Granted, she knew she could do that – just leave. There was no reason why she had to stay here now that she’d purchased a ticket. She could ditch her date early. Pretend she had something that came up and go home. Certainly, it would be a waste of a ticket, but the money spent was not worth sticking around if she really didn’t want to be here.
And besides, it’s not like this would ruin any chance she had with the guy. Liam’s attitude toward her had made it pretty clear he was easygoing and more concerned about what she wanted. The perfect date, really. But still, maybe it would be better to just complain she needed to use the bathroom, and then come back saying that something came up and she had to go.
Heidi popped another few pieces of popcorn in her mouth, savoring the taste of the salt again, as she debated if she was really going to go forward with that plan, or just finish out the movie.
After all, she really did want to see this movie.
I wasn’t sure if it was the smell of the chili sauce or what, but something was really making my mouth water. I grabbed a glass, just to take a sip from the sink since I wasn’t really that hungry at the moment, and then began putting together all the ingredients in the tortillas. Once I was finished, I sprinkled additional sauce and cheese on top, got them in the oven, and then went back upstairs.
Lily and Lexi had actually gotten onto the subject of Heidi, and the fact that she’d gone on a date. From listening in on their conversation, I learned that Lexi was kind of paranoid about it, just because of everything that had happened in the last year. She knew she couldn’t demand that her younger sister not meet new people at all, but she was worried enough to have her phone out, checking Heidi’s GPS location every five or ten minutes.
Lily voiced that she didn’t like it either, not being thrilled about strangers stopping by, even just to drop Heidi off if she ever got more serious with someone. Not to mention, she was concerned about all our secrets, including Rose’s situation, possibly being found out. Plus, there was Eden’s rapid growth to consider too. Any guy who she decided to bring around would definitely notice a difference.
But, of course, the elephant in the room was the alternative – controlling Heidi and Lexi’s lives and making them stay single forever.
The two women danced around the subject very gracefully, but that was basically what they were talking about. Lexi didn’t seem to mind the current circumstances, because ‘anything’ was better than the hell she’d been through.
However, that still left the situation with Heidi up in the air. And from what I could tell, the available options were pretty limited – really almost nonexistent – since both Lily and Freya weren’t thrilled about sharing with Heidi the very thing that would probably keep her around and satisfied forever.
Me.
No one actually said anything of the sort out loud, but that was a pretty obvious point, leading to an optionless situation.
“Dinner’s ready,” I said, just before the timer beeped, which could barely be heard downstairs, with me having taken a glance just as it was on its last few seconds. I focused on my daughters on the floor, Rose hovering over Eden and making faces at her. “Rose, do you want some coffee?”
She looked up at me, her crimson eyes pensive. “Can I play with Eden while you eat? Mommy can have coffee.”
I smirked at her, wondering if she was trying to get rid of us, or if she just knew the adults liked to socialize alone sometimes. Could go either way.
“I’ll have some coffee,” Freya agreed with a smile.
“Sure,” I replied, getting up to head downstairs. My thoughts wandered to Heidi again as I pulled the enchiladas out of the oven and began working on coffee.
Heidi groaned in annoyance, completely in disbelief that this was really happening. She tried again, just to make sure, holding the start button in even though usually she only had to push it once. Yet still, nothing happened.
Her car was dead.
How in the hell was her car dead? It was practically brand new!
Granted, she didn’t drive it a ton, so maybe it was the battery? But if it started at home, then shouldn’t it start now?
She honestly didn’t know much about cars.
Glancing around, she saw that her date was just beginning to pull out of his spot several cars away, looking down at the dash, probably focused on his rearview camera, before glancing up and meeting her gaze. He’d been totally cool with her excuse to bail, likewise not planning on sticking around for the movie, but he didn’t even try to hide his desire for a second date.
Heidi did her best to give a noncommittal answer, using a cheerful tone to make her ‘It was fun, so maybe,’ sound like it could be a yes. She honestly wasn’t sure though. Because she was looking forward to hanging out with Sam instead, but that still left her in a situation where she was drooling over a guy she couldn’t truly have.
Liam must have realized something was up, because when their eyes met, he abruptly stopped halfway in the lane, giving her a confused look. He then held up his phone and began typing.
Heidi knew what that meant. Pulling out her phone, she waited for his message to appear in the app.
“Hey, you good?”
“Sort of. My car won’t start.”
Liam put down his phone and pulled back into his spot, only to begin typing again.
“I don’t know much about cars…but I can give you a lift home if you want.”
Heidi liked Liam, and honestly she trusted him. Not to mention, she didn’t want to inconvenience her older sister, but an unexpected image of Blaze’s face prompted her to just go with the safest route. She knew Liam was totally cool, but there was nothing like a person being imprisoned against their will for three years to make them overly paranoid.
“Nah, that’s fine. I’ll call my sister to pick me up.”
“I’ll wait then, just in case. Want to chat on the hood of my car, or want me just to chill here?”
Heidi smiled. So considerate.
“Sure, we can chat. Just a minute.”
She pulled up her sister’s contact and began the call.
I began scooping out enchiladas for everyone while Lily and Lexi sat down at the table, having moved on to talking about going on a vacation together sometime. After all, it wasn’t far from being summer and those of us working had flexible jobs now, to an extent.
Freya walked past me to grab her coffee, running her fingers gently across my shoulders, only for me to stop halfway through scooping out an enchilada.
“Hey Lexi,” I interrupted. “Heidi’s calling you. Did you leave your phone upstairs?”
I saw her look at me in absolute confusion as she reached down to her pocket, only to grab her phone and hold it up. “No, it’s right here,” she said. “But I don’t have any missed calls from–”
Instantly, her phone began to ring.
Suddenly, everyone went from confused to straight-up staring at me like they’d seen a ghost, including Freya. Then, after a moment of hesitation, Lexi answered it.
“Hey sis. Everything okay?”
I couldn’t hear the response…and yet…
‘Yeah, I’m good. Car’s dead though. Can you come pick me up? I don’t really know what to do in this kind of situation.’
Now that I was thinking about it, focusing on it, I could almost imagine what she was saying.
“T-That’s really strange,” Lexi said, looking extremely concerned now. “I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t start. It’s practically brand new.”
Again, it was like I just knew what she was saying.
‘Yeah, that’s what I thought too! Sorry to be a bother.’
“No,” Lexi shook her head, standing up. “Not at all. I’m on my way.”
‘Thanks, sis.’
“Yeah, of course. See you soon.”
She hung up, and everyone immediately looked at me.
Freya spoke up first, looking especially concerned. “Sam, how did you know she was going to call? Is it li
ke when you saw the future before? Like the car accident, or the mall attack, or…” She hesitated. “Something like the ‘thing’ with Heidi,” she added vaguely, referring to my very vivid sexual encounter with Lexi’s younger sister.
My brow furrowed, because I didn’t feel like it was anything like those situations, but they had a valid point. How did I know?
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “But no, I’m not really worried or anything. I just sort of felt like she was calling.”
“You seemed a little more confident than that,” Lily commented.
I shrugged again. “Either way, let’s go get her. I can call a tow truck on the way.” After all, while I was sure everything was fine, there was no way in hell I was letting Lexi go into public by herself. Granted, I should probably have the same concern for Heidi too, even if she wasn’t directly a target. The fact that she was ‘alive’ again, after being declared dead, wasn’t exactly widespread knowledge, so it almost felt like Heidi had a free pass.
She was sort of like a ghost.
But at the same time, there was a part of me that almost wanted to use the previous threats on Lexi’s life as an excuse to strongly recommend that Heidi not date anymore.
That seemed fair…
Not really, but I wasn’t sure I could handle her going on more dates. Something had to give. I didn’t know what, but something had to change. Maybe if I just gave her a ton of attention, she’d give up on dating.
Except, treading that line could be really risky, and I wasn’t sure Freya’s new incentive program was going to hold me back in the heat of the moment.
“Sam,” Freya said with a furrowed brow just as Lexi and I were heading out the garage door. “I saw your vision when Lily got shot, and it didn’t include the actual shooting. Just the part where you found her and watched her die.”
Well, that certainly set a somber tone. I glanced at Lily, recalling the horrible soul-destroying devastation.
“What about it?” I wondered hesitantly.
Surprisingly, it was Lily who chimed in with wide eyes. “You knew. Sam, you knew I jumped in front of Lexi, even though no one told you. Just like you knew Heidi was calling.”
My brow furrowed. “What could that mean though?”
Freya shook her head. “I don’t know, but it makes me nervous. When are they going to let you see your evaluation?”
“Well, according to my contract, they’re required to provide it within fifteen days after signing. So basically two weeks from yesterday.”
Freya nodded, focusing on Lexi. “I don’t know if you can get your boss to speed that up, but I think the sooner we know what’s going on, the better.”
Lexi nodded, holding up her phone. “And I’ll call my sister again just to make sure she’s okay.”
“Yeah, let’s get going,” I suggested, just a hint of worry now. “The sooner we get her back home, the better.”
I followed Lexi to her red Ferrari and climbed in, trying to figure out how I just knew Heidi was going to call earlier. But honestly, I didn’t know how. Deciding just to clear my mind and focus on her, I closed my eyes.
9: Spark of Instinct
Heidi Stockton
April 13, 2735 – Current Day – Evening
“Seriously?” Heidi said with a grin, only to laugh. “That’s ridiculous!”
“I know, right?” Liam agreed with a grin of his own, shifting his weight slightly on the hood of his silver car.
Heidi had to admit, her date was super easy to talk to. When they were having coffee earlier, she realized she was stuck on things to talk about, since she’d been sort of ‘gone from the world’ for three years, but Liam made it easy. He asked basic questions that felt important for getting to know someone, but were also easy for her to answer, like ‘What’s your dream vacation spot?’ or ‘If you could be anything when you grow up, what would it be?’
That last one was hilarious, because it was obviously meant to be a joke, and she likewise gave a silly answer.
And now he was entertaining her with random stories, all of them amusing.
It wasn’t ‘work’ talking with him. Far from it. It was easy. And she liked it.
Unexpectedly, as they held each other’s gaze for a few long seconds, he abruptly leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.
She instantly pulled away in shock, her gut feeling like she abruptly fell half a foot.
“Hey, not cool,” she said uneasily.
He quickly pulled away too, holding his hands up. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think that would bother you.”
Heidi hesitated, not sure why it did bother her…
Probably because she’d never kissed anyone before. She liked to talk about that kind of stuff like she had experience, but really she had none. Absolutely none.
But at least it wasn’t the lips.
“No, it’s fine,” she replied, wondering if maybe a peck on the cheek was overreacting. “Just…if I want to kiss, I’ll let you know.”
“Of course,” he agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. “And hey, I’m really sorry. You’re just super pretty – like, drop-dead gorgeous – and I just kind of did it without thinking.”
Heidi’s face flushed in embarrassment. She knew she was objectively attractive, but between Sam’s comment a few days ago, and now this, she wasn’t sure how to handle that.
❖ ❖ ❖
Sam Archer
April 13, 2735 – Current Day – Evening
“Sam, what’s wrong?” Lexi asked.
I opened my eyes, realizing we were just pulling out of the gate and onto the road. My hands were clenched into fists in my lap, and I was pissed . “I…I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m just…really angry for some reason. Like, I want to punch someone in the face, kind of angry.”
Lexi immediately tapped a button on her dashboard touchscreen. “Call Heidi,” she commanded.
The phone began ringing right away. We both held our breath while we waited for her to answer.
“Hey, sis,” Heidi said, her voice filling the interior. “What’s up? You on your way?”
“Yeah, just left. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. My date decided to wait with me, so we’re just chatting in the parking lot until you get here.”
Lexi hesitated. “And…he’s okay and everything, right?”
“Yeah, he’s cool. Something wrong?”
“It’s just weird your car is dead. I mean, stuff like that happens, and obviously he was with you the whole time, right?”
“Yeah.”
“But you’re sure there’s no one suspicious around or anything?”
There was a pause. “No, don’t think so. There’s a lot of cars around though, so I don’t really know.”
Lexi sighed. “Well, at least the sun is still up. We’ll go ahead and call a tow truck, okay? And if you see something strange, then go inside or something, okay?”
Heidi nodded her head, prompting a grin to appear on Liam’s face in the corner of her vision. She rolled her eyes, knowing he was smiling because her sister couldn’t see the gesture.
“Okay,” Heidi agreed. “See you soon.”
“See you soon,” Lexi echoed, the call disconnecting as Heidi hung up.
We were both silent for a few seconds, before Lexi spoke up quietly.
“Sam…is my sister going to be okay?”
I looked at her in surprise, seeing fear in her eyes – true fear. The kind of fear only someone who has experienced hell, and barely survived through it, would know. I reached over and gently rested my hand on her shoulder, taking a deep breath.
“I think we’re just overreacting,” I admitted, wanting to comfort her.
“But you were angry just a second ago,” she countered. “And you knew she was going to call before. I mean, has that ever happened and it not been a life or death issue?”
I grimaced, removing my hand from her shoulder.
She looked at me in concern.
&
nbsp; “Sort of,” I admitted.
“Sort of?” she repeated. “Sam, tell me. Please. Because this is really scaring me. I can’t lose her. I can’t lose my sister.”
I reached up to cover my eyes with my hand. “You know about Eden, right?” I asked hesitantly.
Lexi glanced over at me again, looking confused now. “Yeah, on the way to our pictures, after the superpower evaluation, Freya kind of gave me the gist of it. What about it?”
“So you know that Eden’s ability kind of had an influence on me, right? Before she was conceived?”
“Yeah…” Lexi agreed hesitantly.
“Well…” I sucked in a deep breath, keeping my eyes hidden, even though I could see her in my second-sight. “Heidi was almost Eden’s mother.”
Lexi’s amethyst eyes nearly bugged out of her head, her voice coming out strained. “O-Oh.”
“And the reason why it didn’t happen,” I continued. “Is because I sort of had a ‘dream’ about it the night before. I stopped it because I knew it was going to happen.”
“B-But you don’t sleep,” Lexi countered, seeming to just say anything while she tried to process what I was telling her.
“Yeah. But it was still kind of like a dream. And when things started playing out the same way, I put a halt to it the moment she tried to kiss me.”
“I…” She struggled for words. “I didn’t realize that happened.”
I finally looked at her. “Well, it didn’t actually happen. Obviously.”
“Y-Yeah, but…” She hesitated. “Why her? Why not someone else, like…” Her voice trailed off, but I suspected I knew what was on her mind.
“Well, basically because she was ready to have a baby. I guess she started her period like two weeks after it happened. She wasn’t on birth control, but she also wasn’t having a period before that due to using her superpower so much.”
Lexi nodded, seeming somewhat reassured by that fact.
“But yeah,” I continued. “So it hasn’t always been for bad things. But that dream, or vision, or whatever, was also a lot different from everything else too. Often, I’ve sensed a lot of the bad things only seconds before it happens. And I don’t know how to control it.”
The Powerful Pride of an Immortal (Immortal Supers Book 4) Page 13
