“I’m sorry I’m late. Work was busy,” I lied.
Lucas didn’t appear convinced; his eyes were still clouded with worry. “That’s okay, I haven’t been here long.”
“We’re planning a Rock and Roll Wannabes competition for later tonight. Lucas thinks he can beat me.” My dad was grinning as he stood leaning against our couch with his arms folded in front of him.
“Oh…okay. I’ll be right back. I’m going to go change.”
My parents went into the kitchen while Lucas followed me to the stairs. He grabbed my arm before I could start up the steps. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just feel bad that I’m late.”
With his brow furrowed, he hesitantly let go of me.
“I won’t be long,” I said, trying to reassure him with a pasted-on smile. I rushed up the stairs, feeling guilty for lying.
In my room, I changed into a jean skirt with black tights, red shirt, and a short, black leather jacket. Lastly, I fluffed my hair and reapplied my makeup. I looked less shaken, and I hoped Lucas would no longer be concerned. How could he tell I was upset? We hadn’t known each other that long.
I met him downstairs, and we said goodbye to my parents.
The night sky held a chill, which was normal for mid-October. My jacket was thin; I’d chosen it for looks, not warmth. I zipped it up and folded my arms in front of me.
“You look beautiful,” Lucas said as he leaned in for a kiss. That was all it took to make me forget the cold weather and what happened earlier—flattery from my maybe boyfriend.
My cheeks flushed. “Thank you.”
He opened the car door for me, then walked over to the driver’s side and climbed in.
“So where are we going?” I asked, once we pulled away from my house.
“What do you think about the Chinese Dragon on Main Street?”
“I love it. They have the best Chinese food in town.”
“Yeah, I know. I go there a lot, just don’t tell my parents.”
“Your secret’s safe with me. Why would they care, though, they don’t serve Chinese food, do they?”
“No, but it’s still a restaurant. I eat there when I want something different.”
“Like I said, I won’t tell.” I was in a much better mood just being near him.
He pulled into the restaurant parking lot, shut off the car, and turned to me. “Are you going to tell me what was really wrong when you got home from work?”
“I had a long day, that’s all. Now let’s go, I’m starving.” I smiled, hoping he wouldn’t push it any further. He must have believed me, because he opened his door and climbed out. We held hands as we headed into the restaurant.
Once we were seated at a table, I asked him what he meant in the text he sent me.
“Logan lost his car for three weeks,” he said, grinning.
“Oh no, is he mad?” And was he going to take it out on me?
“He wasn’t happy. He thinks one of us told my mom, so he tried to pick a fight with me. But I was in too good a mood last night, I just walked away.”
“Why were you in a good mood?” I asked, hoping I knew the answer.
“I kissed the prettiest girl in school.”
“Who, Sherry Summers? That bitch!”
He laughed. “I said the prettiest, and that would be you.”
I was happy and embarrassed at the same time. I turned my head before my cheeks turned red.
When the waitress came to our table, we ordered two sodas, and a variety of dishes to share. “So how was work?” he asked, taking a sip of his drink.
I took a sip of my diet soda before I answered. “Good. It was fairly steady, so it went fast enough. Oh, and Zack asked me out on a date.” Why did I say that?
“What?” he asked, wide-eyed. “Who’s Zack?”
“A guy at work, he started about three weeks ago. He’s okay, a bit weird maybe.”
“What do you mean?” He leaned back in his chair, waiting for my answer.
I sighed, I hadn’t planned on explaining, but since I started, I had to finish. “Marcy Becker told me that on his first night working, he asked a lot of questions about me, even though we hadn’t met yet.”
“That is weird. Why would he do that?”
“Well, my assistant manager mentioned my name, and Marcy said he looked like he recognized it.”
His right hand, which lay on the table, balled into a fist, his knuckles turning white. When I raised an eyebrow in question, he smiled, picked up his drink, and took a sip. His hand shook slightly, making his ice cubes jiggle. “Did you know him before?”
“No.” I glanced around the restaurant, hoping he would drop the subject.
The waitress came with our meal. The food smelled and looked delicious. I couldn’t wait to try it.
“What did you tell him about tonight when he asked you out?” he asked, his face blank.
I waited until the waitress finished laying out our food before I spoke. “I told him that I had plans.” I filled my plate with my favorites: rice, chicken balls, and chow mien.
Lucas chose ribs, chicken balls, spicy beef, and orange chicken. Typical guy, all meat, no vegetables.
“Didn’t you tell him that you had a boyfriend, so he doesn’t ask you again?”
I froze, holding my fork in midair, about to take a bite. “Do I have a boyfriend? Is that what you are?” I was a little nervous to hear his answer.
“I hope so?” His sudden looked of uncertainty was charming.
“Then if he asks me out again, I’ll tell him that I can’t, because I’m dating a very sweet guy.” My cheeks reddened as I spoke the words.
He smiled that beautiful smile that made my knees go weak. “Good. Then I don’t have to punch him out.”
I laughed and began my meal. “So what was Logan like as a kid?” I asked, wondering how identical twins could be so different.
“Are you wondering why he’s such an ass?”
I nodded. “Maybe.”
“I don’t really know. We were always different. I loved to learn and read. Getting good grades just came naturally to me, but it didn’t to Logan. He struggled in school and hated that I was better than him in something.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Once we got into high school he changed, and every year he drifted away a little bit more.”
I watched as he picked at his chicken, his face withdrawn. “It must be hard, especially since you’re twins.”
“It can be. It’s not like twins can read each other’s minds, but there is a bond. We were inseparable when we were kids. Now we hardly ever talk.”
I placed my hand on his free one and squeezed. He smiled and took a bite of chicken. I changed the subject, telling him about my odd relationship with Alex. We loved each other, but loved to fight even more.
Lucas grinned knowingly. He lifted his chopsticks, deciding to give them a try, but to no avail, dropping more food than what he stuffed into his mouth. He didn’t give up too easily, though, and it was fun to watch. Finally, he managed to grasp a chicken ball between the two sticks. “I did it,” he said triumphantly, holding it up in the air. His finger twitched, and he lost his grip. The chicken ball fell and rolled onto the floor, landing beside the shoe of a very large man with long, curly black hair. He was dressed head to toe in black leather. Biker dude was my first thought.
I started to laugh, but a quick terrified look from Lucas silenced me.
The man glanced down at the red-sauce-soaked chicken ball and then at Lucas. His black boot now had a spot of red on the edge. The man smiled and went back to his meal.
Lucas breathed a sigh of relief.
I started to giggle again; this time he joined me. “I guess it’s time to use this,” he said, picking up his fork.
When we finished our food, Lucas asked our waitress for the bill.
Later that evening, we were immersed in a cutthroat game of Rock and Roll Wannabes. My dad and Lucas each played the guitar. I played the drums, and my mom s
ang. Alex was out with his friends, so thank God no one was around to witness me and my boyfriend hanging out with my parents. Lucas was usually in the lead, which led me to believe he had played many times before. It was weird; we actually had a lot of fun. My dad and Lucas laughed at my mom’s singing and my lack of drumming abilities, while we teased them about having nothing better to do than play video games. After about an hour, though, I had enough.
“Well, that’s it for me. Luke, do you want to come upstairs and watch a movie?” He and my dad looked heartbroken. “Or I could leave you here to play while I go up and watch one.”
Lucas smiled, pulling the strap over his head and placing the guitar against the wall. “No, I’ll come with you.” He turned to my dad. “That was fun, Mr. Samson. Next time I’ll bring over my car games, and we can race.”
My dad smiled. “Call me Jim, and you’re on.”
Holding hands, Lucas and I headed for the stairs.
“Sarah, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for the two of you to be in your room alone,” my dad said, anxiety clear in his voice.
I turned my head slightly. “Give me a break, Dad.”
He continued to mutter complaints as we headed the rest of the way up the stairs. As I entered my room, I could have sworn I heard my mother’s laughter.
Chapter Twelve
Late Night
“Are you sure you should shut the door, after what your dad just said?” Lucas asked, once we were inside my room.
I smiled at him. “If he has a problem with it, he can open it.”
I took a few movies out of my collection and placed them in front of him to pick one. He chose one of my favorites, a thriller about a teenager who finds out his neighbor is a killer. I put it in, and we sat down on the small couch in the corner of my room.
“Hey, how about some popcorn or chips?” I asked him.
He thought about it. “You probably get sick of popcorn at work, so how about some chips?”
“Good call. I’ll be back in a minute.” I stood up and headed downstairs.
I had just taken the last step onto the carpet when I heard, “Sarah, I like him very much, but if he tries to push you into something you're not ready for, I will throw him out on his ass!” My dad gestured wildly in the direction of my bedroom. He was pacing at the bottom of the stairs.
I glanced at him, then at my mother to explain.
She was sitting on the couch facing him. She laughed. “He’s been pacing ever since you went upstairs and we heard your door shut.”
I tried to stifle my laughter. “Dad, relax, we’re just watching a movie. I shut the door because I didn’t want to feel like you were listening at the bottom of the stairs.” I raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to deny it.
His lips pressed firmly together, and then he sighed deeply. “Fine, maybe I’m overreacting. I’ll sit in the living room with your mother.” He raised his arms in defeat and did what he said he would, taking the far side of the couch that just happened to have a perfect view of the staircase. He glanced up the steps, and then at me, showing me that he’d be watching.
I rolled my eyes at him and strolled into the kitchen, taking out some chips from the pantry and a couple of sodas from the fridge.
My mom came in as I was leaving. “You two are cute together, honey,” she said, smiling. “But I’ve got to say, I’m having a blast watching your father have a panic attack.” She opened the coffee pot and started scooping coffee into the filter. The strong smell of coffee filled the kitchen.
“Why aren’t you worried like he is?”
“I trust you both, and I know Lucas better than your dad does. Don’t worry, he’ll get used to it.” She poured water into the machine, turned on the coffee pot, and set it for morning.
I smiled at her. She was happy for me, and that made me feel good. I kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you for trusting me,” I said before heading up the stairs.
On the top step, I stopped to listen to my parents argue quietly about letting me and Lucas stay in my room. I laughed softly. I had never seen this side of my dad. The closest he’d come to being so protective would have to be when he took the training wheels off my bike. I could still remember his panicked expression when I told him to let go of the bike after he’d run alongside me longer than necessary.
“I’m okay, Daddy,” I’d said, feeling close to freedom, and yet he wouldn’t let go.
“Are you sure?” he’d asked, his eyes pained.
“Yes, let go.”
“But I don’t want to,” he’d said.
Now thinking back, I realized he wasn’t ready for me to grow up and be independent of him. He had the same panicked expression when he was pacing downstairs. He was afraid of losing me.
I fumbled with my doorknob, afraid to drop one of the sodas. The door flew open, and Lucas took the drinks out of my hand. “Thank you,” I said, shutting the door behind me.
I dropped the chips on the coffee table, and we settled on the couch to watch the movie. He put his hand on my leg and softly rubbed; it felt nice.
“My dad said if you try anything I’m not ready for, he’ll throw you out on your ass." Looking terrified, he slowly lifted his hand. “Of course, he said that after he told me that he really liked you.” I laughed softly. Reaching over, I cupped my hand around his and guided it back onto my leg. “I was kidding, it’s okay.”
“He didn’t really say that?” He was visibly relieved.
“Oh, he said it, but don’t worry, my mom and I will protect you.” His eyes widened. “Really, my dad likes you.”
“Okay,” he said, still unsure. I leaned in and kissed him. He kissed me back, but cut it short, worried my father was listening at the door.
We shifted our positions so he was sitting against the arm of the couch and I sat leaning against him. “Do you want to go to a movie tomorrow night?” he asked, wrapping his arms around me. The warmth of his arms and his sweet, spicy scent made me feel safe and content.
“Sure, I’d love to. What time?”
“I get off at two. Do you know when the next movie starts?”
“There’s a good thriller that just opened that starts at seven o’clock.”
“I guess we’ll have some time to kill. Do you mind if I come over after work and hang out until it’s time to go?” He was leaning his chin on the top of my head. I could hear and feel him crunching on his chips.
“Of course I don’t mind.”
We grew quiet as we both became wrapped up in the plot. The neighbor was starting to terrorize the teenage boy. I shoved my face into Lucas’ arm when the psycho took out the chainsaw and was swinging it over their heads.
I must have drifted off, because when I became aware, I was running hand in hand in a meadow with Lucas. He tripped, and I fell on top of him. We started kissing and rolling around on the grass until he was on top of me. A feeling of intense love overwhelmed me, almost taking my breath away. I took off his shirt, gazed into his eyes, and whispered, “I love you David.”
He smiled down at me, his eyes holding the same intense emotion that I was feeling. “Katie,” he whispered. “You are my life, my love, my joy.”
I woke up with a start. Half asleep, I glanced around at my surroundings. I was still on the couch with Lucas’ arms around me. I could hear his heavy breathing. The TV was black; the movie must have ended and shut off on its own.
“My love, my joy,” Lucas whispered in his sleep.
Those were the same words I just heard in my dream. Was he having the same one? How was that possible? This was getting spooky. Should I tell him that we were having the same dreams? What did it mean? My head was full of questions and absolutely no answers. My eyes widened when I saw the red numbers on my digital clock radio; it was three a.m.
I stood up and slipped into the hall. The house was quiet. My parents and brother were in bed. I couldn’t believe my father didn’t wake us. I thought about leaving Lucas sleeping, he looked so peaceful, but I was sure
his mother would be worried if he didn’t come home.
Shaking his shoulder, I whispered in his ear, “Lucas.”
He jumped up onto his feet with a bewildered look on his face. I laughed. I couldn’t help it; he looked so comical, his eyes were wide, and his head was bobbing around. “Holy shit, I fell asleep.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “Your dad is going to kill me.”
I reached up to stroke his shoulders, trying to soothe him. “Relax, I fell asleep too. He must have checked on us when they went to bed. I don’t understand why they didn’t wake us up, though. I wanted to let you sleep, but I figured your mom would be worried.”
He looked over at the clock and frowned. “Yeah, she will be. I’d better go.” He bent down to kiss me softly. “So I guess we slept together. Was it good for you?” he said with a grin.
I gave him a shove, knocking him off balance.
He laughed. “I’m awake now. Walk me down, so you can lock the door behind me.”
I kissed him goodbye in front of the open door. “See you tomorrow. I’ll try to call you from work,” he called over his shoulder as he stepped through the doorway.
I turned the lock and peeked out the small window, watching his car pull away before I went back upstairs.
“So he’s just leaving now?” my dad asked, standing in front of my bedroom door. He had bed head and was wearing his red plaid flannel robe.
“What are you doing awake? I just peeked in your room, you and mom were sleeping.”
“I woke up when I heard you going downstairs. I looked in on you when we went to bed at midnight, and you were sleeping, so I wanted to check every few hours to make sure that’s all you were doing.”
“Why didn’t you just wake us up?”
“I didn’t want you to think I don’t trust you.”
I raised an eyebrow; his actions earlier told me differently.
His forehead creased. “Honey, your mother had a rather long chat with me about my behavior tonight. I do trust you, but I’m not used to you having a boyfriend. Those other guys you dated didn’t mean anything to you. I knew that, so when I saw how serious you and Lucas seemed to be tonight, so quickly, I panicked. But I’m over it.”
Fated Dreams (Book One In The Affinity series) Page 10
