Finding Me (10 page)

I stumbled backwards into the wall again. “No freaking way.”

Chapter 10

My hands flew to my mouth. “I did that.” I did that solely with my mind. I stood, gasping for air. What else could I move? I wanted to do more, to become less frightened by this ability.

Spying the pile of dirty clothes that lay in a heap next to the window, I pointed to them. The clothes rose from their still position. They took flight as easy as a bird leaving its nest. I placed them in the basket next to my closet door. From where I stood in the middle of my room, I opened the connecting door to my restroom and turned on the faucet.
I’m just like Matilda!

I stopped and peered at my hands, marveling at what they’d done.
How can I do these things?
I wondered if this was a genetically produced phenomenon. My parents and Matt could have an ability also. I laughed at my mother having any supernatural power. She was too normal, too practical to possess such extraordinary power.

Talking with Matt about this was a good idea. It would be awesome if he had an ability, too. Me alone equaled freak. But two or maybe even the four of us equaled a circus. Circuses were fun. Right?
Yeah, when you were five, Carmichael, not 16
.

Excited for the first time in weeks, I made my way around the bed, intent on speaking to Matt right away. As I rounded the bed and headed to my door, I walked into something solid in the clear air in front of me. It knocked me flat on my rear. When I looked up, there was nothing there. My eyes scanned the open air in front of me.

Badoom. Badoom
. My heart beat loud, fast. I pushed myself from the floor but kept my eyes diverted for as long as I could. I dared myself to look up again, and when I did, I could barely make out the silhouette of a person standing in front of me.

An invisible person.

I stumbled backwards landing on my behind again. I shook my head, not wanting to believe what I saw. With escalated fear, I pushed myself across the floor, away from the invisible person. My back hit the wall, but my legs continued to push, wanting more distance between me and this…thing. I didn’t dare stand again. Whatever it was, I didn’t want it hovering over me. I refused to take my eyes from it. If it flinched, I was sure I’d pass out.

The silhouette began to fill in. I watched as feet materialized, then legs appeared wearing jeans, then an entire bottom torso exposed. This was no nightmarish beast. A real person was insanely manifesting before me. It being a person did nothing, however, to calm my fears.

Terrified but entranced, I refused to tear my eyes away. I was spellbound as a face emerged and grew in clarity. Then its lips parted and it laughed.

I looked up sharply – I knew that laugh.

“Chris,” I whispered, my voice cracking. I craned my neck to the side to get a better view of it. Him.

“Yes, princess.” His body stood fully focused before me. “Did I frighten you?” He approached with his hands raised in front of him. I pushed myself further into the wall and my hands flew to my face protectively. I was still freaked, but passing out didn’t seem likely anymore.

“Seeing that I’m cowering away from you, I’d say yes. I haven’t had anyone mysteriously appear in my room since, um…never,” I shouted. I promptly regretted my outburst. He could rip my head off, and then disappear. And no one would be the wiser. Kindness was the only advantage I had in this situation. I swallowed my fear and my pride, bit the side of my lip, and tried to stay the scream ready to explode from my lips.

“I’m sorry. Usually I can regenerate much quicker, but you were blocking me.” He bent in front of me with the corner of his mouth turned up, amused. He extended his hand for me to take.

“What are you talking about?” I stumbled to my feet, rolling my eyes at his outstretched hand. My fear replaced by anger. If he were going to kill me, I guess he would’ve done it by now.

He laughed, “Your special, Chloe Carmichael.” He approached with an alluring tilt of his head and a gaze in his eyes that left me speechless. My mouth went completely dry and a swarm of butterflies attacked my abdomen.
Something inside me is breaking and bending – to him.
He lifted his hand, prepared to touch me, then he vanished. He was gone. I couldn’t move; I was in shock. I peered around the room from where I stood.
Come out, come out, wherever you are…

“I’m here,” he said, from somewhere around me. I blinked absently. I scanned to the right then to the left of the room in search of him. My breath quickened. He was nowhere in sight. “Calm down,” he ordered me. “Act like a normal.”

What?
I thought, about to voice my opinion on what normal was and his apparent misuse of the word.

At that moment, my door swung open and my mother walked in. “Chloe, I could have sworn I heard you talking to someone.”

I looked at her with wide eyes.

“Speak, Chloe,” Chris ordered me in a soft voice near my left ear.

“No, I was just...singing.” I swallowed hard then smiled stupidly at her.

“You’re a terrible liar
.
Undercover for the FBI, I don’t think so. You’d blow your cover every time,” Chris whispered in my ear. I bit my lip to stifle a giggle at his words. Mother looked around the room to validate my story. I watched, anger burgeoning.

I glared at her. For once she could listen, believe me when I said something. I tried to contain it, to push it down. My body shook from it and no matter how I tried to swallow my anger, I couldn’t. I clenched then unclenched my hands repeatedly. Pushing it back.

Just when I was ready to explode, a hand caressed the back of my neck and gripped my waist. I stopped breathing. My heart beat so loud in my chest I thought it would explode. The contact sent me reeling.
Chris?
This is so insane.
An intense heat coursed through me. I had to remain composed. My mother studied me closely. I was as frightened as I’d ever been, but something else existed in that – excitement, desire.

He whispered in my ear, so low only the two of us could hear, “Don’t tell her anything.”
Was he serious?
Nothing I could say would appropriately describe what was happening right now. How could I formulate an explanation for this? Um, an invisible guy’s standing here groping me.
I don’t think so.

This feeling…the exquisite feel of him was enough to make me dive head first into the unknown. Enough to make me submerge myself in him. He laughed softly in my ear as he held me close. “You have no idea what she’s saying do you?” he said. Suddenly I realized that while he was doing all this, my mother had been lecturing me. I had no idea what she’d said because I was focused fully on Chris and this sudden touch from him. What would he do next? I made a speedy assumption that this unexpected touch meant he wanted more than friendship.

But after what I’d just witnessed, did I want more?

It didn’t seem taboo for him to touch me. But it should. We barely knew one another and only moments ago, he’d spontaneously materialized in my room. For reasons I couldn’t wrap my head around, I wasn’t frightened of him anymore. Although every instinct imaginable screamed I should be cowering away from him. I sucked in a deep breath and lingered in his touch.

“Chloe? Chloe, are you listening to me?” Mother asked. She shook her head. Exhausted with me. I must have looked spaced out.

“Of course I am.” I pretended to be hurt by the accusation in her tone. I sighed softly.

“You’re acting…” She shook her head. I knew I was acting awful loopy to her. I’d better straighten up before she brought a cup for me to pee in.

Chris ran his nose along the base of my neck up to my ear. I bit down on my lip. I stumbled as he wrapped me deeper in his embrace. I grinned mischievously at Mother. My knees lost strength and if Chris weren’t holding me, I’d have fallen on my face. His touch was heaven. I wanted to cry as if I’d been waiting my entire life for this.
I really should get my head examined.

“I scheduled you with Bertha Wright, a psychiatrist I employed once to assist with a client of mine.”
Oh, what joy!
Chris traced kisses up the side of my neck. I could have shattered right here in front of her. “She is coming Saturday to speak with you.” I exhaled deeply.

Chris whispered in my ear, “You taste good. Fruity.” He laughed his throaty laugh in my ear. I could barely contain my racing heart.

“So please be available when she arrives promptly at two o’clock.” With her last statement, she turned and walked out the room. I released a deep breath and my body slumped forward. I licked my lips. Nervous but wanting more. Mother gently closed the door behind her when she left. The miracles just kept pouring in.

I breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Chris, what are you doing?”

His hands no longer caressed me. He was nowhere in sight. So it appeared as if I were talking to the open air. “Are you still here?” I peered to the left, then the right but didn’t see or hear anything.

A light wind blew across my face, and then whipped around my waist. I was tossed into the air. My legs and arms flailed wildly from side to side as I tried to fathom what was happening. Fear and shock vied for attention. I landed on my bed, slouched against my pillows. I didn’t move a muscle. My eyes, however, darted about the room. I sat suspended in time, nervously awaiting another touch from him. I held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t just pop out.

“Stop that,” his voice hissed from somewhere over me. I sighed loudly.

“Stop what?” I said, searching the open air.

“Blocking me.” He sounded perplexed.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Blocking him would mean I didn’t want him here. And I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anything in my life. I felt his gentle caress in places his hands and lips never touched. What was wrong with me? I should be freaking out. Instead, I wanted to make out.
I probably need therapy more than I know.

“You must know. You do it so well,” he whispered into my ear. My heart leapt out of my chest and into my throat.

As I turned my head to the sound of his voice, he was there, fully there, right beside me on the bed, staring at me with captivating eyes. I didn’t flinch away when our eyes met. I held my position. His mouth twisted up into an enchanting grin.

I backed away from his gaze; I didn’t trust myself with him. He was so handsome it seemed criminal. Like God accidently sent him to Earth, but he was really meant to be an angel in heaven. I grabbed a large red pillow from the bed and propped it in front of me as a barrier between the two of us. He laughed and leaned back on his elbows, eyeing me the entire time. I swallowed hard then sat up straighter.

“I need answers, Chris.” I tried to use an authoritative voice to make it clear that I meant what I said. But I’m sure I sounded weak. It took every ounce of strength I possessed not to jump across my makeshift barrier and collapse into his arms.

“Not before I ask a couple of my own.” He sat up and stared at me as if he were trying to extract something from my head. His face appeared serious, more serious than I was accustomed to seeing him. His brow creased and his mouth turned upside down.

“No can do,” I said, hoping it was wise to press my point. “I witnessed the death of one of my best friends – before it happened. And I’m still uncertain about that because I could’ve sworn a vision was like a daydream. But I felt like I was…um, really there.”

“You were. There, I mean. It’s called jumping time. You were in the school then on the field where they found Zack’s body at the same time. Basically, it’s like you traveled in time. You got angry. Anger forces things to the surface. Most emotions have this power but especially anger.” I scrunched my nose up at this information. His explanation did make sense in a hallucinatory way. The fact that he knew about my vision was something else altogether.

“Okay. Well…um, I’ve also moved objects with my mind, heard people that aren’t there, and had nightmares about a giant manbeast trying to kill you and me. Now you’ve just materialized and vanished in my room. I think I deserve answers first. I’ve earned them.” I shook my index finger at him in anger. His body rose from the bed then flew into the air. He hit the wall next to the window and then crumpled to the floor. Hard.

“Ouch,” he said. He lifted himself from the floor and eyed me with a mock shocked expression. With great theatrics, he wiped at his clothes and looked at the wall with a smirk.

“I’m so sorry. Did I do that?” I asked with concern clear in my voice. I was a little embarrassed and amazed at the same time. I could kick booty with my little finger.

“Yes, you did. Please watch where you point that thing until you learn how to use it.” He pointed to my hand with a devilish grin.

“Yes, sir.” I gave a silly salute. “Are you going to teach me?” I tried to sound flirtatious, but I was sure I didn’t. I had too many emotions fighting to rise to the surface for flirting to win that battle.

He ignored my attempt at humor and paced the floor in front of my bed. “Do you mind company?”

“Uh, I don’t know how to answer that,” I said, confused for the hundredth time today.

“Relax. No one’s going to hurt you…not even you.” He closed his eyes, and so softly I could barely make out what he said, he whispered what sounded like, “Gather.”

I sat rooted to the bed and watched with my mouth wide open as six teenagers materialized in front of me. But they appeared much faster than Chris had. When they were all present, they looked at each other, puzzled, then at Chris. Their attention had not focused on me yet.

I was relieved.

“What’s the deal? I was in the middle of something,” a tall, handsome guy with brownish-red hair, giant biceps, and large hazel eyes said. “Where are we?”

I looked from one face to the other with rapt attention, in complete and utter awe. They looked as if they were posing for the cover of Glamour magazine. They were the most beautiful people I’d ever seen. They had flawless complexions, perfect hair, pure features. They exuded angelic perfection, and of course, Chris knew them.