Chapter 25
“Are you focusing on your face and how it would look without the purple?” Samson asked standing directly in front of her.
They hadn’t moved from their position in front of the couch for over an hour.
Samson gave tips on how Esmie could change her appearance with her telekinesis power. It was completely unsuccessful so far.
“My eyes are closed for a reason, just like you ordered me to do.” Esmie’s snide remark was met with a chuckle. The patience of this man was incredible.
“I didn’t order you to. It was a suggestion to help you focus on what you want to see.”
“It was a suggestion…” Esmie mimicked, still with her eyes closed. A warm hand brushed her wavy curls off of her forehead, then trailed down her cheek.
“Concentrate,” he said his voice low and husky.
Esmie bit her lip. It was difficult to concentrate when his presence sent tingles up her spine, her mind flashed images of him kissing her on the lips instead of the cheek.
Maybe she could find other ways to make him touch her.
She pursed her lips. No, she needed to focus on the task at hand and not her raging hormones.
Before she could lose her focus again, she scrunched her eyes to shut tighter, hoping that would block out any light or thought of anything other than her face.
She pictured her face, automatically seeing the purple slash taking up the area around her eyes.
Brow furrowed, she pretended as if she had an eraser, moving in concentric motions to remove the purple from the edges of her eyes first. Then she worked inward, until everything was removed.
She smiled when she was done, popping her eyes open to see Samson’s reaction.
Unfortunately, Samson wasn’t looking at her.
His eyes were fixed behind her toward the kitchen, his hands stretched out similar to what she did when she used her powers.
Esmie huffed, turning to see what he was looking at.
Every drawer and cabinet was open. Plates, silver wear, cups, and miscellaneous items floated around in the air, making concentric loops.
Even the dining table and chairs floated in the air, bumping into each other.
Esmie’s mouth dropped open. Was she doing that?
The items slowed their movement, shivering in the air.
She was definitely controlling them, and they were about to fall!
Esmie shot out her hand, capturing them before they crashed to the floor.
Carefully she put them back, placing each item in its specific spot, closing each drawer and cabinet then gently set down the dining table and chairs.
She flopped onto the couch, glancing up at Samson who watched her with wide eyes.
“Did I at least get the purple off my face?” Samson shook his head. Esmie folded her arms. “Drat.”
“What were you imagining?”
“I envisioned an eraser removing the purple from my face,” Esmie sighed. “Why were you holding your hands out?”
“Just a natural reaction, I guess. But what you said you were envisioning explains the concentric circles. Incredible.” Samson murmured, sitting next to her, their knees and arms touching.
Esmie knew she should scoot over but her body didn’t want to move away from his warmth.
Instead, she cuddled up closer and lay her head on his shoulder.
Samson wrapped an arm around her. Bold move Esmie, bold move. Mindy would be proud.
Thinking of Mindy and Tessa, brought Esmie back to their last conversation.
They had reached out several times with the latest Brookshire State University gossip.
Several events were cancelled due to the lockdowns when Tyler was murdered.
The news outlets hadn’t officially called it a murder, but everyone else was.
Everyone in Andloor, including Las Afueras, weren’t allowed to speculate about the killing.
The police were doing their job to investigate and that was final.
No one else needed to interject their thoughts.
Once people calmed down from the initial shock, the University allowed events again but under a gag order of not speaking about what had transpired, otherwise they would close down the event.
Mindy and Tessa refused to discuss anything regarding the case, including any speculations about Genetronetics.
Eventually, Esmie dropped it, and they talked about schoolwork, teachers, and regular life.
Mindy begged Esmie to come with them to a new food spot, featuring noodles and soups fused with some type of pierogi.
When she asked if it was Korean mixed with Polish, Mindy shut her down with, “You know there’s no cultural foods anymore.
Everything is one now.” Esmie bristled. Honestly, she preferred the cultural aspects of foods.
It tasted better and more authentic. This watered down, fused version was bland, lacking flavor because it lacked the culture.
When people take pride in the recipes passed down for generations, as part of their roots, one could taste history in the food.
Removing the very essence of these foods, took away from what made it taste magical.
Mindy and Tessa continued talking while Esmie allowed the conversation to take its course without her.
She excused herself, with a vague “I’ll try to come,” but knew she wouldn’t.
Their paths were diverging. She had felt the pull months ago but couldn’t put her finger on it or didn’t want to see the truth for what it was.
Friends growing apart. They watched it happen to others and swore it wouldn’t happen to them, but sometimes Elohim sends you down a different path where those who were with you before can’t go.
Her heart squeezed at the thought of drifting away from her best friends since childhood.
They were a part of so many memories. Yet, even now, she knew after everything that had transpired over the past week, she could never go back to the way her life was.
How could one simple mistake lead her down such a crazy path of consequences?
Looking back, had Esmie would have known going out to see her favorite band would lead her to this place, she might have stayed home.
Yet, while this path she was on was far different than what she planned, it still was a path her mother hadn’t planned on, which ironically, was freeing.
Though, who knew taking a drug, getting superpowers, and having to go into hiding because of them would make her feel this way?
But the more Esmie thought of it, the freer she felt.
The purple mask on her face could go away, for sure, but the powers were something she wasn’t ready to get rid of yet. Esmie stared at her hands.
“You hold great power within you, Esmie. I believe a power like that, adjusts to the person within. Your natural gifts and abilities guide it either to go awry, or to strengthen for good. Yours is for good, I can just sense it.” Samson rested his chin on the top of Esmie’s head as if reading her thoughts.
“Sounds like something your mother would say,” Esmie responded, hoping he would take the bait.
Samson chuckled, the deep rumble of his chest made Esmie close her eyes in delight. She never wanted to uncurl from his side. “It would be. If she studied powers. Her gifts were making things grow and cooking.”
“Sounds like a marvelous gift. What was her name?”
“Maya.”
“Maya what?”
“Maya Arce.”
Esmie sat up, gazing at his face. Samson’s dark eyes burned into hers. She gulped, willing the saliva to return to her mouth as she was sure he hadn’t told anyone else this bit of information. “Is Arce your last name too?”
“Yes. Why do you want to know?”
“Just curious.” Esmie shrugged, then nestled back onto Samson’s shoulder, his body rigid now. She sighed. “If she were alive, I wonder if she would prefer, I call her Maya or Mrs. Arce.”
Instantly Samson’s body relaxed. He wove his fingers into hers.
“Mom. That’s what she would have preferred.
” Esmie jolted up, to see if Samson was serious.
He held tight to her hand, then winked at her.
Her stomach twisted into knots. Mrs. Esmie Arce didn’t sound so bad. Maybe Mrs. Esmie Arce-Morales?
Wait, what was she thinking? She hardly knew this man, had just found out his last name, and was already envisioning her married name with him. If this wasn’t a desperate pick-me type of stuff, she didn’t know what was.
“I know she would have liked you. Which is why, even with everything going on, I think we could maybe—possibly—explore a relationship.” The hopeful look in his eyes melted her insides.
Her lips parted as a little gasp escaped.
Could it be possible? Her mind told her absolutely not, but the same hope that shone in Samson’s eye, blossomed in her heart.
The idea took hold, exciting her. Her heart thudded and a smile danced on her lips.
There was so much she wanted to say and yet the words fled from her tongue, which licked her lips.
Samson’s gaze moved to her mouth. Esmie’s insides warmed.
She wasn’t going to pass up on a kiss now and it wouldn’t be on the cheek!
Samson leaned in. Esmie’s breath rasped in anticipation of his full lips on hers.
Heavy footsteps in the hall grabbed her from the moment. Her sensitive hearing could tell it was her brother’s. His steps were staccatoed. He was excited about something or agitated. Either way, he couldn’t find them sitting like this.
“Leo’s coming,” Esmie said at the same time Samson released her hand and scooted over.
The move stung for a moment, but they were on the same wavelength about Leo catching them.
Her brother couldn’t know that his best friend and little sister were crushing on each other.
She mimicked Samson’s movement, feeling a crevice grow between the closeness they had just experienced.
Was it just her imagination that the words hardly left her mouth when Samson moved?
Almost as if he anticipated what she would say or could hear Leo himself.
But that couldn’t be, because he didn’t have powers.
Confusion and frustration seized her but she didn’t have time to dwell on it before Leo burst through the door.
They turned to see his face red with exertion.
He dropped his work bag, wincing at the thud.
“Guys, we are in deep crap.”