The Firefly Effect
Read The Firefly Effect Online
Authors: Allie Gail
The Firefly Effect
Allie Gail
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Kindle Edition
Copyright December 2015 Allie Gail
Cover Design by Laura Shinn Designs
http://laurashinn.yolasite.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any printed or electronic form without express written permission from the author.
The Firefly Effect
is a work of fiction. Though some of the cities and towns actually exist, they are used in a fictitious manner for purposes of this work. All characters are works of fiction and any characteristics similar to any person past, present or future are coincidental.
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Table of Contents
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Also by Allie Gail
The Immortal Touch Trilogy
Winter’s Touch
Fire and Ash
Red Tide Rising
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Burning Down the House
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Unconventional Scars
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~ Prologue ~
Flagler College campus – St. Augustine, Florida
eight years earlier
She isn’t answering me.
I don’t understand why she isn’t answering me.
I can see her now, standing there talking and laughing in the circle of those vainglorious sluts she has the audacity to call friends. I also know every time she receives a text because she immediately pulls out her phone and glances down at it. So I know very well that she read the last one I sent her.
Why are you ignoring me?
An ineffectual question, it might seem. I am accustomed to being ignored. It is the prototypical reaction of those cretins who are disinclined to recognize and acknowledge their inferiority. To them, I am invisible. Nonexistent. Like a god, my presence is unseen and unnoticed.
But my sweet Melanie never stooped to hold me in such contempt. No, not her. Never her.
Until recently, that is.
She has become so distant. This childish lover’s game of hard-to-get may have been amusing at first, but she is testing the limits of my restraint. It isn’t right that a girlfriend should treat her man with so little respect.
Pressing hard on the screen of my phone, I punch in another message.
I only have so much patience, angel. Why do you continue to provoke me? I see you, you silly girl. Do you think you can hide from me?
I smile to myself as she checks her phone, watching in glee as the brunette head quickly lifts to scan the campus. When she finally spots me, seated beneath a sprawling oak tree with my legs crossed leisurely in front of me, I make a point of waggling my fingers in a duplicitous little wave.
Instead of coming over, she hastily looks away as if she doesn’t see me.
I laugh softly. She is such an exasperating conundrum. What will I do with her?
My pretty fallen angel. Don’t you love me anymore?
She reads the message before pressing something into her phone, and I wait with eager anticipation to see what my inamorata has to say. But the text never comes through and I stare in futility at my silent phone, disappointed when nothing happens.
I send her another text.
I want to see you tonight.
This time she doesn’t lift up her phone. Doesn’t look at it.
What is she doing? Why doesn’t she respond? I know I saw her typing something on the screen. Who was she texting? If not me, then…
She blocked me.
I clench my jaw as the unwelcome notion occurs to me. But I will not accept that explanation. It is not a rational one.
No, surely she wouldn’t do that. Why would she? Melanie loves me. I know she does. I saw it in her eyes, in the way that she smiled at me. The way she always made a point of singling me out to say hello. The way she listened in rapt attention when I talked to her. Even if she is playing some sort of coy game, why would she alienate me in such an insulting manner?
I narrow my eyes as her group begins to disperse, and she wanders off alone without so much as a backward glance.
~ Chapter One ~
It couldn’t be more perfect.
Dropping my heavy suitcase to the hardwood floor, I resist the urge to squeal out loud as I scan the cozy living room of the place I’ll be calling home for the next six months. A bit chintzy maybe, but I’m in love already. It has even more character than I envisioned in my head when Leah first gave me the rundown three weeks ago.
That’s not to say it would be in everyone’s taste. The nautical theme is hardly what you’d call subtle. At first glance what you notice is the typical beach house décor – wooden ship wheel and anchors adorning the walls, blue and white striped furniture, glass-topped coffee table with a base fashioned out of twisted driftwood. But everything comes together in a way that’s warm and welcoming, giving off a homey vibe that makes me instantly comfortable.
Against one wall is a pointy bookshelf that’s been creatively constructed from part of a canoe. Unable to resist, I check out the books that line the shelves and feel absurdly pleased to find several of my own titles there. Romantic murder mysteries, all composed under the pen name of Kristine Lane. It was my agent’s suggestion to use my middle name. Apparently she thought Kristine sounded more austere than Melanie. Whatever, I’d go by Polly Esther Pants if I thought it would help sell more copies.
My cell phone begins to serenade me from the pocket of my cargo shorts, and I reluctantly pull my attention away from an intriguing collection of erotica to see Leah’s name on the screen.
“Your timing’s uncanny,” I tell her. “Would you believe I just walked in the door?”
“I know. I can see you through the camera. Wave to me.”
“
What?
” I whip my head around, scanning the corners of the room dubiously. “Are you serious? There’s a security camera in here?”
“No, not really. I’m just messing with you.” She snorts a laugh at my startled reaction. “Damn, Mel, you are so gullible! Trust me, there is nothing going on in that house that I
ever
wanna see on video. Did you have any trouble finding the street?”
“Nope, not at all.”
“So what do you think? You like?”
“I love!” I can already picture myself banging out several thousand words a day in the comfort of these harmonious surroundings. “It’s a writer’s paradise. I’ll be able to concentrate
so
much better here.”
“Told you, didn’t I? And the neighbors pretty much keep to themselves, so you’ll have all the peace and boring ass quiet you can stand. Actually, they’re probably not even there – the couple on one side are retired snowbirds so they don’t usually come down until winter. The house on the other side is owned by a doctor, and his family mostly just uses it during the summer for vacations. Being September and with school starting back and all, I doubt you’ll see much of them. Maybe once in a while on weekends. The kids are well-behaved though, they won’t bother you.”
“Awesome. That is perfect. Thanks again, Leah. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. I know you probably could have rented this place for a lot more than I’m paying.”
“Nah, I doubt it. I woulda had trouble renting it this time of year, being off-season and everything. You’re actually doing me a favor. Now I don’t have to worry about my dingleheaded brother lending it out to one of his weirdo friends. Let me tell you, the last dickweed he let stay there practically demolished the place. God, I was pissed!”
“Wow. I bet.”
“So freaking
rude.
Anyway, Butthead went in with me on the place two years ago, but he hardly ever uses it himself. I think he just put up the money because he got sick of me calling and harassing him every day. Really, he should be thanking me – this was a great investment. You wouldn’t believe the price it was going for.”
“Did you get a good deal?”
“I’m telling you, it was a steal! The owner was in a hurry to sell it and he just kept coming down on the price. How could I resist? And you know me, I practically live at the beach during the summer. I’m a total sun worshipper.”
Not surprising. A mere twenty-two years old, Leah’s still young enough that the threat of skin cancer wouldn’t concern her in the slightest. Not that I’m
that
much older than her – I just turned twenty-eight last month – but she has the breezy personality of someone who doesn’t worry about much. I met her back in March when I got a job working at the newspaper office where she was employed.
Correction –
is
employed. I, on the other hand, just got sacked.
Last in, first out.
To be fair though, she is only part time. She puts in a few hours in the evening after her classes at Northwest.
“How are things at work?” I can’t resist asking.
“Oh, you know. Same as always. Brad feels really bad about having to let you go, by the way. He said for me to remind you that if another position opens up, he’d love to have you back.”
“Tell him not to stress over it. I understand. A lot of people don’t bother subscribing to local papers these days. That’s not his fault.”
“Look at it like this. Now you don’t have any distractions. You can finish your book that much faster.”