by Shelly Crane
“Maggie,” Bish pleaded, taking a step forward and imagining his fist connecting with Caleb’s jaw repeatedly. “Come here.”
He wanted to get me to safety first.
“I’m fine, Bish,” I said, reading his misinterpretation of the whole thing. “I wasn’t in trouble. We were just playing around.”
“Did you have something to drink tonight, Caleb?” he asked suspiciously and inspected him with his gaze.
“Nah, man, I don’t drink. I told you that.” He sighed. “Look. I’d never hurt Maggie. We were just playing around. I promise you, I’d never hurt this girl. I love her more than my life.”
My heart jolted at his words but Bish wasn’t moved.
“Pretty words don’t mean jack. Actions are what make us and it didn’t sound like playing to me.” He turned back to me and stepped even closer, holding his hand out. “Maggie, I promise you I’ll get you out of here and you won’t have to see a soul. You won’t be embarrassed or whatever. He won’t hurt you and don’t feel bad about it. If he’s pushing you to do something you don’t want to-”
“No,” I said and knew right then what I had to do.
Are you sure?
Yes, I answered and nodded my head, not caring if Bish saw or not. I’d had enough and I was gonna lose him if I didn’t start to produce answers. He may call me a freak or run away but so be it. At least my conscience would be clear. I looked at Caleb imploringly. He nodded.
I told you I’m with you, one hundred percent.
Ok, I’m going to tell him but I think I need to tell him alone. He won’t be like my dad, he’ll be furious with you. I don’t want him to fight with you.
You’re doing the right thing, no matter what happens.
I nodded.
“Bish,” I said softly. “Let’s go take a walk.”
I knew it!
“I knew it, you little bastard! What did you do to her!” he roared and came at Caleb, prompting me to jump down and stand in front of Caleb. Caleb quickly changed my plans though and put me behind him, mentally chastising me and forbidding me to do that again. “I’m gonna murder you.”
“I want to walk because I have something to tell you. Not because I’m trying to get away from him,” I said quickly around Caleb’s arm, gripping his shirt for support.
Dad, Peter and Jen had come to the doorway; all had heard the ruckus.
“Button your shirt,” Bish sneered.
“I have another shirt on underneath,” I said but still found myself buttoning up anyway. “We weren’t doing anything inappropriate. He’s my boyfriend, Bish.”
“Inappropriate,” he scoffed at me like I was the most naïve girl he’d ever seen then turned his glare back on Caleb. “You better pray that she doesn’t tell me that you hurt her, even a little. I will break your legs,” Bish growled. “Let her go.”
“Bish, enough!” I yelled.
“I’ll let her go with you when you calm down. I want you to talk to her. I’m not worried about that. I told you I’d never hurt her. You’ve been so mad at her this whole time because we were keeping something from you. I’m surprised you aren’t jumping at the chance to learn what it is.”
“Don’t act like you know me! Move!”
He pushed Caleb’s chest and it was too much for me. I came forward, ducking under Caleb’s arm and grabbed Bish’s huge forearm in my little hand but I knew I was no longer a normal little girl. I pushed through my thoughts to make him stop, for him to feel my power, the sting of my touch when I wanted something my way.
It worked.
He jumped back with a yelp, prompting a gasp from my father who tried to come our way but Peter stopped him. Bish looked at me with a strange expression.
“You shocked me.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Static…static electricity,” he mused.
“No, not static, me. Don’t touch Caleb like that again,” I told him firmly. I heard Peter’s proud thoughts that I was protecting his son and in his eyes, I was fierce. “Now stop being an idiot and come take a walk with me.” I glanced over at Dad quickly. “I’m sorry, Dad. I can’t do it anymore. I’m going to tell him.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Yep,” my one word clipped answer explained it all.
“Peter?” he asked, hoping for a little help, in in his mind.
“It’s Maggie’s decision. I trust her judgment.”
“What in God’s name is going on here?” Bish boomed. “What are you all talking about?”
I decided to give him a taste, if nothing else to shut him up. Feeling Caleb’s hand on my arm to steady me, or more probably to keep me away from Bish’s raging form, I let all my feelings come to me, felt all the aggravation at Bish, at being interrupted, at having to explain myself and saw the energy right before I felt it hum. I saw a few ribbons dance in between us and he sucked in a quick breath.
I’m imaging things.
“Nope, you’re not imaging things,” I answered and let the energy on my skin activate the air. The blue haze and energy was everywhere. When the windows started to rattle in the car he just stood, gawking at it, looking back several times to see if everyone else was seeing what he was seeing. Dad gave him a sympathetic tilt of the head and Kyle smirked at me, a glaring ‘show off’ in his mind that I had to ignore and focus. “Go for a walk with me.”
“Are you asking,” he asked looking back to me with a new intensity, “or telling?”
“Asking.”
“Just you and I?” Bish asked.
“You scared of little old me?” I asked playfully but it was one of my fears.
“No, I don’t want Caleb to come,” he said pointedly, glowering at him over my shoulder.
“Fine with me,” Caleb said, not unkindly.
“Let’s go,” I suggested.
He started to make his way to the door and I turned to Caleb.
I’ll keep my mind open to you. I know you’ll freak if I don’t.
He sighed gratefully and touched my cheek.
You know me so well. Be careful.
I’ll be ok.
I know. Just remember that if he doesn’t take it so well now, he will eventually. Just give him time and don’t jump to conclusions. I’ll be right here, waiting for you if you need me, just call me.
He kissed my forehead and I heard Bish growling in my mind, making me sigh and pull away from Caleb. I gave Dad and Peter a smile to assure them as I followed Bish out into the night.
~ Fifteen ~
“Ok,” he said.
His mind was a total blank. He had no idea what to think.
That was the big silence breaker after our long, slow, quiet walk to the shore behind the house. And that was it, he didn’t say another word. He watched me as he walked backwards and sat in the sand with a plop of exhaustion. It was like now that I was gonna let him in on the big secret, he was no longer sure he wanted to know.
“I love you,” I started off, startling him. “I just want you to know that. I have always appreciated you looking after me.” I moved to sit on my knees in front of him, not too close. “You are my brother. I don’t care what some piece of paper says, you always were my brother. I didn’t tell you about everything that’s going on because I was trying to protect you. It wasn’t not trusting or not wanting you to know.”
“Ok,” he ventured cautiously. I’d never seen him so cautious before. “I’m listening.”
I began to unravel the story. I started from the beginning, about meeting Caleb and imprinting all the way to now. The words seemed jumbled and rushed to me. Over the span of I didn’t know how long, I laid it all out and he just sat back and listened.
“I met him…touched we imprinted…my soul mate…have to be together…. Kyle’s mad or jealous…hurt me in echo dreams...Marcus and his hateful family… ascension you get these abilities… kidnapped by Watson clan…theories and this well….got away and Caleb’s family found me…abilities in a dream…family love
s me…I love him…airplane to escape…beach house…my hair…you’ve been so….and Kyle is acting so…Dad understands that I need… have to sleep together to keep me safe…I want you to know…. Caleb loves me, he’d never hurt me…his mind is laced with protectiveness…hear everyone’s thoughts…lose control…trying to figure this all out…Visionary, some kinda leader…freaking me out…but, Jen is off limits…but I love you, so much. Please don’t hate me.”
I had felt Caleb checking in on me several times so I figured it had been a while. I assured him I was alright, just needed some more time. Bish watched me and I waited for the thought to come. The same thing Dad had wanted that day, for me to prove it all, to demonstrate my powers, but it never came. He believed me, completely but wanted to get me away from it all. Like Dad, he wanted me safe and happy and thought there was no way for that to happen in this life. I was a little surprised at how well he took it all and believed me so easily.
So, Caleb knew if you touched him, this would happen?
“No,” I answered his internal question. “No, he didn’t. The imprints had been dormant for over twenty years. He had no idea. But it happened and it wasn’t anybody’s fault. It’s not a bad thing.”
“Debatable.”
“No, it’s not actually.” I crossed my arms and looked at him sternly. “I didn’t tell you all this so you’d have more ammunition against Caleb. I told you so you’d be aware and stop trying to find reasons to pummel him all the time and to get off my back.”
“So, you’re saying Jen can’t date anyone. Unless they touch each other and sparks fly or something,” he said the sarcasm evident.
“Yes. It wouldn’t be fair-“
“That’s the dumbest thing I‘ve ever heard. You’re telling me that no matter if I like her or not, no matter what she might feel for me, she and I can never date? Never try to be together if we wanted to?”
I was blown away.
“Out of everything I said that’s what you chose to fight about?”
“You’re such a hypocrite,” he spat with vehemence and stood, brushing sand from his pants angrily. “You’re telling me that you and Caleb are meant to be together, that it’s life or death, that you need to touch him or you have a fit or something and that’s all ok but the ones who haven’t magically touched anyone are just out of luck? No chance at having a life?” He scoffed. “Easy for the ones who have someone to say that, huh?”
“It’s not my rule,” I grumbled, agreeing with him. I’d said that to Caleb. “The rule has a purpose you just don’t understand how imprinting works. What if one of the people who got married and had kids imprinted with someone later on? They wouldn’t be able to help what they feel and they’d have to be with that person. What happens to the wife then?”
He groaned, but hadn’t thought of that. I felt so bad.
“Look. I know about what happened to you. I’ve seen it all. I hate it, Bish. I hate that that happened to you. I hate that you feel the way you do about yourself. You are so…” I walked up to him and he held up his hands to ward me off.
“Don’t, Maggie.”
“Bish, you didn’t deserve that and didn’t do anything wrong. I saw enough to know that.” I had to talk louder to speak over his protest to stop once more. “I love you and you don’t have to do this to yourself. You’re not a bad person, not a monster and you don’t have to stay away from people because you’re spoiled or tainted.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Everyone has just loved you all your life. You’ve never done anything to deserve what I got.”
“Neither did you, but mom left and it wasn’t all Dad’s fault, according to her. I didn’t appreciate her. I wasn’t what she wanted.”
“That’s not true.”
“She told me, Bish.”
He looked at me sharply.
“She said that to you?”
“Yes.”
He shook his head and gritted his teeth angrily.
“Well…she was just trying to justify her leaving. She’s was just…”
“No, don’t make excuses for her,” I spouted, crossing my arms over my chest to stop the wind chills.
“She loves you,” he insisted in a whisper that somehow carried to me in the crush of loud waves.
“She left,” I croaked.
“I wish I knew why she did. I wish I knew where she went,” he muttered to himself.
“California, but I don’t know where, she’s been living with other guys, Bish. She doesn’t care about us.”
“What?” he asked softly. “She told you that?”
“Yes. I talked to her a couple times. She just bragged about how happy she was and how she wished we’d be happy for her too.”
“Maggie, I didn’t know all this. Why didn’t you tell me?” he said taking a step closer to me.
“I didn’t want you to feel bad too. Now I’m really glad I didn’t tell you. It would just have given you one more reason to hate yourself.”
He rubbed his face and I heard him grunt into his hands.
“Maggie…I know that some things weren’t my fault…but my real mom was beat on because of me. My dad hated me and then hated her for having me; that’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault you were born. You have no choice in the matter.”
“It’s doesn’t matter if I had a choice, neither did she!” he yelled. “And then she hated me too because of it. I have never been with someone who wanted me before; never, until your parents decided to take me in. I still don’t know why they took me but we were fine. And then for some reason, Mom left. I don’t know why but maybe the stress of having me and worrying about my school in New York was too much for her.”
“Bish, she left after you did. You got a scholarship; they didn’t need to worry about you. It wasn’t anything you did.”
“I’m not a good person, Maggie. It really doesn’t matter about Jen because…I wouldn’t be good for her anyway. I’m like a disease. I infect everything I touch-”
“Stop it!” I insisted and went to stand in front of him, touching his arm.
He was shaking with fury. I went on my tiptoes and still couldn’t reach his neck very well but I hugged him to me. He resisted for a split second before crushing me to him in a hug that hurt in more ways than one. His mind ran wild with painful past memories and future wants. He was so tired of feeling alone and all by himself. He thought this whole time I was pulling away from him because I no longer wanted to be his family. Like when Mom left she took the glue for our family with her.
“That’s not true,” I told him firmly and heard the strain in my voice. “She doesn’t matter. She has nothing to do with you and me. You will always be my family and I’m sorry,” I said and couldn’t hold my tears anymore. He placed my feet back to the sand. “I’m sorry that I’m not a normal girl, I’m sorry I lied to you about it and made you doubt us. I’m sorry and I love you.”
“I love you too, kiddo. Ah, come on, please don’t,” he pleaded as he eyed the tear sliding down my cheek.
“I know it’s no excuse but I’ve been so worried about you, freaking out really, that you‘d find out and…I‘m not sure what I thought you‘d do. I just didn’t want you to get hurt and Caleb’s family has never told humans what they are before, ever. Do you understand? Their family trusts me with their secret. So that I could tell you and Dad what we are.”
“You said ‘we’.”
“What?”
“You said ’what we are’, not ‘what they are‘,” he said quietly.
“I am what they are, Bish. They are my family now, too. I wanted to keep you and Dad in my life, no matter how naïve I was about you finding out or being suspicious of who I was. They are sacrificing everything…for me, so I can keep you in my life.”
He blew a breath out of his pursed lips, his hands loosely on his hips. His thoughts were shifting, almost against his will. He didn’t want to like them, didn’t want me to be bound to them. He knew he had
no say and he’d have to either like it or lose me. He looked up to see me watching him and gave me a wry smile.
“You can hear everything I’m thinking right now, can’t you?”
“Yep.”
“So you know my answer then.”
“You’ll try to let me be even though you still don’t like it?”
“I don’t like Caleb, at all. I think he’s manipulative and-”
“Nope, that’s not trying in my book,” I told him. “Everyone is included in this; his whole family and even Dad. We are what we are. There are gonna be things going on that are weird and unexplainable and supernatural. I can’t have you throwing a fit about my safety or anything else every time something comes up. Agreed?”
“Your safety is not negotiable,” he said hotly.
“Yes it is. Caleb is my protector now. He’s in my mind, my body, my… soul. He can feel my heartbeat in his chest - literally in his chest, Bish - all the time, and it tells him when I need him. As a matter of fact, he’s checked on me a few times already since we’ve been out here.”
“I haven’t seen him.” I pointed to my head for an answer and he opened his mouth in realization. “Oh, I should have known. So you guys can speak to each other in your minds?”
“Yes, and he keeps everything bad away while we sleep. His touch can cure any cut or broken bone or disease. I’ll never be sick again, never hurt again, never be safer than I am with him.”
“I can’t like him Maggie. He took you from us.”
“Why is it so hard to believe that I’d go and get a boyfriend one day, get married and move away?”
“It’s not hard to believe but that’s not what happened. For one, you’re only seventeen. For two, he didn’t date you and ask you, he took you.”
“I took him too. That’s how it works. We imprinted on each other. It has to work both ways.”
“Says him,” he spouted just as I heard Caleb in my mind, checking on me once again.
You ok? You seem to be getting pretty worked up.
I’m fine. He’s just being difficult. I’m defending your honor, so to speak.
