Chapter 19

**Harper**

I placed myself in the middle of his bed with my legs folded under me and my wings relaxed to the sides, and he resumed his pacing from downstairs along the bottom of his bed. He was panicked, and I didn't know how to help him, I just wanted what was best for him. I hadn't thought inviting his father to dinner would have made him this upset. It was what was best for him, but that didn't mean he would like it. He had every right to throw a fit, but if he tried to back out I was going to step in. Letting him talk it out was the best way to ensure that he followed through with this. He needed it, sailing was dangerous especially if he was untrained. He was walking hazard his mind could become tangled with someone who was stronger than him. I couldn't save him from that and I think that's what scared me the most. Not being able to protect him from a threat we couldn't see.

"He just left her Harper, didn't come home one day. We found them when we were in the store with Vivian...it destroyed my mom. I thought she was going to take her life, she was depressed. And to let him just walk back in and sit at the table is a slap in the face to everything she has gone through. Everything he touches is--" He stopped speaking and started pacing again. And I thought about Callie's face when I had mentioned Michael coming to dinner. I knew the look because I was sure it was the same look on my face when I thought about Gabriel during our break. As much as he might want to deny it, I knew the truth. It was time for him to face it as well.

"She still loves him you know.." Gabriel snapped his head to me and I picked at his blanket. Invisible lint. There was a bit of anger in his face, maybe even a little bit of fear. He didn't want his mom to get hurt again, that was understandable. I think I would kill someone for hurting Callie. But we couldn't fight this battle for her. She had to do it.

"He ripped her heart out and threw it on the ground Harper." I kept my mouth shut because his tone was biting. He has been there when his father left he helped his mom to pick up the pieces. I can understand that it would be hard to let him just walk back into their lives with a welcome. But I wanted Gabriel protected and right now Michael was the only person we knew that would be able to give him the training he needed.

"I understand that I wasn't there but I can see it on her face, it hurts still because she still loves him. She can't help it, the same way we couldn't help it." He came over to the end of the bed. He crawled up the mattress and I flattened my wings to my back and laid back against the pillow. He came up to my stomach resting his head against it. He laid his wings out over the edges of the bed, covering my legs completely. I ran my fingers through his hair that strands were warm and soft, and he was trembling. Anger? Anxious? I couldn't really tell. But I didn't like that he was upset, I didn't want to upset him. I wanted him to see if from my point of view.

"Think of it as training, don't think of it as anything else, right now he is the only person we know that will be able to teach you. And I need you to learn to be strong because I cannot protect your mind, Gabriel. It scares me that you might encounter a mind that will be able to trap you within it. I can't save you from that and it terrifies me." He picked his head up and his green eyes starting to mine.

"You will be the cause of my gray hairs when I'm 23." I smiled softly at him, trying to help him calm himself.

"It will do no good to let yourself get upset and worked up before he gets here." He flopped his head back down against my stomached and I grunted.

"Besides, I think you would like sexy with some gray hairs." He chuckled and cuddled closer to me. I enjoyed how close he was and how relaxed he was. He was my safe place when he was upset or angry it made me feel unsteady.

"I can give you privacy with him and your mom after dinner if you want..." He shook his head and held me a little tighter. Like I was going to hop up off the bed, out from under him, and just run away. It made me frown, I would never just abandon him.

"Stay with me, don't let leave me with him." He sounded like the little boy who's father never came home. Which is actually pretty accurate, he craved his father's attention, but he learned to live without it and now he doesn't want to admit that he ever wanted it in the first place.

"I would never leave you." The beast turned over in her cage, I would stand between anything that meant Gabriel harm. No matter what, we would be here with him. But that kind of emotion wasn't meant for right now. Right now we were resting.

No. We had to train, to work. To get better. And Gabriel's mind smothered the voice, hushing it into nothing more than a soft murmur instead of a stream. And he started to lightly twitch, he was asleep. He did this when as he fell asleep? He fell asleep quieting my mind so I could do the same. Naps could change your whole outlook on life.

(Gabriel)

I woke with the world hottest pillow, I was confused at first. I picked my head up and blinked to clear the fog in my vision. Harper was passed out under me. A soft knock on the door caught my attention.

"Come in." I moved off of Harper carefully, she rolled over with her back facing the door. I rested a hand on her hip and she wiggled back against my hand. I smiled and checked her mind, she was still deeply asleep. My mom walked into the room and she was a little dressed up and I really looked at her face. Although I shouldn't have I peeked at her mind, and she was excited to see my father again, she was happy he had agreed to come. She was still in love with him, I didn't want to accept it when Harper had said it earlier only she wasn't hopelessly in love, there was a different emotion mixed with it. She loved him still, that was undeniable, but there was also a kind of acceptance that he wasn't hers to hold anymore. I stood off the bed and wrapped my mother in a hug. She was startled at first, then returned my hug.

"Your father will be here in 20 minutes, I figured you would want to get ready." I nodded and she looked over my shoulder at Harper with one raised eyebrow.

"I know, separate bedrooms mom, we didn't mean to fall asleep. She was trying to convince me that it was a good thing to learn from dad and we fell asleep."

"Be respectful of my rules and our home Gabriel. She is a good girl, but there are limits." I nodded and she walked out of the room. I sat down on the edge of the bed again and ran a hand over her long hair. Her long hair stuck between a blonde and a light brown, held so many shades of each color it seemed impossible. The feel of it between my fingers was like silk. It was hard to wake her. She has been struggling so much with sleeping lately she needed everything she got. But I needed her for this, I had to have her.

"I'm coming ..." Her voice was sleep-filled, but her eyes were warm when they met mine.

"How did you know?" I smiled at her, trying to understand.

"You reach for my mind when you aren't minding it, I can feel you." And I looked at her confused. My mind had walls, I was taught that from a young age. My mind didn't wander.

"What?" I blinked trying to rethink what she had said to me.

"When you aren't paying attention, I can feel your mind." She sat up on her elbows and I looked towards the door.

"I have walls built so no one can come in even when I'm not thinking about them..." And her soft smile faltered into fear.

"What?" I stood off the bed and held my hand out to her.

"Good thing there is a professional coming in the next 15 minutes." She put her hand in mine, and I helped her stand.

"My father will be here soon, I don't know if you wanted to change or settle in."

"You don't think that--" I put my forehead against hers.

"It doesn't matter what comes of it, we are together. That's all that matters." She nodded and walked to the door of my bedroom. I sat down on the bed and my mind was running wild. She felt my mind even when my walls were up? How was that possible?

Was she a sailor as well? She is an angel...there is no way, that's a demon trait.

**Harper**

I had a sinking stone in my stomach, it felt like there was a weight on my chest. He had walls? That means I shouldn't be able to feel his mind when he didn't want me to, and that means there was something wrong with me. I felt a little sick to my stomach. What did this mean? I sat on the bed with my head spinning in circles.

"Overthinking won't make it better," I spoke lowly to myself, and I went about getting a brush through my hair and staring at myself in the mirror. Trying to notice any difference, the same cloudy blue eyes stared back at me, framed with thick lashes and clear sun-kissed skin. My hair was getting overgrown, hanging almost down to my waist. It was thick and difficult to manage. The brown/blonde strands made it appear dingy to me like it wasn't sure what shade it wanted to be. I had a shine of hidden anger in my eyes and strength.

"Are you ready?" Gabe called through the main room door. I turned away from the mirror and walked through the room that I was coming to think of as my own. I walked out and Gabe was on edge, I could feel it. And without meaning to I compensated for that, I walked out ahead of him, blocking him from view with my own body. His hand touched my wrist and I stopped at the top of the stairs. He moved around me and I felt on edge. I wrapped my arms over his shoulders when he stepped down a single step. He stopped moving, and I leaned against him lightly.

"I'm here Gabriel, you aren't facing him alone this time." He took a deep breath in and I released him to move down the rest of the stairs. We walked into the dining room and Callie was in a flurry. She was trying to do four things at once, and my heart went out to her. I walked over removing the plates from her hands putting them on the table, removing the silverware from her arm laying them out. She turned to go into the kitchen, Gabriel moved after her. Helping her to carry in the food from the kitchen. Kayla was tugging at her ponytails. I sunk down next to her chair and she looked at me.

"They are too tight." I stood behind her and retired her hair a little looser.

"Listen if you are a good girl, and you eat all your food and listen to your mom. I will take you for a night fly." Her eyes got extra round and I smiled, putting my finger to my lips.

"But you have to be really good." She nodded and settled into her chair like a little lady. Gabriel came out and he paused. He didn't know where to sit it wasn't right for his father to sit at the head of the table anymore, but he didn't know if it was right for him to sit there. I smiled at him and nodded. He was the man of the house, so to speak. He looked down to the other end and his mom smiled at him. I sat on his right and he took a deep breath. He reached a hand out to me and I held it on top of the table.

"It's going to be fine." He nodded, and a knock on the door sounded and I guess it'showtime.