Witness (3 page)

It was dreary and cool out; I guess fall was really here now. If I had my days right, my eighteenth birthday was this weekend, on the 20
th
of October. It was a day I’d counted down to for years…one that would pass without any real change in my lifestyle - at least not the change I’d hoped for, one that would give me and Draven a life of peace. It really is sad to have what you want dangling in front of your face…but you’re just too scared to reach out and fight for it.

The garage was almost completely dark. Instantly, I could hear my name echoing in the shadows that lingered along the driveway just outside the garage. I focused on the music that was echoing in my thoughts and felt the imaginary glass wall of protection rise.

My last car was totaled, but with the insurance money my mother bought me another bug – it looked just like my old one: dark blue and brand new. It barely had two hundred miles on it. When I unlocked my car door, I found a rose and a CD in the seat with a note that read: ‘It’s nearly four and your lights are dim – I didn’t want to wake you. This is to show you that you’re always on my mind.’

I read Draven’s words again, then raised the note so I could smell the addicting aroma of his cologne. I missed him so much; I couldn’t believe I’d let this silent fight last this long. I slid into my seat and turned the key so I could slide in his track.  As the music began to play, I heard a slow, haunting guitar. The chords were commanding and echoed a deep love that could only be understood by the ones that bathed in that emotion. There were no words, just music. That’s how we wrote: music first, then we’d let the lyrics come to life. My eyes glassed over as the music surrounded me. We were a doomed couple…lost in a twisted battle to find our purpose and still hold on to one another.

I put my car in reverse and backed out of the dark garage. As I crept down the driveway, I reached for the radio and hit repeat on the song, then turned it up as loud as it would go. The shadows had not threatened me since the night I wrecked my car, but I could hear the whispers behind them growing impatient for me to make good on my promise to redeem them all. I was on edge – always expecting an eruption of anger at any moment.

The bridge in my driveway had been replaced. My mother had spared no expense; instead of a wood floor, concrete had been poured and the roof was removed completely. It still made me uneasy to pass over it.

I turned right out of my driveway. I knew there was coffee shop a few miles down the road. Apparently, neither of us had slept much last night; we would need coffee if we were going to talk this out.

I had to circle the block, like, three times before I found a spot to park. The coffee shop was part of a little strip that held a few art galleries, a diner, and a few other random stores. The town’s post office and courthouse were on the opposite side of the street, so it was a popular area around here, to say the least.  I ended up parking in front of the diner. I thought about just getting breakfast and taking it to Draven, but I doubted either of us had much of an appetite this early in the day.

Joggers and dog walkers crowded the sidewalk. I did my best to stay out of their way, but I managed to bump into more than one. As an old man being led by a Great Dane passed me, I dodged out of the way and found myself against the diner’s front windows. I was a little taken aback at seeing such a massive dog with a timid man. As I watched them pass out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar face inside the diner window, Britain’s face. My heart began to hammer violently against my chest. He hadn’t seen me, not yet. A girl was sitting across from him…it was Bianca, no doubt about it; her long, dark hair was twisted behind her head, revealing the broken heart birthmark on the back of her neck. They were sitting at a table by the window, and the Great Dane had managed to capture Britain’s attention, too; he was looking over his shoulder out the window as they passed by. I pulled the hood up on my hoodie and all but ran to the coffee shop two doors down – almost knocking over another dog walker in the process.

I pushed my way in the door of the coffee shop, then went to the window and peered out at the sidewalk. They were too close – too close to me, too close to my house. I thought about texting Britain and asking him what he was doing – maybe try and lure him away from here with a promise to meet him across town, but I couldn’t find the courage – I was scared he’d see my car.

My jealous streak started toying with my mind. I hadn’t seen Bianca in months, and she looked just as seductive and alluring as ever – I wondered if she had somehow found a way to reach Draven, if that was one of the reasons he’d been so distant. I shook my head in disgust; that was a farfetched idea, to say the least…Draven would never go near her. He didn’t have the soul to deceive me like that. A sick feeling centered in my stomach, though, as I realized that I had done just that: deceived him by keeping tabs on Britain. I bit my back teeth as I thought of how mad he was going to be when I told him – right now, I didn’t care. I just wanted all of this out in the open. I wanted a solid plan to win this battle we were fighting before it tore us apart.

I looked behind myself at the crowded coffee shop, then out to where my car was parked; I was trapped – and scared. I stood on my tiptoes and searched for Britain’s car. It didn’t take long to find it; his Aston Martin stuck out like a sore thumb in this town. It was parked three cars down from the entrance of the coffee shop.

I thought about asking if there was a back exit so I could walk around to my car; I was almost positive there was, but I was too shy, and the risk of being seen was too big; instead, I pulled my hood further down around my face and took my place in line. I pulled out my phone, toying with the idea of calling someone to meet me here. My finger hesitated over Madison’s name I knew she needed to sleep, and I wasn’t fond of the idea of her being so close to Britain. I didn’t get what was going on or trying to go on between them. Draven...no way...he wasn’t coming this close to Bianca, even if it killed me. I scrolled to the A’s, looking for Aden’s number. Just when I opened the text box, one of the workers came to my side.

“Excuse me,” he said over the rumble of conversation in the shop.

I jumped, and my phone fell to the floor. The guy leaned down to grab it before I could decide if I was in danger or not.

“Sorry – didn’t mean to scare you,” the young guy said as he tried not to laugh. I stared at him nervously, trying to understand why he was talking to me. His smile fell, and he cleared his throat. “Um…that man over there said to tell you that he’s already ordered for you.”

I furrowed my eyebrows as my face flushed with fear. “What man?” I asked, ducking slightly behind the boy.

“In the corner. I think he might be your dad – maybe?” the boy said, moving to point out the table. I looked past him to see Evan, Draven’s dad, sitting in the last booth. My shoulders fell, and my heart started to beat slower.

“Thanks,” I mumbled as I stared in Evan’s direction.

I didn’t know he was back, but I couldn’t be happier to see him right now. He was sitting at a booth by the window with an open paper in front of him. As I navigated through the crowded tables to his side, a nervous anticipation came over me again. I hadn’t been face-to-face with him since my memory had been taken. That boy wasn’t crazy to assume that Evan could be my father; in fact, Evan reminded me a lot of my dad. He had the same tall build, a powerful energy that commanded people to listen to what he said, yet a calm soul that made you feel safe. Draven had his eyes, that haunting green that was laced in black. He smiled slightly and nodded as I walked closer.

“Hey,” I said nervously as I reached the table.

He nodded for me to take a seat. I looked out the window – to the parked Aston Martin that was now just a few feet away – then slid into the booth with Evan.

“I didn’t know you were back. Does Draven know?” I asked as I slouched a little in the seat, hoping that I wouldn’t be recognized through the slightly tinted windows.

Evan looked out the window, then back at me. He reached for his steaming cup of coffee. “I’ve been home for a few weeks,” he said just as he took a sip of coffee.

“What?” I said, sitting up. I was confused. Why would Draven not tell me?

Evan tilted his head and smiled faintly. “I didn’t think you knew – I haven’t seen you around. Kara said you haven’t left the house in a while.”

“I’ve been locked in my studio – you know how it is,” I said, letting my eyes fall to the table. I guess it had been a while since I left the house.

“I do,” Evan said as he folded his paper and leaned forward. “Any breakthroughs?”

“Nah…not what I’m looking for, anyway. Why didn’t Draven tell me that you were back?” I asked, looking up at him.

A waitress came to the table at that moment and set a cup of coffee and a bagel in front of me. I nodded to tell her thank you.

“I think that’s the way you like it – with all those added flavors and such,” Evan said, nodding to the coffee.

“Yeah, thanks. I was...I was gonna take some coffee to your house...to Draven.”

A relieved smile came to the corners of Evan’s lips. “I’m sure he would like that.”

“I wasn’t sure if he’d want coffee this early after getting in so late. I figured it was worth the try.”

“I wasn’t talking about the coffee,” Evan said, pushing the bagel closer to me. “I meant he would like seeing you...that...he needs to see you.”

As Evan spoke, my dream with my father came rushing back to me. A sick feeling came over me, and eating was last thing I wanted to do. I pushed the bagel into center of the table and leaned forward. I glanced out the window to the Aston Martin, then back at Evan.

“You sound like my father,” I whispered.

Evan nodded and started to move his fingers across the table the way Draven does when he’s trying to figure something out. “What did your dad say?” he asked quietly.

“Not to let Draven push me away – that he needs me.”

Evan nodded along as I spoke. “Charlie is a wise man; you should listen to him.”

We stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. As I tried to concentrate on him – to try and see him – images finally came to life before my eyes. I could see him boarding a plane with two young guys and a girl. The boys had long, dark hair swooshed to the side; their skin was pale, but their eyes and hair were as dark as night. I assumed one was older – brothers perhaps. The girl was younger than them, maybe even younger than me, and she was overly gothic. Her dark hair was long and straight, and she wore a dark purple hoop in her nose that matched the color of her lipstick. Her eyeliner was so heavy that it was hard to make out where her eyes began. They all seemed placid – emotionless, but harmless. I assumed these were the people Evan had found that could see like we could.

As I peered through these images, I saw these people meet Draven, Aden, and Madison (I was furious that no one had told me about them), then I focused my eyes and made the images disappear. I shook my head, questioning if I was just imagining all of that or if it had really happened.

“Seeing is coming back to you,” Evan said as he tilted his head.

“How did you know I was seeing? I don’t even know if I was seeing,” I said trying not to let the embarrassment I felt flush in my cheeks.

“Your eyes…when you see, your pupils expand to the width of your eyes…all of you do that – well, everyone who sees like you.”

“All of who? Does the girl with the purple lipstick have expanding pupils, too?”I asked sarcastically.

“Hard to tell with all that makeup,” Evan said as he tried not to grin. “If I could see her pupils, I would guess they didn’t expand; instead, a darkness comes from the outside to the center.”

As he spoke, my memory brought back images of Draven’s eyes…his breathtaking eyes looked as if they were intended to be black, but beautiful lines of green raced through them – at times…times when I knew he was trying to see me, they would turn black – black as coal. I could almost see what Evan was talking about, how it could be perceived as the black flooding from the outside to the center. Honestly, Draven could ‘see’ so well and so quickly that at times I barely noticed the change in color at all.

I tried to remember if I had ever seen Madison or Aden’s eyes change or their pupils expand…I guess I just never noticed because it was so common to me. It was odd to have Evan point it out…I wondered if it was that obvious to everyone. I also wondered why Draven’s or that girl’s eyes would turn dark differently…what was Evan trying to say?

“I guess I did ‘see’ you,” I mumbled. “How come I didn’t know they were here?”

Evan shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t think it’s a secret. Maybe you didn’t ask.”

“That’s ridiculous. You’ve been gone for months, looking for people like us – then you come back in town with people, and no one thought to mention that? Send a friendly text, at least? Seriously, what’s going on?”

“Nothing…” Evan’s eyes slowly moved across my face. “I think Draven is trying to make sure he trusts them before he brings you around them.”

“Are they dangerous?”

Evan looked out the window, then back at me. “I guess that depends…do you think Draven’s dangerous?”

“What? Are you serious? Why would you ask me that?”

“Because they see the way Draven does…they see the darkest of the darkness – and when they see, darkness floods their eyes.”