3. Ryan

3

RYAN

H eadlights flashed in front of my eyes and the world spun into an unrecognizable blur. Something squeezed around my waist as I braced for the impact of the car. This was it.

I hit the ground, expecting to feel excruciating pain or euphoria or my consciousness slipping away from me, but there was nothing — nothing except the cold, jagged gravel along the side of the road that dug into my side.

I opened my eyes, ready for the horror to sink in, but all I saw above me was a soft white glow, like an aura surrounding me.

“Am I dead?” I asked.

The aura moved and I realized it was one of Ciel’s wings. “No, you’re not dead,” he said, annoyance biting through his voice. “You’re not even injured. The car missed you by a few inches.”

“But I thought–“

“I moved you out of the way before it hit you.”

He helped me sit up, supporting my back with his hand. I was tempted to push him away, but I quickly realized that I was too shaky to hold my own weight just yet, and I wasn’t quite arrogant enough to pretend that I could.

“Thanks,” I mumbled. “I suppose you really are an angel.”

“Old habits die hard, it seems.” He laughed mirthlessly, his face almost devoid of emotion, except maybe bitterness. “Believe me, it won’t happen again. Consider this your one free pass to cheat death.”

I was about to be indignant, but I caught myself. I was still close enough to the road that Ciel could push me back into it if he really wanted to.

“You’re right, it won’t happen again,” I said. “I’m taking a shortcut through the woods home tonight.”

He glanced up at the sky, lit up only by stars and a sliver of the moon. “At this hour? Be careful.” He hoisted me up and I steadied myself by grabbing his shoulder.

“You’re stronger than I thought an angel would be,” I said.

He smirked. “It seems as though your perception of angels — and everything else in this town — is a little skewed.”

“Maybe, but at least I didn’t get kicked out of Heaven for — wait, what did you do to get yourself exiled?”

Ciel’s gaze hardened, his piercing blue eyes suddenly looking like they could cut through glass with only a stare. “Never mind that.” He stepped away from me, allowing me to find my own footing on the dark, uneven ground.

“Suit yourself.” I shrugged. “I doubt we’ll see each other after this, so thanks again for saving my life, and sorry that the whole date thing didn’t work out. I need to have a good, long talk with that Librarian.”

“You do realize that their success rate is unparalleled.” He watched me critically as I took a few shaky steps away from the road and back into the safety of the library parking lot. “We were matched for a reason, even if it’s a reason that you refuse to recognize.”

I shook my head. “I already told you, I’m not into men and I have absolutely no interest in dating an angel, male or female. Now, I’m going home to get some rest. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime, but hopefully I won’t.”

I began the long walk around the back of the library, where there was a path that led through the woods. It was probably a beautiful walk in the daylight, but with the canopy of trees blocking even a sliver of moonlight, I couldn’t see the beauty now. I made it as far as a little clearing where the leaves carpeted the ground before dropping onto a rotting stump protruding from the ground. I took a deep, shaky breath.

I could barely see a few inches in front of me and I was at least an hour’s walk away from my apartment. There was no way I was making it home tonight, but the last thing I wanted to do was sleep outside and risk dying either of cold exposure or wild animals, both of which sounded equally unpleasant.

I dropped my head into my hands, squeezing my eyes shut tight to block out the world for a few more minutes. This night, one that I’d been so excited for, had turned into the worst disaster of my life. Was it me or was it this place?

A rustling in the trees forced me to open my eyes again, peeking between my fingers. A tall, silvery-white figure loomed over me, watching me silently as I fought back tears.

“Ciel?” I said, my voice muffled by my hands. “What are you doing here?”

“Walking you home,” he sighed. “Come now, stand up and let’s go. I may not feel the cold quite as strongly as you do, but standing in the middle of the woods is far from my idea of an ideal date.”

“It’s not a date,” I protested, standing up and hugging my arms around my chest as a shiver crept up on me.

“No, of course not. How could I be so silly?” he shook his head and pressed his palm against my back, guiding me forward. “No, this isn’t a date. This is merely two strangers helping each other find their way home. Or, rather, one stranger helping some fool of a man pull himself together again.”

“Were you always this self-righteous?” I asked, taking my steps more confidently now that I had the soft glow from Ciel’s body to light up the path.

“Would you expect anything less from an angel of God?” he countered.

“A former angel of God.”

“Yes, former. And yes, I have always been this self-righteous. I find it serves me well when mere humans try to cross me with their inflated egos and grossly overbearing sense of self-importance.”

We walked in silence after that, with me afraid to open my mouth and do the very thing Ciel had just complained about, and with Ciel likely enjoying peace and quiet at last. He was a strange fellow to say the least, but something about him intrigued me in spite of all his flaws — or maybe it was because of those very flaws that I was intrigued. Either way, by the time we reached my apartment building, the last thing I wanted to do was say goodbye.