“Hey, Caleb and I were thinking about going stargazing to get away from the crowd. You wanna come?”
“Hell yes!” she exclaimed immediately, setting her book down on the desk. “How soon did you want to leave?”
I laughed at her and smiled. “We’re going in an hour, is that okay?”
“Sure, I’m getting frustrated with this assignment anyways — figure I could use a break.”
“Oh, yeah? How’s that … ‘project’ of yours going?”
Lacey smiled. “Pretty good! Actually, I think I may have found something.”
“Really, that’s great!” I told her encouragingly.
“I know, it’s not definitive yet, so I don’t want to say anything and jinx it.”
“Completely understandable.”
“Are you inviting Ryan?”
“Yeah, I was planning on it.”
“Yeah, I’d love to see him. Have at it. I’m gonna go change.”
I pulled my phone out of my bag and found his name in my list of contacts. The phone rang once before a musical feminine voice answered the other line. “Hello?”
I was momentarily caught off guard by a woman answering and thought I might have dialed the wrong number, but then I remembered it was a speed dial.
Just like that, my good mood was gone.
“Hello, Charley,” I hissed. “Is Ryan there?”
“Yes,” she responded simply. Now she’s screening his calls? Rude.
I waited patiently for her to put him on, but a few seconds later he still hadn’t picked up the phone, and I got tired of her playing games with me. Lacey raised an eyebrow when I cast her a meaningful glance from across the room, not sure what was happening in our conversation. I huffed angrily in frustration and clipped out, “Do you mind getting him for me?”
“No, I don't think so,” Charley purred, “He's indisposed at the moment.”
“Then have him give me a call later. We’re going to Lake Lurleen for some stargazing, I wanted to invite him.”
“That sounds fun, I’ll let him know.”
“Thanks.” I hung up on her before she could ask me any questions about it and grumbled to myself.
The phone rang noisily in my pocket when I finished changing. I pulled it out and saw Caleb’s name blinking on the outside. “Hey, babe,” I answered it with a smile.
He chuckled on the other end and said, “Hey, I’m downstairs in the lobby. Is it okay if I come up?”
“Sure, I’ll see you in a minute.”
“See ya.”
I hung up the phone and walked out into the kitchen. Lacey was making herself a sandwich and almost as if on cue, there was a knock at the door. I went to open it and met Caleb standing there in the hallway. “Hi, Caleb.”
He smiled at her, exposing the dimples in his cheeks. “Hi, Lacey. Always a pleasure.”
My phone started blaring the theme music from Jaws noisily from the kitchen, so I ran out to answer it. Ryan’s name blinked across the caller ID and I thought, Good grief. When did he have the chance to change it this time?
“Hey! You called me back,” I cheered after accepting the call with a smile.
“Yes, I did,” he agreed. “Charley said you were going out tonight.”
“Sure am. Lacey, Caleb and I are going stargazing, wanna come?”
“Absolutely, we can meet you there.”
“Or you could just come yourself,” I suggested hopefully.
Ryan sighed, and I could tell he was getting a little exasperated with me. “You still don’t get it, do you? I shouldn’t have to explain this to you. She’s my girlfriend. If you want to hang out, then she’s going to be around.”
I tapped my foot impatiently as frustration rose and sighed in exasperation. “You’ve been together for like what, a month? That’s not exactly soulmates. What’s the big deal?”
“I know this is difficult for you, being a crazy person and all, but I care about her, Wynn. You’re being extremely disrespectful. When have I ever judged you, or tried to micromanage your life decisions? You’re with Caleb, and I couldn’t be happier for you, the least you could do is extend that same courtesy to me. Charley is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, it’s like being in a relationship with my best friend. I can tell her anything.”
His words cut me deeper than they should have. “I thought I was your best friend,” I told him softly. The tone of my voice betrayed my confidence and cracked on the final word. It was selfish, but I felt like I was losing my oldest friend. Except, it wasn’t even losing him, it was watching him be actively put in danger.
“You know what I mean, it’s different. We’re always going to be friends, but I hate that you feel it’s mutually exclusive. She wants to be your friend too, if you’d let her. Can you please give her a chance for my sake?”
I sighed, tugging absentmindedly at the three chains of my probationary necklace. “Okay. We’re going to be at Lake Lurleen, I guess we’ll see you there?”
“Yep.”
“Hey, Ryan?” I blurted out suddenly. There was a pause on the other line as he waited for me to continue. “You’re right, and I’m glad she makes you happy.”
“Thanks, see you in a bit.”
We each hung up, and I turned back to Caleb and Lacey feeling deflated. They looked at each other uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. Lacey raised an eyebrow quizzically, and I set down the phone. “What was that about?”
“Ugh, nothing,” I told her with a groan. “She’s coming.”
“Wynn…”
“I know, I know. She just gets underneath my skin, ya know?”
Lacey offered me an encouraging smile, and I rolled my neck to release the tension I was holding. “At least give her a chance, okay? We should probably get going.”
When we got to the parking lot, Caleb said, “I'm the gray Ford,” pointing over to the truck.
“Oh, nice! I bet that comes in handy.”
“That it does,” he agreed, giving my hand a gentle squeeze as we walked over to it. Caleb unlocked the cab and Lacey climbed in the back, next to a pile of folded blankets. I buckled up in the passenger seat and looked out the window at the complex.
The Dogwood trees were all in bloom, and the color of leaves was changing all over campus — it was beautiful. It was even the perfect weather to be outside, making tonight’s excursion even more desirable. As we were pulling out of the parking lot, loads of people were approaching the stadium, and I remembered the football game. “Ick, let’s get out of here,” I told them.
“I second that,” Lacey agreed.
Caleb grinned as he drove down the road and said, “All right, girls. Let’s do this.”
Chapter Eight
Forget to Breathe
“Wow, you can be remarkably off-pitch,” I teased as we drove out of the city. Lacey grinned and sang even louder in the seat behind us as Caleb and I cracked up, listening to her punch-drunk rambling and belting show tunes at the top of her lungs. I think she needed that break more than she realized.
The song ended, and she leaned forward in the seat to talk to me. “Don’t tell Ryan, but that’s why I never audition. I told the guys in Brigadoon it was so I could work backstage, but the truth is, I stink,” she giggled. “Sorry, I promise to knock it off.”
“You don’t stink,” I argued playfully. “It’s just a different interpretation of the song!”
Caleb said nothing when we spoke and kept his eyes glued to the road ahead. Lake Lurleen was part of a state park outside the city, and we were almost there, after stopping to get some food and driving about twenty minutes outside of town. The farther we got from the city lights the clearer the night sky became overhead. The sun had set a while ago, and we’d been singing along with the radio ever since to keep my mind from wandering.
“Slow down, I think the turn off is here,” Lacey told him from the seat behind us.
He listened to her directions and turned safely into the side road that lead us
deep into the park. There were a few pavilions and an area to park so he pulled over and let the rest of us climb out so we could find a patch of grass that would work. The still water of the lake reflected the moon like silver and a cool breeze blew past. It didn’t take us long to decide on a location and pull out all the blankets. Lacey pulled out her phone as we were setting up and said, “I'm gonna call Ryan so he can find us.”
“Sounds good.”
She held her phone up to her ear and wandered off towards the trees as Caleb and I spread out the soft cotton quilts across the grass. I’d just sat down and was starting to get comfortable when a thought occurred to me. “Did anyone think to bring some bug repellant?”
“I did,” Lacey cheered as she came back through the trees. “Ryan and Charley should be here any minute.”
She handed me the spray bottle from her purse, and a few minutes later some headlights came driving along the road. “Oh, it's Ryan!”
He cut the engine, and the lights in the cab came on as he and Charlene stepped out onto the grass. She wore a white pea coat with her blonde hair flipped out around her chin, exposing the blue highlights underneath — disgustingly adorable. I hadn't seen his Buick in ages, but it felt weird seeing that ... girl ... inside; that was my spot. “Hey, guys!” Lacey greeted them cheerily. I watched them exchange pleasantries, though I couldn't hear what they were saying. When Charley shook her hand in welcome, I couldn't help but scoff into the darkness. Figures.
Caleb heard my displeasure and whispered, “Let it go, Wynn. She hasn't done anything.”
My lip twitched at his reprimand because I didn't think he could have heard me. “I didn't say anything,” I reminded him.
He raised an eyebrow and said, “No, but you were thinking it.”
I pouted slightly and stood up, brushing off my jeans before Ryan called to me, “Wynn! Can you come help with this?”
“We brought snacks!” Charley announced when I approached them. “I hope you like s'mores.”
Ryan nodded, coming around from the back of the car with a few bags in his arms. “There’s some lighter fluid and charcoal in the trunk.”
“Sure thing,” I told them, grabbing the supplies and following them back to the blanket fort. “Where do you want me to put this?”
“Well, we could build a campfire or use one of the grills over at the pavilion. I was thinking you could ... you know ... help the fire along?”
I gritted my teeth and scowled at her. “I’d rather not.”
Charley and I glared at each other, then Ryan spoke up and said, “Whoa, there! I've brought some matches — it’s all good. A boy scout always comes prepared.”
Charlene smiled at him appreciatively, and when he leaned down to kiss her, I felt my stomach churn. “Ugh, I just threw up in my mouth,” I grumbled in disgust.
“Be nice,” Caleb warned. I huffed angrily and jogged over to where he and Lacey had cleared out one of the grills. My inner pyromaniac smiled at the thought of fire, even though I would not be igniting it myself. Twigs crunched beneath my feet as I ripped open the bag and poured out some charcoal on the grill. Lighter fluid may not have even been necessary, but after dousing the coals with the smelly liquid, practicality was more of an afterthought anyway. Years of ash and grease were caked along that grill that crackled cheerfully beneath the flames.
“How did you and Ryan meet?” Lacey asked them happily as she took a seat on one of the benches.
Charley smiled, looking over as he came back with skewers to roast the marshmallows. “We, um, ran into each other when he was picking up some letters of recommendation from the Saenger Theater. I was trying to get a job playing for the orchestra at the time. We started talking, then he asked me out, we’ve been together ever since.” There was a note of affection in her voice as she spoke and a tiny smile exchanged between them.
“Is that what you do professionally?” Lacey asked her with interest. “Play music?”
“She’s astonishing! A ‘prodigy’ one magazine called her,” Ryan gushed.
Charlene blushed, then continued, “That, and work at the animal shelter on weekdays. That’s more or less my day job.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes at how impossibly thick she was laying it on. She saves orphaned puppies now?
Lacey seemed to be falling for it and soaked up every word. “That’s really cool. What instrument do you play?”
“I play lots of them, but my specialty is the violin. I’ve got a concert coming up at Moody Concert Hall in a couple weeks if you’d like to hear me play.”
“That would be great! Ryan and I did a couple shows together when we were in high school. That’s how we became friends.”
She smiled in the light of the fire, and her eyes flashed red in the heat of the flames, making her appear dark and sinister. “Excellent, I’ll have them set aside some tickets.”
I skewered a couple of marshmallows on the metal prongs and handed one to everyone. A low hum of demonic voices called me seductively in my subconscious. They grew louder and more insistent as the evening lagged on, whispering sinister thoughts into my ear.
Almost subconsciously, I began humming the tune to The Devil Went Down to Georgia and snickered to myself. Ryan chucked and glanced over at Charlene on the bench and asked, “What do you think, hon? Who would win, you or the fiddler?”
She responded instantly in complete deadpan, “I would.”
“Really? Are you sure?” he teased.
“Heck yes, and I’d be walking away with a golden fiddle. Where do I sign up?”
We all laughed and the conversation moved on to other topics as we cooked the gooey treat. I pulled the marshmallow from its skewer and stuffed it neatly between some graham crackers and chocolate. The messy treat was exactly what I needed to stuff into my mouth and keep from saying words that were inappropriate. I noticed Caleb and Ryan were chatting, something about his job in landscaping. They seemed to be having fun. I was glad they could get along, even if I was being somewhat difficult. I didn’t even realize how much time had passed until all the food was gone.
After we had finished eating to our heart’s content, they spread out the blankets and lay on their backs to gaze up at the sky. “Can you imagine if we were still on campus with all the raging fans after the game?”
“Ugh, I know,” Ryan agreed wholeheartedly. “We wouldn’t be able to appreciate a night like this, that’s for sure. It was a great idea, Caleb. Thanks for inviting us.”
Caleb lay down on the quilted blanket and patted the spot beside him invitingly. “Come over here,” he cooed.
“Well, when you put it that way, how can I refuse?” I sighed, sauntering up to them on the grass and knelt next to Caleb.
I jutted my lip out in a playful pout and lay on the grass beside him, resting my head against his chest. The cool breeze was the perfect weather and the sky overhead was dark gray, muddled with the moon and clouds. The ghostly shadows of night crept in around us. It was beautiful. The stars sparkled like diamonds overhead.
“Do you see that group of stars?” Charley asked, pointing towards the sky. “They’re all grouped together in a set of seven. It’s called the Pleiades,” she told us softly. “Also known as the Seven Sisters; it’s one of my favorite stories. According to myth, they are the daughters of Atlas who were all being wooed by a hunter that chased them mercilessly to make one of them his bride. Eventually, the Gods took pity on them and placed them in the heavens to be free of his unwanted advances. It’s said that Orion did not give up and still chases them across the night sky.”
I turned my head to listen to her story, picturing the seven daughters, all pale and lovely as moonlight trapped forever in the world of darkness as they danced across the Milky Way.
“Wow,” Lacey breathed out next to me on the grass. “That’s a pretty incredible story for such a small cluster of light. They sure are beautiful, though. You don’t see a sky like this every da
y.”
“No, you don’t,” I agreed.
“I should take you to my parent’s citrus grove,” Ryan muttered to Charley. “You’d love it.”
Lacey rolled over on her elbow and clapped in agreement. “Oh, my gosh, yes! It’s beautiful, Charlene, you’ve got to take him up on that. It’s got acres and acres of these perfect Satsuma orange trees and no city lights for miles. I bet if we went stargazing there it would be pretty amazing too.”
“It is,” he agreed.
I repositioned on the blanket and rested my head against Caleb, letting his soothing presence wash over me. We fell back into silence, and I looked up at the immense sea of space. It made me feel small — it made my problems seem insignificant, which was quite freeing in a way.
We stayed there, pointing out different constellations as we went. I’d never heard of some of them, but Charlene and Ryan kept the conversation going. “Where did you learn about all this stuff?” Lacey asked her dreamily. “My parents never taught me any of this.”
“Oh, here and there. I think it’s fascinating, don’t you?”
I snorted dryly, unimpressed by her feeble attempt at bonding. “Sure, why not?”
Charley glanced over at me and chuckled. “Where did you come up with her? She’s like this little ball of hate, it’s kind of awesome. Not that I’m enjoying her verbal abuse, but you’ve got to admire that level of commitment — it must be exhausting.”
“Oh, will you just knock it off!” I snapped. “What are you doing here anyway? Did Aidan send you to do his dirty work and spy on me?”
“I’m not spying on you,” she insisted. “You invited us to come!”
I stood up from where I’d been lying and pointed at her accusingly. “No, I invited Ryan. You—”
Her face remained passive as Ryan came to her defense, “Back off, Wynn!”
Charley sighed, pulling herself up into a sitting position and addressed me directly. “You know, Wynn, I don’t understand where this is coming from. I really don’t. So far, you’ve been extremely judgmental of me. All I wanted to do was escape Hell, and yet you have no problem looking the other way when Caleb left Heaven. That doesn’t seem like a double standard to you?”
The Devil's Due (The Earthwalker Trilogy Book 2) Page 13
