by G. K. DeRosa
Sitting back down on her bed, she scolded herself. “Celeste, you’re fine! You’re practically eighteen and you’ll be living on your own in New York City in a few months. Grow up and stop acting so childish.”
She slipped down under the covers and Rocky’s cold, wet nose nudged her cheek. She closed her eyes determined to sleep, but a rustling outside drew her attention back to the window. Rocky whined. She sat up and swept the curtain aside. Outside, perched in the oak tree just a couple feet from her window, she could just make out the outline of a large black bird.
Celeste moved closer to the window to get a better look. The huge bird reminded her of pictures her grandfather had shown her after they’d watched the old Humphrey Bogart film, The Maltese Falcon. He’d been an avid bird watcher and had found pictures of the predatory creature and shown them to her. He told her the peregrine falcon was the fastest-moving creature on Earth. She stared at the bird as the hairs on the back of her neck rose.
Could it be a falcon?
She leaned further out the window to get a closer look when Rocky, catching sight of the strange visitor, let out a menacing bark. The bird immediately took flight and disappeared into the night.
“Well that was weird, huh?” she asked Rocky, whose hackles were still raised as he stared out the window. She patted him on the head, and he finally settled down by her feet with a whine. She crawled back into bed and closed her eyes, willing herself not to think about the curious creature.
Celeste drifted off to sleep and into a dark dream. Birds surrounded her. They filled the air, thousands of them, reminding her of the old Hitchcock horror movie, The Birds. They filled the towering oak tree outside her window, chattering and squawking with urgency, as if they were trying to tell her something. Frightened, she tried to shoo them away, but they wouldn’t budge. The largest bird stared at her intently, as if looking into her mind. Its eyes were a vivid, hypnotic blue. An icy chill raced through her veins as she stared back into its oddly human eyes.
She suddenly awoke, startled, her breath coming rapidly as she gripped the sheets on either side of her. She tried to shake off the memory of the dream, but the image of the strange bird and his curious stare haunted her for the rest of the night.
Chapter 2
“Good morning, sweetie.”
Celeste stumbled drowsily down the stairs, her curly hair wild like a lion’s mane. “Mom, what are you doing up at this hour?”
“I got home a little earlier than usual, and four hours of sleep is plenty of time if that means getting to spend some quality time with my daughter.”
Celeste smiled and joined her in the kitchen. Her mom got to work and prepared a special Sunday breakfast. As Celeste watched her mom hustling around the stove, she thought about what Sundays used to be like. If she closed her eyes a bit, she could almost see her dad’s warm smiling face and hear his voice.
“Celeste, you can go to Brian’s later. Sunday is family day, and we need to help Mom make breakfast. Go get the eggs from the fridge, and I’ll let you stir the batter for the waffles.”
“Okay, Daddy. Can I use the electric one?” she asked with a devious smile.
Her mom wagged her finger in the air. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, sweetie. We don’t want you to lose any of those precious little fingers!”
She handed her the whisk and Celeste giggled as her father made whirring noises as she stirred.
Celeste snapped out of her daydream as the delicious smell of batter and syrup filled the kitchen. “Yum, waffles my favorite!”
“That’s why I’m making them.” Her mom smiled as she set out the plates.
“I’m glad we’re doing this. I wish we did it more often.”
“I know. I really wish we did too. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy at the hospital lately.”
Celeste wondered if it were easier for her mother to delve into her work at the hospital instead of dealing with losing her husband. Since she hadn’t been able to save him, helping strangers had become her life.
Her mom set two waffles on her plate and doused them with maple syrup. “I was thinking we should probably go through all of your things before your big move. I’ve seen clothes in your closet from when you were in grade school. You know you’re not going to be able to bring everything up to your tiny dorm at NYU.”
“I know, I just don’t know if I’m ready yet. As much as I want to move to New York City, it’s all kind of scary.” Celeste shrugged and looked down at the waffles.
“I know, baby girl. I wish your father were here with us now. He would be so proud of you. You have become such an amazing young woman, and you are going to love NYU just like he did. I know it.”
That afternoon, after Mrs. Wilder headed back to the hospital, Celeste stopped at the library. A novel she had been dying to read had just arrived. It was another beautiful day, perfect for sitting outside in her sunny backyard and working on her tan while escaping into a good book. As she searched through the stacks of the Best Sellers section, a chill raced up her spine. It felt like she was being watched. She glanced around furtively, but no one was nearby. The library was practically deserted.
Of course it is, it’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Who else would be cooped up in a dark library?
Finally, she found the romance novel, the newest one from the series she had been obsessing over, and made her way to the checkout desk. She turned the corner and collided with a hard body. She dropped the book, which slapped against the marble floor with a loud thud, echoing through the cavernous room.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” she blurted, without looking up as she bent down to pick it up. As she stood back up, her heart skipped a beat. A towering, well-built guy with wavy, raven hair, chiseled jaw, and eyes as blue as the summer sky stood before her. A smirk curled his full lips. Celeste’s cheeks grew hot. Embarrassed, she flushed even redder.
“No problem. Sorry, I should have been watching where you were going, I guess,” the stranger said, eyes twinkling.
Looking into those deep blue eyes, Celeste was completely at a loss for words. She watched helplessly as he walked away, disappearing further into the library.
Way to go, Celeste.
She stumbled to the checkout counter trying to gather her wits. The librarian behind the counter cleared her throat. Celeste looked up, confused, as if she’d forgotten why she was there. The librarian held out her hand and Celeste handed her the book and then fumbled for her library card. She looked around, but the mysterious stranger had disappeared. Oak Bluffs was a small town and she pretty much knew everyone that lived there. There was no way a guy like that would go unnoticed, not in this town. Who could he be?
Celeste didn’t know what it was about him, but for some reason she just had to find out everything. And she knew exactly who to ask.
Chapter 3
Celeste glanced up from her drawing and caught Natalie’s eye across the room. Natalie Meadows was one of the most popular girls in school, beautiful and confident, and involved in every after-school activity that mattered. She was like a brunette Barbie, with her shiny, perfectly styled hair, flawless skin, and long model-like legs. Not to mention Natalie always had the perfect Ken doll on her arm. Although they didn’t travel in the same circles now, Natalie and Celeste had been good friends in grade school. They had been best friends actually, but that was before Celeste’s father died and everything had changed.
Celeste sucked in a breath and walked over. “Hey, Natalie, got a sec?”
“Hey,” she replied, glancing at her watch. “Yeah, I guess. What’s up?”
Celeste hesitated and then plunged right in. “If anyone would know, you would,” she said, and was rewarded by one of Natalie’s warm smiles. “I saw this really hot guy at the library over the weekend, and, well…” She hesitated. “It’s just that he took me by surprise. He looks older than us, probably in his early twenties, but I’ve never seen him around before. Tall, black hair, gorgeous blue eyes—any idea who he m
ight be?”
Natalie’s eyes sparkled in recognition and studied Celeste, who was doing her best to act nonchalant.
“Well, my friend, this just happens to be your lucky day. If it’s who I think it is, Becky said that Jessica’s sister, Dani Lynn, met this really cute guy at the community college orientation.” Natalie pretended to search her memory as Celeste brightened up. “Wow, what did she say his name was…? Oh, yes, Nico something. He’s got a brother, too, Roman. They’re foreign,” she whispered, conspiratorially. “From somewhere in Europe. Imagine anyone from Europe moving here!”
Europe? She wouldn’t stand a chance with him, Celeste thought, her spirits crashing.
Natalie squeezed her arm, leaning in. “Dani Lynn’s having a party at her off-campus apartment on Friday. She invited him and like half of the population of Oak Bluffs. I’m sure he’ll be there. We should totally go.”
“Go where?” Brian asked, coming up behind them. Natalie threw him a flirtatious look.
“It’s a party on Friday. You should come, Brian,” Nat answered. “It’s a bunch of college kids from Oak Bluffs. You might as well get to know some of the other incoming freshmen before the fall semester.”
Brian looked at Celeste and shrugged. “Yeah, I’m definitely in as long as Celeste comes.”
A mix of nerves and excitement churned Celeste’s stomach.
“What do you say, Celeste? What’s the big deal? Let’s go!” urged Natalie.
“Okay. I’m in.” She couldn’t help the smile that split her lips.
The week flew by without much excitement. Celeste had barely been aware of any of it, her thoughts almost exclusively on Dani Lynn’s party. Would he be there? Could she talk to him without making a total idiot of herself? As she lay in bed wondering what tomorrow would have in store, a noise outside caught her attention. She jumped out of bed and walked over to the bay window, and as she opened it a small pebble whizzed by her head.
“Ouch!” squealed Celeste. She leaned out the window and saw Brian doubled over in laughter.
“Sorry, Cel! I didn’t mean to hit you!”
Seriously? She slammed the window shut and pulled the curtains closed. Outside, Brian’s lame apologies filtered through the glass. He begged her to come out for a second. She folded her arms across her chest, watching him plead before finally nodding. She threw on a pair of shorts and with a quick glance at the mirror, headed downstairs to see what was going on.
“What are you doing throwing rocks at my window at this time of night? You scared me to death!” she shouted, swinging the front door open.
“I’m sorry, Cel. I tried to call you on the walkie-talkie but you didn’t answer.” Brian stood at her front steps with his hands buried in his pockets.
“Have you ever heard of a cell phone?”
“It went to voicemail so I came over instead.” He shrugged.
“Okay, what was so important?” she asked impatiently, but Brian’s attention was focused elsewhere.
“Whoa, that is a huge bird up there.” Brian pointed over her shoulder.
Celeste followed his finger, squinting to make out the dark figure in the tree.
“Is that a falcon?” Her stomach churned nervously at the thought.
“I don’t know, maybe.” He squinted in the darkness. “Yeah, now that you mention it, it does kind of look like a hawk or a falcon or something.”
“Let’s try and get a closer look.” Celeste approached the tree cautiously, but Brian stopped her.
“Wait, I can go grab binoculars from my room.”
“You own binoculars?” she asked incredulously. Celeste looked up at the sightline from his room to hers and took a couple steps back. “Please tell me you do not look into my room with your binoculars!”
Brian’s cheeks reddened and his gaze cast down to the ground. “Look, it’s not like that Cel, I swear. I worry about you sometimes, that’s all. I know you’re home alone a lot so I wanted to keep an eye on you.”
“Literally, I guess.” She could see he was embarrassed. “Whatever Brian, I can’t deal with this right now. It’s late and I have to get some sleep. This scary bird thing has me on edge. I think I saw the same one the other night too, and I had a nightmare about it. Just promise me you’ll stop being weird and watching me through binoculars.” Celeste gave him a good-natured punch in the stomach and turned toward her front door. She spun back before turning the knob. “Hey Brian, wait, what did you want to talk to me about?”
He paused, already half way across the yard. “Oh nothing, don’t worry about it. It’s late like you said.”
Celeste glanced up into the oak tree to see the bird peering at her curiously. She quickly twirled around and hurried back inside her house. As she settled back into bed, she couldn’t help but think about the unusual bird and hoped she wouldn’t have another nightmare.
“Look, I’m really sorry about last night.” Brian ran up to Celeste as she stepped out of the cafeteria line.
Celeste could barely hear him over the boisterous talking and clatter of lunch trays. “It’s fine, I’m over it.” She set her tray on the table and pulled out a chair. “I know you thought you were being protective and what not, I get it.”
Brian sat beside her. Placing his warm hand on Celeste’s, his face grew serious. “You know I really care about you, right?” She looked down at his large hand covering hers then quickly looked away, surprised by his admission.
“Am I interrupting something?” Natalie appeared and plopped down next to Brian.
“Nope!” they said in unison. Celeste pulled her hand away awkwardly, hoping Natalie hadn’t noticed.
Brian jumped out of his seat. “I gotta get to class, but I’ll see you girls tonight.” As he walked out, he glanced back at her over his shoulder.
Why was he acting so weird?
“Is everything okay?” asked Natalie.
She turned back to her friend. “Oh yeah, everything’s fine. I can’t wait for the party tonight actually. Thanks for the invite.”
“No prob! I think it will be really good for you. And who knows, maybe you and this mysterious guy will hit it off – that is if Brian lets you out of his sight.” Natalie gave her a mischievous grin.
“Huh?” She took a sip of water. “Oh… no it’s not like that with Brian and me. We’re just good friends.”
“Oh yeah? Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, totally. You know we’ve known each other since we were practically in diapers. He’s like a brother to me. I could never think of him romantically, Nat.” She poked her fork at the green beans, distractedly.
“I don’t know, I mean he’s changed quite a bit since you two were in diapers. He’s gotten totally hot—don’t tell me you haven’t noticed? He’s definitely got a six-pack under that shirt from all the working out for basketball and wrestling. And the way he looks at you sometimes with those bright green eyes, it seems more than friendly to me.”
Celeste briefly thought about the night before and the binocular fiasco, but she quickly pushed it out of her mind. “No way Nat, and sure I’m not blind. I can see that he’s cute, but it’s just not like that with us.”
“Okay, well if you don’t want him then he’s mine!” laughed Natalie.
She rolled her eyes and giggled.
Later that night as Celeste rummaged through her closet for something to wear to the party, Natalie’s words about Brian flitted through her mind. She had to be wrong: Celeste never noticed Brian looking at her in any special way. They were just friends, best friends, and she couldn’t imagine it any other way. She finished off her outfit with her favorite necklace – a simple gold chain with three intertwined gold hearts, a present from her dad on her tenth birthday. Her dad had said it symbolized their family, the three of them, together forever. The familiar twinge of loss bubbled up, but she pushed it away.
Gazing critically at her reflection in the mirror, Celeste evaluated the overall look. She had always thought her hazel ey
es were drab, and she wished her button nose would perk up a bit at the end. Sighing, she added a bit of chocolate mousse eyeliner and a dab of cotton candy lip-gloss just as Brian’s car horn beeped outside. She grabbed her purse, patted Rocky on the head and rushed out.
Moments later they were walking up to Dani Lynn’s. There had to have been at least a hundred people at the party. Some were crammed into her apartment while the majority spilled out into the courtyard of her modern complex. As Celeste walked in, the loud, drunk bodies packed into every corner overwhelmed her. An indescribable urge to run back to the car flooded her chest, but Natalie caught sight of her and Brian before she could make her escape.
“I’m so glad you guys made it!” Natalie approached, accompanied by two pretty girls. “You know Jessica, and this is her sister, Dani Lynn.”
Celeste nodded and Brian threw Dani a charming grin.
“Come on in guys, the keg’s in the back.” Dani Lynn pointed toward the balcony. “I have to do some damage control downstairs. See you in a bit.”
Celeste looked over at Brian who was staring in the direction Dani had run off to. Dani had become quite striking since her high school days, and obviously Brian had noticed too. She had always been pretty, but now she had a certain alluring quality she never had before.
Natalie grabbed Celeste’s arm, turning her toward the crowd in the living room. “Okay so Dani pointed Nico Constantin out to me. Let’s go introduce ourselves.”
“Who’s Nico Constantin?” asked Brian returning his focus to the conversation.
“Oh you know, the mysterious stranger Celeste bumped into at the library over the weekend.”
Brian’s face tensed up, but he coolly shrugged it off. “Nope never heard of him.” He looked at her disapprovingly.
“Oh yeah, I guess it must have slipped my mind.” Heat seeped up Celeste’s neck.
“I’m going to grab a beer. You girls want something?” asked Brian.
