Tremble (3 page)

Her eyes go dead. A blank look washes through her expression that appears and disappears as quick as it came. I wonder if anyone else caught that other than me.

“Pleased to meet you.” She extends her hand, and I shake it.

Who the hel says, pleased to meet you? There’s no accent, so I can’t excuse her for being British or something.

“Hi Logan,” I say. I meant to ask Carly if she knew Chloe, but my tongue took a U-turn.

He chews on the inside of his cheek and needles me with a brief stare.

“Let’s see your new car,” he says to Carly, and they take off in the direction of the driveway.

Deep down I know it’s al an act, but right now it feels pretty real. Is Logan real y that great of an actor? A part of me doesn’t believe he is.

Chapter Five

Broken

Apparently it doesn’t take long to admire her upholstery. Logan and Carly return within five minutes, barely enough time to trek down the driveway and back. He picks her up by waist and places her on a stone pedestal that sits along the edge of the deep end.

“I’l be right back.” Gage heads over to a group of guys from East.

I can’t take my eyes off the craptastrophy unfolding before me. She tosses her hair and laughs as he makes himself comfortable between her knees.

“Are you freaking kidding, me?” I say out loud. He leans into her like he’s her boyfriend or something.

El is does a double take. “Carly’s back.” His lips curl up on the sides. “Look at that. Didn’t take long, did it?” He says with no affect.

“You into her or something?” Please say yes. I’d cheer from the sidelines if he wanted to push Logan in the pool for hitting on her so blatantly.

“Nah. She’s a tough nut to crack. I guess if you’re Logan Oliver you get a free pass. She’s nothing but a big tease.”

Instantly I feel better.

“You should go for her. I think you’d make a great couple. You’d be like total y cute puppies.” I ramble in an effort to get him on my team.

“Nope. You’re on your own with this one. I’ve got a harem of wil ing participants. I don’t need the ice queen shutting me down at lift off.”

“Oh, she burned you.” I’m burning now. I can’t lose El is. He needs to want her in order to divert her. “You should get her back. You know, go out with her and dump her harshly.”

He erupts in loud unexpected laughter.

“Maybe I should. But I have to wait until the wel runs dry.” He glides over to a brunette with boobs the size of cantaloupes busting out of her top.

With El is the wel wil never run dry. I am so very screwed.

I lean against the wal , partial y hidden by miniature palm trees and watch as Carly rests her shoulder on the statue of a lion. I wish it would animate—swal ow her, rip her head off, and vomit it back out into the pool. I’d like for this night to end badly for her even if I have to make it happen myself.

Then, as if in slow motion, she runs her fingers through Logan’s hair, pul s him in close until their noses bump.

I’m mortified. Everyone at school, two schools are going to think they’re a couple. Whatever happened to his big idea of playing the part of scary loner?

“What’s the matter? Afraid of a little competition?” Michel e pops up out of the shadows, her face stil sporting the three flesh toned scrapes that pil ow out unnatural y. They hold the very strong promise of becoming infected.

“What competition?” How is it possible that I can hate anyone more than Michel e? Michel e, who kissed Logan, who he was playing while trying to snake Chloe’s diary away from her al summer. How is it possible that a smal part of me prefers that Logan act like an ass with Michel e rather than Carly who has clearly ignited a nuclear bomb of hatred deep inside me?

“She can have al the fun she wants tonight. Next week I’l make sure he understands he’s mine.” Michel e whispers the words like an incantation.

“What’s wrong with you?” I hiss. “You’re just going to stand there and let her slobber al over him like some rabid dog? You don’t give a crap about Logan if you’re OK seeing him with someone else.”

“Obviously you don’t either,” she snips before walking away.

She’s right. Michel e freaking Mil er is right. If I stand in the shadows lurking like some candy-ass nitwit, then I don’t deserve him. I’l just go over and politely pul him aside, tel him that this is real y screwing with my brain and to knock this shit off. Then Carly can go find Gage or El is or whoever the hel else she wants to shut down at lift off.

I cut through the cool of the night, the fog gently lifts my hair as I make my way over a little quicker than I had envisioned.

“Hey.” It comes out curt.

I position myself next to Carly so Logan can get the ful visual of my impending wrath. He’s so immersed in their snuggle fest, I want to strangle him. I’m about to yank him off and do a repeat performance of what I did to Michel e. Maybe I can carve my initials into his face? Both their faces.

“Hi Skylee,” Carly meows, before going back to rubbing his nose.

“It’s Skyla.” Not that I care what she cal s me, or if she ever says my name again. “Logan,” I push his arm off her shoulder. “Look at me.” My voice raises a notch.

“Would you relax?” His eyes lock onto mine, just beneath the frustration there’s the slight hint of something else.

The group of bodies behind us dul s down to a gentle whisper. So much for politely removing ourselves so we don’t cause a scene.

“Logan, I need to talk to you real quick.” My voice quivers. I can’t stand the thought of losing it in front of both West and East High, not to mention, Carly the great.

“Wel , I don’t want to talk to you.” He dive-bombs a kiss on her forehead, pul s back and smiles at her. She lets out a string of giggles and bounces a soft kiss off his cheek right in front of me.

“Excuse fucking me!” I shout.

Deafness fal s over the party, and if there were music playing, it’s not playing now.

“Can you please get the hel away from my boyfriend?” I scream, pushing into her chest until she topples off the pedestal.

Logan matches my ferocity as he helps her to her feet. “You got some major issues. I’m not anybody’s boyfriend, Skyla.” He offers the sarcastic inflection on the later half of my name.

My cheeks fil with heat—my entire body ignites like a furnace, and my vision warps with tears.

“You’re going too far.” I can hardly get the words out. “He’s not being honest with you.” I say to Carly in a more subdued tone. “He’s with me.”

“What the heck are you talking about?” He roars. “Look, sorry if I made you think this was something more than a hookup, but it’s done. Get over it.” He turns his attention back to Carly, wrapping both his arms around her waist. He picks up her chin gently with his finger and whispers something about being OK.

“She’s lost it.” Carly laughs as she says it.

I force my body between the two of them and slip my hand around Logan’s so I can hear his thoughts. I need to know he doesn’t mean any of this. I want to have a private conversation right here with the entire high school population of Paragon lording over us with their judgmental stares.

He shakes my hand off like it was on fire.

“Get away from him.” Carly steps in front of him like she’s going to defend him—save him from me.

With a jolt I shove my hand into her stomach, eject her from the stone-paved pathway, and send her flying clear into the center of the pool.

A round of gasps circles the crowd.

“Don’t come to my room tonight,” I hiss as I walk away.

“Psycho,” he cal s after me.

It rips through my heart like a blade.

Chapter Six

Misery

I waited for him al the lonely night.

The dove grey sky outside my window is locked in a motionless fog that obliterates the less important details of the world—blurs it out to where I feel comfortable just knowing I’m stil living in it. I love the endless parade of grey days on Paragon. The entire island wears a constant shroud like a ghost from some distant morbid time.

I head downstairs and find Mom in the kitchen crunching numbers on the calculator. A huge pile of Tad’s work is stacked three bricks high besides her. She’s become his indentured servant and doesn’t even know it.

“Where’s your master?” I ask, opening the fridge.

“Skyla.” She doesn’t bother hiding her irritation.

“Sorry. Where’s Taddy dearest.” I fan myself with the refrigerator door, balking inwardly at its meager offerings.

“That’s better,” she clicks away at the keyboard. “Golfing.”

I practical y choke on my disgust.

“And you’re stuck doing his homework? Do you see anything at al wrong with this picture?” I walk over and take a seat next to her at the table.

“I volunteered to do this rather than go with him. I’m not so keen on walking around grass al day. Besides,” she taps her finger dramatical y into the keyboard. “I’m done. You’re not stil mad at me are you?”

“What makes you think so?” I lean onto my elbows and gaze ahead. I can’t stop thinking about Logan and the five hundred ways he diced up my heart last night.

“Wel for one, you’re speaking to me for the first time in four days, and for two, you seem rather over it.”

Mom apologized through the roof when I final y made it home Tuesday. She thought they’d be feeding me pancakes at the al night diner, then give me a makeover or something stupid. I didn’t bother tel ing her the only thing they put in my stomach was Emily’s foot. She felt bad enough already. To compound her ignorance, she thought Briel e was in on it too, which she wasn’t. Although, it’s not like Briel e did much for me that day either besides lend me her brush and some lip-gloss.

“I broke up with Logan last night.” I say it in a slow melodic string. It feels real now that I’ve said it out loud to my mother. I wonder if Chloe’s ghost heard.

“Skyla.” She wraps her arms around me, squeezes me tight. “I’m so sorry. I know how much something like that hurts. It can be so painful, but you have so many other guys who are interested. It isn’t the end of anything, just the beginning. You want to tel me what happened?”

“He was with some other girl,” I offer.

A smal choking sound gets trapped in her throat.

“It’s always that way.” Before she gets her last word out properly Drake walks into the room.

“Is that why you threw that chick in the pool?” He leans hard over the table in an effort to give me his ful attention. His hair is spiked up in the back, and he’s got white patches al over his face in a medicated effort to clear his complexion. Gross.

“Skyla please tel me you didn’t push a girl into the pool. Was she hurt? You know she could sue us if she wanted.”

“She didn’t push a girl into the pool,” Drake corrects. “She launched her like a missile. I swear she was airborne for like ten seconds. I’ve never seen anything like it. Remind me to never mess with you.”

At least some good came from it.

“Yes, I pushed her,” I confess.

“Was that the girl…he left you for?” My mother’s words hang in the air.

Left me for? It wrings my heart out just to hear her say it.

I nod.

“Oh, honey, it’s not her fault.” She cradles me. “You have my ful permission to throw Logan into the nearest swimming pool should the occasion arise.”

My cel goes off in my pocket—a text from Briel e.

Carly’s house tonight. She wants me to invite you. Please come.

“Is she kidding?” I say out loud. “Carly wants me to go to some get together at her house tonight. I smel a vat ful of pig’s blood.”

“Is that the girl?” My mother’s eyes light up. “See, women are real y above fighting over men. You should go and show Logan you’re over al this pettiness. It’l send a clear message that you’re above this and that he’s simply not worth it.”

The timer on the dryer buzzes and Mom takes off after it.

“So you going?” Drake asks.

“Are you?”

“Briel e’s going, I’m going. You chicken?”

“I’m going.” I shrug, texting Briel e back.

I’m shaking inside at the thought, but I’ve fought my enemies on their own turf before and won.

Chapter Seven

Healer

That afternoon, I try three different times to fal asleep and make my way to Chloe. It’s no use. I pul off the covers and sit up in bed. I’ve never been good at crashing in the middle of the day. Logan says it’s impossible to control where you end up when you time travel, but I managed to land at my desired location three different times last month. I think time travel is one of my stronger gifts, but I don’t dare advertise the fact to Logan. At least I didn’t when we were actual y speaking. I can’t believe he hasn’t cal ed me once since our blow out.

Al of this misery reminds me of how much I miss my father, how desperately I ached when he died. If I could get to Chloe, maybe she’d come with me and we could go see my dad?

I’m too freaked out to try it on my own. Too afraid I won’t want to come back, and who knows what I’l end up screwing up while I’m there. I need the guidance of another Celestra, and God knows it isn’t going to be Logan.

***

Briel e picks Drake and I up right after dinner. Carly lives clear across the island. It takes a good forty minutes before we arrive at her amply lit estate which makes even the nicer homes on Paragon look like hovels.

“So what do her parents do?” I ask Bree as we head up the walk.

“Old money. They travel, sip champagne. The whole family is impossible to hate. They’re like the nicest people on the planet.”

I hate her—al of them, but I don’t let Briel e in on the fact I’ve managed to defy an impossibility. And I’m not sure how, but I like Carly even less for having nice parents. Go figure.

“Hi!” She greets us at the door before we have the chance to knock. “The guys are here.” She walks us through a cavernous entry, past a spiral staircase that seems to spin in a frenzy al the way up to eternity. We end up in an over-furnished room with a TV the size of the wal .

Logan and Gage are seated at a smal round table playing cards. There’s an empty space next to Logan with the cards covered, obviously belonging to Carly.