Sofia: Phoenix Rising - Fire and Water Book 2
Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

I walk across my kitchen floor frustrated. Why would anyone suggest that I would hurt Ashley’s mom? Since Ash isn’t in the kitchen with me at the moment, I grab my phone from off the kitchen table and send Blake a message.

Hey Blake, did you hear Ashley tried to hurt me earlier? For some strange reason she is under the impression that I caused injury to her mother, so she was trying to get back at me. Do you know why she would have this thought? I have never met her mother and I don’t care enough about Ashley to want to hurt her let alone her family. Write me back!

Continuing my pacing, I stare at my phone screen waiting for a response from him. “Hey babe, you need to stop stressing. We will figure out what’s going on, I promise.” Ash tells me this as he walks back into the kitchen. I whirl around on my foot to look at him because he has taken me by surprise; I wasn’t expecting him to come in just then. Quickly I stick mt phone in my back pocket as he pulls a chair out and sits on it. Walking over to him, I place a kiss upon his head, and he reaches up, takes my arm and pulls me onto his lap.

“Easier said than done, sweetie,” I say in response just before he leans into me, kissing me deeply. “Don’t go kissing my stress away Mr.!” I smile against his lips, and he ignores my words, instead choosing to trail kisses down my neck, along my jaw line, and then back to my lips.

“Hm, I do know of one sure fire way to make you forget about what’s on your mind for the night...” He lets his suggestive words hang in the air for a second and then waggles his eyebrows at me for emphasis.

Quickly I hop off his lap, “you gotta catch me first!” I dash towards the steps as I say this and can hear him get up from the chair right after. Squealing with laughter, I run upstairs with him very close behind me.

Monday morning rolls around way to soon and I replace myself blinking at the light of the sun which is filtering in between the curtains of the window, directly onto my face. I groan a no and try to snuggle back into Ash’s embrace. He, however, isn’t having it. “Come on sleepy head, we have to get ready for school. Get up.”

“Well maybe you shouldn’t have kept me up so late last night,” I say in a snarky voice in response to his words. I mean, I know I kept him up just as late as he kept me up, but I won’t mention that fact. Grumbling, I get out of the bed and scrounge around for clean clothes. Before I can whine about anything more, Ash is dressed and heading downstairs. Hopefully he is reading my mind when I think; I hope he makes coffee while he’s waiting for me to dress. Throwing on a pair of jeans, sneakers and a bra, I walk over to the closet where Ash has been storing his clothes and snagged one of his tee-shirts.

I start to head towards the stairs and then turn on my heel and go back into my bedroom. I forgot to grab my phone. Picking it up, I feel it vibrate meaning that someone had sent a message at some point throughout the night that I hadn’t seen yet. Unlocking the screen, I see I have one unread text message waiting for me. Tapping the text image, I see Blake’s name and a message attached to it.

Sorry Sofia for taking so long to get back to you. I was trying to figure out what you were talking about. I went and confronted Ashley about trying to hurt you and she didn’t deny it. I’m at a loss for words because she promised me, she would leave you alone and then turns around and nearly kills you. I’m so done with her. Unfortunately, though, she won’t tell me who said you were the one behind her mother’s accident. If I hear anything I’ll let you know okay.

I send him a thanks and then go downstairs and into the kitchen where I smell a fresh pot of coffee brewing.

Blake grabs his black duffle bag, steps out onto the front porch of his father’s house, slamming the door behind him. Unbelievable! He thought to himself. I never want to see that witch again. Since my ‘dear’ father won’t make her leave, I will leave! I don’t to be part of his madness anyway. Hopefully I arrive to school early enough that I’ll be able to see how Sofia is before classes start.

Climbing into his big black truck, Blake tosses his bag towards the passenger door and then with a rumble, starts his truck. Placing his hands on the black leather steering wheel, he stares out through the windshield contemplating who he could possibly stay with after school lets out. Letting out a sigh, he tries to shake his thoughts away and then pulls out of the driveway and heads towards the school.

Lori comes up behind me, spins me around and hugs me half to death. “Uh, what was that for?” I look at her baffled.

“What do you mean, ‘what was that for?’ Are you freaking serious? You nearly died by a magic blast for the little hussy!” Lori says exasperated. “Do you know why she tried to hurt you? That chick is mental. Someone really needs to teach that witch a lesson!”

“Dude, chill. I’m perfectly fine. I didn’t get hurt. Look, not a scratch on me. Kestrel is the one who got hurt. The blast blew us forward causing us to face plant the sidewalk and she ended up breaking her arm.” I frown as I say this because I still replace it odd that I didn’t get injured too.

“Wow, that’s just wild. Is she okay now though?” I say she is doing just fine but am unable to say anything more than that because my phone chimes and I pull it from my back pocket to see why Ash would be texting me when I will see him in just a couple of minutes in homeroom.

“Oh, it isn’t Ash who just texted me.” I look from one end of the hallway to the other before I spot Blake waving his arm at me. “Hey Lori, I’ve got to run to the bathroom. I’ll see you in class okay.” She nods her head yeah and then after she leaves me, I head over to where Blake is standing. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Oh, uh nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and this is the only way I knew I’d be able to see you without a bunch of people around.” Blake gives me a lopsided grin as his eyes roll over my body making sure I don’t have any injuries. “I left my dad’s house. He wouldn’t make Ashley leave so I did. I don’t think either of them have even noticed that I’m gone. But whatever, they can have each other for all I care. I never wanted to be a part of his devious plans anyway.”

“But where will you stay,” I ask him shocked.

“I’ll figure something, no biggie.” He shrugs his shoulders like he really doesn’t care but I can see worry in his eyes.

“Why don’t you stay at my house? I’ve got plenty of space. It’s just typically me and Ash there.”

“No, no. I couldn’t impose on you like that. Besides I don’t think Ash would like me to be staying at your house anyway.” Blake chuckles at my offer and I scrunch my nose up at him.

“First off, it’s my house. Secondly, he doesn’t get to say who can and cannot stay there!” So come over after school lets out today, okay?” He raises his hands at me, grinning and backing away from me as though he is surrendering.

“Okay, calm down killer. I won’t argue with you. See you later.” Blake winks which shockingly causes my heart to flutter in my chest and I am astounded at myself for my heart to have reacted in such away! He then walks away from me to his classroom. As he turns a corner, the tardy bell rings. I yell sshhiitt silently to myself and make a mad dash to my homeroom class where I see Ash with eyebrows raised looking at me questioningly as I slip into my chair.

The vibration of my cell phone can be felt from my back pocket, and I try to discretely to remove it so that I can see who has sent me a message.

Uh, where have you been? I have been sitting in here for the last five minutes on the verge of panic and starting to wonder if I needed to go look for you. But I see you’re okay. You could have let me know you were going to be late...

Ducking my head, I glace over to Ash and whisper sorry. My text is just four words, but I know he understands the message.

Tell you at lunch.

Out of the corner of my eye I see him nod yes and then my phone shakes in my hand, a vibration notification indicating another message has been sent to it. Tapping the screen, I see one simple word, but it is enough of a response for now: okay.