Eyes Ever to the Sky (A Sci Fi Romance) (The Sky Trilogy) (24 page)

“Hugh?”

He ran over and there she was, sitting up, staring at him with wide eyes.

“Cece, are you okay? I'm sorry. I didn't think.” He reached for her hand. His own was trembling.

She blinked and rubbed at her eyes. “I must've…passed out. Sorry.”

He shook his head, hovering over her like a fret-less mother. “All my fault. I went too high.”

“
I told you to,” she said, drawing herself to her feet. She pressed her palm to her head. She looked skyward. “I wanted to see what it felt to be free.”

He looked at her, confused.

She shook her head. “What time is it?”

“
Late.”

She pulled her cellphone out of her pocket. Hugh watched over her shoulder as the screen reluctantly flickered to life. Two missed calls from her friend, Travis. Ten missed calls from Fer and a text. She opened it.

Get here NOW! Cops in your house with your MOM.

CHAPTER THIRTY-
FOUR — CECE

Friday 12:18 a.m.

Hugh skidded to a stop at the edge of the treeline and set her down. They peered nervously into the field toward the trailer park. No barking dogs, no police sirens.

Hugh clutched her hand, his brow stitched together. “I don't like it. What if they take you in for questioning?  I should come.”
             

She shook her head. “So what if they take me in? They can't keep me. They might question me, but I'll just tell them that Fer was confused or high or something. It's not far-fetched. Thumb screws, water boarding, whatever. My lips are sealed.” She made a zipping motion over her mouth. “Besides, Fer's probably just lying just to get me back home.” She peered toward her trailer in the dark. No sign of police anywhere. 

“I still don't like it.” He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. “I could take you away. Somewhere we'd be safe.”

She shook her head. “What if the cops do have my mother? I have to make sure she’s okay.”

Hugh lifted his head, sighing. “Then I'm going to hang around.”

She nodded. “Don't get caught.”

It was the first time he'd smiled since she passed out. “Not a chance.”

She stood on her tip toes, turning her face up and closing her eyes. His soft lips pressed down on hers, his arms circled around her back and drew her in.
He's an alien
, was her fleeting thought before the passion took over. Desire burned through her body as he pressed his chest to hers. His hands were in her hair. His mouth trailed kisses down her neck until she stopped breathing, until her body cried out for him. When he pulled away, she felt a tug deep in her heart, as if Hugh were anchored there.

Then she turned and ran toward her trailer. She could still taste his kiss. A current sparked her skin like an electrical wire. She'd never sleep tonight. 

Then she saw the red and blue flashing lights.

All good feelings drained away. Two cop cars sat at the end of her street, their flashers splattering the night in garish red and blue. And they were parked in front of her house.

Cece ran up the street, her feet slapping the pavement. As she neared she saw police officers struggling with someone. The person writhed against them, her hair a gray tornado. She looked up flashing wild, caged animal eyes. Mama.

Cece clutched her chest. This could not be happening.

The cops had her wrists pinned behind her back as they snapped on cuffs. Cece caught Spanish curse words as Mama kicked a cop in the shins. One grabbed her legs and began stuffing her in the back of his cruiser.

As Cece sprinted toward the scene, a hand clawed around her wrist and yanked sideways. She stumbled behind a dark shed.

“Let me g—” A hand clamped over her mouth. She fought with elbows and knees.

“
Jesus,” her attacker said, scrambling to grab her hands. “Watch those elbows, Chuck Norris!”

“
Fer!” Cece whispered as she pulled back. Fer frowned and rubbed her stomach where Cece had hit her. Fer looked straight out of bed with her Sponge Bob sleep pants and matted hair. “What's going on? What're you doing out here?” Cece asked, leaning around to look for Mama. The police were pulling out with her mother in the back of their cruiser. “No!” she yelled, turning to run after it.

“
Whoa!” Fer said, grabbing her arm. “You can't go out there.”

“
I can't let them take her.” Cece gripped the shed wall and watched as the cruiser turned down the main road. “Fer, they have her!”

Fer shook her head. “There's nothing you can do tonight. Everyone's looking for you. The cops. Child Protective Services. Everyone. God.” Fer rubbed a hand down her face. “What're we going to do?”

Cece covered her eyes with trembling hands. “I should've been there.”

Fer gripped Cece's shoulders. “If you had been, they would've hauled your ass down to Children's Village.” She dropped her eyes, shoulders sagging. “I'm sorry. This is my fault.”

“It's not. It's mine.” Cece's legs buckled. She slid down the shed into the dirt and put her head in her hands. “What am I going to do? I don't have bail. I’ll lose my job. We’ll lose the trailer…” She looked at her friend, tears spilling out of her eyes.

Fer leaned down beside her. “One thing at a time. We gotta get you out of here.”

“But, why did they arrest her?” Cece stared at her sneakers and pictured Mama writhing around in the back of a cop car.

Fer lit a cigarette and sucked desperately on it. “When the cops got here, they did a search of the trailer. I said the call was a mistake, that I thought I saw someone but it turned out to be nothing. They wanted to check, make sure no one was hiding inside or anything. That’s when your mom got home. All of a sudden they had her in cuffs. Some of the neighbors are saying there was a warrant out for her arrest. Shoplifting or some shit. God, your ma has a mouth on her.” Fer looked over. “I'm really sorry, C. Really. I didn't know.”

“Fer, it's not your fault. You were just trying to protect me. I'm the one who had a wanted criminal at the house.” Cece tugged at her hair.

“
Wait, that
was
him?” Fer's eyes popped open.

“
No, I mean they have the wrong guy. I can explai—”

Sirens sounded again. The girls stiffened. “We gotta get out of here. Listen, I think I have a plan, but you gotta stand up.” Fer tugged on her arm. “Stand up.”

Somehow she rose. She met Fer's eyes and tried to thank her, but her mouth wasn't working. Objects smeared in her vision. She let Fer lead her around several dark trailers and through the field. Finally, they stood on the sidewalk as a car, headlights off, pulled up. Fer pushed her towards it. “Get in.” 

The backseat was cluttered with pop cans, wrappers and crinkly cigarette boxes. The cheap upholstery radiated smoke. Shaun sat in the driver's seat, a cigarette winking red in the dark. Fer slid in the back next to her and clicked the door shut.

“We good?” Shaun took a long drag and let the smoke trail from his lips.

Fer nodded. “You know where you're going?”

Shaun put the car in drive. “Yep.”

“
Think you can avoid the cops?” Fer asked.

Shaun peered up at them through the rear-view. Cece could tell he was smiling. “Me, avoid cops? Yeah, I think I can do that.” He waggled his eyebrows and hit the gas.
             

They drove ten minutes to the other side of town. With her face pressed against Fer's side, Cece folded into herself and pretended she was seven again, riding in the back seat as Mama drove home from Sunday mass. The swaying of the car used to lull her to sleep and Mama would carry her into the house. She used to feel so safe in Mama's arms.

Fer shook her. “We're here. Put this on.” Fer threw a men's oversized hoodie at her. Cece slipped it on and pulled the hood over her head.

They were parked in front of a rundown apartment complex. The brick buildings were severe rectangles with little flavor and lots of graffiti. Weeds poked through sidewalk cracks. Most of the streetlamps were busted, creating an eerie darkness that hung over the lot like a fog. A few unsavory characters stood in a cluster near the front door.

Cece stared up at the crumbling concrete steps to the door glowing with florescent light. “Where are we?”

“
You'll see,” Fer said, slipping out. She reached in for Cece. “Come on.”

Cece took Fer's hand and followed.

They climbed the steps two at a time. The men near the door watched them. Cece scooted closer to Fer, the hairs on her neck standing up. Fer thumbed the button beside the door and a deep buzz sounded.             

“
Yeah?” A groggy male voice crackled through the speaker.

Fer pressed her thumb to the button again. “It's us.”

A louder buzz this time. The door clicked. Fer yanked it open and they entered the foyer.

The musty carpet smelled like cat pee. The florescent bulb overhead clicked and buzzed. They walked up two flights to a dented metal door. Fer knocked twice and the door sprang open.

Travis stood inside, wearing a pair of shorts and a wife beater. His eyes were red and bleary, his hair a mess of bedhead. He waved them in. Cece stumbled in after Fer, her stomach knotting. What was she doing in Travis's apartment at one in the morning? What would Mama thi—  Mama was in jail. The thought pretzeled her insides.

“
We owe you one, Trav,” Fer was saying.

Travis shook his head, looking awkward. “No worries. No worries. Glad to help.” His eyes flicked up to Cece. “Glad you're okay.”

Cece nodded. She felt anything but okay.

Travis nodded. “Can I get you ladies a drink? Something to eat?”

Fer shook her head. “I gotta go.”

Cece grabbed for Fer's arm. “You're leaving?” 

Fer nodded, checking her phone. “Shaun's waiting. We gotta be home before Ma. Plus, with the cops looking for you, they'll be looking for the rest of us.” Fer nodded to Travis. “At least if we're home we can lead them off your trail for a while.”

Cece wouldn't let go of Fer's arm. Every anchor to her former life had been severed and she was slowly bobbing out to sea.

“She'll be fine here,” Travis said, running a hand through his messy hair. His eyes flicked up to Cece's and then away. He walked back to his bedroom.

“
Fer turned to Cece. “I'll be back tomorrow as soon as I can get away. We'll figure something out. Maybe the police will release your mom by then. Or I'll ask my mom about bail.”

Cece threw her arms around her best friend. “I'm sorry,” she whispered into Fer's purple hair.

“Don't,” Fer said softly, returning her hug. “Nothing to apologize for.”

Tears sprung into Cece's eyes, but she swallowed them back and pulled away from Fer. “Can you do something for me?”

Fer nodded. “Anything.”

“
If you see him hanging around my house, will you tell him where to find me?”

Fer wrinkled her brow. “Who? The homicidal maniac you disappeared with? Let’s think about that for a moment, shall we?”

Cece grabbed Fer's arms. “He’s not the killer. You gotta help me.” She stared pleadingly into Fer's eyes.

Fer pushed back a stray hair and fixed Cece with a look. “I'm your best friend. I am
not
giving a wanted killer your locale, okay?”

Cece blew out her breath. “Fine. I'll call you in the morning.”

Just as Fer left, Travis returned, looking a little more awake in a fresh t-shirt. He gestured to a sagging sofa. “Have a seat.”

The apartment was small, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a living room connected to a galley kitchen. The decor was decidedly bachelor pad: posters of Bob Marley,
The Godfather
, a curvaceous girl in a yellow bikini. A scratched coffee table held Xbox controllers, an ashtray, a bong and a Playboy magazine. Travis spotted it and chucked it into a bedroom. He offered her a sheepish smile. “It's Mike's.”

“
Mike?” she asked.

“
My roommate. Total pig.”

Cece nodded. “I like your place.”

The couch dipped as he sat beside her, causing Cece to slide closer to the center. Suddenly she was very aware of the space between them.

“
It's a dump,” he said.

Cece laughed. “Only a little.”

He chuckled. “My mom won't even set foot. She brings a can of Lysol every time she brings my mail. Sprays it right at Mike.”

Cece let herself smile. “Your mom sounds like a trip.”

Travis nodded. “She is.” He paused. “Sorry about your mom.”

There was that feeling again, like someone gripping her stomach. Squeezing. She nodded.

Travis jiggled his foot nervously. “Fer told me.”

Cece nodded again. Tears flooded back to the surface. She sniffed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn't cry. Not in front of Travis.