“Your telekinesis?”
The refrigerator opens. A can of coke shoots through the air. Fonso catches it. “A little. It brings a whole new level to the term laziness.”
We laugh.
“You can throw soda cans at them through the air. That’ll be a big help.”
“Whoever they are.” Fonso’s expression dulls. “You’re sure about this?”
“Fonso, you don’t have to stay with me because you feel like a protective big cousin. If you want to go with your family, I completely understand. I’m a big girl. Besides, I want to know what happened to Dad. I have a feeling I need to stay to figure it out.”
“Maybe your gift is being stubborn.”
I laugh again. “Maybe.”
Someone knocks on the door.
Fonso lifts his eyebrows. His eyes grow as wide as beach balls. “I don’t think it’s for me.”
“Elysia?” Colin’s voice penetrates the wooden structure.
I stiffen when I hear the familiar voice. The voice that told me kind words, and the one I heard growl to protect me. I ease off the couch. I was still angry at what I learned earlier today about his extortion business. With more curiosity then reluctance, I open the door and glare at him. “What do you want?” He’s shirtless, his chest glistens with a thin layer of sweat.
He looks around me into the cabin, sees Fonso and glances at his packed bag. His eyes find mine. “You’re mad at me.” His voice is low and cautious.
I step from inside the cabin and invade his personal space, causing him to back up as I close the door behind me. Ignoring the electricity between us, I stand firm and lower my voice. “I saw you today. I saw you and you looked away from me, ashamed, and you should be. How can you do that to people?”
“Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do.” His eyes have a sadness in them I wasn’t expecting.
He leans toward me. My heart rate quickens and my anger subsides, as it did at the beach or anytime he’s near me. No matter the level of anger surging through me, he calms me. “You don’t have to do the wrong thing, Colin. No matter what you feel you need to do. It’s not right extorting innocent people.”
He bends down and his lips touch mine. The urge to resist disappears and my mouth opens. He grabs me, pulling me to him. The kiss ignites a fire within me, as electricity pulses through my body. My hands slide down his tightening back muscles. The urge to throw him on the ground and ravage him scares me.
I push him away. “Stop.”
“I’m sorry. I had to.” He caresses my face with his fingers. “I had to kiss you once more.”
He runs into the forest before I can say or do anything.
My knees weaken. I sit in the rocking chair.
Fonso peeks out the door. “He’s not good for you, you know.”
“Yes, I know. Don’t you think I know that?” My heartbeat slows. “Every time I’m near him it becomes more and more difficult to tell him no.”
“And Kyle?” He sits on the top step. “When you’re around him, you don’t feel that attraction?”
“It’s different. Kyle is sweet, caring, and funny. Colin excites and scares me at the same time.”
“You deliberately push Kyle away with trivial things that may not be a big deal, like the gun, but you’re attracted to danger?”
“Not before now.” I rock back and forth. Am I intentionally pushing Kyle away? With Colin, it’s more than an attraction. It’s like he tugs at part of my soul and I can’t deny him.
Fonso stands. “I’m not sure what hold he has over you, but just be careful, okay?” He kisses the top of my head. “I’m going to bed. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”
“Good night.” I turn toward the door. “Fonso?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for everything.” I smile at him.
“Good night, Elysia.”
“I’m going to town.” Grabbing my bag from the counter.
Fonso rolls over on the couch. “What time is it?” He moans.
“It’s just after seven.”
“Why so early?”
“I’ve decided to be away from everyone in case they come looking for me. I don’t like confrontations. You can tell them I’m not going.”
“This from the person who’s attracted to danger.”
“Love ya.” I blow kisses at him and leave the cabin.
Aunt Simza’s truck and trailer are gone. Sadness tugs at my heart. The woman wanted nothing to do with me. And, although she didn’t want me around, there must have been a reason I was sent to her. Fonso will be upset she lied to his family and left sometime in the night. Her word meant nothing. I wonder if he’ll change his mind and go with them now.
“You’re not leaving too, are you?” Deena asks from her trailer stoop.
“No, I’m not leaving.” I stop next to her trailer. “Going to town early, and then I have work later, but I’ll be around.”
“I don’t know what I’ll tell Madam Aishe’s customers who come calling. I’m sure there will be lots.” Deena twists her mouth to the side.
“Send them to Cassadaga.”
“Where do you think they come from?” She rolls her eyes.
“I wish I had an answer for you. See you later.” I continue to walk toward the bus stop.
The town is eerily quiet this early in the morning. I thought more people would be at the coffee shop before going to work, but there is only one other person in front of me. Sitting outside, sipping the fresh coffee, I glance around the small town square, it looks so peaceful.
“Not too many people out this morning.” Emilian sits beside me at the table.
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be leaving?” I ask.
“Shouldn’t you be?” His forehead furrows.
“I’m not one to follow orders.”
“Seems to be catching, I guess.” He leans back, pulling his chair on two legs. “Ma won’t be too happy this morning when she realizes I’m gone, but she’ll have Nadya and Fonso to keep her company. I was never much use to her anyway.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, Nadya finds things. Fonso is the smart one. I was always the one in trouble.” He shrugs. “Not like they’d miss me much anyway.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask. “Stay around town?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to show up on your doorstep, begging for a place to stay or nothing.” He watches the sun shine through the white clouds. “I have other friends.”
“Like the friends that extort money from the townspeople?” I press my lips. “You’re better than that, aren’t you Emilian?”
“A lecture from you?” He chuckles. “That’s ironic, seeing as you were kissing Colin last night.”
“I—it wasn’t…” My mouth hangs open, but I can’t get a coherent thought out.
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t spying on you.” He gives me a half-smile.
“It was a mistake.”
“Your lips accidentally fell into his?”
“Fine. I don’t have a right to tell you what to do.” I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. “It was wrong to let him kiss me. He’s not the person I thought he was.”
“Did he tell you why he does it?” Emilian asks. “Why he and his friends take money from the locals?”
“No, he didn’t say. There’s no good reason to do any such thing. Are they so lazy that it’s better to take than to work for the money?”
He ignores my question and stands. “They aren’t as bad as you think they are. You don’t know as much as you think you do.”
A fleeting thought passes through my mind and I grab it before it disappears. “If you weren’t spying on me then what were you doing?”
“I was helping Aunt Simza.”
“You knew she wouldn’t keep to her word, didn’t you?” He shrugs and starts to walks away. “Emilian.”
He stops and faces me.
“G
o with your family. They do need you and they love you.” I plead, wondering if he’s even told them he’s not going with them.
“The last time Ma told me she loved me was when I was seven and broke my arm. Instead of taking me to a hospital, she made one of the carnies patch it up. She said, ‘I love you Emilian, but I can’t afford no hospital.’” He bends his arm and the elbow jerks. “It never healed right. That was the last time she said she loved me and it came with a but.”
He stares at me. I nod. My heart aches for him. It’s hard to believe Aunt Mirela would be so callous, but people get wrapped up in themselves, and taking care of others, they forget the truly important things in life. In her own way, I’m sure she loves all her children, but maybe she has difficulty showing it. Not only to Emilian, but also to Fonso and Nadya.
It makes me think about how my grandfather treated his three daughters, including my mother. I wonder how she would have been to me had she lived. Dad was loving and caring, although a bit overbearing and protective.
I walk for hours around town, and I can’t get what Emilian said out of my head. What did he mean by, “They aren’t as bad as you think they are.”
Still coming up with no answers, I visit the small wildlife refuge, and try to clear the confusing thoughts before I head into work.
“You’re early.” Roger smiles when I walk in.
“I didn’t have much else to do.” I wipe down the counter bar area.
“Do you want something to eat?” Roger offers. “It’s on me.”
My stomach growls as if on cue. “Sure.”
“Sit down then. No reason to help now. We ain’t got much to do.” Abby sets a place at the counter for me to sit.
“Okay.” No customers are in the diner. “Has it been slow?”
“Yeah, some festival going on by the beach. Most folks take off to go.” Roger places water down for me. “Want some ice tea or soda?”
“Unsweetened tea, please.”
“You’re not from the South, that’s for sure.” Abby pours the tea. “If you were, you’d be having the sweet stuff.”
“I drink it both ways, but I prefer unsweetened.”
“I think that’s illegal in most states.” She laughs and Roger joins in. Abby seems to be warming up to me in her own twisted way.
“What’ll you have?” Roger asks.
“One of Sam’s burgers.” I lick my lips.
Kyle sticks his head through the window. “Aren’t my burgers good enough?”
Roger slaps his knees, chuckling loudly.
“Okay Roger, it wasn’t that funny. Calm down before you give yourself a heart attack.” Abby warns. “Let’s go early since they are both here. No customers are here and Kyle can fix Alice a burger.”
“All right Abby. You win.” He grabs her purse and gives it to her. “See you kids later.”
“Good night.” Abby waves.
I move my setting behind the counter in case customers come in.
“Have you even tried my burger?” Kyle asks. “I don’t think you have.”
“I haven’t. Should I be scared?” I grin. “I hear it’s not as good as Sam’s.”
“You should be very scared.” The burger sizzles when he squashes it down.
“What are you doing here this early?” I ask.
“Sam needed the day off. He’s going to the festival. I should have asked you to go, but I promised I’d cover for Sam.”
“That was nice of you.”
He serves the burger through the window with fries on the plate. “I can be nice sometimes.”
The door bell chimes. Aunt Mirela and Nadya walk in.
“Why are you doing this to me?” Aunt Mirela cries out.
“I’m not doing anything to you.” I rush around the counter to stop them from coming in further. “I’m not going.”
“You and Fonso and, now, Emilian. You come into town and turn my boys against me?”
Nadya grabs her mom’s shaking shoulders. “Ma, it’s not Alice’s fault.”
“Elysia. Her name’s Elysia.” Aunt Mirela nods, her voice rising. “That’s right. We know you lied about your name. Simza knows your name. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t trust you. You’re a liar. What else did you lie about?”
Kyle walks from the kitchen. I hold my hand up and wave him to leave. He stops but doesn’t leave the seating area. Heat rises inside me. “Did she tell you why I’m here?” I whisper. “Did she tell you they took my father?”
“If they took Harman, that’s his fault.” Aunt Mirela spits. “He hid you away from all of us. Maybe he deserved to be taken.”
Nadya moves her hands from her Aunt Mirela’s shoulders and backs up. She’s visibly shaken.
“How dare you!” The thunder roars outside. “How dare you! My father is a good man and did what he thought was right to protect us. No one deserves to be hunted down like a dog. No one.”
“This is all your fault. I see why Simza wants nothing to do with you.” Aunt Mirela turns, grabs Nadya’s hand and pulls her out of the diner.
“What’s going on?” Kyle asks as he comes up behind me.
A tear falls down my cheek and I choke back a sob. He turns me in his arms and embraces me.
“Family problems, is all.”
His arms feel warm. He kisses the top of my head. “I guess we have that in common, too.”
I smile into his shoulder.
The diner remains empty all night.
“Are you still up for stargazing tonight?” Kyle stands with a dish towel over his shoulder, watching the rain fall in the darkness outside. “Maybe the rain will stop and it’ll clear up. Either way, the weatherman should be shot.”
“It would be nice to be under the stars again.”
“I’ll empty the trash for Roger, since it’s slow. Get me if someone comes in.” He walks toward the back door.
While he’s gone, I think of the last time we went stargazing. Seeing the clusters through the telescope was magical. The rain slows into a drizzle and stops.
A clang echoes through the back door. I run across the kitchen. Stepping out the back door, the first thing I see is Colin swinging at Kyle.
Chapter 18
Thunder booms overhead. A grayish whirl forms in the sky. I’m the only one who sees it.
Colin hits Kyle. Kyle retaliates, punching Colin in the face.
“Stop!” I yell. They ignore my plea.
They circle each other, kicking and punching. Then, Colin grabs Kyle by the neck.
I scream. The whirl in the sky rotates faster.
Roger runs through the back door and grabs Kyle, pushing Colin off him. He twists him around, hurrying him and me back into the diner.
He faces Colin. “I paid you this week. Leave us alone.” He slams the door.
Roger grabs his chest. “Are you kids all right? Kyle, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, Roger.” He dabs a dishcloth against his busted lip. “This wasn’t your fault.” He throws the rag into the sink. “It was my fault.” He stares at me.
“He’s not supposed to be anywhere around here.” Roger locks the back door. “We have an agreement.”
“You pay him.” My emotions waiver. My thoughts and feelings are almost impossible to control. “You pay him every week, don’t you Roger?”
He nods.
“Why?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Roger rushes past. “You and Kyle can go.” He looks at Kyle. “Make sure she gets home safe.”
Kyle nods.
Kyle presses me to leave. I grab my bag and walk out the front door with him on my heels.
“What’s going on?” I ask. “What happened?”
“Ask Colin. He seems to know you much better than I do.” Kyle opens the door, a frown on his reddened face.
“I’m asking you.”
The rain starts before he gets into the driver’s seat. “He was waiting for me in the alley.”
“Why?”
“He warned
me to stay away from you.” Kyle starts the Jeep, gunning it out of the parking lot. “He made it clear you two were intimate and you want nothing to do with me.”
“He what?” Anger boils within me. Does Colin think he owns me?
He pulls off to the side of the road. “I didn’t realize he was taking money from Roger.” He bangs his steering wheel. “Of all the people…why him? He doesn’t deserve this.”
“He doesn’t.” Tears fall. I can’t stop them. The rain descends steadily. Everything in the last week has gotten so out of control: my emotions, family, impulses.
He turns his attention to me. “I’m sorry.” He grabs my hand. “Don’t cry. It’s not your fault. He’s a thief and a liar.”
“Take me home, please.” I sniffle, embarrassed to have broken down in front of him.
“Okay.” He pulls the Jeep onto the road. His hand holds mine the entire way home.
When we arrive, I notice Fonso’s car is missing.
“Let me come in with you.”
I nod.
My hand trembles as I turn the key. I glance at the couch and see Fonso’s bag still there. Relief floods me. He would have taken his stuff had he left…wouldn’t he?
“Do you have tequila?” Kyle asks.
“Yes, in the cupboard by the fridge.” I throw my bag on the counter. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
When I return, he has a shot ready for me. We sit on the couch. He holds me while we listen to the rain.
“It wouldn’t have been great weather for stargazing anyway.” He pulls me close.
“I’m sorry about everything that happened tonight. It wasn’t a good day for me.” I lean into him and allow myself to be comforted.
“There’ll be better days.” He kisses the top of my head. “Elysia.”
“You caught that?” I shy away.
“It was hard not to with her rant.” He pulls me back. “Why did you lie about your name?”
“Maybe I’d rather be an Alice.”
“Elysia is a beautiful name.” Hearing my real name come from his lips is surreal.
“Thank you.”
“But you were also so comfortable with Alice.”
“I’m used to changing my name.” The truth feels good.
Lightning Struck (The Roaming Curse Book 1) Page 11