I mumbled, “I didn’t want you to know, I didn’t want to lose my new friends.”
Marco grunted quietly, shaking his head, “you would never lose me as a friend Maya.”
I pulled back and frowned, “you promise?”
Those green eyes sparkled slightly with darkness. “As long as you promise to tell me the truth.”
I worried my lip and shook my head. “No, I have to protect you guys.”
Marco sat down at the desk and pulled me to sit in front of him. My elevated position made him seem less scary. I was so small compared to him. I imagined I must look funny next to him and Atlas. I was like a tiny mouse next to a lion.I want to be a flippin’ lion.
“I promise you, Maya,” he whispered, running a hand over my jaw, “we can take care of ourselves.”
I shook my head. “What type of friend would I be if I put you in trouble though? I’ll be fine, Marco. I healed already.”
He growled, “so who put the fucking bruises on your neck this morning?”
I paled. “No one.”
“Liar,” he snarled. I flinched and shrunk into the wood desk.
He cursed and sighed. “Please Maya.”
He placed his head on my thigh and I tentatively reached out to run my hands through his silky dark hair. It was such a submissive position, it encouraged me to crawl into his lap. He looked up surprised, but wrapped me up quickly. I found I liked being wrapped up in his arms, it felt comforting and warm. It felt right.
“Maybe soon,” I mumbled my compromise. “I don’t want to lose you guys just yet.”
“Atlas said your back was flogged and bleeding last night,” he said through a strangled voice while pressing his lips to my temple. “Why didn’t you call? How bad was it? I saw the shirt he brought back.”
I swallowed. “I managed to get myself in bed. It’ll be okay, Marco, I promise.”
He shook his head and seemed to mutter the first part, “I’m not letting this go. But until tonight, let’s just talk about your healing.”
I flushed and looked down, “I’m a freak.”
Marco hissed and brought two massive hands under my chin, “healing yourself is in your nature, you are not a freak.”
I shook my head with tears filling my eyes, “my mother said the devil righted my body because I was a sinner.”
A pair of warm hands soothed my back gently. “Honey, it is nothing like that at all. I can heal myself as well. I promise you, your mother is wrong.”
I frowned, tears streaming, as I blinked, “you can heal?”
He nodded slowly. I offered a small sigh of confusion, well that didn’t make sense. Marco wasn’t evil. He was amazing.
“I promise to explain more tonight,” Marco offered in a quiet voice before looking down at his watch, “you need to get your cute butt to class though.”
I nodded, “okay, do you have work today?”
He flashed me a grin. “Why? Want me to stay at school with you?”
My face flamed pink as I stammered, “always nice to have friends around.”
Marco smiled brilliantly. “I wish I could stay, honey. Unfortunately I’m a tad old for high school.”
I pursed my lips thoughtfully and asked, “How old are you?”
He rose a brow with a soft smile. “24.”