The Gathering (38 page)

Kaley put the coffee down and looked at her mother.

"Who's the third most important man?
 
G-dad was one, dad was two, who's three?"

Alia smiled and shook her head.

"That's not important."

Kaley kept looking at her mother and then dropped her shoulders.

"We all know, Mom.
 
We can all see."

"See what?"

"Sean, Mom.
 
How the two of you feel about each other… we can all see it."

"I don't know what…"

"Now you stop.
 
Dad's been gone for three years and it's time for you to start living again.
 
Not just for us, but for you.
 
Sean loves you so much."

"Kaley, enough."

"But, Mom…"

"Enough. Sean is my friend.
 
That's all.
 
Even if I did have feelings other than friendship, he doesn't."

Alia got up and walked into the room and started to change. Kaley followed her, but before she could say anything else, Alia stopped her.

"I think you need to talk to your sister.
 
The two of you need to decide what you're going to do."

Kaley threw up her arms and made for the door.

"Oh, Sweetie?"

"Yeah."

Alia hugged her daughter and took her face in her hands.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks, Mom.
 
Think about what I said."

Alia gently pushed her daughter out the door and closed it behind her.
 
She walked over the window and twisted her long auburn hair into a bun in the back of her head and plunged a stick through it.
 
Looking at the ground she saw Sean with Myron.

She smiled and shook her head.
 
She stepped back inside the room. Sean looked up at the turret and sighed.
 
He missed her.

49

Tanner was in the stable brushing down his horse, when Chelsea Hearst walked up to the gate and placed her hands gently on the wood.
 

"Hey, Pretty Girl," Tanner said without looking around.

Chelsea looked around and then back at Tanner.

"I thought your horse was a stallion?"

"He is."

"Then who were you talking to?"

Tanner stopped and sighed heavily, then turned and looked at Chelsea, raising his eyebrows at her.
 
Chelsea looked away and blushed.

"Oh, how'd you know it was me?"

Tanner smiled.

"Secret."

Chelsea smiled and rolled her eyes.
 
Tanner finished with his horse and patted him.
 
He grabbed his gear and walked to the gate.
 
Chelsea stepped back and opened the gate for him and he smiled at her.

She felt butterflies in her stomach as she closed the gate.
 
She had agonized all morning about coming to ask Tanner to have breakfast with her.
 
What if he was only dancing with her to be nice?
 
He hadn't tried to kiss her.
 
Maybe he was just being nice.
 
She looked over at him.

Tanner had finished putting the gear away and was taking off his shirt.
 
The late morning sun reflected off of his damp skin and she felt her stomach flinch.
 
She started to chew her bottom lip and just as she was going to ask, two girls from Crystal Shade walked in, Tanya Hogar and Brittany Roberts.
 
Tanya was seventeen with the body of a twenty-three-year-old, all the right curves in all the right places, long blond hair and bright blue eyes.

Tanner was washing his hands and face as they walked past Chelsea, who was now scowling at them.
 
Tanya walked past her and smiled, flipping her hair.

"Hi, Tanner."

Tanner looked up from the basin, water dripping from his face and he raised an eyebrow.
 
He grabbed a towel and started to dry himself off.

"Hello, Tanya…Brittany."

Brittany waved and smiled.
 
Tanya looked back at Chelsea, who crossed her arms and shook her head.
 
Tanya turned back around and smiled.

"I was wondering, Tanner, do you have any plans for breakfast this morning?
 
I haven't seen much of you this Gathering and I was hoping that we could talk."

Tanner finished drying his face and tossed the towel back in its place, then grabbed his shirt and pulled it back over his head, and tugged his long black hair from inside.
 
Then he smiled and nodded.

"That's really nice of you, Tanya..."

Tanya smiled and raised her chin in triumph as Chelsea frowned and shook her head again.

"…But I already have plans."

"Wha…what?" Tanya stammered.

Tanner smiled and walked over to Chelsea, offering his hand.
 
Chelsea smiled and understood as she placed her hand in his, all the while staring at Tanya.

"Yeah, I guess you and I haven't been at the same dance floors.
 
If we had, you would have seen me spending the last few days with Chelsea.
 
I'll be spending the duration of the Gathering with her, but thanks for asking."

He brought Chelsea's hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, then turned to leave.
 
Chelsea smiled and waved as she followed.

"Bye."

Tanya was fuming as Brittany tried to comfort her friend, but the buxom blond Crystal was already stomping her foot and pointing at Chelsea.
 
Chelsea began to laugh.

"That was awesome!"

Tanner smiled as they walked towards the Dining Hall.

"I don't even mind you telling them those things about us being together.
 
The look on her face was priceless."

Tanner frowned and stopped, but held Chelsea's hand so she stopped too.

"What?" she asked.

"What do you mean you don't
mind
that I told her we were together?"

"I mean that I don't mind that you lied about wanting to be with me for the rest of the Gathering."

Tanner shook his head.
 

"Why would I lie about that?"

Chelsea swayed a little and felt her breathing get a touch harder.

"You mean you weren't just saying that?"

"No, I don't just say things, Chels.
 
Are you really that insecure?"

Chelsea pulled her hand away and crossed her arms.

"No, but you haven't exactly been straightforward about wanting to be with me… exclusively.
 
I mean in the last two days I have seen at least ten girls throw themselves at you and you flirted right back with all of them."

Tanner leaned back and scowled again.

"Maybe I flirted, but I didn't go with them, did I?"

Chelsea sighed and started to get angry.

"No, but you didn't do anything to let me know… anything either.
 
I mean I was really excited when you asked me to dance.
 
I really like you, but you haven't said anything or done anything to make me believe you want to be anything more than my friend.
 
I mean, I came to see you today to see if you wanted to have breakfast with me, but I didn't even get a chance to ask before, Big Tits and her flunky freak of a friend walk in to burst my bubble."

Tanner stood before her trying to stay angry, but the smile broke through.

"Big Tits?"

"Well they are, aren't they?"

He nodded and then looked at Chelsea.

"Look, I’m sorry, Chelsea."

He moved towards her and held her face in his hands.

"I don't move really fast when it comes to this stuff, but I do really care about you and I do want to spend time with you."

The butterflies were back as Chelsea stared into Tanner's eyes.

"Ok."

Then without hesitation, Tanner moved in and kissed her.
 
She was shocked and startled, but felt her hands go to his waist as she kissed him back, soft and warm.
 
She felt like they were kissing for an eternity when he finally pulled away.
 
She opened her eyes and felt dizzy.
 
He smiled at her.

"Can we go eat now?"

She nodded and they walked to the Dining Hall, once again holding hands.

Chris and Hannah had been watching the entire event.
 
He looked over at her.

"You know where I'm coming from, right?"

Hannah smiled.

"Yeah, I know."

"Good, I have to go practice."

Hannah sighed.

"Me too."

Chris smiled.

"See you this afternoon?"

Hannah nodded.
 
Chris leaned in and kissed her cheek, then smiled.

"See you later, Pretty Face."

Hannah smiled as she watched him walk away.
 

“
What a great Gathering this was turning out to be,”
she thought, and she ran off to find her friends.
 

50

Amanda was leaning over the south wall, watching the soldiers ride the perimeter of the village.
 
They rode in pairs and circled in front of the woods.
 
She could just make out what they were saying.

"Do you see anything?"

"No, but he said to look…without going in."

"I don't see a damn thing."

"Let's go check the other side of the village."

They rode off and Amanda watched.
 
Then she turned back excitedly towards the woods.