by Shaila Patel
Great. Let the parsing begin.
We started talking about colleges, and Jack mentioned my mom had called his mom last week and asked about accelerated med school programs.
“Wonderful.” I groaned, my appetite destroyed.
Liam looked a bit left out, so I filled him in. “My mom expects me to go to medical school. I pretty much have no choice about it.”
He gave me an earnest look. “I know the feeling—of not having a choice, I mean.” The gravity with how he said it gave me chills. It was our first time sharing anything personal. When I tore my gaze away from Liam, Jack was watching us.
The fifth period bell would ring soon. Jack and Liam got up to leave. Shiney stopped her brother to ask him something, so Liam turned to me. He placed a hand beside me on the table and leaned in. “I’ll be seeing you later at the lockers, yeah?”
I looked up into his pale-green eyes. “If that gets you through the rest of your day, sure.” Oh. My. God. Did I just say that? I stifled a nervous laugh-whimper.
His eyes widened, and another one of his dimpled grins lit up his face. He rubbed his hand across his jaw while he shook his head. I was running on pure adrenaline at this point.
“It’ll have to now, won’t it?” he asked.
All I could do was turn to my tray and press my lips together to keep from smiling like a loon. I didn’t have to watch to know he’d left. The magnetic pull was gone.
“He keeps looking back at you.” Shiney squealed and bounced in her seat. “Oh, and his accent is like … well it’s like butter. He’s so cute. Don’t you think so … Lucky?”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, yeah, sort of, but come on. He’s a senior, and he’ll probably have the entire cheerleading squad drooling over him by tomorrow.”
Shiney and I saw Liam again at the start of last period in the language arts hallway. He and Jack had English right next door to our own English class. Shiney thought it was kismet, but the more I saw him, the more trouble it would mean. After class ended, I scrambled my things together. Liam was expecting to see me at the lockers, and my stomach had fluttered all through class in anticipation.
I turned the corner and bumped right into him.
“Look at you there,” he said.
“You were waiting for me?” I hoped I didn’t sound too excited.
His eyes twinkled as if he were thinking of a private joke. “We’re going along in the same direction, now aren’t we?”
“I suppose,” I said slowly.
“Relax, Lucky. Are you always this suspicious of people?”
I felt my eyes narrowing again, so I relaxed my face. “Nope, apparently it’s just you.”
“Meself?” He slapped his hand to his heart playfully. “Shouldn’t I be wary of you? You were the one spying on me first off.”
My face burned. “Well, it’s not like I could really see you in the dark. Anyone would’ve been curious about a guy hanging out up there. Who does that?” A group of a dozen or so students barreled toward us. He grabbed my bag strap and steered me around them while I babbled on. “You, on the other hand, could watch me like … like my window was a movie screen. So who was the one spying, hmm?”
“Is this you slagging me a bit?”
“Depends. What’s slagging?”
“Making fun of me, of course.”
I laughed out loud. “I guess I am.”
We got to the lockers to find an end-of-day crowd blocking the way. We waited our turn and when the area thinned out, we stepped up to our lockers. Between us, a tiny ninth-grader was decorating the outside of hers with pink stickers. Once Liam was done, he came over to my side and studied me while I finished.
“What?” I asked.
“Just waiting on you. We’ll be heading in the same direction, yeah?”
He wanted to walk home with me?
It had to be because he didn’t know anyone else. In a few days, he’d likely be watching the cheerleaders practice after school anyway.
Temper your heart, and take it slow,
He’s just being nice, so let it go.
He stood there watching me while I’d zoned out. Why did these couplets pop into my head at the most God-awful times?
He wants to walk me home! I allowed myself to grin.
“What is it you’re thinking?” he asked. “Is it other plans you’ve got?”
“Me? No. No other plans. Just curious about you.”
“Curious? Ah, sure you mean suspicious, yeah?”
“Uh … yeah, that too.” I suppressed the urge to giggle nervously. “So, I, uh, see you made it through your day.” I raised an eyebrow, trying to be smug like him.
He let out an exaggerated breath. “It was brutal, but that I did.”
I stifled a snort. “Yeah, right.” I put my thinner textbooks and notebooks in my messenger bag so they wouldn’t be slipping out of my hands. Thank God I could leave most of them at home.
He studied me for a moment. “I’m thinking I like it when you’re a touch more relaxed.”
My heart jumped into my throat, probably bulging through my skin like that thing in the movie Aliens.
Breathe, Laxshmi.
“Thanks, I guess. So, uh, you never really answered my question earlier … when I hit my head.” I scrunched my eyes closed behind the locker door. Did I really just remind him how klutzy I’d been? I peeked out to see his reaction.
He had his fist covering his mouth, trying to hide his laughter. “Oh, I believe that I already did right enough.”
I shot him a ha-ha-you’re-so-funny look. “Music? That’s hardly an answer.” Nothing more would fit in my bag, so I held the rest and closed my locker.
“But now it’d be my turn—what was it you were reading?”
“Fine. Wuthering Heights.” We turned toward the stairs.
“And why were you reading out—?”
“Hey! My turn.”
He put his hands up in the air and laughed. “You’ve got the right of it. Go on.”
“What music were you listening to? Be specific.”
“Dave Matthews Band, their ‘Crash Into Me.’”
“Nice.” I nodded, smiling and remembering the lyrics. “Too bad I’m not wearing a skirt to hike up.” My face heated. Where was my filter?
“Sorry?” He opened the door to the stairwell for me. Even confused, he looked hot.
I stopped right in front of him and tilted my head back to meet his eyes, trying to look calmer than I felt. “The lyrics?”
He narrowed his eyes, but didn’t seem to catch on.
“Never mind. It’s not like I’d show you my world anyway.” I chuckled. Caitlyn and Bailey’s parents worshipped the Dave Matthews Band, and they’d played DMB in the car on the way to and from dance practices for years.
Liam must have realized which line I was referring to, and his mouth made a little O. The blood rushed to his face.
Ha! I just made him blush.
He stood there, shaking his head and scratching the bridge of his nose as if he could make it stop. I studied his face, and when he showed me his dimples, I couldn’t help but giggle. I covered my lips with my fingers to keep from gloating.
“Don’t worry. I happen to love the song.” I turned and flew down the stairs as carefully as I could with four textbooks locked in my arms. I had to leave before I blurted out something stupid, like the song was how I wanted a guy to feel about me.
Twice now, he’d gotten me to say something I’d never imagined coming out of my mouth. At this rate, I’d commit social suicide by tomorrow.
Liam caught up with me, but I couldn’t even face him. We walked side by side through the parking lot without saying a word. Between the blacktop and all the metal, the August sun made it feel like an oven. It wasn’t helped by the stench of heated asphalt either. We reached the back of the school property and paused to let a car pass. Its blaring stereo made our silence more awkward. I turned to find
the corners of his lips turned up, his eyes twinkling as if he found all of this amusing. Figures. His smile was contagious though.
“So why would you be reading Wuthering Heights to yourself?” Hearing his voice was as soothing as the shade from the surrounding trees.
“I was trying to read Joseph’s accent. Well, hear it, actually. Now my turn. When did you know I was watching you?”
“Shortly after getting on the roof. It wasn’t until later I could see much of you—the sun’s glare, you know.”
He’d probably wondered who his rude, nosy neighbor was.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy or anything.”
“No worries, yeah? Now, do you know what your question says about you?”
I stopped at the first intersection we came to and faced him. “What?”
“You could’ve asked what it was that I was seeing,” he said. “Or if I’d caught you doing anything strange. But you didn’t.” He laughed when I groaned.
Yup, he saw me picking my teeth.
He nudged my elbow. “Means you’re a fine girl, one who’s worrying about others more than herself. We’d be calling that bighearted in my family.” His brow wrinkled as if he remembered something.
Bighearted? My forehead itched. I turned to cross the street. Liam followed. Shiney had always warned how people might take advantage of me for being too nice. Even Jack agreed, telling me it was why Mom walked all over me. It was a weakness, and I wasn’t exactly jumping up and down that Liam had picked up on it. Would he take advantage of me? Flash me a grin and get me to do his homework for him?
“Lucky, did I say something wrong?” He stopped, so I did too. “I was only meaning it as a compliment, yeah?”
Damn him. The sweet, concerned expression was back again. I sighed. I didn’t want him to feel bad—obviously, an effect of being too bighearted—so I gave him my best attempt at a flirty-smile instead. “Is that your question?”
“It is. I’m wanting to know whatever’s going through your head just now.”
Nobody I knew would be so direct. I liked it because it felt genuine and honest, despite the cocky and flirtatious side of him that I’d seen today. He didn’t seem nervous about being himself. This Liam was the real one. The one hidden behind the businesslike smile and smug good looks.
“No.” I cleared my throat. “You didn’t say anything wrong. It was like you read me, but you barely know me.” I shrugged. “I’m used to my anonymity, I guess.”
Liam studied me, and I wondered if he scrutinized everyone like this. What could he be thinking?
“I suppose I’m after the same.” His gaze followed a car down the street, and he turned to continue down the sidewalk.
With a few quick steps, I caught up to him. “Okay, so why do you like your anonymity? You don’t seem the shy type.”
He shrugged. “We’ve moved around more than a good bit. It’s easier to, well … to hold back when it’s a dead certainty you’ll be uprooted in no time at all.”
A strange feeling blew through me, making me desperate to chase after it, like something was being kept from me. I rolled my neck, thinking the heat was probably getting to me, but the sensation persisted.
“What’s troubling you?” he asked.
“I–I feel like … like you’re leaving something out. I mean, I don’t doubt it’s hard moving around, but … ” His eyes widened for a brief second before he smoothed away the expression. Crap. “I’m sorry, Liam. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s not … not that. It’s just turnabout and all, I suppose.”
“I don’t understand.”
We crossed another small street and only had one more block to walk before we reached our homes. I’d carry my entire locker full of books every day to keep walking with him.
His mouth curved up. “It’s an odd feeling this. I’m not used to anyone reading me, and certainly not as well as you’ve been doing anyhow.”
“Really? Wait. As well as I’ve been? When did I read you before?”
“That’s more like three questions you’re asking, isn’t it now?”
“Just the one, smarty-pants. You got to ask two in a row. If this wasn’t my first time, then when?”
He laughed. “No, this wasn’t your first time, and something tells me it’ll not be the last.”
“You still haven’t answered me,” I said, raising my eyebrows.
He scrunched up his face like he was embarrassed. “You stepped in, saving me from Shiney. At lunch. I know she’s your mate—”
I giggled. “You should’ve seen yourself squirming.”
He grinned, and my giggles turned into full-blown laughter, making him laugh too. We laughed so hard we had to stop walking. When I finally got myself under control, I caught Liam studying my face again with a small smile and one of those far-off looks. I used my shoulder to dry my tears, and felt the alternating warmth and coolness as sunlight filtered through the swaying branches overhead. He must have realized he was staring at me and looked down.
“Christ, Lucky.” He jerked forward and grabbed the books from me. “I should’ve taken these from you earlier. I’m sorry. Why didn’t you give me a word over it?”
I didn’t complain this time. The muscles in my shoulders felt instant relief. I rubbed at the red crease marks embedded into my forearms.
“Don’t be sorry, Liam. They’re not your books.”
“I’m such a git,” he whispered. He held my entire pile of books with one arm, while I’d needed both. “Sorry. I’d not meant to grab them.” He pointed at my arms. “You sure you’re right enough?”
“I’m fine. Thank you, by the way.” We started walking again. “Oh, and I count that as your question.”
His eyes twinkled as he muttered the word greedy. “Well, go on with you then.”
“On the roof Saturday, why did you look so sad? I couldn’t really see your face, but you almost seemed … hopeless.”
He ran his free hand through his hair and sighed. Oh no. I was prying again. We hardly knew each other, and here I was asking something personal. “If you don’t want to—”
“No, no, it’s not a bother. At times it seems the moving will never end. That the search—well, it’s brutal. That’s all.”
We’d reached my house, and I wanted to ask so many more questions. Liam gave me my books back. Having to leave him left a pit in my stomach.
“Take care of yourself, then,” he said. His eyes locked onto mine. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”
I nodded. “Wait. You’re not feeling that hopelessness now, are you?” Why I’d blurted that out, I didn’t know, but something about it felt right.
He stared at me for a long moment before his face relaxed. His grin was all I could see now. “Lucky, Lucky, Lucky. Like I said, not your first time, and it’ll not be your last.”
CHAPTER 9
Liam
I jogged across Lucky’s front garden and turned back when I reached the pavement. She was leaning against the railing of her front porch, a brilliant smile warm on her face.
I had to force my feet to move, realizing it was too late—I’d been sucked in by Lucky’s charm.
Damn, and all in one day.
I couldn’t believe how much I already liked being with her. The purity of her emotions was a rare thing. Like a prisoner being set free, I could take my first deep breath. She’d had me admitting to things I’d never thought I’d say to a girl. Jaysus, I never expected one I was after to leave me speechless either. I’d lost count of the number of times she’d surprised me. None of the other targets had ever read me like Lucky could—not a one had even come close.
When she was laughing, I’d not been able to take my eyes off the curve of her neck or how carefree her expression could turn. I looked over my shoulder to see if she was still there, but she’d gone inside.
Ciarán would be saying I’d started thinking with the wrong head. Maybe h
e had the right of it.
I reached our front porch. Flattened boxes were being held down by a large empty planter, and a faint smell of bleach clung to the air. Cleaners must have come by today to deal with the built-up grime and mildew on the outside of the house. With each new home we’d lived in, Mum and Da had fixed it up proper and when we traveled on, they’d donate it to a local charity. It reminded me how another of Da’s visions could take me away tomorrow or in a week if Lucky wasn’t my soul mate.
For the first time, the idea bothered me and not because I was that tired of moving.
Starving, I headed inside and to the kitchen, one recently refurbished by the previous owners. They’d seemed to have no other idea than to be putting white on white with more white. It was bloody eye-blinding.
A roast beef sandwich waited for me in the fridge, made the way I liked—crusty bread, Gouda cheese, lettuce, and tomato. The faint smell of grainy mustard had my mouth watering. I poured out some milk, sat at our maple kitchen table—an invader from the past in the stark, too-modern white—and devoured the first half of my sandwich. Now that my stomach was no longer possessed, I had to figure out what to do about Lucky.
Could she really be The One—would this end the blasted search? Or was she simply the next puzzle piece—another close miss? Each of the targets had matched up to Da’s visions in one way or another, but none of them had ever matched so close as Lucky. That had to mean something. Then why wasn’t I sure as certain? Why didn’t I know down to my bones that she was the end of our quest? Why wasn’t I getting a bleedin’ sign about it?
I supposed if there had been one, Da would’ve told me already.
Hard as I tried, I could never feel anything more than friendship for Sejal back in Memphis. I’d had to string her along for the entire school year before Da finally had himself another vision, confirming what I’d already come to know—Sejal wasn’t The One. There had to be something more than just gut instinct at work here. Knowing how Sejal had felt about me and knowing I’d have to break her heart in the end had been bloody torture. She’d seemed to have all the traits, save one—she’d not been strong enough. In a battle of wills, my money would be on Lucky.