me with her pillow.

I groaned, rolled over, and blocked the onslaught of her feather pillow. “I’m awake. You can stop now.”

“It’s about time. I tried everything else. I’ve been awake for over an hour. Your stupid alarm clock made sure I woke up. How you slept through that annoying beeping is beyond me.”

“I slept through the alarm clock?” I asked sitting up and squinting my eyes from the sun’s rays. It was after eight o’clock. I wasn’t going to make it to my Literature class on time. Crap. Great first impression.

“Yeah, you did. That’s like happened, never. What did you do, take a sleeping pill?”

I stood up and stretched. “No I just slept really good,” I paused and thought about the strange darkness and the music. The voice and the song… “There was this song,” I said then stopped. Miranda would think I’d lost my mind.

“No time to talk about songs right now. Here, throw this on and go brush your stinky teeth. We gotta go. Good thing you look hot without makeup.”

Miranda shoved a pair of shorts and a shirt into my arms and pushed me into the bathroom. I guess I wouldn’t tell her about my song. Although, I wanted to tell someone.

Dank wasn’t in literature class. I was disappointed he hadn’t shown up and carried my books, but relieved because I could focus on my work. Being able to listen and focus would insure I passed this course. Day one and we already had an assignment. We also had to work in groups. Not my thing. Three girls and three guys per group. We had to read three different works of literature about self-destructive men. Then we had to write a female point-of-view paper and a male point-of-view paper on exactly how the males in the assigned stories were self-destructive. We also had to identify who we could relate them to today and describe how this self-destruction affected politics.