Valley of the Moon (5 page)

But I couldn’t let him go yet. “This way,” I said, and started up the stairs.

The hallway on the second floor was dark. I led him to my room and turned to face him outside the door.

“Well, good night.”

“Can I come in?” He took a step closer so I was almost pinned against the door. “I really want to kiss you, Lana. But I can’t with
that
staring at me.” He pointed. Piper’s ancient giant schnauzer stared at us from around the corner, teeth bared. He delivered a low, menacing growl.

“Ferdinand!” I whispered. “Go back to bed! Go! Bed!” He didn’t budge. “He’s deaf,” I explained. Caleb just grinned. “Fine. Come in, but just for a second.”

I set my wedges down and went into the room. He followed me. Butterflies rioted in my stomach.

“It’s going to take more than a second. Sorry.” In the faint moonlight streaming through the window, Caleb seemed bigger, taller, slightly unreal.
Is this finally happening?

He put one of his hands on my hip and his other arm snaked around my back. Champagne fizz sang in my ears. He leaned closer and pressed his lips to mine tentatively.
Yes, this is happening.
One
of his hands caught the hair at my neck. His breathing got faster and he opened his mouth and our tongues touched. For a second I didn’t know what to do, but then his hands went up to my temples and combed the hair away from my face, and suddenly we were really kissing, even though I had never done much kissing before.

It was like some long-forgotten, secret file in my brain had been storing kissing instructions all this time, just waiting for the right moment to tell my mouth what to do. All five of my senses sharpened up to razor-fine points; every single nerve in my body pinged, as if Caleb’s GPS had just discovered all their hidden locations.

Then his mouth broke away from mine and moved over to my ear. “You are an amazing kisser, Lana,” he whispered.
Lana? Who’s Lana?
His lips moved to my ear, down my neck, and back up to my chin. My champagne-soaked innards were suffering a total nuclear meltdown. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me in closer while his kisses worked some kind of hypnotic spell over my body. Just when I had a wild urge to feel his body push down on mine, right on Mrs. Blodgett’s pristine, 1000-thread count sheets, he broke away. His hair was gorgeously mussed.
Look what you did to him.

“Tell me to leave,” he said, his voice low and husky. “Now.”

“Huh?” I wiped my wet mouth and smoothed my hair down.

“Tell me to go—or I might not.”

I crossed my arms and took a deep breath. “Okay. Caleb, can you please go now? It’s late and I need my beauty sleep.”
I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay and kiss me like that a few more times. A few thousand more times.

He ran his hands through his hair. “Not super convincing.” He smirked at me. “And you don’t need much beauty sleep.”

“Oh, is that so?” I put my palms flat on his muscular chest and pushed hard. He laughed and didn’t budge. “CALEB, GET LOST OR I’LL CALL THE COPS! Well? How was that?”

He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. “Number?” I managed to remember my phone number. He punched it in and shoved his phone back in his pocket. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he whispered. “Don’t go finding any boyfriends before I see you.”

When the door closed, I grinned so hard my cheeks hurt. I skipped into the bathroom, scrubbed my face, pulled my party dress off, and tugged a nightie over my head.

When I finally crawled, delirious, between Mrs. Blodgett’s fabulous sheets, I could still feel his lips on mine.

The twisting road on the way
to breakfast was not helping matters. I slid across the backseat of Piper’s BMW when she took a turn too fast.

“Slow down! You want me to barf in here?” But she didn’t hear me. She hadn’t stopped talking since we woke up.

“I still can’t believe it! My first rager and we all get boyfriends! And they are all
related
to each other? You guys, I can’t even.”

I stayed quiet. Even though I couldn’t believe it either.

“Well?” Maya asked, swiveling around to face me from the front seat. “What happened to you last night?”

“We’re dying, Lana!”

I sighed and drummed my fingers on the door handle. “Caleb is really nice.”

Maya made a face. “My grandpa is nice.”

“We got along,” I said. “You know.” Did they want a play-by-play of each kiss? When he grabbed my hair and nibbled on my neck? The sexy, unfocused look in his eyes? I shook the memories away and tried to look innocent.

“A long what?” Piper said, watching me from the mirror.

“Piper!” Maya squealed. “Look at her—she’s bright pink.”

“We kissed, okay?”

“That’s three for three!” Piper screamed. She pulled off her sunglasses and high-fived me from the front seat. Her eyes were bloodshot, and there were echoes of mascara smeared underneath them. “And you didn’t think there’d be boys there,” she gloated. “What was your dude’s name again?”

“Caleb. Caleb Something.” What was it? He’d mentioned it at some point. “Weaver.”

Piper swerved around a turn too fast. The tires shrieked.

“Caleb Weaver?”

“Watch the road, please!” Maya yelled.

“He used to play tennis for Harker. You know who he is?” I asked.

Piper bit her lip. “Um, the name sounds familiar,” she mumbled. “Must have seen it on a tournament roster or something.” Before I pried deeper, my phone rang. Maya grabbed it.

I snatched it out of her hands and answered the call.

“Lana? Hey, it’s Caleb.” My heart raced at the sound of his voice. Piper pulled into a spot in front of the restaurant and both girls turned to watch me. I mouthed the words, “I’ll be right in.” Outside the windows, the morning clouds had drifted away and the sun felt warm and delicious on my face.

***

I stared at the clock. I wore my slim dark jeans, ballet flats, a silky camisole, and a cardigan. I held my gray leather jacket on my lap like a security blanket. My stomach was keeping itself busy herding swarms of butterflies when my phone vibrated with a text.

Got lost. Be there in 5.

I texted back:

Don’t text and drive.

My dad heard the pings from the kitchen, where he was slicing carrots. “This bozo think better of it yet?” Tires crunched up our driveway. I jumped up.

“He’s here! Please be nice, Dad!”

“You met this guy when? Ten minutes ago?” His knife came down hard and a piece of carrot flew off the cutting board and rolled onto the floor.

A car door slammed. My dad walked over to the front windows that faced the driveway. “He drives a nine-eleven? What the hell kind of parents—”

The doorbell cut him off.

***

Caleb Weaver was freshly shaven and his hair was perfectly groomed, as though he hadn’t been guzzling champagne and making out with some high school chick the night before. He wore a rumpled button-down shirt and dark jeans.

When I opened the door, he grinned at me. “Hey, sorry I’m late.”

“Hi! Oh, no problem.” My dad cleared his throat behind me. “Caleb, this is my dad, John.”

Caleb politely shook his hand and introduced himself. My dad smiled and his shoulders relaxed a little. “Nice looking car there, young man. Drive safely please, you two.”

As I slid into the passenger seat, my heart went into overdrive. I wiped my damp palms on my jeans as he walked around to his side.
Relax or he’ll know it’s your first date!

Sweat stains under my arms were not a good look.

I took a calming breath and tried to think of something to say as we drove away.

“I got to drive the new nine-eleven last month.” He raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah? Did you steal it?”

I laughed. “No, I work for—” But I stopped myself. He didn’t need to know I parked cars on the weekends. “I work at my dad’s shop sometimes. He sells restored vintage cars, and some newer ones. He used to race.”

“Really?” Caleb looked over at me with raised eyebrows. “You must be a pretty good driver.” He looked over at me expectantly. I shrugged. “Right now I’m picturing you in a head-to-toe leather jumpsuit.”

“Don’t have one of those yet.”

***

I was not ready for the question when it came at dinner. We were at a cozy café called the London Tavern in downtown Glen Ellen.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did your mother pass away? Was she sick?” The ice cubes in my glass cracked.
Make something up. Do not go there.

I took a sip of my water. “Yeah. She was.” Technically not a lie. She had to have been sick. We just didn’t know. No one knew.

“Wow, I’m so sorry, Lana. What about your dad? Did he ever think about getting remarried?”

I hadn’t anticipated that one. I considered saying no, but I was a terrible liar. Too many lies already. “Yeah, he did. He got remarried when I was in seventh grade.” Caleb sat absolutely still, staring at me. “That lasted three years,” I said, my voice flat. “The gnocchi here is amazing. Do you know what you’re going to order?”

“What happened? Did you like her?” Nope. Not on our first date. Not on our millionth date. My attempt at changing the subject had failed. I tried to think of something to satisfy his curiosity.

“Actually, I begged him to marry her. I’m an only child, and I wanted a sibling. She had two kids. Lesson: never let your eleven-year-old give you relationship advice.” I laughed like it was funny and then asked him about the sports he played. He launched into a rant about his practice schedule next semester. My anxiety drained away. I was having fun. When he told me about water polo, I blushed.
Do not picture him in a Speedo. Do not picture him in a Speedo.

But I couldn’t help it.

***

He asked me to drive back from the restaurant. As I sped up the road from town, the happy afterglow of our date blew right out the window. Thick tension filled the car.
You know what happens at the end of dates.
When I shifted gears, I felt his eyes on me. I fidgeted in my seat and the leather squeaked awkwardly. I refused to meet his gaze.

When I turned up my street, he asked me if we had a good view from our house.

“No, but you drive to the top of the road you can see the entire valley.”

“Will you show me?” My body felt flushed. I slowed down as we approached my driveway.

“Okay.” I passed my house. There was a turnout at the end of the road under a grove of giant eucalyptus trees. I pulled in, turned the key, and the engine purred to a stop. From the front seat you could see the twinkling lights in the valley below, like a river of diamonds scattered by a giant.

“That’s an awesome view. But the one in here’s even better.”

I turned to look at him. His face shone in the wash of moonlight. I had been in so many strange cars for work, but never alone in one with a boy. My palms were damp. My nerves paralyzed my tongue.
Say something! Don’t blow this!

“Thanks for dinner, Caleb. I had a great time.”

“Me too.” I raised my head. His eyes sparkled dark blue. He reached out and laced his fingers through mine. A herd of small bunnies scampered down my arms and up my back.

“Lana?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you come here, please?” He pulled my hand towards him and my upper body followed. Our faces met and then he was kissing me, hard. I pulled my hand loose from his and raked my fingers through his hair, pulling his head towards mine. He took a sharp intake of breath and his arms tightened around me.

Before I could answer him, he checked his watch and groaned. “Damn. I have to get up in like four hours. We’re going skiing in Tahoe—me, Wyatt, and Evan.”

“That sounds fun.” It sounded horrible, actually. He unbuckled his seat belt and faced me.
This is where he blows you off, tells you to have a nice life, explains that he has to get back to the sorority sisters in bikinis who are waiting in his room guarding his Speedo collection.

“You’re going to have a great time.”

He looked at me cryptically. “Not anymore.” He kissed me again and when we finally broke apart, his cheeks were flushed and the windows were steamed up.

“You might have to stop kissing like this,” he said, out of breath. His eyes gleamed.

“What if I don’t want to?”

He stared at me. “You don’t want to find out. Or do you, Lana?” A tendril of fear wound through my stomach. The Porsche had a tiny backseat, so I doubted we could do too much in his car. But the idea that he wanted to was thrilling.

It was so late when I got home that I snuck in through the window. This time I didn’t wake up my dad.

***

The next day Caleb sent me a selfie of him, Wyatt, and Evan on a ski lift.

Then four days went by.

No messages.

No calls.

By the morning of the first day back to school, I was furious. Not at him—at myself. For liking a boy I barely knew who was not that into me. As soon as I woke up I deleted his number from my phone and started bracing myself for Piper’s questions.

My dad was in the kitchen. He had bits of toilet paper stuck to his cheek and he barely looked up at me from his coffee. When his cell phone buzzed, he spilled some on his shirt. He looked at the phone, pursed his lips, and didn’t answer it.

“Dad?” He looked up at me. “Is everything okay?” The home phone hanging on the kitchen wall rang. I reached across the counter to answer it.

“No!” he yelled. I yanked my hand away from the receiver like it was on fire. “I mean, I’ll get it.”

He ambled slowly over to the phone as it rang and rang.

The ringing stopped before he got to it. He looked up at me. “They’ll call back.” He took his bottle of high blood pressure medicine out of his shirt pocket, twisted open the cap, and knocked two tablets into his hand. He clapped his palm to his mouth and washed the pills down with a swig of black coffee.

***

I parked my Golf and walked up the steps up to the main entrance. The usual sound of hundreds of loafers shuffling across the Saltillo tiles in the entry hall was curiously absent. Where was everyone?

Then I remembered—Monday assembly.

I ducked into the auditorium just as Miss Grimm was closing the doors. She scowled at me.

Mr. Wimbish stood at the podium intoning to the assembled girls. I spotted Piper in the last row in the senior section. She waved me over.

When I sat down, Piper hissed, “Did you see her?”

“Who?”

A teacher shushed us. Piper rolled her eyes.

Wimbish droned on. “So in this New Year, let us all to resolve to be better citizens—to each other and to the world.” He cleared his throat. “And now, girls, I have a sad announcement. Our upper school English teacher Louis Quarry will be leaving Briar. In fact, today is his last day. He has been offered an opportunity to teach at a private boy’s school in Connecticut.”

A stunned buzz rose up. Every head in the room swiveled in Mr. Quarry’s direction. He stood leaning against the auditorium wall opposite us. His face was like stone and he gazed into the distance. She had done it. She had gotten him fired.
I guess she didn’t like being dumped, Mr. Quarry.

I glanced over at the stage and jumped. Ramona Crawford stood half-hidden in the wings, but her mirthless black eyes found mine. Goose bumps broke out on my arms. I let out a sharp intake of breath and dropped my gaze, tucking my skirt tight around my legs. She rarely made an appearance at Briar. Was she here to gloat on her boyfriend’s last day? I wondered what excuse they had given him. I imagined Mr. Wimbish, long fingers pressed together, delivering the bad news.
Louis, it has come to my attention that you have refused Mrs. Crawford’s sexual advances. I’m afraid we have no choice but to let you go.

Ramona wasn’t beautiful, but she was striking. She wore her jet-black hair in straight, glossy sheets to the tops of her shoulders. Her body was lean and boyish like Cressida’s, with small breasts and sculpted shoulders and arms, thanks to daily Pilates classes and weekly low-impact cardio classes and monthly cleanses and sips from the black cauldron where she stewed human limbs and gnawed the flesh off bones with her fangs.