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CHAPTER SEVEN
They left the restaurant and Kemper had to focus more carefully to keep his spell mobile. Carlo seemed to recognize that or he was absorbed in his own thoughts, because they both remained silent in the taxi. The silence was not awkward, but more so, appropriate after several hours of exchange. Kemper placed his head on his broad shoulder and Carlo held his hand, lacing his long, tapered fingers through his. Carlo's hand and shoulder were warm alongside him. He felt so comfortable, so right.
He preserved his meditation by reflecting on Carlo. He couldn't believe how fierce his feelings were for him already. And it was entirely dissimilar to how he felt for Justin. With Justin it was just infatuation, he seemed to identify that easily now, but had never really realized it before. With Carlo it wasn't just lust, but also passion, ardor, fear, desire, need, and every other emotion and feeling all thrown into a pot until it was boiling over.
He had known Carlo for much less then twenty-four hours, yet he felt he had known him a lifetime. And it wasn't anything that they had said to one another; it was an unspoken connection linking them.
It was arduous to keep the spell going. He was still relatively new to the craft, and even though he was talented, he wasn't used to exerting this much influence for this extensive amount of time. But he wanted to protect Carlo, he felt justified and the drain was worth it.
When they arrived at the hotel Carlo escorted him up to his room. Kemper opened the door and went inside. He suffered the strain when he got halfway through the room. He turned and Carlo was still standing at the door. The distance was making the task of sustaining the spell grueling, so Kemper walked back to him.
"What's the matter, aren't you coming in?"
"I haven't been invited. Moreover, I don't want to be inappropriate." His smile was smooth as satin, yet so enduring.
"Carlo, listen. I'm only in London for two days. One of these days is now at an end. You said you thought something brought us together; I agree. It would be inappropriate for you to leave without doing anything." Kemper moved closer to Carlo until his body pressed against him. Kemper smelled Carlo's scent on his neck, bergamot and pepper. Standing up on his toes, Kemper took his ear lobe between his lips, he suckled and nibbled on it. "Besides, sexual energy has the most intensity, so it will help me with keeping you safe."
Carlo, who needed only to be asked, placed his hands around his narrow waist and drew Kemper to him and he could feel Carlo's need on his hip. He crushed his mouth down on Kemper's and pulled or pushed him, he couldn't tell, inside the room closing the door behind them.
"Touch me," Kemper breathed.
Carlo pressed him against the door. Even though Kemper could tell Carlo wanted him, he remained tender. Carlo, almost gently, loosened Kemper's tie and unbuttoned his top button. He kissed along Kemper's jawline and down his throat as his hands caressed Kemper's abs and around to his back, stroking along his spine. He relished the sensation of Carlo's rough beard on the tender skin of his neck.
Unbuttoning Carlo's jacket, Kemper slid his hands inside, around his torso and then down to cup his bottom and held him firm as he ground his hips into Carlo's. He pressed Kemper harder into the door behind him as Carlo returned the pressure, undulating their hardons together.
Wanting more, Carlo held Kemper's hips in his strong grasp and they began rolling their erections together again and again. Breathing hard, they locked gazes. The intimacy of his lapis gaze holding onto his teal caused his heart to leap with joy, or maybe it was passion; he wasn't sure because he'd never felt it before.
Kemper grunted as Carlo skimmed his teeth along his neck, holding himself back from biting him. They rubbed against each other until they were getting sweaty. "I could come from this you're so god damned hot," Kemper panted. He tried to appreciate this course of taking their time, but he was striving not to tear the clothes from Carlo's taut body and fucking and sucking everything he could get his mouth and hands on.
Covering his mouth with his, Carlo kissed him thoroughly with a deft tongue and soft lips. "We should probably take our clothes off before that happens."
"Or we could do both." He dove his hands into Carlo's silky, chin-length hair.
Kemper felt the magic grow more potent. Sexual energy was one of the most effective powers there was. He wasn't even required to focus on it; the power was present and sustained.
Carlo sensed it as well. It seemed like a lifetime since he was so liberated. Free from Monique and the oppression of her evil magic.
Kemper, startled, jerked his head to the side looking at Carlo; he began nipping Kemper's ear. Did he just hear Carlo's thoughts? No, surely not. He was only assuming that Carlo was thinking of the spell also, right?
Slipping from Carlo's grasp, Kemper went to stand by the bed and removed his jacket, followed by his tie and shirt; it was time to start removing clothes. Since the energy was so potent, he was allowed more distance without any trouble. Carlo started towards him, when the phone in Kemper's pocket chimed.
"You need to check that?"
"It can wait." He just wanted to be with Carlo. Right now, his universe centered on him at this moment.
"It might be important. I can wait." He came over and kissed him on the nose.
Kemper reluctantly checked his messages. Checking his phone, he saw that he had more than one voicemail. Had he been so wrapped up in Carlo that he hadn't heard his phone?
"Kemper, this is Justin. Something has happened, it's Ronnie. Call as soon as possible."
"Ms. Woods, this is Bethany from the answering service for the main office. There seems to be an emergency situation with a Veronica Smithson. Please call..."
Kemper's stomach dropped. He scribbled down the number and hung up the phone before listening to the other messages. His hands felt numb.
"What is it?" Carlo asked seeing the look on his face and knowing something wasn't right.
Dialing the phone number, not intentionally ignoring Carlo, he listened to the ringing, trying his hardest to breath.
"Hello." It was Todd.
"Todd, its Kemper. What's going on?"
"It's Veronica, she..." He started crying and was unable to speak.
"Todd, what is going on?" he yelled at him, because at this point, he was starting to panic. And if he didn't tell him what was wrong with Veronica right now, his frustration was going to well up and snatch him through the phone, he could almost guarantee it.
Todd swallowed, trying to get himself under control. "She...she was in a car accident. It was raining and wet." He started to sob again, but maintained restraint. "She sustained a head injury and is in a coma. They c-can't get her to wake up." Todd was sobbing uncontrollably now.
"I'm coming. I'll get the next flight out. I'm on my way, just tell her to hang on!" He hung up the phone without waiting for an answer-just like Veronica does when she gets excited. He put his hands over his face and began to weep. A head injury, in a coma, how is this possible? He only saw Veronica four days ago. Kemper clutched his stomach afraid he would be sick from the turmoil churning inside him.
Carlo took him in his arms asking no questions, only giving solace. He rocked him back and forth, allowing him to cry as long as he needed to. At first he held back, not wanting to expose too much emotion so soon to him. But a terrible image of Veronica in a hospital room, her head wrapped in bloody bandages inflicted his mind and he clung to Carlo, not caring who it was. He wanted to cry and be held because it felt as though he was falling to pieces.
"It's my best friend, Ronnie," he spoke with a voice thick with tears, looking up at him. "She was in an accident and it looks... it looks bad. I have to go to her." He stood wiping away his tears. He began hurrying around, unsure of what to do.
Carlo watched him running around the room, getting absolutely nothing accomplished. "You are in no condition to do anything right now." He took Kemper's hand and made him sit on the bed.
"I have to go though." He started to get back up.
Carlo gently pushed him back down. "I will help you. Where is she at?" He handed Kemper his cigarettes.
"New Orleans." Kemper lit a thin stick and listened to Carlo arrange for two tickets on the next flight out of London.
He hung up the phone and informed him that the plane left in three hours. "I have a meeting with Harrods tomorrow," he said heavily, experiencing that anesthetized feeling again, except now it was everywhere, unsure of what was happening or what to do anymore.
"I will take care of it." Carlo stroked his cheek then touched his hair. The tenderness of it produced a tiny watery smile from him.
Going to the phone, he asked the hotel clerk for Chuck Langston's room. "Chuck, this is Carlo Sabatelli. Kemper has to go back to the States because of an emergency; can you handle the Harrods meeting by yourself? ...Good. Just tell them you have our account and they will sign with you...Yes, he's fine, but we'll be leaving for the airport in twenty minutes...I will tell him. Thank you. Goodbye."
"Chuck is taking care of it, don't fret." Carlo started moving around the room gathering the few things that he had sitting out.
"You're coming with me?" Kemper asked still in a daze.
"I'm not letting you travel alone like this. You're too upset." He didn't argue with him and allowed him to be in command of the situation. Carlo was right, he was too upset and he didn't want to deal with any of it. He wanted it all to go away.
A car picked them up at the hotel and Carlo instructed the driver to go to his flat.
"I'll be right back," he told him when they got there. He came back a few minutes later with a bag.
On the way to the airport Kemper realized how incredibly tired he was. Obviously, it had been an extremely long day and the shock of Veronica's accident played a part, but there was more than jet lag to his tiredness. Suddenly he realized it was the spell. It had come to an abrupt stop with the critical news.
Since he had not properly closed the spell, he did so in his head. Then he turned to Carlo. "Are you all right? I just realized the charm had been broken off with all the commotion."
"Don't be bothered about me, but I'm well. I'm sure Monique is sleeping and hopefully will not realize until the morning that your safeguard has subsided. And by then, we will be in the States and maybe it won't work from that far." Carlo smiled at him. "What about you? I'm glad to see you're speaking again."
"I'm not really certain how I'm feeling right now. Thank you so much for taking care of me. You have such a kind heart." Kemper leaned into him and Carlo put his arm around him.
He didn't feel like explaining what he was feeling right now, because honestly, he didn't know. He kept thinking of when he and Veronica were kids and used to walk to a small field with a stand of trees. They liked it there because no one would bother them. Every spring they would buy a packet of daisy seeds for a quarter and plant them in their cove so that Veronica would have flowers to sketch. They had arranged some logs and rocks to create a sitting area and Veronica had painted them with flowers and fairies and tiny stars. Kemper would sing to the birds to see how many of them he could get to answer him-mockingbirds were the easiest to coax.
He didn't know why, but their secret shade place was all that kept running through his mind. He wouldn't have minded sharing such a memory with Carlo, but he was already having a difficult time keeping it together. He didn't think he could make it through the reminiscence without becoming a blubbering mess.
The plane ride was uneventful. Taking his motion sickness pills, he fortunately slept most of the way again. He stayed subdued through the journey and knew he was being a poor traveling companion, but he was certain that Carlo understood his sullenness. He would feel guilty enjoying anything or having the luxury of falling in love, when Veronica was lying motionless in a hospital. So, Kemper passed on the complimentary champagne and would not allow himself to partake in Carlo's company. Kemper still couldn't believe he had come.
Their lay-over was short and they finally arrived in New Orleans. Carlo got them a cab to the hospital and at last he reached his best friend. Veronica's tiny, fragile body lay in the bed and Kemper thought that it looked as if tubes were connected to her everywhere. Her heart monitor beeped leisurely and her IV dripped putting fluids in her body. The thick bandage around her head wasn't as large or bloody as he had imagined it, but it was still terrifying to look at. Muffling a sob with a clinched fist over his mouth in an attempt to uphold his composer, it took every ounce of him not to bust out in tears.
Todd, who had been sleeping in a chair next to the bed, woke up when they came in. "Kemper, I'm so relieved that you're here. I think it will help Veronica a lot for you to be here." Looking into Todd's eyes, Kemper suddenly felt as if someone were squeezing his chest making him labor for every breathe.
"What do the doctors say, Todd? How is she doing?"
"She hit her head pretty hard. It all really depends on whether she wakes up or not. She has some broken ribs and bruises from the seat belt. Thank god she was wearing it. If she doesn't wake up in two more days, they are going to move her to a coma facility for extended care. Go ahead and talk to her. They say she knows that we're here."
Kemper stared at his friend lying in that crisp clean bed, the smell of strong disinfectant and sickness swimming about the room and was confident that his heart was going to split. He wouldn't know how to live his life without her. Veronica had always been there as long as he could remember.
"Before I do that, I want to know what happened." His eyes bore into Todd's.
"I told you, she was in a car accident," Todd answered suspiciously slow.
"Yes, I know. But was it her fault, did some asshole hit her? How did it happen?"
Todd glared down at the floor. "She lost control of the car in the downpour and hydroplaned into oncoming traffic," he stated hurriedly.
"Why are you acting like that?"
"Like what? I'm not acting like anything," he hedged still not being able to look him in the eyes.
"Like you're hiding something. What's going on? If it's about Veronica, I want to know," Kemper told him firmly.
Todd started crying, running his hand through his hair. "It's my fault. It's all my fault!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Excuse me." Carlo left the room. Kemper took a moment to love what a gentlemen he was, and Todd didn't notice.
"I cheated on her again," Todd blurted through his tears. "Except this time she didn't find out, I had to tell her. I got the girl pregnant." Kemper stood with his mouth open, his grief being replaced by fury.
"She left the house upset. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen to me. God, I am so sorry Kemper! I never meant for any of this to happen. I would give anything for her to wake up." He started sobbing hysterically again.
"You're sorry? What are you sorry for? That Ronnie was hurt or for cheating on her again?" he was striving not to yell at a man who was crying, but couldn't manage to muster up any sympathy for him.
"For everything."
"You worthless dick! After everything you already put her through. I knew that if she stayed with you, you would only hurt her all over again! God, I wish I hadn't been right. I have prayed that I wasn't right. She was always too good for you. You didn't deserve her even before you cheated on her the first time." Kemper was livid, yet now he began to cry thinking of the agony that this had caused Veronica, his anger and sadness smearing together leaving him weeping in rage.
"Why don't you leave, Todd? You look like hammered shit. Leave and let me spend some time with my friend."
Todd looked as if he was going to say something, then decided against it. He stood up and stalked out, turning to look at Kemper then Veronica one last time.
Kemper walked to Veronica's bed, putting his hand on her foot and trailing it up to her knee before sitting down next to her taking her hand, tears still running down his face. "Ronnie, please don't leave me. Please get better. I never got the chance to tell you how much I love you and how much you mean to me. I'm sure you know I love you, but I don't think you have any idea how much. My life would be completely different without you in it. Please don't leave me alone! You are the only person I have ever been able to count on. You've got to fight it and come back. Don't just come back for me, do it for yourself. You deserve a second chance at happiness." He was crying so hard, he couldn't go on.
"I've got to be capable of doing something to help her," he muttered to himself. The only thing he could think of was white light. White light is protective and healing. He kissed Veronica's hand then moved the chair next to her bed closer. He rested his forehead on Veronica's slim, delicate, unmoving fingers. He concentrated with everything that was in him to enclose her with the whitest, purest radiance.
He didn't know how long he had been there, using every ounce of power he could muster, before Carlo came in. Kemper didn't hear him, but he came in and placed a hand on Kemper's back. There was a warm sensation he felt when Carlo touched him, strange and tingling. He silently urged Carlo to place his other hand on Veronica, thinking that somehow more energy would help.
Suddenly, there was a flash. Startled by it, he opened his eyes and glanced around. He could see the white light surrounding them, swirling like giant wisps of smoke in a dome around them. It was so tangible; he could physically feel the warm illumination.
He turned and looked at Carlo, who he now saw had placed his free hand on Veronica's foot, wondering if he could also see it. Carlo was indeed gazing about at the light in amazement. Kemper was going to speak to him, but didn't want to do anything to disturb the moment. Kemper caught his eye and kind of nodded and he appeared to understand.
There was a pressure on his hand. Veronica had squeezed it.
"Come on Ronnie, you can do it," Kemper incited her on to recovery. Veronica's heart rate increased and her chest started to rise and fall more rapidly. "Open your eyes, I know you can," he pleaded.
The nurse, seeing Veronica's augmented heart rate on the monitor, came in to check on her. The luminosity vanished before she could see it. Kemper felt discouraged knowing they were on to something significant that just got interrupted.
"Hello," the short chubby nurse greeted them. "You must be friends of Mrs. Smithson. That's good, it helps to have people around." Veronica's heart rate went back to normal and the nurse was studying the read outs on her monitor.
Kemper had been watching the nurse doing her job when Carlo gasped, "Look!" He pointed at Veronica. Turning to look at her friend, he saw that her eyes were open.
"Oh my God!"
The nurse turned from the monitor to see what was going on and gasped herself. She rushed over and started taking Veronica's vital signs and pushed the call button requesting a doctor. A doctor was there within a few minutes and seemed pleased.
"Well, I see you are trying to come back to the conscious world Mrs. Smithson." Veronica, however, wasn't saying anything. Her eyes just keep looking around, blinking as if she was unsure of what was happening.
The doctor took her hand in his, "Can you give my hand a little squeeze? Good, good," he stated when she did. Kemper, who was still holding her other hand, felt pressure as well.
He then moved down to the end of the bed and asked Veronica to press her foot against his hand. She did this as well.
"Everything is looking very fine," the middle-aged doctor told them. "It's good that she woke up when she did or we would have something to be anxious about. She is going to need some more rest and she should start talking, then walking soon. It's too soon to tell if there will be any lasting effects, but I think she's going to be just super. You get some rest and don't rush anything." He smiled at Veronica then left the room.
Veronica's eyes fell on Kemper after the doctor left. "I knew you could do it. I knew you had it in you."
Carlo put his hand on Kemper's shoulder. He turned and looked at him and he was smiling. He could feel that he was genuinely happy for his friend's resurgence.
Kemper placed his hand over his. "This is Carlo, Veronica," he introduced them. "He took care of me or I probably wouldn't have made it here I was such a mess."
Veronica looked back and forth between them.
"We met in London. He's a fantastic guy. You'll find out soon. Well, I guess we better get out of here so you can get some of that rest the doctor was talking about." He stood and gave Veronica a kiss on the forehead and started to leave, but Veronica held on to his hand.
"What's the matter? Do you want me to stay?" he asked Veronica knowing she couldn't answer. But Veronica answered by griping his hand and by the cheerless appearance in her eyes.
"Okay, I'll stay a little longer, but then I'm going so you can get some sleep. You don't mind, do you Carlo?" He turned to him.
"Not at all," he answered and he knew he meant it. He went and reclined in a chair across the room and closed his eyes.
He watched Veronica sleep for a while, being thankful that she was improved. She had pulled through and Kemper would be forever grateful for not suffering the loss of his best friend. They were truly kindred souls, though he had known that prior to this tragic incident. He loved Veronica more than a sister, more than herself, and he will get to even longer.
He put his head down on the bed, still holding Veronica's hand, and rested. He must have dosed off, because someone was shaking him awake. Unsure of how long he had been asleep, he sat up, stopping to rub a cramp out of his neck from sleeping on his face. He looked up and it was Veronica stirring him from his slumber.
"Ronnie, how are you feeling?" Kemper was not expecting an answer.
"As well as to be expected," Veronica answered back in a sleepy, hoarse voice.
"Ronnie, you're talking! That's great!" he shouted.
"Well I don't feel great. How long was I out?"
"For almost three days, I think. I just got here today, I was in London. I got here as fast as I could."
"I know, you introduced me to Carlo, remember?"
"I do, I'm just pleased you do. What all do you remember?" he asked cautiously knowing what there was to recall because of Todd.
"Though the accident is hazy, I know what you mean, and unfortunately I do remember everything." Veronica turned her head to the side and looked down with a dejected expression on her face. Kemper got up and sat next to her on the bed. She looked at him with tears in her eyes and Kemper embraced her. She wept as he smoothed her hair and held onto her.
Veronica pulled away. "I think I need to get some more sleep. Do you mind?"
"Of course not. I want you to get one hundred percent better. But this time I'm leaving so you can get some real rest. We'll go check into the hotel, get something to eat and freshen up and then we'll be right back over, okay?"
"I don't really want you to go, but I'm too sleepy to argue. I'll see you in a bit." Kemper hugged her one more time and he and Carlo left.
They headed over to Loews. In the taxi on the way there, he turned to Carlo, "I just wanted to thank you for being so incredible to me. I really don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been with me all this time. You really have been fantastic and I hope I can express my gratitude to you suitably one day." He slid his hand over Carlo's thigh and looked deeply into his eyes. His heart pumped faster and his breath shortened.
"You have, by helping me break free in London and by taking me away from my troubles. I would rather help you and look after you any day than agonize about my life." Carlo leaned over and kissed him, making him flush even more. Since he had heard the news about Veronica, he hadn't thought of anything else, but now that she was going to be alright, Kemper felt like he could get back to the business of becoming acquainted with Carlo.