But, still. Damn indeed.
“Sorry, Mom. This is...uh, Olivia,” Ethan said, sitting up and straightening his T-shirt.
“Olivia, huh?” Mrs. Cole said. “I guess what you needed to talk to my son about couldn’t have waited until tomorrow after all, could it?”
I tried to think of some sort of good excuse, but came up completely blank. “It was really important.”
“I can see that.” A smile spread over her face. “Sorry I interrupted.”
“I was just leaving anyway.”
“Sure you were, dear.” She raised an eyebrow and glanced at the wide open window. “Would you like to use the front door this time?”
Ethan reached over and flicked on his lamp. Light flooded into the room and I blinked against the sudden brightness.
My face felt very hot as I glanced at Ethan. “I should probably go.”
He held my gaze and nodded slowly. “Okay.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, though.”
“You will.”
I glanced at Mrs. Cole and was shocked at what I saw now that there was enough light to see her clearly. Her left eye was surrounded by an angry-looking purple bruise.
I think I must have gasped out loud because she touched her face and winced.
Ethan’s expression had darkened in an instant. Any embarrassment he might have felt at getting caught with me had vanished.
“Don’t worry about this, dear. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
Ethan’s gaze didn’t move away from his mom. “Now it is.”
“He’s gone, Ethan. Let it go.”
He nodded. “I will. Eventually.”
This earned him a smile. “My protector.”
“You can count on it.”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one being saved lately by Ethan Cole. However, I had a gut feeling that Upyri weren’t the ones responsible for that bruise.
“Now—” Mrs. Cole said. “Are you really ready to go, Olivia, or are you going to stay for a bit longer?”
“I—I’m going.” I slid my fingers through my hair to pull out a few tangles, and then stood up from the bed. The distraction hadn’t done much to get rid of my embarrassment. “This...well, it’s never happened before.”
An edge of amusement returned to her gaze. “Of course not.”
“Goodnight, Olivia,” Ethan said.
“Goodnight.” I bit my bottom lip, giving him one last look, before following Mrs. Cole out of the room. She closed the door behind us.
“Olivia Hawthorn, right?” she said as she led me down the stairs.
I grimaced at being fully identified and studied the wood banister. “That’s right.”
“I know your father. We see each other in the neighborhood sometimes. Nice man.”
“He has his moments.” I cleared my throat nervously. “Look, Mrs. Cole, I’m so sorry for sneaking in.”
“Don’t give it another thought. I didn’t even realize my son had a girlfriend. I think it’s wonderful. There’s no reason you need to sneak around behind my back. I don’t mind at all.”
“Well...uh, good.”
She opened the front door for me. “And the next time I see your father I’ll be sure not to mention that you were here tonight.”
I managed a grin. “That would probably be for the best.”
I left, then ran the short way home before slipping quietly into the house and going up the stairs to my bedroom.
Ethan kept surprising me with every new piece of information I learned about him. I just hoped beyond hope that Ethan’s friend could help fill in the blanks a little more tomorrow after school.
And I also hoped to learn more about Ethan himself, a boy who protected women in danger when they needed his help. A boy with secrets that he held very close to his chest. A boy who’d been in my life for years and I couldn’t believe I’d never fully noticed him before.
I’d noticed him now—to say the least. And now I planned to learn every last one of his secrets.
Chapter 5
I didn’t think I’d be able to get to sleep, but I was wrong. I was exhausted and I fell into unconsciousness moments after my head hit the pillow. No dreams. There should have been more nightmares tonight, but there was nothing at all—at least, not that I could remember. When I woke the next morning, my alarm had already been buzzing for a while.
My mother knocked on my door a moment later.
“You awake, Liv?”
“Yes.”
“Just checking. I’m making pancakes if you want any before school.”
I made some kind of sleepy grunt to acknowledge her offer.
I had to admit that she was trying very hard to pretend like nothing had changed between us. That she’d just gone on a year-long vacation and returned to her loving home like everything should be the same as it had been before. I wanted to be the kind of person who could put the past behind me and not have it constantly hovering over my head like a thick black raincloud. But it did. I couldn’t help it.
Although, admittedly, I wasn’t trying very hard.
I had other things on my mind. Bad things I could barely believe or explain. But along with the bad things, there were good things too.
Ethan, for one. That was good. Really good.
Him and me—we were in this together now, whatever this was. It gave me a strange sense of comfort knowing that. And knowing I had a reason to talk to him again.
I got ready for school, staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror as I put on my eyeliner. The silver locket I always wore hung outside of my V-neck blue shirt, and I tucked it underneath so I could only see the chain.
I felt like everything had changed, like I was a completely different person from a few days ago. They say that every cell in your body changes every seven years making you essentially a brand new person. Forget seven years. For me, it felt more like about three days.
There were monsters in my town—my previously safe town where people normally left their front doors unlocked.
The thought made me shiver. It made me want to stay in my room huddled under the sheets where it was safe. But I knew that wasn’t safe. They’d find me. And a thin covering of cotton sheets would be a pathetic defense against something like that.
Ethan’s secretive ways had driven me completely nuts, but I’d finally gotten to the truth—at least a large chunk of it. And I hadn’t been lying last night. I felt safer just knowing he was around.
Kissing him hadn’t been planned. And for a moment there, I’d completely forgotten that I already had a boyfriend. In fact, I’d forgotten right up until I received Peter’s text this morning, which gave me a guilty kick right to the gut. He wanted to drive me to school today. He’d be here in ten minutes.
After last night, I needed a bit of a cold shower to help focus me again. Peter’s text did the trick.
Downstairs, just as I’d been warned, there seemed to be a pancake event happening. Three plates on the kitchen table. Coffee. Orange juice. The works. My father and mother were both staring at me expectantly as I entered the room.
“Have a seat, Liv,” my father said firmly.
He was usually on his way to work at the magazine office by now. That was worrying.
I glanced at the clock. “Peter’s going to be here any minute to pick me up.”
“He can wait. This is important.”
My father was normally very easy to get along with. Even though he worked a lot as an editor—early mornings and late nights and business trips all over the world for the travel magazine—we got along extremely well. Sometimes we didn’t even have to speak to be understood by the other. We’d formed a solid father/daughter bond over the last year. We were a team.
At least, I thought we were. Lately, it seemed like he’d switched loyalties.
My mother had placed her hand over his on the tabletop and he definitely wasn’t pulling away from her.
“You’ve been ignoring your mother,” my father sai
d.
I finally swung into the seat across from them and looked bleakly down at the perfect circle of cooked batter on my plate accessorized by a melting pat of butter. The normally delicious scent soured my stomach.
“Your behavior is making her feel bad,” he continued. “Now the question is, how can we make things better?”
I glanced at the clock again, waiting to hear the beep that told me my rescuer had arrived.
No beep.
“Olivia,” he said sharply, bringing my attention back to him. I couldn’t remember the last time he’d used that tone with me. It made my throat thicken and I stared back down at the plate. He only called me by my full name when I was in big trouble.
“Yeah?” I mumbled.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
I couldn’t believe I had to say anything. He’d seen how upset I was when she’d left. I barely got out of bed for days. Now I knew it was grief I’d been dealing with. A sudden loss of something important in your life will do that, even if it wasn’t actually a death in the family.
“What can I say?” I asked and flicked a glance at my mother. That her eyes were brimming with tears only made me feel worse than I already did.
“Say that you’re willing to come halfway,” Dad said. “I know this is a difficult situation for you Liv, but ignoring your mother as you’ve been doing, making her feel unwanted...it’s not helping.” His jaw tensed. “We’re a family. We’re together again, the way it was meant to be. And I want you to willingly be a part of this.”
I moistened my dry lips with the tip of my tongue. “I know I haven’t exactly been the easiest person to get along with lately, but I can’t help it. I’m just having a really hard time pretending that nothing happened. She left us, Dad. Both of us.”
“I know I did,” my mother finally spoke. “Olivia, honey, people make mistakes. Horrible, horrible mistakes. But I’m different now. I just want you to give me a chance here. You’re important to me. I don’t think you realize how much. I want you to stop fighting this, fighting me. It won’t be long before things change for the better. I can promise you that.”
“That’s what we’re asking for, Liv. For you to give your mother a chance. Will you do that for me? Please?”
It was strange to have this kind of power. One word from me could make them both happier. One word from me could make this uncomfortable living environment easier to deal with.
Or just the opposite.
My mother and I used to have a great relationship, that’s what made what she did difficult for me to understand. We’d been more like friends than what I’d seen other kids have with their parents. Since my father traveled a lot for his job, she and I did plenty of things together—shopping, movies, and dinners out.
Maybe my father was right. Maybe I needed to give her a chance and hope for that change. She said everyone made mistakes and I knew it was true.
One word from me might help make this knot in my chest finally loosen up so I could concentrate on my other problems.
“Fine.” There was that one word.
“Fine?” my father repeated.
I nodded and glanced at my mother to see her glossy eyes had widened a little. She stroked her hand under them to wipe away the tears.
“Really?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I’m not saying I’m cool with everything that happened. I don’t understand why you did what you did. I’m not saying I forgive you. But maybe I’m willing to ease up a little and give you a chance to prove that you’re here because you want to be.”
She nodded. “This is exactly where I need to be right now. Thank you, honey.”
I studied my plate again. Unfortunately, there was no way I could eat any of this delicious-looking breakfast with the way my stomach was churning right now.
“Can we go out for dinner tonight and talk?” she asked. “Just you and me?”
My father was nodding with approval. “I think that’s a good idea.”
“I’m busy tonight after school. Tomorrow, too,” I added.
“For how long?”
“I don’t know.”
“What about Saturday?” she asked.
“Saturday’s prom.”
“Oh, yes. Of course it is.” She chewed her bottom lip. “Okay. Well, we’ll figure something out.”
There was finally a beep from the driveway. It was truly a wonderful sound.
“Can I go now?” I asked.
“Of course,” my father said. “Big day at school today?”
“You could say that.”
I left the house and got in Peter’s car.
“Morning, beautiful,” he greeted me, then leaned over and kissed me.
I tried to kiss him back, severely guilt-ridden about kissing another boy when I was already dating Peter.
However, kissing Peter was nothing like kissing Ethan; with him, it was just a kiss. But Ethan made my brain stop working and my entire world turn on its end last night. I couldn’t just ignore that.
The ten minute drive with the casual conversation I was used to from Peter—sports, friends, plans for Saturday night—helped relax me a bit. It helped me feel almost normal again. When we got to school, Helen greeted us in the hall with a big smile.
“So she forgives you, huh?” Helen asked Peter.
Peter laughed. “Yeah, I think so. No thanks to you. I know you hate my guts.”
She punched him in the arm and grinned. “Jerk. Yeah, I hate you.”
I eyed them. “You two are friends now?”
Helen looked at me. “We’re bonding over the strangeness of Olivia Hawthorn. Spent half an hour last night on the phone discussing why you’re acting so crazy this week.”
I grimaced as I scanned the hallway, already looking for Ethan. “Great. Just what I need, my boyfriend and my best friend conspiring behind my back.”
“Come on, Liv,” Peter said. “Lighten up.”
“Are you going to push me in a pool again if I don’t?”
His smile wavered. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
I sighed. “Let’s just forget it.”
“I’m trying to, but you’re not letting me.”
The air felt like it had chilled to arctic temperature around me in five seconds flat.
“I have to go to class,” I said. “Helen, you coming?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll talk to you later, Peter.” I turned away and started walking down the hall while feeling him bleakly staring after me probably wondering why I was acting so strangely and why I’d only half-heartedly kissed him back this morning in the car.
In English I took my seat like I always did, and sat there stiffly, nervously, keeping my full attention on the door until Ethan finally entered and our eyes met.
But he broke our gazes almost immediately and went to his seat at the opposite corner of the class like this was any other day.
Someone cleared their throat. It was Helen. I flicked a glance at her now seated in front of me.
“A bit preoccupied?” she asked, glancing across the room.
I tried to give Helen my full attention. “What?”
She studied me, cocking her head to the side. “Something’s up with you, Liv. I thought it was kind of funny before, but now I’m starting to worry. What’s going on?”
“Everything’s fine.”
“No, it isn’t. Come on, tell me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’ve been acting bizarre all week ever since my party.”
“Have I?”
“I think I know what this is all about.” She nodded gravely. “This is about your mother, isn’t it?”
“My—” I chewed my bottom lip. “Sure, that’s it. My mother.”
“I’m here for you. You know that, right?”
“I know.” Helen had been there when things were really bad in the beginning. She’d been a total rock for me when I’d felt aban
doned and unloved. She’d called every day, even when I hadn’t returned the calls. She’d even made cookies to cheer me up.
She was a good friend, I didn’t deny it. But—I couldn’t deal with it now. She wanted to know everything. And, well, there were some things that I didn’t want to share with her or anyone, really.
Better to make a little conversation so she would stop grilling me. “So you’ve been talking about me with Peter, huh?”
“He called me last night,” she said, leaning closer so no one could hear us over the buzz of activity in the room as everyone got settled. “He thinks you’re still mad at him.”
“For the pool thing? I’m over that.”
“Didn’t sound like it a minute ago.”
“I am. It’s ancient history.”
“He’s worried that you’re thinking about dumping him. That maybe you’re interested in somebody else.”
I forced myself to focus enough to sort through this conversation while trying to catch Ethan’s eye. “And he’s coming to you with these concerns instead of me, why?”
She shrugged. “You haven’t replied to his texts. Mine either, for that matter.”
“Sorry, my stupid phone’s been glitchy for the last week. I thought I told you that.”
She studied me for a long moment before a smile stretched her cheeks. “Wait a minute. I think I’m starting to figure this out. This isn’t about your mom at all, is it? Peter’s right isn’t he? You’re interested in somebody else.”
I cringed. “I don’t want to talk about this, Helen.”
“Oh, my God! It’s true! You’re hot for somebody else.” She surveyed the classroom with a sweeping glance. “Who is it? And why haven’t you told me about him yet?”
But before I could evade that question as best as I could, I realized that Ms. Carlson was trying to start class, but didn’t have our attention. Her gaze was currently fixed on me and Helen.
“Are we interrupting you girls?” she asked.
I sunk lower in my seat. “Not at all.”
“Do you mind if I get started?” She looked vaguely amused that she’d put the spotlight directly on me. Everyone was staring.
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