“Are... you... deaf?”
“In the early days, I used to carry around a notebook filled with words and phrases I would regularly use. I flashed ‘no’ at her. My answer must have surprised her because she crossed the room to sit in the chair beside me.”
“You’re not deaf?” I shook my head. “But you don’t speak?” I shook my head again, and she laughed. The sound was so unexpected I jumped and almost fell out of my chair. “You can hear, but you can’t speak, and I can speak, but I can’t hear. That’s so messed up. I love it,” and she laughed again.
“About three months later, I went to live with Emme and her family. Guilt at having missed the ear infection which led to her deafness meant her parents were willing to do pretty much anything to make up for their mistake, including taking on me. Emme was my entire world and despite our three year age difference we became attached at the hip. Together we took classes in sign language and art therapy as an outlet for our internal frustration. Even though the classes only lasted a year, I was hooked.
“Not long after we graduated her parents discussed taking Emme overseas for an experimental treatment to correct her hearing loss. What they didn’t know was I’d overheard them talking one night about what to do with me. I’d known for a while time Emme’s parents would never accept me in their lives. After ten years, they’d made no attempt to adopt me. I’d been a means to an end in making their daughter’s life better. They might never have loved me, but Emme did and that was the issue. She would never agree to leave me behind, and they had no intention of taking me with them. If the treatment worked, they hoped to cut me, and all other reminders, of her old life out, as if it never happened. Emme would perfect again, and they’d finally be able to let go of their guilt.”
Anger vibrated through him. “What the hell was wrong with these people? How did they not love you? Not only for how you helped their daughter, but for who you are?”
Thunder boomed in the night.
“Did you do that?” Selene turned to him eyes wide.
“Do what?” He’d been busy cursing her foster parents and missed the question.
Above them, thunder rumbled again, and she giggled. “That?”
“Oh—yeah.” He took a deep breath and the air settled. “Sorry.”
Selene laid a hand on his chest. “Please don’t be sorry. I don’t think anyone other than Emme has ever defended me before. Thank you.” She kissed his cheek then tilted her head smiling. “The thunder may have been a touch melodramatic though, don’t you think?”
Amusement flashed in his eyes. “Not even close, though I could add a bit of lightning for emphasis if you’d like.”
Her teeth bit down on her lower lips to contain her smile. “That won’t be necessary.”
Inside his own head, Kyler disagreed. She deserved it and so much more, and he wanted to be the one to give it to her.
“Do you want to know the rest?”
“Only if you want to tell me.”
“I do.” She curled herself against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. “I hated that Emme’s parents wanted to take her away from me, but if there was the slightest chance the surgery would work, then I wanted it for her. I met with my counsellor in secret to discuss my options. Getting placed in another foster home was pointless. Emme could still refuse to go and I didn’t want to hurt her like that. I wanted a solution that would force me to remain here, thereby freeing Emme to leave.
“After a lot of meetings with my counsellor, and a lawyer, I had myself declared an emancipated minor. Turns out it wasn’t all that difficult, not after I found out my parents’ estate had been put in trust for me when they died, including two life insurance policies. So now I had the means to support myself, but not the mental and emotional capacity.
“That was the second part of my plan. I’d received an offer of a position in an art school in another state, which meant I would need to board to attend. Boarding would give me the chance to learn life skills I needed to live on my own. I had it all figured out. Emme would get her surgery, and I wouldn’t be left completely alone to fend for myself.
“It was also the same time I started using the text-to-voice app. Emme’s idea. “You’ll need something to speak for you if I’m not there. Not everyone is gifted in the art of signing you know.” She encouraged me to start speaking again and for a while I considered it. In the end, I made her a deal that when her surgery worked, she’d come back and help me learn to talk again.”
Given Selene still used the app, things had gone one of two ways. First, the surgery hadn’t worked, or second, she hadn’t come back when it did. Kyler couldn’t help but fear it was the latter.
“Emme called me six months later; the surgery hadn’t worked. Her parents had tried talking into other surgeries, but she wasn’t interested. What they failed to comprehend was that she’d made peace with her life. It didn’t matter if she could hear or not, she wanted to go home. But then she discovered their master plan to ditch their old life, me included, and stay in Europe. So Emme, being Emme, ran away. She called me on the way to the airport, told me she’d done some research and discovered a town called ‘Red River’. It was miles away from our old place, and we’d spend the rest of our days together there, living happily ever after, just the way we were.
“Excited, I went to the airport to pick her up, but she never showed. I tried texting, emailing, even reaching out to her parents, but they refused to respond. In the end, I assumed they’d caught her trying to leave and stopped her. About a week passed before I found out the truth.”
Tears slid down her cheeks. “Emme never made it on the plane. She got hit by a car, crossing the road, right outside the airport after someone ran the red light. She didn’t hear the people screaming at her to get out of the way. That was my job; I was the ears of our partnership. Emme lay in a coma for six days before she passed. After that, I got a brief two line message from her parents, saying she’d died, they’d had her cremated, that they were staying in Europe and they were sorry for my loss. And I never heard from them again.”
Rage shook Kyler’s body as thunder rumbled through the night. How could they have so carelessly torn her world apart like that?
Flashes of lightning lit the sky as his temper spiked. After ten years, how could they dismiss her, as if she’d meant nothing to them? Sonofabitch, he wanted to—
Soft lips halted his tirade. Since that day in her cottage, he’d been waiting to kiss her again, waiting until she was ready, waiting for her to make the first move. Now Selene’s mouth moved against his, hesitant and unsure. As he felt her pull away, he drew her back in, deepening the kiss. For a moment she tensed before she surrendered to feelings they could both no longer deny.
Not breaking their kiss, Kyler moved Selene from his lap and lowered them both back until they lay side by side, his arm cradled under her head. When she pulled back this time, he didn’t stop her. Instead, they lay there, under the light of the moon watching each other.
She lifted a hand and placed it on his cheek. “Thank you for being angry on my behalf. You don’t understand how much I appreciate it, but I need you to let it go, just as I did.”
He tried to protest.
“No, please. I need you to do this for me. It won’t do you, or me, any good if you hold onto it. Yes, for a long time, I was hurt and angry, but I learned that it stopped me from remembering the good times I shared with Emme. I didn’t want my memories of her tainted with all those bad feelings. So I forgave them and let it go, not for them, but for me. And Emme. Just like I had to forgive myself for my parents. Maybe I was to blame, at least in part, or maybe it would have happened anyhow, either way, I had to let it go in order to allow myself to keep what few memories I had of them. So can you do that? For me?”
Thunder rumbled once more. “Not that they deserve it, but for you sweetheart, anything.”
Kyler drew her in and cradled her against his chest. People like Selene were the reason he hadn’
t given up on humanity completely. Even after the world had trodden on them over and over, they picked themselves up and continued to move forwards.
Perhaps it was time to follow her example.
5
Early the next morning, Kyler knocked on Selene’s door. The sight of her straight from bed, made him want to take her straight back there, and never let her leave. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. “Good morning, sweetheart.” His resolve wavered further when she didn’t resist but snaked her arms around his neck instead.
The slightest hint of pink tinged her cheeks, matching the colour of her freshly kissed lips when they parted. “Good morning to you too.”
“Hang out with me today.” The words tumbled from his mouth in a rush.
Could you have sounded anymore desperate, man? What are you… fifteen?
Selene laughed. “I’d love to.”
“Excellent.” He reached for her hand. “Let’s go.”
“Kyler?”
“Yep?”
“Might I dress in something a little more appropriate first?”
Yep, definitely fifteen.
He laced his hands behind him. “Well, if you insist. Wear something you won’t mind if it gets dirty, something like me.” He waved his hand over his knee-length shorts and a long sleeve shirt. “And closed shoes, sneakers, or boots, if you have them. Oh and bring your sketchbook. Camera too, if it’s handy. You might need them.”
“Sir, yes, sir.” She tossed him a mock salute, a smile playing on her lips. “Anything else?”
Nerves 3. Kyler 0.
He pushed a hand through his hair. “Nah… that’s it.”
Hands clasped together she backed away. “Give me five minutes okay? Ten, tops.”
She returned in six.
“Ready?”
The slight rise of her shoulders was the only sign of her deep breath before she slipped her hand in his. “I am now.”
Damned if he didn’t feel ten feet tall. Fifteen rocked.
The swipe card swung between Selene’s fingers. “Are you sure I’m allowed to have this?”
From behind the screen, Kyler nodded. “Sweetheart, how many times do I have to tell you it’s fine?”
“But I’m not qualified to be here.”
“Sure you are.” He stepped out from behind the desk and pointed to her swipe card. “Says so right here. ‘Official Photographer - Everwood Reserve’.”
“Only because you printed it. Doesn’t make it legit or anything.”
Kyler perched on the edge of the desk and held her hands. “Sweetheart, what’s my name?”
A frown creased her brow. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Humour me okay?”
She didn’t appear amused. “Kyler.”
“Fantastic, but Kyler what?”
“Kyler…” Confusion filled her face. “I—I don’t know. How do I not know your last name?”
“I’ll give you a hint.” He tapped her swipe card. “It starts with ‘E’.”
Selene turned the card to face her. “But the only word on here starting with ‘E’ is—” her eyes widened, “Everwood. So—”
The disbelief on her face was so damn cute. “So I’m the boss, and if I want to make you the official photographer, then I will. Is that okay?”
“Yeah—sure—I guess.”
“Well now we got that cleared up, shall we go?”
“If you say so, you’re the boss.”
“Now you’re getting it.” He lifted her hand and kissed it. “So, if we have that sorted, let’s get out of here. I’ve got some friends I’d like you to meet.”
“Hey. How did you get in here?”
A man wearing a white coat and a severe expression dragged her from the meerkat nursery. One second the baby meerkats had been keeping her entertained while Kyler dealt with a few things, the next she was being manhandled from the room. Worse, she’d dropped her phone meaning she had no way to talk to this guy, to explain. She struggled against the hand holding her hostage.
“This area is strictly off-limits. You need to come with me.”
Outmatched, she had no choice. Things might have progressed more smoothly if she’d calmly followed him and waited for Kyler to find her, but Selene was living her worst nightmare. Alone, being held against her will, with no means to cry for help, all rational thought had long since fled. “Please. Stop.” She pleaded, but her cries went unheard. The harder she fought him, the tighter he gripped her arm, and the further her terror increased.
“No. No. NO.” Desperate, she grabbed the edge of the doorway and held on for dear life.
Annoyed with her resistance he used his strength against her. “Move it, girly.”
Pain shot through her wrist to the top of her shoulder as he yanked her arm to dislodge her. Off balance, her knees crashed to the floor, and yet he still didn’t let go. Tears filled her eyes, and her shoulders heaved as pain radiated through her body.
“Geez. What is the matter with you? Get up.”
The entire building shook. “LET. HER. GO.”
The hold on her arm vanished, her captor more concerned with his own safety than her.
“Kyler.” Selene sobbed in relief and scrambled towards him She winced as he lifted her to her feet.
In his arms, Selene clung to him for dear life. He scanned her injuries and growled, noticing the bruises already forming on her skin. Fury vibrated through his body. Only Selene’s need for him prevented him from pulverising Troy into dog meat. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Troy reached out to steady himself as the ground shook once more. “Ky—Kyler. What are you doing here?”
“Answer the fucking question.”
“I—she was trespassing. I was taking her to my office for questioning.”
“By dragging her across like the floor like a DOG?”
Troy flinched. “I—She—she was being difficult.” He squealed, throwing up his hands as Kyler surged forward.
Only Selene’s frightened cry stopped him. Kyler’s plucked her employee card from her waist and thrust it at Troy. “See this? This says she’s an Everwood employee. Access all areas.”
“She... she never said.”
“BECAUSE SHE MUTE YOU FUCKWIT.”
The fury in Kyler’s voice brought Troy to his knees. “I didn’t… I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? You’re sorry?” With exaggerated care he held Selene’s arm aloft, the bruises visible. “I’ve disliked you from the second I had the misfortune to meet you, but this—you’re more reprehensible than I could have imagined. This is assault. You have five minutes to get your shit together and get out of here.”
Troy gaped. “You can’t. Look I made a mistake, but I said I was sorry. You—” he froze as Kyler took half a step in his direction.
“Being an arsehole isn’t a mistake, it’s a choice, and you made the wrong one. So now I’m giving you another one. Get the fuck out of here, or I will show you exactly what I think of guys who abuse women.”
The other man had the sense to stay silent. He got to his feet and moved in their direction. Courage failed him at the last moment, and he squeezed past them back pressed against the wall. He backed away unwilling to lose sight of Kyler. “This isn’t over, you hear me?” He stumbled as Kyler’s head whipped around.
“You’re right, it’s not.” When Troy disappeared from sight he turned attention to Selene. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”
“I—I was so scared. I dropped my phone, and—”
“Shhh.” Kyler brushed her hair. “It was my fault for leaving you alone like that. If I’d thought for a second—”
Selene shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault. You can’t be with me every second of the day. But I’ve never—that was—” she couldn’t finish the thought.
“Come on.” Mindful of her injuries, Kyler steered her back to the nursery. “Let’s grab your stuff and get out of here. We
need to go see my brother, right after we make one other stop.”
6
The interim stop was to file an official assault charge at the police station. Selene baulked at the idea, wanting only to put the nightmare behind her until Kyler asked her to take herself from the equation. If Troy wasn’t held accountable for his actions, what was to stop him doing the same thing to someone else? Or worse? Put like that, what choice did she have? Not everyone had someone ready to step in and save them. Even with Kyler coming to her rescue, Troy had hurt her in more ways than one.
Their complaint had surprised the police chief. Troy Peterson was a respected member of the Red River community, but the copy of the surveillance tapes Kyler provided dashed that illusion. The chief winced more than once watching it, offering Selene his own apology and assurance he’d handle the matter personally. In addition to her report, Kyler filed one as Troy’s employer, and by the time they walked from the station, Selene was glad she hadn’t let the matter slide.
At Kyan’s clinic, bells rang out announcing their arrival.
Selene’s eyes darted around the room. When Kyler first mentioned his doctor brother, who was also a witch, she’d envisioned shrunken heads and jars filled with all manner of things. Okay, maybe she hadn’t really expected all that, but walls painted in calming pastels, large overstuffed armchairs, mounds of cushions and soft music playing in the background was just so… ordinary. Was it wrong to feel a smidge disappointed?
Selene started as Kyan into the room. Her head whipped between the two of them. “Twins?” She’d met identical twins before, but none who reflected the image of their sibling so precisely.
A Paranormal Easter: 14 Paranormal & Fantasy Romance Novellas Page 29