Blue Ridge: Vol. 1 - The New Boy (4 page)

“More rolls, Foster?” Nadia’s mother beamed. She was thrilled to have another person that she

could
feed. Frank James was a Chevy man, but Crystal James was a cooking woman.

“Oh, no thank you. If I have any more, I won’t be able to eat that delicious chocolate cake you have over there!”

Nadia’s mother blushed and began clearing the table so they could have dessert. Nadia rose to help her and soon the house smelled of brewed coffee and rich chocolate. Foster ate two pieces, which pleased her mother to no end.

After lunch, Nadia’s father took his spot in the recliner and was soon snoring, and her mother was humming happily in the kitchen, washing dishes.

“Want to go for a drive?” Foster was grinning.

“Sure.”

Nadia kissed her mother’s cheek and they left quietly out the front door. Once inside Foster’s vehicle she let out a long relaxed sigh. “They are overbearing today.”

“No, it’s nice, Nadia. Old school America really. You should cherish it.”

Nadia gave him a sidelong glance before answering. His statement seemed odd and touched with sadness. “I do, I guess. What is your family like?”

“Complicated.” Foster drove a few miles out of town and parked on the side of the road. “Nadia…We have become close very quickly.”

Nadia toyed with the bottom of her t-shirt and felt the disappointment welling up within her. She looked out the window and watched several birds take flight only to circle around and land about two feet from where they originally started. “You think we are moving too fast?”

“No! Not for me anyway. I just want…” His words caught in his throat and he knew he should tell her everything. Just risk it all and see if she would feel the same way.

“You want what?”

Foster twisted in his seat and turned her around so they were facing each other. His eyes were large and conveyed urgency. “Let’s leave this place.”

“What? What are you talking about?” She could feel the grip on her upper arms tighten and fear ran up her spine.

Foster sensed it and let her go, running a hand through his hair, as he leaned back in his seat. “I don’t know. I just want to run away. I just want to run away with you.”

Nadia giggled and laid her head on his shoulder. “I don’t know what is going on today, but that was a very romantic thing to say.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I’m that kind of guy.”

“Good. It’s better than the usual.”

“Which is what?” he asked playing with a strand of her hair.

“A jerk.”

“I love you, Nadia.”

She lifted her head and made sure he was being serious. The set of his jaw and the raw emotion of his eyes told her all she wanted to know. “I love you too.”

“Love knows no boundaries, nor does it understand time.”

“That’s beautiful.”

“Yes.” He said and interlaced his fingers with hers. “My mother told it to me once.”

“She sounds like a wise lady. I hope I can meet her soon.”

“She is wise. She’s a princess.”

****

Physics the next morning was full of notes and worry.
Mr. Deedle announced their first test would be the next class meeting, and Foster was over twenty minutes late. Nadia felt like a foolish teenager. She watched the door and the clock so much that she missed most of the notes for that time frame. When Foster finally walked in he looked like he hadn’t slept a wink again, and his clothes were rumpled like he had possibly spent the night in his vehicle.

“Attempt to be on time, Mr. Anak.”

“Sorry, Mr. Deedle.” Foster gave her a weak smile and opened his notebook. He scribbled something on the first page and slid it to her.

Sorry if I worried you. Do you work tonight?

Nadia nodded and slid the notebook back. She couldn’t put her finger on it but her working seemed to bother him. He didn’t frown or show any outward signs, other than she sensed slight stiffening to his body. As soon as Mr. Deedle announced class was over and she had shoved everything into her bag, Foster grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the room and up the stairs into the hallway. He never broke stride, which took some maneuvering since the hall wasn’t empty of bodies. Kristen walked out of her classroom and opened her mouth to say something as they passed, but was cut short by Foster. “Can’t stop. She’ll call you later.” Nadia looked back and shrugged at Kristen, who for once stood speechless. He didn’t stop walking until they were outside and at her vehicle.

“What’s wrong?” Nadia asked with a higher pitch to her voice than she meant to have. He didn’t answer right away, but kissed her hard instead.

“Take a trip with me, Nadia. Let’s just get out of this place for a while.”

“What? Foster, I can’t just leave when school is in session, and neither can you!” She could feel irritation rising in her like bile. “What is really going on? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

Foster needed time. He needed time that just wasn’t there. Things were exploding at home. Strange people were there the previous evening and they all met in the barn. He tried to eavesdrop but all he heard were a few snatched words about age old agreements, treaties, and that something had to be done about the situation. Foster knew it had to do with him and Nadia.

The
Fae and the Nephilim had a treaty that kept peace between the races. One of the biggest rules was that there was to be a limited amount of exposure with humans and under no circumstances were either race to mate with one on a permanent basis. So Darren just slipped by on that one, of course. The only permanency he knew was loyalty to his father and their ‘business’. The other members of the Council varied in race and the treaties were a nightmare to keep up with.

“I’m not in trouble. I just really want to go somewhere with you.”

Nadia wanted to appease him at all costs. “Hey, we could go away for Thanksgiving. My mother will be devastated, but we could go anyway.”

Foster forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah, okay, that sounds like a plan. I guess I can wait that long.”

“Great! This will be so much fun! Maybe we can go skiing!”

Foster felt so much for her right then; he knew he would do anything to protect her.

Nadia knew she would do anything to please him.

****

They parted ways after taking a walk around the campus.
Nadia talking excitingly about their impending vacation, and Foster with his head swirling about how to tell her the truth without losing her. 

The rest of the week was a grueling pace of watching her without her knowing it and being with her every chance he had. He knew they were being followed. Eyes seemed to be everywhere, yet he could never see anyone directly, unlike the first night he saw the car at the end of the parking lot.

Another strange meeting happened that Thursday night, and ended with his father yelling and storming out of the barn. The few Fae that actually showed up wandered back into the forest on foot, and the Nephilim got into their vehicles and drove away. The others had varying modes of transportation, and everyone seemed to scatter to the four winds.

By Friday after class he was exhausted.
He took Nadia to the same restaurant again and followed her to work.

“Will you call me tonight?”

“Of course.” He smiled down at her. His arms were loosely draped around her waist, and they stood that way for ten minutes talking and occasionally kissing before Nadia’s boss, Evelyn, yelled out the front door that they should get a room. Foster grinned and yelled back that he was trying but Nadia wouldn’t go. Evelyn cackled an ear splitting laugh and shook her head closing the door.

“Okay, off to work with you.” He said, letting her go and swatting her behind as she began to walk away.

“Bye! Call me later!” Nadia felt foolish reminding him again to call, but she still felt the fear of his disinterest lurking in the back of her mind. It was a whirlwind kind of romance that she never wanted to end. Once inside she looked out the window and saw that he was still in the parking lot. Not understanding, she thought it was sweet the way he lingered.

“You are quite taken by this young man.” Evelyn said from behind the counter.

Nadia turned to look at her with the smile still on her face. “Yeah, he’s really wonderful.”

“Well, just watch yourself that you don’t do anything foolish, like run off and get married, or get yourself knocked up!”

Evelyn looked like a woman that would bake cookies for her grand-children and knit blankets for babies, but in reality she cursed like a sailor and told everyone exactly what she thought. Nadia wasn’t sure what to think of her when she first came to the Book Nook, but now she loved her almost as much as she loved Kristen. She leaned over the counter and clasped her hands together.

“But, Evelyn, don’t you think our children would be just
gorgeous
?”

“Hmph!” Was the only response given as Evelyn snapped the day’s paper open.

Just for fun Nadia straightened the baby and maternity book section. Her fingers grazed the spines of the books and she began to blush with the realization that she and Foster’s passionate kisses were going to lead somewhere further and her only experience had been disappointingly terrible. What would he think?

She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Evelyn was still reading her paper, and walked silently to the health section. There was only one book about sex there and she reached for it as the front door chime announced a customer. Nadia let her hand drop and wandered to the front of the store. The two men that walked in looked like nothing she had ever seen before, yet somehow seemed familiar.

One was at least 6’9” with broad shoulders and shoulder length brown hair. The other was shorter by at least eight or nine inches, but he had a stunning face and jet black hair pulled back in a ponytail. His hair seemed to catch and reflect light from all angles. Some women would have fallen at his feet begging to be noticed. He seemed so familiar that Nadia found she was staring. The man looked at her and she immediately dropped her eyes. If Foster had been there he might have misconstrued her staring for interest. The man seemed to glare at her, but didn’t hold her gaze long. He and his companion moved down the center isle without any purpose. Nadia gave them an appropriate amount of time before approaching them.

“May I help you?”

The two men turned and looked at her. The tallest one seemed to not care she was there, but the other one glared again. Neither spoke right away. Finally the tallest one broke the silence. His voice was an infusion of sound that penetrated her skull and caused a desire to weep with joy. She was sure if she could hear an angel’s voice it would have sounded like that.

“We’re just looking. Thank you.”

Nadia nodded once and went to sit beside Evelyn behind the counter. She had stopped reading the paper and was openly watching the men. After a few minutes they both moved to the front door to leave.

“Ya’ll come again.”

“I’m sure we will.” The tall man said again.

Once they were out the door, Nadia let out a sigh of relief and Evelyn whistled through her teeth.

“Yes, sir, if only I was ten years younger!”

“Whatever, Evelyn!” Nadia laughed and moved from behind the counter.

“What? Okay maybe fifteen years younger. What’s that saying, ‘the older the berry the sweeter the berry’?”

“No! It’s ‘the blacker the berry, the sweeter the wine’!” 

“Oh. Okay, wine becomes more valuable and is smoother the older it gets! Whiskey too! So there!” She let out one of her famous cackles, and they spent the next hour debating why older women were good for younger men and vice versa.

****