Cinderella Complex (13 page)

 

School was the last place I wanted to be. I trudged to first hour. The bell sounded just as I sat down. I kept my gaze focused on the blackboard, not daring to look at Connor. But he didn't do the same. I could feel his eyes on me.

Taylor tapped my shoulder. “Hey, I brought you some chocolate. My way of saying sorry.”

I spun around in my seat, grinning, to accept the candy bar. “Well, you certainly know the way to my heart.”

The teacher took attendance then handed out worksheets. The class intercom crackled to life.

“Mr. Trapper, can you send Maggie Winters down to the office. We've got a flower delivery for her,” Mrs. Watson, the secretary said.

“I'll send her right down.” Mr. Trapper motioned for me to go ahead.

Who the heck sent me flowers? I wondered as I walked down the empty halls. When I got to the office, Mrs. Watson slid a vase with a dozen roses in it toward me.

“Someone sure likes you a lot!” She smiled.

My fingers trembled as I took the card from the envelope.

Maggie, you mean everything to me
.
Love, Connor

This wasn't happening!

“Um, I'll leave them here until after school, if that's okay.” I clutched the card in my hand.

“Sounds good. It'll give me something pretty to stare at today.”

When I got back to class, my face flared hot as I thrust the card into my textbook. Connor caught my glance and smiled. He mouthed the word
sorry
.

Kat bent forward. “Who are they from?”

“A secret admirer.”

“I wonder who it is.” She giggled.

I closed my eyes and hoped she never found out.

****

Seth caught me in the hall before third hour. “So, are the rumors true?”

“What rumors?” I adjusted my books in my hands.

“I overheard Connor in the locker room. He said the two of you kissed last night.”

Why me?
I opened my mouth to answer, but Kat barged between us.

“I can't believe you. You went behind my back and kissed Connor.”

“Listen, I can explain. It's not what you think.” I reached for her arm.

She shook me off. “Just stay away from me.” Kat's eyes welled up and she pushed past me.

Nice. I was probably the first Godmother in history to kiss a guy who happened to be someone else's happily-ever-after. I had to fix this. Now.

“Kat!”

She turned to flip me the bird and kept going.

Seth's eyebrows rose. “We need to talk.”

“Can't. I'll be late for next hour.”

“Screw next hour.” He grabbed my arm. “Did you kiss him?”

I frowned. “It's none of your business—besides, it shouldn't matter.” My eyes blurred with tears.
Not now
. The last thing I wanted to do was cry in front of him.

“It is my business and it does matter. Answer me. Did he kiss you?”

“Yes.”

Seth's face grew dark. “What about our kiss?”

“According to you, it meant nothing!” Pain tightened my chest. Like I wanted to rehash his rejection.

“Who told you that?”

“Just let it go, Seth. I—I thought…”

“Thought what, Mags?” His voice softened.

I so didn't want to get into this. Not when I already knew how he felt. “Just forget it.”

Seth tugged me down the hall. “I'm not letting this go.”

“Where are we going?”

“Away from here.” Seth grinned. “You, Maggie Winters, are going to be a bad girl and cut with me.”

“Are you crazy?”

“No. We need to talk and we can't do it here. Meet me in the parking lot in five minutes.”

My stomach knotted. I couldn't believe I was considering this. My inner voice told me to go to class, while my body urged me to listen to Seth. I hurried to my locker and dumped off the books. With jacket in hand, I walked to the exit.

Sweat beaded on my brow. I was so going to hell for this. Seth was waiting for me outside.

“For a minute there, I thought you might chicken out.”

I snorted. “Please, like I'm going to back down from you.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, Dean Carter owes me a favor. And since he works in the office during the last two hours of the day, he said he'd make sure he fixed the attendance records.”

“What?”

He chuckled. “You were the one worried about getting in trouble.”

Great. Not only was I cutting class, but Seth bullied some kid into fixing school records.

Seth led me to his motorcycle. After securing my helmet, I slid onto the bike behind him. Dark clouds loomed in the sky. The trees bent unmercifully beneath the gusts of wind.

“Hang on tight,” he said.

I pressed against him, his body solid and warm.

Heat coursed through me and I closed my eyes. I remembered the taste of our kiss. Then shoved the thoughts from my mind. I so didn't need to dwell on it. At least not when I was so close to him.

We drove out of town, away from civilization. The curved roads were littered with leaves, the landscape shone with the vibrant light of autumnal colors. The chill in the air kissed my skin.
Wish I'd worn a scarf
.
I buried my face against Seth and inhaled the scent of his leather jacket. The familiar fragrance of his Airwaves soap tickled my nose.

When Seth slowed, I recognized the road to my family summer home, which was situated on Lake Ellsworth, next door to Connor's summer cottage. I hadn't been up here since early August.

We drove a quarter mile then pulled into the large driveway. Our log cabin nestled against the woods. The front porch faced the lake. A tire swing still hung from the oak tree in the yard. It swayed back and forth in the wind.

Seth parked and we climbed off the bike. While he put our helmets away, I searched for the spare house key under the welcome mat.

Drip
.
Drip
.
Splat
.

Rain hit the roof. Seth bounded up the stairs, shaking his hair. “Perfect timing.” He chuckled.

Raindrops hit the lake. Ripples fanned out across the surface. Thunder rumbled. The windows rattled in response.

“You can say that again.” I unlocked the door and we pushed inside. Everything had been shut up at the end of summer. The living room was dark and chilly. I tossed my jacket onto the back of a chair then went to adjust the thermostat.

“If you want, I can get a fire going.” He gestured to the mammoth stone fireplace at the center of the room.

Cabin. Check. Rainstorm. Double check. Fireplace. Triple check. Hot guy in my house. Quadruple check. It had all the makings of a romantic movie.

I trembled as Seth hauled wood in from the porch. His dark hair curled at the nape of his neck.
Snap out of it
.
The lights flickered and dimmed. Tree branches rubbed against the side of the house like skeletal hands. Seth wadded up newspapers beneath the grate then grabbed the box of matches from the mantel.

Not sure what else to do, I plopped down on the couch to watch Seth work.

A fire sparked to life. Seth washed his hands in the bathroom then walked back into the room and sat down beside me.

“I think we might be stuck here for a while. We're not gonna make it out of here on my bike.”

I groaned. “My mom will kill me if she finds out where I'm at.”

He winked. “Then don't tell her.”

Butterflies sprouted wings in my belly. His turquoise eyes watched me. I leapt to my feet. “Um—why don't I make us a snack?”

I scampered to the pantry, the hardwood floors cold to my feet. Seth sauntered up beside me.

“I'll help.”

I cleared my throat. “We've got chicken-noodle soup. Is that okay?”

“Yeah.”

While I cooked lunch, Seth put out bowls, silverware, and cups. We ate, washed the dishes, and moved back to the living room.

A comfortable silence settled over us as we sat on the couch. I grabbed the throw blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around my shoulders.

I looked at him. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Us.” He smiled. “And the kiss.”

Okay
.
Stay calm
.
Yeah, easy to say when my hormones raced around my body like it was a NASCAR event. “You made it clear it meant nothing.”

“Did I?” He brushed a tendril of hair from my face. “Because your kiss is all I've been thinking of.”

“Th-That isn't what you told Taylor.”

“Yeah, well I was trying to get her off my back.”

My blood thundered in my ears, my hands quaked in my lap. I shifted my gaze to the windows. The sky darkened. I glanced at the clock. It was only one-thirty. It shouldn't be dark yet. The wind banged the shutters as the lights flickered again.

He gestured to the storm outside. “Maybe we should grab a flashlight, just in case.”

“Good idea. Mom keeps the emergency kit in the cellar.”

Seth led the way. I pressed as close to him as possible without jumping into his skin. He flipped the light on and found a lantern and some of Mom's candles. Once we had these items, we went upstairs. I set the lantern on the table. Seth flicked open a lighter and lit three candles. After everything was in place, I plopped back on the couch.

Seth scooted next to me, his fingers entwined with mine. He pulled me closer and I draped the blanket over both of us.

“Did you initiate the kiss with Connor?”

“No. He kissed me. And I let him. Even though I knew I shouldn't.”

“Do you like him?”

The million dollar question. “He's nice, but he's not my type.” Did I just admit that out loud?

Seth's finger traced my cheek. “What is your type?”

We moved in closer. My breathing slowed as my pulse leapt against my skin. Our lips were a whisper apart.
Boom
!
Thunder shook the house. The lights blinked off. The dancing flames of the candles sputtered and died as if an invisible force had blown them out.

We plunged into darkness. Heavy footsteps sounded from the porch. The wood creaked and groaned. Shadows shifted outside the windows.

A high-pitched screech filled the room.

Seth released me and climbed from the couch. “Maggie, you need to get out of here.”

I froze and glanced around the room. Where did Seth go? A pair of glowing eyes stalked across the kitchen.

Crash
! Glass burst from the window panes and sprayed across the living room. I heard the beating of wings above me. The air stirred as something whirred by.

“No!” My legs knocked together as I hopped from the couch.

“Maggie, go!” Seth shouted.

Panic gripped me as I raced toward the stairs. I glanced over my shoulder. No way could I leave Seth. Somewhere in the darkness, I heard wood splinter as furniture broke apart.

“Seth!”

“Go now!” An animalistic growl resonated in my ears.

I stumbled upstairs to my room. My stomach churned as thoughts of Seth getting injured played through my head. When I reached my room, I yanked the window open. Lightning bolts shot across the sky. A scream lodged in my throat as I saw shadowy forms marching toward the house. The whole place was overrun with Grimms.

My legs wobbled beneath me as I climbed out through the window and hooked my right leg into the gutter. I heaved myself up and onto the roof. Rain pelted me, the harsh drops stinging and unremorseful. Wind tangled my hair, whipping it in my face. The shingles were slick beneath my feet. The ground was a long ways down. Frantic, my wings flared behind me. I flapped them with urgency. The strong gusts made it hard to maneuver. Several times the wind caught me like a kite, shoving me back toward the house.

But I fought against it. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I noticed a tall gargoyle-like creature perched on the roof eave. Its eyes blazed like hot coals. Its skin looked like cracked rock, stony teeth protruding from a mouth too wide for its face. In one swift movement, it plunged into the air, flying right at me.

The wood line came into sight, and I darted lower, closer to the trees. As I dodged the branches, sheets of rain blinded me. A loud screech sounded and I squeezed between two trees then twisted my body upward. My belly grazed the treetops, twigs scraped my skin. I cast a glance over my shoulder, only to see another figure crash into the gargoyle. Both toppled toward the ground.

What happened? My breath came in gasps, and I guided myself to a nearby park where I ducked into a concrete culvert.

“Maggie?” a familiar voice called.

“Jack?”

My brother poked his head inside the culvert. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. But Seth…”

“Where were you?”

“We went to the summer house. Grimms attacked us.” I choked on a sob.

“You stay here. I'll go check on him.” Jack zipped into the sky, his sword glowing in his hand.

I sat still as death. The wetness seeped into my shoes, my clothes clung to my body. My teeth chattered as the coldness penetrated my skin, my bones. If anything happened to Seth, I wouldn't be able to stand myself. This was my fault. It should've been me fighting the Grimms, not him.

A splash sounded from outside the culvert. I fisted my hands, ready for a fight.

“He wasn't there,” Jack panted. “Neither were the Grimms.”

“What if they killed him?” I stumbled outside, tears burning my eyes.

Jack grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. “Why the heck did you leave school?”

“Seth wanted to talk.”

“I can't protect you if I don't know where you're at. What if something happened to you?” His eyes widened, his mouth twisted into a frown. “How would I be able to deal?”

“I'm sorry.” I jerked back from him. Rain streamed down my face. “I just want to go home.”

Jack hefted me in his arms. “C'mon let's go.”

I buried my head into my brother's chest. After long minutes, he set me down on the balcony at our house. I hurried to my room. As he flew away, I grabbed the telephone and dialed Seth's number.
Please let him be okay.

“Hello?” Seth's voice sounded clear and healthy.

“Thank God,” I wept. “Are you okay?”

Static blared to life. “I'm fine. Just stay home, okay?” He sounded far away, like he was in a cave or something. “We'll talk soon.”

Click
.
The line went dead.

What in the world was going on?

Droplets of water slid down my cheeks. I held my muddied hands up in front of my face.
I'm not cut out to be a Fairy Godmother.