Chapter Thirty Four
effrontery (n.) impudence, nerve, insolence
Disoriented, I woke up in what had to be Luke’s car. I recognized the interior immediately. My hand rose to my head where I felt the pain of a rapidly growing pulsating headache.
“What happened?” I asked groggily. I hadn’t yet turned to look at him, but I knew he was there.
Hesitantly, he said, “You passed out.”
Thinking back I remember I’d been talking to Sebastian. “Where’s Sebastian?” I asked.
Like heavy humidity, I could feel the thick tension rise in the car. When he spoke again, it sounded as if it took him a great deal to hold back his anger. “I don’t know,” he said.
You’re in Danger, Sebastian’s last words rang in my head. I remembered Luke had caught sight of us with a murderous look on his face. He wasn’t happy in the slightest. Something on the edge of my memory also bothered me but I couldn’t get a hold of it with the pulsing pain in my head.
Lightly, he touched a part of my exposed forehead with the back of his fingers. Just when his fingers touched my skin it felt as though he were treating me like a delicate flower. Not sure why, I flinched away. He moved his hand away and leaned back in his chair hard with his head making a bouncing noise as it hit the leather head rest.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked softly.
For some unknown reason, a part of me was but I had no idea why. Another part of me trusted him implicitly, so I lied because I really had no reason to fear him. “No,” I said weakly.
“Is there something going on between you and Sebastian?” he asked. Momentarily he looked away gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles waiting for my response. Dimly, I wondered how many more times he was going to put up with asking me this question with a different guys name attached to it.
Rather than be understanding, I found I was annoyed by the question and how he said it. It had the air of accusation. “No,” I said.
“Did you invite him?” he asked. I was surprised by his effrontery.
Was this twenty questions? He was treating me like I was on trial. I was starting to get pissed off and maybe because my forehead wrinkled in annoyance which added to my discomfort.
“No,” I said again with my displeasure in the question showing through. “How could I employ him to DJ a party I wasn’t throwing? Maybe you should be asking Flynn. I saw him making out with Bernadette.”
He didn’t speak. I closed my eyes wishing for Motrin or Advil. I broke the bitter silence with a question of my own. “What the hell happened back there? Why did I pass out?” I asked with my eyes back on him. I was certain he had answers.
He seemed to shut down. He didn’t look away though and his expression was familiar. I’d seen the same in my mother’s face when she refused to answer my questions as well. I reached for the door handle. I’d already spotted that we were parked in front of the grand house I now called home. I stepped out into the night and pushed a little too hard when I closed the door. He knew something and he wasn’t sharing. I didn’t feel much like being with him right then.
I fished in my pocket for keys. The brass door knob was cold to the touch from the night air. When I turned to go inside, Luke was there. I hadn’t heard him come.
“I know you don’t want me here, but I can’t leave you alone,” he said.
I looked into his eyes. They looked like pools of water, the blue was so clear. “Where’s Flynn,” I asked.
“He took Maggie home,” he said. I should have been there for Maggie. I walked in letting him come. He was right, I wasn’t sure I wanted him here but he’d promised my mom to babysit me. Sebastian’s words scared me.
I started to head upstairs after only two steps up the curved staircase, Luke’s words echoed through the house. “You have to know I’d never hurt you,” he said.
Stopping, I turned and looked at the boy whom I cared for so deeply. I wasn’t sure where my earlier fear came from but I did know that I trusted him no matter how odd that seemed. “I know,” I said. I looked at the floor nervously fidgeting with my hands hung low.
He walked over to me. I towered over him for the first time on my perch two steps up. He reached for me and placed his head on my chest. I found myself comforting him for the first time as I ran my hair though his silky curls.
Our emotions were both raw and I couldn’t stay mad at him. I held out my hand and he took it. I led him to my room. I was going to continue to be stupid. But isn’t that what you are when you are in love.
On the far right at the end of the hall I entered the room which looked out the back onto the expansive grounds through two large windows including window seats. Padded cushions that set on top of the seats would make for great reading spaces in the future. A chest of drawers with a flat panel television mounted on the wall sat between those windows. To the right of the door was my new dresser made from solid wood. My bathroom where I was headed now with a change of clothes lay on the other side of my room much like Luke’s. My room wasn’t as large as his though.
I closed the door, but didn’t lock it. I trusted Luke not to come in. Brushing my hair back into a pony I twisted and tucked it so my hair would flap everywhere. I washed what little makeup I wore off and brushed my teeth. I applied a coat of the balm on my lips before I exited the room.
Luke sat in a window seat looking out. When he spoke I wasn’t even sure he was speaking to me as he eyes stayed looking out the window into the night. “I’ve never been this jealous before,” he said.
Not sure what else to do I moved to the bed and sat. I didn’t speak giving him a chance to say what was on his mind. “I’m not sure what I’d do if I lost you,” he said painfully.
My reaction to his grief was to get up and walked to him. I hugged him again to my chest before he pulled me down into his lap. “There’s no one but you,” I said.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked. I hesitated one second too long. “Never mind, don’t answer that,” he said.
“Luke,” I said.
But he interrupted. “Let’s just enjoy the moment.”
I complied. We sat in the cover of darkness in my room gazing on the stars much like we did at the lake house.
Night after night I would wake from the intense calling of my name. I hadn’t done anything crazy like sleep walk again, but my mom along with everyone else feared the worst for me. It was only a matter of time for whatever it was to come after me. Only when Luke stayed with me did I sleep without dreams. Monday morning loomed over me like a dead weight. I was tired and exhausted from lack of sleep.
As much as I wanted him to, Luke hadn’t stayed with me the rest of the weekend. Flynn hadn’t been very helpful as to where the voices were coming from. Of course he offered to stay in my room with me, but for now I had declined. Flynn and I weren’t friends like Paul and I. There was always an undercurrent of things better left unsaid that flowed between us.
“Still having bad dreams,” Flynn asked on our ride to school. His eyes were on the road, but I knew he glanced over.
I yawned grateful that next week was Christmas break. We would be out of school for nearly two weeks. It sounded like heaven. “Yes,” I said.
“My offers still open. I know I’m not Luke, but I’ll watch over you,” he said with a slight cadence of sarcasm. When he glanced to me I rolled my eyes letting him know I caught his meaning.
“Your effrontery is still mind boggling,” I said.
“I mean like a sister, Webster. Have no fear, I won’t do anything,” he said. I laughed softly but didn’t answer. I thought I just might take him up on it. That tells you just how tired I really was.
The car hadn’t heated up fully yet so I leaned into the seat, snuggling into Luke’s jacket that was like a blanket from the wintry air of December. Because there was a basketball game today, the Principal had declared it spirit day. I had gotten Luke’s football jersey to wear over a white long sleeve tee.
Accor
ding to Maggie, Amber had been torn as to whether or not to wear her cheerleading uniform alone or add Paul’s baseball jersey on top. It was a status symbol in school to show your school pride and the fact you had a boyfriend at the same time. Even though it was basketball season, traditionally any jersey for whatever sport you participated in was welcome on these days. I was sure Amanda would hate this day.
Maggie had carefully planned this day out down to the orange ribbon I wore in my hair. I didn’t complain because this was the first time in three years I was able to participate in this way for spirit day.
I am not sure how to explain this but as soon as I walked into school the hairs on my neck stood at end and I felt the creepy factor. I was walking as usual holding Luke’s hand with our fingers entwined. My looking around finally had Luke asked me what was up.
“I don’t know,” I said still looking for something I couldn’t find.
I continued to walk proudly with Luke at my side. We walked past a group of girls in hand decorated tee shirts who had been giggling moments before only to glare at the group of us now. Jay, Luke, Flynn, and Brent make an impression. Maggie, Kathy, and I walked past wearing their football jerseys. You could almost smell the envy. Believe me I was familiar with the scent, because I’d worn it the last two years. If someone told me last year that I would be walking the hall amongst the now senior elite, I would have died from laughter.
Up ahead, Paul stood at his locker with Amber waving. Apparently, she’d decided that adding Paul’s baseball jersey on top tied tight at the waist with a knot was a suitable compromise. Maggie walked up to her hugging Amber like they were best friends. Luke let go of my hand assuming I was going to follow but I hesitated for a moment. Flynn, Jay, and Brent whose lockers were nearby went to open them. Luke hadn’t moved unsure what to do since I made no movement. He waited with me.
Maggie and Amber separated and turned in my direction. Before the awkwardness settled in, I forced myself forward. Luke turned and opened his locker.
“Hey Mercy, don’t you look super cute,” Amber said in her best cheerleader voice. I wanted to roll my eyes but forced a smile. It wasn’t her it was me. I just wasn’t that bubbly ever even when I’m not tired.
“You too,” I managed to say without a hint of sarcasm. A point for me. Amber was a sweet girl. I shouldn’t hate her for the company she kept which included Nina.
Maggie and Amber went back to talking about whatever the latest gossip was. I looked aimlessly around the halls trying to find my escape. As fate would have it I saw Miss Gibson stumble out of her room. She almost looked drunk considering her movements.
Maggie as usual noticed I wasn’t paying her any attention. “What are you looking at?” Maggie said. I wasn’t sure what to make what I was looking at, so I pointed.
“Oh my god,” Maggie said. Amber also turned to see what we were looking at. I was surprised nobody else was staring. It wasn’t everyday you saw your teaching making out in the hallway.
“Super for her,” Amber said. Isn’t weird how when someone is happy in their life, they want everyone else to be happy too? But heaven forbid when they are unhappy, because then you should never let that friend know how happy you are.
“From his profile he looks like a hotty,” Maggie commented.
Miss Gibson looked up and saw us staring. She tapped her beau and nodded for them to take it back inside. Although I waited on baited breath the guy never turned his head so I could see his face. I couldn’t help but think I knew him. But that couldn’t be. What guys did I know that would date Ms. Gibson? One actually, Brad was probably around her age. She was young. Young enough the guys that had her class would make comments about wanting extra help after school with a wink and a nod to each other.
But it didn’t look like Brad. Heck, I really hope it wasn’t. His sensibilities would be shot if he only knew I was a high school student.
When Luke’s put his arms around my shoulder, I let him lead me away. Seeing Miss Gibson so happy reminded me just what I had. So when Luke walked me to class, I kissed him full on the mouth in front of all passersby. I think I shocked him with my public display of affection. He’d always been the one to make the moves except for that first kiss. He left smiling just like me.
The day began with announcements that reminded everyone that lunch was a closed campus in light of all the disappearances. Moreover, there was a lengthy announcement from the principal herself about being diligent to one’s surroundings. It was a cold reminder that everything wasn’t ok. A sort of foreboding clinched in my stomach for the rest of day. I barely had an appetite for lunch. Instead, I listened to the chatting around me.
Amanda made a show to tell everyone that she was going out with some college boy this weekend. If she hoped to get a rise out of Flynn, she hadn’t paid much attention to the rumors about him before she dated him. It was kind of sad. Flynn even smiled and told her that was great.
She on the other hand showed her true feelings then. She crumpled in tears leaving the lunch room with Nina at her heals. I shot Flynn an angry look, but it did no good. I didn’t necessarily like Amanda all that much, but he didn’t have to be so mean. He shrugged his shoulders and bit into a cookie. Luke rubbed my back letting me know he’d understood but like the rest of the guys he didn’t speak up in Amanda’s defense.
Later, when Flynn pulled into the circular drive out front of his house another car was parked outside. I stopped to peek at the car before going inside.
“It’s a Maserati,” Flynn said. I’d never seem one up close in person. I tell you it was a treat. Cars were somewhat of a secret thrill for me. I didn’t subscribe to Car and Driver magazine or anything. But once when I was young, I dreamed of being a race car driver. I’d never told anyone not even Luke. I think my mom knew. I had a few small scale die cast metal cars of some of my favorite models in a box under my bed. I’d forgotten about that box, because it had been quite a while since I looked at them. I made a mental note to check them out the next time I was home.
“It’s a Gran Turismo S,” Flynn said as he watched me admire the car. “The price starts in the low six figures.”
I leaned back giving a pathetic whistle. I just wasn’t that good at whistling but it was reaction that came natural to me under the circumstances. Thankfully, I hadn’t laid hands on it. When we walked inside, David and my mom were in an intense discussion with none other than Luke’s dad. I’d never met the man, but damn if Luke and he didn’t look a lot alike. His father was a bit taller than David. He had a short crop of blond hair that waved letting me know if he grew it a bit longer it would curl much like his son’s. His pale and shining blue eyes looked like aquamarines. There was something unearthly beautiful about the man.
There was also something very spooky about him too. His eyes were on me the moment I walked in the door and they weren’t friendly. Since I hadn’t yet met either of Luke’s parents, I felt an odd sense of fear. I stood motionless just inside the door. Flynn said something to me but my eyes were locked with Luke’s dad. It was if he had control over me.
Apparently, he had been huddled in while speaking to David and my mom. He stood straight and really towered over the two of them. David wasn’t a short man either. I hadn’t noticed that he’d been leaning in to talk to our parents until that moment. He was really tall and imperial with sharp facial features that should be sculpted.
He began walking towards me and I was sure I hadn’t yet breathed. What would I say? His eyes burned through me like a quiet flame. He looked as though he’d already made judgment of me and the verdict wasn’t good. His strides were longs and he’d crossed the room in nothing more than a few steps. He looked like a king.
Icy blue eyes only left mine only when he passed me. Opening the door, he left without saying a single word to me. A gasp of air escaped my throat when the door closed behind him. Flynn had given up talking to me. It didn’t matter, because I hadn’t heard a word. He left me and walked over to his dad.
/> My ears finally worked because I heard what was said next. “Flynn, we have to go out,” David said. It was the first thing I’d heard upon entering the house.
“Please stay with Mercy,” I heard my mom say.
Flynn spoke, “I can’t.”
I looked up at my mother’s face. It was crinkled into a frown. David patted her shoulder. “He can’t,” he told her. I understood the meaning. Flynn had to go on his date for his survival.
Her face softened. David said to her, “What about Paul?”
My mom shook her head no. “Even though he knows about us, he isn’t strong enough to protect her.”
Flynn said, “I’ll call Luke.” David nodded and my mom threw up her hands. It was so strange for them all to talk about me as if I wasn’t there. Flynn was busy using his fingers to text on his phone. My mom had gotten her jacket as did David.
“Can you at least stay until he gets here?” she asked Flynn.
He nodded. My mom walked to the door and finally acknowledged me.
“I’m trusting you, Mercy,” she said and walked out.
David said, “Be safe Mercy.”
I stood stunned. What was I to say? I had so many questions. Why was Luke’s Dad here? What did he have to do with their investigation into the missing girls? Why was Luke a better option than Paul to stay with me? What did Flynn know that I didn’t? Sebastian had been the only one to voice to me I was in danger but obviously everyone thought I was.
“Flynn, what’s going on?” I asked. He was still texting or doing something on his phone.
He briefly looked up to say, “You’re the one having dreams with someone calling you and voices telling you to do things. That coupled with the missing girls ending up wherever we are, says somehow you may be involved.”
Beg for Mercy - kindle edition v3 Page 32
