I pulled back and glared at him. “No, it means I still don’t agree with you. But I’ll suck it up so you won’t be mad at me.”
“I’ll take whatever victory I can,” he said, laughing softly. I played with a stray strand of dark hair that curled around his ear as he leaned in to kiss me.
My door burst open. We pulled apart to see Alex standing in my doorway.
“Hello?” I said, annoyed. “Don’t you knock? How the hell did you get in, I locked it.”
He smirked at me, shoving his fingers through his sand-colored hair. “Oh please, I’ve had a key for years.”
Stomping over to him, I yanked the key out of his hand. “How dare you? If you ever come in here again, I will kill you, I swear!”
He smiled. “You may be older, but I’m bigger. Should I tell Dad what you’re wearing in a locked room with your boyfriend?”
“What’s wrong with a sweatshirt?” I asked, hoping he would shut up and go away.
He looked down at my legs. My sweatshirt covered my boxer shorts and it looked like I was only wearing the hoodie. I lifted my shirt to show him the shorts and grinned. “Nice try.”
“Sorry, he won’t buy it. Door’s locked, and how did you change with him in the room?”
We could have argued all night, but Lucas intervened. “Alex, is there something you wanted?”
He glanced over at Luke, forgetting he was there. “I want to go to Noah’s, but Mom and Dad won’t drive me. They said I could go if Sarah took me. But I figured she wouldn’t, so I went for blackmail.”
I scowled, about to tell him off, when Lucas interrupted, “You don’t have to use blackmail, I’ll drive you. I should get home anyway.”
I looked at him, surprised and disappointed. I didn’t want him to leave yet.
His fingers lightly brushed my cheek. “I should go home, and you don’t want to get in trouble over a misunderstanding,” he said to me, and then looked at Alex. “Really, we weren’t doing anything.”
“Whatever.” Alex shrugged. “I’ll meet you downstairs.” He turned to me. “Bye, Sarah,” he added with a smug look, and walked out. The little punk, I would definitely be getting even.
“You don’t have to go, Lucas; I can handle the jackass down there.” I leaned into him, cupping his face with my hands.
He hugged me, kissing my forehead softly. “I actually need to get my homework done. I’ll pick you up at eleven forty-five, okay?”
“Okay. I love you.”
He smiled. “I love hearing that. I love you too.” He walked out of my room, and right away, I felt his absence.
I suddenly remembered how tired I’d been all day. I took off my sweater, threw it on the floor, and climbed into bed. Snuggling into my blankets, I fell asleep instantly.
Chapter Twenty
The Fall
I woke up in the morning with a muffled cry. The guy with the angry twisted face had haunted my dreams all night. It was just his face for the most part until he raised a shiny butcher knife over his head. That’s when I woke up in a panic, smelling the scent of roses.
The angry man’s face hovered in my mind. In order to distract myself, I decided to do my homework and then get in a little piano practice. I was starting college soon, so I needed every bit I could fit in. My teachers had always told me that I could be a concert pianist. But I never wanted that; I wanted to teach other kids to be one. My goal was to become a teacher, something my mother always wanted, but when I became involved in piano, I decided to combine my two passions. I would love to teach at a music school. Watching a child find something they really cared about, to see how proud they were of themselves, brought me joy.
A few hours later, I headed to the kitchen to wait for Lucas. A horn honked outside, announcing his arrival, I yelled goodbye to my parents and rushed out.
I opened the door of his car and climbed in. “So apparently you didn’t have to work—” I froze, holding the seat belt above the slot. “Logan, what are you doing here?”
“Isn’t it an improvement?” he asked with a smug smile.
I tried not to laugh. “Not really.”
“How did you know it was me? Most people can’t tell us apart, and I figured since I was in his car…?”
“I made that mistake once, before we were together. It won’t happen again.”
“Why?”
I paused, trying to put my thoughts to words. “I can sense him. I know that sounds crazy, but I can feel him somehow. With you, nothing.” It was the only way to describe how I felt when Lucas was in my presence.
“You’re right, that is crazy.” He pulled the car onto the road behind a red minivan.
“Where’s Lucas?”
“He couldn’t leave the restaurant, we were busy. I don’t start until two, I like to sleep in.”
“I didn’t know you worked there. I thought the dishwashing was just a punishment.”
“I used to, but I didn’t like it. But since what happened with you, I don’t have a choice. My mom figures responsibility will straighten me out.” His words held no anger; this was definitely an improvement.
I realized now that there was more to him. “Why do you do it?”
“Do what?” He glanced between me and the road.
“Pretend to be this badass who doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself.”
He stared at me, his lips turned up at the corner into a cross between a sneer and a smile. “How do you know I’m pretending?”
“Because since I’ve started dating Lucas, I’ve noticed you’re different at home. And I pay attention. When your parents are joking around with your brother, you’re quiet, like you’re on the outside looking in. You have this expression on your face that tells me that you miss having fun with your family instead of being the one who is always in trouble.”
He was quiet, looking straight ahead. I didn’t think he was going to answer until he suddenly smiled. “You do pay attention. Do you have any idea what it’s like living with the golden boy? We may look alike, but he’s nicer, he’s smarter, he’s talented. He makes my parents proud. I embarrass them.”
“Are you kidding? Your parents aren’t embarrassed, they’re disappointed. They know you have potential for so much more, but you throw it away. You act up at school so you’ll get noticed, but you’re known as an ass. I hate to tell you, but no one really likes you. They fear you.”
His jaw locked, and his knuckles went white as he gripped the steering wheel. I continued before he could yell at me. “Hear me out. I’m not saying this to hurt your feelings or make you mad. It’s just that, I know you can have what you want. You can be noticed, just being who you really are.”
“And who is that? Since you know everything.” A full-fledged sneer appeared on his face.
“Be who you were before you started to feel threatened by your brother. Be the cook you want to be. I saw you that day when I walked into your house, and you threw that food in the garbage. Be a friend to Lucas, be what you want. Just be happy.” I smiled, trying to calm him if he was angry. We were parked in front of the theater now.
“You better go; you’re going to be late.” His voice was void of feeling, and he showed no emotion.
“Think about what I said.” My seat belt clicked open after I pushed the button.
He nodded as I started to open my door. “Hey, don’t tell anyone about the cooking. I will think about what you said, but I’m not ready for anyone to know.”
“Sure, I won’t say anything.” I climbed out, shutting the door behind me, and went inside to start my shift.
I wanted to keep my promise to Lucas, so I was relieved to see that Zack didn’t work today. I didn’t know how to stay away from him if we were scheduled together.
It was busy, as it usually was on weekends, and I was tearing tickets, a job I didn’t mind, but one I worked at alone. My feet were sore by the end of the day.
When my shift was over, I received a text from Lucas saying he was a little late, b
ut he wouldn’t be long.
I decided to wait outside, even though it was cold out. It was a sunny day, and they were rare these days. The cold breeze caressed my face as I stuck my ear buds in, and turned on my MP3 player.
The theater was located on the main street of our downtown area, and since it was Saturday, the road and sidewalks were crowded with people. The bench in front of the theater was filled with a group of loitering teenagers. I glanced around, searching for a free one, and spotted an empty bench in front of the yogurt shop. Bobbing my head to the music, I stood on the curb beside the road, waiting to cross. I glanced to my left and turned to the right, about to step onto the street.
As if in slow motion, I saw a car coming right at me. I could see the driver, and recognized the hooded figure that had been following me two weeks ago. The car was coming at me so fast, I didn’t have time to react. I braced for impact as I was sure it was going to plow right into me.
I was suddenly on my back, with a body lying beneath me. Someone had grabbed my jacket from behind and yanked me further back onto the sidewalk. The pull was so strong, it caused me to fall. And my thanks to the person who saved my life was to lie motionless on top of them.
Alive! I was alive. I looked back at the car; it had come up onto the curb, but was now driving away, tires squealing as it sped off. Loud music still blared in my head, only now it sounded deafening. I yanked the ear buds out and, feeling dazed, sat up slowly, turning to look at my rescuer. It was Lucas, staring at me in horror. I couldn’t move. I wanted to get off of him, but my limbs wouldn’t work; my arms and legs felt like rubber. I heard screaming, and felt myself being pulled up onto my feet.
Strangers were talking to me, their faces looking concerned, but I couldn’t hear their voices. I turned to Lucas, whose expression was panicked. He started to lead me to the bench that had been occupied earlier.
I was still in a daze, but started to hear the voices. “Are you okay?”
“Someone call nine-one-one, I think she’s in shock.”
“Sarah, can you hear me? You’re okay, I’ve got you. I love you.” This voice I wanted to answer, I needed to hear those words. I was comforted by them.
I finally spoke. “You saved me. Lucas, I’m sorry, I had my MP3 player on, and I wasn’t paying attention.” My voice sounded hollow, or maybe it was just my ears.
He put his arms around my shoulders, rubbing the back of my head to soothe me, whispering in my ear. “Its okay, you’re okay, we’ll just sit here until you feel like you can move.”
Someone was saying something behind me that sounded like, “The ambulance is on its way.”
I didn’t want that. “No! No ambulance, I’m fine, I just want to be alone with you. I’m fine, let’s go.” I started to get up, but was a little dizzy. I teetered a bit; Lucas pulled me back down onto the bench. I heard sirens. Oh crap.
A police car pulled up, and two officers in uniforms climbed out, walking over to the mob of onlookers that had gathered.
I heard people talking to the police. “That car just came out of nowhere, and up on the curb, aiming right at her.”
“It must have been a lunatic, trying to kill her.”
Kill me? No way, it was an accident, right? Even though I was sure it was the same guy I saw before, I had to believe there was a logical explanation for what was happening. Because otherwise it meant someone was actually trying to hurt me, and I just couldn’t comprehend that.
“Excuse me, miss, we need to check you out, to make sure you’re not hurt.”
I looked up and saw a man with a wrinkled face and salt-and-pepper hair, wearing a paramedic’s uniform. I hadn’t even noticed an ambulance pull up. I nodded at the man as he started to check my blood pressure and heartbeat. “You’re fine, but be careful for the next twenty-four hours, and watch for signs of shock,” he said to Lucas when he finished his very thorough exam.
“I will. Thank you so much for checking her out,” Lucas said, shaking the paramedic’s hand.
Two policemen approached us to ask what happened. I explained as well as I could, and then was finally free to go.
Lucas took me to his house, since I didn’t want to see my parents while I was still shaken up.
Once we were in his room, he told me that I should lie down and rest. Like a good girl, I did what I was told and felt better immediately. The warm blankets heated my body and took the chill out of my limbs.
He turned the lights off and started to leave. “No, can you stay with me? I need you.” My stomach lurched at the thought of being alone right now.
“Sure,” he said softly, lying down beside me.
The mattress squeaked under his weight. He lay on his back and pulled me over to him, placing my head on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat comforted me, until I heard an exaggerated sigh…and then another. By the third one, I knew that something was bothering him.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, staring at a framed picture hanging on the wall directly in front of me. It was a black-and-white photo of his parents. They were standing in front of the kitchen island with a bowl of what looked like chocolate cake mix in front of them. Karen was spreading some of the mix on Nick's nose with her finger and laughing, staring up into his face. You could feel the love and laughter emanating from the picture. It was amazing how he could capture emotions so beautifully.
“I knew this would happen, I should have stayed away. I shouldn’t have been so selfish,” he was mumbling quietly to himself.
I turned my attention away from the picture and looked up at him “Lucas, I don’t understand what you’re saying. But if you think this is your fault because of that dream you had weeks ago, then stop. It was my fault. I had my ear buds in, and everyone knows you don’t cross the street while wearing them. It was dangerous, and I will be more careful, so please don’t blame yourself, it has nothing to do with you.”
He stared into my eyes, and then finally nodded, kissing the top of my head. “You’re right; it was a stupid thing for you to do.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “There you go, blame me, it was my fault.” I decided a subject change was in order. “I had an interesting talk with your brother today.”
“Did you now, what was it about?” He started to rub my shoulder.
“I told him that he should stop pretending to be a badass who doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself.”
He laughed, very hard, a sound I had never heard from him before. When he finally stopped, he said, “So you noticed he isn’t really like that, did you?” He chuckled lightly. “Only you would have the nerve to stand up to him. I’m surprised he didn’t say anything to me. He wasn’t even in a bad mood when he came in for work. How did he take it?”
“He was mad at first, but he told me why he acted that way. I’ve got to say, you two have issues. You wear glasses and dress badly so you can hide from unwanted attention from girls. He acts like a douche bag so he can get attention because he feels he can’t live up to you at home.” I laughed. “You guys need serious therapy.” I shook my head, looking up at him. His eyes were the size of dinner plates.
“What do you mean he needs attention because of me?”
“He thinks since you’re smart and talented, your parents are more proud of you than they are of him.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Considering he hides the fact that he’s a great cook, my dad would love that. If he wanted attention so badly, why the hell doesn’t he tell them?”
“You know he can cook?”
“Duh…I live with him, and we’re alone together a lot. I knew he didn’t want anyone to know, so I never told my parents. I figured he had his reasons. He doesn’t even know that I know.”
“He asked me not to tell you. I saw him cooking once, so I called him on it.”
Lucas grew quiet for a minute, lost in thought. “I’m glad you talked to him though. What did he say?”
“He said he would think about it, and I really think
he will.”
His hand continued to gently caress my shoulder soothingly, making me feel sleepy. It wasn’t long before my eyelids became heavy. Finally I gave in and fell asleep in his arms.
“Lucas, are you going to eat supper or not!” an irritated voice said from the hallway. I opened my eyes just in time to see the door swing open. “Oh my. I’m so sorry,” his mother stammered. She was standing in the doorway, looking surprised and embarrassed, obviously flustered at seeing us together in a bed.
“Oh sorry, Mom, Sarah was upset, and I wanted her to rest. I guess I fell asleep too.” Lucas’ voice was thick with sleep.
We sat up; I leaned against his headboard while he sat on the edge of the mattress.
“What were you upset about, Sarah?” Karen asked me, her face full of concern; she was still standing in the doorway.
I didn’t want her to know, afraid she would tell my parents. “Oh, it was nothing. I tripped while I was waiting for Lucas to pick me up, and I almost fell on the road while a car was coming.”
She gasped, raising her hand to her heart. “Oh my goodness, are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine, just a little embarrassed.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe I should call your parents.”
“No! That’s okay; I’ll tell them when I get home.”
She stared at me, searching my face. “Okay, if you’re sure. Logan made some food, are you guys hungry?” she asked, not entirely sure she shouldn’t call my parents. I hoped if we ate, she would forget worrying about me. And I could definitely eat, since I hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
“Sure, Mom, thanks, we’ll be right out.” Lucas stood up and crossed his arms in front of him.
She smiled at us before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind her. “Do your parents know where you are?” he asked, turning to look down at me.
“Yes, I told them that I was going to your house from work.”
“Do you want to eat here, or do you want to go home?”
Fated Dreams (Book One In The Affinity series) Page 17