Casting Stones (Stones Duet #1)

by L. M. Carr

  “Ski pants.”

  “I don’t ski.”

  “She doesn’t ski.”

  Simon and I state in unison.

  “Yes, I know that.” He answers more to the man behind me than to me. “But you can sit on this nice ass of yours, can’t you?”

  One eyebrow rises in an arch.

  “We’re going sledding.”

  “Sledding,” Simon snorts sarcastically as he shakes his head in disbelief.

  “It’ll be fun. And then I can warm that little body of yours all night long.”

  I hear his words and so does Simon who stuffs his folders into his backpack, stands and walks toward the door.

  “I’m out. Call me later.”

  Without another word, he’s gone.

  “What the hell was that about?” I wonder.

  “Who cares?”

  “Shane, Simon is important to me. We’ve been through a lot together.”

  He states the obvious. “I don’t like him.”

  “Why not? You don’t even know him.” My tone is offensive.

  “I know that he was going to “ask around” for you the night I couldn’t find you.”

  “And?”

  “And I think he’s shady.”

  “He’s…misunderstood and sometimes really stupid, but he’s the closest thing I have to family so get over it.”

  “I could be your family.” He pulls me close and unties my apron, searing me with an intense look.

  The temperature in the diner rises instantly and I feel a bead of sweat on my neck. I’m actually looking forward to the cold air outside.

  “What else is in the bag?” I step away and grab the twine handles.

  “A hat, gloves, boots, and a scarf.”

  I walk into the bathroom and change into the outfit that makes me look like the abominable snowman. I look ridiculous and feel even more so.

  The drive to the high school takes only a few minutes longer now that the roads have been plowed. The snow piles are at least ten feet high in all corners of the school’s parking lot.

  “Come on.” Shane leads me by the hand as we climb to the top of the hill. In his other hand, he pulls a long plastic sled.

  I’m seated and wedged between his thighs as light snow continues to fall from the white sky. The excitement in his face is transferred to mine. I bite my lip in anticipation as he uses both hands to push the sled forward, sending us careening downward to where the open field awaits.

  “Hold on tight.”

  He hunches over, presses his front to my back, and places his cheek against mine while his arms secure me.

  I screw my eyes shut as the cold air pelts my face. Shane hoots and hollers as we travel at what feels like an insane speed. I blink furiously as the landscape blurs until we finally come to a stop. Snow covers my face and my stiff fingers release the death grip of his thighs. The adrenaline rushing through my body forces my heart to resume its natural beating.

  “So what’d you think? Did you have fun?” Shane pulls my face back and wipes the snow from my nose.

  “I guess.” I concede without confidence.

  “Let’s do it again.”

  “I think I’ll sit this one out.”

  “No way! Keep your eyes open this time.”

  “How did you know I had my eyes shut?”

  He pulls me up and looks down at me. “Because I know you. I know you better than you know yourself.”

  Time and time again, we whiz down the hill at astronomical speeds, each time is more exciting than the next until he leans to the side, using his weight to steer the sled, and we crash into a huge snow bank. I fly forward in one direction as he tumbles in another.

  I land face first into the snow with my body twisted like a pretzel. I’ve lost one glove and my hand throbs from the frigid contact. I feel a deep ache on the outside of my leg. It feels as though I may have broken something.

  Scrambling on all fours, Shane rushes to my side. “Remy! Oh fuck! I’m so sorry, babe. Are you okay?”

  I utter a grunted response.

  He rolls me over onto my back.

  “Are you hurt?”

  My eyes flutter open as I use my bare hand to wipe the packed snow away from my face. I stare at his concerned face hovering over me.

  “Well that just sucked!” I continue, “I can’t move.”

  “What hurts?” He lifts my neck to cradle me against his chest.

  “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to move someone when they’re hurt?” I moan.

  He narrows those blues on me.

  I raise my leg up and bend it at the knee. “My leg hurts.”

  “Can you stand? Do you think it’s broken?”

  Slowly and cautiously, he pulls me into a standing position while I gather my bearings. I take hold of his hands when the distant trees begin to sway sideways.

  “I think I can stand on it.” I hold his hands while I shift my weight from side to side.

  “Can you walk?”

  “I think so.”

  “Let me carry you.”

  “No. I’ve got it.” I take a few steps and realize it isn’t as bad as it seems.

  “Thank God.” He releases a deep sigh.

  “In fact,” I grin, “I think I can run.” I turn quickly and run away in the opposite direction, only glancing back to see him laugh as he begins his pursuit.

  I only make it about fifteen feet or so until I feel his arms around me and I’m gently tackled down to the fresh snow. I land on top of him with a thud.

  “You little liar!”

  “Payback is a bitch!”

  “Payback for what?”

  “The first time you took me driving.” He nearly gave me a heart attack when he reached for his knee and pretended to be hurt.

  A stupidly delicious grin stretches across his face. “Ah, yes. I remember. But you’ve improved so much more since then.”

  “True. But you still won’t let me drive on the road.”

  “Get your license and then you can drive anytime you want.”

  “People drive without a license all the time. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

  “And those are the same assholes who get into this country illegally, drive unregistered and uninsured cars and don’t pay taxes but stand in line for welfare.”

  “Lighten up, dude! I was just kidding.”

  Shane rolls us over and brings his face close to mine, his lips are millimeters away. “Cold?”

  “Just a little,” I lie. My body is freezing except for one particular hot spot between my legs.

  “I promised I’ll warm you up.”

  We trek through the snow until we reach his truck. He tosses the sled into the empty bed.

  “Here.” He tosses me the keys.

  “What?” I fumble to catch the keys but end up dropping them in the snow. I scoop them up and flick off the snow from the house key. I jingle the keys in the air, wondering if he’s serious. “You’re really going to let me drive?”

  “I trust you.” He reaches for my wrist and kisses my tattoo, then walks around to the passenger’s side and climbs in before clicking his seatbelt securely. I don’t know if I should be excited or nervous. “Just don’t kill us,” he laughs.

  We arrive safely at the apartment with no problems. His constant teasing about my death grip on the steering wheel and my slow speed earns him several growls.

  I peel away the many layers of winter apparel and step into the hot shower with Shane right behind me.

  He looks up from his squatted position as he lathers my legs with soap.

  “That’s bad. You’re going to have quite a bruise there.” His fingertips graze the spot on my thigh that smashed into the patch of ice when we crashed.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m sorry about this.” He caresses the spot continuously as if his touch could erase the purple mark.

  “I bruise easily.”

  His smile flattens against my skin as he replac
es his fingertips with a kiss. “It’s a good thing no one will see it.”

  Shane

  AFTER PUTTING OUR school in a lockdown for nearly forty-five minutes, my nerves are shot and my anxiety is at an all time high. I yank back my phone case to remove the small white tablet. I guzzle it down with the rest of this morning’s coffee. I bury my face in the palms of my hands.

  “Sir, yes, sir. I understand. Stay close behind,” the young man stood eye to eye with me, raising his deep voice to be a man, to be what was expected of him, to be all that he could be, but he couldn’t hide the fear in his eyes.

  The screams, the pounding of her fists, the pleas for help were all I could hear even as Marty yells for me to restrain the wild girl until 211 is called and the ambulance arrives. Watching this adolescent transform into something out of The Exorcist is downright scary. Her strength increased as her eyes dilated. I’m angry and annoyed that Marty’s several requests to have this student moved to an alternative setting where she can be monitored and isn’t putting others in harm’s way have been denied. The public attorney and her social worker agree that she has every right to an education. While I agree with that, I think about the rights of the other kids in the school who come here every day, wondering if it’ll be the day she “flips” out. This kid is a ticking time bomb.

  “Shane?”

  I rub my face quickly before I look up to see Dana standing in the doorframe to my office.

  “What?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. What did you need?”

  “Eric was wondering if you have the flash drive that has the game film. He has a free period and wanted to review it.”

  I stand and reach into my pocket, but only come up with my keys, some money and a few loose coins.

  “Dammit.” I realize I left it home on the counter. My insatiable need for Remy made us late this morning, leaving each of us scrambling to get our day started.

  “It’s home. I’ll have to run out and get it at lunch.”

  “I could go for you,” she offers.

  “No. I can go.”

  “I don’t mind. I have to run out and grab lunch for the guys anyway.”

  The internal debate is settled when I look at the pile of discipline referrals that need my attention before the end of the day.

  “Here,” I hold out my keys. “It’s the green one. It opens both locks.”

  I proceed to tell her exactly where the flash drive is. I want to tell the nosy bitch not to touch anything, but I don’t.

  “I’ll be back soon. Call me if you want me to grab you something to eat.”

  “I’m good.”

  She gives me a sly smile as she leaves.

  An hour later, I glance at the clock on the wall. Needing to hear from her, even if it’s just in words, I shoot Remy a quick text and wait for a reply as I tackle the paperwork in front of me. These teenagers are so fucking disrespectful, swearing at their teachers and walking out of class. Give me five minutes with some of these little douche bags and I’ll straighten them out. Last time I checked, respect was earned.

  I feel my phone vibrate as Remy’s faces flashes on the screen.

  “Hey, baby.” I answer quickly.

  “Hi.”

  “Aren’t you in class?”

  “I have a five minute break. We’re covering some pretty heavy issues today.”

  “So I’ll meet you at the game. Jenna is going to give me a ride.”

  “You don’t have to go. It’s going to be freezing out.”

  “I want to. I want to be there for you.”

  Dana walks in and places the set of keys on my desk. I cover the phone and ask her where the flash drive is.

  “I gave it to Eric already.”

  “Who’s that?” Remy asks.

  “Dana. She had to run to the apartment to get something I left.” I smile remembering this morning’s sex in the shower.

  “Oh,” Remy whispers and I can sense her uneasiness.

  “Hey, you’re going to come out and celebrate with us when we win tonight, right?”

  “You’re a little overconfident, Mr. Davis.”

  “It’s a no brainer. Our defense is ranked number one in the state.”

  I hear someone ask if she’s ready to go back in so I inquire about the man’s voice. Hesitantly, she confirms that it is Simon.

  The jerk needs to stay away from her; it’s obvious he wants what mine.I breathe deeply and tell her that I love her. I want to tell her that I adore her and that she’s so much more than just my girlfriend. I want to tell her she’s the one I want forever. The diamond ring, tucked away in the box, needs to be on her finger soon.

  “I love you, too. I’ll see you tonight.”

  I sit with all the other coaches as we ride on the yellow school bus. Some boys are rowdy while others sit with ear buds pushed into their ears, listening to music as they bop their heads along with the beat. There’s a buzz of excitement mingled with nervousness as we ride to the stadium.

  I close my eyes as the memory floods my mind.

  “Sir, I’ve secured my chute. It’s good, Sir.” The young soldier shouted to confirm as I tightened the straps for a second time. The whir of the helicopter infiltrated my ears and the target came in to view.

  “You ready for this, Private?”

  “Yes, Sir. Let’s fucking do this.”

  “Stay right behind me.”

  Following hand signals, one after the other, we stepped out of the helicopter and into the open sky. The rush of adrenaline flew from my toes to my head. I pulled the cord and disengaged my chute just like my brothers did. We floated down through the dark until our feet touched the dry desert.

  With our rifles tucked in close to our bodies, we jogged across the yard to the main entrance.

  “Bang! Bang-bang-bang.” Consecutive gun shots and loud pops rocked the quiet neighborhood. The grenades exploded and lit up the pitch black sky. My eyes darted back and forth looking for him, the evil mastermind of terror.

  A hard pat on my back startles me and I look up to see Eric standing there.

  “Yo, you ready man? Let’s do this!”

  I wipe the sweat from my brow and pull my hat down low. “Let’s do this.” I mumble as I stand, suppressing the memory from long ago.

  Throughout the first quarter of the game, I search for her. The stadium is neutral territory so I’m not familiar with the layout. They score; we score. When one of our players takes a hard hit and lies still on the thirty yard line, I sprint out there with the trainers and drop to my knees beside him. The seventeen-year-old whose eyes are wide with fear and pain calls my name.

  “Coach, I can’t breathe. He stammers, “I…I…I can’t. Help me, Coach.”

  I reach for his hand and quiet him down as the memory of another young man, one I couldn’t save, surfaces.

  “Now you listen to me, you are fine. I’m going to get your ass home to your wife. Okay! Do you fucking hear me?” I gritted my teeth and got in his face, praying that he would listen until help arrived.

  The starting player eventually stands and waves to the crowd after having had the wind knocked out of him. With his head hung low, he whispers, “That was fucking embarrassing, Coach.”

  “You were scared, kid. There’s nothing wrong with being scared.”

  “I panicked like a little bitch. Who does that?”

  Our eyes meet.

  “Yo, my father’s going to be pissed at me.” He shakes his head in disbelief.

  “Don’t worry about your dad. He wasn’t out there with you on the field. He didn’t know what you were going through. He didn’t know how you felt, did he?” I usher him to the bench and pat his helmet.

  I walk over to the water jug, fill a paper cup and swallow down a tablet quickly. I crush the small cup and toss it in the garbage can. I continue to scan the crowd until I finally see her. Armed with a bright and genuine smile, she waves wildly; she seems really excited to be here. I wave back
and then close my eyes briefly as I feel the tension in my body slowly dissipate. I can’t tell which is calming me: the medicine or her.

  As the clocks ticks down to zero and our team runs out to the field to celebrate their victory, I am bombarded with high fives and celebratory hugs as gallons of red Gatorade are poured over our heads in victory. Dana, reeking of alcohol and cigarette smoke, wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me hard on the mouth. Immediately, I push her away and wipe my lips. Before I have the opportunity to ask what the fuck she thinks she’s doing, she’s in Brandon’s arm, kissing him as if her life depends on it.

  I fully expect Remy to join me on the field, but when after a few minutes she doesn’t, I look back to where she was in the stands. Only a few people remain as most have either left or are on the field, congratulating the team. I pull my phone out and call her. Voicemail. I call again. Same thing. Something isn’t right; I can feel it.

  My frustration grows thicker each time I call her phone and am met immediately with her damn voicemail. Soaked and sticky, I make my way to the bus with my phone to my ear. I’ve texted and called her a hundred times since the game ended, but it goes straight to voicemail. She left without saying a word to me. The feeling of excitement for the boys is quickly replaced by confusion and anger. Why would she just leave without saying a word? Not even a text?

  I climb aboard the bus to head back to school. I send her message after message, asking what happened and where she went. Fuck! I lower my head in defeat, realizing that she must have seen and misconstrued the brief interaction with psycho Dana.

  After showering quickly in the locker room, I dress and call Jenna. I leave a brief message, asking her to call me.

  I punch the steering wheel of my truck and slam the key in to start it. I toss my phone onto the seat, but reach for it immediately when it rings. Disappointment fills me when I see Eric’s name.

  “Yo, we’re going to grab a couple of beers to celebrate. You in?”

  Fuck! I don’t want to go for a couple of beers. I need to find out what the hell happened to my girl. This is the second time she’s pulled this shit and I don’t know how forgiving I’m going to be.

  “Nah, I’m good.

  “C’mon. Don’t be a pussy.”

  “Did you, by any chance, see where Remy went?”