Lucid, YA Paranormal Romance (Brightest Kind of Darkness Series, Book #2)

by Patrice Michelle

  I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying not to look too disappointed. “No, not yet.”

  When Lainey folded her arms and grunted her annoyance, I met her gaze. “His relationship with his parents was pretty messed up. That takes time to unravel.”

  Sympathy filtered into Lainey’s eyes and she touched my shoulder once more. “Seriously, Nara, are you okay…about yesterday? Especially since Ethan’s not here, I can’t help but feel guilty I didn’t go with you.”

  Guilty? My eyes widened. If she had gone instead of Drystan, things could’ve turned out very differently for me and possibly her. Deadly different. I’d never been so glad for Lainey’s bullheadedness as I was at that moment.

  “Don’t you dare blame yourself. Things worked out for the best.” I smiled to let her know I was fine. “Talking to Ethan helped.” As much as I liked talking about Ethan, my focus wasn’t on me today. It was on her. “How about I come over this afternoon so we can hang?”

  “That would be great.” Her lips pursed into a pout. “I’m stuck with dog-sitting duty right after school.”

  She sounded so put out, my lips twitched. “Guess your dad decided to volunteer you for some quality pet-time anyway.” The first bell rang and I had to yell over the sudden noise of students milling toward their lockers. “By the way, I want to talk to you about Matt.”

  Just then, I saw Matt moving at a fast clip through the hall. He looked like he was going to pass us by, but he quickly stopped beside Lainey to lift the end of her French braid peeking under the edge of the hat. Twirling the braid slowly around his finger, he winked at her before heading off down the hall without a word.

  As she laughed after Matt’s retreating back, then cut her gaze in another direction with a triumphant smile, I followed her line of sight. Jared stared at her with a hooded gaze over his girlfriend’s shoulder. I swiveled a narrowed gaze back to her. “What scheme are you cooking up, Lainey O’Neal?”

  Her attention yanked back to me, pleased victory dying in her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  I jerked my chin in the direction Matt took, glad I didn’t have to touch her when I laid it on the line. Ha, take that Fate! “He seems like a good guy. Don’t hurt him.”

  Lainey sighed and stepped close to hook her hand in the crook of my arm. Pulling me toward the lockers, she adopted a breezy tone. “Don’t worry. Matt’s a big boy.”

  That wasn’t exactly an answer. I wanted to know her plan. I could see the wheels spinning in her head as she gazed at Jared. “Lainey…” I began, then let it go. The hall was too loud and crowded for a conversation. It would have to wait until study hall.

  * * *

  The moment I walked into study hall, all plans of a deep conversation with Lainey about Matt evaporated. Harper sat across from Lainey at our table, waving me toward her, an excited smile splitting her face.

  As I approached them, the smirk on Lainey’s face radiated like a beacon all the way across the room. She knew my intention to grill her had been derailed. When I set my backpack beside hers on the table, I whispered, “I’ll have your rapt and undivided attention this afternoon at your house.”

  I snickered at the sudden downturn of Lainey’s lips, but Harper tugged on my jacket sleeve, distracting me. “Nara, thank you so much for talking to Sally for me!”

  I sat down and turned to Harper. “Did you work yesterday?”

  She nodded, her ponytail swishing, brown eyes lit with excitement. “I love CVAS! I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner.”

  “It’s a fun place to volunteer,” I said, cutting an I-told-you-so gaze to Lainey, who snorted, then pulled out her phone to tap on the keys in rapid precision.

  Ignoring her, I turned back to Harper. Today Harper had on dark blue trouser jeans and a bright green Izod sweater over a pressed madras shirt in the same shade of green and various shades of pink. Still preppy, but at least she wore jeans, I thought with a smile. Hopefully she changed out of her designer clothes into casual stuff for the shelter. I could tell Harper was brimming to talk about her experience. “What was your favorite part?”

  “The puppies and kittens, of course.” Harper bubbled.

  When I heard Lainey mumble, “I thought for sure it’d be pooper-scooper duty,” I stepped on Lainey’s foot under the table. What was her problem?

  Harper ignored Lainey completely. “When are you coming to the shelter? I’d love to work with you, so I can learn the tricks of the trade from a good friend.”

  “I’m not sure what my schedule will be this week…” I said, then swallowed the rest of my sentence. I’d planned to visit my great aunt Corda tomorrow afternoon, since I hadn’t seen her in a while. I also still had the leaves to contend with. When I felt Lainey’s foot settle on top of mine under the table, I glanced her way. An auburn eyebrow was raised high. Good friend? I read the irritated look on her face.

  I was a bit surprised by Harper’s comment, but she was new and probably hadn’t made many friends yet. Harper’s hand landed on my arm and just as I turned my attention back to her, Lainey said, “Don’t forget, we’re going shopping for dresses tomorrow.”

  I cut my gaze to Lainey. “I’m not going to the dance.”

  “Yes, you are.” Stubborn determination had settled on her face. “I’m going with Matt. You can go with Drystan.”

  My jaw dropped. This was her plan? To go to the dance with Matt? I wanted to lay into her, but I wasn’t going to go off in front of Harper. “My boyfriend would be pissed. I’m not going with Drystan,” I said, breathing heavily through my nose.

  Lainey flipped her hand, batting away my argument. “That’s why Drystan will make the perfect date. You’ll just go as friends, just like Matt and me.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but Harper’s hand squeezed my arm. “Since tomorrow’s no good, how about another day this week?” When I glanced at her, she continued, “Please come, Nara. I can’t help feeling a little lost.” Her pleading brown eyes blinked so fast, I literally felt the anxiety radiating off her.

  “I’ll be happy to come by the shelter tomorrow after I visit with a relative,” I said in an accommodating tone. I completely ignored Lainey’s annoyed “uh” directed at the back of my head.

  Harper’s eyes darted between Lainey and me. “Are you sure? It can be any day this week. I don’t want to keep you from—”

  “Tomorrow works for me.”

  “Wow, your schedule’s filling up, Nara. I’m so glad you’re coming to my house this afternoon,” Lainey said in a sugary-sweet voice.

  Her words came from above my head. I slanted my gaze over my shoulder to see her standing, books clutched to her chest, her lips pinched. “I’ve got some research to do in the library.”

  She’d never used our school library for research. “Lainey—”

  See you later,” she said, forcing a smile on her face.

  As she walked off, her back ramrod straight, I heaved an inward sigh, knowing I was going to get an earful the moment I walked into her house.

  “She’s really not a very good friend, Nara,” Harper said quietly beside me.

  In the rapid-fire battle of wills between Lainey and myself, I’d pushed Harper to the back of my mind. I glanced her way. “What are you talking about?”

  She shrugged a delicate shoulder. “Why would she try to get you to go to the dance with another guy if you have a boyfriend? I’m assuming, for whatever reason, your boyfriend can’t or doesn’t want to go…”

  As she trailed off, I murmured, “He’s not able to go.”

  Harper’s eyebrow shot up. “Did Lainey conveniently forget you have a boyfriend then?”

  “No, she didn’t forget.” At least I’m pretty sure she didn’t. A fissure of annoyance splintered my thoughts. Harper hadn’t known Lainey as long as I had. Sure she came across self-centered and only aware of her own sphere, but Lainey…well, she was Lainey. She was hard to explain. “Lainey’s complicated.”

  Harper curled her uppe
r lip, then muttered, “Seems pretty simple to me.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Nice jacket,” Lainey said as she closed her front door.

  Sheer annoyance fringed her compliment, effectively canceling it. She was really ticked. When I heard the deadbolt slide into place, I tensed, ready for a battle. I turned to her and murmured, “Thanks. It was an early birthday present from my aunt Sage.”

  Lainey’s arms were folded across her chest, a scowl creasing her face. “What’s your problem, Nara? I was trying to get you out of having to say ‘yes’ to Harper, yet you threw my help in my face.”

  “You mean you didn’t want to go dress shopping?”

  “Of course I do.” Lainey rolled her eyes. Sighing, she walked past me into the living room. “But I hadn’t decided what day I was going to go.” Bewildered, she looked at me, spreading her hands wide. “I was just trying to be a friend. You know, look out for you like a real friend would do.”

  And I’m here because I’m doing something a real friend would do too, despite what Fate may do to me for going against him! I wanted to yell at her, but I couldn’t. Instead I focused on something I could talk about.

  “I’m sorry if I screwed up your bail-Nara-out plan, Lainey, but I was pissed at you about Matt. I saw the way you looked at Jared after Matt left your side today. Was this that ‘best idea ever’ you were talking about yesterday; to go with Matt to the dance as payback to Jared? That’s really low, Lainey!”

  Lainey’s cheeks flushed bright red. “The dance was Matt’s idea,” she hissed. “He asked me, Nara!”

  I blinked rapidly and sputtered, “Wh—what? You’re not trying to make Jared jealous? But I saw the way you looked at him this morning after Matt walked away. You had a he’s-wrapped-around-my-little-finger look if I ever saw one.”

  Lainey’s eyes fluttered. “Really? That’s how I looked at him?”

  I pressed my lips together, nodding. “It was a very ‘triumphant’ look.”

  Lainey’s hand fluttered over her hair, a pleased grin spreading up her face. “Well, making Jared and Tarra jealous was definitely high on our list. That part is true.”

  “Our? What?” I shook my head, running my hand through my hair. “I’m confused.”

  “It was my idea to just flirt and hang out a lot at school.” Her eyes narrowed briefly. “I want Jared to see he’s not the only one who can move on. And Matt, well he wanted Tarra to feel that way too, so we agreed to put on a show for their benefit.”

  I spread my hands wide, at a loss. “So you were serious when you said you and Matt are going to the dance as friends?”

  She nodded. “Of course. Matt thought it would make our flirtation seem more realistic.”

  I rubbed my temples to clear my original thoughts. Matt was a part of this craziness? Peering at Lainey, I couldn’t help but trust my gut. “I don’t know, Lainey. Either Matt’s a great actor, or I think he might really be into you.”

  Lainey’s eyes widened, and then she began to laugh so hard she bent over and curled her arms around her stomach.

  “What’s so funny?” I grumbled.

  Tears trickled down Lainey’s cheeks when she looked up at me. “Wow, maybe I should enroll in acting classes too if we’ve got you convinced. Matt really can act.”

  “You didn’t see the way he looked at you today,” I said, straightening my spine. “Lainey, the look in his eyes was…he likes you. I mean, really likes you.”

  Lainey flicked her hand, snickering. “Matt’s fun. We’ve had some great laughs while plotting together, but he doesn’t like me that way, Nara. He’s still stuck on Tarra.”

  I opened my mouth to say something else, then clamped it shut. She didn’t believe me. She was so blind. “Whatever,” I huffed. Throwing my hands up, I flopped onto the couch.

  Lainey joined me, sliding across the soft brown leather to face me. Her eyes brimmed with excitement. “Since you’re busy tomorrow after school, you’re going to come dress shopping with me on Thursday then, right?”

  “I’ve got a lot to do this week,” I hedged. Dress shopping might be fun for Lainey, but since I wasn’t attending the dance, I saw no point in going. Lainey started to frown, so I changed the subject. “You don’t like Harper very much, do you?” I said with a half laugh.

  Lainey stiffened. “She’s not your good friend.” A scowl creased her brow. “No, I don’t like her. At all.”

  I shook my head. “Why? She hasn’t done anything to you.”

  “Pretending like she’s known you forever…” Lainey screwed her lips into a sour pucker, then slit her gaze. “I don’t trust the starched-shirt prissy.”

  She thinks she has you pegged too. I knew I wasn’t getting anywhere with Lainey about Harper, so I slid my hand into my jacket pocket and retrieved the lone tan leather glove. Rubbing my thumbs across the soft material a couple of times, I held it out to her with an apologetic look. “Last night, I went to pull your mom’s gloves out of my jean jacket pockets to give them back to you when I saw you today, but there was only one.”

  Blood drained from Lainey’s face and panic crept into her eyes. “Oh no!” she whispered as she took the single glove from my hand, crushing the soft leather between her fingers. “Dad is going to freak out. Those were a Christmas present for Mom he’d ordered from a specialty store in Ireland.”

  Even though I’d already heard this same reaction from Lainey in my dream last night, I wasn’t prepared for it. My nerves were wound so tight, my shoulders ached. In my dream world, I’d called Lainey to tell her about the lost glove. I wasn’t at her house, which is how she ended up going to look for the missing glove in the woods by herself. Apparently, she’d taken the wrong path, going in the opposite direction than Drystan and I had the day we’d found Loch.

  That’s when she got shot in the arm. They’d found her bleeding and unconscious not that far from her house. She was still wearing my red pageboy hat she’d swiped from my head earlier in the day at school. Had the poacher been lurking in the woods and decided it was payback time for his traps being taken? Or was the shooting some random accident no one wanted to confess to?

  “I’m so sorry, Lainey,” I said, coming back to the present. “I stuffed the gloves in my pockets so I could comfort Lochlan with warm hands. He was so pitiful, his little leg caught in that trap. I guess I didn’t tuck in the gloves as well as I thought. One must’ve fallen out on our way back to your house.”

  Lainey took calming breaths, then stood and headed for the coat rack by the front door, calling behind her, “You stay here with Loch. I’m going to go look for it.”

  I was beside her in an instant, tugging her black wool coat from her hands. “No, I’ll go.”

  Lainey pried the coat out of my grip, determination in her gaze. “I should never have grabbed Mom’s gloves. She calls them her ‘lucky’ pair since they’re from Ireland. I was just in a panic over Loch. Getting the glove back is my responsibility.” When she shrugged one arm into her jacket, panic gripped me.

  “Listen to me!” I squeezed my eyes shut as I reached for her hand, expecting a bone-jarring shock. When my fingers connected, but nothing happened, my eyes flew open and I exhaled a breath of relief. “You’re not going.”

  The same stubborn look I’d seen on her face during study hall resurfaced. She started to speak, but I cut her off. “I’ll go shopping with you on Thursday if you let me go look for the glove, Lane.”

  Lainey clamped her mouth shut. She knew when I called her “Lane” I was speaking from the deepest part of our friendship, which meant she needed to listen. Excitement suddenly flickered in her gaze. “You’ll go?”

  I nodded. “Now put your coat back. You don’t know the path Drystan and I took. You’ll be wandering around out there forever. I can retrace our steps and be back here in minutes,” I said, tipping the scale in my favor.

  Lainey sighed and nodded her agreement. She grabbed my red pageboy from the rack, then jammed it on my head. “Here’s your hat
back. The temperature’s dropped.” As I buttoned my jacket, she glanced at my hands with an exasperated look. “Really, Nara? Where are your gloves?”

  I smirked. “Why does this sound familiar?”

  “You nut,” she murmured, then commanded, “Stay here.”

  I frowned after her, but waited, wondering what she was up to.

  She came back swinging a bright red gift bag. I stared at it, confused. “What’s that?”

  “Happy early birthday!” she said with bright eyes. “I wasn’t going to give this to you yet, but…” She paused and skimmed her gaze over my jacket. “It seems your aunt and I were on the same wavelength.”

  As I took the bag from her, I said for the second time in as many days, “But my birthday’s not for another couple of weeks.”

  Lainey smirked. “Sometimes you just have to go with the flow. Open it.”

  Setting the bag down, I pulled out the white tissue paper and unwrapped a beautiful bright red cashmere scarf. “Oh, it’s gorgeous! Thank you, Lainey.” I wrapped the scarf around my neck.

  When I looked up at Lainey and spread my hands wide in a “ta-da!” stance, she was holding a smaller tissue-wrapped package out to me. “You had two presents in the bag. Here’s the second one.”

  When I unrolled the white paper and a pair of black fingerless gloves fell into my hands, Lainey said, “I thought about getting you the capacitive ones for your touch screen, but they’re bulky. These are sleek, bad-ass, and totally go with your leather jacket and lace-up boots.”

  That was Lainey, ever the fashion conscious. Once I slipped the gloves on, she gripped my fingertips on my right hand, her hazel eyes glimmering. “Now you can text with Ethan anytime, anywhere. No more stiff fingers.”

  Lainey had put a lot of thought into my gift. And the fact she hadn’t forgotten about Ethan was an added bonus that effectively ripped Harper’s assumptions about her to shreds. Oh, how she’d gloat if she knew the truth. Either that, or she’d bitch slap Harper. Probably both, I thought with an inward snort.