Six Times a Charm

by Deanna Chase

  His tenderness brought on a fresh bout of emotion, but I steadied myself and willed the tears back. He guided me toward the doors.

  “You should go get some sleep,” he said.

  “And you. You’ll stay here?”

  “I have to. Let Kat take you home. I’ll call if I hear anything.”

  The last thing I wanted to do was leave him, but I could see by the stubborn tilt of his chin he wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Promise to call with any news, at any time.”

  “I promise.” He steered me out the double doors.

  I turned to him, my heart aching as I looked into his tired eyes. “We’ll get her through this. I promise.” I didn’t know how, but I knew in my heart, I’d do whatever it took to save her.

  He nodded absently and gave me a gentle push toward Kat. But I stepped closer, took his face in my hands and kissed him. All of my anguish and suppressed emotions poured out of me into that one kiss, desperate to show him how much he meant to me, even if I couldn’t say it.

  Grief, longing, and fear surrounded me as he kissed me back in a slow, bittersweet manner. When our lips parted, he hugged me tight. “Get some rest.” And then he was gone, back through the double doors of the hospital.

  “Let’s go, sweetie.” Kat said, pulling me to the car. “You’ll see him tomorrow.”

  I didn’t say anything until we were safely in her Mini. “Do you think Lailah is crazy?”

  “Definitely.”

  ***

  The bed shifted as Kat lay down next to me. She didn’t want to go home, so I offered her the other side of my bed.

  “He talks about you all the time, you know.”

  “Who? Ian?” Jolted out of my thoughts about what just transpired with Kane, I rolled over to face her.

  “No. Dan.”

  “What? You’re kidding. Why?”

  “I’m starting to think he’s obsessed with you.” Kat laid back and stared at the ceiling.

  “That’s crazy,” I said, realizing the night’s events had hit her harder than I’d thought.

  “No it isn’t. He’s the one who told me about the job opening at the glass school. Told me I should call you. Said it would be good for me to have you here.”

  I stared as I digested her statement.

  “He kept hounding me about when you were coming, and talking about double dating. I’m so stupid. I should have seen it for what it was.”

  “What?” I whispered.

  “He’s still in love with you.”

  I let out a bark of laughter. “That’s insane. He has nothing but hatred for me.”

  Kat propped herself up on her elbows and turned toward me. “I think maybe it’s a love-hate thing. He still loves you, but you clearly can’t stand him. So his frustration manifests into schoolyard bullying.”

  “Are you saying this is my fault?” I narrowed my eyes, feeling the pain coursing through her heart.

  “Of course not.” She lay back down and turned her back to me.

  Irritated, I flopped down on my side of the bed. My eyes felt like sandpaper, but I knew I’d never sleep until I asked the question I’d been holding in for weeks. “Kat?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Why did you do it? Date Dan, I mean.”

  She sighed. “I don’t know. He just showed up out of nowhere. He didn’t even tell me he was moving here, and one thing led to another…”

  Her voice sounded so small and dejected, I couldn’t help but feel bad for her. “It’s okay.” I reached for her hand and squeezed.

  “No it isn’t, but thanks for saying so.” She squeezed back.

  She was right. It really wasn’t okay. She’d known how much Dan had hurt me and yet, she still chose to not only date him, but to move in with him. I’d been lying to myself, saying it was fine, it didn’t bother me. But it did. And we both knew it.

  “I’m kicking him out tomorrow,” she said.

  “Are you sure? He clearly needs help. Maybe you can help him get it.”

  “After he assaulted me? I don’t think so. Besides, he’s not over you. I deserve better in a relationship. If he wants help, I’ll be there, but not as his girlfriend.”

  I reached over and hugged her. “I love you, you know that, right?”

  “Yes. I love you too.”

  Chapter 19

  A dull headache threatened as the florescent lighting glared off the stark-white walls of the hospital. The fact that I hadn’t slept more than six hours in the two days since Pyper had been admitted didn’t help. I popped two aspirin and washed them down with a large gulp of lukewarm coffee. Food and sleep would have been a better prescription, but I’d take what I could get.

  The receptionist waved, and I nodded as I made my way down the corridor. The staff had suspected everything from a drug overdose to a brain aneurism. But after an endless series of clean MRI’s, CAT scans and blood tests, the official diagnosis was an unexplained coma.

  Entering Pyper’s room, I was relieved to see she was alone. Kane had been holding a vigil by her side, and I hoped he’d finally gone home for some much-needed sleep.

  I sat down next to her and took her hand.

  Closing my eyes, I let my barriers down and sent my awareness toward her. It was tough to sift through the raw energy of the other hospital patients, but with strained effort I managed to keep their signatures in the background. I’d been trying each time I visited her, searching for her distinct energy, but each time I had the same result. Nothing. Frustrated, I sent my energy out with more force. Her emotional energy was still vacant, but with her hand still clasped in mine I felt her body twitch.

  My eyes popped open. She was lying there just as she’d been before.

  “Pyper? Pyper, honey, wake up. I know you felt me. I felt you flinch from my mental probe. Come on now, we all miss you. Wake up.”

  “Mental probe?”

  I jumped, and dropped her hand. Kane, with damp hair and wearing a clean T-shirt and jeans, stood at the door.

  “I was trying to reach her, and she flinched.”

  “Reach her? How?” Kane tilted his head in thought and then focused on me with wide eyes. “Wait, she flinched?”

  “I think it was more like a reflex,” I said ignoring his first questions. I got up and wandered to the window, as Kane moved to sit next to her.

  Kane spoke in a low voice, trying to coax Pyper awake. When nothing happened, I moved to stand next to him.

  “What did you say to get her to move?” he asked.

  “Uh…” I sat down on the edge of the bed, faced him and took a deep breath. “Nothing, I just held her hand and tried to get a sense of her energy.” How could I tell him about my ability now? But how could I not, especially if I could help Pyper?

  “Oh. I see. Did you get anything?” Kane put Pyper’s hand in mine.

  “Huh?” That wasn’t the response I’d been expecting.

  “Did you get any reading on her emotional energy?”

  Wait. He knew? “You know about my ability?” Had Pyper told him? I’d never told her it was a secret, though I’d thought that was obvious. I should’ve realized she’d tell him. They were best friends, after all.

  His eyes held steady on mine. “Yes. I know about that. I tried to tell you once before, but you didn’t want to talk about it, so I let it drop.”

  “But—”

  “Jade,” he stroked my arm. “Can we do this later? I’d like it if you tried to reach Pyper again.”

  I bit down hard on my lip. He knew. He’d known for a while, apparently, and he hadn’t run. In fact, I’d pushed him away. Idiot. I took a deep breath. “All right.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I can’t promise anything.”

  He nodded.

  “Okay.” I shut my eyes and tried to center myself. After a few deep breaths I relaxed and focused first on Kane. His anxiousness came through loud and clear, with also a bit of relief. That surprised me. I was relieved he knew my secret, but why was he relieved
? I put the question aside and mentally shoved Kane’s emotions to the back of my awareness, ready to focus on Pyper.

  As before, I couldn’t find one thread of her energy. I gathered as much force as I could muster and sent my probe deep into her psyche. My head started to spin as my vision narrowed to only Pyper’s face, and suddenly my body spasmed. Pain slashed my flesh.

  I jerked, trying to break the connection, but the pain was too much to bear. Everything faded to black.

  “Jade?”

  “Wha…?”

  “Here, lie back.” Kane’s face came into focus.

  “What happened? Did I pass out?”

  “Yes, right after Pyper opened her eyes.”

  “She opened her eyes?” I sat up, and the world spun again. Kane’s arms came around my shoulders, steadying me, and my head cleared.

  “Whoa. Take it easy. They just fluttered open and then closed again. No words, no other movement. What did you feel?” He pressed the buzzer, calling for a nurse.

  I clasped Pyper’s limp hand and whispered, “Pain. I felt pain.”

  Kane’s face hardened into granite. “Pyper’s in pain?”

  I nodded as a nurse bustled in and immediately went to inspect a printout from one of the beeping machines. “Looks like a bit of activity here. Did you see any movement?”

  “She opened her eyes but closed them immediately,” Kane said.

  “That could be a good sign. Let me take a look.” The nurse checked her eyes with a light, took her blood pressure and checked a few more readouts. “It could have been a reflex, but I’ll let the doctor know. It happens sometimes. We just have to wait and see.” She gave us an apologetic smile and left.

  Kane turned to me. “Pain, you said?”

  “Yes.” My voice trembled slightly. I took a shaky breath. “I felt it. That’s what made me pass out. We have to help her.”

  “What do you think I’ve been doing these last few days?” He stood up and paced. “Hell, the last year of my life? I’ve done nothing but try to help her. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

  I reached for his hand and pulled him to sit beside me. His words held an edge of anger that could be interpreted as resentment, but his emotions portrayed nothing but general frustration. He was at his wit’s end.

  “She’s the only family I have left, since my grandmother died a few years ago.” He turned to me. “Don’t you think I would do anything to help her?”

  “Of course. I know you would. We just need to figure out our next move.” I traced his palm with my fingers. “Your only family? What about your parents?”

  He hunched and waved a hand, signaling the subject wasn’t important. “They’re off exploring the world. I never know how to reach them or even where they are in a given month. Last I heard, they were living in the Cook Islands. They’re kind of flakey.” He gave me a small smile. “I grew up with Gram. She was my family.”

  My heart squeezed at his words. “I can relate. I lost my mom when I was fifteen. I have no idea where my dad is. I haven’t seen him for ten years. Besides my Aunt Gwen, Kat is my only family.”

  “I’m sorry. That’s a terrible age to lose a mother. How did she die?”

  I swallowed. “I don’t know. She just…disappeared.”

  “Abducted?” Kane grabbed my hand and squeezed. “No trace or anything?”

  “No traces.” I pursed my lips together. I really didn’t want to talk about this. “It’s been a long time. Like I said, Kat is my family now.”

  “That’s why you moved here?”

  “Mostly.”

  He raised his hand to my face and leaned in brushing my lips with his. “I’m really glad you’re here.”

  I gave him a sad smile and looked back at Pyper. “I’ve been wondering about something.”

  He raised an eyebrow and waited.

  “Have you tried dreamwalking her?” I asked softly.

  Kane’s face softened as he took in what I said. “I hadn’t thought of that. Do you think it would work for a coma patient?”

  “No idea, but I’m not so sure she’s in a coma. At least, the way the doctors define one. This is something different. I don’t know what, though.”

  “I haven’t really slept much since this happened. But I suppose it’s worth a try.” He turned back to Pyper, clasped both hands around her right one and rested his chin on top of his knuckles. “I’ll see you soon, love,” he said to her.

  I suddenly felt like an intruder and quietly let myself out of the room. On the way to the nurses’ station I ran into Holly. “Hey.”

  Holly’s eyes sagged with lack of sleep, and their redness indicated she’d been crying again. “Any change?” She sniffed.

  “No, not really. Kane’s with her now. Do you want to join me for coffee?”

  “I don’t think I could drink one more cup.” She held her hands up. “See how jittery they are? Way too much caffeine.”

  “I think tomorrow after the first pot we should switch you to decaf.” I guided her toward the vending machine and bought her a package of crackers. “Maybe these will soak it up a little.”

  We sat on the hard plastic chairs in the sterile waiting room.

  “Thank you.” Holly stared at the package.

  “It’s really not a big deal. Don’t worry about it.”

  She looked up at me. “Not the crackers. I meant for all you’re doing to help Pyper with the café and the club. She doesn’t have a lot of people to count on, you know.”

  Her statement startled me into momentary silence. I’d been rotating duties with Holly and Charlie at both The Grind and Wicked, to cover for Pyper and Kane. I blinked and said. “You’re welcome, but she does have people. You, Charlie and Kane come to mind pretty quickly. That’s more than a lot of people I know.”

  She fiddled with the plastic wrapper on her crackers before answering. “I haven’t been very friendly toward you.”

  I continued to watch her. The statement was true. I didn’t know what to say.

  “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” With her face set in determination, she met my gaze. “I was jealous. I have no excuse.”

  “Oh. I sort of thought it had to do with Kane. It’s okay, I understand.”

  “Kane?” She laughed. “Oh no, not because of him.” Her laugh turned into a schoolgirl giggle. “Because of the time you were spending with Pyper.”

  “Pyper? Why?” Did Holly have a crush on Pyper? That made no sense. She was giddy when she’d mistaken us for a couple.

  She shrugged one shoulder. “Pyper’s my closest friend. The closest one I’ve ever had actually, and when you two started spending so much time together I just assumed you were becoming a couple. She doesn’t get close to people easily. But when…”

  “When you realized Pyper and I were just friends, you were afraid I’d take her away from you?” I finished for her.

  “Yes,” she said. “It’s stupid I know. I don’t have a lot of experience with female friendships.”

  Apparently today was the day for confessions. I put on what I hoped was a reassuring smile and peered into her eyes. “We all have insecurities. I understand, but I think you should give Pyper more credit than that. She has room in her heart for more than just one person.”

  She smiled back at me. “I know. And I see what a great friend you’ve been to her. I hope one day you and I can be good friends too.”

  Movement in the corridor caught my attention. I stood. “I think we’re already on our way. Here comes Kane. Why don’t you go see Pyper now?”

  Kane reached my side just as Holly waved and took off down the corridor.

  “What were you two chatting about?” he asked.

  “Just clearing up a few things. Ready?”

  He nodded and took my hand as we left the building.

  ***

  I propped my feet on the coffee table in Pyper’s apartment. We’d decided it would be better to be in her space when Kane tried to connect with her.

  “W
e could order some takeout.” I said, closing my eyes and relaxing into the overstuffed cushions. Kane hadn’t eaten anything but cafeteria food in days, and I certainly didn’t have the energy to cook.

  “That’s a good plan.” A moment later I heard him order a pizza. Worked for me. “It’ll be here in thirty minutes,” he said.

  “Thanks.” I opened my eyes and smiled when I saw him sitting exactly as I was in the chair beside me. “Mind if I borrow your shower?”

  He opened one eye and his lips quirked up in a half smile. “Want some company?”

  My smile blossomed into a grin. “Someone needs to wait for the pizza.”

  “Damn.”

  I left him with a mournful expression on his face and took my time in the water, letting the hot stream soothe my aching muscles. When the water turned tepid, I reluctantly turned off the tap and reached for the oversized bath sheet. That’s when my phone started to ring. I wrapped my dripping hair in the towel before making my way to the bedroom, where my phone lay on Kane’s dresser.

  “Yeah?”

  “Oh good, I caught you,” Kat said. “I just got off the phone with Ian.”

  “Finally. Where the hell has he been?”

  “With his aunt. Apparently they went to consult a paranormal expert and got caught in a ghost hunt. All of the electronic equipment went haywire, including his cell phone. He hasn’t been able to reach anyone for five days. He just got our messages. He says he’ll be back in town late tonight.”

  “Okay. I’m not sure what good he’ll be to us now. But at least we don’t have to worry about him.” I wrapped my free arm around my bare body, chilled from the air conditioner.

  “He feels terrible and says he might be able to help. Apparently he learned some new tricks.” Kat chuckled. “He sounds like a boy at Christmas.”

  “Boys. All right, then. Kane’s going to try to dreamwalk Pyper tonight. We’re hoping it might help us understand what’s going on.”

  “That’s a great idea. I’ll get Ian to come by in the morning.”

  “Sounds good.” A door clicked shut in the other room. “Dinner is here. I better go.”

  “Later.”

  I flipped the phone shut and as I started to make my way back into the bathroom, the bedroom door opened.