Sketch of Secrets (The Garnet Trilogy - Book 1)

by Willa Jemhart

CHAPTER FIVE

  Martie threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and pulled her hair up into a ponytail, then quietly went up to the main floor to find Trew. There were voices coming from the back of the house, so she followed them to find Trew and Larry sitting at the kitchen table.

  Still nervous about what his father might think of her, she hesitated for a moment.

  Trew noticed her standing in the door way and offered a welcoming smile. “Come,” he said waving his hand. “Would you like a coffee?”

  “Umm sure,” she said and snuck a glance at Larry. His expression was soft, yet his eyes still stared at her with uncomfortable intensity.

  She sat beside Trew and he rose to quickly fetch a cup of coffee.

  When he returned she added a spoonful of sugar and stirred. The air in the kitchen was thick with tension and part of her wanted to bolt. But leave it to Trew to put her at ease. He placed his hand on her thigh and she heard his words in her head. “That was some dream, eh?” She wondered if she would ever get used to the idea of being able to talk secretly like that.

  “Sure was,” she agreed, and they exchanged a knowing smile. Larry looked at them quizzically.

  “Did you sleep well?” he asked.

  “Yes, thank you,” she responded shyly. “And thank you for letting me stay here.”

  “You are welcome here for as long as you need,” he stated with so little emotion, she wasn’t sure if he really meant it.

  Her mouth curved into a gracious smile anyway. “That’s very generous of you.”

  A long uncomfortable silence took a seat at the table with them. Martie looked around the kitchen attempting to give off a nonchalant vibe.

  The room was one big square with a door from the living room at the front of the kitchen and a back door to the yard opposite it. All four walls were lined with old cabinets and counters that had seen better days. The counters were chipped and the faded aqua colored cabinets had paint peeling off them. Right smack in the center of the room was the round kitchen table where they sat, each one seemingly unsure of what to say.

  The sound of the second hand of the clock on the wall seemed to increase in volume the longer they sat. Martie’s heart beat began to match the loud tick sound and she wondered if they could hear it trying to thump its way out of her chest.

  The truth was that Martie was afraid of Larry. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew more than he was telling her. The way he had grabbed the sketch of her mom, and the way he looked at it gave the impression that he recognized her. But it could be just the way he was - strange and scary. But then again, he had let her stay with the offer to stay as long as she needed. He couldn’t be all that bad if he was willing to take in a stray teenage girl. She decided it was now or never. If she was going to annoy him with more questions she may as well get it over and done with.

  She forced herself to tune out the irritating ticking of the clock and cleared her throat in an attempt to muster some courage before addressing him. “Larry,” she began, “Are you sure you’ve never seen my mother before?”

  He narrowed his eyes and she felt Trew gently squeeze his hand on her thigh under the table.

  “No,” was all he said, with a tone that demanded the conversation go no further.

  “What about Larzel?” she pried.

  “No idea.” She wondered if this man could be any less forthcoming.

  “Okay, why did my mom have your address written down?”

  “Must’ve known someone who lived here before. We’ve only been in this house for seven years.” It was a shock to hear so many words come out of his mouth at once.

  “Dad, if you can…” Trew began.

  Larry whipped his head toward his son. “Enough,” he bellowed with the slam of a fist on the table. “If there was anything I could tell you to help, I would.”

  “I’m sorry,” Martie said meekly, hoping this wasn’t causing problems between father and son. “I’m desperate for answers, and I guess I’m seeing things in your face that make me think you know something. Just wishful thinking on my part. I won’t ask again.”

  Larry stood and smiled at them, with a strangely fast recovery. His face was relaxed and his body less tense. “I’ve got some things to do. You two enjoy your day.” He headed for the back door.

  “Hey Dad. Just one quick question before you go,” Trew said.

  Larry halted in his tracks and turned his head back with a warning leer.

  “Is there any possibility - any at all - that Martie and I could be related?” Even though they had already done the math of when their birthdays fell, having ruled out having the same mother, this very thing had been nagging Martie as well. The sharing of genes could be a very plausible explanation for why she and Trew had this special gift for communication.

  She held her breath waiting for Larry’s answer.

  He looked confused by the question, but he responded, “No. You two are definitely not related. Of that I’m positive.” He gave them a smirk and left.

  Trew grinned happily and squeezed her thigh again. Relief flooded Martie and she smiled back. Finally some good news!

  With both Larry and Brandi gone from the house, Martie felt comfortable enough to have a shower. The water running over her body was refreshing and the warmth of it soothed her aching muscles. She hadn’t realized how profoundly tension and anxiety could affect the body physically.

  After she had soaped, shampooed and rinsed, she stood still, enjoying the soothing effects of the water. It was the perfect opportunity to take a breath and think.

  Naturally the number one question on her mind was where her mother was. She wondered if she was okay. Was she ever coming back? Was she even still alive? And now that Martie had found a dead end at this address, where could she go from here? Then again, maybe it wasn’t a complete dead end. It couldn’t be pure coincidence that at the address in her duffel bag she found the boy she’d dreamed about all her life. Maybe it was a coincidence though. Maybe Trew’s mother and her mother both took some sort of experimental drug while they were pregnant. She wondered if people still did that kind of thing. And then there was the whole Larzel thing. It suddenly occurred to her that Larzel might not be a name at all. It could be something else, like a code word or initials or something.

  Before she knew it droplets from her eyes were falling and merging with the shower water. She was sobbing and pleading out loud, “Mom, please help me. I don’t know what to do. I need you. Where are you?”

  Standing on the bath mat, she wiped the fog from the mirror with her towel and stared at her dripping reflection. She sighed, and decided she needed a break - a day to forget all of the confusion. A fresh and relaxed perspective might do a world of good. She resolved that for the rest of the day she would try her hardest to let it all go.

  She emerged from the upstairs bathroom and went downstairs to find Trew sitting in the living room. There was a bag and a cooler sitting by the front door.

  His face lit up when he saw her. “Hungry?” he asked.

  “Actually, yeah. I’m starving.”

  He flashed her a whole-hearted smile. “Great! Let’s go then.”

  “Okay…go where?”

  Although she shouldn’t have been, she was surprised when he echoed her thoughts of only moments ago. “You need to let it all go for a while. Some time to just relax to give yourself a fresh perspective.”

  After throwing the bag over his shoulder and picking up the cooler, he grabbed her hand and led her through the main floor of the house and out the back door.

  His old pick-up truck was parked in the back alley. They hopped in and took off. Martie couldn’t wait to see where he was taking her. The vibes he was giving off oozed pure excitement and fun. It was contagious and all her worries and tensions evaporated as she became focussed solely on the wonderful gorgeous boy beside her.

  Letting go of her shy side, she scooted over the bench seat to sit in the middle right next to him. He showed his app
reciation with a huge smile as he flung his arm around her shoulders. She reached out and cranked the hard rock music that was playing on the stereo. He hooted with delight, and Martie woo-hooed right along with him. All of her problems were completely forgotten for the time being. This was exactly how she wanted to feel - always. She wished the moment would never end.

  They drove for about half an hour and ended up at a park-like area beside a river. Trew took the cooler and bag from the truck and Martie followed him along a gravel path for about ten minutes, until they finally arrived at a secluded grassy area surrounded by full green bushes. The spot sat on a small private bank overlooking the slow flowing river. She watched him take a large blue blanket out of the bag and together they spread it in the long soft grass. Martie made herself comfortable and looked up to see the sun high in the sky. To the east was a flawless summer blue sky, but to the west were large turbulent looking clouds.

  She sat quietly taking in the view and the tranquil scent of nature. Trew unpacked the cooler and laid out buns, chips, and strawberries. He handed her a Coke, then paused when he noticed her staring at him.

  "What?" he asked with the start of a playful smile on his lips.

  "Oh, nothing," she teased. "I was just wondering if you bring all your girlfriends here. It's very romantic you know."

  He laughed. "That's the second time you've asked me something like that. You got jealousy issues over me having previous girlfriends or something?" That hadn't even crossed her mind, although now that he’d mentioned it, she found herself wondering about his past love life.

  He passed her a bun. As she was unwrapping it she said, "No. No jealousy. Just that most guys that I've dated...well…most guys take girls on dates to the movies or an amusement park or something. Not on a picnic."

  His eyes dropped and he lost his smile. Martie instantly felt bad. She had hurt his feelings. She hadn’t meant to. "I'm not saying I don't like it," she attempted to appease him. "Because I do. It's incredibly romantic. I’ve never dated a guy before who was so thoughtful. And the playground last night...Trew look at me."

  He looked up at her.

  "The playground was quite simply the best first date ever in my whole entire life. I'll never forget it."

  The warm smile returned, but he was cautious. "Promise?" he asked.

  She took a huge bite of her bun and nodded enthusiastically.

  "Just so ya know," he said. "I have taken girls on those other kinds of dates too. But it's different with you." She eyed him questioningly, but before he could say more, the buzz of his phone interrupted. He checked it quickly and then threw it aside.

  He swallowed his bite of bun and prepared to pick up where he’d left off. "It's different with you," he said. "You're different. I still want to take you to do all those other things. But for now, for right now, I'm still in shock that you're real, and I guess I'm selfish. Because what I want is to have you all to myself for now. I want it to be just you and me whenever possible."

  He dropped his eyes again and a low growl erupted in his throat. "I'm not explaining this very well," he complained.

  She smiled sweetly at him. "Actually you don't need to explain. I understand, because I feel exactly the same way.” She really meant it. This was one of those moments, and this was a guy that felt too good to be true. But he was Trew. She snickered to herself over the pun. She felt completely amazing when she was around him. And absolutely, she would’ve liked the entire world to go away for a while so it could be just the two of them.

  Her words made him turn slightly pink and his mouth widened into a beaming smile.

  His phone buzzed again. His face tinted with mild anger as he read a short message, but again he set it down.

  Not thirty seconds later the ring tone on his phone blasted. He reached over to see who it was. His face reddened and his lips pressed into a firm line. Martie watched as he powered off the phone and threw it down on the blanket.

  “Who was it?” she asked.

  “No one.”

  “Trew…”

  “It was Alexis.” He looked at her guiltily. She cocked her head to one side and narrowed her eyes, prompting him to give more details. “She’s uh, well, kind of my girlfriend.”

  Martie’s brows shot up. “Girlfriend!” She told herself to calm down. She’d only met him the night before. “Is it serious?”

  “We’ve been dating for a few months. I guess she thinks it’s serious, but I don’t.” When he saw the worried look on her face, he elaborated. “I never did think it was serious. I was planning on breaking up with her soon anyway. I will. I’ll do it the first chance I get. I would’ve done it sooner, but well...you know.”

  She believed him. He was right. They’d only met the night before, and neither of them had had a chance to do anything since then. So she let the conversation drop. Still, she wondered who this girl was. They had a history, and it was possible that their history could be a threat to Martie and Trew’s new found relationship.

  They finished their lunch and lounged on the blanket feeding each other strawberries. They talked about a lot of things, including their likes and dislikes, their childhood, their parents, and their friends. They seemed to have a lot in common. They were both raised by single parents. Although unlike her mother, his dad had had a few serious relationships over the years, none of which he ever wanted to take to the next level. Larry believed that it was not human nature for men and women to keep the same mate for life. Her mother had dated the odd time, but they never amounted to much, at least not to her knowledge. But then again, she couldn’t help but wonder if she really knew her mother at all.

  They found it curious that their parents had similar views on things; the same morals and standards of living. They were both very critical of the world and how it was run, and in how people chose to live their lives. They both said a world without the competition for money, without politics, and without religion, would be so much better. It was very interesting just how similar his dad and her mom were.

  They spent some time reminiscing about some of the dreams they’d shared over the years. They were both still astounded by this and wished they could figure out what it all meant.

  They had been lying on their backs staring at the sky. As they had been talking, the threatening clouds had slowly crept closer. Trew rolled onto his side and gave Martie that deep intense gaze of his. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen,” he said. “They are such a brilliant green color. I swear they’re that color just for me.”

  Smiling like a fool, she rolled over to face him and reached her hand out to touch the hair above his right ear. She began running her fingers along his scalp and through his hair. It was so soft and it felt so good to be touching him for real. “I think I’m dreaming,” she whispered. “Are you really here?”

  Inhaling deeply and following it with a slow sigh-like exhale, he murmured, “If this is a dream, I hope we never wake up.”

  She closed her eyes, taking in the scent of their surroundings, the cool tickle of the breeze on her face, and the comforting warmth of the boy beside her. She never wanted to wake up either.

  When her eyes fluttered open, Trew’s face was closer, leaning in with deeper darker intensity in his eyes than she’d seen yet, and she became aware that she was utterly lost, would be forever.

  His lips closed in, barely touching hers, so they were staring into each other’s eyes and sharing deep breaths of the first twinge of love. They were both completely engrossed in the moment, neither wanting to move and possibly end the trance.

  She couldn’t stand it any longer. Feelings that she had never experienced before were threatening to overtake her. She wanted desperately to kiss him - really kiss him. Not a soft innocent peck like the night before, but a real, long, passionate, out of body and mind kiss. She’d never felt such desire for a boy before. With the fingers that were tangled in his hair, she pulled him in. He did not resist, meeting her with his own hunger and want.
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br />   It was wonderful, spectacular, and so much more than she could ever have imagined. Passionate didn’t even describe it - there was so much emotion pouring from behind his lips. As she was melting in the moment she knew she had never really been kissed before. Not really.

  His hand moved to the small of her back and the tips of his fingers gently dug in to pull her body closer to his. She drew her lips from his and opened her eyes to study him. She wanted to take in all of him. She wondered how she was so lucky. Yes, he was gorgeous. But he was so much more than just a pretty face; he was a good and honest guy. Romantic, thoughtful, and to top it all off, he was one damn good kisser.

  His eyes flickered open to see the giant smile plastered on her face, and his response was the flash of a wicked grin right back at her. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Couldn’t be better.” She chuckled and leaned her head against his chest, snuggling her body even closer to his. The light breeze had transformed into a strong wind and the air was feeling chilly. He rolled onto his back and wrapped his arm around her, giving her warmth and peace.

  So,” she asked, “Exactly how many girls have you brought home to spend the night?” She was playfully teasing, but was curious about his answer at the same time.

  He laughed mockingly. “Geez, here we go again with my previous girlfriends.”

  Flipping onto her stomach, she rested her chin in her hands on his chest, so she could see his face. “Well there is Alexis. And she’s not a previous girlfriend. She is presently a girlfriend.” He looked hurt by her words, so she quickly said, “Never mind her. It’s just that you’re the one who told me your dad is very liberal and open-minded about sex…”

  “He is. But that doesn’t mean I’m some kind of stud or male whore.”

  “Trew!” she scolded. “You know that’s not what I mean.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Fine. You’re the first girl who has ever slept at my house. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

  “Only if it’s the truth.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  They stared at each other for a minute. She was trying to gauge whether or not her question had upset him. His eyes were searching hers as if attempting to figure out what her question was leading to.

  Martie was not normally one to be so upfront with people, but Trew was different. She was learning quickly that the two of them fit together as if they were actually made for each other. She took a small breath of courage, preparing for what could be an awkward question.

  “So…you’re a virgin then?” she asked.

  A playful smile lit his face. “I didn’t say that…”

  “So you’re not a virgin?” She felt her cheeks turn warm.

  He shook his head. She couldn’t help but wonder how many, but decided against continuing that particular line of interrogation.

  But apparently he wasn’t done with it yet. “Are you?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “Are you a virgin?”

  She pursed her lips and attempted to look at him with the same intensity that he was looking at her. “Yes I am.”

  He remained quiet, looking at her with all seriousness.

  She felt her face flush deeper and with silent words she told him, “I think I’ve been saving myself for you.” Even though her mother had very open ideas about sex, she had also instilled in Martie the idea that sharing it with someone special, someone who you loved and who loved you back, made it all the more wonderful.

  His eyes brightened and his smile took over every inch of his lovely face. The next thing she knew he had hauled her on top of him, his hands gently holding her face as he pulled her in for a deep kiss. It was just as magnificent as the last one, and for a time the rest of the world disappeared as their longing for each other took over.

  All too soon a crack of thunder snapped them back to reality and to the blanket on the grass. The ominous clouds were now directly above their heads. They suddenly split open with fury and instantly began pouring gallons of rain on them. They quickly gathered everything up, and completely drenched, ran hand in hand along the gravel trail, back to the truck, howling with laughter all the way.