Wow, would it kill someone to give me a straight answer?
“This is bullshit. You know what’s going on around us. You hear the voices. And why don’t you ever question my sanity when I bring up the creature I keep seeing?” My chest heaved with anger as I fisted my hands at my sides. “It’s because you know this is all real. So tell me something. Give me some piece of information—you keep saying you’re my friend, but if you truly were, you’d look out for me and help me.”
“I am looking out for you—maybe not in ways you notice—”
“Seriously? That’s your answer. You know what, just forget this whole hanging out thing. I—I can’t do it anymore. Not unless you can be honest with me.”
Nevin’s gaze darted over the woodland. He reached for my arm, frantic-like. “Fine. I promise to tell you more, but can we at least wait until we get to where I planned on taking you?”
I inhaled deeply, then let my breath out slow to calm down. “Okay, but you better keep your word.” My boot scuffed at the snow and I glanced at him. “So where are we going?”
“Some place special. Come on.” He held out his hand, leading me toward the path that went around the pond.
I took bigger steps to keep pace with him, taking in the scenery as we passed. Where the heck was he taking me?
The deeper in we went, the more overgrown everything was, like it had never been touched by man.
“Okay, close your eyes,” he whispered in my ear.
My lids fluttered shut as he scooped me up in his arms. Geez, why the heck had he picked me up? I rested my head against his chest, his heart beating as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. I shouldn’t be so close to him. Not like this.
“Can I open them yet?”
He chuckled. “In a minute. Hasn’t anyone taught you patience?”
“It’s not my best virtue.”
At last, he set me on my feet. “Go ahead and look,” he said, a hint of nervousness entering his words.
Before me stood the ruins of what looked like a large estate. The house seemed like something I’d find in the English countryside. I never heard a gate open so that must mean it was inside my grandma’s property line. How did I not know about all this stuff on her land?
I gasped, moving toward the remnants of a door. I ran my fingers over the detailed carvings of roses, crowns, birds, and dancing couples in the amazing stonework.
Half of the roof had collapsed and trees branched up through it while dead vines and moss clung to the stone. The sagging part, which was still tiled, looked as if a strong gust of wind could topple it. Remains of a grand staircase wound upward to a large balcony. Old chimneys lay crumbled on the floor.
I imagined grand balls and gatherings held there when the estate was in its prime. Sadness washed over me, making me wonder who had left such a fantastic house to rot. It was as if the occupants had disappeared.
“This is beautiful.” I spun around to find Nevin staring at me.
His grin made my knees weak. “I’m glad you like it. Now, you have to come this way for the surprise.”
He draped an arm around my shoulders, guiding me through a rotting doorway into what remained of the ballroom. The marble tile looked unaffected by time and neglect. It had been cleared off and cleaned. Though the roof was missing, the room was magical. A surreal feeling washed over me, like I’d stepped onto the set of a Disney princess movie.
My gaze settled on a woolen blanket laid out in the center of the room, covered with a wicker picnic basket, bottles of juice, and plates of food. There were sandwiches, vegetables, and various types of cookies spread out.
I wondered how he’d gotten all this stuff out here. He could’ve carried it, but the basket alone was enormous. I mean, I never saw any vehicle tracks or anything.
“How did you get all this out here?”
He chuckled. “Magic.”
“Funny.” I hugged him. “I can’t believe you did all this for me. This place—I never knew it was here.”
“I told you I wanted to make today special for you.” He released me from our embrace then led me to the blanket where he motioned for me to sit.
After devouring two sandwiches, a helping of vegetables, and three cookies, I noticed Nevin hadn’t eaten. He sat watching my every move.
“Aren’t you going to have something?” I asked, deciding against another cookie.
“I’m not hungry. But it looks like you were.”
I shifted my eyes away. “Sorry.”
“No, I’m glad to see you have an appetite.” His fingers brushed mine across the blanket, his thumb swirling across my palm and prickles slithered along my spine.
Wanting nothing more than to change the subject from my eating habits, I glanced around the room. It kind of surprised me how similar this outing was to Colton’s. Outdoors. In winter. Food.
“So how did you find this house?”
Sadness swept over his features. “This estate belonged to my family. From what my mom told me, they lost it in some game or something. And now it sits decaying year after year.”
“Then your family has been around here as long as mine then.”
“Longer.”
“I don’t understand though, it’s on my grandparents’ property.”
“The person who won it sold it off to your family. But Doris still lets me come by and visit it.”
I wondered if he was angry about it. If so, he didn’t say.
In the distance, faint music played. Soft alluring music. It sounded so familiar. A memory begged to be opened, but my mind refused to conjure it.
Nevin closed his eyes, his head swaying to the sound of the music.
“Would you like to dance?” He stood, coming around to my side.
I draped my coat on the floor, but decided to leave my hat and scarf on, hoping I didn’t look foolish.
Feeling almost intoxicated by the tune, I whispered, “Yes, I love to dance.”
The music grew louder, mimicking the tinkling of wind chimes and flutes. I glanced over my shoulder, searching for the source. He’d probably planted a radio or an iPod somewhere. Or, at least, that’s what I told myself.
Nevin spun me around, my body pressed tight against his. The hardness of his chest flexed beneath my hands and his sure and steady movements were elegant. Glacial eyes stared at me, intense, feeling. The melody swirled about us, and this was what I wanted—him, forever.
“She’s beautiful.”
“And look at Nevin. He looks so happy. It’s been years since he’s smiled.”
“Perhaps she’s the one.”
“Do we dare hope?”
I scanned the surroundings searching for the voices.
“D-did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
I swallowed hard. I couldn’t go through this again. To have another person question my sanity. “Nothing.”
“Salome, you can talk to me.” He stared at me.
“The voices, I—I hear them again.”
“So do I. There’s nothing to be scared of. I’m here, okay?”
“You promised you’d tell me something when we got out here.”
“And ruin our perfect moment?”
The music started to crescendo and my heart sped. Suddenly, I couldn’t remember what we were talking about. It was just him and me. Like I was in this fairytale-type haze. Holding my hand, Nevin glided me across the floor, our strides matching perfectly like we’d danced a million waltzes together.
“Where did you learn to waltz?” he asked.
“I’ll tell you, but first you have to agree not to laugh.”
He leaned in, his promise tickling my ear, leaving me breathless.
“I used to do ballroom dancing and swing dancing competitions. My grandparents got me into it.”
“Well, it paid off.”
“What about you? I don’t know many guys who can dance. At least not like this.”
“We’re taught very early on,” he said, before gett
ing lost in his own thoughts.
I was about to ask who “we” was, but he snapped out of his daze and started to question me about my week at school. So I gave him a dull run down of my class assignments, trying to figure out why he wanted to discuss something so lame.
The music changed to something softer—slower. Fluffy flakes sputtered through the hole in the roof, the room dimmed. As if nature set the mood. My heart slammed into my chest like it wanted out.
God, I ached for him to kiss me. What was wrong with me? Why was I so drawn to him? My body smoldered like an out-of-control fire needing him to control the burn. The sweet scent of honey filled the air. Dizziness washed over me. His fingers traced my jawline, tipping my head upward.
Our eyes clashed, igniting an even more powerful spark. Nevin bent his head slightly then came up short as though a barrier was erected between us.
Maybe he just didn’t want to make the first move. Right. Pucker, lean in, and kiss.
I tightened my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes, until our lips were a breath apart.
Nevin threw his hands up between us and shoved me backward with such force I stumbled and fell on my butt.
“No,” he said, out of breath. His chest heaved and his face reddened. The warmth in his eyes disappeared, replaced with something hostile. “Damn it, stop the music. Stop this nonsense.” His hands covered his face for a second and I watched him take several deep breaths.
My head cleared and my vision seemed sharper, I pushed myself from the floor then backed away, bumping into the stone wall. I was such an idiot. Why the hell had I tried to kiss him? I mean, I thought he was hot, but he was my friend. And then we’d danced, and I’d wanted more. I’d wanted him. My stomach knotted like a ball of yarn wound too tight.
“I—I’m sorry…” Tears burned my eyes, my throat so thick I couldn’t swallow. I grabbed my coat, searching for the path out of there.
Nevin’s voice stopped me. “Please don’t leave.” He caught my waist.
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, not wanting to cry in front of him. “I—I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
“I do. And I promise, I won’t let it happen again. You don’t know how badly I wanted to kiss you.” His words laced with a heat I’d never heard before. “But sometimes things we think are real, really aren’t.”
I twisted around to face him. Was this a sick joke? “What’s that supposed to mean? And why did you push me away?”
He stared beyond me, seeming lost. “Because I can’t kiss you, Salome.”
Okay, and I’d thought I’d heard it all. Was he serious? The overwhelming urge I’d had to kiss him was gone, but I wasn’t so horrible he’d reject me. Or was I? “This makes no sense. As usual, you’re talking in riddles.”
Nevin tilted my head up. He wiped away my tears with such tenderness my knees turned to Jell-O.
“I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “I wish I could explain this and spare you the pain, but I can’t.”
“Why? Damn it, quit playing games with me, Nevin!”
“Can’t you just let it go?”
He released me, a different kind of fire blazing in his eyes. I stared as he stormed across the ruins, picked up one of the plates from our meal, and hurled it at the wall.
In one quick motion, he kicked everything from the blanket across floor and slammed his fist into the wall. I grimaced as the stone split down the middle, breaking in two.
“Nevin,” I called, frightened by the change, and humiliated by his rejection. What I needed to do was run and get the hell out of there. But I didn’t know the way back. I’d get lost in the snow. And I didn’t want to be alone out here.
He stopped, his back to me. “I’m not a good person to keep as a friend. I always hurt the people I care for. I don’t mean to, but it always happens that way.”
Misery filled his words, a misery I didn’t understand, but wanted to ease. My chest ached like he had stabbed one of the forks into my heart. I closed the distance between us, my gaze focused on him.
“Just settle down, okay. I don’t know what this is about, let’s just go back to my grandma’s.” I was certainly not ready to forgive him, but if he stayed out here, he could hurt himself. And I would never find my way back.
Nevin reached for me, and cradled me against him, stroking my head. “Please forgive my temper. None of this,” he gestured to the mess on the floor. “None of this was directed at you. It’s just…”
“It’s just what?”
“I’ve ruined the whole day.”
“No you didn’t,” I whispered, but I wasn’t sure that I was telling the truth. The night had been amazing, but his outburst had scared me, and his rejection hurt. “Let’s go home,” I whispered.
But there was more to his temper than he let on and every moment spent with him spurred more questions I was determined to answer. Why wouldn’t he kiss me? He’d seemed frightened by the gesture. And why had he chosen here, of all places, to bring me?
Still, hanging out with him brought me a contentment I didn’t understand. Something I’d never felt with anyone else. We had things in common. The stuff in the woods, the crazy outbursts. It’s like he understood me. We both knew what it was like to be different. Something about Nevin made me more normal. Or perhaps it was because he was just as messed up as I was.
Time with Nevin was like stepping into a forbidden place. A plane of existence separate from everyone else. Which, with our lunacy, was kind of scary.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Monday morning, Mom woke me with a shake.
“Time to get up.”
“Ugh, can’t I sleep just a few minutes longer?” My lids opened and I glanced at my alarm clock. Eight o’clock. Crap. I was late. “Mom, first hour has already started.”
I leaped out of bed, racing for my closet.
“I thought you could use a day off.” She smiled.
“Wait, what?” Okay, this was so not like her. Mom never let me skip before.
“Come on, get dressed. Nancy will be here in a few minutes to bring us out to breakfast.” She cast me a strange look.
Who was I to argue with food and no school? I hurried to get dressed, tossing on a sweater and pair of jeans. I tied my hair up in a ponytail then rushed downstairs to find Nancy sitting at the kitchen table with Mom.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.”
We piled into Nancy’s vehicle. She headed into town, taking the winding back roads. Snowflakes melted as they hit the front windshield. Things didn’t look as scary as they had the other night. But I knew better than to think I was safe. When we neared Main Street, Nancy turned down Apple Avenue. Familiar buildings sprung up on either side. My stomach clenched as I gripped the armrest. I knew now where we were going.
“Mom?” My voice cracked when we turned into the parking lot of Dr. Bosworth’s brick office building. “You lied to me.”
“Salome. It’s for your own good. You’ve had way too many episodes lately. You almost got yourself and Kadie killed the other night. I just want you to talk to her, okay?”
This wasn’t fair. How could she do this to me? She knew how much I hated coming here, how I hated telling Dr. Bosworth things. The woman pried and pried until I was reliving every nightmare I’d locked away in my head. Things I didn’t want to remember. If Kadie would’ve kept her mouth shut, I wouldn’t be here.
“I’m better now,” I said. “It was just a mini freak out.”
“Please, don’t make this harder than it already is. Do you think I like bringing you here?”
“Then don’t. We can still have breakfast and then you can drop me off at school.”
“I’m sorry, not today. Just listen to what Dr. Bosworth has to say.”
When we parked, Mom and Nancy led me inside the brownstone. The lobby was decked out in drab gray paint and matching carpet. The only colors on the walls were paintings of circus scenes. Creepy clowns, tents, elephants, and lions. Ther
e were magazines on the waiting room tables, along with a box of toys for kids to play with.
My palms grew sweaty. How many times had I sat out here waiting to go in for my appointments? Forced to tell Bosworth about my plummet into the pond and the voices that warned me away? I couldn’t freak out now. I had to show a good face. Let the doctor ask questions and act like everything was perfectly fine.
Mom checked in at the front desk while I had a seat next to Nancy. I grabbed a magazine from the pile and thumbed through it. The perfect families inside it gave me mocking smiles. Parents pushed their kids on swings, while others swam in pools. I bet their moms wouldn’t have forced them to see a shrink.
“Salome Montgomery, come on in.” Dr. Bosworth poked her red head out the door and waved me in.
I glanced at Mom who gave me a forced smile. “I’ll wait out here. When you’re done we can go out to breakfast, okay?”
Like eating out was going to make up for this. With a sigh, I stood and followed the doctor down a long hall to her office. When I stepped inside, the scent of coffee filled the air. A neat desk sat at the back of the room. Bookshelves wound around the left hand side of it. To the right was her large aquarium filled with several fish of varying colors that reminded me of rainbows.
Dr. Bosworth closed the door behind us and pointed to the overstuffed chairs in front of her desk. A desk that was void of everything but a thick, blue file. My file.
“Have a seat, Salome.” She settled into her chair and waited for me to sit.
Once seated, she slid a pair of cat-eye glasses on her nose and peered at me. Her brown eyes swept over me and she smiled.
“You’ve certainly grown up since the last time I saw you. How long has it been?” She took a pen out of her drawer along with a pad of paper.
“Three years,” I whispered. My fingers wrapped around the arms of the chair as I chewed my bottom lip. Although, right now it felt like it was only yesterday that I had last slouched in this very same spot, crying, trying to explain away the fear I had of winter. To make her understand that bad things happened when the snow came.
“Your mother explained to me that you had another hallucination. Do you want to tell me about it?”
The Winter People Page 12
