November Sky (Hardest Mistakes Book 2)

by Wicks, Dannielle

  Frowning, I look down at my transparent hand. Should I grab the doorknob, or just walk in? I shake my head and float through the door into the entryway, glancing around curiously.

  Someone is in the kitchen; voices grow louder and angrier as I approach. I round the corner and find Mom bent over the sink, sobbing, a dish towel clutched tightly in one hand. Dad stands on the opposite side of the room, his face red and full of annoyance.

  “It’s been six years, Alice! What do you expect me to do?” My mother sobs harder and covers her eyes. Dad’s face relaxes slightly and he walks over to her, placing his hand on the counter beside her. “She’s not coming back, there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re ruining any future we could have built without her.”

  Mom’s hand flies out, landing on his chest and pushing him away. “Just leave. I know that’s what you’re going to do anyway, why not get it over with? As you said, there’s no future for us.” My father scowls, his face turning red again. He huffs and turns away from her. They’re fighting because of me, I can feel it. Guilt and hurt swell in my chest; I look down at my clenched fists at my sides. This is all my fault. They can’t do this, they need each other.

  Anger bubbles up inside me. How can they do this to each other? Dad turns to leave the room, I need to stop him. “Dad!” I shout, reaching for his arm, my hand goes right through him; I can’t do anything to stop this. Hot tears dribble down my face. This is so wrong and I can’t do anything to stop it. I feel useless.

  “Dad, please?” I repeat. This time my voice cracks and I kneel down on the floor, defeated. If only they could see me, I could tell them that everything will be all right. I see my mother move out of the corner of my eye; she looks just as destroyed as I feel.

  I close my eyes tightly and bow my head, letting out the loudest scream I can possibly muster. The windows vibrate and explode, shattering throughout the house. Ceramic plates on the counter and in the sink crack loudly as they break. The force of my painful scream stops my father in his tracks; he turns and runs quickly to Mom’s side, shielding her head with the tea towel and leading her to the front door to get out of the house.

  ***

  KRISTIAN

  Gary pulls the white news van to the side, halfway parked on the sidewalk on the main street of town.

  “Right.” Gary steps out of the van and throws the keys at Bailey. “You guys get things started; I’m just going to talk to Jack over there.” He points to a dark-haired, bearded man wearing a suit and tie. Jack looks as if he’s already waiting for Gary to approach him.

  I unbuckle my seatbelt and turn to Bailey. “You start the recording equipment, I’ll unpack the camera.” She nods with a smile and jumps into the back of the van, unlocking the sliding door for me. The camera cases are heavy and stacked oddly. I start placing them on the sidewalk beside the van, ready to be unpacked and set up.

  Bailey is pulling a pair of headphones on when she turns slightly in her seat and points to the box I’m about to lift. “Be careful with that one, Kristian…it has all the lenses in it.” I nod and then freeze in place, with the box in my arms. A loud ringing noise pierces my ears, escalating quickly until it turns into a high-pitched scream, a girl’s scream.

  A familiar scream. “Jess?”

  “Kristian?” Bailey’s voice is nearly lost on me; I can’t concentrate through the shrill noise. A sudden sharp pain flares in my stomach and I fall to my knees on the pavement. I can’t breathe, everything becomes blurry and distant, and I can’t get enough oxygen into my lungs. The scream stops and Bailey shouts loud and clear, “Kristian!” The pain in my stomach and head is too much; my vision spins and turns black.

  I’m lying on something hard and uncomfortable. The last thing I remember is Jess’s scream in my head and the pain, which has nearly disappeared. What the hell happened? My eyelids are heavy and unresponsive as I try to open them. I groan at the ache settling over my body and try again.

  The world comes into focus slowly, first just colors, and then shapes. Next come sounds. The fuzzy picture before me finally turns sharp and detailed. Bailey’s face appears above me. I put my weight onto my arms and try to sit up; Bailey pushes my shoulder back down and then rests her hand on my chest.

  “Stay still for a moment. I think you hit your head on the sidewalk as you collapsed.” Her forehead is creased in concern and her light blue eyes shine with worry.

  “What happened?” I croak out, staring up at her.

  “I’m not sure; I was hoping you’d be able to tell me. You stopped moving and then you said something I didn’t catch. Next thing I know you hit the ground. You’ve only been out for five minutes. Do you have some sort of condition?” She gives me a weak smile and brushes her warm hand across my chest. I glance down at it, still a little disoriented, and she snatches it away quickly.

  Taking a deep settling breath, I try to sit up again.

  “Just be careful.” Bailey’s arm comes around my shoulders to keep me steady. As soon as I’m sitting and stable, I run my hand over my hair to smooth it down and find the large lump on the back of my skull where I must have hit my head on the cement.

  Bailey looks down at me anxiously. “Can you stand?” I nod slowly. She stands in front of me, holding out her hand, her mouth spread into a large smile. I hesitate. Who is this girl? She’s so different than all the women I knew in college, and she’s nothing like Jessica. I gaze at her for a moment longer before grasping her hand. She tugs me off the ground, then turns and walks back to the van.

  “Thank you,” I say quietly, following her to the dropped camera case.

  ***

  The crisp salty air that blows across my face helps clear my head. I wonder if I should make a doctor’s appointment. I’ve never fainted before. A shiver runs down my back and I pull my knees up to my chest.

  Jessica’s voice echoes softly beside me, “Kristian?”

  “How did you find me?” Something cold touches my bare hand where it rests around my leg and Jessica appears to my left.

  “I was getting worried, so I decided to come and find you.” Her fingers twitch on top of mine. I sigh quietly and turn my hand over to hold hers.

  “I heard you scream, Jess—it hurt me somehow. How is that possible?” I don’t look at her; I look out into the rolling waves; the dying sunlight glints off the water’s surface in mismatched patterns.

  “My parents were fighting. I couldn’t listen to them destroy their relationship because of me.” She pauses and moves to kneel in front of me. “I don’t know how you heard me or why it hurt you, but Kristian, when I screamed, all of the windows shattered and the plates—it was like all of my hurt and pain exploded and broke everything around me.”

  I glance down at the bracelet hanging from my other hand. Maybe it does more than just make her solid.

  I glance up at Jessica’s face, at the concern shimmering in her eyes and the way her brow creases in hurt and frustration, it’s all so familiar. The faint sunlight shines through her, she doesn’t have a shadow. Sometimes it’s easy to forget she’s dead.

  Her cold fingers brush my face. “Kristian, I had no idea it would hurt you. I’m so sorry.”

  I nod and pull her closer so she’s sitting in between my outstretched legs in the sand.

  CHAPTER 5

  JESSICA

  “I have an idea,” Kristian announces as he exits the bathroom. He walks into the bedroom still drying his dark, slightly curly hair with a towel. I smile shyly and look down.

  I can’t feel the bed sheets underneath me, or the slight breeze drifting through the open window, ruffling the curtains. My body is numb and invisible when we aren’t touching. My bracelet sits on the bed beside me, I brush my fingers across its glittery links, but nothing happens, I have to be touching Kristian as well.

  “Jess, are you there?” Kristian looks around the room, searching for me.

  “I’m here.” I move to sit on the edge of the bed, my feet dangling over the side.


  “I said I have an idea.” He sits down on the opposite side of the bed and snatches the bracelet, pushing it into his pocket. “Let’s go to the Saturday market in the city square.”

  A marketplace? That sounds interesting. I stand up and walk over to him, gently touching his knee, instantly becoming visible. “I would love to.” He gives me a weak half smile, and I let go of his knee before he can see my confused expression. I haven’t seen him smile properly the entire time I’ve been back. Is he not happy to see me?

  ***

  KRISTIAN

  The stall tables are covered in every sort of knick knack and confectionery ever thought of. All the sweet smells mixing with spices and other people’s sweat, the multitude of colors and loud mingling sounds, it’s a little too much for my senses to handle.

  Even when she’s touching me, no one seems to be able to see Jessica. It’s a weird sensation. She gently holds my arm, but every now and then she lets go to wander off and look at something that’s caught her eye. I can feel her presence around when I can’t see her, so I know she’s still here.

  I glance at a brightly decorated stall as I pass by; the street is so packed full of people shoving and pushing past each other, I don’t realize I’ve run into someone until I’m right on top of her. She cries out and hops around on one foot, her brown hair bouncing up and down.

  “You idiot, watch where you’re going. I think you just broke my toe.” She tilts her head and looks up at my startled face, her eyes widening in recognition. “Oh Kristian. Sorry, I didn’t mean to call you an idiot.” Bailey smiles, turning into her usual happy self and straightening up to fix her bag on her shoulder. I look behind me, across the street. Jess isn’t touching me; I’ve left her in a stall with shiny dream catchers and moved on to the other side of the street. I hope she can find me.

  Bailey is still smiling when I turn back to her. Of all the people to run into in this overcrowded city, why did it have to be her? A tall blond-haired man stops at Bailey’s side and stares at me with dark green eyes. I think he’s trying to be intimidating. Raising an eyebrow at his childish expression, I turn my attention back to Bailey, who’s chattering away about some stall full of caramel fudge she’s just found.

  “Oh, Riley, there you are,” she says, only now realizing he’s beside her. She hands him her bag and spins back to face me. “Kristian, this is my brother Riley. Riley, this is Kristian.” She smiles, pushing her sunglasses back up her nose and clapping her hands together, totally unaware of the dark look her brother is giving me.

  Suddenly, I feel Jessica’s presence beside me. Without thinking, I automatically start to introduce her. “This is…” I gesture to the empty space beside me, then stop and bite my lip.

  “They can’t see me, Kristian,” Jessica echoes softly, her voice full of sadness. I can barely hear her over the noise around us.

  I nod once. “Right.” And turn back to Bailey’s confused expression.

  She shakes it off with a weird frown and plasters a smile back on her face. “So do you want to get some lunch with us?” I glance to where I feel Jess is standing, before nodding and gesturing for Bailey to lead the way.

  Riley sits across from me at the small four seat table, and pushes the little vase of fresh cut flowers out of the way. Bailey has chosen an outdoor bistro near the end of the market street. It’s quieter, the noise from the crowds of people and sellers fading into the background. A short, dark-haired waitress fills our glasses with water and hands us all a menu before spinning on her heel and heading for another nearby table and its occupants. I glance up from my menu to find Riley glaring at me.

  I stare back at him calmly. “What?”

  He puts down his menu and leans forward slightly across the table. “Where are you from, Kristian?” The way he says my name makes my eye twitch in anger. Who does he think he is?

  I hold onto my calm facade and answer politely. “I grew up in a town called Rocky Falls. It’s about four hours from here.”

  Bailey perks up beside me. “Wow, what was that like?”

  Riley interrupts before I can answer. “Why are you here?” I glance at Bailey; she stares at her brother open mouthed for a brief moment before nodding and turning back to me with a smile, waiting for me to answer.

  “I came to Brokenridge to work for the TV station; I’m trying to become a producer.” Smirking at Riley’s surprised expression, I turn my attention back to my menu. The chicken schnitzel sounds nice.

  “How do you know my sister?” Sighing, I place my menu on the table slowly and pick up my glass of water, taking my time to sip it while staring at him, unconcerned. I’m not playing twenty questions with this idiot.

  Bailey smacks him on the arm. “Riley! You’re being rude.”

  “Fine, I’m getting a proper drink.” He stands, giving me one last glare before heading to the counter. Placing my glass back on the table, I peek over at Bailey’s annoyed expression.

  “I’m so sorry. He’s younger, but he still thinks I need to be protected.” She stares down at the silverware in front of her as she speaks. When she peers up at me, I nod in understanding. “He’s on break from college. He still lives in our home town, Black Pike. Our parents never—”

  I shake my head and hold out my hand to stop her. “You don’t need to explain anything to me, Bailey. I honestly don’t care.”

  She pinches her lips together and looks away, almost like I’ve hurt her feelings. I suppose I was a little harsh. What is it about this girl that makes me say all the wrong things? Am I always like this and I just haven’t noticed before?

  I need to leave, this is getting too awkward. The pressure to act like a normal, social person is building up far too quickly and I can’t handle it. I don’t do conversation. I swallow and stand up, pushing my chair back with a loud scrape. Bailey looks at me, her brow creasing in confusion.

  “This wasn’t a good idea. I have to go.” I don’t wait for her reply. Turning, I leave the bistro and start the long walk back to my apartment. I hope Jess isn’t too upset with me for ditching her in the marketplace. I really want her company right now.

  I sigh in relief when I feel Jess’s presence as I enter my apartment. She’s here somewhere. I throw my keys on the kitchen counter as I pass, heading for my room. Looking around, I sit on the bed.

  “Jess? Are you here?” I swing my jacket off and throw it on the floor near the door. No answer, she’s upset. “Jess, I’m sorry for leaving you.” A soft sigh echoes from behind me. I spin on the bed and search the other side of the room. Her cold fingers brush against my hand on top of the covers and she materializes in front of me, spread along the bed, her head resting on her propped up arm.

  I reach out tentatively with my other hand and brush the hair away from her face. “Forgive me?”

  A smile creeps into the corner of her mouth and she nods. “So, how was lunch?”

  I exhale the breath I was holding and stretch out on the bed beside her. “It was hard. I’m not very good at being around people.”

  She frowns. “But we had lots of friends and family back at home.”

  Inhaling sharply, I turn my head and gaze at her. I know she can see the pain in my eyes, I can see it reflected back at me from her own. “Not anymore, Jess. Not since you.”

  She leans in closer so we’re almost touching all the way down our bodies. She doesn’t say anything; just presses her lips to mine tenderly. I pull her closer, letting my need consume me. I need to touch her soft lips, I need to feel her skin under mine. I need her. I push her back and climb on top of her.

  Keeping one hard firmly on my shoulder, she tangles the other one into the hair at the base of my neck, pulling me closer. The room becomes hot and heavy. I push the hem of Jess’s white dress up her thigh.

  She’s just about to pull my shirt over my head when I stop her, grabbing her hand and keeping it still. I gaze down at her beautiful face. We can’t do this; technically she’s only a teenager, barely eighteen. Her deep blue
eyes go wide, the fading light seeping through my open window making them shine.

  “You don’t want me, do you?” Oh god, her words feel like a punch in the gut.

  I move to lay on the bed beside her and reach over to lay my hand on her cheek. “Never think that, Jess. I will always want you, I will always love you.” Tears well up in her eyes and slip down her nose onto the bed. “Please don’t cry.” I wrap my arm around her and drag her to my chest, crushing her in a tight hug.

  She wipes her eyes on my shirt and smiles up at me. “I love you too, Kristian, always and forever.”

  ***

  Fiona strides up to our cubicle and smiles serenely at Bailey and me. Wow, is she actually smiling? “Great work with the footage you got with Gary.”

  “Thanks,” Bailey answers sweetly. I nod and watch as Fiona leaves, walking up the hallway to her office. That was weird.

  “So?” Bailey is watching me cautiously; I can see her out of the corner of my eye, gauging my reaction. We’ve hardly spoken all week; I must have really hurt her feelings last weekend. Usually I can’t get her to shut up, but this week she’s been pretty quiet. I raise my eyebrow, waiting for her to finish. “Doing anything this weekend?”

  I shake my head and look back at the scattered notes on the desk in front of me. “I don’t usually go out. I like staying in by myself.”

  “Well, that’s no fun. You need to get out and live a little, Krissy.” I lift my head and scowl at her pouty face as she packs her stuff away. Did she just give me a nickname? She’s not paying attention to me. I’m pretty sure she did it on purpose to see if she could get a reaction out of me. Well, not going to happen. I take a deep, calming breath and shove my pen into the holder in the middle of the desk. Kristian Reed doesn’t play games.