The Ascension (Entangled Series Book 3)

by Jill Sanders

  “You two know each other?” Mike asked.

  “We did grow up here in Hidden Creek.” Jacob’s smile brightened slightly. “Course, we were on opposite sides of the field. So to speak.” He relaxed back. “And I was two years ahead in class.”

  “I didn’t recognize you at first. Of course, a lot has changed since I saw you last.” She bit her bottom lip and he saw the worry behind those green eyes. Of course, she was back in town because of her parents’ death. He’d been a fool not to recognize her immediately.

  “Are you going to tell me why you invited me out for coffee?” he finally said after a moment of silence. “I’m not dying of cancer, am I?” He was joking, but now that he knew who the psychic was, somehow, he didn’t doubt her abilities.

  She’d always been different. So much so that most kids had steered clear of her. Everyone except Jess. He glanced over to where she was working behind the counter and felt his body react to the way she was smiling at the customer she was serving. Then his eyes went back to Chrissy.

  She looked as if she’d been punched in the gut. “Oh, god no. Is that what you thought?” Her eyes traveled between them as a shocked look crossed her face. “As far as I know, you’re healthy and fit.” She relaxed a little when he chuckled.

  “That’s good to know,” he murmured. “So, why then?”

  Her eyes moved to his, then she shifted in her seat. “I wanted to talk to you about your family.”

  “Okay?” He drew the word out. His father had retired and as far as he knew was healthy and enjoying his peace and quiet. “My dad? My mom? They’re both okay?” Worry flashed quickly.

  “Yes, I’m sorry. Everyone is fine. I meant, your birth family.”

  Jacob tensed. No one in town knew he was adopted. Except his parents and him. They had told him when he’d turned eighteen. For a brief moment, he’d wanted to find his biological parents, but in the end, he loved the couple that had raised him too much to care. “I know enough about them; they didn’t want me. Period.”

  “No, you don’t.” Xtina glanced at him. “Otherwise, you would know that you’re sitting across the table from your brother.”

  A semi-truck could have crashed through the window and hit him square in the chest and he wouldn’t have felt as big of a blow.

  “What the hell?” Michael’s voice traveled throughout the semi-crowded coffee shop, causing several eyes to turn towards them.

  “What kind of joke is this?” Jacob added at the same time.

  “It’s no joke.” Xtina reached for Michael’s hand, only to have him jerk it away.

  “Is this what you saw? That I’m his brother?” Mike asked. From the shocked look on the man’s face, Jacob doubted that he had known he had a brother. Welcome to the club.

  She nodded slightly when both men turned towards her. “Your parents”—she glanced towards Michael—“were young. I’m guessing sixteen, seventeen when they had Jacob. Back then, at least in Hidden Creek, it was unheard of to have a child at such an age.”

  “They would have told us,” Michael said under his breath. Jacob watched as the man tried to reason. His eyes ran over his face and Jacob did the same.

  Sure, they had the same coloring, same jawline, and when he looked closer, the same eyes. But their build was different. The man was smaller, shorter, and Jacob’s chest was wider. Maybe it was all the weights he lifted, but somehow, he doubted it.

  “You’re the same,” she added. “I can’t read much from you.” She turned to Jacob. “And you know how to block me.”

  “Me?” He balked at the idea. “How would I know how to do that?” He thought back to the time he’d bumped into her in school. How she’d reacted.

  Rumors had always gone around that she was highly allergic to other people. Kids had called her a freak. But he’d always wondered if there wasn’t something else behind it.

  He’d seen several marks on her skin once and wondered if she had been abused and that was why she was so jumpy around everyone.

  Xtina broke into his thoughts. “Maybe it’s your own kind of power?”

  He snorted. “Right.” Was she saying he had powers like she did? Hadn’t he wondered that for a long time himself?

  “We all have different kinds of powers. Michael has an ability to find hidden things, to see the truth.”

  Her eyes met his and he felt as if the way he’d felt his entire life had finally been confirmed. “He can block my scans, just like you can, but I did see enough.”

  She turned to him, and suddenly, he realized she was telling him the truth. Something close to shock passed through him.

  He watched as Mike, his brother, pushed out of the booth and bolted for the door. Hey, Jacob couldn’t blame him. At least he’d known he was adopted. The poor guy didn’t even know he had a brother.

  Xtina pushed out of the booth and rushed after Mike.

  “I’ll…” She glanced over her shoulder at him.

  “Yeah, later,” he said, frowning down into his empty coffee mug.

  Chapter 2

  Jess watched Xtina go after Mike. She didn’t know what Jacob had said to upset them, but she wasn’t going to let it slide.

  Xtina had been her best friend… forever. For a long time, she was her only friend, actually. Both of the girls knew what it was like to be different.

  Xtina, for her part, showed her difference a lot more than Jess ever did. But that was because Jess had learned early to hide everything she could.

  She’d gone out of her way to stick up for her friend until Xtina had moved away shortly after they had turned eighteen. It had killed Jess, being left alone in the hellhole of a town. It had been unavoidable, she knew. Xtina needed to get away from her psycho parents, one problem Jess no longer had.

  She’d actually thought about going with her friend, leaving Hidden Creek forever, but she’d known what would come if she did. A shiver ran down her spine and she set those thoughts aside for the moment.

  Slamming the cash drawer closed, she marched over to Jacob’s booth. He was staring down at his empty coffee mug, but when she approached, he glanced up at her.

  Suddenly, she stopped. All the hot air that had built up in her left when she saw the sadness in his eyes.

  She’d always had a knack for reading people, and she could tell Jacob had just been dealt a blow.

  “What happened?” She sat across from him.

  “I have a brother,” he said softly. She knew her friend had a unique power. Her eyes moved to where Xtina and Mike stood outside talking. “I should go check on them…” He got up, leaving Jess alone.

  What the hell? What had Xtina told him that had caused him to be so upset? She stood and watched him talk with Xtina briefly. Then Xtina got in her car and drove away, leaving Jacob alone.

  Without thinking, she rushed from the shop and reached Jacob’s side before he opened his car door.

  “Hey,” she said, a little out of breath.

  He turned towards her, his eyes filled with sadness.

  “Why don’t you come back in? We can talk some more,” she blurted out. His eyes moved to the well-lit coffee shop. Her heart had always yearned for him, but in the back of her mind, she knew there was a reason they could never be together. Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t be nice to the guy when he was down.

  “I’m going to get some food.” He reached for the door handle.

  “Jacob?” He stopped and turned towards her. “I know what it’s like. Getting big news like this. If you need anything.” She took a step forward. “I’m here.”

  He leaned against his car and, for a moment, she thought he was going to reach up and touch her. He stopped himself, and his brown eyes met hers.

  “Thanks. If you can manage it, how about grabbing some food with me at the cafe? I guess I don’t really want to be alone right now.”

  She hesitated but getting food with a friend was not falling into bed with the guy. “Let me clock out.” She nodded towards the coffee shop.
/>
  She rushed in and grabbed her jacket. “Tilly, I’m taking off,” she called over to the other server.

  “You’re not off for another hour,” Tilly said back.

  “Give me this.” She nodded towards the window, where Jacob still leaned against his car.

  Tilly sighed then nodded. The woman knew too much about her. Jess couldn’t decide if it was a good thing or bad.

  Still, right now, it was to her benefit.

  She stopped by the mirror and checked that her lipstick was still in place and that her hair wasn’t standing straight up, something it often did if she didn’t pay attention.

  Just then, a kid came rushing in. She remembered Billy, who worked as a cashier at Smelly Kelly’s, the local grocery store. The name was actually Kelly’s Mart, but since the smell of disinfectant hit you as you walked into the place, everyone in town called it Smelly Kelly’s.

  “Xtina passed out in the produce aisle,” the boy yelled out.

  Immediately, worry took over. The last time she’d done that, they had called for an ambulance and Xtina had spent a hellish time in the ER. Jess had been there, blocking nurses from touching her, but in the end, the experience had worn her friend out more than it had helped her.

  She rushed from the shop and called out to Jacob. “I have to pass on dinner. Xtina just passed out.”

  “Need help?” he said back.

  “No, we’ve got this. Go get some food. Rain check?” she called out as she helped Joe gently set Xtina’s unconscious body into her truck.

  “Yeah,” she thought she heard him call to her.

  For the next few hours, her attention was solely on her friend. Xtina did this often, but this was the first time she’d done it in a public place. At least she’d been close enough to help out.

  She forced Xtina to rest, which meant she had a few hours alone in the old house. The place still creeped her out. The Warrens had never been kind to her or Xtina, for that matter. If ever there was a haunted place, this would be it.

  It was one of the oldest homes around and had been passed down through several generations in Xtina’s family. Just hearing the creek of the floorboards as she walked down them gave her shivers.

  Deciding to take a chance that Xtina would be out, she grabbed the keys and headed into town. She knew Xtina’s car was still there and decided to drive it back instead of her old truck, which had been giving her problems in the past few days. Xtina could give her a ride back into town.

  She hit the grocery store and picked up a few items she knew Xtina needed. She watched as Jacob came out of the cafe and sidetracked. She felt bad for not being there for him. Learning your family isn’t what you’d thought was a hard blow, one she had hoped she could help him through.

  He leaned on the car door as she rolled down the window.

  Memories of how he’d looked in school, years ago, surfaced. He’d been that guy. The guy she’d swooned over every time she’d seen him in worn jeans and a tight T-shirt, flirting with the other girls. He’d played some sports and had been captain of the debate team—he was smart and sexy.

  Everything her teenage heart had desired. Even now, she tried to keep her imagination at bay, since she knew he probably only thought of her as a friend.

  “How’s she doing?” he asked.

  “Fine, she’s home resting. You know how it is when she has a spell.” He nodded. “I’m sorry about bolting on you,” she added quickly.

  “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not. Friends don’t do that when someone needs to talk.” She held her breath.

  Slowly, his smile spread. “I’m okay, really. Besides, I’m stuck on this homicide for a while. How about dinner on Friday?”

  She thought about it, then smiled. “Perfect.”

  “How about my place? I’ll cook,” he added, shocking her slightly.

  She tried to come up with a reason to turn him down. But, she’d already agreed to dinner. What was it to her if it was at his place or a public place?

  His eyebrows shot up, as he waited for her answer.

  “Sounds good.” She tried to sound casual.

  “Are you still above the garage?” he asked.

  She didn’t trust her voice to respond, so she nodded instead.

  “How about I pick you up, say six?”

  “See you then.” She watched him walk away and then drove back out to Xtina’s place.

  She’d have to think about her plans to keep Jacob at bay later. Right now, she fantasized about having a normal life. What it would be like to be married, have kids, live a wonderfully average life.

  The sadness crept in, knowing she could never have what she dreamed, and she turned her mind to her tasks instead.

  She had always loved cooking, so she unloaded the groceries she’d bought and started cooking her famous enchiladas. And what kind of chef would she be if she didn’t make a batch of margaritas to go with the spicy food?

  By the time Xtina walked down the stairs, she was on her second glass, and the food was almost done.

  They both drank a few too many margaritas, so Jess spent the night on Xtina’s couch. Xtina had walked over to Mike’s place.

  She woke when she heard talking on the porch and figured they were back, but then she crept to the window and watched them disappear into the woods.

  Stranger things had happened to her, so she shrugged it off and went upstairs to shower. Her shift started in a few hours and there was no way she was going back to sleep now.

  Her mind returned to Jacob’s invitation to dinner. Did that mean he didn’t just think of her as a friend? What would she do if he started showing signs that he liked her?

  She stood in Xtina’s spare bathroom and looked at herself. She wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Sure, she had pretty gray eyes. Her hair was a dull sandy blonde. Nothing special. She had a cute nose, thank goodness, and her chin had a nice point to it.

  Her shoulders were too wide, her breasts too small, and her hips… She sighed and tried to turn sideways in the mirror to make them look narrower.

  Okay, so she wouldn’t be signed by any modeling agents, but she was a nice package.

  She closed her eyes and thought about what was behind the image. Strange things lay under the surface of Jessica Sorenson, things she hadn’t even admitted to herself. She opened her eyes and focused on the hairbrush more than a foot away.

  When it flew into her hand, she didn’t even bat an eyelash.

  She’d first discovered her “ability” shortly after her parents left. She’d sunk so deeply into depression, she’d actually thought of ending everything.

  She’d laid in bed and wondered if she could make a noose.

  Suddenly, the sheets from her bed had tugged free and, before her eyes, they had wrapped tightly into a noose, directly in front of her eyes.

  It had scared her so much, she never again thought of ending her own life.

  But after that night, she’d tried other things. Like cooking from across the room. When the eggs burned because she got distracted by an Ellen episode, she’d decided not to try big things like that again. How would she be able to explain how she’d burned her kitchen down from her living room?

  She’d wanted to tell Xtina about her new abilities, but something had stopped her. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her friend. She just wasn’t sure she could trust herself. If one person knew, what would stop her from showing her abilities to everyone, slipping up when she was at school or work?

  So, she’d pushed her abilities to the back of her mind, only thinking about them every now and then when she wanted to make sure they were still there.

  She glanced at herself once more in the mirror and sighed. She was a freak. Why would Jacob ever think any differently?

  She pushed all those thoughts to the back of her mind and went to take a hot shower.

  After a cold shower—she really needed to talk to Xtina about getting a new water heater—she decided breakfast was a perfec
t distraction. She was standing at the stove, having her first cup of coffee and making some eggs, when the back door opened. “Morning.”

  Xtina came in followed by Mike, who was holding a dog in his arms.

  “What happened?” She set the spatula down and rushed towards them. “Oh, you poor thing. Was it hit?” She ran a hand over the dog’s head gently.

  “No, it fell,” Xtina said as Mike laid the dog down carefully.

  For the next few minutes, they cleaned up the dog. As far as they could tell, there was no real damage to the girl, though she was pregnant. According to Xtina, they would have puppies before Christmas.

  After sitting down with them and having breakfast, Mike drove her into town and dropped her off at the coffee shop.

  She was rushing around, taking orders, when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Turning slightly, she saw Jacob walk in.

  Something was different between them. Maybe it was just in her mind, but she was more aware of him. She made his favorite coffee and instead of his normal muffin, gave him a giant cinnamon roll.

  “How did you…” He broke off and shook his head. “Do you know, every day for the past five years I’ve come in here for coffee and a muffin?”

  The sound of his voice did something to her insides. What was she saying? It did something to every part of her, from the tips of her hair down to her freshly painted pink toenails.

  “Five years?” She smiled. “Have I worked here that long? Tilly, it’s time I got a raise,” she called over her shoulder. Tilly chuckled as she continued to work.

  Jacob leaned closer. She could smell the sexy aftershave he used. It was a smell that stayed with her and she had dreamed about it often. “In all that time, not once have I had to place an order.”

  “No?” She leaned on the counter herself. She knew she had to back away, but something was drawing her into him. “I guess that means I’m good at my job.”

  He shook his head slightly. “You serve me my coffee the way I like it even though you never once asked how I like it. I remember, because the first day I walked in here, you had a cup ready for me. When I tried to give you my order, you laughed and pushed the cup towards me.”