Dismissing my vision as a teenage sugar high, I settle into the who-knows-whom conversation taking place. Unfamiliar eyes watch us as Skyler and I squeeze into a captain’s chair near the front sliding-glass doors, but no one says anything. Dad’s freestanding, oversized TV sits to my left. The lack of judgmental words is a pleasant change from the mean ones at school from those who constantly choose to voice their opinions. Sky and I don’t aim to be clingy. We didn’t aspire to be raised in abusive households, either.
Across from Sky and me, against the side of the staircase, Jolene sits next to Josh in a loveseat while Dereck takes the empty chair by the fireplace.
Rocco has squished between Alex and Payton to my right, on the couch against the wall separating the living room and kitchen. His massive arms rest behind their heads. “Do you know Cammy Schooner?”
Sky readjusts in our chair. “You mean a pretty girl at my school, who happens to be the meanest girl ever? Nope, never heard of her.”
In unison, the trio on the couch say, “Yep, that’s Cammy.”
Dereck’s voice resonates as he tells Rocco, “We’re all happy he dumped that mistake.”
Josh smirks at Dereck. “Like you’ve made stellar choices, pretty boy?” Jolene nudges him in the ribs. Josh suddenly appears shameful. “Oh. Not you, Alex. I didn’t mean you.”
My stomach does a somersault, taking me by surprise. And when did my mom’s chair start looking so good?
The blond bombshell, Alex, shows a not-so-attractive catty side. “I know you don’t mean me. Letting me go was Dereck’s biggest mistake.”
My stomach settles unexpectedly.
Sky whispers, “What’s wrong with you?”
I give her a look that says, “Zip it!”
Her nose scrunches. “You’re rude.” She looks so cute, I laugh and nuzzle into her.
“Do you know John Taylor?” Rocco asks.
Skyler smirks. “Why, you dated him, too?”
Rocco lopsidedly grins with a nod of approval. “All right. It’s on, feisty one.” Then he eyeballs Josh. “Shy and reserved, my ass.” Apparently, Rocco doesn’t believe the Shorties want to be secluded.
Josh and Jolene laugh, probably part in shock and part relief. Smiling while watching the Wise Ones’ happiness, I suddenly feel eyes on me. I look directly at him, but Dereck abruptly looks away. His fingers push away bangs that have slightly fallen into green eyes it should be a crime to hide. Dereck’s face is handsome but gentle, kind, with lots of thought behind his expressions. Light-brown hair caresses his forehead, and his strong jawline is one I could stare at the rest of the day.
Josh’s eyes snap to something behind me, pulling me from my thoughts. I turn to see what he’s glaring at. The mail truck. Oh no. I slowly face Josh, now staring at me. His expression hardens. “Go get it.”
The Crew quiets, observing the dynamics of this quartet. I shake my head and mumble to buy time.
Josh’s jaw tightens. “Serenity, you promised to try harder. You need the best GPA possible for a scholarship.” Rocco gazes around my expensive home as if it screams, “Scholarship not needed.” Josh keeps ranting. “Now, I’m not playing with you. Go. Get. Your. Report. Card.”
An embarrassing, unstoppable whine leaves my mouth. “Josh-u-a. Pleeaasse, not now…”
Sky says to the Crew. “It was his idea to skip today—”
“Sky, not playing with you, either.” Josh’s lecture finger appears. “You’re next.”
Jolene comes to the rescue. “Josh, let’s not do this now. Wait till later.”
Skyler sticks out her tongue at Josh, and I chuckle. I shouldn’t have. He points at us but speaks to Jolene. “See? How am I going to get through to them, when you are always—”
“Damn married couple with kids.” Rocco gets off the couch, practically forcing Alex and Payton’s bodies to exit with him since he’s wedged in so tightly. “I’m starving.”
Sky observes Rocco with a touch of what looks like admiration but says, “Shocker. The big guy is hungry,” as she leaves me to follow.
Rocco glances down at her. “That’s two, Lil’ Mama.”
Through the dining area, we all follow Rocco and Sky to the kitchen. “Lit-tle mama?” she asks.
“Yep. You got a bite like Mama Hen over there.” Rocco regards Jolene. “Who, by the looks of it, is still schooling Josh with those intense golden-brown eyes of hers.” Rocco gazes at Sky again, with a slight smirk. “You’re just smaller. So, Lil’ Mama.”
With gritted teeth, Skyler gets in front of Rocco and pokes his chest—which happens to be almost above her head. “Listen here, overgrown country boy. I. Am. Not. Little! Just petite. Got it?”
“Whatever you say, half-pint.” Rocco steps around her with a proud, lifted chin.
Sky’s frustration is adorable. She fists up and growls while following him. I can’t stop smiling. I’ve never seen Sky like this with anyone but Josh. She seems to feel safe standing her ground, as if she already trusts the big ol’ teddy bear. I absentmindedly glance back at Dereck. Once again, he looks away, quickly. I jolt when I notice Josh eagle-eyeing us both. Now I’m the one quickly looking away.
The trio from the couch—Alexandria, Payton, and Rocco—sit on the kitchen counter next to the sink while Sky and I cross the kitchen and stand in a corner by the stove. In front of them is Mom’s long wooden table that takes up the whole center of the kitchen. Underneath it is a shelf stocked with snacks and sodas. Mom likes quick and easy foods and isn’t exactly a health nut.
Jolene, being her normal Mama-Hen self, digs through the fridge. “Okay, we have”—she gazes back and sees Josh quietly talking to Dereck—“umm, maybe something in the cabinets.” She nonchalantly shuts the fridge and moves closer to the guys, then opens the cabinet doors that put her within hearing distance of the hushed conversation.
Dereck adamantly shakes his head while Josh says something. Jolene finally gives up her obvious charade and joins them. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Alexandria whispering to Payton. Rocco, apparently clueless, is demolishing an apple with a vengeance. Guess he couldn’t wait for Jolene’s menu choices.
Josh pulls Dereck aside, perhaps to talk more privately in the dining area. He looks determined, as if he’s trying to convince Dereck of something. I would know. He’s always trying to convince me to get better grades, and I’m an A/B student. Why he insists on straight As is beyond me. My parents will never let me go to college.
Alexandria blows out air and jumps off the counter, purposefully knocking her shoulder into Dereck’s while making a somewhat grand exit.
“Wait. Alex.” Dereck reaches for her arm, but she pulls free and marches off.
Dereck chases.
My stomach rolls.
Rocco looks up from what’s left of his apple—a naked core—in time for Dereck and Alex’s departure. “Now, what did I miss?”
Payton whispers in Rocco’s ear, causing him to smile.
“Rock on.”
Her hand smacks the back of his head, telling me she doesn’t approve of Rocco’s enthusiasm.
He protests, “But they’re not a couple anymore.” Rocco ducks, averting Payton’s next smack.
Skyler whispers, “What’s going on?”
I shrug. I can only stare at the place where Dereck once stood.
Josh approaches Rocco and playfully punches his shoulder. “I don’t have to worry about you, too, do I?” Before Rocco answers, Josh gets a glimpse of his Shorties. He grabs his chest with a sweet smile and walks around the wooden table and comes to us. “Everything’s fine. Breathe.”
Sky tugs on his shirt, peering up at him. “Wise One, what gives?”
My eyes are still locked, hoping for Dereck’s return, longing for the warm hot-cocoa sensation. A familiar hand grasps
my chin and lifts. Josh’s quizzical eyes barrel into my heart. He grins. “Oh, yeah. This is a mutual thing, huh?”
What is he talking about?
Chuckling, Josh releases me and strides toward Jolene.
“Josh-u-a, behave.” Her tone doesn’t match her gleaming face.
Josh raises his hands. “I know. Be careful what you wish for.”
Sky leans to me. “What’s mutual? And what did Josh wish for?”
I don’t know, but I suddenly feel ill. “I have to… go… to the bathroom.” I quickly leave the kitchen. After turning the corner, I slam into a wall that doesn’t exist.
“Whoa!” His voice echoes through the chest I’m smashed up against. Hot cocoa rushes through me, causing my body to soften. A hand rests on my shoulder then freezes. I open my eyes and see a faded blue T-shirt. With my body still pressed to his, I slowly gaze up. Dereck must be Josh’s height. My straining neck tells me so. I can’t seem to speak. Dereck doesn’t speak either, but his concentration is clear with his curious expression. His green eyes brood like a storm hovering over an ocean, waiting to let loose their powers. With our shoulders rising and falling because of our breaths changing, I feel as though I’m being pulled into another world.
Dereck is running in front of me. His bare back is tan, and he has a brown cloth tied around his waist. A small leather string holds back his long black hair. I’m following him up a hill with a breathtaking view, but there’s no time to enjoy the scenery. People behind us are screaming. I lose my footing and fear falling, but Dereck’s hand flies behind him and catches mine. He never even looked, just grasped my hand without seeing it. Dereck stops in a hurry and turns to me. His face is full of fear and sweat. “Shanti! Ja!”
“Come on, Shorty. Let’s get some fresh air.” Jolene is gently shoving me toward the laundry room back door. Dereck? Nowhere in sight.
“What? Shanti?” I look around, confused about where I am. I feel as if I’ve experienced whiplash. In a foreign land, centuries ago with Dereck, it seemed so… real.
“Shanti?” Jolene questions my sanity.
“Ja?” I repeat Dereck’s word while looking for him.
Jolene stops. “Serenity, do you have a fever?” She touches my forehead.
Josh is behind us. “Fever of looove.”
Love? “But Josh—”
“You heard Joles.” His fatherly tone rings clear. “Let’s travel.” Then I hear him quietly ask someone, “Alex bolted?”
“Yeah. Shit. I’ll… I’ll call her later.”
Relief. I actually feel relief when I hear Dereck’s voice.
From behind, Rocco says, “Dude. You’re doing nothing wrong here. You guys cut ties months ago.”
As soon as I step out the back door, I feel better. Jolene is right, I just needed fresh air. My backyard has a few tall oak trees that lead into the woods that Sky, Jolene, and I trampled through this morning. But between the woods and my house, there’s plenty of openness for the sunshine to find my skin. My eyes close as I soak in the rays and take deep breaths that nourish me instantly. Skyler, who was standing at the edge of my concrete patio, comes beside me and puts her arm around my waist. My head clears and is now in harmony with my body again. I’m thankful for the instant clarity—
“Are you okay?”
I jump. Dereck is directly behind me. Sky giggles as I turn to him. “Uh, yes.”
“Liar,” Sky mumbles as she walks toward Jolene.
I jump again as Josh abruptly yells, “You’re it!” tagging Jolene. Then he runs, laughing.
Jolene’s jaw locks. “Your ass is mine!”
Really? Now is the time for games? My head is spinning…
As he’s running backward, Josh’s perfect, short bronzed hair shines in the sun. “Bring it!” Josh is captain of the football team and in excellent shape. She’ll never catch him.
“Damn it,” Jolene mumbles before smacking Payton. “You’re it!”
Clearly used to this stupid game of Josh’s, Payton swings around to retag Jolene but misses because Jolene is already MIA. “I hate when she does that.” Then Payton clobbers Rocco in his gut before running off.
This does not appear to be Rocco’s first rodeo. He recovers quickly then tags Skyler in a knee-jerk reaction. Sky observes him—and possibly his speed as he runs far away—for just a second before tagging me, then runs, of course. Staring at my arm, I’m stunned to have been dragged into this nonsense.
Watching Sky and not where he’s going, Rocco laughs. “That a girl!” he says then trips over a fallen branch. His large form is airborne—backward—and hits the ground. Hard.
Running from me, Skyler tells Rocco, “You just shook the earth off its axis.”
“Lil’ Mama, shut it!” Rocco hollers happily from flat on his back.
Sky keeps running. “You started it, Goliath.”
Now I’m “it,” and the only person left to tag is Dereck. I’m going to kill Josh! Dereck’s perfect teeth glisten as he gradually smiles, daring my next move. To my surprise, I push on Dereck’s chest, knocking him backward to give me a head start. As if in slow motion, I see his hands reaching for mine, but I retract them and run.
I run around Rocco—who’s still on the ground—and watch over my shoulder as Dereck leaps over him, even though he could have tagged vulnerable Goliath. No. Dereck is after me, and he’s gaining ground, causing me to panic. Apparently, panicking and running at the same time is far too complicated for simple little me.
My downward spiral begins.
Putting my palms out to break the fall, I feel the force of Dereck’s arm wrapping around my waist. He pulls me to him in a rush. I hear his breath escape as he forces himself to twist both of us in midair. This seems impossible, but somehow, our first contact to the ground has Dereck on his back, taking the blow of our harsh landing, with me on top of him. Wrapped in his arms, I slide through the grass, his head tucked in while trying to shield mine.
When we finally stop, I’m in a fetal position on Dereck’s chest, both of us motionless except for our exasperated lungs. Eventually, his head falls back to the ground while he’s trying to catch his breath, but he doesn’t let me go. His grip is so firm and strong it makes my belly tingle and my body melt. Rising and falling with his every inhale, I feel every indentation in Dereck’s chest and stomach. His solid muscles expand yet don’t soften. He should feel foreign to me, but he doesn’t. Dereck is familiar, especially with the smell of grass.
We’re rolling in a field of tall grass. His fancy top hat falls off as he lands on top of me. My heart is overjoyed with his affections. The sun and he are so warm. “I love you,” he says, and I know he’s telling the truth.
“I love you, too, Charles.”
“Say my name again,” he begs with an unreserved smile.
“Charles,” I whisper.
“Serenity,” he whispers in return as his lips descend to mine—
“Holy shit!” Josh’s hands are giving me a thorough inspection. My eyes open. Josh kneels in front of me. Everyone else hovers over us, entranced.
Dereck’s muscles flex, and he lifts his head again. “Are you okay?” His voice echoes through his chest.
I’m losing my mind, Charles. “Yes, I think so. Are you okay?”
He lays his head back again, exhaling heavily. “I’m good.”
Josh’s brows pinch. “Dereck, how’d you keep her off the ground like that? Looked impossible, but here ya are, and she’s unharmed.”
Jolene affectionately moves hair from my face.
Dereck’s arms tighten around me. “I… I don’t know. Serenity hitting the ground just, well, it just felt wrong.”
Sky’s blue eyes widen. “Wrong?”
Josh nods. “Know the feeling.” After a pause, Josh smirks while eyein
g Dereck and me. “How long you gonna hold my baby girl like that, chump?”
Dereck jerks. “Oh, uh.” And releases me.
Damn it. Thanks a lot, Joshy Poo.
Sky bursts out laughing, prompting Josh to hastily get up and bear-hug her. “And what the hell is so funny?”
Sky grunts as he squeezes her from behind. “I read Serenity’s face. It said ‘Don’t fix what ain’t broke, freak!’”
Chapter Four
Enslaved
Sitting at the breakfast nook and eating a turkey sandwich for lunch, I wonder if my parents will notice the fridge has been ransacked, but then I remember when Mom drinks, all else is forgotten. I had actually managed to avoid thinking about my tragic life with such a deliciously distracting, eventful day.
Before my sad thoughts can consume me, Rocco bursts out with, “So, Josh, why didn’t you warn Pretty Boy here about Serenity?”
Dereck chokes on his sandwich, muffling my gasp.
None of this stops Josh’s unconcerned reply as he inspects his sandwich. “Didn’t know she was his type.” He takes another gigantic bite.
I glare at Jolene. Do something!
She rolls her eyes. “Sorry, baby, there’s no stopping these three.”
She’s right.
Dereck, still trying to swallow, asks, “What the hell is my type?”
Skyler grins at my red cheeks.
Josh answers with, “Tall, model-like. Not short little country-girl type.”
Sky’s grin falls, her brows purse, and her stare redirects. “Did you just call me short?”
Josh winces midbite and puts down his sandwich, clearly preparing for battle. Josh is far too experienced for this rookie mistake. If he’s referring to me, that always means he’s implying both me and Sky.
Serenity (Forever Book 1) Page 3
