TIED (A Fire Born Novel)

by Laney McMann

  “Good.”

  Shifting from his car to mine, I found mine would barely start. I was afraid I’d have to push it to get home.

  Max stood hunched over the hood, laughing. “We’ve gotta get rid of this thing.”

  “We?”

  “Well … look at it.”

  “You try explaining it to my mom.”

  “Touché.” He gave me a crooked smile.

  Concerned the disaster wouldn’t make it home, Max followed me, waving as I coasted down my driveway. Humiliating.

  9

  The doorbell rang, and my glass dropped into the kitchen sink. Unsure why I was so nervous, I trekked to the front door and peeked through the spyglass.

  Max’s face loomed, his face larger than normal through the glass. I chuckled and opened the door.

  “I’m early,” he said, hands shoved in his jeans pockets.

  “I’ll just be a second. Want to sit?” I motioned toward the couch.

  “Will your mom be back soon?” He glanced over his shoulder toward the empty driveway, but didn’t cross the threshold into the house.

  I frowned. “What did she do to make you so afraid of her?”

  “I’m not afraid of her exactly.”

  “Okay … Not sure how to respond, so … you can either stand or sit.” I walked toward the stairs, and he ambled in, his head turning back and forth as if taking in the room. I shook my head and went upstairs.

  Although I’d overheard them talking in the hospital, and the harshness in my mother’s tone, I couldn’t imagine why Max would be afraid of her. Then again, I couldn’t imagine why she’d lied to me about him either. Whatever her reasons for disliking him or telling him to keep his distance from me, she would need to contend with them, and ultimately, I would as well.

  My curiosity drifted from my mother the second I’d met Ms. MacLarnon, and curiosity had turned to alarm. I’d hoped my earlier shower would clear some of the swirling questions still ringing in my head. I even blew my hair dry, hoping the heat would singe some clarification into my brain. It hadn’t. Ms. MacLarnon knew me—a fact that rattled me in a way I couldn’t figure out.

  As I came down the stairs, I found Max pacing the living room. “Wow.”

  “What?” I glanced down at myself, my hands, my clothes. Everything seemed in order for once.

  “You look … your hair is all …” Color rose in his cheeks, and he grinned. “It’s exactly like I remember.”

  “Clean?” I teased, nudging his shoulder.

  He opened the front door and froze, gripping the knob, his knuckles turning white.

  My mother glared at him from the front stoop. “You!” She advanced on him.

  Max lifted his hands and backed up. “Lorelei.”

  “What are you doing near my daughter?” With hissed words, she proceeded into the house with a snakelike fluidity, her voice laced with a deep accent. The same accent Ms. MacLarnon used, but I had never heard come out of my mother.

  “Mom!”

  “This does not concern you, Teine.”

  “Lorelei, don’t overreact. She’s safe. I’d never allow anything to harm Layla, you know that.”

  She continued toward him as he backed up more.

  “You should not be here. I have given you the opportunity to do right by her. You failed. I cannot allow this to carry on.”

  Max stopped, planting his feet. “I haven’t failed. You’re failing by keeping the truth from her. She has no idea who she is!”

  “What are you doing near my daughter?” She screamed the question, her face blotched and red. “What have you told her?”

  “Nothing. She knows nothing.” Max’s voice was calm and controlled. “I gave you my word.”

  “Enough!” I moved between them. “I’ve been trying to be understanding, but you’ve been lying to me. Keeping Max from me. I thought I was losing my mind. Because of you!” I grabbed Max’s hand and marched toward the front door, dragging him behind me. Warmth flooded into my hands. I squeezed them into fists.

  “Layla!” Her use of my name, the name everyone else knew me by, stopped me. “Come back here this instant!”

  I rounded on her, heat rising to my neck. “Don’t force me to choose.” My words escaped in a growl.

  Her expression fell. I slammed the front door.

  “Drive.”

  “Where to?” Max got in his car and cranked the engine, and I slipped in beside him.

  My head ached, questions coursing through my brain in swift stabs.

  “Anywhere.”

  • • •

  By the time we ended up at the public beach, my legs trembled uncontrollably.

  “We could stay in the car.” Max placed a hand on my knee, steadying the rapid rhythm, and smiled in that apologetic way people do when they think it’s their fault something went wrong.

  I shook my head, opening the car door to exit. “I’d rather walk.” Or try to.

  Wandering the shore, in silence and away from all the madness, eased my reeling thoughts.

  “Want to sit?” He motioned toward the dunes.

  I did little more than nod as he led the way to drier, softer sand.

  Max shifted himself closer and put his arm around my waist.

  It was the strangest feeling being with him again. Almost as if no time had passed. He was comforting like he’d always been. The familiar sweet smell of his skin, the warmth of his arms hugging me close and telling me everything was okay. As I leaned into him, the steady beat of his heart thrummed against my shoulder, and I knew no matter what my future would bring, I wouldn’t be going back to who I was before. Even when I was positive Max was an apparition, I hadn’t been able to let him go. Whether my mother was aware or not, I had already made a choice between them.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, after a long while sitting in silence.

  “I need answers.” My shoulders softened against his chest.

  He squeezed me and sighed. “Would it sound crazy if I said I’m afraid to give them to you?”

  I glanced up at him. “Is it really bad?”

  He averted his gaze. “That depends on you.”

  There were so many things I wanted to say, but I was too unsure to say any of them.

  The sunset glowed deep orange by the time we made our way back down the beach.

  It didn’t surprise me to find the driveway empty when I got home, and I had no idea what I would say to my mom when she returned. The way she had reacted to Max—her keeping him from me—I couldn’t understand.

  “I should wait until your mom gets home.” Max put the car in park.

  “You’re not afraid?” I cracked a weak smile, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

  The corner of his lip pulled up in a really small smile.

  I unlocked the front door, and he rested his head against the side of the house, eyes downcast.

  My hand dropped from the lock. “It really is bad—what you need to tell me. Isn’t it?”

  He glanced up, grey eyes finding mine. “It still depends on you.” His voice was raw, almost a whisper.

  I reached for his hand, caressing it with my thumb. “If it brought you back to me, I’ll take it.”

  “Lay …” He sighed. “You don’t understand.” He shook his head but didn’t veer his gaze away.

  I rose onto my toes and leaned into him. “I don’t have to understand,” I said, and brushed the corner of his mouth with mine.

  “Lay … I don’t know if we should …” His ragged breath swept across my cheek, his gaze never leaving my lips as his hand trailed down my arm.

  I silenced anything else he might say, pressing my mouth against his.

  He gripped the side of my jaw, a soft moan escaping his throat, kissed me hungrily and backed me into the house, kicking the door shut behind us. An electric jolt shot through my shoulders. A swift breeze blew against my face. My breathing quickened and staggered as heat flowed through my body.

  Max kissed me harder, pul
ling me into him, and the window shook behind me in its frame.

  A car door slammed, a knock on the front door yanked me back into reality, and I stood alone.

  Max winked at me from the couch, and someone knocked again.

  I opened the door and my heart sank.

  Devon.

  “I’ve been calling you all day. Why’s Max’s car … here?” He glanced toward the couch and back to me. “What’s going on?”

  Good question. What was going on? A neon sign had to have been glowing across my forehead, blinking Guilty, Guilty.

  “I stopped by to check on Layla.” Max stood up, tone friendly.

  “Mission accomplished. You can head out now, or whatever.” Devon crossed his arms over his chest.

  Max smirked, that friendly manner gone from his expression. “I’ll call you later, Lay.” His gaze fixed on mine for half a second, all the unspoken words showing in his face.

  “Thanks for coming by. It was … nice.”

  “Yeah … it was.”

  The thud of the front door closing behind him made it hard to breathe. Every part of me wanted to stop him, to make him turn around and stay. My whole existence seemed to have moved into some foreign realm I didn’t understand. I wanted to cry, to run after him, to tell him to wait. I’d never been so completely confused in my entire life.

  What is wrong with me? I practically attacked my best friend in the doorway!

  The possible repercussions of kissing him would hurt, if our relationship ended badly, or ended period.

  Friends are friends—that’s the unspoken rule. Especially best friends.

  “Layla.” Devon’s voice sounded distant behind me.

  I couldn’t cross the line and risk losing Max forever.

  Right?

  Whatever happened between us seemed to be beyond our control. Beyond my control, anyway. Like a ship steering itself. No captain on board.

  “Layla.” Devon’s voice came through a bit louder. “Are you okay? “

  “Huh? Uh …. I’m fine. Thanks for stopping by.” I kissed Max. What was I thinking? I’m a bad person.

  “Thanks for stopping by?” Devon huffed behind me. “You sure you’re okay?” He stared down at me.

  I stood frozen in some kind of shock. “I’m sorry. Yeah. Really, I’m good.”

  “All right … well … since you don’t seem to want me here—” He raised his eyebrows, still facing me.

  “I’m okay, Devon, really.” I tried for a fake reassuring smile.

  “Fine. I guess I’ll go then.” He closed the front door behind him as guilt anchored in my gut.

  My mother entered the room, her face ashen white.

  Who is she? I don’t even know her. I hadn’t heard her come in.

  Wiping Max from my thoughts, my anger refueled. I turned my back to her and walked toward my room.

  “We need to talk, Teine.”

  “I have nothing to say.” I didn’t stop.

  “I forbid you to see Max again.”

  I spun around at the top of the stairs. “Don’t say anything you’ll regret, Mom. Don’t lay down ultimatums.”

  Keeping my anger and confusion controlled, I turned the corner into my room, closing the door behind me. She didn’t follow—or if she did, she didn’t knock on my door to keep trying.

  I raised my phone, looking at the screen, sick of the continual beeping noise the device made due to the endless stream of texts Benny had sent over the last few hours.

  “Why aren’t you answering me?” I groaned and read the next few. “I know you’re there, Layla.”

  “You’re driving me crazy! Pick up the phone or text me back!”

  With a quick text, I assured her I was fine, and silenced the buzz.

  By eleven o’clock, I still lay staring at my ceiling, eyes glazed and drooping, stuck somewhere between sleep and awake.

  Something pinged off my window. A hitting noise followed.

  I tiptoed to the window and peered through the blinds. Max stood on the ground below, grinning. I slid the pane open.

  “Jump.”

  I smiled down at him but didn’t answer.

  “Afraid?”

  “No!”

  “So, jump.” He smirked up at me. The wind blew his hair over his eyes.

  I crouched on the ledge and dropped to his side.

  His smile widened. “You remembered?” He sounded choked up.

  “I remember you.”

  He blushed.

  Wind gusts rustled the sea oats down the blustery dune path as we walked toward the shoreline.

  “I’m sorry about earlier.” I spoke under my breath. “I seem to be having some self-control issues around you.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  He grinned, eyes glinting in the moonlight, and pulled me to a stop, folding my hand in his. “I’m not sorry—I mean … I’m good. Are you … good?”

  A smoldering heat enveloped my entire body as I nodded, gazing up at him— losing myself.

  His fingertips skimmed my cheek. “I missed your face.” Deliberately, slowly, he leaned down and grazed his lips across mine, before cradling me in his arms. The kiss wasn’t urgent or hungry but gentle and adoring, and I realized as my body melted into his, the kiss deepening—he was The One. He always had been.

  10

  “Layla, what are you trying to say?” Devon stood facing me in his driveway, sounding as though he didn’t understand the words coming out of my mouth. I wasn’t sure I understood them either.

  “I’m sorry. This isn’t about you. That sounds bad—it’s not what I mean. There’s just too much going on right now. I don’t want to hurt you.” I dropped my chin, knowing I was disappointing one of the only people who had been there for me, supported me, and as much as it hurt, I couldn’t stop it. The connection I had with Max, the draw, was like a magnetic pull.

  Devon crossed his arms. “It’s not like I’m blind, Layla.”

  I searched for something more to say.

  “I’ll see you around.” He spun back toward his house.

  “Devon.” Tears rolled down my face.

  He turned back and wiped my cheeks.

  “Thanks … for everything.”

  “There’s no need for thank yous. I’ll always be here for you.” He kissed my forehead and without another word, left me standing at my beat-up car.

  I drove home with glazed vision, my phone ringing repeatedly.

  What am I doing?

  “Hello?” I said into my phone, not bothering to look at the caller I.D.

  “Are you okay?” Benny asked.

  “I don’t know.” I swallowed, clearing my throat.

  “Oh, Lay, what happened? Please don’t cry. Crap. Where are you? You better not be driving that busted up car again. Geesh. I swear, you make me crazy. Pull over; I’ll come get you.”

  “I’m … almost home. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll meet you there.” She hung up.

  As much as I loved Benny, I didn’t want to talk to her, or to anyone. Well, maybe not anyone.

  My car engine continued running while Benny pulled into the driveway, and I contemplated backing out again. Her shoulders slumped as her gaze fell to mine, eyes staring at me through the windshield.

  She opened my door and sighed. “Aw, Lay, look at you. Come on, let’s get you inside and cleaned up.” She unfastened my seat belt, cut the engine, and began pulling me out of my car. “I told you not to drive this thing. How it’s still running, I’ll never know. You can’t keep covering it up with that old tarp every day. Eventually, Lorelei is going to figure it out.” She tried to pry me out. “A little help here?”

  “My mom’s inside, Ben. She’s going to freak out.” Again. “Worse because I broke up with Devon.”

  “Aww, Lay. I get it now, but you can’t sit here all night. She’s going to notice, and then you’ll have to come up with some excuse about what happened to this heap. Now get up, before she comes outside. And, she’ll understand a
bout Devon.”

  No, she won’t.

  Besides the fact that I still hadn’t spoken to her since she verbally attacked Max, she loved Devon, and once she learned the reason for our break up—I didn’t even want to imagine her reaction. After witnessing her anger—seeing her completely enraged with Max standing near me the day before—I’d rather have stayed in my car all night than subject myself to another tirade.

  She’d probably act the same way. Or worse.

  Benny forced me toward the front door, nudging me forward with each step until we made it inside.

  “Teine?” My mom’s shouted question came from the kitchen.

  “It’s us, Ms. LaBelle.”

  I stepped backward, sealing myself to Benny’s side.

  “Benny?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.” She scooted to the side, away from me, and I followed.

  Mom hurried to us. “It’s so good to see you!” She hugged Benny and eyed me. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, Mom.”

  She raised her eyebrow at me. I avoided her stare.

  “Layla broke up with Devon.” Benny stepped farther away from me.

  Traitor.

  “What!” Mom’s eyes narrowed “Why?” She glanced toward Benny and back to me.

  “Mom, please.” I groaned. “It was the right thing to do. He’s okay with it.” That ended up being true. Sort of.

  My mother’s mouth tightened into a straight line. “Teine,” she said, her voice trembling. “I told you before, you are forbidden to see Max!” She glared over toward Benny and back at me. “If this was a decision based on … feelings … you believe you have for him—”

  “Mom!” I yelled to override her escalating hysteria. “I will see whoever I want to see.” I stomped toward the stairs but stopped. “And I don’t know what you’re hiding from me, but I’m going to find out.”

  Red splotches rose across her cheeks. “We will discuss this later.” Her tone was controlled, jaw tightly clenched.

  “Okay.” Benny clapped her hands together and steered me up the staircase. “Let’s get changed, Lay. We’re going out.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Is that all right, Ms. LaBelle?”

  “Out? I’m not up to going out.” I pushed back against her.

  “At least get in the shower. It’ll be good for you.”