The next morning I waved goodbye to Emma as I climbed into Luke’s car. I shoved my backpack with my extra clothes into the back seat, beside his.
Without thinking, like this past month hadn’t happened, I leaned in and gave Lucas a quick kiss on the lips, the way I used to when I said hello. Just as our lips touched, I realized my mistake and drew away slowly.
His eyes held humor and surprise.
“I’m sorry, I forgot. Habit.” I was expecting him to look sullen the way he had all week, but instead he was smiling. “No problem, anytime.” He looked happier than I had seen him in awhile.
“What’s with you? Why are you in such a good mood?” I eyed him suspiciously. His hazel eyes were shining, and there was a confidence about him that annoyed me.
“I get to spend a whole weekend alone with you. It doesn’t matter that we’re not together. I’ve missed you Sarah, I hardly ever see you anymore. I know you’re still mad at me, and if I could take it back, I would. But I don’t care about all of that. For these two days, I have you. Why wouldn’t I be happy?”
A warm glow filled my insides. It was such a sweet thing to say, I was speechless. Once I could form words I said, “Okay, let’s go.” As he pulled away from Emma’s driveway, I took my cell out of my pocket and placed it on the dashboard. “I programmed Renford into the GPS on my phone, so we won't get lost. “Good thinking," he said with a nod and a slight grin.
Of course, his charming words only lasted about an hour before he blurted out, “So are you ever going to forgive me?”
“What?” I gasped. What happened to just being happy to be with me? “I don’t want to talk about it,” I mumbled, leaning over the seat to take out a new novel I had bought for our trip. I had finished the mystery I was reading, and since I still wasn’t into anything with romance in it, I chose a horror by Conrad Green. The last book I read of his kept me up until seven in the morning, so this time, I was only planning to read it in daylight.
I cracked the spine and turned the page, but before I could even read a sentence, Lucas knocked it out of my hand, tossing it into the far corner of the back seat, where I couldn’t reach it. “Oh no, you don’t,” he said looking back at the road. “You’ve been avoiding the subject all week.”
“Me? Every time I try to talk to you, you clam up. I’ve barely heard your voice.”
“Because I want to get back together, and you won’t talk about it. You just keep changing the subject,” he said, gripping the steering wheel.
I stared out at the cars passing us in the other lane. I counted four cars and two trucks before I answered him. “I don’t want to talk about getting together again. You broke my heart, and I don’t forgive you. You need to give me some time.” I was yelling now, but I was tired of explaining myself.
“I apologized for that over and over. I know we can’t get back the last month, but we can have now, we can be together. I miss you!” He was trying to keep his voice calm, but the volume rose on the last few words.
“Do you ever listen? I’m not ready, stop pushing me!” I hated being rushed into something before I was ready.
“But why not? Give me a reason.”
“Because it’s still too fresh in my mind. Wait until all of this is over.” I crossed my arms in front of me.
His eyes narrowed. “I can’t believe you. I’m still mad at you for keeping the fact from me that some guy was stalking you and threw a rock through your window. But am I dwelling on that? No!”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “It’s not the same thing.”
“You lied to me!” he yelled, punching the steering wheel.
“Why are you bringing all this up anyway? At Emma’s, you said all this didn’t matter because you were just happy to be with me. Remember?”
His voice softened, and a slight smile appeared. “I was trying to sweet talk you.”
I realized what he meant. I raised my hands out in front of me. “Are you telling me you were going to use this trip to try and talk me into forgiving you?”
“Yes.”
After that, there was a lot more yelling, and a lot of arm gestures, that went on for about an hour.
After the yelling ceased, we grew quiet. Lucas focused on the road ahead, and I stared out my window with my arms folded in front of me.
“Can we stop? I need to use the bathroom,” I said after what felt like hours.
“Why don’t we stop and have lunch?” he suggested. I nodded, and we grew silent again.
We drove into a small town. We had passed so many I wasn’t sure of the name, but it had a burger joint, and that was all that mattered. We pulled in, went to the bathroom, and picked up lunch to eat in the car.
“So I’ve been thinking about our fight. Maybe we needed to get all of that out of our system so we can move on.” I tucked my hair behind my ear and continued. “Please understand that I do love you, but I need time. It’s not just about forgiving you. How can we have a relationship while all this is going on? What if the guy attacks me again? Are you going to do what’s right, without discussing it with me?” I paused, waiting for an answer. All I got for a response was a shrug. “I just think we should wait until everything is settled before we even think about getting back together. Do you understand?” I kept my voice soft. I didn’t want a repeat of our blow out earlier.
He considered what I said. “You're right. I won’t bug you anymore,” he said quietly.
I downed my burger and started on my fries.
“So do you have any plans for the summer? One last hurrah before college?” he asked after he swallowed his burger and fries.
“Actually, Emma and I were planning to ask my parents if we could use our cottage for a week or two.”
“Where is it?”
“A couple of hours away in a place called Crescent Lake. It’s so beautiful. It’s right on the beach with a big deck that faces the water. It’s really peaceful there. My parents only go for about two weeks a year since my dad works. They do go on most summer weekends, but I was hoping I could have it with some of my friends for a week.” I looked out the window. We were driving by an apple orchard, the fourth one we had passed.
“Do you think they’ll let you?”
“I hope so. They know I’m usually responsible. Present actions excluded.”
“Sounds like fun,” he said quietly.
“What about you?”
“Well, I hope to go with you. I also planned to work as much as I can, to save money for school. My parents are paying my tuition, but it won’t hurt to have some extra cash.”
“Very sensible.”
We smiled at each other. It was nice to get along for a change. We drove for a few more miles until we came up to the “Welcome to Renford” sign.
The town looked similar to ours, about the same size. There was a large rock formation just outside of the town. A creek ran down the center of a park right in front of city hall. To the left was the Renford Library. That was our next stop if we failed at the school.
We turned down a street and came to what looked like the main business area. There was a theater, a few clothing stores, a hardware store, and some specialty shops. I noticed a couple of restaurants I might want to try for dinner. At the end of the main road, there was a sign that said “Motel” and an arrow.
We followed it down the street, finding a small white motel, and parked in the lot. I waited in the car while Lucas checked in. The hotel was older looking, with the white paint cracking in some places along the stucco. He came out of the building smiling, tossing the key up in the air and then catching it.
The room was small but clean, smelling of fruity air freshener. There was only one bed—that was going to be interesting—and a dresser against one wall. A desk with a large mirror above it sat beside the dresser.
Lucas laid our bags on the blue blanket and then sat down at the desk and opened the phone book.
“What are you doing?” I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
> “Looking for the address of Renford High School,” he mumbled, flipping through the book. His lips moved as he read. “Here it is, are you ready? We should get started before it gets too late.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Shall We Dance?
We pulled up to the school about ten minutes later. There were a few cars parked in the lot. We weren’t sure if they would let us in, but we had to give it a try.
Lucas opened the door, and we wordlessly walked in. Our footsteps were quiet, but in the empty hallway, the sound echoed all around. I cringed with each squeak from Lucas’ sneakers. There was a sign at the front door with a map of the school, showing the office, library, and different departments. The library was between the office and one of the science labs, so we headed in that direction.
The library door creaked as he opened it, making us turn around to make sure no one had heard. With the coast clear, we tiptoed into the empty room, splitting up into different directions to look around.
On the back wall, near the librarian’s desk, I saw a sign that said “School Spirit.” I walked over and saw that it was lined with yearbooks dating from last year back to nineteen eighty-seven. All I needed was last year’s, so I picked it up and coughed quietly, hoping Lucas would know that I was trying to get his attention.
When I heard his footsteps coming toward me, I took out my list of names.
I flipped through the pages, looking for the kids from mine and Lucas’ list. I found the first person, and of course, he looked nothing like Tony. He had black hair, not dark blond. The rest of the names were the same. One was obviously a relative, just not close enough. I put the book back where I had found it, and we slipped out quietly.
Standing on the step in front of the school, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was afraid someone would notice us. I didn’t know how we would explain looking through a yearbook for a school we didn’t attend.
Our next stop was St. Mary’s High School. There were only two cars in the lot. Lucas opened the front door for me, and we stepped quietly toward the library. We slipped inside, thinking we would be able to sneak in and out again without being noticed.
Standing near a desk at the back of the library was a nun. She was wearing a black skirt and a white blouse. Her red hair was pulled back, and mostly hidden under the wimple she was wearing on her head. Around her neck was a long chain with a wooden cross hanging from it. She looked up when she heard us enter. Her smile was welcoming. She was a lot younger than she appeared to be before I saw her face.
“Can I help you?” she asked, her voice soft and calming.
I considered lying, but I was afraid that if I lied to a nun, I’d go to hell. “Excuse me, we don’t mean to disturb you, but we’re looking for someone, and we were wondering if we could search through last year’s yearbook.”
“Of course, but I am closing up soon.”
“Oh, that’s okay; we’ll only be a few minutes.”
She gestured with her hand in the direction of the yearbooks, in the back row of the small library.
She gave us privacy while we searched. We found the names, and just like the last school, the faces were completely different. Lucas put the book back, and we headed back to the nun, who was now going over papers on the desk.
“Thank you, Sister, we really appreciate your help,” I said, starting to walk toward the door.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” I heard her ask.
I spun around again to face her. “No, but we have a few more schools to look through.” I didn’t want to say any more about it, and I could tell she sensed that.
“Well, good luck,” she said with a smile, turning back to her work.
“Well, that was a waste of time. We’re never going to find him. Maybe he isn’t even a relative of Tony’s. We have no way of knowing,” I complained once we were back inside the car. I was frustrated, and now I was in a crabby mood. Hunched in my seat, I crossed my arms in front of me, staring out the window, pouting.
“It’s not a waste of time. Now we know it wasn’t any of them. We’ve narrowed the list down. It might not be a relative, but it makes sense that he is since we are.” Lucas leaned over to brush his hand softly against my cheek. The touch startled me, and I straightened in my seat.
He pulled his hand back and muttered, “Sorry.”
After starting the car, he drove out of the parking lot. “I’m hungry, do you want to have dinner at a restaurant, or order in?” he asked, once we had driven a couple of moments in silence.
“Restaurant,” I mumbled, still sulking. The less time we spent alone in a small hotel room the better. He drove to the main street where most of the businesses were. It was dusk, the lights were coming on, and the streets seemed to be coming alive.
He pulled into a restaurant that looked one scale up from a diner. The name on the front said Millie’s.
We climbed out of the car, and the first thing I noticed was the music. It sounded like a live band was playing inside.
Once Lucas opened the door for me, the air exploded with sound. At the back of the restaurant, there was a dance floor with a few people moving awkwardly to the beat. Up front, there were rows of booths, and in between them were tables scattered here and there.
On the walls were fish nets, rods, and stuffed fish. But the oddest thing was a picture of a man and woman. The man was standing behind her holding a fishing rod, which was hooked to her collar as she was running away.
A waitress approached us. She had curly auburn hair, pulled loosely in a ponytail, and she was wearing a red-checkered dress uniform with a name tag on it that said Pearl. “A table for two?” she asked, smacking her gum.
Lucas nodded, and we followed her to a booth near the window. She walked away silently after we were seated.
“Well, this is colorful,” I said with a smile.
We watched the dancers for a while until the waitress came back with our menus.
I looked at mine and noticed that all the meals seemed to have lobster in it. “What are you going to order?” I asked Lucas loudly. It was difficult to hear above the banjo and fiddle.
He stared at the menu. “You know, it’s a hard decision. There are so many choices. How about lobster?” he answered, a small grin appearing on his face.
“Hey, me too, what a coincidence.” We laughed. It felt good not to worry for five minutes.
Pearl came to take our order. She didn’t speak, just glanced in my direction.
“Um…I’ll have the lobster bisque.”
“And I’ll have the lobster pot pie, and we’ll have two colas,” Lucas ordered. She nodded and walked away. “I wish she’d shut up, she’s giving me a headache with all her chatter,” he said with a chuckle. His obvious sarcasm brought another smile to my face; he was pulling me out of my cranky mood against my will. Maybe I wanted to be angry, wasn’t I entitled? Who wouldn’t be with a crazy stalker after them?
We turned around to watch the band. It was country music, which I never listen to, but they sounded pretty good. “You want to dance?” he asked. I didn’t know if it was a good idea, but I had been pushing him away all day, and one dance couldn’t hurt. Even though it was a slow song, I agreed.
We had never danced before, so when he put his arms around me, I was a little uncomfortable. After a few minutes, I began to relax. We hadn’t been this close in over a month; it made me question why I kept pushing him away. I melted against his warm, hard body, swaying to the music. Soon nothing existed but us. I laid my head on his shoulder as my body molded into his. We moved slowly, no longer dancing to the rhythm.
The music stopped, waking me from the spell I was under. I glanced up into his eyes; they were smoldering. He slowly bent his head, and when I realized what he was about to do, I panicked. “I wonder if the food is ready yet.” I backed out of his arms, turned, and rushed to our table. When I sat down, I noticed he was walking toward me with a grin on his face.
Our food was delivered as he sat dow
n across from me. It looked interesting, and after I tasted it, I was surprised at how good it was.
We finished our meal, and Lucas was considering dessert when a tall man with black hair came over. He was wearing jeans and a blue plaid shirt. A woman with big blonde hair was trailing behind him. “Come on, miss. In this place, no one sits out,” he said, motioning his hand to the dance floor.
The restaurant had gotten crowded as we were eating. The dance floor was packed, all the tables were empty, and the patrons were line dancing. “Oh, no, thank you, sir. I don’t know how to do that.” I gestured with my hand to the dance floor.
“That’s okay; it’s easy, we’ll show you.” He took my hand, pulling me against him, while the woman yanked Lucas out of our booth. Together, they dragged us to the dance floor.
We stood beside them while they demonstrated the steps slowly. I followed their lead and soon realized it wasn’t all that hard. Even Lucas got it, and before we knew it, we were line dancing with a bunch of strangers for the rest of the evening.
A few hours later, we said goodbye to our new friends, and after Lucas paid the bill, we went back to our hotel.
My bag was beeping when we opened the door to our room. I had forgotten my phone, and when I took it out, I saw that there were six messages. Two were from my mom and four were from Emma. I dialed her number.
Lucas fell onto the bed, turning on the TV. He lowered the volume so he wouldn’t disturb my conversation.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Emma, you called?” I sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Oh, thank God. I’m running out of excuses. Your mom called a bunch of times to talk to you because you didn’t answer your cell. I made up crazy reasons to why you weren’t around. The latest one was that you’re sick. So when you call, act like it. Call her now, bye.” And she hung up.
I dialed my mom.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Mom,” I said, slightly above a whisper.
“Are you okay?”
Fated Dreams (Book One In The Affinity series) Page 27