By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series) (16 page)

It was five minutes until the last bell of
the day, but he acted like he was giving us the day off.

Jenna glanced over at me and rolled her eyes.
I grinned, not really caring how long he was giving us. We were
still getting out early.

We all jumped up and gathered our things, our
voices animated as we discussed our summer plans. Mine really
didn't go any further than getting the heck out of Dodge. The
expanse of summer lay before me, and I was elated with a sense of
freedom. It was one last hurrah before our senior year.

At our lockers, Jenna and I parted ways.
Backing down the hall, she grinned at me. "Party. Tonight. My
house. Don't be late!"

"Wouldn't miss it," I said, closing my now
empty locker. "See ya."

She gave me a little finger wave, pausing in
her retreat to take in Mike Lomond's backside as he stood just a
few lockers down gathering his things. Her grin widened, and she
pointed at him, mouthing the word, "Hot!"

I laughed. Heaven help the boy. When she
turned to head down the hall, I went the other way, still
smiling.

My smile only widened when I stepped outside
and spotted David standing near his car. Even from a distance I
couldn't help but admire his body—his wide shoulders, muscular
arms, cute butt. A sudden wild streak went through me. Perhaps
tonight would be the night to continue my sexual education.

The enticing image floated across my mind and
then abruptly dissolved when he shifted his weight to reveal
Kristin Gertz coyly leaning against his car. I froze mid-stride.
Other students pushed past me, but I paid no attention, even when
they tried to gain it. My entire focus was on the couple.

The adoration shining in her bright eyes said
it all, and the velvet caress he ran down her arm confirmed it. He
leaned in to kiss her.

I turned and fled into the school building.
Surrounded by friends and strangers alike, I didn't know what to
do. I brushed past them all, murmuring quiet so long's as I fought
my way against the sea of students heading outside.

At a loss of what to do, I feigned needing to
get something from my locker. Tears threatened as I repeatedly
failed to get the combination right. Frustrated, I yanked at the
latch. The damn thing wouldn't budge. I finally kicked it in hopes
it would miraculously spring open.

The final bell rang and the remaining
students flooded into the corridor. I couldn't get the searing
vision of David and Kristin together out of my head.

My locker still refused to budge. I swiped a
hand across my eyes and lowered my sunglasses over the bridge of my
nose.

Elbows and backpacks jabbed into my sides as
I pushed through the crowd, and a sob threatened to escape my
throat as I struggled toward the girl's restroom. A few steps from
my refuge, Ty's voice stopped me.

"What are you still doing here, Mac? I
thought you'd be long gone to parts unknown by now."

Ty winked as he approached. I swallowed
hard.

"Nature calls." My voice came out
surprisingly normal.

His face split into a grin. "Too much
information."

"Guess you don't want to hear about it being
that time of the month, then?"

"Disgusting." He laughed and draped an arm
over my shoulders. "You know, just because we're friends doesn't
mean I need or want to hear about these things."

I let out a laugh I didn't feel. "That's only
because you don't want me nosing around in your boy habits."

"Damn straight." He pulled me in close and
continued down the hall. "Listen. It's Carrie's birthday in a
couple of weeks and I thought maybe..." He stopped mid-stride, his
eyes locked on my face. "What's wrong?"

Of course he'd notice.

"Nothing."

Twin lines of worry appeared between his
brows.

I knew it was pointless to try to hide
anything from him.

He ushered me against the lockers and
shielded me from the milling students. I stepped close to his
comforting presence, gripping his T-shirt lightly, head bowed.

"Tell me," he said.

"It's David...I..." I choked on my words,
unable to continue.

Ty's chest rose up and down. Jaw clenched
tight, he spoke tersely. "What did he do?"

"There you are, Mac! I've been looking for
you everywhere."

Ty stepped back, his face heated as David
sauntered over and wrapped an arm around my waist. He gave me a
gentle squeeze. I stared up at him in shock. He had to be
joking.

My mind reeled when he leaned in for a
kiss.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

His demeanor made no sense. No one could pull
off a lie like that with a straight face.

He didn't wait for me to respond. It didn't
matter. I couldn't speak if I tried.

"How goes it, man?" David nodded at Ty,
completely at ease and oblivious to the tension in Ty's posture.
"We partying for Carrie's birthday?"

Ty eyed him coolly. "I was just discussing
plans with Mac. What have you been up to?"

David shrugged. "Looking for my beautiful
girl here."

Ty kept his gaze fixed on my face, measuring
my reaction.

Honestly, I didn't know what to think.
Self-doubt immediately took root in my mind. Maybe I had gotten it
all wrong. This small pinprick of uncertainty started to expand.
Surely David couldn't lie to my face so smoothly.

"I've been looking for you, too. Out in the
parking lot," I said.

David laughed. "And of course I went to your
mom's classroom. We must have crossed paths."

I studied his face, trying to discern if
there was even the slightest hint of untruthfulness in his words.
Try as I could, I didn't detect any.

"My bad," I laughed, relief flooding through
me.

It couldn't have been him. I must've been
mistaken the entire time.

Ty's fists went slack with my sudden change
of mood. I flashed him a quick smile as David led me away.

"I'll see you at home," I yelled over my
shoulder.

We were mere steps from the exit when it
happened. I'd thought about it many times since. Had we been a few
seconds earlier or later, perhaps I never would've known. A flash
of movement caught my eye, and I turned to see Kristin looking at
us. An obvious sadness colored her pretty features and, in that
moment, I knew I'd been right.

If he saw her again after that day, they hid
it well.

I almost didn't go to the game. The image of
Ty and Carrie back together flipped through my mind all afternoon,
and my heart ached at the thought.

On top of that, the loud music I'd insisted
on blasting had given me a killer headache. Completely on edge,
there was no guarantee I wouldn't scratch Carrie's eyes out if I
happened across her in the crowd. What I would do to Ty would be
far worse.

Part of me expected him to call, but the
phone hadn't made a sound. I couldn't handle what that might
mean.

In the end, I went simply because I couldn't
not
know what was going on.

My father was tooling around the house alone,
and he jumped at the opportunity to drive me to school. He blared
The Best of Bread
the entire way, singing at the top of his
lungs. I considered having him drop me off a few blocks from
school.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stick
around—just in case you need a ride?" he asked as I climbed out of
the car.

"No thanks. I'll catch a ride with
someone—plus mom's here somewhere." My mother helped supervise the
SBA's souvenir stand during the games.

He hesitated. I prayed he wouldn't question
me or heaven forbid ask if something was wrong. Nothing brought on
the waterworks faster than having an "Are you okay?" thrown at
me.

"Call if you need me," he said.

He rocked down the street, completely
oblivious to the spectacle he presented. Several milling students
turned to watch him go. I frowned. Adoption had to be to blame for
this.

I made my way toward the stands feeling like
a complete idiot. I usually sat with my friends, but my group and I
were no longer claiming each other. It was an odd feeling walking
into a crowd alone, not knowing whether a friendly face would
appear to save you from isolation.

I should've called Melanie. I flipped open my
phone to do just that, but snapped it closed when I caught sight of
the thick yellow tape barring the dark recesses beneath the seating
area. Funny how it had all slipped my mind. Just one week ago,
Kim's life had ended under there. I glanced away, my chest seizing.
It could've been me. Despite this, I felt strangely attracted to
the area—morbidly fascinated with the idea of slipping beneath the
barricade to lay where they'd found her body.

Suddenly cold, I wrapped my arms around my
chest and kept my feet moving. I passed the small entrance and let
out the breath I held.

The game was well into the first quarter and
my eyes automatically scoured the field for Ty. I spotted him
standing on the sideline, his helmet removed and hanging at his
side. His hair stood on end and glare-guard marked his face. Deep
in conversation with the players flanking him, he watched the game
with a burning intensity.

I glanced at the scoreboard. We were up by a
touchdown, and I knew without a doubt his attendance was the
cause.

For whatever reason, I somehow expected him
to sense my presence and turn to look at me. He didn't, and I bit
down my disappointment.

"Hey Mac, over here!"

A lone voice rose over the crowd. I searched
the stands for its source. Mary waved frantically from a few rows
up and relief flooded through me. I ran up the steps and squeezed
in with her group. Everyone was in high spirits, and I tried to
break free of my melancholy as they all leaned in for quick
introductions. I knew most of them by name, but that was as far as
it went. It didn't seem to matter to them—they all slipped into
easy conversation, acting as though I were one of them.

"Here, Makenna," Mary said as she pressed a
steaming cup into my hand. "Secret family recipe."

She said the last with a wink. I hesitated
before bringing the styrofoam rim to my lips. I took a sip,
expecting the familiar sting of alcohol beneath the hot liquid. The
rich, creamy taste spread through my mouth, and I nearly spit it
out in surprise. It was the best hot chocolate I'd ever tasted.

Mary raised her brow, self-critical. "Too
much milk?"

I took a hearty swallow and smiled. "No, it's
perfect."

She beamed with pride before her attention
moved to the field. "Glad you came. He's kicking ass tonight." She
gave me a knowing look. I blushed.

Ty
was
at the top of his game. When
the offense took to the field, he caught an amazing reception on
their second down. He seemed to hang in the air as he easily picked
off the ball. The spectators lost their minds, and I couldn't help
going along with the contagious atmosphere as Ty rushed down the
field for another touchdown. Hands patted me on the back, a clear
indication they thought I should share in his victory. An
indication they thought Ty and I were together. God help me, I
started to believe it, too.

A couple of minutes before half-time, I
excused myself and descended the stairs. I wanted to let Ty know I
was there. My pulse raced as thoughts of how he'd react flashed
through my mind. I needed to get this over with, though. My
imagination could no longer be left to its own accord.

I wouldn't have much time to flag him down as
the team made their way to the locker room, and I hurried to the
end of the fence line separating the field from the bleachers.

I stopped dead at the sight of Carrie
standing sentry at the small opening through which they would pass.
In a fog, I heard the shrill of the final whistle and saw the band
march forward and onto the field. The football players jogged by
ahead of me, and then Carrie separated Ty from the pack.

When she clutched a handful of his jersey and
leaned into him, a searing pain flared in my chest. Their posture
was so familiar with each other. Of course it was. Maybe Ty cared
for me, but they'd shared a lot in the two years they had dated.
And honestly, I had no chance in a head to head battle with
her.

Ty's attention suddenly jerked in my
direction. We locked eyes. Was that guilt I saw in his? He stepped
away from Carrie and that was answer enough. When she turned her
smug face to me, I turned and fled in the opposite direction. I
thought I heard his voice call out my name, but I didn't stop.

Faced with the dead end of the perimeter
fence before me, I tucked myself against the back of a stairwell
and waited until I could be sure the coast was clear. When I
eventually poked my head over the edge, they were gone.

o0o

I was lying in bed staring at my ceiling when
a soft rapping jarred my window. I didn't need to turn on the light
to know who it was; Ty had often scaled the porch overhang to sneak
into my room. When I didn't immediately answer, he pounded harder.
He'd wake my parents at this rate. He was persistent, and I finally
stomped over to the window and raised the sash.

He was inside before I could protest. He'd
showered and changed into jeans and a dark grey T-shirt. His wet
hair glistened beneath the dim light coming in behind him and he
smelled like Dial.

I crossed my arms. "What do you want? You'll
be lucky if my father doesn't come run your butt out of here."

"If you'd keep your voice down, that won't be
a problem." He frowned at my defensive posture. "What's going
on?"

"Are you serious?" My voice shook slightly,
and I willed it to steady. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Fine. Short answer? Nothing's going on
between Carrie and me. If you had bothered to stand still at any
point today, you'd know that already."