by Jamie Loeak
“She was hit by a car a few days ago and she just got home today. She’s still recovering some, so we want to make sure she gets a good night’s rest. We’ll talk to you sometime soon. It was very nice meeting you.”
“It was nice meeting you as well. It was nice meeting all of you.”
“Erik,” Blaire added, “I know that you’re alone in that decrepit house. Why don’t you come over for breakfast sometime? I’m sure it’ll be nice eating a real home-cooked meal.” She smiled warmly.
“Thank you, Blaire. I might have to take you up on that,” Erik said before heading back to finish his dinner.
“He’s a nice man,” Blaire said when the family stepped outside.
“He does seem like a nice man,” Aaron added, although his tone indicated that he was agreeing with Blaire out of kindness.
Kate had to agree with her father; she was afraid that she might regret it if he came over for breakfast. He might never leave.
Kate was shocked when her parents said that they could head for Orlando the next morning. She had successfully slept seven hours the night before, and her parents surprised her with three-day tickets to Disney World. Kate jumped up and down, eager to go on rides, wear mouse ears, and eat her fill of dessert.
When Kate arrived at the park, an overwhelming feeling of happiness and contentedness snuck up on her. She spent most of the day pointing at characters, reminding her parents of who they were and what movie they were in, and laughing. By the time Kate and her family drove away from Disney World, she felt better than she had in a long time. She knew the feeling wouldn’t last for very long.
As expected, Kate opened her bedroom door to find that she had two guests.
“Where have you been?” Adriana demanded.
“I’ve been in Orlando. My parents took off work for a couple days so we went on a vacation.”
“You’ve got to let us know these things, Kate. Rico and I assumed that your parents were at work, and that you were home alone. When I stopped by a couple days ago to check on you no one was here. I freaked.”
“I’m sorry, Adriana. I never meant to scare you,” Kate said, ashamed.
“It’s okay, Kate. I forgive you. Now, you two need to talk. I hate to say that I’m going to stay here and listen to the two of you, but I don’t think you’ll work this whole puppy love thing out without me here to moderate.”
“What?” Kate asked. “You can’t intervene on people that aren’t addicts.”
“You’re addicted to avoiding each other. I know that Rico never visited you in the hospital because he was moping around his room, whining about how he let you get hurt. And right now you won’t even look at each other. You haven’t even acknowledged him, Kate.”
“Do you honestly think I should be the one to acknowledge him first?” Kate asked seriously. “I think he knows how I feel already. I’m not going to make the first move every time.”
Adriana looked at Rico. “What was your response when she told you how she felt?”
“I told her that we couldn’t. That we can’t,” he amended. “I think that we should stop this conversation now, Adriana. I don’t want to upset Kate; I don’t want to hurt her further.”
“Oh, shut up Rico. You’re such a baby. I know how you feel about Kate. I can see it in the way you are with her. Saying that you can’t, doesn’t tell her how you feel. I think that regardless of whatever excuse you’ve told yourself, Kate needs to hear the truth.” She looked at Kate for confirmation.
Kate stared at Adriana, becoming increasingly embarrassed. She was embarrassed for herself, for Rico, and for Adriana for insisting that this go on.
“Stop it, Adriana.” Kate calmly said the words but her voice quivered with the sparks of annoyance.
Adriana stopped.
“You need to leave,” Kate said. “I don’t need you fighting my battles for me. And frankly, it hurts more when I’m reminded about how Rico feels. Don’t you think it’s hard enough for both of us already? I don’t think we need to make this any more awkward than it already is. We don’t want to be reminded about my feelings. It makes things worse; it makes them harder for everyone involved.”
Adriana’s mouth fell open. Kate had never spoken to her like that before. Even the other times that the girls argued were half-hearted attempts at the truth.
“Okay,” Adriana murmured. She moved closer to the window and jumped out.
Kate watched her go, her heart breaking. She began moving around her room, throwing things in her hamper, throwing things onto her counter, attempting to throw things onto her vanity; most of those things fell onto the floor. Rico watched her the whole time. He only moved when he saw tears falling into the bag that Kate was digging through. His strong arms pulled her up, his hands cupping her face.
“I hate myself for causing this,” he started. “I’m so sorry for hurting you, Kate, but you need to understand that I can’t let myself fall for you.”
“Why not?” Kate asked, her voice trembling. She was beyond caring what he thought of her. She was beyond protecting her pride.
Rico sighed, and decided that, once again, all Kate needed was the truth. She would always need the truth.
“Kate, have you ever thought about what it would be like to have eternal life?”
“Not really,” she said distractedly. “I was probably the only girl that liked the ending to Tuck Everlasting, though. I was happy that she chose to live.”
“Do you remember the end of the story when he came back for her?”
“Yes, he was upset but happy that she chose to live.”
“Yes, he was. However, they don’t show what happens after that. If it was you and I, Kate, I wouldn’t be able to stand existing after realizing that you were gone. If I let myself, I could fall into you completely. I can’t do that. I can’t start falling, knowing that you won’t always be around to catch me. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
He let go of Kate’s face now, aware that her soft lips were turning blue. He flinched and pushed himself away. He grabbed the blanket off of Kate’s bed and tossed it to her. Kate took it, unaware that she was cold until she started shivering.
“I can’t even touch you without causing hypothermia,” he added angrily.
“You don’t have to touch me,” Kate said. “I don’t care if we hold hands. We don’t even have to kiss or hug. I just want you to be around. I want to know that it’s okay to feel this way about you.”
“Kate,” Rico said, “I can’t. I’m sorry, but I just can’t. You might think I’m strong, but I’m not. I’m not strong when it comes to you.”
Kate sat there, playing with the handles of the now empty bag. She didn’t know what else to say or how to deal with this strange situation. She felt drained, tired from trying to untangle her feelings about Rico. She understood how he felt, though. If the roles were reversed she would be saying the same things he was.
Chapter 18
Kate relaxed for the rest of the weekend. Each morning she woke before the sun, slipped on her running shoes and ran along the length of the beach. Afterwards, she would peel off her sweaty clothes and jump into the ocean. For the rest of the afternoon she sat on a towel in the softest part of the sand, listening to music and reading books.
At this time, she would allow herself to glaze over her latest conversation with Rico. He was right, and she knew that he would always be right. It wasn’t fair for her to insist that they try forming a relationship. Rico would be the one losing out in the long run; his eternal existence could be spent missing Kate. However, Kate would get older; she would appear older than Rico at some point. How long would they be able to stay together, knowing that one day Kate would be too old? In the end they would both lose everything.
Monday morning Kate found Erik in the kitchen, laughing with her parents. Her mother was cooking an entire continental breakfast. There were already muffins and waffles on the table, not to mention three kinds of juice. She was now frying up bacon and f
lipping over omelets. The kitchen smelled wonderful; the atmosphere was awkward for Kate.
Kate slipped into a seat between her mother and father, across from Erik, when breakfast was served. She stared at the food in front of her, not knowing where to start. She went for the bacon first. Kate’s mother rarely cooked real bacon; she was more of a turkey bacon type of person. Kate grabbed a chocolate chip muffin next and poured herself a glass orange juice. She immediately stuffed her mouth so that she didn’t have to talk.
“So Kate, do you want to stay long enough to attend school here in the fall?”
Great. Erik had caught Kate at a time when she wasn’t chewing.
“I guess so,” she said. “I move so often that it doesn’t really matter to me. I can make friends anywhere I go, so I don’t care.”
“Do you have any friends here?”
“Kate made a couple of lovely friends here,” Blaire interjected. “I dare say that these are the closest friends she has ever had. She had her friend stay over here one night. She was a sweet girl, and knew a lot about marine biology.”
“That sounds nice, Blaire. I’m glad that you and Aaron approve of Kate’s friends.”
“Well, that’s the only friend we’ve met, although I think the other one is a boy. What’s his name, honey?” asked Blaire.
“His name is Rico,” Kate said.
“Yes, Rico. He seems like a nice kid.”
“I thought that you hadn’t met this Rico yet,” Erik said.
“Well Erik, Blaire and I trust our daughter. We know that Kate wouldn’t choose friends that were bad influences,” Aaron interrupted, his voice firm. He stared at Erik, and Kate felt a great deal of pride for her father in that moment. At least Kate wasn’t the only one that thought Erik was funny.
Erik stared back at Aaron, and Kate thought she saw a flash of something in his eyes. She felt a pang of fear flash through her heart and knew that it was for a reason. Kate’s intuition had been correct about Mr. Evans, and she thought that she had grounds for her feelings now. Why was Erik so concerned with Kate? He seemed to only ask questions that concerned her life; he was either a predator or worse, a demon.
There was a knock at the door then, and Kate stood up quickly, eager to get out of the dining room. She rushed toward the door and opened it, finding Rico on the other side. He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, dark sunglasses covering his eyes. He wore black jeans, a faded black t-shirt and a pair of converse.
Kate pushed her way out, nearly shutting the door.
“There’s a guy in the house,” she whispered. “I need you to tell me if he’s a demon. He seems overly concerned with me, and I don’t like it.”
Rico’s casual stance grew rigid. He nodded his head and pushed past her into the house. Kate followed him, running in front of him so that she could introduce him before he burst into the room. This was, in fact, the boy that she wanted to one day bring home as her boyfriend; even if that dream was out of reach she didn’t want to tarnish it by letting Rico ruin his first impression.
“Speak of the devil,” she nearly shouted to the room. “Mom, Dad, Erik, this is Rico.” She gestured to Rico as he walked into the kitchen.
“Oh!” her mother exclaimed, jumping up from her seat and rushing into the kitchen toward them. She grabbed a plate out of the cabinet.
“Would you like to stay for breakfast?” she asked eagerly.
“Thank you, ma’am. I would love that,” Rico said, taking the plate from Blaire. He walked over to the table and sat next to Erik, across from Kate’s father. Kate watched as he shook her father’s hand, the mark of a real gentleman.
“He’s hot!” Kate’s mother exclaimed quietly.
“Hush, mom. Gosh, he’ll hear you,” Kate said, reprimanding her mother.
She looked at Rico, though, and noted his tousled hair. He did look exceptionally handsome today, his cobalt eyes bright against the black background of his clothes and hair. She watched as he and Erik battled it out in a staring contest; Rico wasn’t happy with Erik, but Kate decided to wait for confirmation before making assumptions.
The five of them sat around the table barely talking now. Kate could feel the animosity in the room, a tangible force that slithered around. She could tell that the rest of breakfast would be miserable and very long.
“So, Erik, what is it that you do?” Rico inquired.
“I work at a bank in downtown Tampa. It’s in one of the skyscrapers,” he said.
“Why did you buy a house out here then? It’s got to be a long drive for you in the mornings. What is it, thirty or forty-five minutes?”
“I’m too old for that downtown life. There are only young people in that area. I like this area much better. It’s quiet and secluded. And I don’t mind the drive. It takes about thirty minutes, if traffic is good.”
“I see,” Rico said, unconvinced.
A very long hour later, Kate stood outside with Rico. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down to the beach, half-dragging half-supporting her with his grip. He didn’t stop walking until he was at Adriana’s house. Once he was there, he let go of Kate.
“Adriana!” he shouted, his voice loud.
Adriana dashed outside, curlers in her hair. She looked worried and deadly at the same time. Her black eyes were swirling with anger and curiosity.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Have you heard of an Erik before?” Rico described Erik to Adriana. “I feel as though I’ve heard of him before. Why?”
“He works for Kern,” Adriana grumbled. “Why are you asking?”
“He’s having breakfast with Kate’s family right now.”
“What? Tell me everything.”
Rico told Adriana about Erik, and Kate mentioned her first encounter with him. Adriana then dragged them all up to her bathroom so that they could create plans while she got ready for her date with Donovan.
“I’m going to talk to Donovan about this tonight,” she said when she was finished. “I need to see what he knows about Erik. We need to know what he’s doing here. Kern usually does his dirty work on his own; it’s what makes him the most dangerous elder demon. If he’s sending men out to watch over Kate, or worse, watch us, then we need to find out what he wants from Kate as quickly as possible. I’m worried that this won’t end well.”
Kate and Rico followed Adriana downstairs.
“We need to keep our eyes on Kate at all times, Adriana.”
“You’re staying with her tonight, Rico. We can’t have sleepovers every night while you go out searching for clues. Take a break. Rekindle your friendship.”
“And after tonight?”
“After tonight we’ll devise a plan to protect Kate around the clock. I promise,” Adriana said. She spun around once to show them the final product. She looked absolutely perfect in a tight white and black color block dress that was about six inches too short. She wore patent leather five inch heels, with spikes and rhinestones covering the back of the heel. Her clutch matched her shoes. Kate smiled when she saw Adriana’s bright orange fingernails.
After Adriana left, Kate and Rico stood staring at each other. Rico was breathing hard, visibly agitated. Kate moved closer to him and touched his lower back to break him from whatever thought he was tangled in. He looked at her, coming back.
“I’ll walk you back to your house,” he said. “I’ll meet you in your room when the sun falls.”
Kate sat with her parents for the rest of the day. She enjoyed hearing her father mumble about Erik and his odd questions, and disliked that her mother kept defending him. When the sun was well below the horizon she feigned drowsiness and went upstairs.
Rico was already up there, freshly showered, the ends of his hair curling as it dried. Kate noticed that his cobalt eyes were stormy again, and wondered when she would see them shine. He was walking around the room, checking the surroundings much like Adriana had. Kate went into her bathroom and showered while he did this.
The shower was wonderful. Kate felt her worries and fears melt away with the hot water, her tight muscles loosening. When she emerged, Rico was reading the book he had started the last time he was in her bedroom.
“You look nice when your cheeks are flushed,” he observed.
“Thank you,” Kate said, trying hard not to get her hopes up for no reason.
Rico stuck his index finger in the book he was reading to mark his place. He was almost halfway finished with Pride and Prejudice. Kate wondered if he had known Jane Austen, or any other writer for that matter. Once again, she found herself wondering about his past.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
“How do you always know what I’m doing?” she tossed back.
Rico laughed. “I don’t, but you always bite your lower lip when you think.”
Kate’s cheeks reddened further. Did she do that? She found herself biting her lip and laughed. Rico laughed with her.
“I guess I never noticed before,” she said.
“That’s normal. Most people don’t know much about themselves.”
“I guess so.” Kate sat down on the edge of the bed and faced Rico. She let her fingers trace the patterns in her blanket. She could sense Rico’s eyes on her but didn’t look up.
“Have you thought about your talisman, Kate?” he asked a minute later.
“I have,” she said honestly. “I don’t know what to choose. I thought about something that my parents gave me but realized that it wasn’t right. I tried to find something that I found myself, or did by myself, but can’t find anything there either. There isn’t anything tying my soul to this world.”
“What about your dad’s fedora? You love that thing,” Rico suggested.
“I thought about that, but it doesn’t work either.”
“Why not?”
“Last year, when we lived in Australia, I lost it. I found it, of course, later, but when it was lost I wasn’t upset or angry. I didn’t care. Instead, I went looking for another piece of my father that I could wear. It’s not the hat, Rico. It’s my dad. I can’t shrink him and carry him in my pocket, though.” She leaned back, dejected.
