Fire Proof

Chapter Fifteen

I guess I fell asleep on the walk back because suddenly I'm stirring awake at the sound of someone knocking. I lift my head to see that we're in front of Jasmin's door.

After a few moments of waiting, the door swings open and little Mason sticks his head out. His eyes find Bryce's and he gasps. "You found Azari!" He opens the door all the way and waves us through.

"Azari?" A small voice asks from the living room. The sound of a child's feet thump their way towards us and I look down to see my brother wrap his arms around one of my legs and one of Bryce's.

"Hey buddy!" I say and he tilts his head up to grin at me.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Jasmin exclaims and I turn my head as she rushes across the living room to us. "Are you okay?" I nod and she gives me a warm smile. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Where's her room?" Bryce asks. "I think she's worn out."

"Of course!" Jasmin leads him through the living room and down the hallway. She opens the door and gestures to my room before leaving us alone.

Bryce gently places me on my bed and adjusts a pillow so it's under my head. When he's done, he crouches down to be eye level with me.

"Seriously, you okay?"

I meet his gorgeous green eyes and nod. "I-I think so." I pause and take a deep breath, "I really didn't mean to set the ball on fire. Or spread it as I ran."

Bryce smiles a little. "I know you didn't. But why did you run? You could've just come to me and we would've worked everything out."

Tears prick my eyes and I look to the ceiling, trying to blink them away. "I was afraid. If I hadn't gotten out of there, I would've been attacked with questions and mobbed by the whole school!" Apparently fighting the tears didn't do enough, because I let out a small sob. "A-and if I'm afraid to even tell you the truth, how c-can I face a whole school of w-wolves with the truth?"

"Hey!" Bryce says softly, climbing onto the bed and wrapping his arms around my shaking frame. "Azari, you don't have to tell them anything, okay? You don't even have to tell me anything! I'm okay with waiting until you're comfortable with everything here and you decide when you want to tell us everything."

I take a shaky breath and nod, ducking my head into his chest. "Gracias tibi." I whisper, not even bothering to remember to speak English.

He strokes my hair and I tilt back to look into his eyes. "You look like you want to say something else."

He chuckles. "I do, but I don't think it's the right moment for it. It has nothing to do with what we we're talking about."

I smile. "It's okay to change the subject, or even the mood, you know."

Bryce smiles back. "Alright fine. But most of it's my wolf pushing me to." He says making me giggle a little. He takes a deep breath. "Okay, I really want to take you out. Like on a date. And I know it's not the most ideal way to ask, or the ideal setting or whatever, but I
just—"

"Bene." I whisper, cutting him off, and then I shake my head slightly to clear it. "Sorry, that means 'okay.'"

"Yeah?" I nod and he grins. "Okay perfect!" His giddiness makes me laugh and he pulls me impossibly closer to him. "Perfect." He whispers and I smile, snuggling my face into his chest.

We lay like that for a while, and he runs his fingers through my fiery hair until my eyes close and I let myself fall asleep to the sound of his breathing.

🔥 🔥 🔥

"Azari!" A high-pitched shout echoes down the hallway and into my room. "He's here!"

"Thanks, Jupiter!" Jasmin calls back, making me flinch. "Sorry." She mutters to me, pulling out a tiny cylinder from a drawer in my bathroom I've never used.

"What is that?" I ask cautiously.

Jasmin chuckles a little, "Mascara. It's for your eyelashes to make your eyes stand out."

I give her a weird look, leaning my body away from her and the mirror we are standing in front of. "Why?"

She shakes her head with a smile. "Just because. It helps bring out the natural beauty you have without overdoing it."

I narrow my eyes, "Yeah, but why? I mean I think I'm fine how I am."

"I like your confidence in yourself, Azari, but trust me on this one. You'll like it."

I relax slightly, standing straight again. "Okay. . . But you do it, I'm not so sure about this."

She giggles and gently grabs my chin and angles my head towards her. "Okay, look straight ahead and blink slowly."

I did as she told me to until suddenly there was a tiny black stick coming at my eye. I flinched out of her grip in horror.

Jasmin sighs. "It's okay, Azari, I won't poke you in the eye. Just hold still."

I groan but oblige, blinking slowly as she draws the tiny wand of paint-like substance over my eyelashes. It takes a lot for me not to flinch away; it feels so strange!

"Azari!" Jupiter calls again.

"Almost done," Jasmin tells me. "This is the last thing we need." After another minute or two, she screws the wand back into the cylinder thing and claps her hands together with a wide smile. "You're so beautiful!"

I return the smile and glance in the mirror. My mouth drops open slightly. "Woah." I whisper. "I look different, but yet the same and my brain can't figure it out!"

Jasmin laughs. "That's makeup for you!"

I lean close to the mirror to examine my eyelashes. Instead of the reddish-blonde they were before, they are now a striking black, making them look long and full. And my eyes look so vibrantly green because of them, it's crazy!

Jasmin hugs me and smiles at me through the mirror. "You're welcome!" She giggles, "I've always wanted to do this for someone, but I haven't had a daughter until now!"

I freeze slightly at her words, but then an overwhelming warmth fills me completely. She thinks of me like a daughter! I smile at the thought. If my mother is truly gone, I know I'll always have Jasmin there for me.