Once Again

by Amy Durham

  He nodded, pulling me flush against him and pressing his lips against my forehead.

  Police sirens sounded in the distance.

  “Kara?” I asked. “Is she hurt badly?”

  “One of the cops that was questioning me got a call from the hospital that she was awake and talking.”

  The sirens got closer.

  “Are the police looking for you?”

  He shrugged. “Not sure. Don’t really care.”

  Corey moaned and sat up. “What the - ”

  “Shut up and don’t move,” Luke snapped.

  “What happened, Luke?” I asked.

  “All of us took off running,” he said. “The track that winds down behind Emerson House. Right after we started, Corey said he forgot something and headed back to the locker room. We all went on. I was about to finish up the run, and when I came around the curve that leads back to school a cop stopped me. Hauled me down to the station in the freaking squad car. Told me Kara’d supposedly gone to meet me down by the creek, because I’d texted her and told her to. Now she was beaten up and drugged with something, and did I know anything about it. It all clicked then. Corey borrowed my cell phone during sixth period.”

  “That explains the text I got from you, telling me to meet you here. He must’ve done it when he went back to the locker room.” I looked over to Corey, still sitting on the sand, wondering if he was listening to all of this.

  “I put the pieces together, and I knew in my gut somehow he’d get you here.” He pulled off my soaked jacket and threw it to the ground. “Here,” he said, unzipping his hoodie. “Take this. You’re freezing.”

  I didn’t argue. His sweatshirt, dry and warm from being on his body, did a lot to relieve the nasty cold.

  “As soon as I heard the cop on the phone with the hospital, I got up and left. I figured they’d find me if they wanted to hound me some more. Jessie was coming into the station as I was running out. I told her to tell the officer if he wanted me, he’d find me down at the beach.”

  Now out of their cars and headed toward us, the police guys didn’t look happy.

  Corey stood up. “Luke, I got no idea – ”

  Lucas cut him off again. “No idea why you were dragging Layla into the freezing ocean trying to drown her? Or no idea why you beat Kara, fed her some drug to knock her out, then blamed me for it?”

  “Oh my God,” Corey whispered. The little bit of color left in his face drained, leaving him white as a sheet. Realization dawned in his eyes, defeat and confusion playing across his expression.

  The two police officers reached us, and one of them clasped Corey on the shoulder. “Corey Jacobs, we need to talk to you down at the station. Your folks are already on their way.”

  “I don’t understand any of this.” Corey’s voice shook. “I don’t understand how any of it happened.”

  “I think he’s been hallucinating,” Luke offered. “Maybe he’s taking the drugs he gave to Kara.”

  “We’ll do the investigating, son,” the taller officer said. “You two just stay in town so we can take your statements.”

  ***

  “I think he may have been on some kind of drug,” Lucas said to my mother, who sat next to him on the sofa.

  He’d followed me home and insisted on explaining things to my parents himself.

  “And he did all this because he was jealous that you’re dating my daughter?” my dad asked from across the room. We’d left the reincarnation part out, as well as the part about Corey/Carter wanting to kill himself and drag me along with him.

  “Apparently, sir,” Luke nodded. “I don’t know how I didn’t see it. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for putting Layla through that.”

  “You didn’t put me through anything,” I insisted.

  Despite everything, Lucas still felt guilty and somehow responsible.

  “She’s right.” Mom put her arm around Luke’s shoulder. “In fact, you got Layla away from him before something awful happened.”

  “The most important thing is that it’s over,” Dad said. “Kara Jennings is all right, and this kid is going to get the help he needs.”

  “I hope you all will still allow me to see Layla,” Luke said to my parents. Then he looked at me. “And that you’ll still want to see me.”

  Oh good grief. Was he really that oblivious? I still wondered what his feelings would be once things settled down and the past – hopefully - stopped creeping in on us, but did he really think I was just done with him now?

  “Of course,” Mom reassured him.

  Dad nodded his agreement.

  Lucas took my hand.

  I just smiled.

  And he smiled back.

  ***

  Understandably, my parents wanted to re-negotiate the State Cross Country Meet the following day, which prior to the events of the day before, I’d had permission to drive myself to.

  I didn’t argue, even though the meet was only an hour away in Belfast.

  Gwen was already scheduled to ride on the team bus as a chaperone, so Dad left the shop in the hands of Charlie, his assistant manager, and he and mom drove me.

  I found their over-protectiveness very sweet, under the circumstances. I think they also realized just how serious things were between Luke and me. It was nice that they were taking an interest in him and the things that were important to him.

  And it was very cool for Mom, Dad, Gwen, and I to all be there to see Luke cross the finish line first and with the state title in his division.

  The smile on my face at that moment had its roots deep in my heart.

  CHAPTER 44

  Back at school on Monday, the business with Corey and Kara was all the talk. Luke had been cleared of all wrongdoing when Kara told the police it was Corey who’d met her at the creek, given her a drugged bottle of water, and then once she’d begun to feel light-headed, hit her several times and knocked her out.

  His plan had not been well thought out. He obviously hadn’t meant to kill Kara, as Carter had killed Katherine, which in turn left her able to tell the truth about what had been done to her and by whom.

  I supposed it was a risk past-souls took when they reincarnated into teenagers. Thankfully Lucas and I had been able to sort through the images and information and discover the truth that allowed Leo and Lillian to finally rest.

  I’d thought all along that the intrigue of what we’d experienced would make regular, high-school stuff - like classes, tests, ballgames, and gossip - seem mundane and ordinary.

  On the contrary.

  I was glad to get back to normal and boring.

  Luke insisted on picking me up on Monday so that we arrived at school together, and when we walked into the lobby, I felt all the excitement and nervousness I’d felt on the first day of school.

  The prospect of taking notes in chemistry actually appealed. The thought of lugging my backpack from class to class didn’t seem like a chore.

  And I still felt a tad bit uncomfortable in the spotlight.

  Which was exactly where we were when we stepped into the building.

  There were hugs and pats on the back, and a lot of “glad you’re okay” sentiments. Luke and I just smiled and said thanks to everyone. We both knew the limelight would be over soon.

  When the warning bell rang, Kara approached us, followed by, Erika and Tina, the same girls who forever trailed along behind her.

  She sported a multi-colored shiner on one eye, and a nasty bruise across the other cheek. I was surprised she’d come to school in less-than-perfect condition.

  Luke nodded in greeting. “Kara.”

  She looked from him to me, then back again.

  “I’m just here to pick up my assignments for the next few days. I thought about sending my mom in to pick them up, so no one would see me,” she said. “But I decided I didn’t want to cover up what happened. People should know the truth.”

  “Brave of you,” Luke said. “And I agree.”

  “I kn
ow what you went through was terrible, Kara,” I said. “But I’m really glad you weren’t seriously hurt.”

  She acknowledged me with a shrug, adjusted the strap of her purse, then looked back at Lucas.

  “I’m sorry about the prom pictures and the sign on Layla’s locker,” she whispered. “I went along with Corey’s plans to try and split you and Layla up because I was jealous.”

  At least she was being honest, even if she couldn’t apologize directly to me.

  “I know,” Luke said, not exactly letting her off the hook, but letting her know he wouldn’t hold a grudge. “Let’s just put the whole ordeal behind us.”

  “Okay,” Kara replied, and with one last glance at Luke, she rejoined her friends before heading toward the front door.

  Erika and Tina headed in the direction of their hallway, and looked back over their shoulders, giving me the same once over they always did. With a roll of their eyes they let me know that I still didn’t measure up in their book.

  And then it hit me. Somewhere along the way, I really had stopped caring what people like those girls thought. I’d always wanted to be indifferent, to let those kinds of judgments roll off me, but I’d never been quite able to get there.

  Now I just felt sorry for them.

  Because I knew the truth. They judged because they weren’t comfortable in their own skin. They had no idea who they really were, and in order to make up for it, they cut other people down.

  What a miserable way to live.

  But I knew who I was.

  I looked at Luke and smiled.

  He kissed my forehead with a slight chuckle that said he knew some things never changed. “See you in lit class.”

  And off we went to start the day.

  CHAPTER 45

  We were back at the beach. A month after the incident with Corey, our past seemed a million miles away.

  And, so far, my fears that Luke’s feelings would change once the mystery was solved had not come to fruition. With each day the doubts grew smaller. I felt as close to him as I ever had.

  The rock outcropping held so much significance for the two of us, and no matter what, we just couldn’t look at this place negatively. Even though the first time we’d been here together had been in response to a dream that scared us both, and despite the fact that Corey/Carter had tried to carry out his plan in this very spot, there had been moments here we could smile about.

  Enough that we’d made the conscious decision to make good memories here. A brand new beginning in the place that had held such heartache in the past.

  Starting today, in the cold, crisp morning air, as we watched the sun make its first appearance on the water.

  “Does it feel weird being back here,” Luke asked, reaching for my hand and lacing our gloved fingers together as we walked toward the rocks.

  I shook my head. “It feels right. Like we’ve changed the history of this place. Maybe we haven’t erased the bad stuff, but we’ve covered it up with good things.”

  He smiled. “Yeah. I agree.”

  White patches dotted the beach and topped the rocks of the outcropping, leftover from last week’s snowfall. The wind would’ve been brutal had we not bundled up in heavy parkas, scarves, gloves, and toboggans.

  Dealing with the cold might’ve seemed like a lot of work in order to have a walk on the beach, but for us, it was about more than just a romantic moment.

  It was about creating our own history.

  On the other side of the rocks, in the exact spot where, in that terrible dream, I’d watched Leo die, Luke pulled to a stop.

  “I have an early Christmas present for you.”

  “Really?” Surprise bloomed in my heart, and a smile spread across my face.

  Removing his gloves, he reached in his jacket pocket. He pulled out a tiny box, wrapped in silver foil paper and handed it to me.

  “I thought it was appropriate.”

  “Appropriate?”

  “Just open it, Layla,” he laughed. “I want to watch your face when you see it.”

  I’d given some thought into Luke’s Christmas present, but it seemed he’d beaten me to the punch with his pre-Christmas gift.

  I tore the paper at the end of the box, pulling until it was completely off, and lifted the lid.

  A silver necklace lay delicately on the white tissue paper inside. Picking it up, I noticed the green stone pendant. Silver wire wrapped around it in a whimsical pattern, criss-crossing the bright green color of the glass.

  I realized it then, that this was the piece of sea glass I’d found the first time Luke and I came to the beach together. My heart expanded with joy and tears filled my eyes.

  “Lucas,” I whispered, looking up to find him smiling brilliantly.

  “It’s our good luck sea glass.” He took the necklace from my hands, unclasped the hook, and stepped behind me to fasten it around my neck. Even against the dark brown of my parka, the green glass sparkled.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said, reaching up to hold the stone in my hand. “I love it.”

  He noticed me looking down at it. “I wanted a long chain, so you’d be able to see it when you were wearing it.”

  “You had this made?”

  He came back around in front of me and took my hands in his. “My mom knows a lady who makes jewelry from sea glass. I took it to her a couple of weeks ago.”

  “Thank you seems so inadequate,” I said, holding the pendant once again. The necklace was exquisite and perfect, but even more perfect was the thought and sentiment that had gone into it.

  Luke just grinned. “I love you, Layla.”

  My world tilted, narrowed, until the whole of my focus fixed on him. They were the words I’d wanted to hear... wanted to say... the words that had lived for so long in my heart.

  I knew I should respond, give those words back to him, but when I tried all that made it past the lump in my throat was a surprised gasp.

  Luke went right on. “I wanted to tell you in a way that acknowledged the past, but didn’t dwell on it. From now on, it’s just about us. About Luke and Layla. And we’re together because we want to be, because we love each other.”

  I felt the tears start down my cheeks, the early December wind chilling them on my skin. Everything I’d feared, all the uncertainty I’d carried, just melted away in that moment.

  Without even knowing, Lucas had put it all to rest.

  “Am I right?” he asked, placing his palm against my cheek, wiping the tear with his thumb. “That we love each other?”

  I burst out laughing, not because it was funny but because I was so incredibly happy.

  “Yes,” I managed, though the word was drawn out between giggles. “I love you, Lucas. I love you so much!”

  I threw my arms around his neck, and his encircled my waist, as he lifted me off the ground and spun me in circles, laughing right along with me.

  The sun shined like a ball of fire in the distance, sitting just on top of the sea. The brilliant light hit the edge of the outcropping, creating an almost blinding glow.

  “Layla,” Luke whispered, placing my feet back on the sand. “Look.”

  Looking toward the rocks, I saw them. Leo and Lillian.

  They stood in the center of the light, hands clasped together, smiles on their faces.

  And in Lillian’s arms, a tiny, sleeping baby.

  My heart swelled with happiness as Luke’s arm came around my shoulders, hugging me tightly to him.

  They looked peaceful, content, as if at last their past had finally been put to rest. I hoped their eternity together was as beautiful as this moment was for Luke and me.

  As we watched, Leo bent his head to brush a kiss across Lillian’s cheek, then kissed the forehead of the sweet child in her arms. When he straightened, his lips formed words that needed no sound in order for us to understand.

  Thank you.

  The light began to fade as the sun rose higher above the water, and Leo and Lillian waved to us as their images
became translucent, finally disappearing from our view. We didn’t say it out loud, but we knew it was the last time we would see them.

  Luke turned to me and smiled, and love for him burned bright in my heart.

  And there, on the same beach that had brought us together, between sweet, tender kisses and joyous laughter, we began our chapter of history.

  THE END

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Amy Durham discovered her love of writing in the sixth grade. What began as a love of writing poetry soon turned into stories scribbled into school notebooks. In the eighth grade, her English teacher told her she was good at it and encouraged her to continue to put pen to paper. At that moment, the die was cast, and writing would forever be a part of her life.

  As an adult, Amy focuses her efforts on writing Young Adult Fiction... adventure, romance, and life-lessons... woven together as imagination and escape for young readers. Amy holds a firm belief that books are not only entertaining, but have the ability to transform young lives. A book can educate. A book can teach compassion and kindness. A book can spark interest. A book can be a companion. Simply put, books can accompany and guide young readers as they try to navigate their way through the twisted, confusing roads of adolescence.

  She lives in Kentucky, where she is a middle school teacher. She and her husband of 15 years are raising three wild, intelligent, and creative boys, giving her plenty of fodder for the love and adventure she enjoys putting in her stories!

  Amy loves to hear from readers. You can contact her at:

  amybdurham@gmail.com

  amy-durham.blogspot.com

  twitter.com/Amy_Durham

  facebook.com/AuthorAmyDurham

  Turn the page for a sneak peak at Once and For All, book 2 in the Sky Cove Series.

  Once and For All

  How nice that at least one person was not in the “Phoebe Campbell is a freak” club.