Crossings: A Sovereign Guardians Novel (11 page)

I'd ceased screaming, but I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. I didn't know what Keller was doing outside the school in the middle of a storm, but I had never been so glad to see anyone in my life.

I dropped the book I was holding, threw open the door, and threw myself straight into his arms.

Keller's shirt was soaked from the rain and water dripped from his hair and onto my trembling hands that now circled his neck. My own clothes were getting wet, but that didn't stop me from burrowing my face into his chest and holding him tighter.

"Well hello to you, too, love," Keller responded, his arms tightening around me.

For a brief second I stayed where I was, enjoying the security of his arms. Knowing he probably thought I was acting insane, I eased back from his hold and looked up into his surprised face.

"I, uhm, I, well, I thought there was someone following me," I stammered, my eyes looking back down the hall.

Keller moved, shifting me slightly behind him.

I was more than a little surprised when he didn't even question me for details. His eyes were focused and alert as they scanned the halls looking for anyone else who might be in the building.

We both stood there in silence, but it soon became obvious that if someone had been there, they were gone now.

"Maybe it was another student in the building that frightened you," Keller remarked

Remembering the slam of the locker that I'd heard, I nodded slowly. "Maybe, but I, uhm, I don't think it was. This is going to sound strange to you, and I don't know quite how to explain it, but, well, it didn't feel like simply another student. It felt like, well, it's hard to explain."

How would it sound if I told him it felt like something evil was after me? Already with the lights on and with Keller beside me, it sounded ridiculous in my own mind.

One thing was certain, there was definitely no way I was going to tell him this wasn't the first time I'd felt this way. Knowing Keller, he'd take a line like that and turn it into something about my feelings being out of control because I was with him. I rolled my eyes just thinking about the fun he'd have with that conversation.

"You're all wet," I said instead, pointing out the obvious.

"I walked over from Fairvue and got caught out in the storm, and then I saw your truck out back. Think you could give me a ride home?"

I couldn't let him walk home in the rain, but for reasons I didn't want to examine too closely, I didn't want to take him home either.

It wasn't a far drive, really, and I couldn't leave him stranded out in the storm. Only a few minutes ago I'd been thrilled to see him. My own messed up thoughts had to be from the scare I'd just had or else from the hit I had to my head earlier during gym class because nothing else made any sense. Being alone with Keller in an small, enclosed space was something I could handle.

Definitely.

I agreed to give him a ride. I picked up my history book, and then we made sure the school door was closed behind us as we left the building. We ran as fast as we could to the back parking lot. By the time we reached my truck, I was as wet as Keller, but luckily there was no longer any lightening.

Sliding behind the wheel, I watched Keller climb up into the passenger seat. His shirt was plastered to his chest. I swallowed hard, realizing what I'd always suspected was definitely true.

The boy had nothing to be ashamed of.

He was built like a god.

I didn't know if he worked out when he was away from school or if working at the farm kept him in such great shape, but it was hard to not blatantly stare.

Embarrassed by my own thoughts, and doubting again my common sense in giving him a ride, I bit my lip and forced myself to look out the front window.

I turned on the ignition to get the heat going before daring one more look at Keller.

He was smiling at me.

"What?"

He leaned across the cab of the truck and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me. Instead his arm reached past me to the area behind my seat. He pulled out a towel I had tucked there and handed it to me.

"I thought you might want to wipe the water off your face. You're dripping a little, you know."

"Are you always so rude?" I shot back.

He looked hurt. "Rude? How is offering you a towel, rude?"

I tossed my wet hair back from face. "No girl wants it pointed out that she looks like a drowned rat, thank you very much."

Keller's eyes moved across my face and then lower. His grin turned into something that was no longer purely amusement. He leaned closer and took the towel from my hands to rub it over his own face. How, I wondered, could such a simple move be so blatantly sexy?

"I never meant to insinuate you looked like, what was it you said? A drowned rodent?"

He shifted his whole body and grabbed the rearview mirror, tilting it down so I could see my reflection.

"In fact, if you look for yourself, I bet you can understand why I am enjoying this view of you. If I'm not mistaken, it's the same reason your eyes weren't exactly glued to just my smile earlier.”

His gaze traveled leisurely over my face and then down to my chest before slowing coming back to my eyes.

“Really, love, I promise I was being quite the gentleman by offering you that towel."

Realization of what he meant dawned on me. I looked in the mirror and suddenly understood. I could see straight through my shirt. The rain had made the material transparent. The lacey white bra I wore beneath did little to hide anything.

Mortified, I slapped the mirror back up and grabbed the towel, spreading it like a blanket over my chest and covering what I could with the material.

Unable to form a coherent thought, I didn't respond. Instead, I threw the car into drive, tires squealing, as I raced out of the parking lot. I didn't know how fast my truck would go, but I was determined to make it home in record speed.

Instead of warning me to slow down, Keller only laughed. He seemed totally at ease and even had the nerve to turn on the radio.

A slow song was playing. I immediately reached over and hit a different button to change the tune. I refused to be in a small space with Keller listening to anything that was even slightly romantic.

"I like the way you think, babe. I'm not much of a slow beat person myself. I like things to move fast."

Something close to a growl came from my throat and my hand snaked out and shut the radio completely off.

I pulled onto the road that led to both Fairvue and the farm Mr. Mac owned and flew up the drive to the small house where Keller lived alone.

Alone
.

Keller was all alone.

The thought slammed into my mind almost as fast as my foot hit the break. For a minute I felt something close to shame at how I'd treated him. I wondered what it was like to have no one. But then I did know all too well what it was like to be lonely. I wondered if he ever felt that way.

I put the truck in park and turned to face him, determined to be civil if only because I felt a little bit sorry for him, or at least that's what I convinced myself.

"You can get out now," I told him, and I wondered where my determination to be nice had gone.

He winked at me and reached for the door handle. "Thanks for the ride, babe," he added.

"Keller, wait!"

He twisted back towards me, but his fingers remained on the door's handle.

"What? Can't stand the thought of me leaving?"

"
Can't stand the thought of you
, might be a more accurate statement," I shot back but added a small grin to show him I wasn't quite serious. “Actually, I realized I never asked you why you were even at the school tonight."

That slow, lopsided grin he always wore spread across his face. He let go of the door and fully turned to face me.

Instead of immediately answering, Keller leaned over and gently touched the side of my face with the back of his hand exactly where I knew a light bruise had to be showing by now.

"Looks like you're getting a little bit of a bump there, sweetheart. Bad day at gym?"

The side of my head was still sore, but the only thing that was bothering me now were the butterflies in my stomach from the second his skin made contact with mine.

"You didn't answer my question," I said, avoiding his, the same way he'd avoided mine.

Keller sighed and moved away from me.

I had an insane desire to lean across the cab of the truck and grab his hand back, but I resisted the urge, holding my hands tightly together in my lap.

The rain had finally stopped, but the sky outside was dark and gray creating an intimate atmosphere inside the interior of the truck's cab. It felt like we were a million miles away from everyone even though we were both close to home.

"It's no big mystery, really," Keller finally answered. "I needed something at school, so I went back to get it." He eyed the history book I'd thrown on the floorboard. "Same as you."

"You didn't get anything, though," I pointed out.

"That’s where you’re wrong," he winked. "I got you to drive me home."

I laughed at his quick comeback.

Knowing I wouldn't get anything out of him that he wasn't willing to give, I was about to tell him goodbye when he surprised me with a question of his own.

"What do you think happened back there, at the school?" The smirk he usually wore was missing. For a moment I could almost believe he was concerned about me.

I shrugged one shoulder which made the towel I had draped across me slip a little.

"Keller, if I ask you something, will you promise not to laugh?"

His quick nod was the only confirmation he gave, but for some reason it gave me the confidence I needed to ask my question.

"Do you believe there's evil in the world?"

"Yes," he replied without hesitation.

The intenseness of his gaze helped me believe he wouldn't laugh this time if I told him what I was thinking. The words poured quickly from me. I was afraid if I didn't start talking I might not say what I really wanted to, and I needed to tell someone, if for no other reason than to make sure I wasn't crazy.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before I began. "Ever since I can remember, I've felt like there was something always near me, something that wasn't good, waiting for me - hiding in the night when I cut off the lights, waiting in a darkened corner or lurking in the shadows. I suppose it's the normal feeling children have when they're in bed all alone and I should have grown out of it by now, but it's like I can't because I know it's still out there. Whatever
it
is, and for some reason it's there, waiting just for me."

My eyes searched his to see if he thought I was crazy. I was surprised but also relieved to see his face was serious, intent. He moved his head slightly, silently encouraging me to continue.

"Well, anyway, that's how I felt this afternoon. Like the evil was all around me."

I rubbed one hand over my face and then back through my wet hair. "I can't believe I'm telling you all of this. It's so embarrassing. You probably think I'm about nine years old and still afraid of the boogey man."

Keller's eyes went from my face and then moved lower as I realized the towel covering my wet shirt had fallen to my lap.

"I assure you, I am well aware that you are
not
a child."

There was no smile this time in his voice, no smirk meant to make me uncomfortable. Then he moved and filled the space between us.

His hands moved up my arms and pulled me close. He was warm despite the rain that still lingered on his skin.

His check rested against my own as he whispered in my ear, "If you believe there’s evil in this world, then you must also believe in magic, in things that are good." He leaned back and his eyes searched mine. "Can you, sweetheart? Can you believe in magic?"

His lips so close to my ear, moved lower and brushed against the base of my neck. My own hands moved without hesitation to the back of his head, running through his hair, pulling him closer.

Need like I have never known raced through me, and I thrilled as his fingers tangled in my hair. His mouth moved from my neck, gently sliding up as he began to place teasing kisses along the side of my face, coming closer, but never quite touching my lips.

"This is crazy," I murmured. "But, yes. Here with you,” I whispered, “yes, I believe in magic."

The slow, uneven smile that spread across his face assured me I'd chosen the right answer. Keller's lips found mine, and I was certain magic was real.

My lips brushed against his softly at first and then more demanding. His hands, his wonderful hands, were everywhere and I wanted them more than everywhere. My rain soaked shirt stuck to my body, but it didn't stop him from sliding his palms underneath the clinging fabric.

The heat of his touch set me on fire. His fingers caressed my skin and moved across my back. I wanted to touch him the same way he was touching me. I needed to touch him, everywhere.