Deep Blue Secret (28 page)

When we reached my car still sitting in Wahoo’s parking lot, I was relieved nothing appeared stolen or broken into. My phone sat right on the passenger seat where I’d thrown it yesterday along with my copy of my diary. It was a relief to know that both copies were back in safe, familiar hands. But it didn’t really seem like
my
diary anymore. It was ours now; mine and Rayne’s.

I looked at the screen on my phone, eleven new messages.

Some were from friends just saying hello or sending excited greetings about the dance. Six were from Heather who thought my absence meant I was with Rayne all night. Her first message said she’d covered for me when my mom called, making up the story about the sleepover. The rest were a series of escalating excitement.
Did you guys make up? What’s happening, send me an update. Where R U, make-up kissing session? OMG, U have 2 tell me everything. Call me ASAP!

It was strange how life went back to normal so fast. It was like I’d never been gone. I called Heather while driving home, Rayne following behind me all the way.

“What took you so long?” Heather said. “You’re still coming, right? Everyone’s supposed to meet here in, like, an hour.”

“Don’t worry, we’re coming.”

She squealed. “Yes! Thank you…”

“So we’ll see you over there,” I said.

“Wait, did you guys…you know…”

I was surprised when my voice came out like a squeak. “
What?
No…We just talked and made up. Everything’s the same as before. There were hugs involved, but no kissing or anything.”

“Oh fine, be boring,” she teased. “I need to finish getting ready anyway. I better see you here in an hour though.” I could hear the optimism in her tone.

“You will,” I said. “I promise.”

I didn’t have much time. I pressed my foot harder on the gas and sped towards home.

I checked myself over one last time in the mirror and scampered toward the knock at my door.

Rayne’s sea foam eyes glowed with a smile. “Hey,” he said.

A tingle fluttered up my neck. “Hey.”

I tried to keep my cool, suppressing a grin without much success.

He reached out his hand. “Let me see your wrist.”

I frowned, hesitating. The last time he said something like that, unpleasant things followed.

“Don’t you trust me?” he teased.

I smirked and lifted my arm. He moved his hand from behind the door, revealing a small white box. When he opened the flaps, my breath escaped unknowingly through my lips. It was a corsage so simple yet more beautiful than any I’d seen. He placed the delicate ring of blue and ivory flowers gently over my wrist.

“How did you find time?” I asked.

He grinned. “I have my ways.”

I moved my wrist, admiring the bracelet of petals. Tiny butterfly rhinestones caught the light at the center of each flower.

“It’s perfect,” I said.

I moved my arm to rest by my side but he caught my hand. “Wait. One more thing.” He reached into his pocket and took out the familiar, silver flask. “We can’t forget your extra dose of
magic
water,” he said, mocking my earlier use of the term.

The silvery droplet landed on my palm, evaporating into my skin with a tiny tingling sensation.

My eyes widened. The tear-shaped Watermark on my wrist went from almost black to icy blue in a matter of seconds. I didn’t remember it turning colors so quickly in the past.

“Did you see that?” I asked amazed.

He chuckled at my reaction. “I think someone’s ready for a fun night out. What do you think?”

“You know it,” I said.

My palm found his and we rolled forward to the evening before us.

We were the last of our group to arrive at Heather’s house, but we made it just in time. A crowd of kids congregated on the lawn, talking and giggling, taking turns posing for pictures in their matching shirts.

I glanced around the familiar faces. All my closest friends from school were there, paired off in happy couples; Lindsey and Zach, Nicole and Brandon, Kelly and Sean, Julie and Connor, Heather and Nick.

I held Rayne’s hand and we crossed the sidewalk towards my friends. It felt strange; my two separate worlds colliding. They didn’t quite fit together. I turned to look at his face. If it was strange to him, he didn’t show it. He was calm and confident as ever. He noticed my gaze and smiled back, like a star descending from the sky just for me.

Heather was the first to notice our arrival. She trotted across the yard to greet us. “Finally,” she said, her tone anxious but inviting.

She liked taking charge of group activities, but she always stressed out, trying to make everything perfect.

Rayne extended a hand. “Heather, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

She hesitated and glanced at me, smirking at his formal introduction. High school kids didn’t shake hands.

She laughed once and took his hand. “Rayne, right?”

His free hand slipped in his pocket a second then moved to the back of Heather’s hand, cradling their handshake. “That’s me,” he said.

Heather’s anxious expression melted away. Rayne continued to hold her hand between both his palms. I’d never seen her look so awkward and giddy. She stared at his face, her gaze glued to his eyes, mesmerized.

She placed her other hand on top of their handshake, now a full, four-handed embrace. “It’s…nice to meet you too,” she said, pausing and staring curiously. Rayne’s eyes concealed an amused expression.

I tugged at Rayne’s arms, breaking their grip. “Okay, you two,” I said, chuckling. “You can’t shake hands all night.”

“Right, sorry,” Heather said, shaking her head.

We followed behind as she walked back to the group across the yard. I pulled on Rayne’s arm, bringing his face close to mine. “What did you do to her?” I whispered with playful accusation. “Did you give her Healing Water?”

He shrugged innocently. “She looked stressed.”

I laughed and slapped his bicep. “You better behave. Are you planning to win over
all
my friends using the water tonight?”

He straightened his shirt and smirked. “I don’t need Healing Water to win friends.”

***

We sat in the restaurant waiting area of Duke’s in Huntington Beach, our table not quite ready. Of course Heather talked all the other girls into her choice of where to eat. I introduced Rayne to the whole group back at the house and he chatted easily with them now. I was impressed with his skills at blending in with the crowd.

Heather broke from her conversation with Nicole and grabbed my hand. “Come with me to the ladies’ room,” she said in a hushed tone.

I turned to Rayne. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be here,” he said.

I glanced back at him, Heather pulling my arm down the hallway. I hoped there wasn’t a problem. The last thing I wanted to deal with tonight was drama.

Heather let the door swing shut behind us in the restroom. “Oh my gosh; doesn’t Nick look amazing tonight?” she said. “The sweater I picked out looks perfect on him.”

I was relieved we were just here for girl talk. “Yeah,” I agreed. “He looks super nice.”

She turned to the mirror to reapply her lip gloss. “You didn’t tell me Rayne was so
hot
.”

“Actually, I’m pretty sure I did.”

“Well you were right,” she said with animation. “I can’t believe you haven’t kissed him yet. I would be all over that if I were you.”

“We’re taking things slow. I don’t know. We might just stay friends.”

She shook her head. “No way. He’s so into you. That guy can’t keep his eyes off you.”

“You think so?” I said, getting sucked into her optimism.

“I’ve been watching you guys.” Her tone grew thick with implications. “He totally
wants
you.”

I laughed, but came back to reality. I had to keep my head on straight. Rayne and I were only dating as a cover for his true purpose. The emotions weren’t real.

“I don’t know about that,” I said. “But I think we can plan to see a lot more of him in the future.”

She rolled her eyes. “He wants to kiss you, whether you believe it or not.”

“We’ll see,” I said, not convinced.

I knew she was wrong, but of course I couldn’t tell her why. So I changed the subject.

“What about you and Nick? Have you decided if you’re ready to take things to the next level?”

She dropped her hands from smoothing her hair and turned to me. “I thought about what you said yesterday, about waiting to make sure he likes me
for me
first, and I think you’re right. We’ve barely been dating for a couple weeks. I mean, that would totally be rushing into things, wouldn’t it?”

In my head I was thinking,
Hello! Of course that’s rushing into it. Do you even really know Nick that well?
But instead I just replied, “That
does
seem kind of fast.”

“If he has a problem with it, then too bad for him, right?” Heather said, sounding unsure. “I mean, you don’t think he would break up with me if I make him wait, do you?”

“No. You’re a total catch. If he can’t see that, then he’s not the right guy for you. You’re worth waiting for.”

Heather smiled, returning to her usual confidence. “You’re right. He can wait.”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the exit, her face beaming as she said, “Tonight is going to be perfect.”

After dinner we all drove over to the school. The gym looked amazing, the lights turned low, the walls and ceiling covered in pink and blue twinkle lights. I wasn’t really sure what the theme was this year, but I was glad they finally dropped the barnyard decor of years past. Nicole and Brandon headed straight for the crowded dance floor while Rayne and I followed the rest of the group to a couple of tables.

Just as we settled in, Ariana spotted us from across the room. She waved and skipped forward, dragging Justin Crane at her heels. I sprang from my chair to greet them.

Her smile was huge. “Hi, Sadie! I love your corsage.”

“Thanks,” I said, admiring it again on my wrist. “Are you guys having fun?”

Justin hugged Ariana from behind with his good arm, the other one still bound in a bright orange cast. She was a short girl and his chin rested perfectly on her head.

“Lots of fun,” she said. Justin pinched Ariana’s backside and she jumped sideways, giggling. Some girls must like that type of thing after all.

“Oh, there’s Tracy,” Ariana said with excitement. She turned to Justin. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Ariana flitted away, leaving me and Justin alone.

He swung his free arm around my shoulder. “What’s up, baby doll?”

I gave him half a hug and slinked away awkwardly.

“You guys are so cute together,” I said, trying to keep a smile.

“I know. That girl can’t keep her hands off me.”

I followed Justin’s gaze across the room, fixed on Ariana’s tight shirt as she bounced excitedly, chatting with a friend.

He lifted his eyebrows. “Nice, huh?” I rolled my eyes.

When a warm hand touched my waist, my attention broke from Justin and I turned abruptly.

“Everything okay here?” Rayne asked.

“Fine,” I nodded. I glanced up at his face but his glare was focused on Justin.

“So this is the guy?” Justin said, flicking his head in Rayne’s direction.

I smiled weakly. “Uh, yeah, Justin, this is—”

“Wait I know this,” Justin said. He squinted, trying to remember. “Don’t tell me. It was something nature-y…” He looked at the ceiling, deep in thought, then peered back at Rayne. “Stormy? No wait…Sunny?”

Rayne cleared his throat, keeping a straight face. “It’s Rayne.”

I kicked Justin’s foot. “
Justin
,” I complained in a hushed tone. He glanced at me and flinched, genuinely surprised by my annoyance. He really was clueless.

Justin scratched his head. “Oh right. Sorry man, I forgot.”

“No problem,” Rayne said coolly. He glanced at Ariana, jabbering with a girlfriend and giggling in our direction. “I think your date misses you,” he said to Justin.

A dopey grin crossed Justin’s face, his tone overly confident. “Yeah she does…I think I’ll go take care of that.”

“Have fun,” Rayne said, his tone even.

Before leaving, Justin placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned over my ear to whisper. “If this guy gives you any trouble, just say the word. I’ll take care of him.”

I looked at him in disbelief, but had to laugh. “Thanks, Justin. I’ll keep that in mind.”

He patted my shoulder and eyed Rayne one last time before galloping towards his date. She had her back turned now and Justin snuck up behind her to scoop her up at the waist with his good arm. She squealed in surprise as he twirled her in the air and dropped her back to her feet.

“They look happy,” I said.

Rayne’s jaw was tight. “He’s just as charming as I imagined.”

“Oh, he’s harmless,” I said, waving my hand dismissively.

I pulled Rayne back to the table and he offered me a chair. Normally I’d be running around chattering and flirting just like Ariana, but this time all I wanted was to be with Rayne. We sat for a few moments watching the students talk and dance.

Nick and Heather had already disappeared, probably looking for a spot to make out. Within a few minutes everyone from our table was off dancing or socializing, leaving just me and Rayne. He brushed his fingertips along my back. I closed my eyes, inhaling a deep breath and letting the music push out my thoughts. This had to be one of the longest days of my life.

It was amazing I could control myself around him; the way he was always touching me, gently soothing me. I liked his touch. Unlike Justin who was forceful and groping, like a hormone-crazed animal, Rayne was tender and considerate. His touch wasn’t about touching at all; it was about caring. He cared about my feelings and my happiness.

I examined his face with appreciation.

“You know,” I said. “I never got the chance to say I’m sorry for running off the other day, or yesterday I guess it was.”

His eyes were kind. “Don’t worry about it.”

“No really. I acted like a child and…I’m sorry.”

“You’ve been through a lot, Sadie. You were overwhelmed. I understand.”

“Thanks,” I said.

I looked down at the pink tablecloth covered in confetti. “This might sound silly, but for some reason I thought you were going to chase after me.”

“That’s not silly. Of course I wanted to come after you.”

My cheeks flushed. “Oh,” I said, trying to swallow my grin. “So what happened?”

“Voss showed up.”

I frowned, picturing the man’s black, veiny eyes. “He was there?”

“Yeah. He broke into my car and stole my phone and the diary. I tried to chase him, but that guy can drive like you wouldn’t believe.”

“That’s right. He had my diary at his house. That’s how he tricked me. I got a message from him, pretending to be you.”

“I did try to find you, you know, as soon as I lost him,” Rayne said. “I came back for you, but you were already gone. I talked to your mom, I went to the school, I drove by your friends’ houses looking for your car. The tracker in your wallet never moved from your locker. At first I thought you just took off to be alone, but I started to get that
feeling
again, like I could sense something was really wrong, that you were in danger. I watched your house all night. You never came home. I was about to lose my mind when Ash finally contacted me and told me he knew where you were.”

“If only I hadn’t run away from you, none of this would’ve happened,” I said with a pained expression. “I wish I was strong—like you. I wish I could take care of myself instead of running away from my problems or relying on other people to take care of me all the time.”

His gaze was soft. “Relying on others doesn’t mean you’re weak, Sadie. It means you’re human. You might not see it, but the people you love are relying on you just as much as you rely on them.”