“I’ll stay with you.” I needed to be with him. He made me feel safe.
Chapter Twenty-One
Interrogation
Logan had barbecued steak and baked potatoes. Nick was still at the restaurant, so it was just the four of us sitting around the dining room table.
“Wow,” I said, stuffing my face. “Logan, this is really good, you should be a chef.”
Lucas choked on his drink, stifling a laugh.
Logan gave me a cold stare, warning me not to tell his secret.
“She’s right,” Karen said, enjoying her meal. “Logan, this is good. Have you thought of following in your father’s footsteps?”
I wasn’t surprised to see Logan glaring at me.
A warm hand embraced mine, and knowing Lucas was there for me, I returned the squeeze. He was worried Logan would get angry with me. But to our surprise he just shook his head and said, “How hard could it be, it’s just steak.”
“But what’s the seasoning on here, it tastes amazing. I think it’s the best steak I’ve ever had, but if you tell my dad I said that, I’ll deny it.” I laughed at my own joke nervously.
“Thanks, Sarah, but I’m not telling you the ingredients, it’s my secret.” He winked at me and then cleared his throat, turning to Karen. “Actually, Mom, I was just thinking I might be interested in culinary school when we graduate, but I haven’t made my decision yet. I didn’t want to say anything because I was afraid that Dad would pressure me. If I choose to, I want it to be my decision.”
“That’s very responsible of you, honey, don’t worry, I won’t tell your dad. But will you let me know when you’re ready?” She reached over and patted his hand, and the look she gave him could only be translated as pride. Lucas was right, of course; all Logan had to do to get that look was admit his talent. I had a suspicion that for some reason, Logan liked the negative attention he received.
“I will, and thanks for keeping it to yourself.” He glanced at me and gave me a slight smile. I took that as a thank-you, whether it was intended that way or not.
“So Sarah, do you know where you’ll be living in September?” Karen asked me as she rubbed her finger absently along the top of her water glass, leaning her head on her hand.
“Yes, I’ll be living in the dorms.”
“You know, Mom, it would be cheaper if Sarah and I share an apartment.” Lucas’ grin was wide as he leaned back in his chair.
“Are you asking if you two can shack up?”
Lucas laughed. “Maybe, but I haven’t even talked to her about it yet.”
My mouth fell open in shock as I gaped at him. Why was he saying this to his mother? “Uh…Lucas, can we talk about this later, and definitely not in front of your family?” Three smiling faces laughed until I narrowed my eyes in a cold stare at the Tate closest to me.
Karen cleared her throat and stood up, clearly aware that I wanted privacy with her unbelievably stupid son. “Well, I’m finished.” She gathered her dishes, heading into the kitchen. “Logan,” she said as she stood in the doorway. He glanced up at her. Her eyes were wide as she motioned with her head in our direction.
His face scrunched up in confusion. “Huh?”
She sighed, walked over, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled him into the kitchen.
Once we were alone, I folded my arms in front of me and stared once again at Lucas.
“Sorry, Sarah, I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” Lucas whispered.
I heard a noise, and my eyes flicked to the doorway, where I saw Logan’s shoulder. I knew that both of them were huddled on the other side of the wall, listening.
I blushed and lowered my voice. “I’m not embarrassed; I’d just like to talk about it later.” I nodded to the entrance to the kitchen.
He smiled and leaned in to kiss me quickly on the lips. His mother came out of the kitchen and sighed. “Ah, to be young again. Okay, these dishes are not going to clean themselves. Logan, since you did such a great job making dinner, you may be excused. We’ll clean up.”
Logan peeked out of the doorway and smiled. “Hey, I think I’ll cook every night if I get out of the dishes,” he said with a laugh.
His mother rolled her eyes at him as she picked up the platter of leftover steaks. “Don’t push it,” she called to Logan as he walked out of the kitchen and down to the rec room.
Lucas and I each took turns putting our dishes in the dishwasher, and then together cleaned up the rest.
Once the last dish was put away, I had an idea. “Since I’m here, Karen, would you like a piano lesson?”
Shutting the door to the dishwasher, she leaned against it with a frown on her face. “I’d love to, Sarah, but I have to run to the restaurant and help Nick close up.”
“Okay, next time then,’ I said, watching as she pulled her purse and coat off of the hook.
“I’ll hold you to that.” She pointed to me and then waved. “Bye, kids.” The door shut behind her as she rushed out.
Lucas and I went back to his room. “So, do you want to share an apartment or not?” he asked me, smiling sheepishly. He was sitting on the edge of the bed while I sat on the chair in the corner of the room. He didn’t seem sure that I’d want to live with him at school. Why he brought it up in front of his mother was beyond me.
“We’ve only been together for a few weeks. Isn’t it a little early to be talking about living together?”
“Maybe, but it feels like I’ve known you my whole life. And besides, there’s no harm in planning for September. If you get sick of me before then, we can just change our plans.”
I pursed my lips together; the idea of ever getting sick of him was hard to swallow. Like him, I felt like I’d always known him. “Are you registered at the dorms too?”
“Yes, but we could get out of it. It would be cheaper to get a place off campus. We might as well share. I’d be at your dorm all the time anyway.” He stood up, taking the two steps to stand in front of me, then leaned his hands on the arms of my chair, his face hovering above mine. He was so close I could smell his papaya shampoo.
“Well, when you put it that way, why waste a perfectly good dorm room? I’m not sure my dad will go for it, although he does like to save money.”
He kissed my forehead quickly and stood up. “Good, I love the idea of waking up with my arms wrapped around you every day.”
I couldn’t argue with that. The few times I fell asleep in his arms felt amazing. “What are you taking? I never asked. Is there a photography course at NYU?”
He nodded. “Yes, and I’m hoping to get an internship for a New York photographer.”
An image of us together in the Big Apple, learning and living on our own, made me dizzy with giddiness. “This is exciting, I can’t wait to find a place and be with you all the time.”
He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, and then his arm shot out and yanked me against him. He nuzzled into my neck and whispered, “Neither can I.”
His sudden mood change made my head spin, and his lips felt so hot on my cool skin, my knees went weak. “I want you all to myself,” he mumbled into my hair. The fierceness to his voice threw me. I didn’t know what to think, but before I could form any objections in my mind, he started to kiss me. I leaned up on my toes to wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him tighter. The kiss turned hard and desperate. Luke’s hands wandered, rubbing up my back until they knotted in my hair.
My hands explored his arms and shoulders until I heard him take a deep, raspy breath in and he leaned against me, trying to get as close as he could. I wasn’t expecting his sudden shift in weight, and we toppled onto the bed in a heap. It didn’t faze us though; Luke pulled away and started to kiss my cheek, my chin, then eventually my collarbone. With my lips no longer occupied, a warning bell went off in my head.
“Wait,” I said, pushing him off me.
He sat up on the bed and ran his hand over his face with a ragged sigh. I stood up and leaned against the bookshelf, taking slow b
reaths to calm my racing heart. “I get nervous when we do this. I think we need to talk about it. When we kiss like this, I’m worried about what you want.” I watched him lay back on the bed with his hands covering his face. “So where do you want this to go?”
He stood up and shook his head. “Sarah, don’t worry. All I want is to be close to you. That’s enough for me, I won’t rush you.”
“But what if we haven’t…you know…done that…before we move in together for school?”
“You’re thinking too much. Whatever happens will happen, okay? We still have months left. A lot can happen between now and then.” He leaned in close; his breath was hot against my ear. “Do you know what I want to do right now?” he whispered, rubbing my back softly. His hands were so warm I felt heat spread along my skin. Man, he drove me crazy. Why was I waiting?
“What?” I whispered, breathless.
He pulled back quickly with laughter in his eyes. “I want to teach you to fight, so I won’t worry so much about you. Let’s go downstairs, and you can have a round with the heavy bag.” He started walking to the door.
I stood frozen at the edge of the bed. “That is so not what I thought you were going to say.”
He chuckled from the doorway. “I know. You have such a dirty mind.” He grinned playfully. “Let’s go, I have to take you home soon.”
When we entered the rec room, Logan was lying on the couch watching an action movie. “Hey, Logan, do you care if I teach Sarah some moves on the heavy bag?”
“No, I don’t mind, I could use a good laugh.” He picked up the remote and pushed pause; the lead character was shooting someone with a machine gun.
“Hey, Lucas, let’s forget about the bag. I’ll just practice on Logan’s head.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
Logan laughed and moved closer so he could watch me make a fool of myself.
“Okay, Sarah, remember what I showed you. I want you to keep it up for about fifteen minutes.” Lucas shoved the gloves on my hands and laced them up.
“Fifteen minutes, are you crazy? Last time I did it for about five and my arms hurt for days.”
He tried to stifle a laugh. “The more you do it, the more you get used to it.”
I scowled at him; this protecting me thing was getting out of hand. “Why do I need to do this anyway?”
“What’s the big deal? Girls take self-defense classes all the time. This is my version. It never hurts to be prepared.”
“Fine,” I said with as much anger as I could muster. The heavy bag stood in front of me, its brown leather shell swinging slowly from the hook. I did what he said, hitting the thing with small jabs for a few minutes while he watched, leaning against the chair, focusing on me. My arms started to get slower and slower with each punch. After ten minutes, I couldn’t lift them.
I was sore, tired, and grumpy. I needed to let out my anger, and since he was so close… “I swear, if I could move my arms, I would punch the crap out of you right now.” I narrowed my eyes at Lucas, who was trying not to smile but failing miserably.
Apparently what I said was funny. Both twins broke out in hysterical laughter. I gave Lucas a look that hopefully said, “If you ever want to kiss me again, the laughter must stop.”
It worked; he smoothed his features as he walked towards me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“No thanks, I don’t want your pity, go away,” I said dryly, trying to push him off.
“Sarah, I’m sorry. I won’t laugh at you again.” That was funny, considering he was laughing as he spoke.
“Remember, I think it’s stupid, I don’t need to learn to protect myself, I’m fine.”
He sobered instantly. “No way, we had a deal, you promised to be careful, and it will make me feel better.”
“Whatever,” I mumbled while he started to take my gloves off. I turned to Logan. “If I hear about this at school, I will tell your secret.” I pointed at him with my hand that still had the glove on.
He scowled. “You already did.”
“I did not, I just made an observation.” I tried to make my voice as innocent as I could.
“Luke, what’s with all of this?” Logan asked, gesturing to the gloves. “Why do you think she needs to be able to protect herself? And why did I have to pick her up today when she has a car?”
I glanced at Lucas and raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to explain.
“I just think it’s better that she can protect herself if she ever needs to, and today someone tried to run her over. They drove their car up on the curb where she was standing. If I hadn’t pulled her back, they would have hit her.”
“Who the hell would do that?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. But I’m going to stay as close to her as I can for a while.”
“I’m okay with that,” I said, leaning in for a kiss. I would have hugged him, but I honestly couldn’t move my arms.
“Okay, I’m out of here before my eyes start to bleed.” Logan got up from the couch.
We pulled apart. “No, it’s okay Logan, we’ll leave. I have to take her home anyway,” Lucas said while he pulled me to the stairs.
He drove me home and promised to pick me up in the morning. I gave him a kiss and went into the house.
“Hey, guys,” I said, joining my family in the living room.
My dad and Alex were playing video games. My mom was sitting at the dining room table looking over papers. “Hey,” my mom said, looking up from her work. “Come here and sit down. I feel like I never see you anymore.” She moved a stack of papers off of a chair and tossed the pile on the floor with a thump.
I sat down on the chair she had cleared off for me.
“I know you want to spend as much time with Lucas as possible, but honey, I miss you. Why don’t we do that spa day we’ve been planning? Do you work on Saturday?”
“Yes, but not until two o’clock. Make it a morning appointment.” I leaned over to pick up a report card from the top of the pile. She slapped my hand, and it dropped back onto the table. I smiled at her sheepishly. It was always so tempting to take a peek at any kind of info on fellow students. But she had some kind of radar; anytime I even thought of it, she was there slapping my hand away. What good was living with the vice principal if you couldn’t get any goods on the kids that ticked you off?
The doorbell rang, and my mom stood up to answer it. I could hear voices, but I couldn’t tell who it was.
“Sarah,” she said, walking in with two men. “Is there something you want to tell us? These officers say you were involved in an accident today. Why didn’t you say anything?”
Both men were wearing suits; one was very tall and seemed to be in charge. He had dark brown hair cut short and blue eyes. His suit was brown. The younger one’s suit was blue, and he seemed uncomfortable in it, like he wasn’t used to wearing them. He tugged at his collar twice before he made it into the living room. His hair was light brown and shaggy, almost reaching his shoulders. They must have been detectives, because they weren’t wearing uniforms.
“Mom, it was nothing, I was standing too close to the road when a car almost hit me.”
“Sarah, are you okay?” My dad finally stopped playing. He turned his head to look at me. I really didn’t want to involve them, but I guess I didn’t have a choice now.
“Excuse me, but if it’s okay, we’d like to ask your daughter a few questions,” the tall detective said to my parents.
“Sure, would you like some coffee?” my mom asked.
They declined and walked over to sit across from me, their hands resting on the table. “Hi, Sarah, my name is Detective Franklin, and this is Detective Markus. I know you gave your statement to the patrolmen today, but we need to follow up. We just have a few questions.”
I nodded, and he continued. “So, you said you were standing on the curb about to step off when you saw a car driving right for you, is that correct?” He was reading from a small notepad.
My mother gasped behind me.
<
br /> Trying to ignore her, I answered, “Yes.”
“Did you get a look at the driver?”
“Yes, he had on a gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, so I couldn’t see his face.”
“Have you ever seen someone with his build before? Sweatshirt, the car, anything about him look familiar to you at all? Anything you remember could mean something.” The lines in Detective Franklin’s forehead creased while he waited for me to answer,
I squirmed in my seat. Yes, I had seen him before. It had to be the same guy that followed me two weeks ago, but I didn’t want to say that in front of my parents. I glanced from Mom, to Dad, to Alex. They were all staring at me, waiting for me to answer. I couldn’t speak. I didn’t want to lie, but I didn’t want my family to know someone might be following me. The older cop looked at me, searching my face.
“Would you guys give us some privacy? I think Sarah will remember more if she doesn’t have so many eyes on her,” he said, glancing at my parents.
My parents looked at me to see if it was okay to leave.
I nodded.
They all stood up reluctantly and went to the kitchen. My mother turned her head, her face tense with worry, before closing the door behind her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Danger
“Sarah, do you have something to tell us?” Detective Franklin asked once my family was out of earshot.
“Um…you asked if anything looked familiar about him.” He nodded and gestured for me to continue. “Well, two weeks ago when I was walking to my car after work, I heard footsteps behind me. I stopped walking, and the footsteps stopped. I started to run, and the footsteps got louder, like whoever it was, was running too. I got in my car and took off, but when I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw a person—I think it was a guy—standing where my car had been parked. He was watching me drive away, and he was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood up. I didn’t see his face.”
“Is that the only instance? Or has something like that happened before?”
Fated Dreams (Book One In The Affinity series) Page 18