Of Darkness (Supernatural Mates Book One)

|010| Knowing You and Knowing Someone Else

|Knowing You and Knowing Someone Else|

     "All right Birdy, point me in the right direction. Where's the attic?" Aspen asked once we were in the hall and out of the sanctity of my bedroom.

     "Aspen put me down. I can walk fine on my own and it'd be easier to show you while on my own two feet."

     "Not a chance. I'll find any excuse to touch you, even if means carrying you everywhere."

     I blushed ferociously. Aspen was so open and honest about everything. I didn't know if he was like that with everyone or if that was just something he did with me. Either way it was refreshing. Not many people could be so honest like that all the time.

     "That honest mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble one day."

     "One day, just not today. Now," He twisted and turned, looking for the right door to enter through. "Which way?"

     I pointed to my left. "The door next to the bathroom."

     Aspen took a few steps forward and wrapped his hand around the doorknob. But when he went to turn it, the door wouldn't budge. "It won't open." He twisted it again and yanked, but it still wouldn't open. "I think it's locked. Do you have a key or something?"

     My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. That was weird. The attic was never locked. Luce and I just went up there the other day to bring down all of our Christmas decorations and it hadn't been locked then. I squirmed in Aspen's arms. "Put me down and let me try."

     Aspen looked doubtful, but did as I asked nonetheless. "Are you sure? 'Cause I'm pretty sure it's locked."

     I shook my head. "That doesn't make any sense. Luce and I were just up there this weekend and it was unlocked."

     I wrapped my hand around the doorknob and pulled, but it still wouldn't open. Now it just felt like a wasted afternoon. Here Aspen was trying to help me get more answers into Mom's sudden death or "disappearance" as Dean liked to put it, and we couldn't even get access to the one place we could indefinitely look for her things.

     I let out a frustrated string of curse words as I continued to pull at the door. At this point my feet were flat against the door as I pulled with both hands on the knob, but the lock still wouldn't let up. I'm sure it looked comical, but neither Aspen nor I found it funny.

     Aspen placed and hand on my shoulder, and with his touch, came a calming sensation through my body. I relaxed and planted my feet on the ground with a defeated sigh. I let go and shook out my hands. I wrapped a hand around the knob again, but this time Aspen put his on top of mine. And for whatever strange, inexplicable reason when we turned the knob together, the door swung open.

     Aspen let out an excited "whoop" of victory, and quickly gathered me in his arms again. Like second nature, I wrapped my legs around his waist as he stepped through the door. As soon as we were both through though, the door slammed shut behind him. I stared at the door in surprise, as did Aspen over his shoulder.

     We looked at each other, and with an uncertain shrug, Aspen said, "I guess we should check it out."

     I nodded, looking at the closed door again. "Yeah." I bit my lip, unsettled by how the door closed on it's own. "Can you just...check to make sure the door isn't locked?"

     He spun around, and a hand left my body as he reached for the door. I heard the door knob jiggle around, but it didn't hear it open. I peeked over my shoulder and saw the frustration etched onto Aspen's face. Looks like the door was locked.