What the Heart Takes

by Kelli McCracken

  “Are you going to stare at me or tell me why you’re here? If it’s to stare, you’ll have to come back later. I’m too tired to be envied right now.”

  Heaven parted her lips with a retort, but hesitated. The bitterness in Faith’s words was normal, the way her voice shook wasn’t. She kept her eyes lowered, but made a slight turn in Heaven’s direction. The track lights above the opening illuminated her face along with the bags beneath her eyes.

  There was only one other time Heaven had noticed bags under Faith’s eyes. The night before their final exams when she’d stayed up all night to study for her English test. She had no other choice unless she wanted to repeat her senior year of high school.

  As Faith moved about the kitchen, Heaven stepped further into the living room. She stopped at the edge of the recliner, less than ten feet from the wall that separated her and her sister. Even if Faith was depressed, it didn’t give her a right to be hateful.

  “You’re always such a joy to be around, Faith. Believe me, I’d rather be anyplace but here. The thing is, I have questions that need your answers and I’m not leaving until I get them.”

  “And you couldn’t wait for a more decent time to come knocking on my door?”

  “I think we’ve waited long enough.”

  A clanking sound echoed from the kitchen as Faith grew still. She averted Heaven’s gaze, staring at the door instead. She looked away then back once more before opening a cabinet door above her. Panic rushed through her energy, lingering a little longer than the first time Heaven sensed it.

  “Are you sure you’re not expecting someone?”

  Green eyes pinned Heaven in place. They trailed over her face, hesitating around her eyes before darting back to the door and then the cabinet. “I already told you that I’m not. It’s just…” The hardness in her soul radiated through every quake of her energy. She finished removing a cup from the cabinet, slamming it against the counter as her eyes flashed back to Heaven’s. “Should I be worried about him coming up here?”

  Leaning against the side of the recliner, Heaven searched her sister’s face for clues to her sudden outburst. To which him was she referring? The longer she stared at Faith, the more obvious it became. “Are you talking about Layne?”

  Faith hugged her chest with one arm, moving the other toward her face. She cupped her palm over her forehead, pressing her thumb and middle finger on her temples. Every second she spent in silence confirmed Heaven’s suspicion. She had been referring to her ex.

  “Your arrogance is unbelievable.” Heaven snorted. She waited for Faith to look back up, but she didn’t. “No, Faith. Layne will not come up here. You are the last person he wants to see. Which is why I’m here. I want you to stay away from Layne. Don’t look at him, don’t talk to him, don’t even bat a lash in his direction. He’s here for Dylan and me.”

  “Pft. Yeah, right,” Faith mumbled. “His reasons have nothing to do with Dylan. He is here because you’re here. I’m not stupid, Heaven. Layne is in love with you.”

  Anger stirred Heaven’s heart as her cheeks heated beyond relief. Faith would do anything to avoid their impending conversation, including throwing her sister off track with wild accusations.

  “Layne is not in love with me.” The rebuttal didn’t pack the same convincing punch she’d hoped it would. Maybe because she feared there was a small amount of truth in her sister’s words. “He cares about me, Faith. We’re friends,” she grumbled, or at least we were. She ignored the way the thought made her heart pinch and refocused on her sister. “There is a reason he cares, just like there’s a reason he’s here. He’s my—”

  The explanation clung to her tongue as a thought came to her mind. Had their parents told Faith about their mystical world? Did she know about their abilities or hers, about Seekers and Keepers, and how each had a role in their secret society?

  “What’s the matter, Heaven?” Faith taunted from the kitchen. “Didn’t you think the lie through before you began spouting it?”

  “It’s not a lie, but I can’t explain this without knowing if Mom and Dad have talked to you.”

  The response gained her sister’s attention. She peered around the cabinet and tilted her head. “About what?”

  “Our mystical nature.”

  Faith’s eyes widened for a split second. Recognition burned brightly within them before she looked away. “Yeah,” she huffed. “They fed me a bunch of lame stories about psychic abilities, good and evil, and how we all have a soulmate. Don’t tell me you bought into all of that shit.”

  “Yes, I did.” She studied her sister’s face a moment, focusing on the energy flowing from her. “And you did, too, Faith. Sure, you’ll deny that, but there is one thing you can’t deny.”

  “What? That my family is crazy.”

  “Nope. You can’t deny energy, and guess what, little sister? I read energy. It’s one of my abilities, so I know you’re lying through your teeth.”

  Her sister’s lips thinned as she pressed them together. She jerked her hand out of the cabinet, slamming a canister onto the counter. “Let me guess,” she said, twirling a finger toward Heaven. “You do that aura thingy like Mom. Are you here to tell me how depressed I am? Hmm?”

  “No. I don’t read auras. I sense emotions and energy. Through those, I can create an image in my mind and pretty much know what’s going on inside your heart and soul.” She thought about telling her that Hope could sense auras, but decided against it. Faith could figure it out for herself.

  Instead, she continued across the floor, passing the entrance to the hallway. She stole a glimpse toward the bedroom at the end. A twinge of disappointment fluttered in her stomach when she noticed the closed door. If Faith did have someone over, her secret would be safe.

  She came to a stop by the table, unable to ignore the ache in her lower back. Each spasm spread from her spine, down her legs, making her wince. She didn’t dare look at her ankles. Judging by the way her feet burned, they were probably swollen. The trip from Florida hadn’t helped, nor had being up the night before.

  She stroked the fullness of her belly, saying a special prayer when she didn’t feel any hardness. With all the anger rolling inside her, she didn’t want to upset the baby, especially now that she knew her child was trying to protect her.

  Faith continued moving behind the counter. The nutty aroma hinted to the fact that she was fixing a pot of coffee. She came to a stop in the corner, focusing straight ahead as tapping filled the air, tapping that resembled fingernails on a countertop. Guess she didn’t want to talk anymore.

  Tough shit.

  “Now that you know about who and what we are, I can explain why Layne is here. He’s my—”

  “Keeper. Yeah, I know.” Faith mumbled the words, never taking her eyes off whatever held her attention. “Guess that explains why he had his tongue down your throat.”

  For the love of… “He did not have his tongue down my throat. And while we’re on the subject, I’d like to know how in the world you knew he kissed me. Were you spying on us?”

  “Please,” Faith snorted. It was the first sign of the old Faith that Heaven had grown to dislike, not the rundown version that answered the door. “Would you believe me if I told you that I didn’t know until we spoke in the villa?”

  “I’d consider it if you tell me how it’s possible.”

  Taking a step back, Faith turned to grab something at her side. The sound of trickling liquid resonated through the air, followed by clinking, most likely a coffee cup and spoon. Faith did like tons of sugar in her coffee.

  More clinks filled the air as she kept her eyes on the cup. “If you think back to that day, you’ll remember how we argued about Layne and the whole pregnancy fiasco. I was about to leave, but we ended up hugging before I did.” She acknowledged Heaven long enough to see her nod. “That’s when it happened.”

  A few seconds passed without any words. If Faith thought that was a good enough explanation, she didn’t know how wrong she
was. Before she could tell her sister as much, realization shuddered through her soul.

  “This has something to do with your abilities, doesn’t it?”

  Faith didn’t want to talk about her abilities because doing so would reveal that she did believe in their mystical nature. Their roles as Seekers were important in keeping the balance of good and evil. It meant responsibility, something Faith ran from every chance she could, unless it benefitted her.

  A slurp echoed from the cup in her hands—one long, annoying slurp that kept her from having to answer Heaven’s question. She tried to hide the smile on her lips when she pulled the cup away, but Heaven saw it anyway. Would her sister ever grow tired of tormenting her?

  “According to our parents, it seems I have retrocognition. I’m what they call a psychometrist. I can see events from the past if I touch a person or an object.”

  Their previous confrontation made sense now. How Faith pulled away from their embrace and stared blankly. The way her sister’s energy contorted around her soul. Even the words Faith whispered before knocking her into the dresser. It was the precise moment when Faith had the vision, the vision of an event that remained on Heaven’s mind since the day it happened…Layne’s lips pressed to hers.

  She tried to shake off the thought, but Faith’s lips twisted in the same wicked smile she wore when Dylan walked out the door. Her eyes dropped to Heaven’s stomach as she took another sip of her coffee. They lingered a moment, making Heaven’s skin crawl, before working their way back up.

  Placing the cup back on the counter, she leaned forward and raised a taunting brow. “As if your expanding waistline isn’t enough, the band on your finger is proof of how big a fool Dylan is. Guess he bit the bullet and married you anyway. How is married life, especially with your lover hanging around?”

  “You’re a bitch, you know that?” The sound of Faith’s laughter incited her more. She rushed over to the bar, slapping her hand against the top as she glared at her sister. “I’m so glad to know you care, Faith, seeing as how you did what you could to prevent my marriage. You hurt Dylan more than you can imagine.”

  Faith showed little remorse as she shrugged her shoulders. “He’s a casualty of war. It happens.”

  “Your little plan didn’t work. My husband is a forgiving man. He knows what happened resulted from a drunken mistake. Ironically, Layne chose those same words to describe his relationship with you.”

  The smile curling her sister’s lips began to recede. Good. That meant she’d finally gotten under Faith’s skin for a change. It wouldn’t last, but knowing it happened was satisfying.

  Right on cue, Faith shook her head as she eyed her sister from top to bottom. “Not everyone can be as perfect as you, Heaven, not that Layne seemed to mind. He devoured me every second I allowed him to be near me. Bet you wish he’d do the same to you. Tell me this much, since you kissed him. Do you like the way I taste?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Think about it, Sis. Layne kissed you with the same lips and tongue he had all over my pu—”

  “Save it, Faith. Spin this around in any disgusting way you want. I don’t care. I had a purpose when I came here, but I’ve decided it’s not worth my time. So spew your vile atrocities all you want, but stay away from my husband, my Keeper, and me. Enjoy the rest of your miserable life.”

  Pushing herself away from the wall, she didn’t wait for her sister’s response before she turned toward the door. Step-by-step, she moved across the carpet almost as fast as she had when she crossed the yard. There was no way she would keep subjecting herself to Faith’s vindictiveness.

  The second she curled her fingers around the doorknob, Faith’s energy shifted, as if the thought of Heaven leaving upset her. “Why did you come here, Heaven?”

  If she could just open the door, Heaven would be free of her sister and her questions. Yet the question that brought her to her sister’s doorstep had gone unasked.

  She trailed her fingers over the edge of the door, circling the latch bolt while debating on a reply. No matter how much she wanted to hate Faith or how many times her sister hurt her, some part of her would always care.

  “I came here because I wanted to ask you the same question. Why are you here, Faith? What happened to your internship in New York?”

  “I’m, uh…” Faith’s voice fell away. Maybe she was thinking of a good lie to cover the truth. Only God knew what really went through her mind. It was a dark abyss Heaven didn’t want to enter, no matter how much she wanted an answer.

  A swooshing sound came from her sister’s direction as she released a breath and continued. “I’m here because of the media. My encounters with the paparazzi didn’t stop when I left L.A. Once the locals in the city figured out who I was, they were relentless. I didn’t want to deal with it anymore.”

  It sounded like a plausible excuse. Part of it was probably true, but her energy said there was something more to the story. “Is that it, because I have a feeling you have more to tell me?”

  A moment of silence passed before Faith found her voice again. “I guess your instincts are good, because you’re right. It’s only part of the reason I’m here.” Her coffee cup clicked against the counter as she cleared her throat. “Remember the guy…you know, the one I told you about?”

  She couldn’t believe her sister would bring up this subject to anyone, let alone her. “Do you mean the guy you slept with while you and Layne were together?”

  “Yeah. He, uh… We spent some time together while I was in New York.”

  Making a slight turn in Faith’s direction, she couldn’t force herself to look at her sister. She stared toward the wall at a picture that read, Believe in the unbelievable. How ironic.

  “I thought this guy lived in L.A.”

  “He does. He came to the city on business about a month after I moved there.”

  Great. As if the whole pregnancy debacle hadn’t been bad enough. Her sister still refused to learn from her mistakes. Getting involved with two men, sleeping with both, even though the guy was involved with someone else, just like her.

  “Where was his girlfriend?”

  “She stayed in L.A. His business kept him in town for three weeks, so he spent that time with me.”

  Twisting her head toward Faith, she peered across the half-wall to the spot in the kitchen where her sister stood. “Did you tell him about the baby, that he could’ve been the father of a child you aborted?”

  Faith’s gaze fell to the floor as she shook her head. “No, I didn’t. I started to tell him several times, but the time was never convenient.”

  “That’s funny.” Heaven laughed. “You found the perfect time to drop the bomb on Layne.”

  “Well, I guess I care more about this guy’s feelings,” Faith hissed, smacking her hand against the counter. “The point is we spent three amazing weeks together. I started thinking that he would break things off with his girl and start a life with me. We even looked at apartments around the city, trying to find one we both liked. It was his idea, not mine, but I fell for it anyway.”

  Faith fell for a lot of things… Wait. What? “Saying fell implies that he lied to you. Is that what happened?”

  Her sister shrugged her shoulders, aiming her eyes toward her feet. The flow of her energy hinted to the ache in her heart. Did she honestly care about this guy?

  “He said he was going back to L.A. to tell his girlfriend it was over. He was gone for a couple of weeks, but we kept in touch until he came back.” She curled her arms around her chest, grabbing each shoulder with the opposite hand. “I was too afraid to ask if he talked to her. He didn’t offer the information. So we spent the next three days tiptoeing around the subject.”

  “Something happened or else we wouldn’t be here having this conversation.”

  “I’m getting to that,” Faith grumbled. “On the third night, we were laying in bed, about to go to sleep when he curled up behind me. He told me how he wanted to hold me like that for the res
t of his life. So I asked him if he’d talked to his girl.”

  Faith was doing her best to torment Heaven. She continued to feed her just enough information to keep her hanging. It drove Heaven nuts. “Quit dragging this out. Just tell me what happened.”

  Reopening the cabinet to her right, Faith replaced the canister inside while shaking her head. “Nothing at first. He just laid there in silence. So I turned around, looked him in the eye, and asked again.” The distant look in her eyes said that she was reliving every detail she shared with Heaven. “I could tell his eyes were watering, so I touched his face. What a mistake that was.”

  “Why?”

  Heaven leaned her weight against the doorframe. She wished Faith would get to the point. A quick glance at her feet showed signs of swelling in her ankles. Dylan would make a fuss when he saw it.

  Her sister remained quiet just a moment longer but finally gave in and spoke. “Remember how I told you that my ability allows me to see the past? Well, I had a vision of him trying to bring the conversation up to his girlfriend. He came so close to telling her the words we both wanted him to say. But before he could get them out, she—”

  Her eyes trailed off to the counter as she hung her head. She swiped at her cheek, keeping her hand near her eyes. Then her shoulders began to shake. Was she crying?

  “Faith?”

  She raised a finger, holding it in front of her to signify she needed a minute. Her shoulders shook again, with more emphasis. When they finally stopped, she rubbed her face and sucked in a breath so deep her nose rattled.

  “Come on, Faith. Tell me what happened.”

  Her hand dropped back to her side, revealing streaked cheeks and a red nose. She exaggerated a sigh before answering, “She told him that she’s pregnant.”

  CHAPTER 11

  The hinges creaked as the cottage door swung open, allowing Heaven to step inside. She hesitated on the threshold when the pulse of Dylan’s energy swirled around her. Each worry-filled vibe had her debating on keeping her distance or returning to the main house.