Chapter Thirty-Four – Thea
Chapter Thirty-Four
Thea
It was a strange feeling to be offered so much pleasure when I couldn’t return the favor. I tried not to think about it, but it was hard. I felt... useless. I woke up at some point, feeling hungry and not at all rested, but I didn’t move, wanting to enjoy the feel of Taran’s body pressed against mine a bit longer.
I understood what he’d told me about the seed and how it worked, but I still wanted it. Despite the fact that I couldn’t take his cock. I’d seen it and explored it with my hands. It was rough and unyielding. Not flexible at all. There was no part of it that was smooth, not even the tip. Another obstacle added to the long list of things that were stacked against us.
We were soulmates, he loved me, and despite saying he wanted to take it back, he hadn’t, and he couldn’t. It wasn’t something he could take back once it was clear for the both of us. I loved him like I’d never thought I could love someone, and I’d only known him for a few days. Giving up on us tore me apart, but there was no other way. I’d have to pick up the pieces once I was back to my world, and stitch them together, reinvent myself from my own ashes, like a phoenix, and hopefully be a better person.
His leaves shuffled as he leaned over me and kissed my ear.
“You’re awake,” he said.
“Yes.”
“You’ve been awake for a while.”
I smiled. “Why didn’t you call me out sooner?”
“You know why.”
I shifted in his branches, pressing my back closer to his chest.
“So, let’s pretend for five more minutes.”
“It’s getting dark soon, and you haven’t had a proper meal.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. I can hear your stomach rumbling.”
I sighed. “Taran...”
“Thea...”
I turned around and looked him in the eye. “Okay.”
He kissed the tip of my nose. “Okay.”
“What’s the plan?”
“I will take you to the nearest town, where you will have a phone signal. You can call your father, and I’ll wait until he comes to get you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t feel like talking to my dad. I’ll call the chauffeur.”
He nodded, and I finally peeled myself off him and sat up, looking for my dress. It was crumpled and dirty, but it was the only thing I had. I still needed a bath, but I hadn’t been joking about not wanting to wash myself with cold water ever again. My luck was that Taran’s sap smelled fresh, like grass, and it wasn’t too bad in combination with the saltiness of my sweat. I’d live. There were a few dry patches on my skin, and I definitely needed to wash my hands and face, but it was doable.
I got dressed, and Taran helped me to my feet. My ankle was infinitely better. We walked out of the nest hand in hand, and I had to shield my eyes from the sun. It would set soon. For now, it was bright and orange. I went to the stream and made myself look as presentable as I could, then saw my shoes on the other side.
“Do you think you can get those for me?”
Taran stretched his branches and easily recovered them. I put them on, even though I knew he wasn’t going to let me do any walking.
“I’m ready,” I said, smoothing down my skirt and looking up at him.
Before my eyes, he turned into his leshy form, and with his help, I climbed onto his branches. I pressed my cheek to his trunk, underneath where his face was still slightly human, and closed my eyes. As we crossed the oasis into the deserted land that surrounded it, I focused on him and him alone. On the way he moved, his branches swaying lightly along with the long skirt of my wedding dress, on how his leaves rustled and his vines hung elegantly from his crown. I found all these sounds soothing. I committed them to memory, so they would help me sleep at night, when I was alone and sad.
It took an hour for us to get to the edge of the town. Taran set me on my feet and took his human shape, this time trading his roots for feet. I checked my phone, and sure enough, I had a signal.
“Before you make the call,” he said, “I want to confess something.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Okay?”
He pulled a phone out of his leaf pants, and I laughed. He looked sheepish, like he’d done something bad.
“You had a phone all along?”
“It’s not just any kind of phone. It’s my work phone, and it always has a signal.”
I shook my head. “I’m not mad at you, if that’s what you thought would happen.”
“I just wanted you to know. I could’ve let you make a phone call, but I didn’t want anyone to find the oasis. You’re the only one I showed it to.”
“I understand.”
“Plus, I wanted to spend more time with you. If I could steal one more minute...”
I lifted myself on my tiptoes and kissed him briefly. I wanted to spend another minute with him, too. Five more minutes, ten, twenty. But prolonging this wasn’t doing us any favors. I took a step back and called my dad’s chauffeur, then sent him my location. I asked him to come alone, but I knew he had no choice but to tell my father as soon as I hung up. My parents were probably coming, whether I liked it or not.
“They’ll be here in an hour,” I told Taran. “Will you stay with me?”
“Of course. There’s a diner close by.” He looked around. “There.” He pointed at a building that looked decidedly rundown.
I scrunched up my nose. “It’s okay, I can wait.”
He noticed my reaction and laughed. “Sorry. The food is probably bad.” He pulled me in his arms, and I pressed my cheek to his chest. “I’m sorry I can’t give you the life you’re used to. I would do anything to provide for you, but I know it’s not enough. You deserve so much more. You deserve someone who understands your needs. I barely know how humans work.”
“I don’t think that’s our biggest obstacle.”
He buried his face in my hair, and we stayed like that for a long while. The minutes ticked by, and when I checked the time, I realized we had to say goodbye. I didn’t want my parents to see Taran. Knowing them, they would make a scene, and that was the last thing I needed today. Or ever. They were going to unleash the drama even without seeing him. The reaction they’d had to finding out that my brother was into monsters told me everything I needed to know.
“Will you be okay?” Taran asked.
I nodded. “Will you?”
He hung his head, not really giving me a definitive answer. What was there to say? I felt tears stinging my eyes, and I blinked fast to keep them at bay. I didn’t want to break down, because I didn’t want my parents to see me with red, puffy eyes. And I didn’t want to make Taran feel guilty. It wasn’t his fault our relationship never stood a chance.
“Okay, here’s what you’re going to do,” I said gently. “You’ll kiss me one last time, and then you’ll walk away.”
“I’ll watch you from the other side of the highway,” he said.
“Don’t let my parents see you.”
“They won’t.”
“It’s just that we don’t need–”
“I know.”
“–more drama.”
He silenced me with a long finger pressed to my lips. After a moment of looking into my eyes, he leaned in and kissed me. I couldn’t stop one tear from rolling down my cheek.
Then it was over, and he was turning his back to me, walking in the direction of the highway. I watched him become a tree, unrecognizable among the others. A few minutes later, one of my father’s many cars stopped in front of me.
I wanted to wave at Taran, but I couldn’t. My hand turned into a fist that I slowly pressed to my mouth. I bit down on my knuckles.
Goodbye.