For Ever (23 page)

I turn and study the blackness outside the
window until he says my name. Steeling myself, I face him.

“I have company.”

This startles me so much that I stop feeling
sorry for myself.

“You mean people—like
you
?” I ask.

I’m still trying to decide exactly what that
means when he nods.

“You will have to forgive me if I seem
excessively cautious.”

I manage a tight smile.

“You mean more than usual? They’re not here
to initiate world destruction or to assassinate me, are they?”

His expression ripples with unease, which
causes my stomach to do a somersault.

“You’ll be safe, but I wanted you to be
prepared. I don’t know what their reaction is going to be—”

“To me,” I finish flatly.

“Yes.”

I take this to mean that I’m not going to
receive a warm reception. When we get to campus, the sun has just
started coming up over the hills separating Portland from its
western suburbs. In the pale light, the parking lot appears oddly
post-apocalyptic. I’m momentarily relieved that there are no
witnesses to our arrival together; it would only complicate things
more than they already are. As we walk, campus remains absolutely
lifeless, and I can’t help feeling like we’re navigating some
distant future as the last two humans left.

Only Ever isn’t …
human
.

Apart from my footsteps on the linoleum, the
silence is all consuming. I hadn’t noticed before, but Ever’s
footfalls remain silent as he walks beside me, like he’s decided to
forego the clatter of human existence. When we reach Mr. Gideon’s
classroom, I gather my supplies and latest project before
reclaiming the seat next to Ever. Mindy or Mandy, whatever her name
is, will just have to deal with it.

“Wren, I never wished this for you.”

I can’t bring myself to look at him because
the regret in his voice is making my eyes sting.

“I didn’t intend to alter your life this
way,” he continues softly. “I am truly sorry for that.”

I consider what my mom always says:
be
thankful for the small things
.

“Yeah, and I wouldn’t be alive if you
hadn’t—”

Before I can finish, Ever’s face twists in a
sudden mask of anger, fear, or both. He lifts me from my seat, and
his arms lock around me.

“What … is it?”

“Close your eyes,” he hisses in my ear.

There’s no air
. My lungs seize, and I
scream against the vacuum, but there’s no sound. Just when it feels
like I’m about to die from lack of oxygen, a large hand comes down
on my chest above my breastbone, sending a burst of heat through
me. Sweet air simultaneously floods my lungs. Someone lowers me to
the ground gently, and I blink. It’s dark. I reach out to steady
myself, and my hand brushes the ground. I jerk in surprise at the
feel of
sand
beneath my fingers.

“You will be safe here.”

It’s Ever’s voice. Shaking my head, I look
around, wondering exactly where
here
is. His face comes into
view, and he studies me for a brief moment to see if I’m
registering his words. I finally nod, and he vanishes. The sound of
water lapping close by startles me. Squinting, I see the moon
shimmering across calm water—an ocean of it. I look up, and my eyes
are met with millions of stars.

Scrambling to my feet, I spin around and
stare at the outline of palm trees behind me.

“What … ?”

Oh, no. That’s it. I’ve truly lost my mind.
Bending down, I pick up a handful of fine sand and let it fall
through my fingers. Then I walk to the water’s edge and lean
forward until I can dip my fingers beneath its clear surface. It
feels deliciously warm against my skin.

Everything is so
real
that I don’t
think this can be a dream. But, if it’s not, then logic dictates
that I’m on a tropical island in the middle of the night. Under
different circumstances, I would be thrilled by a tropical
vacation, but this is a little more than I can take. In the
distance, I see a single palm swaying in the breeze, its trunk
nearly parallel with the sand beneath it. The tree looks like it’s
reaching toward the water. My stomach jumps, and I swallow.

In an instant, I know exactly where I am
despite the fact that I’ve never been here before—not by a long
shot. This is the month of July in my
Island Paradise
wall
calendar. I remember reading the description on the back cover.
It’s an uninhabited island in the Maldives—in the middle of the
Indian Ocean.

I’m not even on the continent of North
America.

Still dizzy from shock, I walk toward the
outstretched tree, staring at the palm fronds hanging over the
sand, the perfectly clear water only feet from the tree’s trunk.
This is the
exact
scene as the picture in my calendar; the
only difference is that the calendar photo was taken during the
daytime.

I had always wondered if I would ever see
something like this in person. But does it count if I’ve gone
completely insane? I wonder. Dropping down on the still-warm sand,
I close my eyes and feel the breeze ripple through my hair. The
sound of my name is whispered so softly that at first I think it’s
my imagination, which at this point, is entirely possible. A hand
touches my shoulder, and I sit up so fast that my head spins. Ever
is kneeling in front of me, his eyes shining in the moonlight. He
rises and helps me to my feet. In the pale moonlight, leached of
his bronzed complexion, he looks like a ghost.

“What happened? Where are we?” I gasp.

“Exactly where you think we are.”

“You mean an island in the middle of the
Indian Ocean?”

He nods, and my thoughts start spinning
faster than I can keep up.

“No. … That’s not possible.” I stare at Ever.
“Well, maybe it’s possible for you—
wait
! How are we going to
get back?”

“Do you trust me?” he murmurs.

Before I can answer, he reaches toward me.
His fingers brush my cheek, and my heart begins beating so fast
that I’m sure I’m going to pass out. His other hand extends toward
me, and I feel his long fingers curl around the nape of my neck. I
shiver. The touch of his skin is cooler than before, the contrast
heightened by the lingering tropical warmth around us. As the
startling greenness of his eyes burns brighter in the darkness, my
vision blurs and the ground tilts beneath me.

I feel cold, hard floor beneath me, not warm
sand.

“Did she lose consciousness at all?” someone
says.

“I don’t believe so—”

“For Pete’s sake, I hope not. Because I’ll
have to call the paramedics if she has a concussion. And there goes
my tenure!”

I recognize Mr. Gideon’s voice. He’s kneeling
to my left, running his hand through his hair with one hand, his
cell phone in the other, poised to dial. His bag and coffee mug are
lying on the floor next to him—we’re in the Art classroom. And for
some reason, all I can think is:
Not again
. No more trips to
the hospital.

“No!” I croak. “I’m fine. I was just a little
dizzy.”

I sit up, mostly with Ever’s help. He puts an
arm around my waist and easily lifts me into a standing position.
For a second, I’m a little surprised that I can stand. Then I
realize that Ever is still supporting most of my weight.

“Would you mind taking her to the nurse’s
office?” Mr. Gideon asks, turning to Ever.

“I’m all right,” I choke.

Mr. Gideon eyes me cautiously, simultaneously
contemplating the likelihood of a lawsuit if he lets me stay in
class. The door swings open, and I realize that it had just been
the three of us in the classroom until now. Which means school
hasn’t even started. How long was I gone? I swallow. Or had I gone
anywhere? Was the entire thing a hallucination? A few more students
walk in, and Mr. Gideon sighs, shaking his head again.

“Fine, Wren. Stay if you want. But please,
for the love of all that’s holy, go to the nurse’s office if you’re
not feeling well. I don’t need the paramedics in my classroom twice
in one semester.”

I nod, and Ever begins steering me to my
easel. Matt, who just walked in, is staring at us with the
strangest expression on his face, but I’m too exhausted to read his
brainwaves. I ignore him and sit down. Then I turn to Ever for some
type of explanation.

“Later,” he whispers.

“But …”

I stop arguing when I see Ashley at the door.
She squeaks and rushes forward, grabbing both my arms and jerking
me out of my seat. She starts dancing back and forth, and the
swaying does unpleasant things to my stomach.

“I can’t believe he asked me!”

I smile and focus on keeping my breakfast
down. Was it really only
yesterday
that she told me about
Marcus asking her to the dance? It feels like our conversation took
place a lifetime ago. When Ashley’s happy dance slows, she pauses
and looks at Ever like she’s noticing him for the first time. She
glances back at me.

Something’s different about him
.

“Hi,” she says cautiously in his general
direction.

He smiles and nods at her, and she looks back
at me, dazed. I grab her arm and tow her to the other side of the
room.

“Here,” she smirks. “You left this in my
mom’s car Friday night—when you disappeared with your
boyfriend
.”

Reaching out, I take my jacket and disregard
her comment about Ever.

“Thanks. So? You didn’t tell me yesterday
whether you and Marcus are going out on a
date
, date before
the dance.”

“Yeah, Saturday night. And you guys are going
to come over to help me pick out something to wear. Right?”

“I’m probably not the best person to offer
advice, since I’ve never actually been on a date,” I say honestly.
Ashley casts another skeptical look toward Ever, so I tap her
shoulder. “But I’m definitely coming over. I want to see what
you’re going to wear.”

She looks back at me.

“Are you sure you guys aren’t secretly
hooking up?”

“No! Ash, seriously, you would be the first
to know if anything happened.”

In my head, I revise that statement. By
anything
, I mean a date—not finding out that our classmate
isn’t human. As soon as Ashley begins collecting her stuff, I rush
back to my seat and stare down at the sports drink waiting on my
easel. My throat tightens at the sight of it. It feels like I’ve
been walking through a desert for days without water. I glance at
Ever, wondering where he got it and why. Then I take several gulps
and begin feeling better.

In the middle of Mr. Gideon’s lecture, I feel
a wave of panic and exhilaration rush over me.
I was just on a
tropical island
. I can still smell the saltwater and feel the
breeze against my skin. But I remember other things, too. The touch
of Ever’s fingers against my cheek, the pressure of his hand
curving around my neck. My breathing is suddenly uneven, and I
shiver at the flood of heat the memory triggers. I sneak a look in
Ever’s direction. He’s already staring back at me, and I blush
momentarily before getting angry. Don’t I get any privacy?

Stay out of my head!
I bark
silently.

But his expression isn’t what I expected. The
look in his eyes makes the blood rush faster through my veins, and
I have to struggle to redirect my attention to the front of the
room. I have no idea what Mr. Gideon is talking about.

“Those interested in going can pick up a
permission slip after class. And if you’ve never had the chance to
go to the Portland Art Museum, I highly encourage you to
participate.”

When class ends, Ever waits for me to return
my supplies and then walks with me to Mr. Bellarmine’s room. I
don’t know what to say, so instead I focus on keeping my thoughts
walled off. If Ever notices, he doesn’t bother to comment on my
mental silence. We come to a stop at Mr. Bellarmine’s door, and
there’s an awkward pause.

“I’ll see you at lunch?” he asks.

He sounds unsure. It brings back a memory of
his earlier invitation—how cruel he had been. In hindsight, I’m
sure he thought it was for my own good, but it had still hurt. When
I nod, he smiles briefly before disappearing down the hall.

At the start of nutrition, Ashley rounds us
up to make sure that everyone has sworn in blood that we’ll meet at
her house Friday for moral support and fashion advice. In her
excitement, she doesn’t mention Ever, and I’m glad. Still, as the
three of them chatter excitedly, I feel a pang of envy that my
friends all seem to be enjoying various phases of linear
relationships while my—I don’t even know what to call it—with Ever
only moves further into the stratosphere of impossibility.

It turns out that focusing on anything during
the next two hours is out of the question. There are too many
thoughts, feelings, and questions left unanswered. What happened
this morning remains a total mystery, which leaves me to review
over and over what could possibly explain the chilling rage I saw
in Ever’s eyes before I woke up on an island. I realize that I’ve
accepted the impossible with little reserve or hesitation. But what
other choice do I have?

It does make me wonder, though. … If I were
given a choice, if I could undo things now and erase the memory of
Ever,
would
I? But somehow I know immediately and implicitly
that I would not. Even if he disappeared tomorrow or if I ceased to
exist, I can’t deny that from the first moment I saw him Ever
changed my life. Impossibly, inexorably, and forever.

The bell finally rings, releasing me from
Chemistry. I finish writing down the homework assignment on the
board and then grab my binder and textbook and shove them into my
bag. When I look up, Jeff Summers is still at his seat at the front
of the room staring past me with an expression of undisguised
loathing. I follow his gaze to the back door where I see Ever
standing, waiting. For me.