Come into the Water

chapter eighteen

"What the fuck is going on right now?" I asked.

Once Rafael helped me drag Mateo to the couch, all that come out of his mouth were countless apologies and not a single explanation. There was no human explanation for what had just happened. Samael's eyes black as night? Mateo convulsing until he fell to the floor? No human explanation whatsoever. And my roommates hadn't bothered to give me any sort of explanation either. In fact, they hadn't even said a word to me. But they never took their eyes off me-or should I say Mateo's head in my lap.

"I should get going," Samael said, standing up. I glared at him as he began to leave. He wasn't offering me an explanation either. Was this some sick joke? He turned to me with a smirk. "I'll see you at work tomorrow?"

He didn't await an answer, leaving me and everyone in the room. I wanted to swear at him, but I wasn't going to beg him to stay at all. He was leaving it to everyone else to explain to me, but I didn't think they were going to say anything. I had an odd feeling that even Lila was in on it, which hurt the most.

"Why the hell are your roommates in my apartment?" She asked me, her eyebrows furrowed in perplexity. On second thought, she clearly had no idea. She looked completely freaked out and genuinely freaked out at that. Lila had never been a good liar for all the years I had known her. So I knew that her confusion was at least genuine. Her eyes moved to Rafael. He looked away, seeming unsure of what lie he wanted to say. I rolled my eyes at him. Why couldn't any of them just be honest?

"I'm trying to figure that out too," I said, my gaze hard on Aries. Considering Silas had looked away, Aries was my best bet. Silas could hide his emotions well, Aries couldn't. If I pissed Aries off enough, he would start talking. "Are you going to tell me how you know Rafael? And my boss?"

There was no way in hell that my life was this full circle. It may have been a coincidence that Jasmine and Silas were related. There had been genuine shock when they both saw one another in our apartment. Hell, even Aries had looked thrown off when he saw her. But there was no way, no way that not only my roommates knew Rafael, but my boss knew Rafael. And if my boss knew Rafael, he knew my roommates. I lived in New York City, not a small town in Kansas. Things like that just didn't happen. And I would be stupid if I thought it did.

"No," he said, his voice vacant of emotion. It almost seemed deeper, sinister even. His green eyes were focused on me, his eyebrows low, and lips in a straight line. His anger was clear, present as he spoke with his head slightly bowed. But I didn't understand why he was pissed when he had been the one hiding things from me. I had all the right to be pissed, he didn't. Barely any words had been exchanged between us and I was trying not to lose my temper. If the conversation was going to continue going like this, I knew it wasn't going to end well. Someone would end up screaming and I had a feeling it would be me and Aries.

I stood up, laying Mateo's head gently on the couch. I sent him a sympathetic look that he clearly didn't receive in his passed out state. I knew he was going to be fine because he was breathing at least. But that was the bare minimum. I needed tor him to wake up.

Aries kept his eyes trained on me as I walked over to him. He kept the same hard look on his face as I approached him. With every step that I took and got closer, I could feel the tension radiating between us stronger and stronger. I clenched my jaw, unable to hide my emotion. I didn't want my emotions to get the best of me but I was pissed, scared for Mateo's wellbeing, and wanted answers.

"How do you know Rafael, Aries?" I asked, crossing my arms firmly over my chest.

I was standing in front of him in a poor attempt to intimidate him. But I could do anything I put my mind to. Since he was sitting on the couch, I was taller than him in this scenario. But if he stood up, he would take all the control once again.