by Kaitlyn Hoyt
“It’s a little overwhelming at first. I’m Ryanne,” I tell the kitten. I point to Liam, who is making the food. “That’s Liam,” I introduce him and then go on to point to everyone else stating their names. Each person gives a small wave to her before I move onto the next person.
I can’t remember all that.
“It’s ok. You’ll remember them sooner or later. I’ll help you.” It’s so bizarre that I am having a conversation with a kitten. It was even weirder how human she sounds. Her thoughts sound slightly different—I can’t place my finger on what specifically is off though. Liam places a small bowl of chicken in front of her. She walks toward it; her little paws taking small tentative steps. She stops at the edge of the bowl and sniffs the food before taking the first bite. Yummy.
Liam reaches out to help me get off the ground. I gladly accept his outstretched hand and let him pull me up. She stops eating and looks at me. Tell him I said thank you.
“She said thank you.” I walk to the sink and fill another bowl with some water and place it on the ground next to her.
“You’re very welcome.” He accepts the weirdness of this whole situation and goes along with it. I lean back against Liam’s chest. I glance over and find everyone else watching the kitten on the kitchen floor. I wait until she is done eating before I ask her a couple of questions. She sits back and licks her lips before twitching her nose. Aww, she’s so stinkin’ cute.
“Do you have a name?” No.
“Do you have a home? An owner?” No.
“Do you remember how you got to our porch?”
A scene starts to play out. I see a woman with curly black hair dropping a box of kittens on the side of the road. A woman driving a minivan stops and looks down into the box. She gasps and grabs the box when she sees the kittens and takes them to the animal shelter. All the kittens in the box end up getting adopted. A little girl with long, straight blond hair presses her nose up to her cage and exclaims, “Mommy, mommy, I want that one!”
“She’s not old enough for a pet!” a man yells.
“Give her a chance to prove it to you,” a kinder voice says. I see a large man walking toward her and picking her up. Opening the back door, he throws her onto the back porch and into the chilled evening air. She’s been walking around ever since then—taking food out of trashcans and sleeping under patio furniture.
“Oh my gosh, that’s so sad.” I look up at David, Colton, and Logan, “Do you think that Tom would mind if we took care of her? She doesn’t have anywhere else to go.”
Chapter Nineteen
Colton
Ryanne’s talking to a cat. A cat. A. Freaking. Cat. How is that possible? Don’t they think on a different wavelength or something? Logan leaves to go talk to Tom about the cat while the rest of us remain in the kitchen. Ryanne is crouched on the ground, talking with the cat…the cat.
Liam just accepted the fact that she could read her thoughts, but I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that she is talking to an animal, and it’s communicating back.
“Can you read other animal’s thoughts?” I ask her.
“I don’t think so. I’ve never noticed any before today.” She’s still staring at the cat, a slow smile forming on her face. “She’s special apparently.” There’s no way I’ll let Tom take that cat away from her now.
The cat is running between Ryanne’s legs. She giggles and follows the cat’s every movement. Logan comes back into the room with Tom and looks down at the cat.
“You can really talk with that cat?” He seems genuinely shocked.
“She’s a kitten,” she clarifies before continuing, “and yes, I can read her thoughts.”
“Amazing.”
“Let me guess, you’ve never heard of this before?” I ask. Tom shakes his head but continues watching Ryanne interact with the kitten.
Ryanne looks up at Tom. “Do you think she can stay here?”
“Is anyone looking for her? Does she have a home?”
“No, her previous owner threw her out.”
Tom rubs his chin but must have seen the look on Ryanne’s face as well because he smiles at her. “I don’t see why not. Someone will have to go to the store tomorrow and get some things for her. Not you Ryanne, that didn’t go too well last time…”
Thank you, Tom. I don’t want Ryanne going out in public either especially if there is going to be a lot of people involved. I am prepared to argue with her when she nods, surprising us all.
“I’ll go. I’ve had a cat before,” Emma volunteers.
Larkin steps up next, “I’ll take her. It’ll be quicker that way.”
Tom nods, agreeing with the plan. “You guys do that in the morning. Has she gotten any food or water?”
“Yeah, Liam fed her, and I got her some water,” answers Ryanne. She looks up at me, smiling—the smile actually reaching her eyes. Wow, she’s beautiful. I knew that before, but it still hits me like a ton of bricks when she looks at me like that. My lungs constrict, denying any oxygen from reaching them. I notice that Ryanne’s appears to be holding her breath as well. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one affected. If only I could tell her…
She breaks eye contact and looks down, her cheeks reddening in the process.
Tom pats me on the shoulder as he leaves the room. Apparently, he caught our exchange. Ever since I kissed Ryanne, she’s avoided being alone with me. In fact, she avoided me completely for a little while. It’s nice to see a smile from her directed at me.
Ryanne stands up and walks out of the kitchen. She giggles as the kitten follows her footsteps. Since meeting her, that’s turned into one of my favorite sounds.
I walk over to the couch and sit down in my usual spot. She’s taken to sitting on the opposite end of the couch with Liam beside her.
“Ryanne, you have your first pet.” She looks at me, still smiling, but slightly confused. “You can cross that off your list.” I watch the realization seep into her expression.
“I can’t believe you remembered that.” If only she knew that I remember everything she tells me. I just shrug and look toward Emma. She is shaking her head at Ryanne. Emma knows something that I don’t.
“So, does she have a name?” Liam asks her.
“Not yet.” She laughs again. “She said that the daughter of her last owner used to call her fluffy, but she’s not fluffy.” She looks back at the kitten, “Do you mind if we try to rename you?”
Emma instantly starts saying names, “Cookie, Cream, Cotton, Lily, Kitty Purry. That’s what Katy Perry’s cat is named. Snowflake, Bitsy, Didi, Miss Meowington III, Foxy, Elmo, Kiwi, Emma II, Lola…”
Olive. Olive? Where did that come from?
Ryanne laughs at each suggestion that Emma makes but keeps shaking her head. The kitten doesn’t like any of those names.
“Olive?” I quietly say. Emma keeps going.
“Oh, wait. She likes Olive.” Ryanne turns around and looks at me. “You just named her.”
“Why didn’t I think of Olive? Oh yeah because it’s a food, not a name,” Emma mumbles.
“You said Kiwi. Last time I checked, that was also a food,” Ryanne points out.
Emma stares at her blankly. “So,” she finally says.
Ryanne looks toward Olive. “No. This is Liam.” She points toward Liam and then toward me, “Colton named you.” Olive must have said something because Ryanne blushes a little. “I know.”
Two hours later, both Ryanne and Emma are sleeping. Emma is curled into David’s side while Ryanne is leaning against the armrest of the couch with Olive asleep in her lap. I am glad that she isn’t leaning against Liam, but her position doesn’t look very comfortable. I miss her sitting next to me; she’d always fall asleep curled into my side. Once the movie is over, David lifts Emma and carries her upstairs. It looks more difficult to carry Emma than Ryanne because of how tall Emma is.
Larkin blinks out of the room. Logan and Liam stand up at the same time. Liam looks toward me and the
n glances toward Ryanne. I nod. I’ll take her upstairs.
I crouch down in front of Ryanne, who’s sleeping soundlessly, and pet Olive on her head. She slowly opens her eyes and looks at me. “I have to carry Ryanne upstairs.” Olive stretches, yawns, and then hops off of Ryanne’s lap. “You can follow me. I’m sure Ryanne won’t mind if you sleep in her room.”
I lift her into my arms, still amazed by how light she is, and carry her up to her room. Emma is lightly snoring in the bed closest to the door. I try to be quiet as I walk to the other bed in the room. I glance behind me and see Olive following. I put Ryanne down on the bed and pull the covers up. Reaching down, I pick up Olive and place her next to Ryanne.
“Goodnight, you two,” I whisper as I close the door and exit the room.
*****
I wake up the next morning and roll over. Ouch. I jump up. What was that? Oh my gosh, I just rolled on top of Olive. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were there.”
She yawns and stretches. It’s ok.
“I’m going to take a shower. You stay here, ok?” When she nods her little white head, I jump out of bed and skip into the bathroom. I get in and out of the shower as quickly as possible. I throw on my Batman t-shirt and black shorts. I feel like I should be going on some top-secret mission right now since I’m wearing all black. Can mages be spies? I feel like they would be awesome at that job. I run a towel through my long hair and walk back into my room. Emma is still asleep, so I quietly pick up Olive and leave the room. When she starts squirming in my arms, I place her on the ground. I understand the height issue.
Colton and Liam are quietly talking in the living room. Their conversation stops when I start walking down the stairs. They’re up to something. “Morning,” I say as I walk past them to go to the kitchen to do the dishes.
Olive follows me into the kitchen. She stops under the table and looks up. This looks fun. She starts running between the legs of the chairs in circles. Crazy kitten. I fill one side of the sink with soapy water and spread a towel over the counter on the left side.
I grab the first plate and start scrubbing, trying to get off all remnants of previous meals. I immerse the plate in the water. Up to my elbows in soapy water, I wash. I hear footsteps behind me as someone walks into the kitchen. Before turning, I instantly know who it is. I can smell Colton’s outdoorsy cologne. “Here, I’ll help you.”
I neither look at him nor do I say anything, but I scoot over to let him help me. His arm keeps brushing against mine every time he reaches for another plate. I try to ignore the butterflies in my stomach and the erratic beat of my heart as he stands so close to me, enveloping me with his smell. The kiss we shared the other night keeps running through my mind. I wish I was a normal teenage girl. I want that relationship. I want to have someone want me as much I want him, but I can’t have that. I can’t risk someone’s life like that. I have to find a way to change that vision.
“Ryanne, can we talk about the other night?” Colton whispers into my ear, giving me goosebumps, as he puts a plate on the towel.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I say as I dunk another dirty plate under the soapy water.
“That wasn’t nothing. I know you felt it too.”
I don’t want to have this conversation. I don’t say anything right away, but as I continue to feel his eyes on me, I stop with the plate I am washing and turn toward him. “I can’t afford to let myself feel something, Colton.”
“Is this about the vision?” He turns toward me, mimicking my stance. Now that he is looking at me, I have to arch my head up to see him.
“I can’t risk losing you,” I whisper and turn back to the sink. I can’t think straight when he looks at me. “Because someone wants to use you against me.”
I can feel him staring at me, but I try to become busy with the dishes. I didn’t realize that I’ve been washing the same plate over and over again until Colton takes it out of my hands. I go to reach for another one, but the counter is empty. Dang it. Colton grabs my shoulders and turns me so that I am facing him—so that we are standing only a couple inches apart. I can hear the water droplets dripping from my soapy arms hitting the floor. On their own accord, my eyes move up and meet his.
“Can you at least answer a question for me?” I tense, waiting for his question. He looks down at me, searching my eyes. “Do you have any feelings for me? At all?”
How could he think that I don’t? I didn’t think that I was that good at hiding my emotions. I stare into his mesmerizing green eyes. His feelings for me are obvious in this moment. My gaze lowers from his eyes down to his lips—his soft, sensual, full lips. I want nothing more than to lean forward and kiss him again. I know that he caught me staring at his mouth because his breathing increases. I look away and take a step back while slowly nodding. “Yes,” I whisper.
Colton moves forward to close the distance I just created between us. He reaches forward and tucks a curled strand of my hair behind my ear. I look into his wide, expressive eyes as he says, “Then, I’ll wait, Ryanne. I’ll wait for you.”
Chapter Twenty
Emma and Larkin blink back into the living room, holding a couple of bags. I didn’t even realize that they had left. Emma looks at Colton and me and smiles. I can feel another blush rising. Esh, do I have an off button? I shake my head and take a step away from Colton. There is nothing going on. There can’t be. Her wide smile turns into a frown. I don’t understand why though. She knows my feelings on this issue, so she shouldn’t have been surprised. I look past Emma and Larkin and see everyone else sitting in the living room. When did they get there, and what did they hear?
Reaching into a bag, Emma brings out a can of cat food. I watch as Olive stops running in circles and bounces toward the bowl when Emma places the food on the ground. I brush past Colton, avoiding eye contact, and walk into the living room. Sitting down on the couch, I lean against the armrest and grab my notebook off the coffee table.
“What’s wrong?” Liam asks me when he sees my frown.
“Nothing’s really wrong. I just realized that I’m on my last page.” I flip over the page to show him.
“Well then, we’ll have to get you another one soon.”
Nodding, I pull the pen that I keep in the metal spirals out and place it onto the page. I wait until an image flashes in front of my eyes and then I start drawing. My pen sweeps across the page, and I draw a snake. I’m not really sure why, but I draw it anyway. A king cobra to be more specific. Such a beautiful creature yet deadly when provoked.
Why are you drawing that? Olive is sitting on the armrest beside me watching me draw. I shrug, “I don’t really know. Usually I just draw the first thing that comes to mind.”
“I still can’t believe that she can talk to the cat,” Bragden says while leaning toward Logan.
My name is Olive, you big oaf, not cat. Get it right. Giggling, I cover my face with me notebook, trying to stifle the laughter. When I bring the notebook down, I see everyone watching me—some smiling, others confused. I turn toward Bragden and tell him what Olive just said, oaf and all.
“My apologies, Olive. Please forgive me.” I see the slight hint of a smile in Bragden’s response. Hmph, that’s more like it. Oh goodness, I’m going to like Olive.
I look past her, and my eyes land on Larkin. He’s standing in the corner against the wall, looking distracted. What’s going on with him? I turn to ask him when something in the room beeps. Larkin looks down at his wrist and sighs. He starts to walk toward the couch while he keeps his eyes down. He places a hand on my shoulder. “I need you to come with me for a moment.” Without waiting for a reply, he transports us out of the room.
Colton
She’s staring at him again. Every time I look at her, her eyes are on Larkin. Larkin is always involved. Studying him, I can tell that he’s up to something. He seems really distracted—fidgeting with his watch and casting nervous glances around the room. A beep sounds, and Larkin starts walking toward us.
He places a hand on Ryanne’s shoulder and says, “I need you to come with me for a moment.” Liam and I jump up when they disappear. Ryanne’s notebook falls onto the floor. Liam closes his eyes, rolls his head back, and groans.
“Seriously? He couldn’t have told us where they were going? What they were doing?” I yell.
“Why does he keep doing that?” Liam’s voice sounds strained like he is trying to control his anger.
Emma walks over to me and places her hand on my arm. “Don’t worry. Ryanne trusts him, and I know he cares about her. He won’t hurt her. She saved his life.” Her attempt to calm me doesn’t work. I hate that she openly trusts him like that. He used to work for Dravin for crying out loud. He was there when she was tortured! Doesn’t anyone else remember that?
I move past Emma and start pacing behind the couch. The only thing that will calm me is Ryanne coming back. I’ll refrain from yelling and taking my anger out on anyone in this room but only for so long. If she doesn’t show back up soon, I can’t promise anything.
*****
We land in the thick of a forest. There is nothing around us. Why would he take us here? I turn around to face him and see him looking around, turning in circles. He stops and faces the area to my right. Grabbing my wrist, he starts dragging me after him. “Larkin, what’s going on? Where are we?”
“I need you to see something. Well, I need you to confirm something before I tell everyone else.”
“Why couldn’t you have told me that before we left instead of surprising me like that? You know that everyone is going to be mad at you.”
“They’ll be angrier if this is true…I didn’t want anyone to come after us. It’s not safe out here. I had to transport us to this location because it won’t set off the sensors. Dravin won’t know that we are here.”
“You’re taking me toward Dravin’s compound?” Is he insane? When Colton and Liam find out where I am, they are going to freak out.
