Clay's Hope

by Melissa Haag

  Chapter 14

  I sat on the bed and watched Gabby get ready. A female from one of Gabby's classes had invited Gabby to a Halloween party. And Gabby had said yes.

  She wore my favorite flannel shirt and a pair of my jeans. The jeans sagged on her and mostly covered the boots she wore. Thankfully, she'd belted the waist to keep the pants from falling off completely. I liked that she wore my clothes. It gave me a certain sense of possession...if only she weren't planning to leave and go mingle with other men at one of those party houses.

  Most of Gabby's blonde hair was hidden under a ball cap. I tilted my head, studying her as she sculpted some thick sideburns with the hair gel. She was too cute to pull off being a man, but it was better than the cocktail waitress costume Rachel had given her.

  When she started coloring manly looking eyebrows on her face, her cuteness dropped a level, and I started to worry. She was dressing tough. Human men weren't rational when they drank. Someone might take her attempt at toughness as a challenge.

  "What do you think?" she said, turning around.

  Unhappy with the situation, I jumped off the bed and turned toward the door, pretending to ignore Gabby as I tried to decide if I would be able to follow her from a distance. That wouldn't help when she went into the house. I needed to go with her as a man, but would she let me?

  Lost in thought, I didn't hear Rachel until the door was already opening. I jumped out of the way just before it hit me.

  Rachel stopped and stared at Gabby in shock. For once, I agreed with Rachel's reaction.

  "What the hell did you do?" she said.

  "I'm going for dude. It's safe, right? What guy is going to want to hit on a guy even if he knows that underneath, it's a girl? Guys get weird about that stuff."

  "You know what's going to happen?" Rachel said, sitting on the bed. "All the guys are still going to be attracted to you. Only they're going to freak out because you're going to make them think they're gay. You're going to get your ass kicked tonight."

  I swore and rushed from the room. There was no way I'd let Gabby go without me now. Gabby and her classmate would just need to adjust to the change in plans.

  With Rachel in Gabby's room, I shifted my hand, let myself out the back door, and went to the garage. Dale had given me some coveralls a few weeks ago, which I'd hidden in the back. I grabbed them, dressed with speed, and pulled back my hair. I wanted every man I encountered tonight to see my eyes and know the threat they faced if they got near her.

  Less than a minute later, I was at the door again. I almost let myself back in, but remembered Rachel was inside, and knocked. It didn't take long for Rachel to answer. When she saw me, she grinned.

  "I'm glad you're here. That girl's going to need someone to keep her safe tonight."

  I nodded. Finally, we were on the same page.

  "It's for you, Gabby," Rachel said loudly.

  Rachel didn't move to invite me in, so I waited outside for Gabby. As soon as she reached the kitchen arch, she stopped and stared. Slowly, some of the anger and annoyance left me, and I found myself grinning at her stunned expression.

  Her scent changed the longer she looked, and it made my gut clench.

  Someone knocked at the front door.

  "I got it," Rachel said, grinning at us before she rushed from the room.

  Gabby glanced down at my coveralls, read the name sewn on my chest, then met my gaze. "You have some explaining to do, I think."

  My job had never really been a secret, no more than everything else I didn't say.

  She turned away from me, but she didn't seem mad. I followed her to the front door where Rachel and another woman were talking. The woman wore a form-fitting dress to attract men. A mermaid or a siren; it didn't make much difference. It was good I meant to tag along.

  "You're gorgeous, Nicole," Gabby said. "Are you going to be warm enough?"

  Probably not. And, a sweater would help draw less attention.

  Both of the women and Rachel laughed.

  "Hey," Gabby said, "it's a valid question. It's the end of October for Pete's sake."

  "I'll be fine," the woman said as her gaze locked on me. "Hi, I'm Nicole."

  I nodded and stuck out a hand. She clasped it.

  "Uh, this is Clay," Gabby said for me. "He doesn't talk much. And this is Rachel, my roommate. Are we ready?"

  While they focused on each other, I turned, planning to beat Gabby to the car. In the beginning, she'd managed to leave the house a few times without me. I was smarter now. Silently, I left the room.

  "Sure," Nicole said. "I parked on the street."

  "Great. Let me grab my keys," Gabby said.

  Already in the kitchen, I grinned at the keys in my hand and stepped out the back door. I was down the porch steps before she reached the kitchen. The missing keys would let her know what I had in mind if the overalls hadn't.

  Sliding behind the wheel, I started the engine and waited.

  A few minutes later, both Gabby and Nicole stepped onto the back porch and hurried to the car. Gabby sat up front with me, and Nicole slid into the back seat.

  Gabby turned to look at Nicole.

  "I don't know where we're going. Just tell Clay where to turn and be sure to give plenty of warning. This is the only car I have for the winter."

  I knew her warning was for me. No doubt, she questioned my ability to drive. Although we'd grown closer, there was still so much she didn't know about me. I smiled as I backed out of the driveway and followed Nicole's directions to the party.

  The car-crowded curbs worried me as we parked a few blocks away. Just how many men would I need to deal with tonight? I glanced at Gabby, her costume still a source of concern. She seemed unbothered by both her costume and the cold. Nicole shivered as we walked, but Gabby seemed fine. Dressing as a guy was still better than what Rachel had offered.

  The blaring music began to hurt my ears as we neared the party house. Stuffed sheets, their version of ghostly decorations, hung from every tree in the yard. People crowded the front lawn in groups that overflowed into the neighbor's yard.

  We caught the attention of a few men who turned to stare. Their gazes drifted to Gabby, confusion clouded their expressions, then they looked at Nicole.

  "I knew you would make this fun," Nicole said with a laugh. "Oh, I see him on the porch. Do you think I should say hi?"

  I had no idea who she was talking about, but I knew this wasn't going to be fun with Gabby's next words.

  "Let's push our way through the crowd and get inside. We can warm up for a minute. It'll be more attractive if you're not stuttering with cold."

  She wanted to go in? The windows rattled in time with the beat of the music. It wouldn't be pleasant inside, and getting there would be less so because we needed to navigate through the sea of men on the lawn.

  Frustrated, I took Gabby's hand and started to lead her through an overly interested crowd. They willingly parted for us, turning as we neared though I knew they couldn't hear us. Gabby was right. It was as if they sensed her, as if she sent out some kind of signal. She'd told me. I'd just never seen it get this bad.

  When we reached the door, a man tried to sell me an empty cup for three dollars while offering Gabby one for free. Gabby politely said no. What was he thinking? Who wanted an empty cup? Even for free?

  I glared at him and pulled her inside as he continued to look at her with interest. Immediately, my eardrums wanted to bleed. The bass echoed in my ribcage and made my teeth ache.

  I pulled Gabby through the crowded entry, into a packed living room, then shouldered my way to the small couch. I glared at the two males sitting there. They uneasily stood and left, making room for the women to sit. Alcohol fumes permeated the air. Uneasy with the mood of the room, I stayed near Gabby, sitting on the arm of the couch. The men around us were drunk and unpredictable. I didn't like it.

  One of the males across the
room caught sight of Gabby and made his way over.

  When the man stopped in front of her, he swayed slightly on his feet. Gabby wouldn't look at him. Good girl.

  The music decreased in volume as a softer song came on. I would have sighed with relief, but the man used the opportunity to try to speak to Gabby. The alcohol he'd consumed had impaired his tongue, making him hard to understand.

  "Hey...wash shore name?" he asked.

  "Go away." Gabby's quick response almost made me smile.

  "Wanna go up shtairs? They have a pool table."

  Nicole coughed, an attempt to hide her amusement. I was not amused. I narrowed my eyes at him and curled my hands into fists to hide my nails, which were slowly changing color.

  "No. Go away." Gabby turned to glare at the man.

  From where I was sitting, just slightly behind her, I caught the man's attention and bared my teeth. The flare of white snagged his attention, and his eyes widened before he started to nod and smile.

  "Oh, god it man. Sheesh yours."

  I nodded in return, and he moved away from us. Both women looked up at me.

  "What did you do?" Gabby said.

  After a moment's hesitation, I bared my teeth, showing my elongated canines. As I anticipated, she didn't like it. Worry tinged her usual scent, which was hard to pick up with all the odors in the room.

  "If you keep those in all night, you're going to have sore gums tomorrow," she said.

  I had no idea what she was talking about.

  "Those are so real looking. You have to tell me where you got them," Nicole said.

  Ah. She wanted Nicole to believe my teeth were fake. Just so long as the other men eyeing Gabby thought they were real, I didn't care.

  "He won't say," Gabby said to Nicole. "Warm enough? Are you going solo or do you want backup?"

  Nicole's obvious nervousness hadn't left her. She wasn't ready to talk to whoever drew her here; yet, I didn't think staying much longer wise. The men across the room were starting to frown at Gabby. Was it the challenge I'd feared she'd face or her pull?

  While I kept my narrowed gaze on them, Gabby reached out to pat Nicole's bare shoulder. They both yelped, drawing my attention.

  "I'm so sorry, Nicole," Gabby said. "I was just going to tell you that we should say hi now, and I go and shock you, instead."

  How had she shocked Nicole?

  "No, I know what that was. It was a jump start." Nicole smiled at Gabby. "I'm going to go out there now. If I can't get his attention, we can go." Nicole stood and made her way to the door.

  I turned my attention back to the men and found their stares no longer on Gabby. The men who had seconds ago frowned at Gabby now moved to follow Nicole. The sudden change, though welcome, had me puzzled. I glanced at Gabby and saw her studying the men as well.

  She cast a worried glance in Nicole's direction and stood quickly. She almost fell, and I wrapped my hands around her waist to steady her, truly concerned. She didn't acknowledge me at all. Instead, she kept her focus on Nicole.

  After a moment, Gabby slipped from my hold and started to follow. She seemed steady, but I stuck close and remained ready.

  Where people had turned and moved for us on the way in, they completely ignored us now. I had to push people out of our way. Someone almost stepped on Gabby. I grabbed him by the back of the neck and turned him like a puppet.

  Meanwhile, Nicole had no problem weaving through the crowd, and the distance she gained seemed to upset Gabby.

  We made it to the porch as Nicole approached a man. I heard her say hello, and the man turned to Nicole with an eager smile. The attention he gave her reminded me of Scott.

  Gabby didn't move to approach the pair. Instead, she worked her way to the railing to watch.

  The men around Nicole all turned to stare at her. As I watched, I realized this was similar to how men paid attention to Gabby. A tad more intense, but I'd never seen Gabby in a dress like that around men. Just the thought made my hackles rise.

  Gabby shifted from foot to foot, drawing my attention. A shiver shook her, but it didn't remove her focus from her friend. I watched the shivers increase and the group of men around Nicole grow. How long did we need to stay? The men were no longer a problem, it seemed, but the cold still was.

  Apparently having the same thoughts, Gabby reached back, wrapped her petite hand around my wrist, and tugged my arm up. I didn't need any more of an invitation. I widened my stance and pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her. She leaned back into my chest, and I set my chin on her head, trying to touch her as much as possible. I told myself it was only to share my warmth.

  "I don't feel good," she said. Her teeth clacked together as she spoke.

  I lifted my hand to her forehead. She didn't feel feverish.

  "Do I feel warm?" She twisted her neck to look at me, and I shook my head.

  She didn't turn back around. Instead, she continued to gaze at me. A small smile lifted the corners of her lips, and her gaze softened. My heart stuttered at the change in her expression. Everyone around us ceased to matter. I knew what Gabby was thinking when her gaze dropped to my lips. I'd never wanted anything so badly than for her to follow through with her thoughts.

  She seemed to shake herself from the moment.

  "I think I'm ready to go, but I don't want to leave Nicole here. What are my chances of getting her away from him, you think?"

  With a heavy heart, I turned my gaze from Gabby to glance at Nicole. The woman didn't appear to like all of the attention anymore. She seemed nervous again.

  "I think now's a good time to s-see," Gabby said.

  I loosened my hold but kept a hand on the small of Gabby's back as she moved forward. She shook with cold, and her plodding steps made slow progress. The people around us didn't seem to notice and would have easily pushed her aside in their pursuit of a good time...if not for me. I pushed back. People who didn't move were moved. A few grumbled, but I bared my teeth and dared them to take offense. Each one stumbled away.

  When we finally reached the group, the men turned to glare at me as if I were interested in stealing Nicole from them. I was. But only so I could take Gabby home. She was worrying me. In all the time since we'd met, she'd never once been sick. Why now? And why were the men, who normally fawned over her, suddenly treating her like she didn't matter?

  "Hi, guys," Gabby said to the group. "Sorry to interrupt, but we need to pull Nicole away for just a minute."

  Nicole's smiled widened as she glanced at Gabby then back at the men.

  "I'll be back in just a bit," Nicole said to them. "Can someone get me a soda?"

  She took Gabby by the arm and turned her around so fast I barely had time to move out of the way. I scowled at her. Couldn't she see Gabby was sick? You can't tug around a sick person like that.

  Sticking with the pair, I followed them from the porch and across the yard, in the direction of Gabby's car.

  "Thank you for that," Nicole said. "It was really weird the way they were acting tonight. I guess mermaid sends off the wrong vibe. I hope he remembers talking to me, though. I liked it until his friends showed up."

  Impatience ate at me as I watched their slow progress. I wanted to pick Gabby up and carry her to the car. My concern hadn't yet outweighed my fear of her reaction though.

  "Yeah," Gabby said. "He s-seemed okay. D-don't trust his friends."

  "Are you okay?" Nicole asked, looking closely at Gabby.

  Finally, she notices, I thought.

  "I think I'm getting sick or s-s-something. Clay felt my head, but s-said I didn't feel warm."

  "Is Rachel going to be home tonight? You said she's going to school for nursing, right? She'll probably know if there's something going around on campus. The nursing students doing clinicals always seem to know."

  "Good idea."

  Halfway to the car, Gabby noticeably flinched and started shaking more. She
needed to warm up. I ran ahead and started the car. Then, I got back out and waited for them by the door. As soon as they were close, I opened the door for Gabby. She was too pale with dark circles under her eyes.

  Nicole kept an arm around Gabby as she helped her into the front seat.

  "Do I look as b-bad as I f-feel?" Gabby asked with a weak smile as Nicole buckled her in.

  Nicole glanced at me, but I couldn't tear my gaze from Gabby as I circled the hood to get in. What had happened? She'd been fine all day. There hadn't been any signs of illness. Not a single sneeze or sniffle like humans tended to display.

  "Well, you do look like you're coming down with something. I'm so sorry I begged you to come out tonight."

  "Don't w-worry about it. It w-was r-really interesting."

  Nicole closed Gabby's door and got in back.

  I sped home because, despite the heat pouring from the vents, Gabby's shivering had gotten worse. Her teeth chattered nonstop.

  The dark house was a welcome sight when I pulled into the driveway.

  "I hope you feel better," Nicole said. "I'll see you on Tuesday."

  Gabby only nodded as I parked by the porch. I immediately got out and walked around the front of the car as Nicole left. Gabby blinked slowly, miserably, as she watched me.

  I opened the door and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Keeping a firm hold on her, I helped her from the car and across the porch. As soon as I had the door open, she slipped from my hold, stepped inside, and started to tug off the flannel. I followed closely, ready to help in whatever way I could.

  "Clay, c-can you get my towel?" she asked, pausing outside the bathroom to drop the shirt on the carpet.

  A shower? I nodded. It would help warm her faster. I quickly went to her room and grabbed the towel. The closing of the bathroom door made me pause. She'd barely been able to stand. Would she be able to shower on her own?

  I brought the towel to the bathroom door then waited. Inside, I listened to the small, mewling noises she made. Each one broke my heart and tested the respect I had for her privacy and my need to care for her.

  Unable to stand another second, I tapped on the door. Just let me in. Please.

  "J-just a s-sec," she said, her panic clear. "I'm not ready, y-yet."

  A second later, I heard her bump into something. Taking a breath, I cautiously opened the door.

  She stood by the toilet. She'd managed to get her shirt, socks, and shoes off, but her pants were obviously giving her trouble.

  "Hey!" An unnatural flush crept across her pale cheeks as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  If I wasn't so scared for her, I would have taken a moment to enjoy all the skin she'd bared. Instead, I tossed the towel on the toilet lid and moved past her without a glance. I turned on the shower so the water could heat up. Then with a burst of speed, I did what needed to be done. I moved back to her side, bent, and had her pants around her ankles before she could screech.

  With my eyes averted, I remained by her legs to wait for her reaction and for her to step out of her jeans.

  "Clay, g-get out!"

  Her outraged demand just firmed my resolve to stay.

  "Really, I c-can do the rest."

  I tapped her leg and motioned for her to step out of the pants. After a moment, she placed a hand on my shoulder and did as I asked.

  "N-now out, Clay."

  I picked up the pants and stood, careful to keep my gaze glued to the wall tile, then shook my head.

  "The h-hell you s-say!"

  She almost made me smile. I set her pants on top of the towel then pulled back the curtain and held out a hand. While I waited, steam began to drift in the air, letting me know the water had warmed. When she took too long, I nodded toward the shower and tapped the tub with my boot. Couldn't she see she'd be warmer in there?

  "You're s-staying until I'm in? So I don't fall?"

  I was staying because I couldn't leave her. But I shrugged, willing to let her think what she wanted.

  She sighed and, a second later, placed her cold hand in mine. Sure, she still wore her bra and underwear, but I highly doubted she'd appreciate my help with those.

  As soon as she was in, I closed the curtain then hesitated. She wasn't steady on her feet. Would she fall when she tried to remove the rest of her clothes? I waited, but she didn't move an inch behind the curtain. And, I realized she wouldn't until I was gone. With a worried sigh, I turned and left.

  As soon as the door closed, I heard material hit the bathroom floor.

  After listening to the water run for five minutes with very little additional sound, I let myself back in.

  "Clay?"

  She sounded worse. Weak. I grunted so she'd know it was me. Who else would it be if not me?

  I grabbed the towel, held it out, and averted my eyes again. The curtain rustled, then a moment later the water turned off. She plucked the towel from my fingers but remained hidden behind the curtain. I stayed as I was, facing the door with my hand extended, ready to help.

  After some more rustling, she grabbed my hand and stepped from the shower. I knew how badly she felt when she scooted past me, wrapped in only a towel, and shut herself in her room. I picked up the bathroom to give her time to dress, then waited outside her door.

  A long pause and short breaths followed each rustle of movement. Her pain tormented me. Yet, I knew she wouldn't welcome any further interference. The waiting became agony.

  As soon as I heard her climb into bed and pull the covers up, I let myself in and turned off the lights.

  In the dark, her teeth chattered loudly. I tossed her clothing on the floor, stripped out of my clothes, and tugged on a pair of shorts from the bottom drawer. She didn't make any other sound, just the clacking of her teeth, as I pulled back the covers and slid in next to her.

  "I really hope you're wearing shorts or something," she said with a slight slur.

  Her concern over what I wore didn't stop her from pressing her cold feet against my legs. She made a small noise, one of relief, and moved closer to me.

  Seconds later, her breathing slowed. She slept. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest, holding her as I'd wanted to do for months. My heart broke that it was because she was sick.

  Please let her be all right, I thought.

  I didn't sleep, just held her. Night faded to dawn, and dawn gave way to day. Still she slept without stirring. Each hour brought more helpless fear.

  By mid-morning, Gabby finally stirred. My throat tightened at the feel of her feet moving under the covers. She groaned slightly and tilted her head back, shifting away from my chest. Her eyes were open but her gaze was bleary.

  "I'm thirsty." The dry rasp of her words supported her claim.

  I eased her from my arms and hurried to the kitchen, glad Rachel wasn't home yet. With a glass of water in hand, I returned to Gabby's side and helped her drink. She drained the glass in long swallows then curled up once more. She was sleeping before I set the glass aside.

  Sitting on the bed, I studied her. Her skin seemed to have more of its normal color back. And the circles under her eyes were less pronounced. I hoped that meant she was better. The worry and fear that I'd held all night eased up, but only a little. Her need for more sleep when she'd already slept more than twelve hours didn't seem normal.

  Taking her glass, I went to the kitchen to refill it just in case she woke again. I set it on her dresser and grabbed one of my books before settling on the bed beside her. She shifted in her sleep, moving close to me. I smoothed back her hair then forced myself to open the book and began to read. Though my eyes touched on the words, I read very little. How long should it take for her to get better? Should I reach out to Sam? I glanced at Gabby, knowing she wouldn't like that.

  I stayed close, trying to read, until she started moving in her sleep.

  Hoping she'd wake hungry this time, I went to the kitchen to
make a very late breakfast. Rachel still wasn't home so I could move around freely. If she were home, though, maybe she'd know what was wrong with Gabby.

  I'd just turned the bacon in the pan when I heard Gabby get out of bed. She didn't leave her room, though. She just moved around a bit. Probably grabbing her books.

  I hurried to finish cooking then made a plate for her.

  Carrying her food and a glass of juice, I nudged the bedroom door open and found her sitting up in bed, studying. When she looked up, I lifted the plate and glass unsure if she wanted it.

  "Thank you," she said with a smile. "I'm starving."

  Starving was good. That meant she was better. Right?

  I stepped into the room as she tossed her book aside. She was ready when I handed her the plate with a fork and set the orange juice on the dresser. The enthusiasm with which she dug in surprised me. Eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast vanished in minutes.

  When she looked around for more, I handed her the glass of juice. She sipped it with a contented sigh and patted the bed next to her.

  "Want to read by me?"

  Yes and always. I grinned at her, collected the dishes, and left the room. As I finished up the breakfast dishes, she used the bathroom. Instead of hovering like I wanted to, I grabbed a book and settled on my side of the bed. I finally had a side, not just the foot of the bed.

  She joined me a few minutes later, and we remained like that for the rest of the day.

  Near dinner, I heard Rachel's car and closed my book. With Gabby sticking to the bed, I left the room to shift in the living room.

  Rachel would just have to deal with a man's set of clothes on the couch.