Chapter Five
A week of babysitters had me close to pulling my hair out. Normally, I didn’t mind hanging out with my friends, but seeing one of them standing outside of every class had gotten old. Even when I met Carly, they came with us. It rotated between Jake, Connor, Jules, and Danny, and it didn’t seem to matter what I said. They were determined.
“Do you really think this is necessary?” It was Friday afternoon, and my companion for the day was Jules. “Nothing has happened. We don’t have any more info about the Tyler guy or Deidre. No one else has been taken.”
“That doesn’t mean you relax your guard.” Jules bumped me, smiling. “I know it’s annoying. But none of us are willing to see anything happen to you.”
“But why do you think it’ll happen to me? Every girl on campus is at risk.” My protest was borderline whining, since this was an argument I’d made more than once. She shook her head, repeating their stance.
“Considering how you’ve reacted to our questions; we don’t want to take any chances. Plus, there’s safety in numbers, and we’re taking the opportunity to observe. You want to have police on campus.” I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.
“I don’t think plain clothes officers have the same effect.”
I heard a distinct growl coming from her and side-stepped in time to miss her punch. I laughed, unable to help myself. She squinted her eyes, daring me to say anything else. I shook my head, pulling open the door to the union. We made a beeline to CC’s Coffee stand and ordered hot chocolates.
“So …” she drawled, and I peeked at her over my cup, inhaling the rich chocolate.
“Are we actually going to have the conversation this time?” She grimaced at me, tucking her legs under her in the chair.
“I’m guessing Connor’s already talked to you.”
My lips curled up at the memory. She huffed, “Of course he’d beat me. You know it’s very difficult having a best friend who’s also good friends with my boyfriend.” She gave me an irritated look.
“Kinda like when your boyfriend’s best friend dates one of your best friends who also happens to be the sister of said boyfriend?” I smirked, pleased with myself. She mock-frowned at my cleverness and then dived into what was bothering her.
“Is he going to ask me?”
“Do you want him to?”
“Yes. But are we ready? It seems sudden, but I’ve known him for years. Is it too soon? It’s such a big step, but it feels right. What do you think? What did Connor say?”
I blinked at her sudden influx of questions. The normally self-assured Jules was a rambling mess in front of me. I sorted through her questions, narrowing in on the only important piece.
“You already know your answer. Does the rest of it really matter?” She sighed, her expression of uncertainty worrying me. “Do you want to marry him?”
“Absolutely.” Her one-word reply was confident, and I relaxed back into the chair. “It’s just—”
“Really annoying when you don’t phrase it as a question.” It was her turn to smirk, but after a second it went back to contemplating.
“What if we’re rushing into this?” I could see she thought it was too soon and people would talk. She was the type of person to have a five and ten-year plan. Connor had shaken all of that up, though. He was a fly by the seat of his pants and hope everything worked out guy. Considering how close we’d come to losing him last year, I could get behind his zest for living life.
“What are you rushing into?” I asked her practically. She gave me a puzzled look. I arched an eyebrow. “Right now, you’re dating. I don’t see a ring on your finger, or a pregnant belly. You’re a couple that have been together and are talking about marriage. Something couples do, I hear.” I reached over and laid my hand over hers. “You’re talking. That’s all. Don’t make this bigger than it is and scare yourself. Take it one day at a time.” Her eyes were doubtful, so I pushed on. “Does he make you happy?”
“Yes. And angry and crazy and strong.” She chewed on her lip. “He shakes me up; reminds me there’s more to life than work. He’s an incredible kisser. He makes me laugh, even when I want to beat him over the head. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.”
I sipped my chocolate, inwardly relieved by her words. I’d known they had a lifetime love, but even knowing doesn’t mean someone will make the leap. Jules had made the leap.
“Just remember, I’m maid of honor.” She gazed at me, startled, and broke into a huge grin.
“Double wedding?”
Her question swirled through my head. There wouldn’t be a double wedding in our future, but the shimmer of a pearl white dress flashed through my mind, along with Jake smiling at me.
I shook my head, in an attempt to clear my thoughts. My future wasn’t up for discussion at the moment. Jules pouted, thinking the shake of my head meant no double wedding, which it did. I had no desire to take any part of her special day away from her.
Carly flopped down into the chair next to me, her hair even more wild than usual. We both stared at her in surprise as she frowned broodingly. It was not a natural look on her, and I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong, but she spoke first.
“What are y’all talking about?”
“Weddings.” The word tumbled from my lips, and I hastily corrected myself. Weddings was plural and that was not the case. “Wedding, I mean. Specifically, Jules’ wedding.” Jules gave me a curious look, obviously wondering what was going through my mind. I ignored it, having zero desire to explain the flash I’d seen.
“What’s wrong?” I wasn’t sure Carly would answer me, but I should have known better.
“Danny!” She sat up straighter in her chair. “Seriously, the guy is ….” She waved her arms around, words escaping her. A solid first for Carly. Jules hid her smile behind her mug.
“What did he do?” I finally asked, when it seemed like she’d given up on trying to find words.
“Nothing. He’s done nothing.”
I made a humming sound. I really had no idea what to tell her. The only relationship I’d had was with Jake, and it had its own special circumstances. Trying to give Carly advice on Danny would be like the blind leading the sighted. I flicked a glance at Jules, hoping she had some insight. Her shrug quickly ended that thought.
Carly sat there fuming, and I knew we needed to do something. This behavior wasn’t Carly. She was a quick to anger, quick to smile kind of girl. Brooding and angst wasn’t really her MO.
“I think we are in need of a girls’ night.” I grasped onto Jules suggestion with all the fervor of a drowning person lunging for a life preserver.
“That’s brilliant.” My smile was huge as I glanced between the two of them, catching Jules uplifted eyebrows at my excitement and the cautious smile on Carly. I nodded. “Yep, that’s what we’ll do. No guys, just girls hanging out and having fun.”
“We can watch chick flicks on Netflix all night.”
“Eat ice cream out of the carton.”
“Paint our nails.”
“Talk about the guys.”
“Yeah, and someone needs to explain the weddings thing.” Carly perked up with each suggestion, landing on the last one with a pointed look at me.
We woke up the next morning painfully aware we’d gorged on junk food and romantic comedies all night.
“I’m gonna have to go for a run tonight,” Jules groaned, sitting up on the couch she’d crashed on when our chocolate high rivaled an alcoholic one. I shuffled from my bedroom, yawning, and tugging on the shirt I’d worn to bed. It was Jake’s, and I’d stolen it the first time I’d slept at his place, back before we were even a couple. They were my pajamas—his t-shirt and sleep pants—and way too big, but it didn’t matter. They were comforting and my favorite thing to wear.
“Ha,” I replied to Jules’ comment. “Like you need to run.” She was tall and skinny, one of those women that could eat anything and never gain an ounce. Completely unfair, sinc
e I did actually have to watch what I ate and exercise. Granted, I avoided exercise when at all possible. If it wasn’t for Jake and his insistence on regular sparring matches, I might be able to avoid it altogether.
She shrugged and glanced down at Carly, who was still passed out on the floor where she’d curled up with a blanket.
“Is she dead?”
“Nah, just a deep sleeper.” I headed into my microscopic kitchen to turn on a pot of coffee. There was no doubt we’d all need it after last night. We’d stayed up late talking about the guys in our lives or lack of guys in Carly’s instance. She’d declared she was over Danny and his insistence on ignoring her.
“Why now? He’s been ignoring you for months,” I’d asked her the night before.
“Thanks,” she huffed at me. “Yeah, but we talked. I mean, it wasn’t much, but we had a vibe. He could have pursued it. I don’t want to be the one chasing. You know that never works.” I shrugged, having no idea if it worked or not. “If he’d give me something. A text, a smile, anything! But he just does nothing. I can’t work with nothing.”
“Why don’t you just ask him?” I made the obvious suggestion, and Carly skewered me with a horrified glance.
“What if he says no?” she finally stammered.
“Then you know.”
“But it would be awkward.”
“Yeah. I imagine he thinks the same.” I lifted an eyebrow as she opened her mouth, and then closed it again.
“You and your logic,” she muttered, giving me a narrow look.
The coffee started, the smell invigorating me, even as I waited for it.
“I understand her feelings for Danny,” Jules commented, sitting cross-legged on the little couch. I glanced over at her as she studied the back of Carly’s head.
“You have a crush on him too? What, am I the only one that thinks he’s kinda scary and moody?” I reached into the cabinet and got down the only two mugs I had. We’d have to share whenever Carly finally woke up.
“No.” She squinted to see what I was doing. “Is that the mug I gave you?”
“Yep, I need more, if I’m going to have guests,” I joked, pulling the carafe to pour our coffee.
“I can handle that.” She took the mug from me. “And no, I don’t have a crush on Danny. I get what you mean about scary. He definitely has a ‘don’t mess with me’ vibe.” She shuddered slightly as she sipped the coffee. “I always forget you like the chicory coffee.”
“You want cream?” I offered, turning back to the kitchen. Chicory coffee was strong, if you weren’t used to it.
“Nah. It’ll put hair on my chest. Or wake me up. One of the two.” Jules smiled faintly. “I get the uncertainty Carly feels about pursuing Danny. I felt the same way about Connor. We’d known each other for years, but he’s my brother’s best friend. Who knew what would happen if it didn’t work out? Talk about awkward. The fear of messing everything up is real. And Carly …” She waved an arm at her. “She feels out of place already. Can you imagine if it didn’t work out with Danny? Two people that already feel like outcasts in our group and they break up. It’d be like everyone was taking sides, or they’d leave the group altogether.”
“What a cheerful thought on a Saturday morning. Thanks, Jules.” I plopped down on the other side of the couch. “But what if it works out? Carly is obsessively interested in him, and I think he returns her interest, but both of them are letting fear hold them back. And I get it. Going into that warehouse to save Jake and Connor wasn’t as scary as the first time I told him I loved him. Putting your emotions out there is terrifying.”
Jules made the sign of the cross when I mentioned the warehouse. She was Catholic to the core, and firmly believed our surviving was due to prayer. I couldn’t say I disagreed. That day was etched in my memory as one of the stupidest plans I’d ever had, and I knew Jake would agree. We’d taken a huge risk, when we went into save them from the drug lord who’d planned to kill him.
“Agreed, but not everything works out like you and Jake, little Miss Optimistic,” Jules grinned, removing any hint of sarcasm from her words.
“Yeah, sometimes it works out even better, the future Mrs. Connor Hayes.” We giggled at the thought. Something about the idea of a wedding sent a thrill through any girl and made her imagine her own wedding. The idea floated in that one day Jules and I might actually be family. I shook my head at the thought that Connor might actually be my brother-in-law one day.
“Alright, I have to go. I’m supposed to meet Natalie for brunch.” Natalie was their sister-in-law, John’s wife. “She said John and Tyler are having a father and son day.” I nodded, knowing they did that pretty often. “Natalie said she had something she wanted to tell me. Pretty sure she’s going to say she’s pregnant.”
“Want to ask me?”
“No, I’ll let her tell me, but I’m almost positive that’s what’s going on. John is terrible at keeping a secret, and he’s acting exactly like he did when they were pregnant with Tyler.”
“That’ll be exciting,” I said, smiling at the thought of another little Kincaid around. My brow furrowed, seeing Jules’ frown. “Or not exciting?” She caught my look and attempted to smooth her frown.
“No, no. It’s exciting.” She stopped, and I leaned forward, wondering what the deal was. She took a deep breath and then burst out, “It’s just hard!”
I blinked, not expecting that.
“What’s hard?”
“Babies.”
“I can’t say I have a lot of experience with them, but won’t they be taking care of the baby?”
“Yes, but I’ll have to see the baby. And her pregnant belly.”
“Generally, yes, you would. Is that a problem?” I was extremely confused now, and felt like I was walking through a field covered in land mines. Something was going on that I had no idea about.
“It’s nothing.” She gave me a forced smile, standing up abruptly and walking to the kitchen.
“Jules …” She spun back around, after depositing her mug into the tiny sink.
“I’m going. I don’t want to be late for the big announcement.” She tugged at her wrinkled shirt and jeans. “I should probably stop by the apartment and change.” She gave me a firm stare and pointed at me. “And you stay here. No going off without someone with you. Understand?”
Her sincerity blasted me, and I found myself nodding. It was difficult to ignore the directive when you could understand the reason why so completely. She was truly frightened of something happening to me when no one was around to help.
She must have read the honesty on my face, because she nodded too and headed for the door. The second the door clicked shut, Carly’s head popped up.
“Okay, so the baby stuff was weird. What was up with that?” She was gazing at the door and didn’t see me step back into the counter. It felt like I’d been punched in the gut. Understanding buzzed through me and I blinked back tears. If I’d ever needed it, here was proof that it didn’t matter how well you knew a person, you still didn’t know everything, even if you had special gifts.
“I don’t know,” I managed to say. “I’m going to go and change. Coffee is in the pot.”
I dragged clothes on in a daze, my new knowledge making me emotional. I wondered if Jake knew, but also knew I wouldn’t ask him. Knowing something so intimate about a person, knowledge they hadn’t shared with you, was a curse of my ability. It could give me an unfair advantage, or just make someone uncomfortable. Jules had dodged my question intentionally, and I respected her choice. She had the right to tell me when she was ready, if that ever happened. Her nerves about marriage made more sense though. I couldn’t help wondering if Connor knew. I didn’t think it would make any difference to him, but it was something he should know first.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, my swirling thoughts making me dizzy. A few deep breaths later, and I was calmer. There was nothing I could do with my knowledge, and it was better if I just put it out of my mind for no
w. I went back into the living room to see Carly was ready to go. She had her hair knotted back in a ponytail and her coat on.
“Leaving so soon?” I asked, puzzled at her hurry. She was usually the last up and ready to go.
“Yeah, get your coat on,” she gestured impatiently, and I walked over to the closet to get my coat.
“Where are we going? Did you not hear Jules and her command not to go anywhere?”
“By yourself. She said by yourself. You’re going with me. So it’s fine.” I shot her a sideways glance, but shrugged my jacket on, checking the pockets for my gloves. I had a feeling Jules wouldn’t agree, seeing as how she thought Carly needed further self-defense training, but I also wasn’t arguing the point. I had my phone and complete confidence in my own ability to protect myself.
“Where are we going?” I asked again, not forgetting she hadn’t answered my question.
“The psychic.”
Chapter Six
“It’s freezing.” I stamped my feet, feeling an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
“Again, we’re not leaving.” Carly tossed a look over her shoulder at me, as she cupped her hands over the glass to stare into the shopfront. “He’s coming in today, right?”
A flickering image of a young black man drifted through my mind, and I knew he would be here. “Yes, he’s coming.”
“Good. He’s the last one in the phone book, and I want a complete report.” She dropped down from standing on her tippy toes, satisfied with whatever she’d seen inside. “Typical setup. A desk in the front and then a curtain going to the back.” There was no mistaking the derision when she said curtain. Carly thought the idea of fake psychics preying on innocent individuals was a crime. My thoughts about it were a little less decisive. I knew there was more to the world than what we could see. Hell, I was proof of it. Going after psychics hit a little too close to home for me.
“We could do our report on something else,” I said a little desperately, trying to change her stubborn mind. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to do our report on psychics, considering I am one? Kind of seems hypocritical to me, plus I’d rather not draw attention.” The argument was a familiar one—one Carly ignored.
Hidden Lies (The Hidden Series Book 2) Page 5
