Perfected (Entangled Teen) (18 page)

“Shall we go?” he said impatiently, as if it had been me who’d kept him waiting the whole day.

He placed his hand on my back, steering me out the door.

The beautiful little turquoise car we’d driven home from the training center was already parked outside waiting for us, and he opened the door, ushering me inside in one fluid sweep.

“I put the top down,” he said, climbing in beside me. “There’s nothing quite like driving a convertible to the beach.”

“I’ve never been to the beach,” I said as we pulled out of the driveway, leaving the house and all its inhabitants behind us. The beach sounded pleasant. Not at all like somewhere a person would take another if they were angry.

The congressman adjusted his mirrors. “No, I assumed as much. That’s the reason I’m taking you.” He reached over and squeezed my leg just above the knee. “You can’t imagine all the things I’m going to show you, all the wonders you never even dreamed existed. There’s so much I’m going to give you, my pet.”

The wind whipped across my face, stinging my eyes as we sped past stands of deep green trees and fields of summer grass. Already we’d left the house in the dust. Within minutes we’d sped past the few landmarks that seemed familiar and now everything was new again. Even the light that flickered sideways through the trees seemed like something I’d never seen before, as if light wasn’t something shared across the world, but something specific to each location, as distinct and varied as the landscape it fell across.

“I didn’t see the ocean for the first time until I was twenty,” he said. “I didn’t move to the coast until I was in college. I grew up in Wichita.” He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “I don’t expect you to know where that is. It’s in Kansas, the middle of the country. Also close enough to the middle of nowhere for someone like me.”

He paused and I took the moment to look at him fully, trying to imagine what he must have been like when he was a young man. He would have looked like Penn, I expected. Fresh and handsome.

“I moved away from home as soon as I got the chance. Lucky for me I made it into Cornell. That’s where I met Elise. We were both so pleased when Claire decided to follow in our footsteps.”

“Did you always want to be a congressman?”

“No.” He smiled. After the stern expression he’d worn most of the morning, it was a welcome change. I wondered if he was pleased his pet wanted to know more about him. “I wanted to be a businessman. I wanted to build things, to make things, to own things. Politics didn’t come along until later.”

“But at some point you realized that you wanted to help people?”

“You mean, is that why I got into politics? Yes, I guess that’s a noble way to look at it.”

The sun was already starting its decent into evening, but it still warmed my shoulders. After a while, the air began to change. I lifted my head and drank in the smell, closing my eyes so I could sense it more clearly. It carried something pungent and briny on the moist breeze.

The car bumped to a stop and I opened my eyes.

“Here we are.” The congressman swept his arm toward the view but I could feel his gaze on me, watching, waiting.

I took in a deep breath and held it. In front of me a deep blue slash was cut across the horizon. Earlier in the day it had probably been cheerful, but now, with the sun fading behind us, the ocean looked dark and ominous. Above it, a few clouds smeared the sky, reflecting the pinkish glow of the setting sun, while a group of white birds dove in and out of the small waves. Along the beach a spattering of people lounged on the sand, but to me they were inconsequential.

“Do you want to get out?” he asked.

The wind whipped my dress around my legs as I made my way across the small strip of grass that led to the beach. My feet sank as I stepped onto the sand. It was warm around my ankles, gritty but soft, a perfect contradiction.

The congressman followed me out to the edge of the water. The sand was harder here, packed down and moist. I slipped off my sandals and let my toes sink down into it.

“It’s not like the pool, is it,” he said, looking out across the water.

“It’s so…big.” It sounded stupid, but what else could I say?

“You’ll really need to know how to swim if you want to get in that water.” He stepped closer, until his mouth was right next to my ear. His words were clear, unmarred by the wind. “Next time you need a swimming lesson, why don’t you come to me?”

He moved his hand to my neck, brushing aside the stray hairs that had come loose from my braids, and wrapped a finger around a strand of hair.

My words stuck in my throat as I looked up at him. His jaw was set, his eyes stern, angry even. Had he followed us last night? Watched as we shed our clothes and slipped into the dark water?

Had he been following us all along?

His eyes softened slightly. “I can’t really blame Penn,” he said. “And I hate to chastise you, but you must realize that it’s impossible, this thing between you and my son. It isn’t real. He’s terrible at controlling his emotions, even if he must realize that they’re absurd. So please, love, stay away from him. Don’t make it any harder on the poor boy.” He smiled, twirling the lock of my hair around his finger. “Or any harder on this old man.”

I nodded once and lowered my head. I couldn’t bring myself to look back out at that grand vista before me. It felt spoiled now.

Twenty Two

T
he house was dark when we finally returned home.

The congressman opened the door for me, smiling contentedly as if we’d actually just spent a lovely day at the beach. His words were still a cold knot in my chest, but I smiled sweetly and reached out my hand, letting him help me from the car.

“Thank you for taking me to the beach.” My voice was small, but I hoped the fear stayed hidden.

“I’ll take you again soon,” he promised. He placed his hand on my back and walked me up the front steps. “Although, I hope we have nicer things to talk about next time.

I paused stiffly by the front door as he unlocked it. “Well…good night,” I called as the door swung open, ready to sprint to my room.

Before I could leave, he grabbed my arm. “Make sure you get your rest tonight.”

I nodded. He didn’t need to elaborate. I knew exactly what he meant. As if he hadn’t been clear enough at the beach. No more nights out in the garden. No more Penn.

As I moved through the conservatory I noticed a light coming from the kitchen. I turned the corner expecting to find Penn standing in front of the refrigerator drinking a cold glass of water the way he sometimes did right before bed.

But before I could step into the kitchen, the soft sound of voices made me duck back into the shadows. Claire sat across from Penn in one of the bar stools with her back to me. A bit of hair had come loose from her chignon and had fallen down her back.

“I mean, really,” she said. “Why not get a golden retriever or a pony? What was Dad thinking?”

I shrank farther back into the hallway, my pulse thumping wildly. I knew they were talking about me. I also knew that I shouldn’t stay and listen. It was wrong to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help myself. Miss Gellner would be mortified if she could see me here, holding my breath as I slipped my shoes from my feet and tiptoed closer to the kitchen, pressing my ear against the wall.

“It’s not really what you think.” Penn’s voice was soft. “She’s not bad. You’ll like her after you get to know her.” His words brought a little smile to my lips.

“I don’t plan on getting to know her,” Claire said. “And neither should you.”

From where I stood in the shadows of the hallway I could only make out part of Penn’s face on the other side of the kitchen. He frowned. “I mean it, Claire. You should give her a chance.”

“I never even wanted a pet dog. What makes you think I’ll like some little princess of a girl who’s obviously got her claws set in my brother?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I can tell what she’s doing to you and it’s a bad idea. Seriously, Penn. So stop thinking about it now before you get in any more trouble.”

Penn shook his head and stepped away from the counter, putting distance between himself and his sister.

“Come on. I see the way you look at her. You and Dad both. It’s disgusting. And don’t tell me I’m making it up. I saw you holding hands with her at the opera, like she was some sweet little waif so touched by the music that she could hardly stand it. Nobody actually cries at the opera. She just knows how to work you.”

My stomach dropped even further than it had already fallen.

“It’s not like that,” Penn said. “You don’t know her.”

“You can’t lie to me. I’ve known you your whole life, remember?” Claire said, “You do that stupid thing with your eyebrows when you’re lying.”

She sighed and placed her hands flat against the marble countertop, spreading her fingers wide as if she was laying it all out for him to see. “What do you imagine is going to happen, anyway? You think the two of you are going to go off to college together, maybe share an apartment, grow up and have some kids? She’s a
pet
, Penn. Our
father’s
pet. You’re kidding yourself if you think she’s anything else to you.”

“I know what she is.” Penn’s voice wasn’t soft anymore.

“Do you?” Claire asked.

“Yes.”

“Then start acting like it,” Claire said. “How can you even stand to have her here? Did you forget about what happened the last time? How she ruined our family?”

“No,” Penn mumbled.

“Because it sure seems like you have.”

“She’s not the same as the other one,” Penn said.

Claire snorted. “Oh, I’m sure.”

“She isn’t—”

“She might not be the same one, but she’ll do the same thing,” Claire snapped. “She’s still one of them. She’s still a pet.”

Penn groaned. “You don’t have to keep reminding me that she’s a goddamn pet. I know it, all right. I
know
.”

He turned away from her and his full profile came into view. The hurt and anger in his voice was written clearly on his face.

“Then stop treating her like she’s one of us. I don’t know what you’ve let happen between the two of you, but it has to stop and it has to stop now. Dad will
kill
you, Penn! This isn’t like the thing with your school. This is serious. He’ll make your life hell.”

“I’m not afraid of him,” Penn said.

“You should be.” Her voice cracked and she leaned forward. “Please, Penn. I’m worried about you. And I’m not just saying that. You
know
Dad. He’s relentless. When he wants something, he has to have it—no matter the cost. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Penn’s jaw clenched. “I won’t.”

“Yes, you will,” she said, slumping back in her chair. “And none of us will be able to save you if you make him your enemy.”

I stumbled away from the doorway. I didn’t know what the other pet had done to their family, but I didn’t want to be like her. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. Especially not Penn. He wasn’t the one Claire should be chastising for dreaming that there was a future between us. It was me. I was the one who’d started to hope that things could be different.

What a fool I was.

I turned away from the kitchen, away from Penn and the false hope that I’d ever be anything more than a pet. My bare feet slapped against the shiny wooden floor as I ran down the hallway, through the French doors, and into the empty yard. To my right, the black water of the pool reflected the full moon, a cold white face, mocking me.

The gravel bit into my feet as I ran past the carriage house and down the lane, out to the long stretch of road leading away from the Kimballs’ house. On any other night, the dark driveway that led to Ms. Harper’s house would have stopped me short, but I kept running.

By the time I reached Missy’s house, my feet were raw and scraped, but I hardly noticed. That invisible cord binding the two of us together pulled me to her.

The house was dark, but I found her window easily enough. I climbed through the bushes that bordered the flowerbeds and pressed my face close to the cool glass. Next to the window a honeysuckle perfumed the night, making me dizzy with memories of Penn’s secret garden. But I couldn’t think about that now. If I didn’t do this, he’d lose everything.

I rapped my knuckles against the window, three quick taps before I pressed my back against the brick and held my breath. Nothing. No lights, no alarm, no barking dogs. I tapped again, a bit louder this time, until the soft, yellow light of a lamp spilled out into the night.

A moment later the window cracked open and Missy peered out, bleary eyed and beautiful.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me, Ella. I’m so sorry for waking you, but I didn’t know where else to go.”

The sleepy look disappeared from Missy’s face. “What are you doing here?”

“Please, can I come in?” I squeaked. “I need to talk to you.”

Missy calmly slid open the window, plucking off the screen as if she’d done it a million times before and I scrambled through, falling into a pile on the floor at her feet.

“I’ve had plenty of people knock at my window at night wanting to be let in,” she said, “but this is a new one.”

I leaned back against the wall. A sob worked its way up through my chest and I covered my face with my hands, surprised to find that my cheeks were already wet with tears.

“So…it’s a boy.” Missy said.

She lowered herself down onto the edge of her bed and stared at me. The soft ticking of a bedside clock counted out the seconds, but neither of us moved.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

Missy closed her eyes and a sad smile pricked at the corners of her mouth. “We never do. But it’s not like it matters. Not really. Him loving you was never going to change anything.”

“I can’t go back. It isn’t safe for him with me there.”

“Well you can’t stay here. Believe me, one pet is enough.”

“Come with me,” I blurted. “We can leave…the two of us.”

Missy’s lip trembled, but the rest of her face was as still as porcelain. “We can’t just leave.”

“I have a piece of paper that has the name of a safe house on it. We could go there. There are people that can help us.”

“No one can help us,” Missy said. “Those people want you to think they can because it makes them feel important. Finally, they can be the powerful ones. But it isn’t true. Our owners would find us. You know they would. They would find us and then they’d put us to sleep, or worse. I was lucky last time, but I’m older now.”

“Not if we—”

“
No
,” Missy said, her eyes shining. “I’ve met girls that have been sold two, three times. And it isn’t to homes like this. You can’t imagine the things they’ve seen…the things they have to do for their owners.” Her face went white. “No. I…I can’t. I’ve still got a few good years here. I can’t risk that for a silly dream.”

“But what if it’s not a dream?”

“It’s all just a dream,” she whispered.

We stared at each other in silence until, finally, a tear streaked down her cheek. Her jaw clenched. “I’m sorry, Ella.”

Before I realized what she was doing, she grabbed the silver bell at her bedside and shook it. “Help!” she screamed. “Help! Master!”

The sound of her voice mixed with the clear, high chime of the bell. Down the hall there was the sound of doors opening. I scrambled to my feet, desperate to make it to the open window, but before I could climb out, a strong hand clamped down on my arm, dragging me back inside.