Gifted Connections [Book 2]

by SM Olivier

I wanted to make him realize he had slipped up once more. It was obvious he knew next to nothing about me. Instead I shrugged. “You know Heidi is a drug addict and alcoholic. All the money I earned went to supporting her and Ella. She was too busy spending my inheritance and Ella’s state assistant checks on her next high. Someone had to make sure Ella and I had food and clothes.”

  He seemed troubled for a moment as he frowned at me. He took me into an embrace. “I’m sorry you had to live like that.” And for once, he sounded sincere.

  He took me to a steak house located twenty minutes away from the apartment. It was literally next door to Remy’s original restaurant, We η Seven. I longed to walk over there and see if he was there. I knew he was doing the final push on the other one, but he had still divided his attention to his other restaurants.

  Collin really seemed to be attentive to me as we sat and ordered our food. I found myself suddenly famished. The salad I had at lunch did little to fuel me after skipping breakfast and doing roughly a four-mile run. I ordered a large steak with a loaded bake potato and green beans.

  Collin seemed amused by my choice of food. “Are you sure you can eat all that?” he joked good naturedly.

  I grinned, but it quickly faded when I realized the guys in the band had always ribbed me about my appetite. I was small, but I could put food away. They always joked that I had a teenage boy trapped in my body. “Running makes me hungry,” I finally explained.

  Our food came, and Collin was trying hard to continue a conversation with me. I was too tired of pretending, so I answered his questions, and with a little censor, he answered mine. If I didn’t know he had a hand in the predicament I found myself in, I could have easily dropped my guard and been flattered by his feigned interest. He had a disarming, pleasant, entertaining way about him. I could see why all the girls pursued him in high school.

  “Collin, how are you?” a vaguely familiar voice inquired to our right as I was laughing at a funny story Collin had just told me.

  I looked up at the voice, my smile dying instantly. As I looked at the tall man with blond hair, unique blue eyes, and slightly upturned nose, I cringed. Zach Young was one of the last men I ever wanted to see. He was a snake, and he was betraying Will. He also had two daughters that were spoiled, entitled witches, with a capital ‘B’.

  My eyes looked at the beautiful women on each of his arms. One Asian and the other black. They were equally beautiful, and the three of them were striking to look at. It was clear that I was finally seeing Tamara and Mei Linn’s mothers. I knew he was one of the four couples in Will’s immediate circle that had two connections. I had met only one other connected pair with one nucleus and two connections. They were lovely. Zach and his connections, were not.

  “Mr. Young,” Collin said with a smile. “What a surprise!” And I knew he was lying, this wasn’t a surprise at all for him. I looked over at him suspiciously, what was he playing at? He turned back to me with a smile. “Blake, this is Mr. Young, he helped get you into the school.”

  I suddenly felt like ice cold fingers were trying to pry into my head. My eyes widened for a moment when I realized Mr. Young was trying to ‘look’ into my head or compel me. I, too, had this rare gift, and from our previous encounter, I knew he was weaker than me. I imagined a brick wall in my head. I concentrated hard on blocking him. I was almost shaking with the exertion. I started to panic and suddenly, miraculously it started to work.

  I almost sighed with relief. “It’s so nice to finally meet you,” I said with a bright smile. Not today, you bastard, I thought malevolently.

  He had a puzzled frown on his face as he looked over at Collin, then he pasted on a smile. “And you as well. I hope you are adjusting nicely and finding everyone welcome. Tell me,” I felt him try to compel me once more. “Have you seen or run into anyone you may have met before.”

  I looked down as if in thought. Instead I was forcing him out with every fiber of my being. “No,” I finally looked up with a carefully blank expression. Then I looked over at Collin. “Is there anyone else here I may know?”

  Collin was frowning too as he looked at Mr. Young and me. “I don’t know, babe,” he finally said slowly, carefully. “We just reconnected a few months ago. We hadn’t seen each other in over three years,” he laughed almost uncomfortably. “I’m sure there are people you know that I may not know.”

  “Oh,” I shrugged before taking a bite of my steak. It tasted like cardboard suddenly, and I had completely lost what little appetite I had. “I guess it’s possible I may run into someone I know, but you know me,” I forced a light laugh. “I really liked to keep to myself and didn’t have that many friends before I moved here.”

  They both seemed to scrutinize me for a moment, before Mr. Young nodded. “Well it was nice to meet you Blake. I’m sure I will see you around. Collin,” he curtly nodded. “Don’t forget we have a meeting tomorrow.”

  Collin seemed to squirm for a moment. “No, sir. I haven’t.”

  “Ladies,” Mr. Young held out his arms, and the two elegant, beautiful women joined him before leaving the restaurant together.

  I looked over at Collin. “What’s the meeting about, and did he have two…mistresses?” I asked with fake concern and puzzlement.

  He looked slightly occupied as he dug back into his food. “It’s nothing important. Mr. Young is my career advisor, and I did warn you that you may see or hear things that are slightly…peculiar here. Mr. Young has a polygamous relationship and it works for them.”

  I decided to continue to play dumb. “So like, they share the same bed and swap. All three of them are intimate with each other?”

  Collin gave a short bark of laughter, seeming to snap out of his mood. “There are other polygamous relationships on campus. I don’t know how they all behave in the bedroom, but with Mr. Young, I know they all have their separate bedrooms and he visits with his woman separately. Although,” he said with a slight leer. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they hadn’t all experimented with each other, one way or another.”

  I had to repress the shudder that threatened to course through my body. “Do they have kids? And what do they think about all this?”

  He smiled once more. “They have two daughters, and they don’t act any differently than any other blended families. The girls are well loved and don’t seem to be bothered by their arrangement.”

  “Hmm,” I finally said non-committedly before I pretended to eat my food once more.

  I was beyond exhausted when we got in his car. I knew from experience it was because I had used my gifts. I had tried to use them during dessert, but once again they failed me, and I was left feeling extremely tired and it wasn’t even 7 o’clock yet. I was fighting to keep my eyes open and my legs, arms, and head felt so heavy.

  “Did you still want to stop at Walmart?” Collin asked as he looked over at me with bewilderment.

  I shook my head, laying it on the glass of the passenger window. “No thanks. I guess school and that run, topped with that delicious food, must have left me almost comatose,” I hastily explained.

  He seemed mollified by my answer. “I can still stop and run in if you want me to, unless you don’t trust me to pick out the right stuff.”

  I yawned. “It’s up to you. I just need something to straighten my hair if I feel like it. A hair dryer and something to tame the beast.”

  “The beast?” he gently chuckled.

  “My curls,” I said with closed eyes. “They have a mind of their own and go every which way, and if it rains or if it’s humid, it’s even worse. I’m so tempted to get it chopped sometimes.”

  “No,” he nearly shouted. Then I felt his fingers on the strands that had escaped. “It’s beautiful just the way it is.”

  I meant to respond, but I couldn’t.

  The next thing I remembered was the frigid air hitting me. I felt Collin reach down and try to lift me from the car.

  I feebly tried to insist that I could walk, but he was determined. H
e lifted me up in his arms and started to carry me into the apartment building.

  “Hey man, everything okay?” I heard Noah’s concerned voice.

  I instantly perked up and saw Noah and Stacey a few steps behind us.

  Collin looked over at him. “Everything’s fine. Blake hit her head the other night, and today must have been taxing. She’s just a little tired. I’m just putting her to bed.”

  “I can look at her head, maybe heal her,” Noah offered, a frown between his brows.

  “No,” Collin said hastily. “I mean, no, it’s all good. Thanks though,” he tried to say smoothly.

  It didn’t look like Noah was buying it. I knew Collin was trying to shield me from Noah’s gift for some reason.

  “She’s fine,” Stacey said a bit coolly as she placed a hand on Noah’s arm. “Let Collin put her to bed, and you should come warm mine.” Stacey nearly purred.

  Noah seemed torn for a moment before he reluctantly nodded. “Yeah, okay. See you guys later. If you need me, come find me,” Noah said before walking past us.

  I tried to seek out his eyes, but it was clear he was distracted.

  I didn’t know what woke me up, but hours later I woke up with a dry throat and dry mouth. I wanted to continue to lay in bed, but I knew I needed a drink. I got out of bed, realizing I must have fallen asleep before I even got to the apartment. My boots had been removed, but I was still fully clothed.

  I went to my drawers first and pulled out a pair of boy shorts and a tank top. Looking at my phone, I realized it was late, so I was sure Collin was asleep. I wasn’t too concerned with him seeing me in my skimpy night clothes.

  I exited the room quietly, since his room was right next to mine. I didn’t want to wake him up. Tuesdays and Thursdays were our early days; our classes started at 8 AM. Tomorrow I would be left to my own devices for two hours. He had three classes, compared to my two.

  I already planned to pack a duffel bag of gym clothes. I was going to visit their state of the art gym facilities and start my strength training. I was going to come up with a schedule, like the one I had before.

  I crept down the hallway and noticed a dim light above the stove. I was going to grab a glass of water when I heard a hushed voice and saw that the sliding glass door on the balcony was wide open. I peered around the corner and noticed Collin was on the phone with his back towards me.

  “I don’t know,” he was saying. “Yes, I’m sure. I have the block on. She shouldn’t be able to use her gift,” he was silent for a moment.

  “She did run into Noah,” he continued. “When she returned from her run, I noticed her tracker showed that she was here. No. No. She was only down there for maybe 10 minutes. Yes, they didn’t seem to recognize each other…Yes. Yes. I understand how important it is to keep them separated…No, she hasn’t said anything about a gift or suspecting she may have one…Yes, sir, I understand…Yes, I am aware how important it is for her to trust me, fall in love with me…Yes. Yes. Okay…Yeah, I have classes…okay, I will see you tomorrow morning.”

  I hastily retreated to my room. Horrified at what I just heard. What kind of block did they have on me? Could I remove it? How were they tracking me? It only confirmed my suspicions that I could never trust Collin—he was my enemy.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning, I woke more exhausted then I was the night before. I had tossed and turned for the rest of the night. I was torn between running away and staying, ingratiating myself even further so I could learn how deep this deception went. I gave up trying to sleep long before my alarm went off. I decided to hop in the shower and get ready for the day.

  I was grudgingly happy to see a wide selection of hair care products specifically for curly hair on the bathroom vanity, along with a hair straightener and a hair dryer. I quickly took a shower and walked back into my room, with my new hair stuff. I stood in my towel as I looked through my closet. I had been spoiled with a walk-in closet at Will’s. I was a closet snob now, even though Ella and I shared a closet in the trailer, and the dorm I stayed in across the way wasn’t much better.

  Thinking of Ella, I wondered once more where she was, who she was with, and if she was happy. I also needed to figure out a way to contact Judge Myers.

  My door was pushed open behind me and I spun around, startled, grasping the towel to my chest. “Collin,” I gasped.

  He looked at me appreciatively. “Sorry,” he said with an unrepentant grin. “I was just making sure you were up.”

  “I am,” I snapped. “Can you knock next time?”

  He took a step forward. “Oh, come on babe. You enjoyed being all over me, what happened?”

  Whoever he had talked to last night was pushing him to ingratiate himself further with me. It made my stomach ache and my skin crawl. Until I could figure things out, I needed to continue this charade.

  I tried to hide the annoyance at his lies. “I still don’t feel like…me. Can you give me more time?” I pleaded in a small voice as I looked down at my bare feet.

  He took a few more steps forward before I saw his larger feet next to mine. He grabbed my upper arms and kissed the top of my head. “Of course, babe.” I hated it when he called me babe. Baby was the endearment Remy used for me. It was too similar.

  “Thanks,” I said brightly. “Can you close the door behind you? I need to get ready, and it takes forever to straighten my hair,” I told him.

  “Hurry up, we have an hour before we leave,” he joked.

  I turned back to the dresser and closet and decided to put on a pair of skinny jeans, tan boot cuff knitted legging warmers, an off white sleeveless blouse, a light weight camel colored leather jacket, and leather camel colored tall boots. My wardrobe choices had changed significantly since I left home and met Jemmy. I no longer found the need to hide my body in ill-fitting dark and drab clothing. I didn’t have to make myself look as unappealing as possible. At least whoever shopped for my wardrobe bought clothing I was willing to wear.

  I quickly applied some foundation, bronzer, natural color eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss. I made sure to add additional concealer around my eyes, hoping the bags and tiredness disappeared. The makeup I found in my vanity was all brand new. Another thing I took care to do now. The only time I used to wear makeup was when I worked at the bar and had to make myself look older.

  If they were trying to convince me that this was all my makeup and wardrobe, maybe they should have made my makeup look used and removed the tags off my clothing. If I were to confront Collin, I sure he would have an answer ready for it all.

  I decided to straighten my hair for the day. It would save me from having to wash it for a day or two. I had a lot of hair. Not only was it long, but it was thick. I hated washing it if I didn’t need to.

  It took me roughly 40 minutes to get ready. I grabbed my duffel bag, book bag, and books for the day. I had Introduction to Sociology and History of Performance Arts today. Collin had already informed me that we had a lot of ‘gifted’ people attending this school—he failed to mention we were both gifted. He said we enrolled me in this class to get a better appreciation and understanding of the people around us. I tried to act convincingly surprised and fascinated by the possibility we lived and were around people that had abilities.

  “You look really nice,” Collin assessed me as I entered the kitchen. “Would you like some cereal?”

  I smiled credibly. “Thanks, and do we have any bananas or fruit?”

  “I have canned fruit in the pantry. Would you like to do some shopping after school today? I kind of lived like a bachelor. I can make eggs, toast, and frozen pizza. We can get whatever you want if you want to cook. Otherwise, I’m fine with take out. That bottom drawer is filled with local take out joints,” he explained a bit sheepishly.

  I smiled as I reached into the pantry to grab a can of peaches. “I don’t mind cooking. Before I go to the gym, I’ll make a grocery list.”

  He frowned slightly. “Since when did you become a g
ym buff? You look perfect just the way you are.”

  I shrugged as I dug into my peaches. “I’m comfortable in my body, don’t get me wrong, but I want to tone up.” I started looking around his kitchen. “Do you have any coffee?”

  He shook his head. “Sorry, no. I’m not much of a coffee drinker. We can stop in at the quad if you like, get some at the coffee shop.”

  I looked at him in mock horror. “How do you get through the day without coffee? Are you even human?”

  He chuckled genuinely. “I’m more of a Monster or Red Bull man. I never got accustomed to the bitter taste of coffee, no matter how much cream and sugar I added. We can add a coffee maker, travel mug, and coffee to our list for tonight.”

  I nodded. “Sounds good to me. I’ve been drinking coffee since I was 13. I suspect that may have contributed to the stunt in my growth…or maybe it’s just bad genes.” I said ruefully. “Anyway, I can’t imagine if I had to go through withdrawals.” I teasingly shuddered.

  He smiled at me. “Well, I don’t want to experience that. Let’s go so we’re not late.”

  I almost moaned when I got my first taste of the frozen mint-chocolate coffee. Jemmy had introduced them to me and I had indulged at least once a week since meeting her. I frowned suddenly. I wondered how she was doing. I wanted to go visit her, but I had no reason to go to that side of the campus.

  “What’s wrong, babe?” Collin asked. “Is it alright?”

  I looked up at him, lost in thought. “Huh? Oh yeah,” I said quickly. “I was just hoping for more whip cream,” I joked.

  He laughed. “Next time we’ll ask for more.”

  I nodded with a smile. “Sounds like a plan. Okay, well, I’m going to head to the math and science building.”

  He pointed to the opposite side of campus. “I’m heading that way. Do you want me to walk you to class?”

  I shook my head. “No, it’s alright, thanks. I wouldn’t want to make you late.”

  He reached out and squeezed my hand. “Have a great morning! Brunch at 10?”