by Lee Monroe
As I pulled my fingers through my tangled hair, my eyes fell on the photograph sitting on top of my chest of drawers. It was of my parents, back when they were first married. Mum was wearing a full-length, blue, satiny dress, her dark hair curled up in a chignon at the back of her neck. She looked stunning. I picked up the photograph and studied her face. I could see myself in her. My colouring and my eyes. I looked down at her dress, wondering if I’d ever look good in something so elegant and feminine. I shook my head. Would I ever make it to the Great Ball? Back on mortal Earth, Nissilum and its tranquil, luscious beauty was fading already.
I replaced the photograph and opened the top drawer. There lay the notebook. Proof that Nissilum and Luca existed. I took it out and put it under my pillow so I could read it later in bed.
I went downstairs and into the living room to find Evan sitting on the sofa with my dad. I blinked as Evan got quickly to his feet.
‘Oh hi.’ I covered my nerves by doing a quick inspection of my clothing. Not too bad: leggings, clean T-shirt and a short black cardigan. ‘Um, what are you doing here?’ I asked awkwardly.
After our evening the week before, Evan had told me he was going to be out of town with his dad for a while and that he’d call for me when he got back. I wasn’t sure he’d meant it at the time. I hadn’t exactly been the most sophisticated company on our date. I’d practically bolted out of the car when he’d driven me home.
‘I went for a drive,’ Evan said easily. He came over and kissed me softly on the cheek, his lips moving close to my ear as he whispered, ‘I wanted to see you.’
I looked across at my dad, who didn’t look like he’d heard, before allowing myself a shy smile.
‘This is my dad,’ I said, stupidly.
‘Yes, I know,’ said Evan smiling. ‘We’ve met.’ He looked unbelievably gorgeous in scruffy, faded jeans and a denim shirt. He ran a hand through his messy blond hair. ‘I was just asking your dad about his work. You didn’t tell me he was a carpenter.’
‘Evan’s done some woodwork out in Australia,’ said my father, handing Evan a beer. ‘I’d hire him in a heartbeat if I wasn’t so stretched financially these days.’ He rubbed carefully at his neck. ‘I could do with the help while I’m getting over this injury.’
‘I did some work at a boatyard on weekends, for one of the wooden boatbuilders. I loved working with wood. Learned a lot too.’ He took a swig of beer. ‘One thing I’m going to miss about back home.’ He shook his head. ‘I think I’m getting under my dad’s feet. I need to find something to keep myself occupied.’ As he spoke he gave me a careful sideways look, his eyes smiling as he licked a drop of beer off his lips.
I thought the expression ‘jelly legs’ was made-up until I saw him do that.
I swallowed. ‘You could teach me to drive,’ I said without thinking. ‘I mean, if you’re serious?’
‘I am,’ he said, his eyes on mine. ‘And it would be my pleasure.’
I glanced at Dad, hoping to God he hadn’t noticed how I was acting, but he was busy rubbing Bobby’s back, who’d come panting and friendly into the room.
‘Oh, but I haven’t got a car yet,’ I said, already trying to get out of it. ‘I’m not getting it till next year.’
‘Not a problem. When do you want to start?’
Dad nodded appreciatively at Evan. ‘No time like the present,’ he said, giving me a wink.
I opened my mouth, trying to think of another reason why I wasn’t ready, but I couldn’t come up with anything.
‘After lunch,’ said Dad. He nodded at Evan. ‘You’ll stay for lunch, young man? Anna always makes enough for five anyway.’
‘So I’ve heard,’ said Evan glancing at me. ‘Thank you. I’d like that, Mr Jonas.’
‘I’ll inform the cook,’ said Dad jovially, walking through to the kitchen, leaving us alone together.
Evan looked me properly up and down, grinning. ‘I hope you don’t mind me just dropping by, but it was the only way to get to see you again.’
I shrugged but couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
‘You look so pretty,’ said Evan and, before I could say anything, moved closer to me, his hand brushing my back, sending tiny electrical impulses up my spine. Then, resting his hand on my waist, he drew me gently towards him. I stayed rooted to the spot, wondering what to do with the sparks flying around my insides, but Evan seemed happy to do all the work. ‘I couldn’t wait to see you again,’ he said softly. ‘I haven’t stopped thinking about you. I really like you, Jane. You’re different.’
I turned slowly, not wanting to spoil the moment by saying or doing anything clumsy or stupid. But as I was grappling with this, Evan lifted his hand and stroked my jawline, stopping to raise my chin with one finger. He bent forward, bringing his lips to mine, and I felt the softness of his mouth as he kissed me. Gently at first, then more firmly as I tentatively kissed him back. I moved my arms around his strong, lean chest, my fingers traced the dips between his ribs, aware that the hunger I felt right now was most definitely not for food.
But the sound of the door opening broke the spell and Evan pulled swiftly away. We both looked to see Bobby in the doorway, gazing up at Evan with a kind of adoration.
‘Well, the dog likes you,’ I managed to say, over the pounding of my heart. ‘So, you’ve got somebody’s seal of approval.’
‘As long as I have yours,’ said Evan, pushing my hair off my face. ‘I don’t care about anyone else.’
‘Dinner’s ready!’ came my mother’s voice from the kitchen.
‘You haven’t met my mum properly yet,’ I whispered. ‘She’s the real gatekeeper in this house.’
Evan bent to give me one more soft kiss on the mouth. ‘No worries. The ladies love me,’ he said, pulling back with a grin. ‘You’ll see.’
CHAPTER TEN
‘Here you go,’ Mum said, handing Evan another beer.
‘Uh … no thanks, Mrs Jonas.’ He shook his head. ‘I’m driving.’ He glanced at Dad. ‘Two’s my limit.’
Dad nodded his approval as Mum handed him the beer instead and smiled at Evan.
‘So teenagers aren’t all drinking and looting any chance they get,’ she said, sitting down and taking the lid off the casserole. ‘Good to know.’
‘Mum. Nobody goes looting.’ I rolled my eyes, realising that her looks weren’t all I’d inherited from her. We shared the same social skills too, apparently. While Evan had been washing his hands before lunch I’d warned her not to interrogate him about the time he’d gone missing. I just hoped she wasn’t going to let her curiosity get the better of her.
I glanced at Evan, hoping she wasn’t totally putting him off, but he was smiling.
‘It’s OK. I’ve seen my fair share of wasters …’ He paused. ‘Back in Australia, there were hundreds of them, drinking till they passed out.’ He held out his plate and Mum heaped a huge spoonful of pork in white wine on to it. ‘I was always too dull to join in.’
‘Dull?’ I said, catching his eye. ‘Why don’t believe that?’
Evan wrinkled his nose. ‘It’s true. I’m not one of those enigmatic types. I never sat in my bedroom writing poetry and smoking marijuana. Ask my mum. She was practically begging me to rebel. Just so I could be like all the other kids in the neighbourhood.’
I felt Mum’s eyes on me but I didn’t meet them, and the table fell quiet as she continued dishing out food.
‘I must admit,’ Mum said, when we’d finally all been served, ‘I was secretly hoping you’d lead Jane astray. I’d like to see her go a bit wild. She needs to get out more.’
‘What?’ I stared hard at her. Great PR job, Mother. I turned to Evan. ‘Feel free to run like hell. It’s not going to get any better than this.’
Evan shook his head and speared a bean with his fork. ‘I have no intention of going anywhere,’ he said, confidently. ‘Sorry to disappoint you.’
I chewed my food and smiled at the same time, unable to look at Mum. She generally had a nose
like a sniffer dog when it came to bullshit, but she seemed to be buying Saint Evan, because she beamed at him as he devoured his food.
‘What a sensible boy. Your mother clearly did a good job bringing you up.’
I glanced warily at Evan, but his face was impassive. ‘She’s a good person,’ he said evenly.
He was definitely ticking all the boxes. Pity my mother couldn’t shut up.
‘She must miss you,’ Mum went on, ignoring my eye signals. ‘You’re so far away.’
Evan shrugged and forked up pork and potato. ‘I guess,’ he said, uncomfortably.
‘Who is your fath—’ Mum began, but I cleared my throat loudly, cutting her off. This was turning into an interrogation.
‘Evan’s going to teach me to drive,’ I announced quickly. ‘Isn’t that great?’
Mum raised an eyebrow. ‘That is great. Just make sure no one sees a sixteen-year-old in possession of a vehicle. Particularly not the local constabulary.’ She picked up her wine glass and took a sip. ‘They’re dying to arrest someone around here.’
‘Really.’ Evan swallowed a mouthful of food. ‘I bet they’ve got their eye on me already.’ He glanced at me and gave a subtle wink. ‘The stranger in town.’
‘Well, I’ll put them straight,’ said Mum. ‘It will be my pleasure. A clean-living, responsible boy will really wind them up.’
Dad and I exchanged a smile. Mum’s hatred of authority was legendary in our family. Weird, considering she was a model citizen in so many ways.
‘Your mother’s a dark horse you know,’ Dad had told me, more than once. ‘She wasn’t always so sensible.’
I could never really get my head around My Mother the Anarchist, but today the subject was proving a handy diversion because Evan had relaxed again. So relaxed in fact, that he missed his mouth with his fork and gravy splashed clumsily off his chin.
‘Oh God, I’m sorry,’ he said, pushing back his chair. ‘What a klutz.’
Mum was already on her feet. ‘Stay there, I’ll get you another napkin,’ she said, darting into the kitchen.
I grinned at Evan as he wiped his beautiful chin.
‘Thank God for that,’ I said. ‘I was beginning to think you weren’t human.’
Evan flashed me a look of what I took as confusion.
‘Who’s not human?’ Mum had appeared next to him, holding out a fresh napkin.
‘No one, Mother. It was a joke.’
‘A joke, yes.’ Her eyes brightened slightly, but her smile looked a little forced. I swallowed, beginning to feel nervous myself, until Evan cut the atmosphere.
‘I’d love some more, if there’s any going?’ He gestured at the casserole dish. ‘It’s delicious, Mrs Jonas.’
‘Call me Anna,’ said Mum, snapping back to normal. ‘Mrs Jonas makes me feel so old.’
Evan smiled, tilting his head back to look up at her, and just for a split second I saw her eyes close and then open quickly. She put one hand on the table.
‘Mum? Are you OK?’
‘I’m fine. I think I moved too fast out of the kitchen.’ She rubbed at her forehead. ‘It gets so hot in there with the oven on.’ She smiled, ignoring Dad’s anxious expression and started moving around the table to her seat.
‘One spoonful enough?’ she asked Evan brightly. ‘How about another potato?’
‘Great, thank you.’ As he held out his plate, I wasn’t sure whether I was imagining the faint pulse in his cheek. But his eyes darted across to me at last and the look he gave me was warm, melting again, and I relaxed. But there was a strange awkward silence, interrupted only by the scrape of Evan’s cutlery on his plate. I tried to catch my mother’s eye, but she seemed intent on looking straight ahead of her as she ate. Dad, noticing my unease, winked at me, putting his knife and fork together.
‘That was delicious, Anna,’ he said. He looked over at Evan. ‘Good to see a healthy appetite around here. Jane and her sister aren’t big eaters.’
‘Hope that’s not a diet you’re on.’ Evan nudged my elbow. ‘You’re perfect.’
Flames shot up my neck again. I shrugged. ‘We do eat.’ I flicked a glance at my father. ‘He’s exaggerating.’
‘I was just the same at her age, Jack,’ said my mother, uncharacteristically coming to my defence. ‘There was a time, when I was sixteen, that my appetite just vanished.’ She looked thoughtfully at me, as I willed the conversation to take a new turn. ‘I was in love at the time.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘You were?’
Mum nodded absently, probably on her way down memory lane. Dad took over.
‘It wasn’t with me,’ he told Evan. ‘Unfortunately.’
Evan took a drink of water. ‘Must have been quite a guy. I don’t think anyone or anything could put me off my food.’ He knocked my leg under the table. ‘Not even the girl I love.’
I held my breath. Was it possible that a boy like him could ever love me?
‘Quite right, too,’ Mum said vaguely. ‘Never lose your head over love.’
Evan’s eyes lowered. ‘No,’ he said quietly, but his hand found mine and he gripped it for a second. I squeezed it back, my legs turning to jelly again.
Mum had come back down from wherever she was. ‘Anyway, it was a long time ago. I was young and … silly at the time.’ She leaned over to Dad and gave him a kiss on the cheek. ‘And I have my wonderful Jack.’
I groaned and rolled my eyes at Evan. ‘I’m really sorry. She’s not normally like this.’
Evan’s jaw seemed to tighten a little, and I felt bad. He must have been thinking about his own parents. I stood up.
‘I’ll clear the plates,’ I said quickly. ‘That was really good, Mum. Thanks.’
‘No problem,’ she waved her napkin dismissively. ‘A pleasure in fact.’ She and my dad smiled at each other.
‘You want a hand?’ Evan pushed his chair back, but I shook my head.
‘You’re the guest,’ I said, smiling. ‘Talk to Mum.’
‘You have an interesting scar,’ my mother said to Evan, as I collected up the dishes. ‘How did you get it?’
Evan looked blankly at her.
‘The scar,’ Mum said, pouring herself another glass of wine. ‘On your neck?’
Evan opened his mouth, hesitating, before he touched the spot on his throat with his finger. ‘This? I got it when I was working on the boats in Australia. Some hot metal sparks bounced off my neck …’ He rubbed at it gently. ‘Only a metal disc left a little imprint.’
‘Oh Lord,’ said my mother, though her tone was almost bouncy in contrast to a few minutes before. ‘Must have hurt.’
Evan nodded. ‘Just a bit.’
‘Poor you,’ I said, touching his arm. ‘Will it be there forever?’
‘Forever and ever,’ he said, mockingly, but his eyes were soft.
‘Go and get the cheesecake, Jane,’ Mum said, spoiling the moment. ‘It’s in the fridge. Second shelf.’
Evan winked quickly at me as I moved to do my bidding.
‘Cheesecake’s my favourite. You’re a great cook, Anna.’
‘Rubbish.’ I saw her smile, pleased. ‘You’d soon get sick of my repertoire.’ She tapped my arm as I walked through to the kitchen. ‘Ask Jane.’
‘I hope I get the chance to get sick of it,’ Evan said, daringly, and I glanced back at her. But her lips were turned up, smiling.
After lunch, Evan insisted on helping Mum with the washing-up, and Dad went to pick up Dot from Cassidy’s house. I put stuff away in a kind of daze. In the last three hours I’d visited a world inhabited by werewolves and vampires, and introduced my boyfriend to my parents. Who said I led a dull and uneventful life? Things can change in a heartbeat. I looked out of the window at the tops of the trees and in my head remembered the sound of rushing of water, and sad, green eyes, and that delicate, kind boy who’d showed me that there truly is a whole world out there waiting to be explored. A sudden feeling of melancholy came over me as I struggled to see how that boy could p
ossibly fit into my life.
‘I’m going to watch TV,’ said Mum, drying her hands on a tea towel. ‘You two can amuse yourselves.’ She whistled for Bobby, picked up a newspaper from the counter and wandered through to the living room.
Evan rubbed his eyes and then stretched lazily. When he dropped his arms his eyes found mine and he moved closer to me.
‘So, how about I teach you to drive?’
Evan’s car was a beat-up old Saab he said his dad had loaned him for the duration of his stay. It seemed tinny and … well, tiny, compared to my dad’s truck. It was also freezing. I wrapped my arms round myself in the front seat.
‘Sorry about the lack of heating,’ said Evan as he turned the key to start the engine. ‘And it’s not the most reliable of motors.’ He checked in the wing mirror and we began reversing out down the track. ‘Consider this a baptism of fire.’
I glanced at him. ‘Sorry about my mum’s … over-sharing today. She’s not used to visitors.’
Evan’s face was impassive. ‘She’s nice,’ he said. We’d come to the bottom of the track and he turned the car around in the right direction, brushing my leg with his hand as he changed gear. ‘And I’m not used to visiting.’
I relaxed and stuck my hands between my legs, thinking. ‘I’m trying to picture your dad? I recognise the name, but …’
Evan didn’t look at me, concentrating on the winding mountain road. ‘Bill Forrest,’ he said. ‘He lives just the other side of Bale with my stepmother. She has a daughter … Your age I think. Sarah Emerson?’
I froze. Of course. Sarah’s mum had kept her name. I suppose I’d assumed that her dad, Bill, was her real dad. She’d never said otherwise. The one time I’d seen him was two years before with my mum after another bullying session from Sarah. Mum had marched round to his house, ready for war and he’d played the whole thing down. My mouth went dry.
‘Bill Forrest,’ I turned to Evan but he didn’t respond, except to change gear, ‘is Sarah’s father?’
‘Sarah, yeah.’ His tone was light and then he glanced quickly at me. ‘My stepsister’s called Sarah.’
‘Stop the car, please,’ I whispered. I put my hand out to the dashboard and the glove compartment door fell open. Evan, not hearing me, reached across and firmly shut it.