The Mind Readers (18 page)

“Don’t be. Are you kidding? That
was amazing.” Aaron looked at Lewis, but Lewis was looking toward the windows.
“Did you see that?”

“How much did it hurt?” Lewis
asked, ignoring Aaron and glancing back at me.

I pressed my hands to my
temples. They were thumping slightly, but it wasn’t unbearable. The numbness in
my body had given way to an odd shimmering current. “I’m okay. Just a slight
headache.” Is that why he was frowning?

“You sure you’re okay?” he
asked.

Aaron laughed and thumped Lewis
on the back. “She’s fine, in fact, she’s great.”

He clasped my shoulders. “I knew
it; I knew you’d be just like your father.”

Shockingly, he pulled me close
for a tight hug. Although I should have been embarrassed, I liked his
affection, craved the attention like some pathetic druggie.

I sank into his body. And I
wanted to be thrilled, I should have been thrilled, but when I looked over
Aaron’s shoulder, I saw that Lewis was still frowning.

Was he jealous? Worried? Or was
there something more to that dark look?

Chapter 13

The drive to town seemed to take
forever, every moment lasting an eternity. I wasn’t sure what to talk about and
apparently neither was Lewis as we remained awkwardly silent. I still had a
little bit of a headache, but the thrill of being on a date overrode the pain
and I didn’t want to be home right now.
 

“You’re doing really well, Cam,”
Lewis said, finally breaking the silence.

I smiled, but I didn’t want to
talk about my abilities or lack thereof. Besides, if I was doing so well, why
had he looked so dour after I’d thrown Aaron on his butt? “Thanks.”

No, I didn’t want to talk about
me, and I didn’t want to talk about Lewis’s odd reaction. I couldn’t stand the
thought that he might be jealous of my powers. There was only one thing I
wanted to know about and that was Lewis himself. I wasn’t sure where he’d come
from, who his family was, nothing. Of course I couldn’t read his mind, so that
didn’t help.

“Headache?”

“Huh?”

He looked pointedly at me and I
realized I’d been rubbing my temples. I lowered my hands to my lap. “Maybe a
little.”

He shrugged, slowing the car as
we entered town. The street lights flashed across his face. Was it my
imagination or did he look a little pale? “When I first learned how to block my
thoughts I’d get headaches.”

My interest piqued. I knew Aaron
had taken him in, but at what age had he started training? “Oh, yeah?”

“It will get better soon.” He
stopped in front of a large Victorian inn and restaurant. The place was glowing
with lamplight, behind it the setting sun sent brilliant orange rays across the
bay. It was gorgeous. Romantic. So, why was I suddenly uneasy to be here with
him?

Because while stepping out of
the car, the cool night air tugging at my hair and the skirt of my dress, I
remembered this was a date…a real date. I hadn’t been on a date in forever.
During my junior year, I’d started going out with my first real boyfriend. A
month later, when he’d realized he wasn’t going to get laid, I’d heard he was
going to dump me. So I dumped him first. To be honest, I’d only gone out with
him so I could double date with a friend. But it still stung. Now…my God, now I
was on a date with a guy who actually liked me. Then again, if what Olivia said
was true, he only liked me for now…until the next woman came along.

His warm hand rested at the
small of my back as we made our way up the wide wooden steps to the restaurant.
Only a few people were in the building, most tourists having gone to dry land
for the winter season. The inside lobby had a large antique desk. Flowered
wallpaper decorated the walls and a golden chandelier dangled from above. Yep,
definitely a date.

“Lewis!” A gorgeous hostess
wearing a short black skirt rushed forward with a ready smile on her face.
Startled, I stepped aside. She gave Lewis a tight hug and Olivia’s annoying
comment came roaring back.

You think you’re the first one Lewis has led on?

I stood there awkwardly as they
talked about where Lewis had been. He brushed off her comment with an answer
about visiting friends on the mainland. I had to resist the urge to push myself
between them and say, “Here I am!”

It seemed like an eternity
before he finally looked at me. “This is Cameron.” He took my hand, pulling me
forward.

She seemed sincere when she
smiled and her thoughts were only pure friendship. Her kindness made me feel
somewhat better. It didn’t last. “You want your usual table?”

Usual? In that he came here
often… with other girls? This date was quickly turning into a nightmare and the
worst part was that I knew I was being ridiculous.

“Yeah, near the windows.”

He led me toward the back of the
restaurant, a large open area that had obviously been added onto the building
at a later date. He was still smiling, completely oblivious to the fact that
I’d turned into a silly, jealous girl. And I was being silly, I knew that, but
I couldn’t seem to stop myself. He pulled out a chair for me, the perfect
gentleman. The chatter in the room was a soft murmur that I barely heard, I was
too intent on knowing what Lewis was thinking, secretly hoping his wall would
slip and a thought would seep out. I know, I was pathetic.
 

“I love this spot,” he said.
“You can see the bay, the boats coming in, the sun setting. Perfect.”

“Yeah.” I swallowed hard and
looked out the large floor to ceiling windows, but the beauty of nature was
completely lost on me. “You come here often then?”

He shrugged, unconcerned by my
question. “There aren’t many other places to go on the island.”

I suppose he was right. But
Olivia’s comment was still there, taunting me. Why was I letting her get to me?
But I knew why, because deep down I couldn’t believe that someone like Lewis
would really like me. God, I was no better than Annabeth. I’d been playing
second fiddle to Emily for way too long. It had destroyed my
self-confidence.
 

An older woman dressed in black
with a white apron took our orders, leaving us with a basket of bread. The moment
she left, Lewis leaned across the table.

“So,” he said, staring at me
intently. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I replied a little
too quickly.

He nodded slowly, but I could
see he had his misgivings. “You sure?”

I unfolded the white napkin
wrapped around my silverware. “Yeah, fine.” I laughed, but it came out sounding
a little manic. Olivia had turned me into a crazy woman, which is probably what
she was hoping to do. “Where’s your family?”

He blinked, surprised by the
sudden change in topic. Good, I wanted to catch him off guard. “Ummm, dead.”

I wanted to sink to the floor
with mortification. I was such an idiot. “I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged and looked out the
windows again. “I was young, it’s been a long time.”

I played with my cloth napkin,
heat rushing to my cheeks. I’d never felt more horrible, yet I had this odd,
totally inhumane desire to ask more. I felt this frantic need to know
everything I could about him. Maybe not everything, just his deepest darkest
secrets. I guess I hoped the more I knew, the closer we’d be. “How’d it
happen?”

He looked at the wooden
tabletop, taking his own napkin and placing it on his lap. He didn’t say a word
and didn’t look like he wanted to speak. His reaction left me cold.

“You don’t have to talk about
it. I’m sorry I brought it up.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s
just…” He looked at me, his gaze so warm and intense that my heart skipped a
beat. Yet there, in the back of his eyes, lurked something more… secrecy.
 

“What?” I asked.

“It happened the same time your
father died.”

I hadn’t been expecting that and
for one long moment I merely stared at him, wondering if I’d misheard. “How?” I
whispered.

He lifted his glass of water.
Your father, my parents were being used.
They didn’t want to be used anymore. They decided to break out of the S.P.I.
encampment, along with a few other people. Our parents didn’t make it.

Why did I have a feeling there
was more to this story? More he wasn’t going to tell me at the moment? But why
would Lewis keep secrets from me?

He smiled, but it didn’t quite
reach his eyes. “Don’t worry about it, okay? We’re protected. Safe. They can’t
get to us.”

“But where have you lived all
this time?”

He sighed, realizing I wasn’t
going to shut up. I probably should have, but I couldn’t help myself. “First
with an uncle, then when he died, Aaron came for me. I was eight when I moved
here.”

“You’ve been here since you were
eight?” He nodded and I continued with my third degree. “What about schooling?”

“I home schooled.”

It sounded lonely to me, stuck
on this island as a child. “And college?”

He shrugged. “Why go to school
when I have the ability that I have?”

I didn’t see what reading minds
had to do with college and getting a decent job, but was waylaid from asking
more when the waitress arrived with our plates. On the way to the restaurant
I’d been starving, now I could barely think of food. There were too many
thoughts, too many questions rushing through my head. But foremost was the fact
that our parents had died together. We were like some sort of weird retelling
of Romeo and Juliet in which we survived and our families died. I could
certainly understand Lewis’ need to see S.P.I. pay for what they’d done.
Although I hadn’t truly known my father, even I felt the need to avenge his
memory.

I lapsed into silence as we ate
our food. As ridiculous as it sounded, I couldn’t help but wonder if we were
destined to be together. I felt connected to Lewis like I had with no other.
But did he feel the same way? Or was I just another girl in a long line, as
Olivia implied.
 

“Lewis!” As if the Universe was
playing some cruel prank on me, a young woman came rushing toward us. She
didn’t have trouble walking in her high heels and slinky black dress. Her hair
was as red as the lipstick she wore. Lewis stood as she reached the table. He
didn’t look ashamed or embarrassed when she threw her arms around him. He sure
as heck didn’t push her away, as I’d been hoping.

“When did you get back?” she
asked.

“Few days ago.”

She pulled away, not bothering
to glance at me. “Thank God, it’s been so boring with you gone.”

Heat slowly burned my cheeks as
realization dawned. While I’d lived on the mainland, wasting away because no
one understood me, Lewis had been perfectly happy here. He had friends and a
life, while I’d been living this pathetic half-existence. It didn’t seem quite
fair.
  

“Call me soon,” she said. “We
need to go out.”

“Sure.” Lewis settled back in
his chair and the girl flounced away. He hadn’t even introduced me. I dragged
my fork through my rice, staring hard at my plate. I would not cry. I was being
irrational, ridiculous. I refused to be another Emily.
 

He slid me a glance. “You’re
thinking something again, something I can’t hear, but I can see it on your
face.”

I forced myself to laugh. “No,
nothing.”

He was silent for a moment, so
silent that I worried about what he was planning next. “I don’t date a lot. I
don’t come here with a long line of women.”

The blood drained from my face.
I felt cold. Then just as quickly, heated embarrassment rushed through my body.
“I…how’d you know?”

“Your thoughts—”

“You said you weren’t reading my
thoughts!” I realized I said that a little too loudly and glanced around to
make sure we hadn’t been overheard.

“I stopped blocking when I
thought you were controlling yours. But they’re slipping through your defense.”
He seemed frustrated, disappointed in me.

Well, screw him. I started to
stand, embarrassed, humiliated. “I’m leaving.”

“What?”
Unbelievable. Why are girls so irrational?

I froze, shocked by the sudden
invasion of his thoughts into mine. My God, did he even realize his thought had
slipped out? The question quickly gave rise to the realization that he thought
I was irrational. I’d had to watch him practically make out in front of me with
two other girls and he was annoyed with me?

I tossed my napkin to the
tabletop and pushed open the closest door. I found myself on a boardwalk that
led to the beach. The air was chill, the wind bitter. I’d freeze out here, but
couldn’t seem to care at the moment. My heels sank into the sand as I made my
way to the shore. Too much. It was all too much, too soon. God, what was wrong
with me?

“Cameron!” Lewis was coming
after me.

I didn’t want him to. I wanted
to be alone. I wanted…I didn’t know what I wanted. I sank onto the sand, pulled
my legs to my chest and rested my head on my knees. A tear slipped down my
cheek, then another and another. God, I was crying and I couldn’t seem to stop.
It was supposed to be the perfect date. But then Olivia had ruined it, and
those girls had hugged Lewis, making me doubt him. He’d practically ignored me.
The worst part was realizing that my dad…his parents…they’d been murdered
together. Knowing the facts made it too real, all too…real.

My dad had died.

“Cam,” Lewis settled beside me,
his body touching mine. He was warm and I had to resist the urge to sink into
him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I don’t know.” I
stared at the sand, too embarrassed to look up at him.

I didn’t know how to explain my
tears because I wasn’t sure why I was crying. He’d think I was insane…then
again he probably already did. I took in a deep breath and lifted my head,
staring at the ocean. The sun had almost set, the water growing dark. He
couldn’t read my features, couldn’t see the tears. The darkness gave me
courage. I closed my eyes and opened my mind, taking down that steel wall Aaron
had taught me to build.