And Theo was just playing with her. They would have a serious talk about Ella later.
They picked up a pizza and took it to Sid’s house. Aspen thought his movie education was lacking, and she had every intention of educating him on the merits of blowing things up.
“I’ll see your two days of dishes and raise you a week’s worth of vacuuming.” Rowan laid the homemade chips down and gave his dad an evil glare. Aspen and her mom had already folded, and Sid, having no earthly idea what his was doing, looked at his cards. Two queens, two kings, and an ace. He knew that was enough to win this hand, but he wasn’t sure if this was a hand he wanted to win or not.
Theo taught him how to play poker, but Aspen’s family played for monthly chores. And Aspen’s mom, foreseeing the possibility that everyone would try to lose, instituted a rule that you had to have a least thirty chips in your possession at all times. If you went below thirty, the rest of the family could give you any chips they wanted. And the dreaded bathroom duty chips were the first thrown at the poor sucker who went under thirty chips. Sid knew if bathroom chips were in play, everyone folded. But aside from that, he could never tell if he wanted to win or lose. You only ever wanted to win when the “good” chores were in play.
After Aspen’s dad threw in another week of vacuuming, Sid matched with a dusting, since according to Aspen, they were equivalent. Sid won.
Aspen’s parents had been a little apprehensive about letting him play with them tonight. Family game night was a sacred tradition every Tuesday. No one missed family game night for anything. Sometimes friends joined in, except on the last Tuesday of the month. That was the night they played for the next month’s chores. Sid spent a good thirty minutes convincing Stacey that he wanted to help with the chores.
“But what about your own house. Surely you’ve got responsibilities there.”
“No, we have a housekeeper who does everything. I’ve never done dishes before or vacuumed. I want to learn how. Seriously.” And cross a few more tasks off his Human Experience list.
Rowan sat in the chair next to him and popped a few pretzels in his mouth. “Your boyfriend is mental, Aspen.”
“I know, but that just means he’ll be spending more time around here.” She kissed him on the cheek.
“Oh, gag. Mom, I don’t want to see this all night.”
Aspen’s mom grinned. “I think it’s sweet. I was beginning to think Aspen wasn’t ever going to date. What about you? When are you going to bring a girl home? Honestly, you two are seniors in high school, and this is the first time we’ve ever had a boyfriend or girlfriend over. By the time Sissy was your age she’d had several.”
“I’m not Sissy,” Rowan and Aspen said at the same time. Aspen explained that her older sister was the perfect child who could do no wrong. She was only eleven months older than the twins, but had graduated a full year early from school and was now on a full scholarship to a university in Hawaii.
Jason, sat next to her mom. “You have a single housekeeper? I would think in a place like that you’d have to have team.”
“We don’t keep the whole thing open. We only use about a quarter of the house. There are rooms I’ve never been in.”
Aspen started dividing chips. “It’s a cool house though, Sid. Do you mind if I bring my family over to see it sometime? The house is somewhat of a legend in Gardiner.”
“Yeah, anyone who wants can see it. I don’t care.”
“You know, you might want to consider having an open house for the town. The house has been closed up for so many years. People would love to see it,” Stacey said.
“I’ll mention it to Theo. He’d probably be cool with that.”
“Halloween,” piped up Aspen.
“What?”
“Everyone thinks that house is haunted. Halloween would be a neat time to open it up. Have a party or something. The whole town would show up.”
After they finished the poker game, Aspen came home with him to talk to Theo about the party. He and Ella were watching a movie.
Aspen yelled from the doorway. “You’re decent right?”
“Yeah,” Ella called back.
Aspen sprawled out on the carpet in front of Ella and Theo. “Epic party. Here. Halloween. What do you think?”
Ella grinned. “That would rock. This house is perfect.”
“I was thinking the whole town, kids, adults, everyone,” said Aspen.
Sid sat next to Theo. Both girls looked at them.
Sid had no idea what a party like that would entail, so he waited for Theo.
“Okay,” he said. “I know a party planner in California. I’ll call her up and see if she can help us out.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
On Saturday morning, Aspen awoke with a start. Roses, she smelled roses. She opened her eyes. Her room had exploded into shades of pink, purple, red, white, and yellow. No surface had been left uncovered. She couldn’t see the books on her bookshelf because they were lined with skinny vases, each holding a single red bud. Her computer desk was overflowing with baby pink flowers. Petals of every color covered the floor. And her bed. She tried to pick up a yellow rose covering her body. When she lifted one, the rest followed. It was a blanket of yellow rose heads, all in full bloom.
The note, she knew there had to be a note somewhere. She turned and checked her pillow, nothing. She got up and scanned her desk, nothing but pink. There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Aspen hollered.
Rowan poked his head in, “Holy smokes, it’s like a freakin’ florist shop in here. What happened?”
“A note, do you see a note anywhere?”
“Oh yeah, check the bathroom.”
Aspen pushed him out of the way and ran for the bathroom. Written on her mirror were three words. “Go see Ella.”
She took the fastest shower in human history and flew to the PD. It was packed. Where the nights belonged to the teenagers, Saturday mornings belonged to the old folks. Ella was serving Mrs. Walker. Aspen tapped her foot.
As soon as Mrs. Walker left, Aspen spoke. “You have something for me.”
“You’re a little impatient. First, tell me about your room. Sid didn’t tell me what he did. He just said to ask you.”
Aspen explained all about the flowers, and Ella handed her the largest mocha they had.
“You’re not allowed to leave until it’s gone.”
Aspen scowled and sat down. She scalded her tongue as she slurped down the mocha. Ella didn’t have to make it so hot.
She people watched while she drank. Matt’s parents came in, and her stomach clenched. She hadn’t seen them since the funeral. They waved to her, and she smiled, but they moved away from her. She was grateful she didn’t have to talk to them.
Her cup was now almost empty. Inside was a message. “Go home. Find your dad.”
She tossed the cup, and Ella yelled from behind the counter as she raced for the door. “Details, Aspen, I want details tomorrow.”
Aspen cringed. Her definition of details and Ella’s were completely different. Aspen repeatedly told her she didn’t need all the gory facts, but Ella still told her things like the color of her thong she wore to Theo’s house, and well, Aspen didn’t like thinking about the rest of the details.
She went sixty the whole way home despite the fact the speed limit was forty. Her dad met her in the garage and handed her a pack through the jeep window.
“What’s this?”
“Everything you’ll need for an overnight hike.”
Aspen’s stomach did flip-flops, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of excitement or nerves.
“Any idea where I’m supposed to go?”
“Oh, yeah, you are supposed to go to the Tower-Roosevelt Visitor Center. Be safe, Aspen. I trust you. Don’t give me a reason not to.”
“Of course, Dad.”
He kissed her on the top of her head and backed away.
Aspen drove slowly through the park. The weather was gett
ing colder, things were changing. She felt the change in herself as well. She’d withdrawn from her friends. Nearly two months had passed since she first saw Obsidian up on the hill, and both he and Sid had now taken over her life. It was strange how when she grew closer to one, she grew closer to the other.
Obsidian was her best friend. Sid was like an extension of herself. She’d never felt this way about anyone before. It was so easy to be with him. Nothing was forced, everything flowed. Except of course, when he reminded her of Marc. Then she freaked, and he got hurt. If only Sid didn’t look so hauntingly like him.
The visitor center was nearly empty. The ranger recognized her and handed her a box and an envelope. Aspen opened the envelope first.
“Go shoot some ducks on your thumb.” So far none of Sid’s messages had been cryptic, so this one confused her. She took the box out to her car and opened it. A new camera. An expensive new camera. “Shoot.” That had to mean taking a picture. “Thumb.” Hmm, ah, Duck Lake at West Thumb. She got it.
The road to the West Thumb was long, and Aspen was getting impatient. The scavenger hunt was fun, but she was ready to be with Sid. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was looking for at Duck Lake, but she was determined to find it quickly.
A bench sat on the edge of the lake. On top was a small backpack. Aspen picked it up. Sure enough the zipper had a small padlock on it. Attached to one of the straps was a large tag. “You know where to go. See you soon.”
Aspen remembered the conversation they had right before she kissed him the first time. Heart Lake.
Sid was leaning against his car, waiting. Aspen threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“Well, I guess that was the reaction I was looking for,” he said.
“I love you,” Aspen blurted without thinking.
He flinched.
Uh-oh. Aspen tried to think of a way to take back those words. She meant them, but he obviously wasn’t ready to hear them. What if this was all a game to him? What if he was like Marc?
“Sorry, I meant that I love what you did for me. The flowers, the camera. I love it all.”
“Aspen…”
“Really, I didn’t mean it.”
He grinned. “Yes, you did. Stop trying to deny it. I love you too. Come on, let’s go.”
Sid loved and hated those three words. He knew she had sealed herself to him, but something about the words made it final. She loved him. He would never be able to love another. When she died, Sid would ache for his remaining years. Taking a queen would be pointless. He was a failure as king.
The path was narrow, and she walked a couple of feet in front of him. Her two braids swung from side to side as she navigated the terrain. She stopped, turned, and looked at him.
“Did you have a girlfriend before you moved here?”
Sid wondered what brought that on. “Yeah.”
Her face was expressionless. “Tell me about her.”
She turned around and kept walking.
“You really want me to?”
“No, but I need to know.”
“Skye and I were together for a long time. Everyone assumed we’d end up together forever. It was so comfortable that I just let it continue until fate stepped in and ended it.”
“I asked you to tell me about her. Not your relationship.”
Sid hesitated, not sure how much or exactly what to tell her. “Skye was beautiful. I think that is what first attracted me to her. That and she was incredibly sweet. She didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She was a great companion and friend, but she lacked the qualities I was looking for in a girlfriend.”
Aspen was quiet for a long time.
“Did I make you angry?” he asked.
“No,” she replied. “I’m just wondering exactly what you’re looking for.”
Sid laughed. “Actually, I didn’t know what I wanted until I found you. You’re funny, smart, and passionate. You see the world as a place to be conquered, not just lived in. You attack every task, everything in life, with such zeal. I can hardly keep up with you. Do you realize that I practically fell in love with you before we even met?”
She laughed. “What are you talking about?”
“You know that picture in the PD that you took? The one of the violet dragon?”
“Yeah”
“Ella showed that to me when she gave me a tour of the place. I knew that any girl brave enough to take a picture of a dragon was worth getting to know. I as much as told Ella that too.”
“And what did she say?”
“She told me you were going to hate me.”
Aspen laughed hard, shattering the silence of the forest.
“I never want this to end,” she said.
“Why would it have to?” Sid asked. He knew human relationships were different from dragons’. However, he didn’t quite understand how she could talk about an end to a relationship that just began.
“We’re in high school. Next year you’ll be going off to college. Long distance relationships never last.” She sighed.
“That’s easy to fix. I’ll go wherever you decide to go. Where is that by the way? I should probably start making plans.” Sid still didn’t understand why there might be a problem.
“You can’t just say you’ll go wherever I go. What if you decide later that you don’t want to be with me? Then you’ll be stuck going to a school you don’t want to go to with a girl you don’t want to be with. Besides, I’m not going to college. I’m going to get a camera crew and search for more dragons.”
“Why would I not want to be with you? I just told you I loved you. I’ve never told anyone that before. Love doesn’t just change its mind.” Sid fumed. How could a girl he loved so much make him so angry?
“Why don’t you trust me?” Sid asked.
She turned and looked at him again, her face full of sadness. Sid felt the fear that so often plagued her when they first met. She didn’t speak again. She set up the tent while he built the fire. They ate in silence, Sid unsure of how to start the conversation after she basically admitted she didn’t trust him.
It was dark by the time they finished. They went into the tent and both burrowed into their sleeping bags. Aspen scooted over so she was close to him. He put his hand on her cheek, and she smiled at him. After a few more minutes of silence, she spoke.
“Three years ago my parents took me to Yosemite for the summer. I was young and stupid.” She hesitated. “I wanted, well, I wanted a lot of things that summer. Mostly though, I wanted to be noticed by boys—to be loved and kissed.” Her voice cracked, and he pulled her close to him. “This sounds so pathetic. Sid, promise me that no matter what I tell you tonight, you won’t think less of me.”
“I promise.”
“I fell in with a group of girls who taught me how to get noticed. I ran around in string bikinis, short shorts, and a lot of makeup. I must’ve looked so desperate. However, I got the attention I was looking for. One night, at a party at the lodge, I met Marc Ford.
“Marc looked just like you. He had brown eyes instead of blue, and his nose was a little bigger, but aside from that, you could’ve been his twin. When you showed up at the PD the night of the back-to-school party, I thought for sure he had come back to torture me.”
Her guilt was overwhelming. Almost powerful enough to overcome his growing anger with Marc.
She continued. “We flirted shamelessly, and I had my first kiss. I was elated. We spent every waking minute together. After a few days, he started pushing me to go further than I was comfortable with. And then he uttered those three magic words, ‘I love you.’
“The next night we went for a drive. He talked me into going all the way. He called it ‘making love.’ At that time, I thought I really did love him. I was convinced I would spend the rest of my life with him.” She paused and shuddered. “I showed up to a party at the lodge the next day, and he was making out with a new blonde hottie. I was crushed. I had fully given myself to him, and he went off and found
someone else to take.”
Aspen’s body shook with sobs, and Sid held her close. “I’m so sorry.”
She pulled away and faced him. “I’m not done.”
Chapter Thirty
Three years ago
The cloud covering the sun made perfect lighting for Aspen’s pictures. The giant trees rose all around her. It was peaceful.
Away from Marc and his horrid deception. Away from her family and their curious stares. Away from Brittany and Cat and the pity. Trees didn’t care what she’d done or the shame she had.
Aspen climbed out of the grove of trees into a circular meadow surrounded by the giant sequoias. A doe grazed in the middle of the field. Aspen crouched and started snapping, but before she got even a few pictures, the doe saw her and took off. Aspen hiked to the middle of the field and reveled in the silence. She scanned the sky, always on the lookout for her dragons.
A large purple mass flew in her direction, and she focused and zoomed. The dragon was lavender and had leaf-green wings. She flew almost directly over Aspen. As Aspen took the picture, arms snaked around her, and a voice whispered in her ear.
“You look so sexy when you’re excited.”
Aspen tried to pull away, but he held her close.
“Let me go.”
She fought Marc’s arms. She didn’t want to drop her camera, but she was starting to panic. He squeezed her tighter.
“Don’t think I’ll do that.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I want you, Aspen. I want you bad. I’ve been searching all over for you, but you’ve been avoiding me.”
He held her with one arm and used the other to rip the camera from her hands. He tossed it a few yards away. His free hand wove its way into her hair and pulled. Her eyes watered.
[The Dragon Kings 01.0] Obsidian Page 14
