More Than One: A Novel (21 page)

              “Ash, I love you. I will always love you no matter if you're a mutant spawn or whatever,” I said smiling.

              “Okay, okay. The jokes are not cool... but I love you, too. I couldn't have asked for a better friend to be in my life.”

              “You're not so bad yourself.”

              We stared at each other for a long time and then he leaned down and kissed me. I couldn't believe it was happening and even more so, that I didn't stop it. I didn't know what was going on inside of me, because the back flips that normally happened with Michael were happening now. He grabbed me and pulled me up and starting kissing me again. I couldn't pull away. The kiss was urgent, but gentle at the same time. I got lost in the whirlwind and started kissing him more passionately. My mind said stop, but my body wouldn't allow it.

              He finally pulled away from me, looked into my eyes again, and smiled. I tried to slide away from him so I would be able to think, but he gripped me around my waist so I couldn't move.

              “Wait, Jamie, don't run. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that,” he said.

              “No, it's okay. Don't worry about it.”

              “I have to. I don't want you to be uncomfortable around me.”

              “That's not it. I actually liked it.”

              His eyes lit up.

              “Really?” he asked.

              My skin started to burn. I shouldn't have said that.

              “Yeah, kinda,” I said. “But this is too soon. I'm trying to get my life back on track and what about Michael?”

              “What about him? You know I love you and we have so much fun together... you know what, I'm not going to do that to you. I shouldn't have kissed you, but I just couldn't help myself. Are we good?”

              “Always,” I said laying back down on his chest.

              I tried to push the kiss out of my mind, but it was the only thing I could focus on. What was I going to do now? I wasn't completely over Michael, but the feelings were diminishing quickly. And then what about Ash? I couldn't do him like this, especially when I didn't know the extent of my feelings for him.

              I couldn't wait to figure this out; not just the dreams and the murders, but my life as well. I didn't know what was going on with me anymore.

Chapter Eighteen

I was sitting in class waiting for it to be over. I didn't even care about listening and taking notes. I don't even know why I showed up, my mind was elsewhere. When I got out of class, I was going to call my dad and get to the bottom of this. Ash was right about me confronting my dad and he was going to talk to his dad, too.

              I looked at the clock on the wall in front of me and just gave up on sitting through the rest of this class. I grabbed my things, quietly walked down to Mrs. Hunter, and whispered in her ear that I was having woman problems and I needed to leave. She nodded and told me to go ahead.

              I left the class and walked back to the dorm, since I didn't drive today. I took out my phone and dialed my parent’s number. The phone rang for a long time. I figured they weren't home. Right before I was about to hang up, my mom answered the phone.

              “Hey Mom, how are you?” I said.

              “Jamie, this is a pleasant surprise. Your father said you called the other night and I was sad that I didn't get to talk to you. How are you?”

              “I'm fine,” I said hesitating. “Um, is dad home, I need to ask him something.”

              “Yeah, he's in his study. Is everything okay?” she asked.

              “Yes ma'am.”

              “Okay, I'll get him.”

              She put down the phone and I heard her yelling for my dad to pick it up on his end. The phone clicked and then he was there.

              “Did he pick up?” my mom asked.

              “Yeah baby, I'm on here,” he said.

“Okay,” she said and hung up.

              “Hey dad, were you busy?” I asked.

              “Never too busy for you. But I think I'm going to get spoiled if I keep getting calls from you like this. I'm going to want to hear your voice all the time,” he said. “So, what's up?”

              “I, uh, wanted to ask you something about what we talked about the other night,” I said.

              “Oh... what is it?”

              “Well, I was wondering who it was that you studied with in Rome?”

              “Seriously Jamie, what's with the questions about Rome all of the sudden?” he asked.

              I felt so uneasy. I might have been sweating even though it was cold out. I knew I had to do this, so I mustered up my nerve and told him.

              “I know about a doctor in Rome who has studied the same things you have and I was wondering if you knew him,” I said.

              “What's his name?”

              “Dr. Dean, I think his first name is William.”

              He didn't say anything. He just cleared his throat.

              “Dad, are you still there?”

              “Yeah, I'm here. Dr. Dean, you said. Yeah, I know him. He was one of the men I met when I was there, but I studied with a man by the name of Dr. Mark Lewis. How do you know about William?” he said.

              My heart stopped. I wasn't expecting him to say that he knew him. Everything Ash and I talked about last night was true. This was real and my father had some part in it, whether he knew it or not.

              “Jamie, are you still there?”

              “Yeah, dad I'm here. So, this Dr. Lewis, does he work with Dr. Dean?” I asked.

              “I believe so. They were working on something major out there. It was kind of hush, hush. What is this all about?”

              “Dad, I have to tell you something, but I need you to promise you won't think I'm crazy. Just hear me out, okay.”

              “Okay, baby. What is it?”

              I told him everything; from the dreams, to Ash's father, the file I found, everything. He didn't say much. He just gasped occasionally, but for the most part he was silent. I wondered what he was thinking while I was talking.

              “Dad, do you know anything about this?” I asked.

              “I think we should talk face to face. I'm going online to book a flight for me and your mother right now. If it's possible, we'll be out there today.”

              “I don't understand, what's going on? Do you know about this?”

              “Baby, just trust me. We will be out there as soon as we can,” he said.

              He told me he loved me and hung up the phone. By the time we were done with the conversation, I was standing in front of my dorm. I couldn't believe what I just heard from my dad. This was getting weirder and weirder by the minute. I had to call Ash and tell him what was going on.

              I dialed his number and waited for him to pick up, there was no answer. I walked up the steps to my room and dialed again, he finally answered on the third ring.

              “Hey Ash, where are you?”

              “I'm in class right now,” he whispered.

              I forgot that it was still early and I just left my class.

              “Call me as soon as you get out, I have something huge to tell you,” I said.

              “Okay,” he said and then hung up.

              I walked in my room hoping Rach was there. I needed to tell someone right now, this was too much to keep in. She was gone. I realized that she must have been in class, too. I didn't know what I was going to do with myself for the next hour. I wasn't going to work, so I went ahead and called and told them that something was going on with my parents and I needed to call in. Dana was there and she sound upset. I knew me being fired wasn't too far off, but this was way more important.

              I paced the floor back and forth. What is my dad about to fly all the way here to tell me? I knew what it was, but I couldn't stop obsessing until he said it out loud. I went to my dresser and pulled my IPOD out. This was the only way I was going to calm down. I turned the music on and laid back on my bed. It relaxed me for a couple of minutes then my phone vibrated under me.

              I picked it up and it was my mom. I hurried and answered it.

              “Hey mom.”

              “Hey, Jamie. Your father wanted me to call you and let you know that he found a flight that will leave out in about three hours. We will be there around six tonight,” she said.

              “Okay... Hey, mom. Do you know anything about all this?” I asked.

              There was hesitation in her voice.

              “Baby, we will be there soon and I promise we will explain everything when we see you.”

              I wasn't getting anywhere, so I let it go.

              “Okay, I love you and I'll see you soon.”

              “I love you, too, baby,” she said and hung up.

              I put my headphones back on and pulled my pillow close to me. Why wasn't anyone here with me? I wondered if Ash would leave class if I asked him to. I needed someone to talk to and I preferred him so I could find out what happened when he talked to his dad.

              I pulled out my phone and texted him and asked if he would leave class right then. I held the phone waiting for him to text back. Within seconds, the message light lit up. He said he was leaving now. I was immediately relieved.

              I put my headphones on again and fell back on my pillow. A part of me was happy that this nightmare seemed to be coming to an end, but another part of me was hurt. I thought about all the people who were keeping things from me and now I had to add my parents to that list.

              Ten minutes went by and I heard a knock on the door. I ran and flung it open. Ash was there with a surprised look on his face. I threw my arms around him and squeezed him tight.

              “Whoa Jay, how are you?” he said.

              “I'm just so glad you came. I am about to explode for real,” I said pulling him in my room.

              “Did you call your father? What did you find out?”

              “Yeah, I did. They are on the way up here. They'll be here around six.”

              “What did he say?”

              “He said he studied with some guy named Dr. Lewis. Does that sound familiar?”

              “Yeah, that's my father's partner. So, did he say he knew my father, too?”

              I nodded.

              “Small world,” he said.

              “So, I told him about everything. I thought he was going to think I was losing my mind. But when I asked him if he knew anything about it, he said we needed to talk face to face. Now he's getting on a plane. What do you think that means?”

              “It sounds like you guys need to talk face to face,” he said with his forehead wrinkled up.

              “Be serious please.”

              “I am. It looks like we are about to find out the last piece of the puzzle.”

              I knew he was right, but my stomach was still balling up in knots. I thought I would be happier when I got to this point, but I wasn't. I still felt betrayed, lost, and confused.

              “What did you find out from your father?” I asked.

              “Nothing. My mom said he was out of town and wouldn't be back until Friday. I won't be able to get a hold of him until then. I didn't want to ask my mom about it because she might be in the dark about everything. There's no need to stress her.”

              “I hear you. So, what do we do now? I can't just sit here. I wish I could move time forward so my parents would be here now. I need to know what they are going to say,” I said.

              “I know, you’re going to drive me crazy with all this pacing you're doing. Please come sit down and let's find something to take our minds off of this for a minute,” he said.

              I stopped walking and grunted. Ash got up and pulled me to the bed. He wrapped his arm around me and started rocking.

              “It's okay. You should be happy, everything is about to be all out in the open.”

              “I know, but things still feel wrong. My parents have been lying to me, along with my friends,” I said looking at him. He turned his head. “I want to be happy about this, but I can't help, but feel betrayed. What if they come here and tell me something that will mess my mind up for the rest of my life? How can I deal with that?” I asked.

              “Jamie, that is not going to happen, and you know that. Don't let this one thing ruin everything your parents have meant to you. They have been there for you; they still are. My parents would never fly out here and see if I was okay, so you should consider yourself lucky.”

              When he said that, I thought about what Michael said. Ash didn't know that his father sent him down here to protect him and keep an eye on him. His father did love him and he couldn't see it.

              “I know you're right. Thanks Ash, I am so glad that you don't mind skipping class,” I joked.

              “I do mind, but I will do anything for you.”

              I felt an uncomfortable moment coming on so I changed the subject.

              “How about we get out of this room and go somewhere?” I asked.

              “Where do you want to go?”

              “I don't know. Anywhere.”

              “Well, I'm a little exhausted, can we go hang out at my place? I have food,” he said grinning.

              “Sure.”

              Once in the car he turned the music up and I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. Now all I could think about was that fact that my parents were on the way here and what they were about to say to me. What if they didn't have anything new to tell me? What if they didn't know anything about what I told them and they were just on the way here to have me committed? There were so many things to think about.

              We pulled up at his place and he used his key card to get into the gate. We parked in the garage and used the outside elevators to get up to his place. He walked in, turned on the television, and then went to his refrigerator.

              “You want anything?” he asked.

              “No, I'm fine.”

              He walked to the couch with some chips and sat down. I flipped through the channels and then stopped on the history station. There was something on there about a new species that had been found.

              “Well, this will definitely put me to sleep,” he said.

              “Shut up. This is educational. You should watch it more often.”

              “Uh huh.”

              He put the bag of chips down and pulled me over to him. I laid there with the back of my head on his chest and tuned into the show.

              After a few minutes, I felt his chest rise and fall in a slow and easy motion. I knew he was asleep. I turned the volume on the television down so I wouldn't wake him, then I closed my eyes. I didn't think I was going to go to sleep, but I must have been more worn out than I thought; I drifted off soon after.