Darkness (22 page)

She took my hand, intertwining her fingers with mine and clasping her other hand over the top of them. She closed her eyes and began breathing steadily and that’s when a flood of visions assaulted me; Julz curled up in the back of her car, like she was living in it, crying. Julz speeding down the freeway on the back of a motorcycle holding on tight to whoever was driving, the feeling of fear and relief washing over her. Then a flash of Julz and Oscar in an act no child should see their parents doing. Then a flash of Oliver confessing his love for me. Next I caught a glimpse of Felix and then it stopped. I opened my eyes to see her gorgeous sapphire blues tearing over as she flashed me an uneasy smile. Her glossy chocolate hair slipped over her shoulder as she looked down at our hands and released hers from mine.

I just stared at her in shock.
How awful that she sees such things…

“Please don’t tell anyone. They don’t know.”

I knew that wasn’t true. I caught a hint of her feelings for Felix. I felt it. And I knew he knew about her gift. I also knew there was something more going on. I nodded to reassure her. I wouldn’t say anything but I knew she needed to tell Oliver, and I told her that it wasn’t my place to do so.

“Do you want her to come home?” I managed to murmur.

She sat back against the bench, relaxing some. “Yes and no…It’s nice without her drama but I do miss her.”

I was preventing Hayden from being with her mom and it made me feel awful. I could never have my mother figure again, death was keeping me from both mothers I had had. And it was me that was standing in the way of Hayden and her mom.

“She can come back while I’m here.” Could she really hurt me any more than I already was…? I guess she could…but I felt numb and really didn’t seem to care. “I’ll talk to Oliver.”

“Thanks Laney.” She flashed me a quick smile. It was the best I could do. Maybe I would feel better for it.

Something landed on her finger then and she lifted it to get a better look. She made a kissy sound at some sort of one inch creature and it flapped elegant wings and made some sort of chirpy-squeak sound.

“Oh, come on. It’s all real Laney. Really look around you.” So I did and I saw things skitter. But nothing seemed unusual except what was on Hayden’s hand. “It’s a fairy-type creature,” she said like that explained it all.

I watched as the little creature danced along Hayden’s index finger. Then, without looking at me, she said, “It’s my birthday.”

Ah man! Now I felt like total crap. No wonder her mom wanted to come home.

Before I could say anything to her we were discovered. Oliver was in Hayden’s room. “There you two are.” He sounded happy to find us, not irritated like we’d expected he would be when he discovered that we’d snuck out the window. It actually surprised me.

Hayden’s little creature friend fluttered away and she smiled at me as she crawled back through the window. But not before whispering, “Be careful.”

Oliver climbed out the window once she was inside her room. He kissed my cheek as he settled beside me. “You all right?” He asked.

I shrugged in response.

He took my hand, the one Hayden had shared her memories with and I had a moment of panic that he’d be able to get them from me. But he didn’t and I was relieved. I stared out into the roses wondering what other earthly secrets were out there. I could feel myself starting to plummet into the darkness that had regularly claimed me lately and that’s when I reached in and pulled myself out from that deep dark hole. I was going to be fine–hurt for a long while, or forever, sure. But I’d survive.

I had things I needed to do. Lilly hadn’t raised me to this point for me to just give up. I forced myself into pushing forward with my life. I’d start putting the broken pieces back together. I’d figure out what to do with the rest of my life and how to deal with my new-found grandparents. Now, if I could just keep reminding myself of this it might actually work.

“You don’t have to.” He shot me a look. One like he was unsure how to take my response. Hell,
I
wasn’t sure how to take my response.

“I’m sending protection with you.”

“Whatever.”

The house was quiet as we all sat around in the living room later that day. Hayden was curled in a ball reading a book on the couch, Isaac was strumming his guitar, Oliver was on his laptop, Carter was resting with his eyes closed and head back, and I was just staring off into the fire while rubbing my socked feet over Lola on the floor in front of me. Felix burst in the front door just then with a cake in one hand and balloons in the other. He immediately started belting out
Happy Birthday
in his deep, booming voice. Automatically we all jumped up and chimed in; mine was half-hearted but I tried. My birthday was coming and it would be difficult to bear without my aunt.

Hayden was delighted. We all settled around the kitchen table for cake, which I only picked at, and Hayden began opening gifts. As she was opening a very old looking book with a worn grayish-blue cloth cover and red foil writing Oliver snuck off and returned instantly. She opened her second gift from Felix, which was a silver heart necklace. The heart was hollow in the center and she was clearly delighted by both gifts. She hopped up from her seat and hugged him tight and I knew there was more to that hug than the others knew. Oliver set a small box down on the table and she smiled up at him. She ripped the paper off and clicked open the long jewelry box. Inside was a sparkling bracelet with small chunks of a glittery stone circling the silver chain. Her eyes lit up. “It’s so pretty! Thank you!” She hugged her uncle with less enthusiasm than she had Felix but no one seemed to notice except me. Oliver clasped the bracelet around her wrist and she asked Felix to help with her necklace. She told everyone thank you again and started eating a slice of her heavily frosted chocolate cake. She made sure she got a slice with the pink roses that were in the corners of the cake and around “Happy 14
^th
Birthday Hayden.” She was still so young, but at times I felt that she was my elder. An old soul trapped in her teenage body. Her upbringing had been so different than mine.

“I’m sorry baby,” Isaac began, “With all that’s been going on I haven’t had a chance to get you anything.”

With tears in her eyes she said, “I’m just happy you’re still here.” And she hugged him tight.

Oliver slipped out of the room again and when he returned he had a small pink laptop for her with a big pink bow taped to the top.

“Oh my God!” she squealed.

I hadn’t gotten her a present, but we shared a secret and that would be our shared birthday gift for the year.

The birthday festivities continued while Oliver showed Hayden all the fun features to her new laptop and it gave me the chance to sneak off with Carter and inform him of my plan to go to Lilly’s the following day. Feeling like an outsider, he was game to get the heck out of there.

I trudged off to bed soon after leaving the others to their balloons and super frosted cake.

Chapter 29 - Lilly’s

Isaac loaned us his truck. Well, he loaned it to Carter, making it very clear that was the story because loaning it to me would royally piss off Oliver. Whatever. Anyways, Carter and I were heading out in Isaac’s truck first thing in the morning. Felix and Oliver were off getting the town in order so school could re-open, not that I felt like going back, but at least we would soon be leaving that house and getting back to our own lives. Only problem, I couldn’t take Lola. But she wasn’t mine to take, either. I was going to miss her. She was such a comfort to me.

We headed out for Lilly’s that morning, while Oliver and Felix were goneOliver had woken me before he left to let me know he’d take me out there once he got back. Well, little did he know, waking me that early only gave me more time to get there before he returned. I’m pretty sure we were ready to go an hour after they’d left. And that included a breakfast of oatmeal. Turns out, the stuff’s not that bad; especially if you add plenty of butter and brown sugar.

We passed Julz as we left the house. She was parked off the first street in the neighborhood. Apparently Hayden’s vision was correct; she appeared to be living in her car. Well, she was more than welcome to go home now. I didn’t plan on going back.

We pulled into a gas station to fill up and grab some junk food. The truck made a clunk, clunk sound as Carter shut it off, and the seatbelts were old and the buckles stuck when you tried to release them. But we laughed. Our new-found freedom had made us giddy. I went inside and stocked up on candy, soda and other crap food while Carter filled the tank. The cashier gave me a once over and requested my ID when I paid using my ATM. I found him odd but I blew it off.

After two tries the truck started and we pulled out onto the street and headed for my childhood home. We snacked on candy, chips and soda as we bounced along and chatted about nothing important. After a bit Carter complained his stomach was beginning to hurt.

“It just depends on the day. Some days I can eat anything and others, well…it’s kinda nasty what I crave,” he explained.

“Gothcha.” I so did not want more details.

As we got closer we got quieter. The truck made another clunk, clunk again as we pulled onto the gravel driveway at the house. I felt my chest tighten as I stared at the front door.

The rush of every memory hit me as I opened the front door, ending with the last memory I had of my aunt, and I avoided looking down where I had found her. I walked around the outside of the entryway, avoiding the actual spot, and made my way through the kitchen into the living room. I had no idea what I was looking for and I felt vulnerable with only Carter there for protection. I didn’t feel safe in my own house anymore. It made me feel bad for bringing him out there in his weakened state. It also made me feel like such a wussy, like I had no way to protect myself. For some reassurance I reminded myself it wasn’t normal people I feared, it was the supernaturals. When it came to regular people, I hoped I could hold my own. And if I had to, I was sure I could. I’d taken a vampire down before, which had to count for something, right? Plus I knew Oliver was going to be ticked and that stressed me out a little. He’d been so good to me through all of this.
What am I saying?
He’s good to me
all
the time.

The living room was just as it should be. Like Lilly had just been there straightening up the place. Pictures were in their places and a blanket was thrown across the couch like she’d been snuggled under it watching TV recently. My chest hurt and I needed air.
Damn…I need air now!
I rushed out the back door and right into a man. I screamed like there was no tomorrow. The man actually covered his ears and Carter was right behind me. Carter rushed me back into the house like that was going to prevent anything from happening to me.

“Oliver sent me,” the man hollered over my screams. “I will not enter this home. I will be out here on the porch if you need me.”

After I’d finally stopped screaming my chest was heaving with the effort to get oxygen back into my lungs. There was no doubt that man was a vampire. And a scary one at that. He had a mouth like the joker, all turned up at the corners and crazy. His hair was long, dark and thick. He looked like he may have been part American Indian. Like if Tonto and the Joker had had a baby, it would’ve been this guy. Yeah, my aunt liked to watch reruns of The Lone Ranger. With one TV in the house, you watched what there was. Anyways, although this guy’s voice was bizarrely calming, I couldn’t look at him or talk to him–he freaked me out.

Carter told the freaky guy thanks and closed and locked the door. “Maybe we should’ve waited,” Carter said.

“It’s fine.” It really wasn’t. I felt like I was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Not that I had any reference, but I was pretty sure this is what it would feel like. I took a few steady breaths trying to clear my head. “How did Oliver know we were out here?”