The Locket (31 page)

“He told me someone named Kace just came to see him. He said the guy was going to kill you. That sounds serious, Claire. Who is this person?”

I couldn’t very well tell Layken what was really going on. Could I? She would think I was crazy.

How would that go over? You see Layken, the truth is, Brent, Reese, and I are all gifted children that are half human and half ghost. There is a man named Kace who is a full ghost and wants to kill me because I am the chosen one that is going to bring him and his merry group of henchman down. They are ghosts, too, and haunt humans for the fun of it. Logan was adhered to by Kace to hurt me. Logan ditched his Adherent and kidnapped me because he had no self-worth, but I saved him. Oh yeah, and we all have these abilities. Brent can jump anywhere, read my thoughts, and heal me after an injury. Reese can turn into anyone he chooses and never sleeps. And I can shake your house down like the big bad wolf or seal you up in a bubble. That pretty much sums it up, Layken.
Yeah, the truth was definitely not an option.

“I have no idea what he was talking about.” I looked into her eyes and begged her to believe me. “He was really drunk, right? He was just talking crazy,” I suggested, noticing that she didn’t believe me.

“He was downright desperate, Claire.” Layken insisted, still trying to pry the truth out of me.

Brent interjected. His voice was hypnotic. Layken locked in on his stare, incapable of pulling away, completely entranced.

“Logan’s in a bad way and Claire has been a good friend. I’m sorry he showed up here and scared you but you have nothing to worry about, I promise,” Brent soothed Layken, charming her with his voice.

I watched Layken’s stiff body relax, her lips curving into a smile as she submitted to his words. “Oh, okay then. Should I wake him up?”

“No, let him sleep. Can you get us something to drink, please? Brent asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Layken complied, leaving the room.

I smirked at Brent. “Another new ability or she just wants you that much?”

Brent’s lips formed a wicked grin and he wagged his eyebrows. “A little of both,” he retorted.

“Here you go,” Layken said, returning to the room with bottled waters for all of us.

Reese was sitting at a small side table, his trusty ear buds in place. Brent, Layken and I sat on the sofa. I found myself sitting on the very edge still worried about dirtying the fabric.
Who buys white furniture?

Layken asked why we hadn’t been at school. We had missed three days last week already. With the three day weekend, we hadn’t missed a day yet this week, though we were due back tomorrow. I was pretty sure we weren’t going to make it but I didn’t share that with Layken. Brent continued with the story about helping Logan. Layken believed every word, even so far as to feel bad she had never noticed Logan was having problems.

It was 8:00am when we finally heard footsteps slapping down the stairs. Brooke and a girl I had not met before entered the room.

“Layken, Why is Logan asleep on your couch?” Brooke asked, freezing when she saw the three of us. Her gaze stuck on Reese and Reese stared back. He pulled his ear buds out, providing her with his full attention.

“Hey,” Brooke whispered softly.

“Hey,” Reese responded shyly, walking toward Brooke. “Can we talk?” he asked and she nodded. They left to go to another part of the house.

The other girl obviously had an effect on Brent as his posture went erect next to me when he saw her. She was staring open-mouthed at him. Great! Another girl in love with Brent, I thought briefly. Suddenly I noticed Brent seemed awed by her presence. I was flooded with insecurity. Did he know her? And worse, did he like her?

No way, Claire. You
’
re being ridiculous
.
He loves you. You have nothing to worry about
.
Sealed to match, remember.

“Hi, I’m Claire.” I moved towards her with my hand stretched out for a handshake.

She put her warm soft hand in mine.
Limp fish
, I thought. Now I got what my father meant.

“I’m Mandy,” she introduced, her eyes never leaving Brent.

I noticed she actually looked similar to me with blonde hair and green eyes and we were about the same size.

“Do you go to school with us?” I asked, not having seen her before.

Mandy didn’t respond as she was still staring at Brent. I noticed the uncomfortable expression on his face. He was looking down avoiding her, which meant something was up.

“She goes to a private girl’s school in town, but she lives next door to Brent,” Layken responded for her friend.

“Oh, so you two already know each other,” I said, addressing both her and Brent. Her expression was distressing. I thought I saw tears swelling in her green eyes. She flitted from the room without answering. Layken followed her, leaving Brent and me alone.

I spun around and glared at Brent. He was still looking down. Something was definitely wrong. I went to him and grabbed his hand, but he jerked away.

“What the hell was that, Brent?”

Brent looked up at me, his brows coming together. “I have no idea.” he barked.

“You must have some idea,” I said through clenched teeth. “That was a girl who looked heart broken, looking at the person responsible for that broken heart.” I hoped I was wrong and merely being my typical insecure self.

He took my hand, holding it close and continued to look down.

“It is nothing. Honestly, I love you, Claire,” he said slowly, trying to convince me but I wasn’t sure I believed him.

“You’re a terrible liar.” I threw his earlier words back at him. “Start talking or I might assume it’s much worse than appears. I don’t have the advantage of reading your thoughts, remember?”

Brent’s squeezed my hand when I tried to pull it away. “She has a crush, that’s all.”

“No, that’s not all Brent,” I commanded, pulling my hand away, knowing there was more to the story.

“All right, she likes me and I might have led her to believe, once, that I liked her too.” Brent was looking at his shoes and I knew he wasn’t finished.

“You might have?” I pressed, not letting him off that easily.

He started pacing in front of me and my imagination started to run wild.

“Okay, I did. I tried to like her. I couldn’t, because I was in love with you. She looked so much like you and I knew you were going to be with Reese. I thought I could replace you with her but it didn’t work out, and it hurt her.”

I recalled Layken talking about Brent and the girl everyone thought he left behind. Apparently he wasn’t interested in any of the girls in town. There was a girl – me – but I wasn’t left behind. I was off limits, supposedly sealed to Reese. He tried to replace me. I didn’t want to be happy about this but I was. I felt bad Mandy was hurting, but Brent and I were designed to be together. She would have been a lot worse off if Brent had forced the relationship.

“I’m sorry, Brent,” I said.

“Why? It’s not your fault. I feel really bad about how I treated her. I never should have become involved with her. I knew my heart belonged to you even if I could never have you,” Brent confessed, my heart going out to him as shame was evident in his expression.

“But you do have me,” I reminded, drinking in his smile when he heard the words.

“Claire!” Logan stormed in to the room and grabbed me, pulling me off my feet as he hugged me. “I’m so glad you’re here and you’re safe,” Logan cheered, setting me down and saying hello to Brent.

“Logan,” Brent grimaced.

“I’m glad you’re here, Brent, because Claire’s in trouble,” Logan reported, looking at him for help.

“What are you talking about?” Brent asked condescendingly, eyeing Logan’s position as an outsider.

“Kace came to see me when I went to get my things from my parents’ house. He wanted me to bring Claire to him,” Logan explained anxiously.

“Did you tell him anything?” Brent asked, with a warning in his tone.

“No! Of course not. He was irate that I removed the Adherent and warned me he would find Claire.” Logan looked at me when he said my name and his concern made me proud.

“We are the Chaser’s, Logan, and we’ll deal with Kace when Claire is ready,” Brent scoffed.

“I don’t know about that, Brent,” Logan responded. “Kace said he could feel Claire’s presence, and it was growing stronger. He said he would find her…Claire,” Logan said, cupping my face in his hands. “He said he was going to kill you. I was so angry, but of course he disappeared, and there was nothing I could do.”

“So you got hammered and came here to harass Layken?” Brent mocked.

“Brent,” I scolded.

“He’s right, Claire. I felt helpless and I didn’t know how to handle it. Looking for help in the bottom of a bottle is what I do. I lost my cell and didn’t know how to find you so I came here. Poor Layken, I think I scared the hell out of her.” Logan said, having a seat on the sofa.

I sat next to him and draped my arm over his shoulder. “It’s okay, Logan. Layken’s fine, now. She’s in the other room with her friend. You just confused her a little.”

He frowned. “Was that because I told her I was in love with you?”

“Partly,” I admitted, biting my lip.

“Sorry about that. Both of you. Alcohol and I don’t mix. I guess I screwed up again.” Logan wallowed in his failure to stay sober. He looked like he might cry so I squeezed his hand. Logan had cried enough and I wanted him to stay focused.

“You can’t change what you did, Logan, let’s move forward, okay? Are you still going to your uncle’s?” I asked, hoping that was still his plan.

“Yeah, my truck is all packed.” He perked up a little.

“Well, that’s a start. You have to stay strong, Logan. It’s not going to be easy. But you can do it. You’re not your father. You need to remember that,” I reminded him, reassuring him that he was capable of making the changes he needed to get his life back on track.

“You’re such a good friend, Claire. You know that? I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” Logan praised, putting his arm around me, kissing my cheek just shy of my lips. I heard Brent huff.

“Back off, Logan,” Brent warned.

“Relax, dude. I know she’s yours. Don’t hurt her though, or you’ll answer to me,” Logan teased, standing and facing Brent which made me anxious. Brent was still wrestling with his inherent protectiveness over me, and Logan knew all the right buttons to push.

“Yeah, I’d like to see you to try, asshole,” Brent threatened, moving closer to Logan. My anxiety started to grow as they sized each other up.

I jumped up and shot between them. “Brent, enough! Stop it!” I shouted, placing my hand on his chest, attempting to force him back a few steps, but he wouldn’t move. “I don’t belong to you, for Christ sake.”

Surprise flashed across Brent’s face and he grabbed both my arms just above the elbows. “The hell you don’t, Claire.”

Was he serious or totally out of his goddamn mind? “You know what? You’re being ridiculous. Logan was joking, Brent. Why don’t you go in the other room so I can talk to him without you freaking out?”

“No way, Claire!” he snapped.

“Arghh! You’re acting insane. Nothing is going to happen. You’ll be in the next room. Please, Brent,” I urged, grabbing his hands and holding them close to my chest, looking into his eyes, pleading with him to calm down.

Brent finally relented, spinning around to face Logan, staring at him menacingly. “Keep your goddamn hands to yourself while I’m gone, Logan,” Brent warned, before reluctantly treading away to leave the room.

“If she really loves you, then what are worried about, man?” Logan taunted. It struck me immediately that Logan was looking for a fight. Fighting was the only mechanism Logan knew to use when handling conflict. Looking at the two of them, I couldn’t decide which one of them I was more upset with.

Brent spun on his heels and marched back to Logan. “You’re the one that hasn’t figured out she’s taken,” Brent spit.

Cheap shot, Brent.

“Yeah, well, she didn’t seem so taken when she had her tongue down my throat. I think she even liked it,” Logan threw back at him, aiming straight for the heart.

“Logan!” I shouted.

Brent’s fists were clinched ready to strike, his eyes dark blue, almost midnight, without mercy. I knew whatever came next was going to hurt.

“Yeah, that’s how pity feels. She’d never really care about someone like you.”

“Brent!” I screamed horrified, not believing what I just heard come out of his mouth.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Logan asked, meeting Brent, chest to chest.

“Exactly what it sounded like, Logan. You’re trash,” Brent replied, not backing down even an inch.

I threw my hands up in the air completely frustrated with this charged display of testosterone. “Oh my God, stop it! Both of you. I can’t take it anymore. Kill each other if you want, but leave me the hell out of it.”

“I’m sorry, Claire,” Logan spoke first. “I’ll go in the other room and give you two a minute.” He left the room throwing daggers at Brent with his eyes, on his way out. Brent stood absolutely still, glowering at him until he was out of the room.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked Brent, once I was sure Logan was out of earshot.

“He just gets to me, Claire. I told you. I’m really fucking jealous and when he touches you, and I feel his sense of comfort with you, I lose my mind.” He approached me and brushed the pad of his thumb over the trace of bruising Logan had left on my face. “You’ve taken enough abuse from him, Claire. It’s time to let go.”

I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes. “Oh, my God. I can’t do this with you right now. I need go find Layken. Do you think you can control yourself until I get back and then we can leave?” That came out more patronizing than I had intended.

Brent turned away from me, acting insulted. I wanted to reassure him I loved him and Logan was nothing more than my friend, but the way he behaved infuriated me. I needed to calm down so I wouldn’t say something I couldn’t take back.

I went down the hall looking for Layken, stopping at a door when I heard her voice coming through it. The door was open a crack. I started to knock but stopped when I heard Mandy crying.

“I had no idea, Mandy. Why didn’t you tell me?” I heard Layken consoling her friend.