“But Clarissa — she trusted you. How could you betray her like that?”
He sighed before answering. “Clarissa and I were over a long time ago. As soon as Gavin found out about us, as soon as I wasn’t her dirty secret anymore, she lost interest in me. For a while, she actually fought to get that ignorant buffoon back. So, I ended it for good. I don’t care about betraying her.”
Arista fell silent. It seemed like she couldn’t do anything else, except wait to be delivered. She stared out the window, trying to figure out how everything had spun so madly out of control. As the trees whizzed past her, the landscape started to look strangely familiar.
But that wasn’t possible.
Still, that clump of trees in that field. Those cows out in their pasture.
Then, that sign for Chiarini’s Circus of Wonders.
Salazar.
Before her better sense could take over, she screamed and hit James as hard as possible in his neck and arms.
“No! You can’t take me there! You have no idea what he does! He is going to kill me!”
She kept hitting him as hard as she could. The car swerved as he brought his arm up to protect his face from her frantic blows. He slammed the brakes and the car spun halfway around on the road. He put the car in park and turned the keys in the ignition before reaching over and grabbing Arista by the neck. He forced her back against the seat.
“I don’t care what he wants to do with you,” James growled, digging into his pocket with his free hand. He pulled out a needle and pointed it towards her neck. “But I can’t have you causing any more trouble.”
As he was about to inject her with more drugs, shards of glass sprayed against them. Arista cried out as some of the pieces struck her face. It took them both a few seconds to react and realize the window had been smashed.
“What the….” James stopped to peer cautiously through the now-broken window. It was pitch black and they couldn’t tell if anyone, or anything, was out there.
“We need to get going, we’re almost there,” he said nervously, turning the key in the ignition. The headlights came on with the start of the car’s engine, illuminating the silhouette of a man in front of them.
“Get out of our way!” James yelled, putting the car into drive.
This was the only time for Arista to act before the car moved again. She flung the door open and fell out of the vehicle, rolling across the ground. She flipped over to face the car once more. The man was walking towards her and James still sat in the car. Arista stood to run, but cried out in pain when she put her weight on her right ankle. Each step she took sent jolts of pain searing up her leg. A hand reached out for her elbow and pulled her backwards.
Arista yelled and whirled around. The man was still shadowed in the darkness.
“Please, let me go,” she pleaded, yanking her arm free.
“Arista, are you crazy? I’m not trying to hurt you. We need to get out of here now,” he said. Arista thought his voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t figure out how anyone would know her name.
James was on top of them before they could get away.
“I need her back,” he said, pushing the man away from her.
“I don’t think so,” her attacker-turned-mysterious friend said, shoving James right back.
The two fought and Arista ran back towards the car as fast as her injured ankle would allow. She sat in the driver’s seat and tried to remember everything she watched Gavin do in the car. Fortunately, it was running, so she put the car into drive and lightly pressed her foot on the gas pedal. The car lurched forward and Arista groaned. It was harder than she had anticipated. She looked out the passenger window and saw someone running towards the car. He appeared taller than James, so she decided to risk it and wait.
The mystery man climbed into the front seat. Only the outline of his face and his dark hair were visible in the light cast back by the headlights.
“He’s unconscious for now, so we should get out of here. I hope you know how to use this thing,” he said.
“I hope so, too,” she answered. “Who are you? How do you know who I am?”
The man leaned in closer and she gasped in recognition.
“Arista, I was sent here to bring you home.”
˜
{ Chapter 14 }
Arista hoped she could find the way back to Gavin. She glanced out the corner of her eye to the passenger seat, where Kellen was busy looking out the window. He hadn’t said much to her since he first got into the car.
Arista still couldn’t believe he was there.
“Are you okay? I think your arm is bleeding,” she finally said to break the silence.
“I’m fine. An animal scratched me, maybe a bird or something,” he answered tersely.
“How did you even find me?” she asked. He glared at her briefly with his blue eyes before answering.
“With this,” he said, holding out his right arm. On his wrist sat a metal bracelet glowing softly from its center. “Your grandmother made it for me. It’s like a compass. The lights move across the bracelet to guide me to you.”
“Does it also allow you to leave the water?”
“Yes it does,” he said.
“I had no idea my grandmother could do that,” she said, with a sharp pang of guilt. Arista deeply regretted not talking to her about going to the surface.
“None of us did. It wasn’t until you vanished and we put the pieces together that your grandmother came up with this plan.” His face hardened as he looked at her. “Arista, you know we have to go back.”
She took a deep breath and stared out at the empty road in front of her. “You don’t understand, I’m not finished here yet.”
“I don’t want to argue with you and, really, it’s not a choice. We have to go back.”
Arista’s face flushed as she grew angrier with Kellen. He had no right to be there ordering her around. In the distance, they saw headlights approaching. She slowed down, nervous about the rapidly advancing car. Until that point, the road had been empty. A faded red truck flew past her on the left.
“I think that was Gavin,” she said, stomping on the brakes. The car lurched to a stop and she spun the wheel to follow the truck.
Gavin saw her hurried turn in the rearview mirror and stopped a moment later, pulling off to the side of the road. Arista parked the car behind his truck and flung the door open. Gavin was already out of the truck and jogging towards her.
“Thank goodness,” he said, pulling her towards him for a hug. His arms wrapped around her shoulders. Pressed against him, she heard his heart thumping in his chest. He let go of her slightly to get a better look at her face.
“Are you alright?” he asked. She nodded as Clarissa came over to join them. Gavin noticed Kellen step out of the nearby car as well.
“Who the hell is this?” he asked as he cautiously placed himself between Arista and Kellen.
“No, Gavin, it’s ok,” she said, tugging on his elbow until he turned to look at her. “He’s a friend. He saved me from James.”
She introduced Kellen to both Gavin and Clarissa, although Gavin never lost the look of distrust that initially washed across his face.
“How did you find us?” Arista asked, still astonished at their reunion.
“You were in there for too long,” Gavin explained. “I finally went in and found Clarissa locked in a room upstairs. She guessed he was taking you to Salazar. I didn’t think we’d come across you this soon though.”
“What exactly happened to Jim?” Clarissa asked.
Arista told them everything he had said about bringing her to Salazar and how they ended up leaving him in the field.
“I don’t think he’s dead,” Kellen said. “Which means he could come after you again.”
“We don’t have to worry about him,” Gavin replied. “Now that we know what he’s up to, he won’t risk trying anything. It only worked before because we made the mistake of trusting him.”
Cl
arissa hung her head in shame.
“Believe me, I know this is my fault,” she said. “Arista, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s alright,” Arista responded. “We’re all ok, that’s the only thing that matters.”
Kellen took a step towards her. “And now you and I have to go.”
Gavin put his arm around her waist, pulling her in closer to him. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”
“Arista and I have to leave. This isn’t our world and we need to go home. Before someone actually does get hurt,” Kellen said, pausing to look directly into Arista’s eyes. “Come on, you’ve had your fun and you’re still safe, for now. We need to go.”
She pushed Gavin’s arm away from her and walked up to Kellen. They had known each other for nearly all their lives and she realized it must have hurt him deeply when she left.
“I know this is hard for you,” she said softly. “But you must try to understand, I’m not ready yet. There are still a lot of things I have to do.”
Kellen grew more frustrated. He ran a hand through his hair as he heatedly turned and walked a few steps away from her. His back heaved as he took a deep breath and returned.
“Arista, I told you before. This isn’t your choice. You have to come back with me and pay the price for what you did,” he said.
“Look, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but she doesn’t have to do anything you say,” Gavin responded.
“This doesn’t involve you,” Kellen fired back. “She needs to return to the water.”
Arista stood between them, hoping they wouldn’t fight. “Kellen, I will. Eventually. But I need to stay here first.”
“No, that isn’t an option. I was sent here to bring you back,” he said, his anger increasing.
“But, Kellen…”
“Arista, you killed someone.”
Her heart skipped a beat as she heard those words.
“No, she hasn’t done anything like that,” Gavin said, coming to her defense.
“Stay out of this!” Kellen yelled, grabbing her arm. “Arista, they know. We all know what you did. And you need to come back.”
Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them back. “But, Kellen, you don’t understand. I have to find her.”
“Who? Your mother? This can't all be about your mother. She was selfish and horrible to you and I can’t believe you did this for her,” Kellen yelled. “What exactly are you hoping to discover, Arista? Even if you find her, you aren’t going to like what she has inevitably become. If she’s not dead already, it’s safe to assume she’s still killing people. None of us want you to end up like her.”
“That may be true, but I’m here now. And if I leave, if I go back now, then it has all been for nothing.”
“It was all for nothing the day you decided to take a life,” Kellen responded.
Arista collapsed to the ground, her legs unable to support her any longer. Her shoulders quivered as everything came crashing down around her. Then Gavin was there next to her, putting his hand against the back of her neck.
“Look, just give her a little while, ok?” he said to Kellen. “Give her some time to find her mother and then she’ll go back with you.”
“You shouldn’t be involved with any of this,” Kellen retorted.
“Maybe not. But the fact is I am involved,” he said. “And I’m not leaving Arista. If that means you’re joining us for a while, then so be it.”
Kellen stood there fuming, deciding it was in his best interest not to argue any further.
“Fine,” he said. “She finds her mother. But then, we go back.” He folded his arms across his chest, glaring at Arista. She wiped some tears from her face as she nodded.
“Clarissa, take him over to the truck. I think we have some water in the back. We’ll be there in a minute,” Gavin said. He waited until they left for the truck before helping Arista stand from where she remained crumpled in a ball on the ground.
“Are you alright?” Gavin asked quietly as he brushed some loose dirt off her jeans and Arista nodded. “Is it true what he said about your mother, that she kills people?”
She nodded again. “I’m so sorry, Gavin, I thought if I told you everything you wouldn’t want to help me anymore… and I like having you as my friend,” she said.
He wrapped his arms around her. “Honestly, this is all so crazy — you could tell me anything at this point and I think I’d accept it,” he said, softly laughing. Then his mood turned darker. “Did you really kill someone?”
“It was another mermaid. I thought it was the only way for the magic to work, for me to travel to the surface. I had to keep my plans a secret from my family and my friends. I didn’t think I had a choice,” she said, with tears welling up in her eyes once again. “I didn’t want to… there’s no way I could ever do anything like that again. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done. And now Kellen, telling me about my grandmother, it turns out I didn’t even have to do it.”
Gavin ran a hand through her hair as he pulled her closer. “It’ll be ok,” he whispered. “I’m sure everyone will understand.”
Arista pushed away from him, stumbling over her next words. “No… I know what I told Kellen, but I absolutely cannot go back. If I go back, they will kill me.”
“No, Arista,” he started, but she jumped in before he could finish.
“That’s the punishment. There is no alternative. I’m dead if I ever go back.”
“We’ll figure something out,” he said. “Right now, I plan on keeping you safe until we can find your mother.”
They walked back to the truck, but didn’t get far before he stopped her.
“I’m in this for the long haul. Whatever happens I’ll be right there next to you. But, please, don’t hide anything else from me. I want you to know that you can trust me with everything.”
˜
{ Chapter 15 }
They drove back to Chicago to spend the night at Gavin’s apartment on the south side of the city. They were so exhausted that no one argued against the idea of immediately going to sleep. Gavin put Kellen in his guest bedroom and arranged the foldout bed in the living room couch for Arista and Clarissa. The two women laid there with the lights off, but neither could fall asleep right away.
“I still feel so bad for putting you in danger,” Clarissa whispered, so as not to disturb anyone else. “I never meant for any of that to happen. I was only trying to help.”
“I know,” Arista said. “At least everything worked out in the end. I don’t know how I feel about Kellen being here, though. I know he means well.”
“Were you guys, you know, together?” Clarissa asked, rolling over towards Arista. There was enough light coming in through the windows for them to see each other in the darkened room.
“No, although I think he always wanted us to be. I just never felt anything about him, not like…”
“Like Gavin,” Clarissa finished for her.
“Are you mad?”
“No, not at all,” she said with a gentle laugh. “The way we ended things, we had to completely let go of each other. There aren’t any feelings between us anymore. I can tell he cares a lot for you.”
“Do you think so?” Arista asked. “I don’t want him to be mad about everything that happened tonight.”
“I think it’ll be fine but, speaking from experience, he does want to know that you’re honest with him. It’s hard when he doesn’t think he can trust you,” Clarissa said, her voice tinged with sadness.
They laid there silently for a few minutes, listening to the faint sounds of cars driving by on the city streets below.
“You know, I bet he’s still awake, too. You could go talk to him,” Clarissa said. “He’s probably feeling a lot of the same things you are.”
Arista nodded in agreement and quietly got up from the couch to walk down the hallway. She pushed open the door to Gavin’s bedroom and was disappointed to find all the lights turned off. She was about to leave when he
rolled over to face the doorway.
“Arista, is that you? Come on in,” he said. He sat up and pressed the switch on the small lamp sitting on the table next to his bed, casting a soft yellow glow through the room.
She sat down on a blanket folded up at the foot of the bed. “I was having a hard time sleeping,” she said.
“A lot has happened,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep either. It’s hard to push it all out of your mind.” He leaned against the wooden headboard and the light from the nearby lamp threw playful shadows across his arms.
“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” Arista said while gazing down towards the floor, too nervous to look him in the eye. “It was never my intention.”
Gavin leaned forward and rested his hand on the small of her back.
“I know you didn’t, and I’m sorry if I was hard on you. I have to keep reminding myself that as tough and crazy as the last couple of days have been for me, it must have been so much more difficult for you. I want you to know that you can count on me. I’m not going to leave your side,” he said firmly.
She turned to look at him, gazing into his dark brown eyes. “But how can that be? I can’t ask you to keep risking so much for me, even putting your life in danger.”
“Come here,” he said, leaning back once more and motioning for Arista to sit next to him at the top of the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and held her against his chest. She heard his heart beating patiently.
“I can’t explain it. I know I was meant to find you. And now that I have you, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe,” he said softly, still holding her tight. His heart beat a little faster as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
“I look into your eyes and each time I feel something that has escaped me my whole life. You’re strong and you’re kind, and I don’t yet know everything about you. But, I do know this is a journey I belong on, to stand by your side. I want to treasure these moments with you forever,” he whispered.
Arista’s hand was resting on his chest and he put his hand over hers. Her own heart beat faster as she tilted her head up to look at him.
Tangled Ripples Page 10