Delusions

by Amy Crandall

  You’re supposed to make him lose interest in you, not gain more interest!

  “I think I might change,” she said, turning to look at her mother.

  “Why would you do that? You look great!” Her mother stepped closer, moving a curl that had fallen across Abigale’s face. “His jaw is going to drop to the floor when he sees you.”

  When her mother had first heard about Mike and the date, she seemed happier than in the past instances a boy was mentioned. Abigale figured it was because of what she saw when she came home the night she and Damien were together. At the thought of Damien and their near kiss, her heart ached. She hadn’t seen him since that night, and she was curious to know if he would ever want to talk to her again. “It’s just the movies, Mom. Don’t you think this is too formal?”

  “Not at all.” This came from a person who dressed to the nines all the time. Of course she was going to say it wasn’t too formal.

  “Okay. I guess I’ll keep this on.”

  Her mother’s smile widened, and she extended her arms for a hug. The faint scent of cinnamon enveloped Abigale as they embraced her. It had been a while since they’d shown any type of affection toward each other, so it was a nice feeling.

  “You nervous?”

  “Maybe a little,” Abigale admitted.

  “Don’t be,” her mother replied, pulling away. “I’m sure he’s lovely.”

  You only think that because he’s my age, Abigale thought to herself.

  “When is he coming?” her mother asked.

  Abigale pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the time. Her tense muscles relaxed when she saw the notification-free screen. It was always a good sign when she had no texts from DarkHeart434. “Should be here any minute.”

  Right on cue, the doorbell rang downstairs. “I’ll get it,” Abigale’s mother told her, spinning on her heel and exiting the room. Abigale checked her appearance in the mirror once more before collecting her purse and heading downstairs.

  Mike and her mother were chatting downstairs. When she came down the steps, Abigale felt like she was interrupting two old friends who had just reunited.

  “Abigale,” Mike said when she saw her, his eyes scanning her body before returning to her eyes. “You look beautiful.”

  Don’t blush, don’t blush, don’t blush.

  It was too late. Her cheeks warmed at his comment immediately after he said it. “Thanks. You look handsome.”

  She blushed harder, realizing what she had just said in front of her mother. He did look handsome though. Wearing a simple button-down shirt and jeans, he still somehow pulled it off better than anyone she’d ever met.

  “Thank you,” he replied, flashing her a dazzling grin. He extended his arm as she hit the last step. She clutched his bicep, said goodbye to her mother, and stepped outside.

  The air was cold, but she felt strangely warm walking beside Mike. He even opened the car door for her when they reached his vehicle, which caused her to giggle. She was quick to silence herself, remembering what she was supposed to be doing.

  Mike chatted throughout the drive to the movie theatre. This wasn’t surprising to Abigale, as he always seemed to talk a lot when she was around. She wondered if it was a nervous habit.

  “What movie are we seeing?” she asked once they pulled up to the theatre. She wanted to ask earlier, but Mike hadn’t stopped talking until now. She found it endearing, the way he rambled.

  “I was going to leave that up to you.” When he smiled at her, Abigale’s heart melted. How was she supposed to make him lose interest in her? He was the sweetest boy she’d talked to in a long time, save Damien.

  Her chest tightened at the thought of Damien, guilt nearly swallowing her whole. She felt like a cheater, even though she wasn’t in a relationship with anyone. Not officially.

  When they stepped out of the car, Abigale eyed the sign with the list of movies that were currently playing. There was one horror, which she immediately crossed off of her list. She had experienced enough terrifying thrills in the past month to last a lifetime.

  She joined Mike on the other side of the vehicle, brushing away the twinges of guilt rolling off her in waves. He extended his arm to her, which she accepted graciously.

  Just because I have to sabotage his feelings for me doesn’t mean we have to have a crappy date, Abigale thought as they walked up to the front doors of the theatre.

  After a brief discussion, Abigale suggested Insurgent, but Mike really wanted to see The Longest Ride. He told her it was a western, and since she didn’t mind westerns, she let him pick the movie.

  They got their tickets at the booth, and it was in the line for popcorn that Abigale saw him. Tall, gangly, without his uniform and shiny nametag. Markus. He disappeared in the crowd as quickly as he appeared, but it didn’t stop Abigale from squeezing Mike’s bicep so hard her fingers turned a shade of white.

  “Ouch! Abigale, are you okay?” Mike asked her, prying her hand from his arm. He glanced at her, his forehead creased in worry. “What happened?”

  Abigale looked back to where Markus had been standing. “Sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew.”

  “Knew?” he echoed. “How?”

  “Someone from San Francisco.”

  Her mind was reeling with thoughts of Markus, the man from the convenience store. Why was he here? What were the odds he’d be at the theatre the same time as her, much less be in the same town? When she first saw him, they were over a hundred miles from Arcata. It didn’t make sense!

  “Should I be concerned about this person from San Francisco?” Mike asked.

  “No,” Abigale hastily replied, forcing a smile. “Sorry for worrying—”

  Her words were cut off when someone called her name. At first, she was terrified it was Markus. Abigale’s panicked expression caused Mike to tense and pull her into a protective hug. His gaze focused on the person who’d called her.

  “Who are you?” Mike asked, his voice steely calm.

  “Whoa, chill, man. Abigale’s my neighbor,” the familiar voice drawled.

  Abigale wiggled out of Mike’s grip and whipped around to face Damien, who appeared slightly amused at the sight of her with Mike. She didn’t know what to do about the situation. Here she was, standing between two boys, both of whom she’d nearly kissed, and one of whom she was currently on a date with.

  “Aren’t you going to say hi?” Damien asked innocently, taking a step closer. When she got a closer look at him, Abigale could tell that his cocky attitude was hiding a deeper emotion. Pain.

  “Hello, Damien,” she said, her chest tightening once again. “You here to see the movie too?”

  Damien looked between her and Mike as if he was trying to piece together something. Then he shrugged, smirking at her. “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  They entered the auditorium at a quarter after eight. Abigale held her full bag of popcorn in one hand and fountain drink in the other. Mike took a seat in one of the back rows and she plopped down beside him, her mind whirling from the events that had just transpired.

  Mike was tense. She could tell by the way his jaw was set. His hands were squeezed into fists, and Abigale felt the urge to reach for him. She felt bad, embarrassed even, that they’d seen the boy she had almost kissed a week before. Mike didn’t know how close the two were, but anyone could guess by the lingering glances that passed between her and Damien in the concession lineup.

  “Mike, I—” Abigale began but stopped when he raised his hand.

  “He’s just a friend, right?”

  Abigale gritted her teeth. “Yes.”

  Mike nodded, his gaze focused on the screen. “Okay.”

  While the trailers for other upcoming movies flashed across the display, Abigale saw someone walk through the door to the auditorium. Her mind flashed back to Markus, the convenience store employee who she swore she’d seen in the lobby. Her muscles tensed, and she was ready to jump up at any moment. If Mike not
iced her distress, he didn’t express it. He didn’t look at her once, and Abigale knew he didn’t believe she and Damien were just friends. She didn’t even know if she believed herself.

  Her eyes snapped back to the person who’d just come in. They climbed up the stairs, and in the dim lights, Abigale caught a glimpse of the face.

  Damien.

  Much to her dismay, he sat one row up from them, nearly parallel to where they were. She wondered if he purposely sat there to bother her. She wouldn’t blame him. After all, the last time they’d seen each other, they’d nearly kissed. They would have if her mother hadn’t walked in. Abigale wasn’t sure if her mother’s abrupt entrance had been a good thing or a bad thing.

  Her breath caught when she detected a warm hand settle over hers. Mike subtly flipped over her hand so her palm was up and slid his fingers between her own. He didn’t look at her once as he did this, which drove her pulse through the roof. However, all she was able to think about was how different his hands were compared to Damien’s. Damien’s were rougher, whereas Mike’s were smooth and callous free.

  No! You’re not supposed to be thinking about either of them, she scolded herself. You’re supposed to be making Mike lose interest.

  She pulled away. Her heart was aching at the absence of his fingers between her own, but she set her jaw anyway. Mike appeared hurt but didn’t reach for her again. He knew better than to push her boundaries.

  The movie turned out to be a romance, not a western. Abigale blushed strawberry red during the passionate scenes, and she wondered if Mike knew what the movie was about when he picked it.

  By the uncomfortable look on his face and the way he fidgeted in his seat, she guessed not.

  She sensed eyes staring through the back of her head, which made it even worse. Damien knew she was there. Abigale was certain of it. Part of her wondered what he thought of the movie, or if he was paying attention to it at all.

  “I need to go to the bathroom,” she whispered to Mike. Her lack of comfort in the whole situation was giving her anxiety. She felt like someone was standing behind her with their fingers around her throat, slowly tightening their grip each second that passed.

  “Okay.” Mike gave her a sweet smile as she stood.

  Leaving the auditorium, she again detected eyes drilling into the back of her head, and when she glanced back, she saw Damien regarding her curiously. Abigale pretended not to see him.

  She stood in the bathroom for ten minutes, staring at herself in the mirror, trying to calm her heart rate. What had she gotten herself into? The whole move had been a mistake, and Abigale knew it. She thought about calling Tiffany, but that was an hour-long conversation she didn’t have the time to make at the moment. Mike would worry about her and probably come searching, and she didn’t want that.

  “C’mon, Abby,” she said to her reflection. Her green eyes stared back at her in a fierce light. “Pull yourself together. If you can handle moving to a new town, you can deal with a couple of boys.”

  She turned on her heel and marched back into the auditorium.

  ***

  For the rest of the movie, Abigale didn’t focus on the fact that Damien was sitting right behind her. She pretended he didn’t exist at all. She focused her attention on the movie, her mind captivated by the characters on the screen. When the lead characters professed their love for each other, Mike reached for her again.

  This time, she didn’t have the heart to pull away.

  She didn’t let go of his hand until the end credits rolled across the screen. Everyone in the auditorium stood and walked single file through the exit door. Abigale hung back with Mike until the majority of the crowd dissipated. Damien apparently had the same idea, because he was still sitting in his seat and eating popcorn by the mouthful when the lights came back on. When he noticed Abigale looking at him, he winked at her. She quickly turned away, her cheeks warming. Mike reached for her, and when she peered up at him, his jaw was clenched.

  “You ready?”

  Abigale nodded, and the two left the auditorium. Damien was still sitting in his seat when she walked through the doors.

  Mike was quiet until they reached the car. Abigale knew something was gnawing at him, but she wasn’t sure how to approach it. A part of her knew exactly why he was quiet. Damien had ruined the whole night.

  At least he won’t want to go out with me again, Abigale thought weakly.

  She climbed into the passenger’s side and shut the door behind her. Mike sat on the driver’s side, focused on something in front of them. When he spoke, Abigale let out the breath she’d been holding.

  “I can see the way he looks at you,” Mike said, hurt lacing his tone. “I didn’t realize you were interested in someone else, Abigale.”

  “It’s not like that, Mike.”

  He turned, meeting her gaze. Even in the darkened car, she saw the pain reflecting on his face. “What is it like then?”

  She fidgeted in her seat. “There’s nothing going on between us. He’s just a neighbor.”

  Mike’s eyes softened a little. “You do know why that might seem a little hard to believe, right?”

  Abigale nodded. “I know. But I promise you, it’s the truth.”

  She heard Jules in her mind, screaming at her to shut up. Abigale was blowing the only chance she had at getting Mike to back off. The worst part was that she didn’t know why she was doing it.

  His eyes locked with hers again with burning intensity and her stomach erupted in butterflies. She knew what was coming. Though, before she could try to stop it, he took her face in his smooth hands and kissed her.

  It was a soft kiss, but it took her breath away. The sensations it unearthed were completely new to her. Mike pulled away much too quickly for her liking and pressed his forehead against hers.

  “I really like you, Abigale,” he whispered, his breath tickling her lips.

  This was the exact behavior that she was trying to defuse, but she uttered the words she promised Jules she wouldn’t say.

  “I really like you too.”

  Their lips met again, and Abigale was completely lost in the depths of his kiss.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-ONE

  Abigale’s happiness was short-lived, as she found out when she got home later that night. After kissing her on her front porch for what seemed like forever, Mike left her alone in the dark, quiet house she couldn’t call home. Her mother was asleep, so Abigale had to tiptoe her way up to her room. Kicking off her flats in the entrance of her bedroom, she fumbled for the light switch. Light flooded the room and she immediately regretted the decision, for there was a surprise waiting for her.

  A single red rose lay on her bed underneath a note. Abigale giggled at first, foolishly thinking it was from Mike. She moved the flower to the side, looked at her name written in cursive on the front of the envelope, and pulled her phone from her back pocket to text Mike. The blood immediately drained from her face when she began to type out the message. It wasn’t Mike who had sent the rose.

  Dropping her phone on her comforter, she ripped open the envelope, and a note and USB drive fell out. She snatched up the paper and read the note.

  My dearest Abigale, why must you torture me by going out with another? It’s okay, though. Soon we’ll be together, and I won’t have to worry about him.

  She dropped the note onto the bedspread, her hands shaking from pure fear.

  Soon we’ll be together…

  Swallowing back a scream, Abigale reached for the USB drive, and she jolted when she saw the label taped to the drive. Watch me.

  Her legs numb, she stumbled over to her laptop. Plugging the drive into her computer, she cued up the device and waited for it to detect the USB. When the USB opened on the screen, she saw there was only one file: a video. Abigale took a deep, shaky breath. Should she look at it? Her curiosity finally caused her to give in, and she reluctantly clicked play.

  The image was grainy, but she was able to make out two p
eople in a car, pulled close together in a tight embrace. With a pang of fear, Abigale realized she was looking at her and Mike.

  Someone had been standing a few feet from the car, videotaping the whole exchange.

  Abigale felt nauseous. Her stomach and throat burned, and she had to swallow down the vomit that threatened to surface. Someone had spied on her and videotaped her first real kiss. What kind of person would do that?

  The video ended when the two untangled themselves from one another. Abigale was about to exit the video when a sentence flashed across the screen. Her heart skipped one, two, three beats.

  HE WILL PAY FOR THIS, JUST YOU WAIT, ABIGALE!

  Abigale knew who the anonymous person meant instantly. Mike. They were going to hurt Mike.

  She slammed her computer shut and dialed Mike’s number on her cell phone, her throat constricting while she waited for him to answer. It rang once before his voicemail picked up. A mixture of dread and fear overwhelmed her.

  She called him again, and again. Four times she called Mike before she collapsed in tears on her bedspread.

  “Please, don’t hurt him,” she pleaded through sobs. “Don’t hurt him!”

  ***

  Abigale awoke the next morning to the sound of pots banging together downstairs, still clutching her phone. She’d cried herself to sleep, and her cheeks still remembered the feeling of the steady stream of tears that overcame her. The rose was right by her foot, its thorns lightly pressing into her skin. The note was on the floor, half-crumpled.

  Lifting her head, she sniffled. She rubbed her eyes, forgetting she still had mascara on. It smudged against the skin under her eye, giving her what her mother often called “raccoon eyes”. She groaned but didn’t bother to get up and wipe the makeup off of her skin. She checked her phone.