Her kiss was soft and caught me by surprise, her sweet lips caressing mine for the briefest moment, before rising into a smile that made my knees weak.
I must have looked like a complete doofus, caught in a spellbound daze. She chuckled and stepped away from me. “See you tomorrow, Zach.”
“See ya.” I raised my hand, but she’d already turned and was walking towards the road. Finally, finally, my brain kicked into action and I smiled, then I grinned and then I had to fully resist the urge to whoop and pump my fist in the air. Instead, I yanked open my car door and let out a loud chuckle.
I knew Dani had secrets and yes, I still wanted to know what they were, but right that second I couldn’t have cared less who she really was. Danielle Harrison had kissed me and even that brief connection had been enough to frazzle my usually alert brain. There was no denying it now, my intrigue was fading, being replaced with something that could open my life to a whole lot of angst, but also a whole lot of something I wanted plenty more of.
I started my car, still grinning like a chimpanzee and sang my way home on a euphoric high. If only I’d known I was about to come crashing down off my love struck cloud.
*****
Dinner went well. It always did. Mom’s sister, Louise, was a peach and the world’s best cook. Maybe not better than AJ, but her meals were the best home cooked thing I’d ever come across. So having been stuffed with crispy roast potatoes, juicy pork fillet with apple sauce and some vegetable concoction that tasted divine, I followed my eager cousin up to his room so he could show me his latest project.
“The year book’s coming together so great. See what I did here?” Luke pointed to the computer screen, his graphics for the Lowell High School’s Winter Formal looking magical. I leaned over his chair and soaked in the images, admiring his page layout and the color scheme he’d chosen.
For a sixteen year old, Luke kicked ass at graphics. Elliot and Jaeda would be impressed by his work. I’d have to show them. When he’d made it onto the yearbook committee earlier in the year, he’d phoned me all excited. Any chance to show off his graphics skills thrilled the kid.
I glanced at his bed and looked at all the old yearbooks sprawled across his duvet.
“Wow, you’re really researching this.” I picked up the book closest to me and gazed at the images.
“I want to do a good job. I want to wow the school, you know? Take it up a notch.” His desk chair rolled towards me and he spun around to see which yearbook I was looking at.
“That’s from last year. I don’t like how they laid out the pages.” He pointed over my arm. “See the way those colors clash.” He made a face. “Plus, that picture is totally aligned wrong and this one down here would have looked way better up there.”
I didn’t see what he was talking about, my eyes were too busy locked on a picture on the left hand page. I frowned, pulling it closer to my face. Was that Dani? I mean, she looked a little different, her hair was longer and darker, but that was definitely her face.
“What are you looking at?” Luke nudged me.
“That girl.” I tapped my thumb next to the photo. “She goes to my school now.”
“Let’s see.” Luke took the book from me. “Oh yeah, that’s Riley. She goes to Monte Vista? I was wondering what’d happened to her.”
I flinched. “Riley? Don’t you mean, Dani?”
“What?” Luke’s forehead creased. “No, that’s Riley Mitchell.”
I took the book from him and looked at the picture again. “You sure? It’s not Danielle Harrison?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. Half the freshman guys were totally in love with her. She was only at the school for like two months, maybe. It wasn’t long, but she certainly left an impression. She was a senior and way out of our league though.”
“A senior? But I thought you said this was from last year?”
He flicked the cover over. “Yeah, 2012-2013. Why are you looking so pale?”
“I’m not.” I shook my head. “I just…. She looks so much like Dani it’s freaky. What did you say her name was again?”
“Riley Mitchell. She was beautiful, a little quiet, but she was dating this really rich prat, Miles Filmore. Such a dick.” Luke made a face, sticking out his tongue in disgust.
My gut twisted. “Yet she dated him anyway?”
“Yeah.” Luke shrugged. “She didn’t always look as though she wanted to, but I guess he was good-looking and had a nice car. Some chicks do that kinda thing. You know, date rich guys for the perks. But in saying that, he was pretty whipped. I mean he almost seemed nice when they were dating. I think he really liked her.”
“How long were they together?” My insides were coiled so tight I was surprised I could keep my voice so even.
“Like I said, she was only at the school for a short time and then she just left. No one really knew what happened to her. Her family moved I guess.”
“So she just left without saying goodbye?”
“Well she didn’t say goodbye to me.” Luke grinned, but a frown fluttered over his face. “You know, I did hear some rumors though. I was never sure whether to believe them or not. But I couldn’t help wondering if there was more to her departure.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know.” Luke shrugged again. “Apparently her and Miles were at a shopping mall one day and they bumped into a friend of his father’s. He was trying to introduce her to him, but she kind of freaked out and just took off, like she’d seen a ghost or something. They tried to follow her, but then some lunatic jumped out and attacked Miles. The police showed up and the whacko got arrested, but not before giving Miles Filmore the Third a broken nose.” Luke shook his head with a grin. “Miles was really pissed about it. That was the last time he saw her.”
“Woah, that’s kind of dramatic.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s probably why I wasn’t sure whether to believe it or not.”
“You didn’t see the broken nose?”
“No one did. Miles skipped school for nearly two weeks. He was such a vain prick.”
I slapped Luke on the shoulder forcing myself to chuckle with him. It was an effort.
Swallowing hard, I gazed down at the picture of Dani. She looked lost and wistful, oblivious to the fact the photo was being taken. She was sitting on a picnic table, some swanky guy’s arm snaked around her butt. I assumed it was Miles. He sat on the bench below her, grinning at the guy over his shoulder. Dani, Riley, whatever her name was, looked as though she was trying to block out the world for a second. My heart cracked. I’d seen that look in her eyes before. “Can, I um, borrow this?”
Luke looked totally weirded out by my request, but nodded anyway. “Sure.”
I slapped the book closed and headed for the door. I wanted to get home. To get out. Away from what I was seeing. I knew as soon as I got to my room, I’d open up the book and scour every page for more shots of her, but at least I could do that without an audience. At least my brain could burn with questions and no one would be there to ask me what was wrong.
My fingers hit the doorframe as I went to swing out of the room. The questions had already started and I turned to look at Luke who was heading back to his computer.
“I don’t suppose you know what school she went to before Lowell.”
“Yeah, I do actually. She was at Washington High.”
“How do you know that?”
Luke blushed, scratching at his curls. “I was, ah, in the office one day and I kind of saw her file on the desk and read it when no one was looking. I don’t know, man, I was curious about her, she was so pretty and waif like, but kind of strong at the same time.” He shook his head with a dry chuckle. “I must sound like such an idiot. She just kind of captured me a little bit.”
“Yeah, I know that feeling.” I tapped the doorframe with my knuckles, my voice sounding distant.
“So do you think it’s the same girl?” Luke pointed at the yearbook in my hands.
It took me a se
cond to pull myself together, but I finally managed a head shake. “Nah, probably not. Maybe she has some long, lost twin or something.”
“It could make a good story. I bet your Uncle Alex would love it.”
“Yep.” I pressed my lips together. “I bet he would.”
Although shaken, my brain started ticking the second I walked down the stairs. Mom and Dad bought my excuse of needing to get some homework done and we left a short while later. Luke was still looking at me a little oddly as I left, but I didn’t have the mind space to think about it. Riley was Dani. I wanted to deny it, but I couldn’t, because I knew. In my gut, I knew that Dani had secrets and I had just found a layer I could peel back.
I just wasn’t sure if I wanted to anymore.
Chapter 17
ZACH
May 2014
I stayed up all night trawling through the Lowell High Yearbook. That picture was the only one I could find of Dani. I studied every inch of it, soaking in her facial expression until it was etched into my brain. It was Dani. Unless she did have an identical twin, that dark haired chick with the sad blue eyes was my Dani.
Not my Dani. I shook my head as I pulled into the school parking lot.
I felt shattered. My brain had been ringing with questions all night, Luke’s words swirling around like a maelstrom, crashing against one another until my head ached.
Having only caught an hour’s sleep before my alarm went off, I decided to skip my morning swim and take my time getting ready. It hurt to think Dani had probably looked for me at the pool. She couldn’t even text me to find out where I was, being phoneless and all, but that was her problem not mine.
I jammed on the brake and jerked to a stop between the white lines. Part of me wanted to be furious with her for hiding something from me, but it’s not like I was her boyfriend or anything. Sure, we’d kissed, like once, but that didn’t make her mine.
Dani didn’t have to tell me anything and I hated it.
Pulling the keys from the ignition, I slammed my way out of the car and across the lot. I’d have to face her at some point today. But what would I say to her?
Hi, Dani or Riley or whoever the hell you are, care to tell me what you were doing at Lowell High last year? Or maybe you’d like to go into details of why you dated such a jerk or why you disappeared so suddenly? Who was the man you saw? What freaked you out so badly? What made you run?
I stopped in my tracks, a sudden thought ripping through my insides. She ran. She ran because she was afraid. If I pushed too hard, would she run from me too?
Maybe I wanted her to. Maybe I didn’t want to have to put up with this shit.
With a slow sigh, I realized that was bull. I wanted to be thrown right into it. I wanted to drag her out of whatever trouble she was in and haul her to safety.
Pushing through the flurry of students, I made my way to my locker, my eyes down. I practically tripped over her. She was leaning against the cold metal, her hair still wet from her morning swim.
“Hey.” She grinned, pushing off the locker with her shoulder. “Where were you this morning? You feeling okay?”
Her blue eyes scrunched with sympathy as she took in my no doubt pale expression.
“Headache,” I mumbled.
She winced. “I hate those things.”
“Yeah.” I forced a chuckle, wrestling between wanting to pull her into my arms or telling her to piss off. I couldn’t think objectively with her standing there in front of me. She smelled like cherries and vanilla with a hint of chlorine swirling in the background. Her wet hair and fresh face made me want to grab her against me and kiss her, feel every inch of her body pressed against mine, but how could I do that when I didn’t even know her?
It hurt. It hurt that I was falling for a girl with two identities. What did that say about her? Did she have more than just those two? Was lying a living for her?
I so desperately wanted to understand her, but was afraid to at the same time. What if she ended up being a fraud? What if this sexy girl beside me was putting on a show, reeling me in only to disappear and break my heart later.
Clearing my throat, I opened my locker and arranged my books for the day.
“So, um, I hope you feel better soon.”
I slapped my locker shut and looked across at her. She looked disappointed, probably because I was being a quiet jerk. I reached for her hand and squeezed it.
“I have a really huge day, but I’ll see you tonight, okay.”
“Sure.” She pushed a smile over her lips. “Yeah, you take it easy.” With a flick of her hand, she walked away, knowing she’d been blown off.
I felt bad, I really did, but I couldn’t talk to her right now. I needed time to think. More time.
*****
The rest of the day sucked.
I tried to put on a show to my friends, act like nothing was wrong. Elliot saw through it in a heartbeat and got pissed with me for being hedgy. I tuned out through all my classes, got told off by one teacher for not listening and then had the totally humiliating situation of being asked a question and then having no idea what the question even was. That was in AP English. I couldn’t help stealing a glance at Dani, who looked concerned. I met her gaze briefly as a flicker of doubt rushed over her face. It was more than doubt, it was a flash of fear. My aloofness was freaking her out and that only made the questions start pushing at my brain again.
The bell rang and she left without waiting for me. I deserved that. She probably thought I was trying to break up with her. But we weren’t a couple! Were we?
The fact that I so desperately wanted to be was outright annoying.
I gripped a fistful of hair and shot out of my seat. I had one class to go, which didn’t leave much time for me to get myself together before Elliot’s place. Would Dani even show?
Clutching my bag strap, I wound my way to class. I had to pull myself together. This was stupid. So Dani had two identities. Big deal. There was bound to be a good reason for that, right?
I slumped into a seat at the back of class, the decision I didn’t want to make finally coming to the forefront. I had to find out.
I couldn’t play the bullshit intrigue card anymore. I liked Dani, I cared about her and I wanted to take things further. Yet I couldn’t do that unless I knew. Asking her about it would be a waste of time. She’d close up like a clam and I’d lose her for good. No, I needed to figure this out on my own and there was only one person I wanted to help me do it.
“Excuse me, Mr. Bleekman.” I raised my hand.
“Yes, Zach.” He glanced up from his desk.
“Can I grab a hall pass, please?”
Mr Bleekman never asked why. He just assumed the bathroom. He scribbled my name down beside his signature and I grabbed it off him as I walked past. Sneaking to the end of the corridor, I went out a side door and hunkered against the wall that looked over the teacher’s parking lot.
Pulling out my phone, I took a breath. Once I made this call there was no going back.
I clenched my jaw, unlocked my screen and found the number I was looking for.
It rang three times.
“Hey little bro!” Uncle Alex was always so happy to hear from me, I couldn’t help grinning. He was like a big kid sometimes and I loved him for it. He was actually closer in age to me than my dad, which is why he called me little bro.
“Hey, Uncle Al.”
“What’s up, man?”
“I, uh, was wondering if I could come hang out with you tomorrow, for the day.”
“Okay, sure. You know the answer’s always yes.”
“You’re not working on a big story or anything?”
“I’m always working on a big story.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
I chuckled, but it was dry and sounded hollow.
“Little bro, what’s going on?” His voice was serious, concern rippling the edges of his words.
I sighed. “There’s this girl.”
“Uh-oh.”
“Beautiful?”
My eyebrows rose. “Like, ya-huh.”
Uncle Alex laughed. “So, what’s the problem then?”
I grimaced, my lips pushing to the side. This was it. I was about to tell the bloodhound reporter of the San Francisco Chronicle something he wouldn’t be able to ignore. “She’s hiding something.”
I could almost feel Uncle Alex sitting up, his ears buzzing, his eyes lighting with a mystery. “What kind of something?”
“Well.” I cringed. “She’s super secretive about where she lives and where she’s come from and when I was at Luke’s place last night, I found a picture of her in his school yearbook.”
“So?”
“So she had a different name, but I swear it’s her.”
“A girl with two identities. What do you think she’s hiding from?”
“I don’t know and I really need to find out.”
“I take it you can’t just ask her.”
“That wouldn’t go down so well.”
“Okay.” Uncle Alex let out a breath. “Alright, so your mission is to figure out why the two identities so that you can prove she’s just a nice, sweet girl you’re falling for and not some psychopath?”
“Pretty much.”
There was a pause and then I heard my uncle blow out a short chuckle. “Sounds like fun to me. What do you already have?”
“Well, she’s here now with the name Danielle Harrison. She was at Lowell High last year as Riley Mitchell and Luke’s pretty sure she transferred from Washington High.”
“Okay, well let’s start with Lowell. Did Luke tell you who she hung out with there?”
“Yeah, she was dating a senior named Miles Filmore.”
“Find out if he has any siblings, maybe we can go visit his place tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll call Luke once school gets out.”
“Cool. Make sure you have a decent picture of her, we’ll flash it around and see if we get any bites.”
I Know Lucy (The Fugitive Series) Page 11