Frost and Flames [GxG]

Chapter 17

Neve's POV

We now know how each other feels. It's a wonderful feeling, being so sure of your emotions being reciprocated.

After our successful training session, Ember and I go upstairs. It's her night to cook, and I am her assistant.

"Neve is at your service sir," I say in a posh voice, bowing in a dramatic fashion.

Ember just laughs at me, our new bond strengthening with every interaction. "Please just cut up some veggies and shut up." I feel comfortable with her teasing now that we know we don't really hate each other. In the past, I was worried that her teasing was mean spirited and meant to hurt. It's how she shows she cares and I accept it. "Focus on your power and hold it back. Try not to freeze our vegetables."

Rolling my eyes, I grab a sharp knife and start cutting up the peppers and onions. Ember is making a stir fry for us, standing at the stove, manning the meat.

As I'm cutting the onions, tears start to fall from my eyes. "Damn, onions," I mutter, annoyed at the fact that I'm crying for no reason.

Going to wipe away the tears, Ember pauses what she is doing, walking over to me. Her hand lifts to my face, her touch surprisingly gentle. "Here, let me." With one lingering swipe, the last tears are gone, and tingles are left in their wake.

Every touch from Ember makes me crave more, leaving me scrambling to come back to reality.

Two pairs of footsteps enter the room, and Mark looks between us with a grin. "Finally, I didn't know it would take so long."

Ally ignores him, walking over to the stove to keep the food from burning, Ember having been distracted. By me.

"Maybe Ember is the one we need to worry about burning the house down," Ally jokes, smiling at us.

Ember ignores them both, pushing Ally out of the way of the stove with her body, and gets back to cooking our dinner.

I busied myself with eating to avoid the invasive questions Mark was asking. "When did this happen? How? Why? Are you two girlfriends now? Are you hooking up?"

With that last question, Ember cuts him off from asking any more. "It's in the early stages and we are leaving it at that. No more questions or you are on dish washing duty."

That shuts Mark right up. He zips his lips closed and throws away the key, causing me to laugh. I haven't seen that since I was a kid. The action brings back nostalgic but sad thoughts about my family. Do they miss me as much as I miss them? Do they regret kicking me out? Do they feel any remorse for their actions?

Ember reaches across the table and grabs my hand, soothing me. I'm glad I have her now, living life alone was more exhausting than you might think.

I never had anyone to talk about my problems to. No one to drive the loneliness away, or to comfort me when I'm sad. Back in my little box, I was living life by going through the motions, never truly living. It wasn't until I met Ember that I had a reason to live, to keep going.

The only thing that used to drive me was the thought that maybe one day, I would have a family again. And now I have it.

Ember, Mark, and Ally are all a part of my family, they welcomed me with open arms. They saved me from my life on the streets, starving and never experiencing what life had to offer.

But now, I may be finding what it means to truly live. No one knows the meaning of life, as it is different for every person. Maybe, just maybe, I've found my meaning.