Legends: Bloodline Book 2

by Michelle Bredeson

  Carly shifted into her human form and made her way into the house.

  “Is that you, Carly?” Howard called as she stomped up the staircase.

  She didn’t give her father a second thought as she hurried to her room, slamming the door behind her. She studied her music collection for a moment before she pulled a case off the shelf. Carly threw Metallica’s Black Album into the stereo, blasting the vigorous anthems loud enough to drown out her thoughts.

  Gabe was good at forgetting. Soon, she would be, too. It was only a matter of time until she forgot all about him. It was only a matter of time until she fell out of love.

  * * *

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but you’re going to school today,” Howard persisted early Wednesday morning as he stepped into Carly’s bedroom.

  She’d spent the past three days locked in this room, content to bury herself in fiction. She hadn’t been much for sleep or food, but there were plenty of empty Coke cans decorating her nightstand and the floor beside her bed. “I’m in no shape to go to school. I have really terrible—”

  “Cramps, I know. And I’ve been very lenient letting you stay home these past two days for the same reason. We both know what this is really about, Carly. I know how hard it is to end a relationship—”

  “I only told you I broke up with Gabe so you wouldn’t let him anywhere near the house,” Carly interjected. “And for the millionth time, no, I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Howard huffed, mulling over his next words. “You know I love you, sweetheart, and all I want is for you to be happy. But missing this many classes is unacceptable.”

  “You can’t make me go to school,” she told him.

  “Oh, really?”

  “Really.”

  “Carly,” Howard spoke, the full weight of his frustration captured in that one word. “Your only real hope of leaving Sterling, of truly getting away from Gabriel, depends on you graduating high school with a good GPA. Pick a college anywhere you want, and I’ll support your decision to leave. But until then, you’re going to school. I’m willing to bend on everything else, but not this. This isn’t the first time you’ve broken up with a boy. You’re the one who made the decision, and now you have to live with it.”

  Well, he was right about that. “I won’t be held responsible for my actions when I see him,” Carly warned, turning back to her novel.

  “I think I can live with that on my conscience. Get dressed, and I’ll make you breakfast.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “We both know that’s not true,” Howard replied. “You only have three days this week and three days next week, and then you’re off for winter break. Something tells me you can make it.”

  “Did I mention my killer cramps?” she tried once more.

  “A few times. I’ll be downstairs.”

  Carly waited until his footsteps echoed in the house below before she peeled herself from the bed. She dressed in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, not bothering with her reflection before she headed downstairs. She didn’t have any reason to care anyway.

  “Coffee,” Carly moaned as she stepped into the kitchen.

  “There’s a mug for you at the table,” Howard replied. “I’ll have eggs and bacon ready in just a minute.”

  She grabbed the mug as she fell into her usual seat, downing the coffee in one drink. “Can you give me a ride to school? Since you’re insisting I go.”

  “Yes, if you don’t want to drive yourself.”

  “I can’t drive myself. I left my Jeep in town.”

  “Abel dropped it off for you Sunday evening,” Howard informed her. “Your keys are on the table in the foyer.”

  “He did?” Carly asked, glancing down the hallway. She must have been oblivious to the world if she hadn’t heard Abel come over. “That was awfully nice of him.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Howard said as he set a plate in front of her. “There’s more on the stove. Can I get you anything else?”

  “Not unless I can stay home from school.”

  “I know facing Gabriel will be difficult for you, but you’ve been through far worse and survived. You’re a tough girl. You’ll get through this.”

  Carly had been through worse—she’d lost her mother less than a year before. Gabe may have lied to her and broken her heart, but at least he was still here. In light of that, she hoped to forget all about him.

  “Finish your breakfast so you can get out the door,” Howard advised. “I don’t want either of us to be late today.”

  * * *

  Razor blades danced in the pit of Carly’s stomach as she pulled into the Sterling High parking lot. She’d thought about ditching—making a run for it to Duluth, or maybe even back to the Twin Cities—but Dad had tailed her on her drive, making escape impossible. She grabbed her backpack from the passenger seat before she jumped out of the Jeep. So far, there was no sign of Gabe. Maybe she’d get lucky and he wouldn’t show at all.

  “Carly, hey,” Abel called out as he met her on the sidewalk.

  “Hey,” she replied, stepping past him to head inside. She hadn’t spoken to Abel or any of her friends since Sunday—since everything with Gabe had changed. She remained both heartbroken and embarrassed, and longed for nothing more than a quiet day alone with her thoughts.

  “I was wondering if you’d finally show up today,” Abel said as he walked alongside her. “Although I don’t blame you for taking a few days off. How are you? Really?”

  “Not in the mood to talk. Really.”

  “Then we won’t talk, if that’s what you want. But something tells me you could use a friend right now, and I just want you to know I’m here for you. Even if all you really need is a cup of coffee.”

  Abel’s sincerity, if nothing else, helped relax her somewhat. “Do you think I could crash your class? Pretend I’m a senior for the day?”

  “Don’t you think the junior class would miss you?” he teased.

  “Not all of them.”

  “Well, I’d love it if you crashed my class. I’m pretty sure Crys would love it, too. It’d be nice to have someone to talk to besides each other.”

  Carly glanced down the hallway, her stomach sinking all over again. “I guess I have to do this, even though I really don’t want to.”

  “I’ll walk you to class,” Abel offered. “It’s on my way anyway.”

  “Sure, whatever,” she agreed, forcing one foot in front of the other to tiptoe to homeroom.

  “I’m assuming your cramps are better?”

  Carly smirked as she met his gaze. “Excuse me?”

  Abel nudged her with his elbow, and sparks shimmered between them. “Isn’t that what girls always say when they want to get out of something—that they have cramps?”

  “Sometimes,” Carly admitted, suspicious he’d somehow heard her thoughts. “Did Esther get a ride with Jeremy? At least I’ll have her in class to distract me from Gabe.”

  “No, she totally skipped out today. Can you guess what her excuse was?”

  Now Carly grinned. “Your mom bought it, too, huh?”

  “My mom’s not much for saying no to her only daughter. And I wouldn’t worry about class. I’m pretty sure Hutchinson’s going to leave you alone today.”

  “Oh, really? And what makes you say that?”

  Abel stopped outside Carly’s classroom, his dark gaze intent on her. “Because I told him to. I told him this isn’t easy for you, and he should give you some space. Not that he’ll listen, but you never know.”

  Carly did need space, but she didn’t know how she felt about Abel requesting it for her. “Thanks, I guess.”

  “I was going to run up to the resort at lunch and grab some coffee. Do you want to come with? It might be nice to get out of here for a while.”

  “You had to say the magic word, didn’t you?”

  Abel winked before turning to head down the hall. “I’ll see you then.”

  Carly sucked in a deep breath as she walked i
nto homeroom, her heart stopping in her chest when she locked eyes with Gabe. He was sitting in his usual seat at the far back corner of the room, the desk behind him empty. That was her seat, but she debated finding another. The last thing she wanted was to stare at the back of his head all morning.

  But if she sat somewhere else, that would only draw attention to the both of them. And not everyone in the whole high school needed to know that they were no longer speaking. Carly squared her shoulders, marched across the room, and slid into the seat behind Gabe. We’re not talking.

  Nothing. Not one single, solitary response visited her thoughts.

  Good. Carly wasn’t in the mood to deal with him anyway.

  First, second, third, and fourth periods passed without a single acknowledgment from Gabe. He was doing such a superb job of ignoring her, in fact, that Carly had almost forgotten he existed. That was until the bell rang for lunch.

  “You’re hanging out with Abel now?” Gabe asked, sticking close as he followed her out of the classroom. “I suppose it’s natural that he’s your second choice.”

  Carly made a point of gazing deep into Gabe’s pale blue eyes, and emphasized, “Abel doesn’t lie to me.” She turned without a second thought and headed for the lobby, where Abel was waiting. She feared Gabe might be behind her, and hurried past Abel for the exit. “Coffee?”

  “Yes, coffee,” Abel confirmed, following after her.

  “Is Crys coming with?”

  “Sorry, I didn’t think to ask. I’m afraid it’s just you and me.”

  “Oh,” Carly replied, eyeing him for just a moment. “That’ll have to do then.”

  “I thought I’d drive. Unless you’d like to?”

  “Nope, I’m fine letting someone else take the wheel for a change. If you’re sure you don’t mind?”

  “Of course not,” Abel told her as they reached the PT Cruiser.

  Carly crossed her arms over her chest as he opened the passenger door for her. “No offense, Abel, but you seem way too cool for this car.”

  He chuckled. “I keep telling my parents the exact same thing, but they’ve made it pretty clear that I’m not getting an upgrade until I graduate. Only six months to go.”

  “Well, for your sake, I hope it’s a quick six months.”

  That got him to smile. “Easy, Carly. You’re going to hurt my feelings here. Are you embarrassed by The Cruiser or something?”

  Carly let out a laugh as she settled in the passenger seat. An actual laugh after doing nothing but crying for the past three days. “The only thing more embarrassing than this car is hearing you refer to it as The Cruiser. And here I had you pegged as cool.”

  “Is that so?” Abel asked, holding onto the passenger door as he leaned in to meet her gaze.

  She shook her head. “Get in the car and get me some coffee already. What, do you think I have all day?”

  “I was kind of hoping you did, actually.”

  She hated that Abel made her nervous, and did her damnedest to ignore it. She didn’t want anyone making her feel vulnerable right now. “You’d be surprised by how quickly my schedule can free up when caffeine’s involved.”

  “Good to know,” Abel said, and finally gave her some space as he closed the door.

  six

  Carly spent her afternoon very much aware that Gabe was completely ignoring her. This would be easy, getting over him, if he remained this oblivious. At least he was honoring Carly’s request to leave her alone. After all he’d taken from her, at least he was giving her that.

  She kept her gaze on the floor as she walked out of her last class, and was almost to her Jeep in the parking lot when someone caught her on the shoulder. “What?” Carly snapped as she turned on her heel to face the intruder. Her expression softened, however, when she found Crystal. “Oh, sorry.”

  “You didn’t know it was me, huh?” Crystal guessed.

  “No, I—no. Again, I’m sorry.”

  “No problem. So, how are you?”

  “Not so good, honestly,” Carly admitted. “I… broke up with Gabe.”

  “Yeah, he told me,” Crystal replied.

  “I, um, I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me. Look, it’s okay if you’re on his side. I know you guys are close, and, well, I guess I just expect everyone to be on his side.”

  “Everyone except Abel, apparently,” Crystal quipped.

  Carly couldn’t quite interpret Crystal’s tone, but was too distracted to dwell on it. “I knew this would happen if Gabe and I started dating. I knew that if we ever broke up, I’d lose everyone. I never should have let myself fall for him. I knew I’d be here someday, with my heart ripped in two.”

  “Do you really think you’d be better off if you and Gabe had stayed just friends?”

  “At least we’d still be friends. At least I wouldn’t have this empty black hole in my gut where my heart used to be.”

  Crystal pursed her lips. “Look, Carly, no one’s taking sides. I think Gabe’s a huge jerk for lying to you, yes, but he was planning on talking to you about everything with Esther soon. Abel was getting tired of keeping Gabe’s secret, and frankly, so was I. Gabe got it—I think he finally realized he couldn’t have a real relationship with you unless he was completely honest about his past. He shouldn’t have lied to you, and he knows that. He knows he screwed up, but he still loves you. I mean, everyone can see that he loves you. Which is why I think you should just give the poor kid a second chance.”

  “A second chance, Crystal? I almost had sex with him. I would have had sex with him, but something stopped me. And now that I realize what it was, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive him. You claim you’re not taking sides, Crys, but it seems like you are. All I ask is that you don’t skimp on the details when you report back to Gabe.”

  “Jeez, Carly, chill,” Crystal replied. “Yes, Gabe and I are close, so I’m inclined to be a little defensive. But no, he didn’t mention anything about, well, that.”

  “Of course he didn’t, because he wanted you to feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for him, because I would’ve been able to get past it if he’d just explained everything from the beginning. But this was a huge lie that went on for a long time. Gabe didn’t just wait until I was his girlfriend to tell me, he waited until it meant he’d get laid. I just wish my virginity meant more to him than that.”

  “Wow,” Crystal said, shaking her head. “I didn’t think about it that way. I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t have to be sorry,” Carly told her. “But I do hope you realize that Gabe and I are over. There’s no way I can trust him after this, Crystal. There’s just no way.”

  “Yeah, okay, I get it.”

  Carly glanced at the Jeep, blinking back tears. “I, uh, I should get home. I’ve got plenty of homework to catch up on.”

  “I’m sure you do after skipping two days. Oh, I was going to ask, are you still going to the dance?”

  Carly started toward the Jeep again and unlocked it. “What dance?”

  “What dance?” Crystal gasped, as though the hours she’d spent advising Carly on hair and makeup and fashion had all been for nothing. “What dance do you think? Winter Wonderland. I’ve only been talking about it for weeks now, and it’s this Saturday. It’s the entire reason we spent two full days in Duluth last month trying to find perfect dresses.”

  “Yeah, that,” Carly mumbled. “There’s no way I’m going to that.”

  “I guess I can see why you wouldn’t want to.”

  “You guess you can see why? I was supposed to go with Gabe. What if he shows up with some other girl?”

  “Gabe with another girl?” Crystal scoffed. “Are you kidding, Carly? He’s heartbroken over this. He’s giving you space because that’s what you asked for, but he’s falling apart inside. If your goal was to torture him—mission accomplished.”

  Carly cleared her throat. She had wanted to hurt Gabe, but it didn’t make her feel any better knowing she’d succeeded.

  “It’s a
shame you won’t get to wear that dress,” Crystal added, her tone gentler this time. “Floor-length and strapless, constructed of yards of silk that happens to be the exact same pale blue as Gabe’s eyes. You look like a model in that thing, in case you were wondering. And I’m guessing pretty much every straight guy at school will agree. Would it hurt to at least make an appearance at the dance? What better way to piss off Gabe than to show up and have every guy in the room drooling all over you? Think about it, Carly.”