“Absolutely not. No need to scare her.” I leaned over and grabbed the letter. “She’s upset enough about that comatose college student.” Rubbing my eyes, I said, “I can’t believe this whole day. First, Essence and Amethysts, then epic apartment fires. I can’t take much more. What I need is a long, hot shower to get rid of this filth and maybe this headache, too.”
“Lexi, what you need is a day without a premonition.”
“Tell me about it,” I mumbled, ripping open the envelope from my mom. Something green fell into my lap as I pulled out the letter. I read it aloud to Ally and shook my head at the postscript. “P.S. I’ve enclosed $150 spending money. Please give $50 to Ally, and keep the rest for yourself. Spend it on something fun. Please don’t tell your dad as we had some kind of silly agreement. It will be our little secret.”
“Your parents crack me up.” Ally laughed. “Didn’t you say your dad transferred money into your checking account today, and that’s how you paid for our dinner?”
“Yes.” I sighed. “Two hundred dollars, and he made me promise not to tell mom, because they had some kind of agreement. Secrets,” I muttered. “Here’s your fifty bucks; spend it wisely.” I tossed it in her lap.
“I’m going to write a nice thank you letter to your mom. Snail mail, of course. Do you think she’ll ever convert to e-mail or texting?” Ally asked.
“Not in this lifetime.” Looking at my hundred dollar bill, I shook my head. “But I love her anyway.” I leaned over and hugged Ally. “You too. Thanks for adapting to the last minute plans. And thanks for covering when I ran into the apartment building.”
“No problem, I knew you were on a premonition mission.” She giggled at her rhyme. “But, I’m still curious about all this Essence stuff. Sure would have come in handy tonight. I’ll be expecting you to get a full report and find out what exactly an Amethyst can do. What you can do.” She leaned against my shoulder.
Suddenly solemn, I rose from the couch and said, “I’ll talk with Jessica soon. Promise. But right now, all I want is that hot shower and a bottle of Excedrin.”
“Can’t wait…Ms. Amethyst,” she shouted after me.
I shook my head warily and kept on walking. Once I was in the shower, scalding water washed the soot from my body and the smoke from my hair. I only wished it would wash away my frustration and anger as well. Here I’d accepted my fate, an invitation to end it all, granted it was via mountain lions – not the best way to go, but now, unexpectedly, an invitation to fight against my fate had arrived, via Jessica. Only this one came with another gift – the extraordinary ability to heal.
Even though I didn’t want to consider it, I couldn’t seem to stop myself. If I accepted her belief, that I too, could become an Amethyst, was there a chance I could survive the mountain lion attack by utilizing my Essence? If I did, I’d have to come to terms with the life I’d been trying so desperately to escape – a life that would always be dominated by premonitions and the ability to heal people.
At least I wouldn’t be completely alone, because I’d have Jessica. And she’d said there was a network of others like us. Maybe my Mr. Right was an Amethyst, and my premonitions wouldn’t scare him away. At that thought, aqua-marine eyes popped into my mind, and I felt a tug on my heart. Unwanted complications.
Feeling disconcerted and more confused than ever, I turned off the water and huddled inside my towel. I had a lot to think about. I collapsed into bed and, amazingly, fell right asleep.
CHAPTER 6 – A CHANCE MEETING
“What ya up to?” Ally asked, poking her head into the bathroom.
I grabbed a wide-tooth comb off the counter. “Attempting to do something with my hair,” I replied. “Four days in a row at work, and I’m wondering if having to wear it pulled back is contributing to my headaches, so I thought I’d wear it down today.”After spending a couple days at home with my parents in Tacoma, I’d spent the rest of the week at the store.
“Want some Advil?”
“Already took something.” Turning to inspect her outfit, I waved the comb in the air. “Fancy dress. You must be heading off to work?” I asked.
She held her head high. “Yes I am, and for your information there is a direct correlation between wearing dresses and higher sales.”
“No way,” I said, picking up the flat iron.
“Really. Besides,” she said, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles, “a man is more attracted to a woman in a dress.” I snorted, and she added, “Not that I’m on the market anymore. But you still are. Hint. Hint.”
“I’m tuning out now.”
“Fine. But hey, serious for a minute, what’s going on with you? It’s been almost a week since Jessica told you about Amethysts, and it’s like you’re avoiding her. What’s up with that?”
“Nothing. Just busy,” I lied. I’d been evading Jessica all right. I’d decided I didn’t want anything to do with becoming an Amethyst – didn’t want the added responsibility. Jessica was making me nervous, too. In passing she kept alluding to how she was going to need me. I didn’t even want to know where she was going with that.
“Lexi, are you sure it’s not something else? It’s not like you to be so…so apathetic?”
I snapped to attention and mustered a smile. “Honestly, I just needed a breather. It seems like the premonitions have been non-stop lately, and on top of that, I’ve had this never-ending migraine. That’s it, really. I’ll be fine,” I assured her, dropping the straight iron on the counter. “There hasn’t been time to meet with Jessica. We’ve been working opposite shifts, and she volunteers at the hospital all the time. She is trying to set something up for this Friday, though. So, we’ll see. I’m just feeling overwhelmed,” I admitted.
“Oh Lex.” She hugged me. “If you need help with anything, let me know, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” As we parted, she grabbed the straight iron and started in on the back side of my head. “Besides, being an Amethyst would be a good thing for you. And I think this Essence stuff is exciting – even more so than your premonitional abilities.”
“Premonitional?”
“You use fancy words all the time. Why can’t I?”
“I use real words,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Oh bother. Anyways, Jessica’s got me believing anything is possible.” A couple minutes later she stopped fussing with my hair. “Looks great. You’re so lucky you can change it up from curly to straight. A little advice though, scrap the Chap Stick, and go with my red velvet lipstick.” She glanced at her watch. “Gotta head out, cuz there is a big two for one sale at work today, and I plan on makin’ the highest sales. You just gonna hang out here today, or what?”
“Since I’m tired of waiting for you,” I teased, “I’m heading to the bookstore all by my lonesome.”
“Good for you.” She put her hands on her hips. “Hope you find something good. And by that, I mean a hottie with a naughty body.” She winked. “Maybe then you’ll be smiling again.”
I paid no heed to her comment. “By the way, thanks for organizing my closet. I can’t promise it’ll stay that way. You’re the only person I know who puts jeans on hangers.”
“You’re welcome. That was my return favor for you putting my desk together. But do you realize,” she said sharply, “you currently have 26 pairs of jeans hanging in that closet – 23 of which are designer denim? So the next time you complain about my binge shopping, I’m going to remind you about your obsessive compulsive jeans disorder.” Sizing me up, she shook her head disgustedly. “Tennis shoes and a sweatshirt. Scary! I hate to imagine what kind of guy you’d attract today. Please feel free to raid my closet.”
“Ha, ha. Thanks a lot. And binge shopping? Are you kidding?” I laughed. “You suffer from full blown shopaholicism.”
She threw her hands in the air. “What. Ever. I’m outta here. Have fun at the book store, and remember, bring home nothing unless he’s tall, dark, and handsome.”
After she left, I sighed at
my reflection. Hanging halfway down my back, my hair looked nice for once. The summer sun and lightened it and given it a shiny golden color. My face was still unusually pale, but that was normal since my ivory skin never tanned very well. At least my long eyelashes helped distract from the circles under my eyes. The small mole under my right eye caught my attention, probably because I’d always been self-conscious about it. I glanced at my rather Bohemian attire and wondered if it really mattered?
The girl in the mirror stared back at me, looking tired and…haunted. “Crap,” I said aloud. “I’m not dead yet.” Acting on Ally’s advice, I slapped on lipstick and a bit of blush. Then I rummaged through her closet and found a stylish, purple blouse that still had the REI tag in it. Ha! This will teach her. After sliding my cell phone, debit card, and some cash into my pocket, I headed out the door.
Once inside Village Books, I sighed with relief at having arrived without any premonitional diversions this time. Vaulted ceilings offered a good view of the upper floor balcony, and a spectacular piece of red, twisting blown-glass artwork hung suspended from the ceiling. Closing my eyes, I inhaled the scent of old books, new books, and a tinge of espresso drifting down from the upstairs coffee bar.
Walking slowly, I enjoyed the creaking of the wooden floor boards while gazing at several featured books. The first few tables displayed new arrivals and novels by local authors. I flipped through a Whatcom County Best Hikes Guidebook for a few minutes. Finally, I wandered up the squeaky staircase to the fantasy section. I didn’t think much about the guy standing with his back to me, until I noticed he was thumbing through a Robert Jordan book I’d already read.
Impulsively, I reached out and touched his shoulder. “That’s a great series,” I said. “But I have to tell you, the author died before writing the final book in the series. Luckily, his wife is collaborating with…” I broke off, because a curious heat rushed through my hand, saturating my arm and then spread throughout my entire body. I was so caught up in the sensations it took a moment before I realized I was holding the guy’s shoulder rather forcefully. An odd sense of familiarity flickered down my spine, and my eyes darted from the book to his face.
I’m not sure if my jaw hit the floor before, or after, my eyebrows brushed the ceiling, but my heart lurched and lodged itself somewhere in my throat. Our eyes locked, and neither one of us moved for several heartbeats. Gazing into those aquamarine eyes, I lost all cognitive and motor skills.
For the second time in my life, he rocked my world!
If I hadn’t been holding onto him, I might have toppled over. Somehow this mystery guy, who was the source of my internal earthquake, was also the solid ground keeping me from tumbling over the edge. My first thought was expected: thank God I found you again – alive and well! My second thought was ridiculous: mental note to thank Ally for lipstick advice.
He glanced at my hand, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply, but when his eyes popped open his look was severe. Instantly, I dropped my hand and opened my mouth to say something. Anything. But nothing came out. Well nothing coherent; I think I made some kind of gurgling sound.
Angling himself until he was standing squarely in front of me, he spoke first and saved me from further embarrassing myself. His voice was deep. “So, the fates must be at work.” Light reflected off a thin silver chain which hung around his neck. “Looks like they’re giving me the opportunity to thank you – the Good Samaritan who wasn’t afraid to step in and perform CPR on a complete stranger.” His brows arched as his eyes dropped to my lips.
For a second time, I could feel the heat spreading over my body, but this time the flames licked across my face. Still, all I could do was stare.
Standing several inches taller than me, he said, “So, thank you.” He sounded upset, like he blamed me for something. A white t-shirt with the words Hit the Trails accentuated his incredible biceps. His blonde hair was short, even slightly shorter on the sides then it was on the top where it was a bit messier. The style reminded me of a David Beckham short faux hawk haircut, only it was way sexier on this guy.
“Umm…you’re welcome,” I said, assuming I’d misread his chilly tone. “I’m glad to see you’re alive.” Could I sound like any more of an idiot?
His lips curled into an amused smile. “No worries, I’m tough. My injuries were pretty minor. I was lucky the corner of the truck kind of picked me up and threw me off to the side.” He shook his head at the memory. A couple faint scratches were visible underneath a few days worth of stubble – stubble which made him even more rugged; although, the snug-fitting, faded Levi’s were an even bigger distraction.
“That…” I took a deep breath and calmed my nerves. “That was incredibly brave of you to run out and help that lady and her kids. I was so grateful.”
His brows furrowed. “Why would you be grateful? It wasn’t your fault they were out in the middle of the road.”
My eyes widened as I was once again tongue-twisted. I could feel a second wildfire raging across my cheeks – flames of shame burning brightly. Oh, I was more than responsible, and it had almost cost all of them their lives. But I couldn’t let him know any of that.
On the other hand, he’d played a part in detaining me when he’d rammed into me. Feeling defensive, I decided to throw it back at him. It wasn’t exactly fair to smack the ball of blame onto his side of the court. But what else could I to do? Admit my guilt when I couldn’t even explain why I was guilty? “What was your deal, running down the sidewalk like a maniac knocking into people? Care to explain your…your boorish behavior?” I shifted my stance and eyed him skeptically. Whenever my nerves were shot, I spoke before my brain had a chance to catch up – usually resulting in the use of strange vocabulary words. Drove Ben and Ally crazy.
His eyes grew a little wider, and I could tell he was taken aback. The gritty espresso machine roiled in the background, and his lips twitched, but I stared pointedly at him. “Boorish, huh?” He smacked his lips together. “This is no excuse, but I was late…late for something very important. Not that that dismisses my behavior in any way. I’m sorry I ran into you.” He smiled sincerely.
Yeah, he knew how to score a touchdown when the heat was on. Still, I persisted, “Even if you were in a hurry, why, after crashing into me, did you stare at me like I was the crazy one? And what was so important you didn’t have time to utter an apology?”
In a low voice he said, “Look, I’d rather not say, and I did just apologize for bumping into you, and I offered my gratitude for your help after the accident.” He dropped his head and studied the floor. When he looked at me again he said in a cool voice, “I really have nothing else to add.”
“Oh, that’s convenient,” I said, increasing the volume of my voice. He might be sexy, and I might be completely in the wrong, but dang, his attitude was monstrous. Books crashed to the floor behind me, and I jumped. Despite my mood, I found it within myself to smile at the poor, frazzled lady who’d just knocked over a display stand.
“Look,” he sighed and tapped the book against his leg, “I was just as surprised as you when I crashed into you. That doesn’t make much sense; I know, but I can’t really explain it to you.”
I exhaled loudly and shook my head. “You’re right about that. You’re not making much sense. Do you mean you can’t explain it, or you won’t?”
He scowled and said furtively, “Would you believe me if I said that cute little mole under your right eye and your stunning, dark eyes had me transfixed, and you rendered me speechless.”He stood looking at me with an unreadable expression. I honestly couldn’t tell if he was being playful or trying to incite my dark side.
“Doubtful,” I replied, inadvertently touching the cursed mole.
“I didn’t think so, but it was worth a try.”
“You’re impossible.”
“True.” His smile faded away. “For your own sake, I must warn you that I’m argumentative by nature, and most people find my company intolerable.
“Obvio
usly,” I said, but found I was biting back a grin.
He studied me momentarily and said in a softer voice, “Bet you get compliments on your eyes all the time.”
What was he up to now? With a hint of cynicism, I said in a tiredly, “No, but thanks, I think.”
“For some reason you compel me to say more than I usually would.”
I put my hand on my forehead and shook my head. He hadn’t shared much of anything so far. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m serious.” He looked over at the bookshelves and back again. “If I’m being honest, after I collided with you on the sidewalk…I forgot everything else around me. It was like the rest of the world had stopped, and there was just us.” He scratched his head.
Was he blushing? Seeing him flustered was rather endearing after his impertinence. He’d just gained extra points for a successful two point conversion. Okay, why was I comparing his every move to football? As a die-hard fan, I found the sport exciting and addictive. Is that how I felt about him?
Strange folk music played over the speakers, and he finally broke the silence. “By now you probably think I’m a complete ass.”
Stifling a grin, I crossed my arms. “You said it, not me.” I didn’t really think that at all; although, he was somewhat exasperating. Even so, he was easy on the eyes, and I was indebted to him for saving the lady and her toddlers.
He glanced at his watch like he was nervous. “I should be going…” he started to say.
My cell phone went off, playing my dad’s favorite Tim McGraw song, and by accident, I turned on speaker mode in my rush to answer it.
“Hello. Alex?” My dad’s voice echoed clearly through the store.
“Hi dad, I…” I dropped the phone and it went skidding across the floor. Heat rushed up my neck as I chased it down.
Amethyst - Book One of the Guardian Series Page 7