by Ciara Knight
She reached out and her finger traced one of the brass-covered statues. “They’re from various things like baseball, basketball, dancing, gymnastics, and running.”
“Really?” Alexander rose from the couch and walked around the small room.
“Don’t sound so shocked. A girl can play sports you know.”
“I know. I’m surprised. It’s unusual for a person to succeed in so many things.” He paused, perusing more of the pictures. Turning with a smile he told her, “I’m impressed.”
“Yeah, Gaby. You must be pretty athletic.” Sammy took a sip from her bottle.
Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment … and pride. “I guess I lose interest easily.” Not! Every time she took on a new identity, she played a different sport. It made finding them more difficult. Although why they had to hide when her dad worked for the government, her parents had never said, no matter how many times she asked. Their answer was always, “The work’s top secret and puts our lives at risk.”
“You have to try out for cheerleading at school. I made captain this year, but I’m not that good at the acrobatic portion,” Sammy said, her voice raising an octave in excitement. “I’ll help you with the cheering part and you can help me with the flips and stuff.”
“I-I,” but Gaby didn’t know how to tell her that it wasn’t an option, but she didn’t have a chance to refuse either.
“Oh, shoot,” Sammy groaned and stomped her foot on the ground. She moved to the door, opening it and peering out at the pouring rain. “I promised to meet a friend at the mall. I’ll meet you tomorrow morning so we can start practicing. There are only a couple months until school.” Sammy took off in the rain before Alexander or Gaby could say anything, leaving her feeling awkward having a guy in her house alone.
He walked around the room looking at the pictures on the walls of her being given medals and trophies. The images revealed a chronological account of her life from the time she could walk. Gaby wondered if he noticed no teammates were ever in the pictures and that there weren’t any names on the trophies. She always appeared alone, even in group sports.
“Who’s into boats?” Alexander pointed to the model boats sitting on a shelf.
“My dad. We went fishing and boating a lot when I was younger. We had so much fun out on the lake.”
“Do you still go?”
“No, we don’t have a boat and my dad wouldn’t have the time now anyway.” Gaby winced at the sorrow in her voice. Crap, what was it about Alexander and his sister that made her feel safe enough to open up?
“Do you think if you had a boat he might go again?”
“Maybe, I don’t know,” she said with a forced smile.
“Follow me.” Alexander turned and walked out the front door. She paused a moment then followed, hesitating on the front porch, she glanced down the drive. When they rounded the corner of the house, she let out a deep sigh not realizing she’d been holding her breath. She had to be more careful. If her dad caught a boy inside her house, they’d move by dawn.
****
The rain slowed to a drizzle. Alexander watched the steam rise from Gaby’s body and her curves sway as she walked. Her scent carried by the wind, smelled of fresh cut flowers and ocean breezes.
His body trembled so he refocused on the task at hand, an excuse to keep a close eye on Gaby without getting involved. Sammy would use cheerleading and cover most of the mornings. He would just have to cover afternoons. It wouldn’t be easy to keep Forras away.
No one else knew about Alexander’s hidden place. He had always flown there, and when he couldn’t fly anymore he’d stopped going, so when they reached the area outside the old boathouse, he wasn’t expecting the overgrowth.
“Well, here it is.”
“Here’s what?”
“My secret hiding place.” Alexander laughed and started to pull some branches and debris out of the way. “It’s not the overgrown lump of green in front of us. It’s what’s behind it. Here, help me clear some of this out of the way.”
As Gaby started to pull at the branches in front of them, he said. “You have to swear never to share this with anyone, especially my nosey sister. I don’t care if you have some sort of cheerleader sisterhood thing going on. No pinky swears or truth or dare at a sleepover. You got it?”
Gaby squeaked and nodded. She covered her mouth as if to stifle it.
It was endearing. Alexander wanted to tell her but thought better of it.
She held up her pinky. “I tell you what, we can skip the sleepover and just pinky-swear now. It will trump all future pinky-swears.” As they laughed, Alexander’s heart lifted and the weight of being a fallen angel no longer rested on his shoulders. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever. The last branch was hard to pull without tearing the tree apart. A hole formed large enough for them to crawl through.
He shimmied around an old, rusting hulk of a car to the front door. She grabbed his hand to follow and the hair on the nape of his neck rose in response. Distracted by her touch, he pulled the small boathouse door off its hinges. After a second, he dropped the door pretending it was too heavy to hold.
She stared at him. He ushered her inside before she had a chance to say anything.
“Merry Christmas.” Alexander teased pointing at a dilapidated old boat resting on a trailer.
“Ah, it’s July.” Gaby raised a curious eyebrow at him.
“I know, but look. We can fix this up by Christmas and surprise your father. What do you think?” Alex tapped his fingers against his legs waiting for a response.
“I think you’re crazy. I don’t know anything about boats. Besides that barely resembles a boat. It’s got a hole in the back of it and it’s covered in rust.” Gaby brushed the hair from her forehead and ran a finger across her full lips. Her legs glistened when she walked around studying the old boat.
Soft, they’d be soft to the touch. He looked away and took a deep breath. “I do.”
“In case you didn’t notice, I don’t have money oozing from my pockets, and I’m sure this will require a ton of money to fix.”
“Don’t worry about the money. I’ve got a lot of the parts we’ll need, and I know how to fix it. I just need some help.” Alexander’s stomach knotted. She had to agree. It was the only way he could think to keep an eye on her.
“I can’t accept a boat that you paid to fix, besides, doesn’t it belong to someone?”
“The old couple who lived here abandoned this boathouse years ago. They didn’t have any kids so when they passed away, the state auctioned off the property. I assume anything on the property belongs to you.”
“Still, if you spend your money on it I can’t—”
“I’ll tell you what. I will help you fix it up if you let me use it. Deal?” Alexander had to convince her. If not, he’d have to come up with another plan. He wouldn’t let Forras near her.
“Deal.” Gaby looked at her watch. “I need to get going.” She headed for the door.
“I’ll meet you tomorrow after you’re done practicing with Sammy.”
“Great. It’s a date.” Gaby’s face flushed. “I mean—”
“It’s a date then.” Alexander took both of her hands in his and kissed her cheek. He pulled away cursing himself. What was he thinking? This was a job. A reason to keep her safe there would be nothing else between them. He was an angel not some horny teenage boy. Shoving his hands in his pockets, they walked back toward Gaby’s house where they ran into Sammy.
“Hey, I was just looking for you guys.” Sammy bounced up in a little skirt and tennis shoes. Smile plastered and ready to cheer. “Where were you?”
“We were just taking a walk on the beach.” Alexander answered. What’s up?”
“I wanted to see if we could get some practice time in, but I see you had better plans.”
“I’m not sure about this cheerleading thing, Sammy.” Gaby glanced down at her shorts then at Sammy’s clothes and she bit her bottom lip. “I’m not tha
t… um… cheerful?”
“Don’t worry about that. My sister has enough team spirit for the both of you.”
Sammy slugged him.
“How ‘bout I come over tomorrow and teach you a few routines, just the two of us, and then you can decide?” Sammy bounced in place with pleading eyes fixed on Gaby. “You never know, you might find your inner spirit.”
They all looked up at the sound of a car barreling down the half-mile gravel driveway.
Gaby’s eyes widened, a hint of fear in their depths. She quickly agreed to Sammy’s idea than ran to the back door of her house.
Tension radiated in the air.
Sammy and Alexander looked at each other. Something affected Gaby.
The car continued down the drive until it came to a grinding halt.
Her father…she didn’t want to introduce him to her father. His gut twisted at the realization.
Heavy steps sounded on the front porch and Sammy pulled his arm toward the path home.
“I know, I feel it too.” Sammy gave a tentative smile.
Anger, resentment, depression, concern, and so much more invaded his senses. But did it come from her father, or himself?
He shook his head and pushed the feelings away. The farther they walked the more the feelings subsided. Human emotions were still difficult to process.
Maybe some time alone would help.
They reached the house and Alexander turned to his car. A drive always helped clear his head, well when he couldn’t fly.
“Where’re you going?” Sammy pulled on the back of his shirt.
“To get a ‘How to Fix Boats for Dummies’ book.”
“What?” Sammy asked.
“Nothing.”
Alexander jumped in his car and headed to the road. Gaby’s scent still lingered, and his body warmed at the thought of her skin. No. He couldn’t give into temptations brought on by human emotions or he’d pose a bigger threat to Gaby than Forras, and he refused to ever be a threat to her.
****
Gaby mentally pinched herself when she sat down on the couch. Finding out she was going to attend school, meeting a new friend, and having a first date was all so amazing. Life had never been this kind. Nothing could spoil her mood now.
She straightened the few items on the coffee table and tried to slow her racing heart.
Her dad flung the door open making her jump. Blood seeped through his shirt. A long gash from temple to cheek oozed, and his right arm was tied with a makeshift splint.
“Hello, Gaby.” His words came husky and stressed.
When his hair was messed like that and his speech slurred it meant only one thing. And the brown paper bag clutched in his left hand confirmed her suspicions.
Dread crept in. It would be a long night.
Gaby grabbed his elbow to help him to the couch. Her legs buckled from his weight.
“What happened?” Gaby asked with trepidation. The smell of old rotten garbage made her gag. Was he left to die in a dumpster after being beaten?
“Just the job babe, got too close to a bad guy.”
“This is crazy. How many times do you have to get hurt before you quit? It’s not worth it.” Gaby choked back tears.
“Don’t do this Gaby. You know I have to work, and this is what I have to do. I’m doing it to keep you safe.”
He raked a swollen hand through brown greasy hair and slumped on the old faded couch. His six-foot frame shrunk down for her to notice the extensive facial lacerations.
“How is getting yourself killed going to keep me safe? You’re the only parent I have left.” Her voice rose with the thought, anger seeping out every pore.
“Watch your tone with me, young lady.” His eyebrows lowered and drew together.
She retrieved the first aid kit from the hall closet and started pulling bandages, thread and a prepackaged sterile needle out while she tried to steady her hands.
“I don’t understand why you can’t let someone else defend our country. You served your time in the military and as a civilian. How much more are you going to put yourself through?”
“Until we’re all safe.”
“From what? Terrorists? Criminals? There’s always going to be another bad guy, Dad. You can’t beat them all.” Her voice quivered with sorrow.
“I can try.” He spoke softly.
Her father pulled the thread through the needle as she cleaned his side with iodine, revealing a three-inch gash. Blood didn’t faze her, not anymore, but the needle did. She flinched at the sight of her father pushing the needle through and pulling it out the other side. The way his skin pulled with the thread made her queasy.
“Daddy please quit. We can find another way to pay the bills. I can get a part time job to help. You’ve done enough.”
“What’s enough?”
“It already cost you your wife. Would you risk your own life leaving me orphaned?” It came out so fast she didn’t have time to stop herself. It was horrible and untrue. He didn’t have anything to do with her mother’s death. He blamed himself because he was driving the car that night. But it wasn’t his fault, it couldn’t have been.
The hurt in his eyes broke her heart. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say. The first aid kit dropped to the floor when she stood, once again feeling like her world was spinning out of control, and went to her room to sulk.
It took forever before she fell asleep, and even then, she tossed and turned. Visions of darkness and evil filled her dreams. Monsters clawed and tore at her flesh. Bright lights exploding-suffocating-pain.
Her own screams startled her awake. It had seemed so terrifyingly real. She glanced at the digital clock beside her. It was only three in the morning, but she knew she couldn’t go back to sleep. Not with those visions in her head. Crawling out from under her sheet, she went to her makeshift art desk and started to draw.
The first picture, full of the familiar army greens, tree bark browns, and charcoal grey swirled together into what looked like several creatures fighting. They resembled a cross between a bear and a coyote with a hunch back like a buffalo.
The next one showed shades of orange and gold with silver lined clouds. A sunset over an ocean appeared tranquil, but at the bottom the dark colors with claws turned up and overtook the white clouds.
The last one looked like her room. The white wings she had painted before appeared to be wrapped in a cocoon. A daffodil yellow light shone from the top of the bed.
All of them were strange, each one evoked a different emotion when she looked at them, fright, concern, and peace. Sighing, she slipped them into the leather portfolio her mother had given her just days before she’d died. Sniffing back tears, Gaby headed downstairs to get a bottle of water.
When she looked in on her father, he lay stretched out asleep on the couch with an empty bottle of whiskey on the floor. He still wore his bloodstained shirt. Two days worth of beard shadowed his face.
She froze. Her pulse thundered in her ears while she stood there staring at him. Sweat dripped down from her temple and an image flashed back to her.
The water bottle hit the floor. She raced up the stairs to her room and tore open the old memory chest her mother had given her. Papers flew everywhere as she ripped through binders and notebooks until she found it.
The exact image of her father, whisky bottle, blood and position of his body were identical.
Except, she’d painted it eight months ago.
Chapter Four
“How was your first private cheer lesson?” Alexander asked as he swept a loose piece of hair from her face. A cool breeze meandered through the front lawn of Gaby’s house.
Gaby smiled so wide she could barely answer. “Brutal. Where did happy Sammy with the cheery disposition go? She’s more like a-a—”
“Drill sergeant?”
“Exactly.”
“Yeah, she’s serious about her cheering.” He said with a chuckle.
A raindrop hit her face and he bru
shed it away with his finger. He was so close to her. Would he kiss her? Blood rushed to her head and her heart pounded against her chest. Should she lift her head and look at him? She fidgeted with the frayed pieces on her jean shorts.
His hand touched her chin and raised it up so their eyes met. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He leaned in closer, “Are you sure?”
She tried to talk, to breathe, but nothing happened. A steady drizzle started. Move. Say something.
She reached for the basket and broke the moment between them. “I guess we won’t make it to the boathouse right now.”
They both glanced at the clouds.
“What’s in there? Motor oil, wrenches, a sander?” Gaby said with a laugh.
“No, just a few spark plugs. But I figured we might get hungry and…” He shrugged.
“Great idea, bring it inside and we’ll eat lunch while we wait out the storm.”
Her hands trembled as she spread the blanket on the living room floor. A well-defined arm reached in front of her and placed the basket down. He smiled, revealing those amazing dimples. Breath caught in her throat.
If only her mother were still here. It was always so easy to talk to her. Sure Sammy was around, but how do you discuss feelings for someone’s brother?
Her mom would’ve calmed her down. She always told Gaby that her first kiss should be with someone she truly cared about.
On her sixteenth birthday, she felt like there was something wrong with her. The whole sweet sixteen and never been kissed thing was lame. It wasn’t her fault though, living in isolation really cramped one’s dating life. Not to mention having a father with his own personal arsenal.
“You’ve never mentioned your father,” Gaby tossed food out onto the blanket.
“He disappeared years ago.” Alexander spoke in a monotone voice. He pointed to a picture hanging on the wall. “Is this your mother?”
“She was my mother. She died in a car accident.” A depressing silence filled the room.
He reached out and took her hand, his eyes warm and empathetic. “She was beautiful. I’m sorry for your loss.”