My vision turned slightly blurry and a head-spinning dizziness washed over me. It took a moment to realize I had forgotten how to breathe.
“I couldn’t find a King Arthur outfit, but I figured this was close enough,” Carey said, smiling uncertainly. “You look…I mean, ah...” He ran a hand through his silky black hair. “You’re beautiful,” he finally said, eyes gleaming. I managed to make a gurgling sound and then pulled myself together.
“You look…great,” I said inadequately. In truth, Carey looked like something out a movie. He was dressed in tight, soft-looking brown pants that hugged the muscles in his calves and thighs. A thigh-length, sleeveless dark blue tunic hung from his frame and tucked into an old leather belt, emphasizing his tapered waist and the breadth of his shoulders. His arms were bare and smoothly muscled, flexing and straining in a mesmerizing way with every movement. The blue of the tunic brought out his eyes, which were glowing sapphires against his pale skin. When I was able to tear my gaze away, I grinned at the cheesy fake sword strapped to his belt and outright laughed at the plastic goblet with fake gemstones glued on it that hung loosely from a loop on the opposite time.
He saw where my eyes had landed and smiled sheepishly. “I figured I could claim it was the Holy Grail.” I shook my head and laughed, still stunned to my core that someone like Carey was looking at me with such a devoted expression. Life is nothing if not unpredictable.
“Well, you two have fun,” Dad interjected morosely. “And be careful.”
“I’ll have her home by midnight, Mr. Hannigan,” Carey promised stoutly. My nerves wound up to a fever pitch and I could feel a fine trembling starting in my hands. It was time.
We were silent as we walked to Carey’s car; he opened the door for me and I slid carefully into the passenger seat, trying not to wrinkle the dress, as though that mattered. He dropped into his seat and turned on the car, looking at me steadily for a moment before navigating the driveway and crawling out to the road.
We had only been driving for a few minutes when Carey sucked in a breath. “There’s a car following us,” he said, eyes fixed on the rearview. “The same one from last night.”
Fear thudded through me as I started to turn my head to look and then stopped. “Can you tell if it’s Carson?” I asked. Carey squinted slightly and then nodded, clenching his jaw in a tight line.
“Should I turn around?” he asked reluctantly. I glanced over, taking in the tenseness of his position, as though he were awaiting a blow. It made my chest hurt, knowing how helpless he felt, how much I wished I could take control of my own life.
“No,” I said firmly and he turned his head to gauge my sincerity. Apparently convinced, he picked up speed, as though going faster would prevent me from changing my mind.
“No,” I repeated, a tingling sense of urgency washing over me, leaving my skin singing and my muscles twitching from inaction. “We’re going to make your plan happen.”
Carey nearly swung us off the road in his surprise. “Are you serious?” he finally choked out, disbelief written all over his features.
“Yes I am,” I said, feeling more certain with each moment. “I know you can keep me safe. Thrasher will be there anyway, and there’s no doubt Carson is likely to make a move tonight if he gets the chance. We just have to give him the opportunity.”
I could feel the excitement rolling off Carey. He hated the inaction as much as I did and he was eager to prove himself. After a moment he nodded, a tense smile stretching his face.
“Ok. Ok, let’s do it. We’ll go in and hang around until an opportunity presents itself and I’m sure Carson is there to see it. Then we’ll fake a fight, you’ll go off alone, and I’ll follow. The second he tries anything, I’ll take him out and we can call Thrasher.”
“It’ll work,” I said, putting as much conviction in my voice as possible. No point in second guessing now.
“You can pick a fight with me for ogling some other girl,” he suggested.
“Perv,” I muttered, punching his shoulder.
He chuckled and reached his hand out for mine, not seeming to mind the glove that separated us. He lifted my hand up and kissed the fabric lightly, solemnly, and then waggled his eyebrows.
“I am when it comes to you, sugar.” I snorted and then dissolved into laughter, feeling some of my anxiety melt away as he squeezed my hand and grinned. The rest of the drive was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. I leaned my head against the seat, careful not to crush V.J.’s headdress, and stared out the window at the deepening blackness. Clouds loomed over the mountains and darkness seemed to crawl from the trees, leaving me feeling a little claustrophobic.
“We’re here,” Carey said, and I turned my attention to the road ahead. I recognized the place immediately; it was the same abandoned barn I’d seen in Carey’s memories from freshman year, the same place where Preston had attempted rape on an unconscious classmate.
Involuntarily I shivered. Given that memory and what we had planned tonight, it seemed ominous. Heavy dread settled into my limbs, making me sluggish and unwilling. For a moment, I battled an urge to tell Carey to turn the car around and drive into the sunset.
But of course, the sun had already set and it was too late to turn back now.
Carey parked in the grass where there were many cars I recognized from the school parking lot. “Is everyone from school invited to this thing?” I asked.
“Pretty much. There’s usually a Halloween party here and a party when school lets out for summer,” he explained, shutting down the engine.
I glanced with reservation at the sounds of revelry coming from the barn. “Don’t the cops know about this? I mean, don’t they prevent the parties from happening?”
Carey smiled indulgently. “You’ve never lived in a small town before, right?”
I shook my head. “No, I was a city girl. Why?”
“Well, everyone in town knows about the parties. There are usually a couple parents lurking around somewhere in costume to keep things from getting out of hand, but it’s mostly an honor system. The kids who don’t cause any trouble leave by midnight, then if there’s anything still going on, the cops come out to break it up. There’s actually never been any real trouble at any of these.” His expression clouded for a moment and I knew he was thinking of the party from freshman year. “Well, not much trouble anyway.”
I stared at him for a moment and then leaned over to drop a gentle kiss on his lips. He quickly deepened the kiss, stealing my breath and making every inch of my skin flare into life. When he pulled away I yanked him back, burying his mouth with my own, kissing him as though the next moment didn’t exist, as though his lips on mine were the only real things in the universe.
“What was that for?” he asked breathlessly when I finally released him.
I shrugged, embarrassed by the depth of feeling I suddenly felt. My chest felt too full, like I’d taken a deep breath and forgotten how to release it.
“What’s wrong?” Carey asked softly.
I exhaled and smiled at him. “Nothing’s wrong. I just…” I tried to think of what to say without sounding maudlin. “I’m just very glad I found you,” I said lamely, shaking my head.
Carey’s smile made it hard to breathe again. “I’m yours now, Liz,” he said simply. We sat, staring into each other’s eyes for awhile, I’m not sure how long. A knock at the window saved us from further sappiness.
“Are you guys going to stay in that car all night? C’mon!” I laughed at V.J., who was standing outside the car impatiently, her fairy wings flapping slightly in the breeze.
“We’ll be there in a minute,” I yelled and V.J. threw her arms in the air and stalked off. I chuckled and turned back to Carey self-consciously.
“Guess this is it,” Carey said, all humor drained from his voice. I nodded and felt the tension return, like a guitar string pulled tight enough to break. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promised.
“I know,” I whispered. Carey got o
ut and came around to open my door, and I let him since only someone with his strength could manage to get the warped metal to come loose.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked, helping straighten my headdress. I sighed and looked around, expecting Carson to materialize from the shadows. When nothing happened except for more cars pulling in, I rallied and gave Carey a smile.
“Let’s go,” I replied, straightening my shoulders. He took my hand in his and we walked towards the barn.
V.J. was waiting for us just outside the rather creaky looking old barn. “Are you sure this thing’s not going to crash down around our ears?” I asked doubtfully. Carey and V.J. exchanged looks that clearly said “poor deluded city girl,” and shook their heads.
“It’s fine. It’s a good venue. Hey, you guys look great!” V.J. proclaimed. “No loin cloth?” she asked innocently. I poked her in the arm and we laughed at Carey’s bewildered expression.
“Where’s Mark?” I asked, looking around for him. They were supposed to come together.
V.J. looked downcast for a moment and then answered, “He got sick, like, an hour ago. He’s throwing up and everything. He said he’d come later if he felt better, but…” she shrugged. “It looks like I’m on my own.”
Carey extended his free arm in a chivalrous gesture. “Then allow me to escort you, my lady,” he pronounced in a horrendous accent that sounded suspiciously like the Lucky Charms leprechaun. V.J. giggled and took his arm.
“Why thank you, good sir,” she replied in her own atrocious accent. I rolled my eyes and tugged them along, suddenly impatient to get to the main event. The party no longer existed for me as a source of fun and mystery, but as an obstacle to be overcome if I were to have any semblance of a normal life.
Carey ended up bringing us both in, one on each arm, looking quite pleased with himself. We came to the open door on the other side of the barn and I gasped. The place was decorated in a frenzy of Halloween enthusiasm. Innumerable cheap plastic skeletons, spiders, and cobwebs covered every surface. It looked like Luther from the costume shop was throwing the party.
“Who did all this?” I asked, despite myself. V.J. scrunched up her nose like she smelled something nasty and jerked her head to the right.
“Chasisity and her crew. They’ve done it the past two years. It always looks awful, but no one else really wants to take the time. I don’t really think the decorations are necessary; I mean, this old barn is pretty creepy on its own, but I guess Chas doesn’t think so.”
I glanced over at the indicated group and snickered. Chasisity looked like she had shopped at a poor man’s Fredrick’s of Hollywood, and was posing as a hooker in her red corset and boy shorts, complete with fishnet stockings and heels perfect for stabbing someone in the back. Jennifer was a carbon copy in a black negligee, and Missy stood awkwardly beside them, wearing a short black raincoat and black stockings. I just shook my head and glanced up at Carey, who looked down at me with liquid blue eyes.
“Let’s go get something to drink,” V.J. suggested and we scooted off to a cooler stocked with sodas and bottles of water at the back of the barn. A cheerful looking Mr. Tesh was dressed as a rodeo clown and manning a table set up for a bake sale; I looked at Carey questioningly as he bought us each a cookie.
“It raises money for the band. I told you the party would be chaperoned,” he explained, biting into his cookie. “He’ll go away in an hour or so.”
“Hey, look Liz, they’re selling pizza too!” V.J. called from the other end of the table and I joined her in getting a slice. Just in case everything went wrong tonight, at least I could get a decent piece of pizza.
Jeff’s band was setting up on an improvised stage in one corner of the barn. The three of us wandered over and Carey joined in trying to help them get the equipment set up, but his eyes kept flicking back to me protectively, and I knew he was watching and listening for Carson. It was hard to feel even remotely safe, given the situation, but Carey’s strong presence went a long way toward making me feel better. I smiled warmly at him and turned to V.J. to ask if Jeff’s was the only band in Pound, but paused when I noticed how disconsolate she looked.
“What’s wrong, V.J.?” I asked, surprised to see her being anything but her usual exuberant self.
She shrugged and fingered the edge of her skirt nervously. “I don’t know, I guess I’m bummed that Mark didn’t come,” she answered, but I could tell that wasn’t really it.
She glanced surreptitiously to her right and I followed her gaze, feeling a stony expression settle on my face when I caught sight of Chasisity and her little clique pointing at V.J. and laughing loudly. I could hear snippets of their conversation, most of which had to do with V.J.’s costume and their impression that she had been stood up by Mark. I fumed silently, a little surprised at the intensity of anger I felt, but I wasn’t sure what to do. Short of simply kicking her ass, I couldn’t really do anything to hurt Chasisity, and I doubted that would solve anything. I noticed that while the rest of the group was laughing, Missy stood slightly apart, looking uncomfortable. I shrugged, glad to see at least one person wasn’t as vindictive as Chasisity.
“Don’t listen to them, V.J. They’re just jealous that they could only afford costumes from ‘Sluts R Us’ and yours came from a specialty shop in New York,” I said loudly enough for them to hear. V.J. flushed and gave me a hesitant smile.
“Oh just listen to ‘Princess Pure’ over there. Look, she’s wearing gloves again! I’ll bet she has an entire body glove on; must be why Carey looks so itchy tonight. The poor boy can never get into her pants,” Chasisity bellowed snidely. My knuckles cracked ominously as I unconsciously balled my hands into fists.
“At least her pants are worth getting into,” a small voice said behind me and I glanced around, startled to see my inept gym partner, Quade, moving up beside us. He gave me a terrified look and then spoke up again. “At least her pants are clean.”
I stifled a laugh at his awkward defense of me; I knew he meant well, no matter how inelegant his phrasing. Chasisity, however, looked at Quade with a peculiar satisfaction, the kind of look I’ve seen in Koko’s eyes just before he reaches out a paw to smack down an insect.
“And what the hell would you know about getting into a girl’s pants, Quade? Unless it’s because you wear them?” she growled viciously, tossing her cheaply dyed hair. Quade flushed and stammered something intelligible, turning away. I sighed, thinking that I really had enough problems to deal with tonight without this, and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Thanks, Quade. I appreciate the effort. But don’t waste your time with people like that. It’s like trying to reason with a rabid dog; unless you get down to their level, there’s just no way to communicate,” I said kindly, smiling genuinely at him. He grinned back at me, forgetting all about Chasisity.
“You look really pretty tonight, Liz,” he murmured bashfully. “You too, V.J.” he tacked on hurriedly. She rewarded him with her brightest smile, making him blink owlishly. I smiled and shook my head, glancing over at Carey. He waggled his eyebrows. I cocked my head at him and he tapped his head.
Finally understanding, I switched on the connection between our minds and let his thoughts flow into me.
“I can hear Carson on the other side of the barn; he just asked someone if you were here. This would be a good set-up for our fight…act mad at me for not coming to your defense; I’ll just follow your lead. Say whatever you need to make it convincing, I know none of it will matter.”
I nodded briefly and looked away, my pulse suddenly pounding in my head. This was it. My hands trembled and I slapped them to my side, trying to calm the outpouring of nerves. I had to put the fear aside and make this believable, and then I actually had to let Carson take me. Every instinct I had railed against what I was about to do, and it would take immense concentration to make this thing come off right. I took a deep breath, steeled myself, and turned around, scowling at Carey as he joined us.
“What the hell
, Carey? I have to listen to that crap from Chasisity and you can’t even say anything in my defense? Some white knight you are,” I accused, trying to transform the wracking anxiety I felt into anger. Evidently I was pulling it off, because V.J. and Quade looked at me like I was nuts.
“What? I thought you could take care of yourself. Besides, you’ve got Quade here to defend your ‘pants.’ Is there something you need to tell me?” he said snappishly. I could feel Chasisity’s eyes on my back and I tried to get more into the spirit of the thing, raising my voice so everyone in the barn could hear me.
“Oh, here we go with the jealous crap again. God, every time a guy so much as smiles at me you do this!”
“Because you always smile back! If your eyes strayed any further, they’d be out of your head!” he retorted.
I threw up my hands and stalked away, headed toward the open door of the barn. Carey remained behind, as though he were simply too angry with me to follow, but I knew that he would be watching and listening. V.J. called my name but I ignored her, trying to radiate a credible fury and contain the tremors that had taken over my body.
I emerged from the barn and walked into a wall of darkness. There was no light alleviating the oppressive cloud cover and dusk had come and gone, leaving a black so thick I could nearly taste it. I blinked several times, trying to acclimate myself to the difference in visibility while fighting off panic; it’s hard to defend yourself when you can’t see anything.
“You’re coming with me, bitch,” a familiar, hateful voice proclaimed as a hand gripped my arm painfully, dragging me away from the relative safety of the barn. I pulled away hard, but my captor didn’t release me. He just kept tugging me along until I no choice but to stumble after him, knowing if I made a scene, it might discourage Carson from making a move.
“Preston, what the hell do you want?” I sighed, not really afraid of him but annoyed that he might get in the way of the plan.
“I want to make you cry,” he spat venomously, his voice vibrating with loathing. I quickly opened my mind to his and was startled by the intensity of Preston’s hatred of me. He held me solely responsible for his accident, his stint in jail, and the five-hundred hours of community service he had to complete in the next six months.
At First Touch Page 22
