by P. G. Forte
“No!” Liam protested, getting to his feet.
Cara felt herself frowning in confusion. Liam looked embarrassed, Seth looked mad, what was going on here? What did I miss?
“Don’t leave,” Liam said as he crossed the room to where Seth stood. “Please. I’m glad you’re here. I-I wanted the chance to apologize to you. I was way out of line the last time we spoke. I didn’t know what I was talking about. I was wrong. I said a bunch of things that should never have been said.”
What was it he’d said, Cara wondered, as Seth eyed Liam warily.
Liam extended his hand. “You’re a good man. You saved her life. I’d say thank you, except that sounds kind of presumptive. I know you didn’t do it for me, after all.”
“No,” Seth agreed, still looking cautious even as he shook Liam’s hand. “I did it for her.”
Liam nodded. “Right.” He glanced back at Cara and smiled; a crooked, little, lopsided smile that was nothing like his usual grin. “Well, I guess you two want to be alone, huh?”
What? Cara blinked in dismay. No! Stay. Please, stay.
“Take care, Caramel,” Liam said, smiling sadly. “Get better, huh?”
Tears fogged Cara’s vision, rendering her blind. She heard Liam clap Seth on his shoulder, heard the door squeak open and swing closed again. Come back, she begged silently, please come back. But it was no use, and she knew it.
Seth crossed to her bedside and sat down beside her. For a moment he said nothing and she was too wrapped up in misery to care. Tears slid down her cheek and leaked out from beneath her bandage. Seth blotted them away with a tissue.
“You really like him, huh?”
Cara looked at him in surprise. Was it that obvious?
Seth nodded thoughtfully. “He seems pretty sprung on you, too.”
Does he? God, I hope so, Cara thought, feeling hopeful for the first time in several minutes.
“What’s this?” Seth asked, reaching for the book Liam had brought her. “Peter Pan? Aren’t you a little old for kids’ books?”
No, Cara thought, frowning at him. Don’t be rude.
Seth opened the book and his eyebrows rose. “Oh. I get it now.” He looked at her, eyes twinkling. “Did you see this?”
He held the book open, held it up so she could see what he was talking about: a handwritten note on the book’s front page.
To Tinker Bell. I’ll always believe. Love, Liam
Cara stared at the words for as long as she could, blinking back tears until her swollen eyelid would no longer stay open.
Love, Liam. Love, Liam. Over and over again, she repeated the words in her head. Love, Liam. Love, Liam. Love, Liam.
“Want me to read to you?” Seth asked, after a bit.
She tried to blink, but she couldn’t quite manage it. She guessed he saw it anyway, though.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said.
Good. Thank you, Cara thought, relieved to be understood, even just a little.
She closed her eye and relaxed, picturing Liam’s face as clearly as she could. Love, Liam. Love, Liam. Love, Liam.
She listened while Seth settled himself more comfortably in his chair, he cleared his throat, and began to read. “Chapter one. Peter breaks through... ”
Epilogue
The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
in search of fine peals.
When he finds a single pearl of great price,
he sells all that he has and buys it.
June 1st
Communion Prayer
For the Feast of Saint Angela Merici
Gregg lay on his bunk and stared at the ceiling. He still could not believe how Fate had fucked him over. But, while he might be down, he certainly wasn’t out, and any asshole who made the mistake of thinking otherwise and tried to play him would find that out – in no uncertain terms. Starting with his bitch-ass lawyer.
As he replayed this morning’s conversation with the loser over in his head, he idly ran his tongue across the metal that lined his mouth. Connelly, that sorry son of a bitch, was gonna get just one last chance to do as he had been told. Otherwise, the jerk-off would end up in here, right along with Gregg, if he didn’t. Or, he might end up dead. Just because Gregg was back in a cell, that did not mean he was without resources or influence. Or friends.
He wasn’t without family, either, apparently. But that was another story entirely.
His brother’s pretty little daughter needed to be killed. That was the end of that discussion. Gregg would have preferred to do it himself, but he couldn’t wait that long. She needed to be stopped now, before she was able to connect the dots and get her hands on his estate. Today, Gregg had made his position on that matter crystal clear. If Connelly didn’t want to take care of the girl himself, he could hire someone to do it for him. If he didn’t want to do that, either, then Gregg would be forced to take matters into his own hands. He’d find someone who’d be happy to get rid of the girl. Someone who’d be happy to get rid of Connelly, too.
Gregg did not plan on sharing his inheritance. He would not stand for anyone getting his or her hands on his property while he was away. Someday, he would get out of prison. It was only a matter of time. When that day came, all the money he’d stashed away, all the property he’d amassed under a variety of assumed names, would be there waiting for him – just as he left it. Or more people would die.
The sound of his cell door being unlocked disturbed his thoughts. He propped himself up on his elbows and gazed at the door, expectantly.
“Here ya go, Jaws,” his favorite among the guards said, smirking slightly as he pushed a lanky, young man into the cell. “Meet your new cellmate.”
Jaws. Gregg was not overly fond of his newly acquired nick-name, but he was growing used to it. And, after all, what else would you call a man with a mouthful of platinum where there used to be teeth?
“Thanks, dawg,” he murmured as he hopped off his bunk. He licked his lips, his smile growing wider by the instant as he examined the other man. He was young. Yes. And scared. Just the way Gregg liked his toys. And – yes, oh, fuck, yes – another redhead. Gregg sighed with pleasure. Perfect.
Time was a bitch and a whore and a ball-breaking fuck, but she had a wonderful way of changing things, especially when you least expected her to. His morning might not have started off too well, and the last two months had purely sucked. But that was in the past. The day had just gotten much, much better. Things were definitely looking up.
* * *
The high school auditorium was filled to capacity. There were no seats available, and even standing room was limited. But that was fine with Liam. He wasn’t looking to sit and he was happy right where he was – just inside the door, hidden in the shadows – where he could observe, without being observed.
Up on the stage, the school’s vice principal stood at the podium reading from a list of names while a steady stream of bright faced, blue robed girls climbed the stairs and crossed the stage to receive their diplomas and shake the principal’s hand.
Liam’s palms were already sweating and as the list went on, his tension mounted. “C’mon, c’mon,” he muttered beneath his breath. The D’s and the G’s seemed to take forever and the L’s were another eternity. But finally, the moment he’d been waiting for arrived.
“Cara Matthews,” the vice principal announced.
There was a pause in the stream. The newest graduate took a somewhat longer time to climb the stairs than those who had gone before her. Liam’s eyes filled with tears as she crossed the stage with an obvious limp. But though her stride was halting there was a determined tilt to her chin and Liam’s heart swelled with pride at the sight of her.
“Way to go, Caramel,” he murmured as she at last reached her goal. Spontaneous applause broke out from the audience and Liam had to gulp back a sob. He slipped out through the door before she turned to make her way back to her seat. He didn’t want to risk her seeing him. He didn’t want anything to disrupt h
er big day.
Sunlight stung his eyes as he exited the building. He’d sent flowers and balloons – but no notes. Maybe he was fooling himself thinking they could have a future, or even part of a future together. It could be that the sight of him would forever trigger nothing but painful memories of a time she’d rather forget. He didn’t know how she felt about him, but he was quite sure that – today especially – she could do very well without anything that might remind her of the hell Gregg had put her through.
Anyone would need time to recover from an ordeal like that and Liam had promised himself that he’d give her that time – time to recover, to graduate, to put the past behind her and decide on a direction for her future. If she chose to leave town, so be it. But, if she stayed...
She had a birthday coming up soon, her eighteenth. In four weeks she’d be an adult and he would give himself one chance to win her over.
When he reached his car he turned, and took one last look at the school. “Way to go Caramel,” he repeated again, softly. “See ya when you’re legal.”
* * *
Several hours to the north, in the City of Berkeley, high school graduation had already taken place. Most of the new graduates were still partying. But not Deirdre Shelton-Cooper.
Deirdre was not in the mood to party. She was in the mood to hit the road – just as quickly as possible.
Her original plan had been to travel for the summer, take some time off, visit some friends. But, over the last couple of months all those plans fell apart. She knew a growing sense of urgency, and with each day that passed she felt more and more strongly that Oberon was where she needed to be. Now. Right now.
She couldn’t wait for August. She was leaving now. Tonight. She packed the last of her things in her trunk, secured her cat in the front seat and hugged her parents goodbye.
The afternoon sun was shining on the waters of San Francisco Bay as she steered her car onto the 880, heading South.
Deirdre sighed happily. She was finally on her way. Her future looked bright and full of promise. “Oberon, here I come.”
