Authors: Maddy Edwards
One Black Rose
One Black Rose
by
Maddy Edwards
Copyright © 2011 by Maddy Edwards
Cover art © 2011 by Stephanie Mooney. All rights reserved.
This novel is a work of fiction in which names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is completely coincidental.
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the written consent of the author.
Table of Contents
As soon as I was off the plane I called Carley. The phone rang and rang, but she didn’t answer. Finally I gave up. It was typical of Carley not to answer her phone, especially when it was an emergency. I tried calling her two more times, but she still didn’t answer.
Frustrated, I hit the number on my cell to dial my mom.
“Hi, honey,” said my mom’s light voice. She talked fast, as if she was always in a rush. “Did you get in alright?”
“Three hours late,” I told her as I walked through the airport. “I can’t find Carley.” At least I was dressed casually. Whoever had invented the phrase, “Always look your best because you never know who you might run into” wasn’t thinking of me when I traveled. I hated flying, and when I did fly I wanted to be comfortable. I was wearing a hoodie and cotton comfy pants.
“Did she leave?” my mom demanded indignantly.
“I don’t know,” I told her. I was making my way out of the airport because I thought Carley might be waiting for me outside. I could see out the window that the weather looked gorgeous. “She either left or she never showed up.”
“You’re staying with her for the summer. It would be ridiculous if she never showed up,” said my mom. Even over the phone I could tell she thought Carley was exasperating.
I had a horrible thought that something might have happened to her. “Mom, what if she’s not okay?” I asked.
“She’s fine,” my mom scoffed. “And if she isn’t you’ll just have to spend your summer here at home!”
“Don’t threaten me,” I said. I loved my parents but I was sixteen and I had been looking forward to spending the summer away from home for months. My life was boring. Most of my friends were traveling or at summer camps anyway, so I was glad to get away. Plus, my parents had a lot of stuff to figure out and it was probably better that I wasn’t there while they did it.
Outside now, I looked around for any sign of Carley, or a cab, but I didn’t see either. I was alone with nothing but a salty breeze and an airport worker who was high up on some sort of electric platform trying to fix a light. I’d been left to starve by the girl who was supposed to be my best friend.
“Is there a cab?” Mom asked. Static crackled over the line, making it hard to hear.
“No, there’s nothing,” I said, looking around hopelessly.
“Oh well, Carley will come soon. Make sure you thank her mother again. Do you have the jam I gave you to give her?”
“Yeah.” I squinted into the sun. In the distance I thought I heard a car coming.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Yeah,” I said. My mother had a way of always making me think I forgot something. “I should probably call Carley again.”
“Alright, be safe. Take a cab if you have to.”
“I’m not sure there are lots of cabs in Maine, Mom. It’s not New York,” I said. I was so busy talking on the phone and keeping an eye out for Carley that I almost bumped into someone as I walked.
After I hung up I called Carley twice more. She didn’t pick up, and she wasn’t answering my texts, either.
I glared at my phone. Somehow, blaming an inanimate object for my friend deserting me and blowing me off made me feel better. I wondered what the hell would happen to me if Carley never called me back and cabs didn’t exist in Maine. I had an image of hauling my suitcase through the Maine wilderness searching for water.
Suddenly, I heard a screech of tires and a car shot into view. A blond-haired guy jumped out of a gorgeous BMW, and with a shock I realized that he was racing right at me. Just before he slammed into me, I felt time stop.
My brown eyes were locked on his green ones, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking over my head. Mouth gaping, I craned my neck upward. Falling towards me was the airport guy who had been fixing the light. Somehow he had fallen off the platform and was about to land right on my head. I started to scream.
The next second, Blond-Hair was no longer in front of the guy and he was no longer falling on my head.
Everything had happened in an instant. I stared around. The blond-haired guy was helping the airport worker to his feet.
“Thanks, man,” said the airport worker. “Don’t know how I tripped.”
“No problem,” said the blond-haired guy with a bemused look as the man wandered off like nothing had happened.
Then Blond-Hair looked at me, and I felt chills ripple up and down my arms.
“Hi,” he said, smiling.
Dismay washed over me. Note to self, whoever said that you should always look your best because you never knew who you were going to run into might be right after all.
I looked over my shoulder, checking to see who he was talking to. When I looked back he was grinning.
“Yeah, I said that to you,” he said, pointing at me.
“Oh,” I said awkwardly, feeling my face start to burn. “What just happened?”
A frown crossed his face, his perfectly shaped eyebrows arching over his warm green eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“You just raced up here in your car...and...and you caught him,” or something. Now that I had actually said it I realized I sounded crazy, but I was sure that’s what had happened.
He tried to look casual, but underneath I could see that he was uncomfortable. “I’m not sure what you mean. Maybe you’re mistaken.”
“It’s been a long day,” I admitted. I hated flying and apparently my best friend didn’t care if I lived or died, but, though I was absolutely certain I was right, Blond-Hair didn’t want to talk about it and I was just too tired to insist.
“I’m Holt,” he said. I was surprised when he sat down on the bench next to me.
“Autumn. Thanks for saving my life,” I told him seriously. Somehow I knew that’s what he’d just done. I expected him to offer to shake my hand, since his introduction had been oddly formal, but he made no move to touch me.
Instead of replying he said, “So, what brings you to Maine?”
I shrugged. “I heard its Vacationland.”
He grinned again. It lit up his whole face. “It’s even on the license plates!”
I laughed. “So, it must be true. I came to stay with my friend Carley for the summer.”
Holt made a show of looking around. “And where is your friend Carley?”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know. My plane was late and I’m worried she might have left or never shown up to begin with.”
“So, she’s a very loyal and dedicated friend,” he said drily.
“Carley’s Carley,” I said, as if that explained everything. “She might have had to work or something.”
“Where does she work?”
“At a café in Castleton called UP UP and Away.” I wondered why he cared about where my friend worked.
Holt gave a start. “Really? You’re staying there for the summer? That’s where I live.”
“In the café?” I asked, confused.
“Um, no, in Castleton,” said Holt, laughing.
“Oh right,” I said. “Maybe that guy actually did hit me in the head.” I felt like I was losing brain cells by the minute. My mind was a steel sieve.
I didn’t know what to say next, so I just sat there and tried as hard as I could to stop doing anything awkward or embarrassing. I had a long and storied history of embarrassing myself in front of cute guys and I was determined to turn it around this summer, even if Carley had started off by stranding me at the airport.
I noticed that a group of girls had come out of the airport and were standing a few feet away. They were definitely checking Holt out. Two of them were whispering to each other and giggling while they looked his way. Out of the corner of my eye I tried to see his reaction, but he gave no sign of noticing.
“Do you want a ride?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“Your friend ditched you. Do you want a ride to Castleton?” Holt offered. “My car’s right there.” He pointed to the shiny silver BMW. I didn’t know anything about cars. The only reason I knew it was a BMW was because there were the letters right on the front: B - M - W. If it had been a Ferrari or something I would have called it “that nice shiny car.”
“Um, sure, thanks. Let me just try calling her one more time.” I knew it was silly, though. I’d already tried a million times and she didn’t care. If she were going to answer her phone she would have called me back by now.
Holt knew that I was just stalling, but he humored me by getting up and calling someone himself.
After Carley didn’t answer again I headed for his car. Before I’d even gotten there Holt had opened the door. I knew getting into a stranger’s car would normally be crazy, but Holt had saved my life, so I figured he wasn’t going to kill me now.
“Thanks,” I said as I slipped into the front seat. While he walked around to the driver’s side door I quickly scanned the car, but I didn’t see knives or guns or anything that should tip me off to jump out and run away screaming.
As Holt was starting the engine he said, “So, what brings you to Castleton this summer?”
I got more comfortable in my seat and said, “I’m staying with Carley. We used to go to the same school before she moved away.”
Holt nodded. “It’s a great place to be.”