Deceptions (The Mystical Encounter Series Book 2) (21 page)

~~~~~

The scenery along the Meramec River was the most beautiful I had ever seen. The luscious green trees overhanging the embankments made a spectacular backdrop. I found it exhilarating when the shoreline developed into a stonewalled bluff, with splashes of green covering the bottom. The blue sky reflected in the clear water was breathtaking. It was as if I had been placed in a virtual postcard. The beauty mesmerized me, leaving no room for uneasiness.

We neared the exit point on the river, and the familiar fluttering in my stomach returned, threatening to negate the peacefulness I had experienced just minutes before. I knew everyone hung around after exiting their kayaks, increasing my chances of seeing Barry, and my apprehension.
Did anyone warn him I would be coming?
At least Nicole was right about the take off. They’d left by the time we arrived. With a small group ahead of us, plus a few behind, Barry was nowhere in sight. That made it easier.

“Heather, this way,” Nicole yelled as we were getting off the river.

I stepped out of the kayak and slipped on a rock, causing me to slide. As I fell, a tall, toned guy grabbed ahold of my arm to help me balance. All I saw was this bodacious six–pack, which I admit wouldn’t have been so bad to fall into. As I released a loud, nervous laugh, I straightened myself, saying a silent prayer for not incurring a vision.

With his hand still on my arm, he leaned over, and asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I think I’ve got it,” I said, flashing him a smile. When he smiled back his eyes roamed across my chest. Clad in nothing but my bikini top and jean shorts, I suddenly felt underdressed.

“All right then,” he said, and grinned.

His fingers brushed along my arm, causing me to turn my head. A choice I instantly regretted when I found myself staring into Barry’s familiar eyes.
Why does he have to show up at such awkward moments?

“Well, I’m Derek, let me know if you need any more help,” the cute guy added, snapping me back to attention.

“Thanks, I’m Heather. Um, I’d better get back to my friend,” I said, stumbling on my words and wondering if Derek and/or Barry thought I was an idiot. Feeling foolish was becoming a habit of mine lately.

I snatched up my lunch tote and the rest of my clothes, and bid Derek goodbye.

Nicole raised her eyebrow. “Who the heck was that?”

With a half–grin, I answered, “Derek.”

“Well, well. I’d like to get to know Derek.”

I laughed and shook my head, then pulled on my t–shirt and wiggled into my hiking pants. We sat at one of the empty picnic tables, not too far away from where Barry was sitting. Without trying to steal glances his way, I concentrated on my food. It was still difficult having this distance between us, but I needed to get used to it. We finished eating our lunches and began packing up when the sound of scuffling feet approached from behind..

“Look who we have here guys…‌ it’s the modern–day witch.”

My back stiffened as I slowly turned to see whose voice it was. The tiny hairs raised on the back of my neck when Micha, the jerk from The Gamer, stood less than five feet away.

I stood, completely voiceless, unsure of my next move.

“What is your problem?” Nicole piped up.

Micha glanced at Nicole, before turning to glare at me. “Her. Her kind isn’t welcome around here.” He pointed at me menacingly.

“You have completely lost your mind. For someone who’s supposedly religious, you sure spout a lot of hate. Leave. Us. Alone,” Nicole said.

“Yeah, well what are you going to do about it?” Micha challenged, taking a step closer. His two friends lurked behind him, but they weren’t nearly as intimidating. In fact, the way they shifted their feet and kept turning their heads away suggested they were uncomfortable.

The crowd must have sensed an impending argument because they formed a circle around us.
Where was Caleb and the rest of our friends?
I fought the temptation to scan the crowd for them, frightened to take my eyes from Micha. I didn’t know what he was capable of.

“Looks like you ran off your little boyfriend. He’s not here to protect you anymore.”

“Go to hell,” Nicole spat.

“And join her?” Micha asked, pointing back at me. “No thanks.”

“Leave.” A voice demanded from behind me.

Those words triggered a painful memory, and I flinched, thinking the command was for me. Barry brushed by to stand between me and the jerk, and I released a small sigh.

“So you’re still defending the little witch, huh?” Micha goaded.

“I’ll say this one more time: leave,” Barry said, clenching his fist.

The last thing I wanted was for him to get into another fight on my behalf. I didn’t know what that creep’s problem with me was, but I wished he’d take Barry’s advice and walk away.

But, instead, he took another step closer toward Barry, getting right in his face. “What did I expect, coming from the bastard son of a whore.”

I gasped. Nicole gasped.

Micha threw a punch at Barry, then everything blurred. Barry ducked another punch and landed one on Micha. They needed to stop. Barry’s friends flanked his sides, but didn’t intercede. My pleas for them to end this fell on deaf ears as they continued scuffling. The jeering from the crowd seemed to provoke them further as the fight continued. With one final blow from Barry, Micha landed on his backside.

While Micha’s two friends picked him up and carried him away, Barry turned back toward me. My mouth opened slightly at the sight of blood dripping from the gash above his eye. I wanted to rush to him and tend to his wounds, but I didn’t. Instead, I remained trapped, held captive by his stare. Barry didn’t utter a word. He didn’t have to. His eyes said it all. Gone was the harsh glare, replaced with a softness that suggested forgiveness.

“Dude, what the hell?” Caleb bellowed out.

Barry turned toward his friend. Our moment, broken. But as he walked away beside Caleb and the others, a sense of hope developed. Maybe, just maybe his coldness toward me had lessened.

~24~

Reluctance

“What are you smiling at?” Mom asked.

I glanced through the photos Nicole had just sent me. Mom’s work schedule finally had balanced out, with a regular schedule of Monday through Friday. It was nice having her home on Saturdays, although most evenings she took off with Tanner. This Saturday night was no exception‌—‌any minute he’d be here to pick her up.

“Here, I’ll show you.” I passed the phone to Mom, and waited for her reaction.

“Oh, she’s gorgeous,” she gushed in response to Nicole’s prom pictures.

She sat down beside me and scanned through them, commenting on how pretty her dress and up–do were. And she wasn’t lying, Nicole looked beautiful. The purple dress accentuated her body, and the layer of sheer added elegance. Fixed in a fancy twist–bun with dangling curls, her hair was perfect. Jealousy seeped into my veins after viewing the pictures. Perplexed by the sudden onset, I wasn’t sure where it came from. I’d never cared about school dances before. Perhaps I had wanted to go with Barry after all. A month after our break–up, it still hurt to think that we weren’t together.

Mom’s forehead crinkled with worry lines as she handed me back my phone. “You decided not to go to prom?”

“No. It wouldn’t have been the same going without Barry.”

She nodded. “I take it there’s been no progress where he’s concerned?”

“No. He still won’t even look at me,” I said, banging the table a little too forcefully. “The last time we made eye contact was when we went kayaking.”
After
he punched Micha, I intentionally left out. In that moment I thought I saw a hint of forgiveness, but two weeks later, nothing. I kept telling myself to move on, but really…‌where would I move on to? It was impossible to develop that bond with someone and then shut it off. Everyone kept telling me he’d come around in time, but I no longer believed that. After a month with no progress, hopelessness prevailed. I tried to stay strong, but I missed him so much.
If I felt this way, shouldn’t he
? It made me doubt he had ever loved me in the first place. If I was in his position, I would definitely have caved by now.

“I’m sorry, honey. He had too many things burdening him at once,” Mom said, standing. “Plus, he’s a guy, they take longer to straighten everything out,” she added with a wink.

“Thanks, Mom. I’m all right, really.”

“I know you know this already, but it will get easier as time passes. Believe me, I know.”

The doorbell chimed, putting an end to our conversation. With a sympathetic smile, she left to get the door.

“Thanks Mom,” I said as she walked to the foyer. “Tell the detective I said hi.”

She smiled genuinely. “I will.”

She retreated around the corner, and I stared after her.
She just made another reference about my dad. She never brings him up.
His departure was mysterious to me, and I was unclear on whether even she knew all the details. Those blocked memories filtered in on occasion, and I remembered certain parts against my wishes. But Mom always masked her feelings well. I had honestly believed she didn’t care, which was why her statement threw me off guard.
It will get easier as time passes? Believe me?
Her tone suggested that she had cared for him. Deeply. But considering she hardly ever mentioned him, I wasn’t sure.

The last thing I wanted to think about was my stupid father, so I made my way to my bedroom to grab a book. There was homework that needed to be done, but I refused to be the lame girl who sat at home on prom night doing homework.

I scanned the limited collection on my bookshelf, and immediately excluded all high school drama and romance books. A love fest between couples was the last thing I needed to read while my friends were at prom. I smiled and pulled
The City of Bones
off the shelf. Paranormal fantasy was exactly what I needed.
Right…‌because the paranormal fantasy genre doesn’t describe my life.

I walked back into the living room, grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch, and sat. I snuggled against the cushions and started reading. I was just getting to the part where the main character opens her door to a vandalized apartment when the doorbell rang. My head whipped toward the sound. I tossed the book aside, wondering if it was Barry at the door. My heart quickened as I rose and sprinted toward the doorway.

My jaw dropped the moment I saw who was standing at my front door. Expecting Barry, I was shocked to see Nicholas Canter.

He smirked, acting as if he belonged on my porch. Minus the cast and bruises, he seemed even more handsome.
Was that even possible?
I just stared. His allure rendered me speechless.

Moving his hands inside the pockets of his shorts, he muttered a simple, “Hey.”

His baritone voice broke my trance. I cleared my throat, asking, “Nicholas, what are you doing here?”

He shrugged. “I wanted to see you again, is that all right?”

“I’m not sure. What would your girlfriend say if she knew you kept visiting me?” There I asked it. I might not have been subtle, but I didn’t want to keep questioning his intentions while I pictured his girlfriend’s sorrowful face.

He lifted his chin slightly and cocked his head to the side. “Um, after everything came out, she broke up with me. I think it was more her father’s doing than hers, but the results the same.”

I frowned, not sure how to process that information. It didn’t make sense; she had seemed so upset when Detective Tanner had paid her a visit. Besides, it didn’t really matter if he was attracted to me. While I found him cute, there was only one guy who held that place in my heart, and he wasn’t standing in front of me.

I shifted my stance. “Look, Nick, I’m not sure this is such a good idea.”

“Hey, I just came to talk. I thought you may need a friend tonight.”

The sincerity in his voice was touching. I moved back and opened the door wider, ignoring any residual anxiety. “You’re welcome to come in, if you want.”

He smiled tenderly as he made his way inside. “I took a chance you were home tonight. On my way over, I saw people dressed up, so I take it tonight’s prom?” He stood against the wall and waited for me.

While shutting the door, I sighed. “Yes, that would be correct,” I said, leading us into the living room. My stomach grumbled, reminding me that I still needed to eat. “Have you eaten yet? I was going to order a pizza.”

“Sure. That sounds great.”

He grinned like I had suggested myself as the entrèe. I wanted to tell him it’s only pizza, not to put any meaning behind it, but I dropped it. Even though his actions were annoying, it still beat being alone.

Like the last time we were together, the evening flew by. Conversation with Nick came easily, and he held my attention enough to keep my mind off of the negatives. Maybe since we shared a common–bond of tragedy and broken hearts, it made us able to relate to each other. Whatever the reason, I liked conversing with him.

While we discussed many things, college was the most interesting subject. He explained how much of an adjustment campus life was compared to high school. Although the classes were demanding, the additional freedom was nice. He also pointed out that you’re in charge of yourself, since there was no one to hold your hand. That seemed appealing.

He confessed about partying too much. Most of his friends were into drinking and drugs, and now that he wanted to change direction and be sober, he had no one to hang with. He admitted he feared slipping back into old habits if he hung around them again. The longer he talked, the more my heart broke. He obviously didn’t know where to turn, so dismissing him as a friend wasn’t an option. Just as long as he realized it would remain a friendship.

“Thanks for tonight. If nothing else, I’d like us to be friends,” he said sincerely.

“I’d like that too, Nick.”

After he left, I had just settled back onto the couch when another knock echoed through the house. Thinking perhaps Nicholas had forgotten something, I opened the door with a laugh. “Nick, did you forget…‌”