© Copyright 2011
All work is property of Leah Crichton, any duplication or reproduction of all or part of the work without explicit permission by the author is illegal.

Corollary: (kawr-uh-ler-ee)

an immediate consequence or easily drawn conclusion

a natural consequence or result

I was still trembling when he wrapped his arms around me. “You’re okay,” he whispered and kissed my forehead. “It’s okay.”

“I can’t ever see him again, Orion. I can’t do that again. Ever.”

“I know, but he’s gone.”

“He’s only gone temporarily. He’ll be back. He even suggested a trip to the island this weekend.”

Orion pushed my shoulders back and his eyes fixed on my neck. He saw the chain and wrapped his index finger around it. He tugged it gently, but even when Orion was being tender he had abnormal strength. The links on the small chain didn’t stand a chance. I could feel the necklace break and fall into his hand. He looked at it. “He gave you an angel?” He asked, shocked. I don’t know why Damien’s boorish offering surprised him.

“Yes.”

“He’s ignorant,” he said, walking over to the nearest trashcan, intent on throwing it away.

“Don’t.” I held my hand up in protest. “What if he comes back and expects to see it?”

Orion’s mood had changed. He was angry. “He won’t be seeing you again, Ireland.  If he comes near you, his face will be so swollen he’s not going to be able to see it anyway.”

I wasn’t a fan of Orion’s temper, so I tried to change the subject. “In the cafeteria, you almost wrecked the whole thing. I was sure I was going to burst out laughing when you gave him the finger.” The image recall I had of Orion doing this made me smile.

“You liked that, did you?” 

“Very much.”

“I’m glad I can make you laugh. It’s the least I could do.” He seemed distracted from being mad about the necklace and for that, I was grateful.

“You do more than that for me. It’s one of your many redeeming qualities.”

“Uh huh, well, I’m glad I still have some. You know, my occupation kind of puts a damper on any desirable traits I may have.”

“Everyone has flaws. Yours is just…a big one.”

He found this amusing. “Yeah, I suppose it is.” He grabbed my hand. “Walk with me?”

***

Now that Damien had come and gone, I was able to relax. I just wished he was gone for good. I wanted him to disappear like a cloud of smoke, to erase him and stay on this plane of existence forever.

Luke picked me up after school. The paranoia from this morning had vanished. The thoughts that Damien was waiting to pounce were gone. I felt like I had been convincing enough today that he wouldn’t suddenly be stalking me. Regardless, it had been determined that my brother would come and drive me every day, just in case. Orion would meet us at our destination. It was like having my own personal bodyguard. As I got into the Civic, Luke looked at me. “So?”

“Damien showed up.”

“And?”

“And nothing. I don’t think he knows anything.”

“This is all so stupid, I.Q., the whole mess. You need to decide. No one will be angry with you no matter what you choose.” Luke had changed his tune. Either that or he was trying to get in my good graces again after the whole outburst the day before.

“I’m trying, Luke. I really am, but it is so hard. I love Dad. I don’t know what would be worse to him: to have me leave, or to be stuck for the rest of his life catering to me.”

“I can’t answer that for you. I suppose it comes down to how you feel.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re about as useful as a paper hanger, Luke. I feel terrible. I don’t want to hurt anyone and it doesn’t matter what I do, someone is going to get hurt. I love Dad, but I love Orion, too.”

“He’s the one that did this to you.”

“I don’t expect you to understand. All I know is I’ve never felt this way before.”

“I do understand.” Luke looked at my sympathetically. “I understand completely.”

“What was it like?”

“That is why I understand more than you know. I mean, you met Helena.” His face turned red at the mention of it. “She makes me feel exactly the same things you feel when you’re with him. She’s perfect, I.Q. She’s funny and smart and beautiful, and she wants to be with me. She wants to be with me. Can you believe that?”

“Of course I can, Luke. You’re great. I’ve been telling you that for a long time.”

He rolled his eyes and looked at me. “When your sister is telling you, it doesn’t count. It’s like your mom telling you how cute you are. Anyway, it was good, it was peaceful. Don’t let being afraid hinder your decision. I can’t really put it into words. She took me there, and I’ve seen it, the other side. It’s perfect, more perfect than anything you can imagine here. So I understand you, believe it or not. She’s there, waiting for me to come back, but I couldn’t leave you alone.”

“Then why don’t you like him, if you know how he makes me feel?”

“Because he shouldn’t have done this to you. It wasn’t for him to decide to give you a choice. He should have just done it. You’d be together now, regardless.”

“I love him, Luke. I feel like I can’t breathe when he isn’t near me, and when he is, there is no such thing as time. It just passes. It’s infinite. I don’t want to be away from him, ever. When I am I’m on edge. I can’t wait to see him again.”

Luke looked at me, a gentle expression on his face. “Shouldn’t that be your decision, then, I.Q.? Listen, we both know I’m not a fan. But he’s definitely a better choice for you than the scum he brought with him, and you’re my baby sister. Mom’s right, it was selfish of me to suggest that you stay for Dad. You wouldn’t have any sort of a life. To make you feel guilty about it is as selfish as Orion was to do this to you in the first place. And I’m sorry.”

“What about Dad?” 

“Dad is stronger than any of us are giving him credit for. Besides, like your friend said, it’s only a matter of time before all of us are together again. You need to do what is right for you and no one else.”

Luke was right; I loved my Dad, but if I stayed it would only be a punishment to him. Every day would be a grueling reminder of what happened. Without me, he would move on.

There didn’t seem to be much of a choice.

Orion’s Audi was never outside my house anymore. I knew he was there though, because I could feel him. I wondered if we were forever connected. When we got inside, Orion was waiting for me.

Luke threw his keys down. “You should talk to him, I.Q.,” he said quietly. “Tell him what you’re feeling. It’ll be okay.”

My hand stretched to grab Orion’s. “Come with me. There’s something I need to tell you.”

Without a word, he followed me upstairs to my room. I shut the door and turned to face him. “I’ve made my choice.”

Fear that this was our goodbye flashed in his eyes. I rushed to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I love you. I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love anybody or anything. I can’t bear the thought of saying goodbye. I won’t.”

I could tell he wanted to smile, but he refrained. A look of intense relief crossed his face. “Are you sure?” His voice was husky. “You need to be sure.”

“I’m sure. I’ve never been so sure of anything. I can’t breathe when you aren’t here. I can’t sleep without dreaming of you. I have never felt this way before and I never will again. I love you. I can’t live without you.” Exactly the opposite was true, but the words rushed out of me with ease. As I said them, my shoulders got lighter and lighter.

Orion grabbed my face in his hands and rested his forehead against mine. “You know I feel the same, right? You know that since I saw you, there hasn’t been a minute I haven’t thought about you, wanted you.”

I knew.

I started to cry.

Orion pulled back and looked at me. “Why are you crying?”

“I’m crying because I’m happy.” This revelation was shocking, even to me. I had shed so many tears already, yet these were the first that stemmed from something other than despair.

His thumbs wiped the moisture from my eyes away. “Everything is going to be okay. Don’t cry.” 

The stress of everything dissolved, like each tear took a burden with it. For the first time in what seemed like forever, I felt complete, satisfied with my decision.

“Will you do one more thing for me?” Orion asked.

“Anything.”

“Just sleep on this one more night. I would never forgive myself if this was a decision made in haste, and you hated me for it.”

“I could never hate you.”

“I just want you to be one hundred percent sure. Besides,” he said with a smile, “one more night in your bed is fine by me.” He brushed his hand through my hair. “You should probably tell Luke and your mom.”

Together we went downstairs to confirm what Luke already knew and tell my mom exactly what she wanted to hear. She was happy for the sacrifice, for the only man she loved to have a chance at life, which was exactly what he deserved. “Mom, will Dad be okay?”

“He’s going to be fine, Ireland. I know it. Life is short, anyhow. We’re going to see him soon.” She smiled thinking about my dad, and I hoped I looked the same way when I spoke of Orion.

Luke was quiet, but after our conversation today in the car, I knew he was okay with things. He walked up to Orion and offered his hand. Orion, hesitated, but took it nevertheless. “Listen, man,” Luke said. “I’m sorry I was horrible to you. I know you love her.”

Orion nodded. “It’s okay, you love her too. I understand.”

I loved them all.

Right now I wanted to be alone with Orion. I spent the rest of the evening antsy. I had so many questions about so many more things. Once it was dark, Orion lay in my bed. I crawled in next to him, wondering if after today it would still be like this. “Hi,” I whispered, forcing my body as close to his as possible.

“Hey, beautiful,” he murmured. “You still doing okay?”

“I’ve never been better,” I told him. “A little nervous.”

“What are you nervous about?”

“Tomorrow. What is it going to be like?”

He smiled thoughtfully. “Hmm, what can I compare it to?” He rolled over on his side and kissed my neck. “You like it when I do this, right?”

I shivered, “Um hmm.”

“And this?” he asked. He ran his finger softly down my jaw line, my neck, my shoulders.

“Um, yeah.” The jolt of wanting he was giving me was unbelievable.

“This?” He put his lips on mine and bit my bottom one softly. I could tell the corners of his mouth were pulled into a smile.

“Uh, yeah, that does it for me,” I said.

He pulled away. “Well, it’ll be like that, only about a thousand times better, more intense.”

I liked the thought of this. “Do it now,” I told him.

He shook his head. “Nope, we made a deal. One more night.”

“C’mon. That’s hardly fair.”

“What’s not fair?”

“You can’t just tease me like that and give me nothing.”

“I can do whatever I want,” he replied. “I usually do.”

I shoved him playfully. “Hey, you aren’t being very nice.”

“No, you’re being a little bit of a firecracker. Don’t get me wrong, I like it, but after tomorrow we are going to have an eternity together. You should never be in a hurry. Haven’t you learned yet how short life is?”

I sighed. “Alright, but as soon I was wake up, first thing, you’re doing it.”

He smiled. “Fine then, I will. Go to sleep.”

“What? Not even a little goodnight kiss?” I asked him.

He rolled his eyes and gave me the slightest peck on the lips.

“Not good enough,” I told him.

He raised his eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“That was a sad excuse for a goodnight kiss,” I told him. “Make it better.”

 He stood at the edge of the bed and pulled my ankles hard. He placed both of his hands on the bed on either side of my head and bent forward, like he was going to do a push up. He gave me a hard kiss, the most forceful one yet, but when he pulled away I was still breathing. We were still there, so it wasn’t hard enough. "Go to sleep,” he ordered, getting back into bed beside me. “Tomorrow is going to be big.”

I supposed he was right. Orion, after all, was really larger than life.