Over the Moon (13 page)

He put his finger to his lips. The only sound audible to my ears was
the white-noise music of the bubbling water as it flowed, gurgling
from the springs that surfaced in the cave.

"Evelyn's home," he said as he clasped my hand in his. "Come
on. I'll introduce you."

"I didn't hear anything." I hated admitting that.

"I have an acute sense of hearing." He snickered.

"Admit it! You are a superhero! You have excellent night vision,
acute hearing, magic hands, impossible strength, and the psychic
ability to read thoughts. Are you also able to leap tall buildings in a
single bound?"

"I haven't jumped over any tall buildings lately. I'm not Superman. However, we might have a few things in common. We both
have charismatic personalities, and we're both very committed to
saving the world from evildoers. I wish I had some of his other powers. They might come in handy." He laughed as he pulled me down
the hill.

Evelyn was waiting at the bottom. She had very short, platinum
blond hair that framed her exquisite facial features. Her eyes were
the same shade of violet as Jillian's. She was petite, probably a head
shorter than I was. She seemed to be in her mid-to-late twenties,
and her smile was warm and welcoming.

"You must be Tiana." She hugged me. "I'm so glad to finally
meet you. I've been after Andrew to bring you home. He's told us
so much about you," she said with a voice that bubbled over with
enthusiasm. She turned to Andrew. "Please get my bags from the
car while I visit with Tiana." As soon as he disappeared around the
corner of the house, she continued speaking. "He really likes you,
Tiana. You've made such a positive change in him. He has a whole
new improved attitude. Please don't break his heart."

"Me break his heart?" I asked in surprise. "I would never do that.
It's much more likely that he will break mine."

"Oh no, he's very loyal. When he makes up his mind about
something, he is impossibly stubborn."

We had reached the French doors. He was back with the groceries, which he set on kitchen counter.

"Stop talking about me. I'm not stubborn," he protested.

"Of course not, dear." She turned to me. "You will stay for dinner, won't you?"

"I'd love to, but I'll need to call my mother."

Andrew pulled his cell phone from his pocket and handed it to
me.

"I have you on speed dial; just push number one."

I was stunned. I had only talked to him on the phone twice. I
pushed one and waited for Mom to pick up. It was good to be number one on his speed dial.

"Hello?"

"Mom, I'm at Andrew's. I'm going to eat here, okay?"

"Sure, but don't stay too late. Mark's coming home. He's bringing Jeremy. They should be here around ten. They want to meet
Andrew."

"Okay, bye." I disconnected and handed the phone back to
Andrew.

"Who is Jeremy?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. He really did
have excellent hearing.

"He's Mark's roommate. He is like a brother to me," I quickly
explained. He didn't look convinced.

Dinner was lasagna with breadsticks and salad. I helped Andrew
make the salad and set the table. Evelyn energetically prepared the
meal. As if by some magical signal, the rest of the family arrived at
the exact same time she pulled the pan from the oven.

Adam looked like an older version of Andrew without his
endearing dimples. He was a few inches shorter and several pounds
heavier. He was obviously very enamored with his wife. His eyes followed her with adoration as she moved around the kitchen.

The Allen boys were eating with us because their parents were
out of town on pharmaceutical business. Matthew ate more food
than I thought was humanly possible. Luke made jokes about his
brother's ability to consume mass quantities of breadsticks. Jillian
was very friendly. She suggested that we go shopping together
sometime. I learned that she was Evelyn's younger sister. Everyone
seemed happy to have me there except Hannah.

Hannah didn't say anything. She looked unhappy and aggravated about something. She flashed Andrew a resentful glance. He
looked back at her with irritation. The exchange only lasted a fraction of a second. It was gone so fast I wasn't sure I had actually seen
it at all, but I could feel some negative vibes emanating from her cold
persona. She excused herself from the table early with complaints
of homework that couldn't wait. Who does homework on Friday
night? I mean, I only do that when a certain cute boy comes over to
help me with precalculus.

After dinner, Andrew held my hand under the table. He laughed
at everyone's attempts to embarrass him about me. Luke told me
how Andrew had moped around after finding out I was going to
the dance with Jordan. Matthew insisted that he was worse after he
saved my life because he wouldn't stop smiling. I enjoyed the whole
conversation immensely, but I knew I would get some of the same
kind of embarrassing dialogue when I introduced him to Mark and
Jeremy.

When he drove me home, I raised the question that kept gnawing at me.

"Does Hannah dislike me for some reason?"

"No, she's mad that I broke up with her friend Sonya. It was ten
months ago. I don't know why she won't get over it."

"Who is Sonya?" I frowned. It was my turn to be wary.

"She's just a girl who lives in Roswell. I've known her forever.
We dated for a few months. I felt no real chemistry there. I quickly
realized she wasn't right for me. She constantly asks Hannah about
me. She e-mails me sometimes. I don't respond. Hannah has never
forgiven me. Sonya has a talent for manipulating others. I know this
sounds strange, but she has some kind of unnatural influence over
my sister, causing Hannah to keep trying to get us back together.
They chat online or on the phone almost every day."

"The rumors were wrong," I muttered.

"Rumors usually are, but what rumors did you hear this time?"
He demanded.

"Tiff said you didn't date because you got your heart broken by
some girl in Roswell."

He stopped the car in front of my house and looked me straight
in the eyes. "Tiana, you are the only one with the power to break my
heart, and I'm hoping you won't. I didn't date because there was no
one that I wanted to date until you moved here." He lifted my chin
and leaned in to kiss me gently and then once more with feeling. I
was feeling the whole, white-hot, electric current thing again. The
connection once again was almost overpowering. How did he manage to make me feel like I might burst into flames at any moment? He pulled away and beamed at me with amusement like he knew
exactly how he affected me.

He pulled a cell phone out of the glove compartment.

"I want you to have this while I'm gone. I'll call you every night
at ten. I've programmed in my number on speed dial. It's number
one, of course." He grabbed my backpack from the backseat and
stashed the phone in the front pocket. I was speechless. I think I
looked a little bewildered because he said, "Please humor me. It's
hard for me to leave right now, but I have no choice. Save next Saturday night for me."

"You have to come inside to meet my brother," I said as he
opened the car door for me.

The door to my house burst open before we got there.

"Andrew, this is my brother, Mark, and his friend Jeremy. Mark
and Jeremy, this is Andrew." We finally made it through the door to
the living room. I pulled Andrew to the loveseat. Mark and Jeremy
sat on the couch.

"So you're dating my little sister. Are you good enough for her?"
Mark started the interrogation. I was already mortified. I feared this
inquisition was going to be brutal.

"I hope so," Andrew answered without hesitation. He didn't
seem bothered by my brother's overprotective probing.

"What sports do you like?" my brother continued.

"I like most. I'm partial to basketball." Andrew gave the right
answer.

"Are you any good?" Mark asked.

"I do okay." He grinned at Mark's question.

"He's good at everything," I added. Realizing what I had inferred,
I turned three shades of red in rapid succession from bad to worse.

"I'll bet he is, little sister." Mark laughed at me. Andrew laughed
with him. Jeremy didn't laugh. He just sat and stared at the television. It was some old horror flick about brain-eating zombies in
black and white.

"We should play some one-on-one tomorrow," Mark suggested.

"Sorry, man. I'm flying to Roswell early in the morning. I'll have
to take a rain check on that," Andrew replied.

"That's just a little too convenient. She told you about the scholarship, didn't she?"

"Yes, but I really do have to leave town at seven tomorrow, or I
would welcome the competition."

They talked about cars and sports and other boring guy stuff
for a while. They seemed to be bonding on some superficial level. I
wished Andrew wasn't leaving so they could get to know each other
better.

"I've got to be going." Andrew rose from the loveseat and shook
hands with Mark and Jeremy. "It's been great meeting you both.
We'll play basketball next time," he promised. "Tiana, will you walk
me out?" he asked as he pulled me out the door.

When we were alone, he pulled me close and whispered, "Jeremy has a thing for you. Be careful and keep your distance."

"He's like a brother to me. What makes you think that?"

"He was very easy to read." He grinned at me. He kissed me
again, and the shockwaves curled my toes and turned my insides to
jelly. I was really going to miss him.

"I'd better let you go in before your brother comes out with a
shotgun." He chuckled.

"I know he's a little overprotective," I admitted. "But you're safe.
We don't own a shotgun."

"That's good to know." He kissed my forehead and left me
standing there. It was going to be a very long, dreary week without
him. I waved as he drove off. I felt that unpleasant sinking feeling
that hits you when you realize you're going to have to endure something distasteful and there's nothing you can do to avoid it. I missed
him already.

I walked back into the house to face the rest of my interrogation. I knew it wasn't over yet. That would be too easy for my big
brother.

"So is he your steady boyfriend now?" Jeremy asked.

"I think so," I answered. "I don't want to date anyone else, and I think he feels the same way. I hope he does. He gave me a cell phone
so he can call me every night while he's gone."

"He has to be into you then," Mark noted. "Guys don't give out
cell phones to just anyone. In fact, I don't know any guys who do
that at all. Tell me more about him. What do you know about his
family?"

"They live in that white house on the hill." I pointed it out
through our picture window even though only the lights were now
visible. "I don't think they're hurting for money. They own a pharmaceutical lab. He works there for a few hours every weeknight and
sometimes on Saturdays."

"Is he the one who saved you from the burning car?" Jeremy
wanted to know.

"Yes, it's true he saved my life. I was nearly blown to bits. You
could be here attending my funeral if it hadn't been for him, and it
would have been a closed casket affair." I shivered as I answered.

"I guess I should have thanked him. He's a real hero," Mark
solemnly replied. "I would have been an only child. That might not
have been half bad." I slugged him, and he grinned and slugged me
back. "You know I'm kidding!"

"This is the guy who was ignoring you when we spoke last? The
one who was jealous of your stalker? What happened to the stalker
anyway?" Jeremy asked.

"He's the guy. He scared him off, I think. I'm pretty sure Jordan
went crawling back to his crazy, coldhearted cheerleader. I'm going
to miss Andrew though."

"We'll keep you busy this weekend," Jeremy promised. "You
won't have time to miss him."

"I don't want you getting too serious about this guy. You should date
other boys. You are too young to commit to only one." Mark said.

"That's true!" Jeremy agreed. "I'd love to take you out if that
would help."

"Sorry, guys. It's my life, and you can both stay out of it! Don't
worry about me and don't discuss my love life behind my back. I'm
going to bed now." I pulled a face and stuck my tongue out at them as I climbed the stairs to my room. I tried to forget that I faced an
interminable, cheerless, and depressing week ahead. I know I was
being somewhat overly dramatic, but I felt like I was going to have
to survive the longest week I had ever endured. I was really going to
miss that boy.

"I hate camping," I said as I gulped down my last bite of Captain
Crunch. It was nine on Saturday morning. Mark and Jeremy were
trying to talk me into joining them for a camping trip on Cedar
Mountain. I didn't relish sleeping on the hard, cold ground, and I
had heard stories of bear and mountain lion sightings up there in
recent months. It sounded uncomfortable and undoubtedly dangerous to me. I am seldom a happy camper.