Destiny

31.

Chapter 31

"Ready?"

I nodded and ran just as I had the first time. Only I kept my wings going, lifting my body higher and higher. I smiled as I rose above the trees. The view was amazing, one you only got when you were flying.

I looked down and saw Aryan flying up to me.

"Nice, huh?"

"A lot nicer than sitting in my room."

"I bet Lucy knows we're gone."

My eyes widened. "You told me there was nothing to worry about."

"And there isn't. But I'm sure Lucy's aware that we're not home. You're a loud person."

"I'd throw a rock at you if we were on the ground."

He smiled.

Wobbly, I flew to where he was. He grabbed onto my hand to stop me from either falling or flying right past him. "Does Lucy know? About us?"

He shook his head. "I don't know how I'm going to tell her."

"She can't kill me."

"What about Kellan?"

"He doesn't need to know."

"Julia-"

"He doesn't. He doesn't deserve to."

"He's still your father."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't remind me."

"We have to go back sometime. And he'll notice. I don't know when Lucy's making him leave so it may be a while before he's gone."

I groaned. "Can't we just stay here?"

"I don't have any money, do you?"

"I've never seen money firsthand in my life."

"I forgot how secluded things were for you."

"You can thank Lucy for that."

"I thought you were over all of that."

"I am. That doesn't mean I can't still bring it up every now and then."

"You and Lucy are so much alike it's crazy."

"Are you sure it's me you like? Or Lucy?"

"I think if I liked Lucy I would have told her by now."

I raised my eyebrows. "I don't know. You're a very slow person. Just think how long it took you and Lucy to get me out of the hospital."

"I blame Lucy for that."

I started laughing though it quickly turned into screaming as I fell from the sky, forgetting that I couldn't stop moving my wings. How many times would I fall before I got the hang of it?

I fell between the trees, limbs and leaves passing me so quickly it was making my head spin. A branch scrapped my head and I winced, squinting my eyes shut so I wouldn't see when I was going to hit the ground.

When I fell, it didn't hurt. And it wasn't the ground that I hit. I opened my eyes and saw Aryan was holding me. We weren't far from the ground but still a few dozen feet above it.

"Are you okay?"

I exhaled a long breath. "Why is this so hard?"

"It's not something you've been doing your whole life. It'll take a while to master."

"I don't think I was meant for all of this."

"God wouldn't give you something you couldn't handle."

I sighed.

"Fine. I'll save the lectures for Lucy to do."

I smiled. "She'll enjoy that."

A ring interrupted Aryan from saying anything. He reached into his pocket, all while holding me, and answered the call. "Relax, Lucy. We're fine."

I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks for your concern. Look-" He paused and his eyes rolled so dramatically I almost laughed. "I can't believe you don't trust me."

"That's Lucy for you." I whispered.

"She said she heard that."

"Good."

"She also said you're grounded."

"Grounded? So now this is my fault?"

Aryan handed the phone over to me.

"-we've been so worried about you already and then you go and pull this? What if something had happened? Don't you think we would blame ourselves for not being better parents?"

"I don't feel safe with him there."

"Julia, he's not going to-"

"I don't know that. And I'm not going to put myself through that if I can help it. That's happened enough times already."

Lucy was silent for a long minute before she spoke, her voice calmer. "We'll keep you safe, Julia. You know that."

I looked at Aryan and realized we were on the ground now. He was still holding me in his arms. "I need time."

"Let me help you. Please."

"I need to do this on my own. I have to grow up sooner or later." I handed the phone back to Aryan and got to my feet.

"I guess I should go. Give you some space or whatever."

"What? No, I don't want you to go." While I may not have wanted to be around Lucy or Kellan, that didn't mean I didn't want to be with Aryan.

He held my gaze but didn't say anything.

"Please stay."

He sat down against a tree and patted the spot beside him.

I sat down and pulled a loose feather out of my wings. I looked over at Aryan. "Was life this hard for you growing up?"

"I wish I could say it was." He said, meeting my gaze.

I sighed.

"If Kellan really wanted to kill you, he would have done it by now. I don't really think he's going to do it anymore. Not since he came to see Lucy. She wouldn't have let him stay if she thought he'd hurt you."

"It's only been 17 years. Don't you think Kellan's fairly patient?"

"17 years isn't that much time when you've been alive for several hundred years."

"That's a lot of work over... me."

"You're worth it."

"That's so sweet of you to say." I said, rolling my eyes.

He smiled. "My intentions are good, I swear."