Chapter Eleven
At First Sight
Becca stared at Kayde’s handsome features in the dim light of dusk. The calm, quiet evening was a drastic contrast to what she’d just experienced. Kayde’s touch had sent powerful shocks of energy through her body—but the sensation had been peculiarly and amazingly wonderful.
The music never left her heart and mind while she was with Kayde. Though shocked at herself and a little embarrassed at all she’d said to him a while ago, she’d meant every word.
And when he’d drawn closer, touching her face, that was something she wasn’t sure she could even describe. It was like the light of the setting sun had burst into her, chasing away any trace of shadow. The music had accelerated with her quickening heart. Kayde’s voice had hummed in her ear and it was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard. Passion like she’d never known had consumed her; the love she’d experienced had been so powerful, it’d made her head reel.
But Kayde had suddenly pulled away. She stared at him now, still confused and hurt. Had she done something wrong? “What is it, Kayde? What did I do?” Whatever it was, she was suddenly desperate to fix it.
Kayde kept shaking his head, avoiding her eyes. He looked at the horizon, just as she had done minutes before. A blue glow was all that remained of the sunset, and stars blinked awake above them. Finally, he spoke, his voice clear and even. “There are things you don’t know about me, Becca. Things that I’ve done, things I can do. I just--”
He sighed and scratched at the back of his neck, seemingly struggling with his words. Becca approached him, but resisted the powerful urge to touch him. She needed to keep her senses clear now. If she wasn’t mistaken, she was about to get some answers. “Tell me, then. Tell me what you’ve done and what you can do,” she said softly.
Kayde’s voice came out in a strained whisper. “I can’t, Becca. I can’t tell you because I’m afraid you’ll see me differently. You won’t want to be anywhere near me.” He turned to her and she could see in the shadow of his face that his brows were down, but the eyes below them were moist with tears. “And I couldn’t stand it now if you were scared of me, if you left…” His voice broke and he turned away, his form stiffening.
Becca didn’t understand. She couldn’t fathom any reason, no matter how horrible, that would cause her to leave him now. Overwhelmed with emotion, she attempted to lighten the atmosphere. “Unless you’re an axe murderer who ripped apart his family or something, I don’t think you can scare me away,” she laughed nervously.
Kayde kept his back to her, his body rigid. Becca’s smile faded and she gulped. What if he really was an axe murderer? Maybe she should’ve listened to Toby—maybe Kayde was dangerous.
Oddly enough, though, even these thoughts brought no fear to Becca’s heart. Somehow, she knew Kayde wasn’t bad. He couldn’t be. She needed him to be her angel.
Turning so abruptly that Becca jumped, Kayde spoke to her again. “Becca, I have this…ability. All my family has it—it’s inherited. We have this…thing we can do.” Kayde’s face twisted as if he were struggling to find the right words. “I can make people do things, whatever I want them to do, by singing.”
Becca gaped at him. The lonely chirping of a cricket echoed through the tension. Kayde held his breath and remained as still as a rock, waiting. Becca didn’t know what to think. Was he serious? He certainly looked serious. But what if this was all some sort of joke?
“Are you saying,” she said slowly, “that when you sing, you can turn people into your puppets? You can force them to do whatever you want?”
Kayde released the breath he’d been holding, but remained still. His voice quavering, he answered, “Yes. It’s like they’re under some spell. And they don’t really know what I’m doing to them, not even after it’s over. Becca,” he continued, his shoulders now slumped in a defeated way. “I’ve done so many horrible things with this gift, as my family calls it. When my grandfather died, the music inside me got really dark—I caused a lot of people a lot of trouble and pain. I used it to steal, to cheat, to get out of trouble, and…and to seduce girls.” He looked shamefully at his feet.
What was she supposed to do with this? “So you think that what I felt a moment ago—that you made me feel that way with your voice?” She laughed then. It just burst out of her with a hysterical sound. This was crazy!
When she finally calmed down, she looked at Kayde through her watering eyes. His face was as pale as the rising moon. “I’m sorry,” she said, sobering. “But, even if you do have this power you talk about, it had nothing to do with how I was feeling. Kayde,” she stepped closer reaching out to take his hand. She softly touched his fingertips with hers, starting the music and energy that was quickly becoming a familiar and comfortable thing.
“This,” she said, gesturing with a nod toward their hands, “has nothing to do with you singing. We’ve been feeling this from the beginning.” She continued, replaying for him when they’d met, what she’d felt, what she’d heard in her mind, how his touch that day he’d run into Terrance’s cruiser had swept away her fear and loneliness like the wind sweeps away a dark cloud. She was talking fast, she knew she must be slurring. But Kayde didn’t stop her. He just watched, his mouth hanging half open, his eyes unblinking.
“I-I had no idea,” he said when she’d finished.
“You understood me?” she had to ask. Toby would’ve stopped her long ago and made her take a breath and slow down.
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I? But, the same things have been happening to me.” It was Becca’s turn to listen. The half moon rose higher as Kayde took her quickly through his life, through his family legacy, how he rebelled against it, and how it, in turn, had turned dark and consuming. It was what had led him here, in his attempt at outrunning it.
“I feel that music whenever I’m near you, too, Becca. I’ve never experienced anything like it,” Kayde said his eyes shining with a curious wonder.
Becca giggled with excitement. She wanted to know, however, something that she’d been wondering. “Kayde, what does the music you hear sound like? Would you sing it for me?”
“Oh, no! I’m not singing anything right now.” Becca could see the strain on his face. He was still scared to sing to her, afraid he’d lose control and seduce her. (Why was she not finding this strange?) The thought made her want to giggle—didn’t he know he’d already done that, simply by looking at her? She forced herself to keep a serious face.
“Then listen,” she said. She took a deep breath to try to gather some courage. She’d sung to herself in front of her mirror so many times. But she’d never sung to anyone else…ever. And, it’d been over two years since she’d used her voice for music. However, her curiosity was stronger than her fear.
Slowly and quietly, she hummed the notes that danced in her head. She closed her eyes and watched them form in her mind’s eye. Before she knew what was happening, she was completely absorbed in the music, her voice growing louder and more confident with every note. She saw and felt Kayde in the music, felt his unique energy, saw his beautiful face, felt his warm, soft touch. She smiled broadly as joy poured through her.
When she was finished, Becca opened her eyes. Kayde stood close, his face even more pale than before. He was shaking.
Becca immediately dropped her smile. Her brows drew together. “Are you okay? What’s the matter? You’re shaking!”
Kayde flinched at her touch and Becca drew back, tears stinging her eyes. What had she done? She turned away, unable to bear Kayde’s reaction.
“Becca, please don’t turn away!” Kayde’s quavering whisper struck Becca with unnatural force. She turned to him, struggling to control her bi-polar emotions. What was she supposed to be feeling now? The music still played, the joy if it shining bright. Yet, on the other hand, pain stung in her heart—pain and utter confusion.
Speaking a li
ttle louder, Kayde continued. “That song … Becca that is the song I hear whenever I’m near you. But I’ve never heard it from you like that before. Your voice—you have no idea what you just did to me!”
Kayde held up a hand as Becca opened her mouth to speak again. “Please stop. Don’t speak yet.” Had her voice been so horrid? She looked down at her feet, humiliated. She’d been so engrossed in the song, she hadn’t paid attention to her voice. She must’ve sounded something similar to a chicken being strangled.
A soft but electrifying touch on Becca’s chin coaxed her attention upwards. Kayde forced her to look into his eyes. He was still shaking, his muscles rigid as if he were straining against a great force. “Your voice has a magic to it, Becca,” he said softly. He quickly dropped his hand from her chin. “If you’d continued any longer, I think I would’ve lost it—I don’t know if I could’ve kept myself from you another second!”
Kayde’s voice was husky and he clenched his jaw after he’d spoken, causing the veins to bulge. Becca’s heart was in her throat now, keeping her from even attempting to speak.
Continuing, Kayde said, “Becca, that’s why I drew away before I kissed you. I don’t know what will happen if we kiss. If we feel what we do just by touching and if you have this affect on me when you sing, then what in all creation will happen when we kiss?”
He sounded almost angry now. Or maybe, Becca thought, terrified.
“What do you think will happen, Kayde? The world will explode?” she asked, forcing back a laugh.
“Maybe!” he said with an edge of hysteria to his voice. “I don’t know—I have no idea! This has never happened to me before!” He ran both hands through his hair and then laced his fingers behind his head, squeezing his neck.
“I’m not afraid,” Becca said. And she wasn’t. Whatever would happen would be amazing because it would happen with Kayde. She offered her hand to him. “We can take things slowly. I’m in no hurry.”
Kayde looked at her hand for a long while. He tentatively reached toward her before drawing back again. He tilted his head back and gave the stars a strange smile. “This is insane!” he shouted to them, stretching his arms toward the sky. Becca waited patiently, her hand outstretched and ready. Finally, Kayde lowered his head and in one swift movement, took her hand.
“Okay, slowly,” he said. Keeping his serious eyes on Becca’s, he bent over their clasped hands. He turned her wrist toward the sky and ever so softly touched the heel of her palm with his lips. The motion sent goose bumps clear up her arm, but she didn’t dare move or even twitch. She didn’t want him to stop.
Carefully, Kayde moved up her arm, kissing her wrist, the inside of her elbow. That one nearly sent her over the edge—the veins close to the surface of her skin burned and blood rushed in her ears. Even so, she forced herself to remain still.
Becca felt Kayde’s lips on her shoulder. Their bodies were so close now. His warmth engulfed her. Enough energy pulsed between them to start a violent thunderstorm. Kayde’s mouth was at her jaw now. She could feel his breath on her neck. How could she be shivering with heat running through her like a blaze?
They remained captive to this pose for several intense second. Kayde’s body was taut with tension and both of them were breathing heavily. Kiss me! Becca screamed in her head. She’d never wanted anything more in her life. What was he waiting for?
“Becca,” Kayde’s voice came out in a raspy tone, but it still sent Becca’s head into the clouds. “I don’t think…”
Oh, no you don’t! Becca didn’t let him finish his sentence. She’d forgotten all about taking things slow. With one quick movement, she turned and tilted her head, planting her lips directly on his.
She was suddenly lost somewhere in the heavens. Angel song carried her and Kayde into a different world. Stars burst all around them like fireworks, and caressing whispers spoke in Becca’s ears. She lost all sense of time, of place, of anything except Kayde’s mouth on hers, his body pressed against her, his arms holding her in a protective and passionate embrace.
Too soon, Kayde pulled back, gasping. Becca half opened her eyes, her vision blurred with emotion. Kayde opened his eyes, too, and his brows came together. He raised a hand to her face and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
Startled, Becca touched her face with her fingers. Tears? Where had they come from? She looked at Kayde and giggled before she wiped a tear that had begun to roll down his cheek. His face mimicked what hers must’ve looked like a moment ago.
“Don’t worry, Kayde,” she said. “They’re good tears.”
Kayde pulled her to him, cradling her head against his chest. She felt his cheek resting against the top of her head, and his heart pounded against her ear. How had she lived before? How had she ever walked a single day without this? Without him? She was more convinced than ever that God had sent Kayde to her, even if not in the form of an angel. He’d sent him to help free her from her dark prison.
“Kayde?” she asked softly.
“Hmm?” his voice rumbled deep inside his chest and Becca rubbed her face against the fabric of his shirt, taking it all in.
“Do you believe in love at first sight?”
There was a moment of silence before Kayde stated, “No.”
“Me either,” Becca answered quickly. Then, after several more minutes of just holding each other and basking in love and music, Becca said, “Kayde?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you.” She didn’t care what he thought or what happened next, she just had to tell him.
Kayde’s lips pressed against the top of her head. With a sigh of a whisper, he answered, “I love you, too, Rabecca.”