Summers' Deceit (Hunters Trilogy Book 1)
Page 6
After the movie, more questions came to my mind.
“So why did you act that way the first day of class?” I asked as we walked out of the theatre.
“I don’t think I know what you mean.”
I realized immediately by the look on his face and his tone that the question had bothered him. “Never mind. It was probably my imagination.”
He nodded. “Do you need to get home?”
“I’m tired. But thanks for getting me away from the party.”
He smiled.
“Should I take you home?”
“Back to Andrew’s,” he said. “I left my jacket there.”
I nodded. “Sure. I need to make sure Becky can drive.”
He laughed. “I can guarantee Jared can’t.”
I chuckled. “Oh, you saw that?”
“Who didn’t see that?”
When we got back to Andrew’s, Jared was passed out on the bathroom floor. I helped Aidan carry him to the couch. It took me about ten minutes to find Becky in the crowd. I interrupted her dancing with some older guy dressed as a Jedi. At least she was conscious.
“Oh hey,” she said. “This is Kyle.”
“Kevin,” he corrected, lending a gloved hand.
I shook his hand.
“Becky, are you sober?”
She laughed. “You’re leaving already?”
I nodded.
“I’ll be leaving here soon,” she yelled over the music.
“How soon, Becky?”
“I don’t know. Go ahead. I’ll call you in the morning.”
I sighed. “Kevin, would you—?”
“I’ll make sure she gets home safe.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
I bolted out before anybody could say anything. I turned back around and glanced at Aidan walking down the street in his brown leather jacket, with his vampire cape slung over his shoulder. I started slightly trembling when I remembered we had actually gone out. Why the hell couldn’t I say no to him? I wanted to say no. I had tried to say no. Instead, I had daydreamed through a movie with him. I couldn’t understand how those words had slipped.
I’d like that, Aidan.
Those words weren’t even in my head.
I tried to worry about Becky on my way home—which would have been the normal, logical thing to do—but I couldn’t. Aidan crowded my thoughts again. Thankfully, I was able to sleep that night without any disruptive nightmares and only woke up because Becky had called me.
“Hey. Are you all right?” I asked.
“Depends on your definition of all right.”
“Becky!”
She laughed. “I’m fine. Just one wicked hangover.”
“Oh my God,” I growled. “I’m coming over.”
I drove to her house with some chicken soup and aspirin. She was still in her pajamas, with makeup smeared under her eyes. I couldn’t understand how she still looked attractive.
“Where were you most of the night?” she asked.
Oh God. “Around.” I handed her the soup.
“Thanks, Janie. So, how was your date?”
“What?”
She laughed loudly. “Oh, come on! Half the party saw you leave with Aidan, and Mr. Jones was pretty upset.”
“Mr. Jones?”
“Yeah.” She laughed. “Mr. Indiana Jones.”
“Oh God!” I shrieked.
“Ah, come on,” she said, laughing. “His name is Mike, and he really isn’t half bad when he’s sober.”
“Becky!”
“Calm down!” she demanded. “I’m not saying I like the guy. He’s a mess and a half, destined for trouble, the whole works. I was simply saying that underneath it all, he’s pretty nice.”
“He doesn’t like Aidan.”
“That surprises you?”
“Well…I guess not. It’s nothing new.”
“Everybody is intimidated by him. Some people are even afraid of him.”
I remembered the size of him. He wasn’t a big guy and didn’t have much muscle mass.
“Why?”
“I don’t really know,” she said. “Ask Rudy.”
“I did. Do you know what he said?”
“Okay”—she laughed—“I was kidding.”
“Not funny, Becky.”
It was hard to ignore what Rudy had said. I was confused, after all, and a lot of the things he had mentioned were actually beginning to sound logical. Of course, I knew it was ridiculous. Aidan was not a…hunter, but either way, there was something about him that I was determined to discover.
I decided to go to Books by the Bay and see if I could find any books on the hunters after no luck with the Internet on Ethan’s ancient computer. Every book I found on mythology and creatures of the undead had not one thing about the hunters Rudy had talked about. I found encyclopedias of folklore and myths of creatures such as vampires and werewolves, but the only thing I could come up with was that Aidan had some kind of strange or secret life, like witness protection or something. Couldn’t I have just thanked him for saving me and left it at that? I felt so ridiculous buying into such stories. But I was sure that Aidan wasn’t behind me at Gallagher’s party when I had fallen, and I couldn’t remember him being anywhere near me when I almost killed myself in the bookstore. Rudy had mentioned something about their eyes, but I was beginning to believe that Aidan wore contacts because his eyes often appeared to be amber or sometimes a chestnut brown. I was captivated by the striking green, which had to be the work of contacts.
I was more frustrated than necessary; it was becoming an obsession. After seven cups of coffee, I had found nothing but my caffeine limit. I was completely wired. I figured I’d go home and check the Internet again. When I got home, Ethan wasn’t there. He probably got called in for some emergency.
I walked to the door with my keys in hand and gasped realizing the door was open. I stepped inside and heard strange moans coming from the living room. I dropped my keys on the kitchen table and peeked around the corner.
“You won’t leave here alive,” I heard. The voice was distantly familiar.
I took a couple steps closer, finally seeing who it was. “Rudy?”
He turned toward me. His face was twisted into a mask of pure fury.
“Oh my God!” I cried when I saw a boy on the floor. He was bleeding and coughing.
“No, Jane!” Rudy called. “He’s crazy. I saw him sneaking into your house. I was trying to protect you.”
He grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt, lifted him, and shoved him against the wall. I swallowed a scream when I noticed it was Aidan with his extraordinary eyes.
“Rudy, what the hell is wrong with you?” I screamed.
Aidan’s head was nodding, and he was covered in blood. He looked only half conscious.
“Jane, I tried to tell you before. He isn’t human.”
“What?”
“He’s a hunter. You have to keep him away from you.”
“Rudy, you’re my friend,” I said, “and I would hate to call the cops on you.”
“Jane—”
“Get the hell out of my house, Rudy. NOW!”
“Jane, please!”
“Three numbers, Rudy. That’s all it takes.”
“Fine,” he growled, letting go of Aidan, causing him to slide down the wall and end up on the floor again. “But do me one favor. Keep yourself safe. Avoid him.”
He stormed off, completely livid.
I rushed to Aidan, but he put his hand up.
“I’m fine,” he choked.
“Oh my God, Aidan. What’s your definition of fine?”
He managed to smile. I helped him to the couch.
“Lie down,” I said.
“Really, I’m fine.”
“Okay, then humor me and lie down.”
He obeyed, and I went to the kitchen to get him some water and damp rags to clean him up.
“Jane.”
I turned to see him standing there.
He was covered in blood.
“Jane—look.”
He took one of the towels from me and wiped his beautiful face and arms. The blood came off, and there were no marks—no bruises, no scratches. I was baffled.
“I could have torn him apart with my bare hands, but all I could think about was you and how you would never forgive me.”
Before even asking how or why he had gotten into my house, I tried to ask ten thousand other questions, but nothing came out.
“What?” he asked. “What are you thinking?”
“At this point…I’m…trying to figure out…what you are.”
He gave me a crooked smile and bowed his head.
“Oh, Aidan,” I mumbled and touched his shirt, realizing the fabric was in ribbons.
“Oh.” He sounded like he was suppressing laughter.
“Aidan, how on Earth do you find this funny?”
“Really, Jane, I’m fine.”
“What happened?”
He chuckled. “Uh, business end of a garden rake.”
“God. What is wrong with him?”
“Actually, that was Eric. I’m guessing Rudy’s older brother?”
I nodded.
“It’s because of Rudy, Eric is alive. One more swing and I would have killed the guy.”
I couldn’t answer.
“Thanks…” he said, smiling, “for rescuing me.”
“Aidan, why—?”
He put his hand up and sighed. “I was trying to protect you.”
“From? And…why me? Why were you here? You live by Andrew, don’t you?”
He nodded. “There isn’t much to do when people avoid you,” he said. “So I walk sometimes…just to clear my head.”
I nodded. “So what do you mean protect me?”
“Your dad left. Apparently, he had forgotten to lock the door.”
“What?” I demanded. “No—Ethan would never forget to lock the door.”
“He did, Jane. I thought I saw a burglar entering your house, but when I opened the door, that’s when Eric came at me with the rake. Rudy stopped him but pulled me inside and started hitting me—among other things.”
I stared open mouthed. “Why would Rudy have been in my house?”
“He was yelling at me, telling me I wasn’t going to leave here alive. Saying that I better not hurt you. He thinks we’re friends, and when he saw me walking down the street, I guess he thought I was coming to visit you. So when he noticed the door was unlocked, he hid inside until I walked by.”
“Thinks we’re friends?”
He nodded.
“Are we not friends?”
He smiled. “That’s one thing Rudy was right about. The other is that you should avoid me.”
“Why?”
He sighed.
“You were the one who was so persistent about wanting to know my name. You could have simply done what I asked and left me alone.”
He chuckled. “I know, but I couldn’t help myself. I was so intrigued by you. I didn’t mean to captivate you that way or interest you if I have.”
“You interest everyone,” I whispered, “except maybe Rudy.”
“I’d love to be your friend, Jane, but I don’t think Aaron Raines would like that too much.”
“Why does that matter?”
“Because you don’t want to lose him. Be careful, Jane…who you rescue.”
I tried to respond, but he was gone. One second there, the next gone.
After everything that had just happened, I wanted to walk back into the living room and see him standing there, smiling at me.
“Jane?”
I spun around and thrust my hand to my chest.
Aidan laughed. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re still here.”
He smiled. “I couldn’t leave without thanking you properly.”
I shuddered as he pulled me into his hard chest and wrapped his arms around me.
“Thank you,” he whispered in my ear. I felt his cold, perfect lips touch my cheek. “If you were to wish it, Jane…you would never see me again.”
“I do not wish that,” I whispered, my voice hardly coming out.
He smiled and gave me that same formal nod I had seen in the bookstore where he seemed to be bowing, and then…he was really gone.
I fell into the soft chair behind me to catch my breath. I could still feel the tingle from his kiss lingering on my skin. I was trembling. I had never felt anything like I felt when I was close to him. But maybe Rudy was right; maybe something wasn’t right about Aidan. But he hadn’t hurt me, had he? He was trying to rescue me again. He was more like a guardian angel than a nocturnal predator.
It looked like Rudy still lived in the same house, and I was tempted to go over there and yell some sense into him, but I figured it was better just to calm down first and straighten out my thoughts.
“Wow.” She giggled. “Aidan Summers.”
“I know.”
“So does he like you?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe.”
“Do you like him?”
I didn’t want to respond. I wanted to keep myself out of the conversation.
“Maybe.”
I shuddered after answering. She probably knew I was lying. She was all grins, very interested in the gossip she would later get to share.
“Becky, really,” I started, “I don’t even know if I’m going to see him again.” Again, she knew I was lying. She knew me too well.
When I walked out of class with Becky, Aidan was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Becky smiled at me and skipped away.
“Hello,” he sang. His voice was once again musical and perfect like it had been the first time I met him.
“Hi,” I stammered. I wasn’t expecting him to be waiting outside my classroom.
“I have decided to do what I want,” he said. “I have decided that I want to be your friend even if Aaron and Rudy don’t like it.”
“Good. So are you ever going to tell me how you do those insane things you do?”
He chuckled. “What do you mean?”
“Like can you fly with that vampire cape you wore?”
He laughed loudly, but I was only half joking.
“Is that really what you think?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t know what to think.”
He shook his head.
“At the party,” I started, “you weren’t standing behind me, were you? When I fell?”
“Of course I was.”
“I was alone, Aidan. How did you know I was in danger?”
“Jane…” he said, sighing.
“I really want to know how you do those crazy things.”
“You need to stop listening to Rudy,” he said with a chuckle, raising his eyebrows at me.
I sighed. “Probably.”
After every class, Aidan was there waiting for me. We were mostly silent; I knew he wouldn’t answer my questions anyway. People stared obsessively. It was almost like the first day here all over again or Gallagher’s party. I ignored their glances as Aidan walked me to the cafeteria. He sat down and signaled me to sit across from him. I glanced over my shoulder at Becky and Aaron, who seemed to be pleasantly debating and kept looking over at me. I sat down and started picking at the chipped nail polish I was wearing.
“So why—?”
“Hold on.” He chuckled. “Don’t you think it may be my turn to ask the questions, Jane?”
“If you can think of one.”
“Hmm…well”—he paused—“how do you know Rudy?”
I laughed. He was trying too hard. I was painfully boring. “He lives a few houses down. He was really good friends with my brother when we were kids.”
“How old was your brother when…when it happened?”
“Fourteen.”
“You said three years ago. That would have made you
fourteen.”
I nodded. “My twin,” I whispered.
He sighed. “I’m sorry. You ask the questions.”
“I was just going to ask why you acted that way the first day of class. You seemed almost…angry at me.”
He chuckled. “It wasn’t that. I was just in one of my moods, and in some ways, I was upset with you for ignoring me, but…apology accepted. Everything is fine.”
I smiled. He was overly charming.
“Also,” I started, “those green eyes of yours—contacts, right?”
He laughed quietly. “Now why would you think that?”
“They seem…unnatural.”
He leaned forward, and I shuddered, almost thinking he was going to kiss me. I was completely lost in his eyes for a moment, lost in the piercing green color that was clearly natural. I could see the tiny specks of other colors and the refection of myself. I felt Becky’s gaze stabbing into my back.
Finally, he leaned back and locked his gaze on his folded hands in front of him.
“Wow,” I whispered, “some eyes!”
“They often absorb the colors around them. That’s why they may sometimes look dark or even violet on occasion as I have been told.”
I nodded and smiled. It made sense. Maybe I was just being ridiculous.
“But your cuts,” I said, “when Rudy and Eric attacked you.”
“The rake didn’t cut past my shirt. I backed away. And Rudy really isn’t very strong. The reason I looked so dizzy and disoriented is because the smell of blood makes me sick.”
“Uh huh.” Not possible. There was blood all over him. There had to be at least one tiny mark, one small cut or light bruise. There was nothing.
I started slowly picking at my nail polish, again searching for something to say.
“Now what are you thinking?” he asked.
“Why do you always want to know what I’m thinking?”
“Well, what good are thoughts with nobody to share them with?”
I smiled.
“It’s just that you’re always so passive. It’s hard to read you.”
“Can’t be that hard.”
He chuckled. “Oh, it is. You hide so much.”
I looked away from his eyes again.
“Like Becky for example,” he started. “She’s contemplating coming over here just to see what’s going on.”