A Paranormal Easter: 14 Paranormal & Fantasy Romance Novellas
Page 31
Kyler didn’t let her finish. He spun on his heel and stalked away.
Genuine distress filled the older woman’s face, while Victoria barely kept her laughter in check. Penelope grabbed Selene’s hand. “I’m so sorry. Please tell him for me.”
Eager to escape, she nodded, tugging her hand free to chase after Kyler. She didn’t get far. Victoria and her minions got in her way.
“Karma’s a bitch and her name is Penelope.”
Howls of laughter chased her as she pushed between them, and raced down the street.
Could this day get any worse?
Neither of them spoke the entire ride home. When they pulled up to her door, Kyler kept the engine running, and his eyes averted. “I need to go away for a few days, maybe a week. My brothers and I we do this trip each year. I hadn’t planned to go this year, but now—”
Her hand reached for his, but he pulled it away. Selene tried to tell herself he wasn’t mad at her specifically, but it still hurt. “Sure.” She climbed out of the SUV. “I’ll see you when you get back.”
Kyler never answered, or even acknowledged he’d heard her. The second the door closed, tyres spun on the driveway, the SUV disappearing in a cloud of dust.
Selene let herself into the cottage and closed the door behind her. How had their day gone from delightful to disastrous in the space of a few hours? In the kitchen, she tossed her coffee in the sink and opened the fridge. Not even hot cross buns would fix this mess. Her hand closed around the nearest bottle of wine, and she headed for her room.
Drinking wouldn’t fix a damn thing but for a little while, it might help her forget.
Forget the way Troy had manhandled her, forget how Victoria had trampled on her fragile self-esteem, and forget how Kyler had shut her out, and run.
8
The cafe incident pushed Ana and Selene into a regular definition of friendship. Between their daily texts, and occasional takeout coffee dates, Selene continued to take Kyan’s throat remedy, practising the exercises he’d given her as she worked. In the beginning, it all helped distract her as the date of Kyler’s expected return came passed with no word. He just needs more time, she told herself, but by the second week, the excuse wore a little thin.
Ana quashed the last of Selene’s hope without even knowing it. One night she’d arrived wine in hand, bursting with excitement.
“Your boy owns the cafe, Sel. Isn’t that fantastic?”
For Ana? Absolutely.
For her? Given Kyler had returned a week ago and hadn’t tried to contact her... perhaps not so much. For over two hours, Selene smiled and nodded in the appropriate places, until her mask of indifference cracked and she forced a yawn.
“Excuse me,” she signed. “Long days, not enough sleep.” Guilt sat heavy in her stomach with the lie.
“No, it’s my fault. I didn’t even think.” Ana gathered up her things. “I should have called first.” She hugged Selene at the door. “Okay, I get it, you’re busy, so I won’t bug the next few days, but promise me you’ll be at the opening Friday.”
Selene nodded, yet another lie.
Back against the door, she held off her tears and piece by piece, she rebuilt the wall she’d allowed Kyler to take down.
This wouldn’t break her, the way losing her parents and Emme had. She wouldn’t let it.
Besides, how could you lose something you never truly had in the first place?
Determined not to give into the hurt that skimmed the edges of her defences looking for the tiniest crack to slip through, Selene threw herself into her painting. Ana messaged several times, but she ignored them all. She’d ask questions Selene didn’t want to face. Each day she forced away any thoughts other than work, pushing herself to endure longer and longer hours, so each night she fell into bed too exhausted to dream.
On the plus side, her punishing workload had allowed her to finish her work in the half the time. Five of the six painted eggs she’d promised, were complete though she’d broken, and messed up, more than she cared to admit to in the process.
On the downside, her proficiency left only one egg to paint.
The first charity egg she’d painted had come from a university project six years ago. Each student was required to produce a unique piece of artwork for the end of year show which would be included as part of a silent auction to raise money for charity. The three hundred dollar winning bid for her piece had floored her, the thousand dollar one even more so the following year. Her professor convinced her to continue submitting them even after she graduated. Selene agreed once she was permitted to select her own charity. When she’d mentioned it was for wanted the money to go to art therapy classes for children, her professor had jumped on board.
Last year in celebration of the mayor’s one-hundredth birthday, Selene had presented Penelope with an emu egg, decorated with images from throughout her life, as well as town landmarks.
Selene hadn’t attended the birthday celebration, but Penelope showed up the next day to thank her personally. By the time she left twenty minutes later, she’d convinced Selene to paint a set of six eggs to be included in the town’s annual Easter auction, but only after Penelope gave Selene her word the proceeds would be split equally between her charity of choice and the town.
Unlike they mayor, she didn’t anticipate her eggs would garner much interest in the local auction, but if it meant a few more dollars to help those kids, then it would be worth it.
A pounding on her door woke Selene from a less than restful sleep. Exhausted, she drew a pillow over her head to shut it out.
The pounding came again. “Selene?”
“Kyler?” She shot up in bed.
“Selene Fischer, you get your butt out here and prove you’re not dead, or I’m breaking down the door.”
She flopped back against the pillows. Ana. For a moment her defences wobbled, but she pulled them tighter.
Ana pounded once more. “This is your last warning, Selene. Open this door, or I’ll—I’ll huff and puff and blow your house down. You hear me?”
Through the self-pity threatening to descend, Selene managed to smile. And as she was fond of having a front door, she dragged herself out of bed to answer.
Ana flew at her the second the door opened. Her arms encircled Selene squeezing her hard. “Damn, girl. You had me worried.” She punched Selene as she let her go. “Never do that again.”
She signed ‘sorry’ before Ana barged into the cottage. Her somewhat sarcastic ‘come on in’ however, went unnoticed behind Ana’s back.
In the middle of her living room, Ana did a 360 before dropping onto the couch. She nestled into the corner, making herself at home before her eyes settled on Selene once more. “Girl, you look like shit.”
Tempted to flip Ana the bird, she shuffled towards the kitchen in search of coffee instead.
Ana had other ideas. She bounded across the room, to grab Selene’s shoulders and steer her towards the bedroom.
“Coffee.” Selene signed, but Ana shook her head.
“Nope, no homemade stuff today. It’s the grand reopening, and you promised you’d be there.”
Over her dead body.
Selene dug in her heels and pushed back. She wasn’t going, not if there was any chance of bumping into Kyler. Her defences weren’t ready for a face-to-face confrontation.
“I can guess what you’re thinking.” Ana countered as she inched Selene closer to the bathroom. “But you’d be wrong. Richard left town the second the ink dried on the sale contract and Victoria left with him. If you answered your phone once in a while, you’d know this, rather than forcing me to come out here and hunt you down.”
In the bathroom doorway, they reached an impasse. Selene locked her elbows, refusing to budge.
“Look, today’s a big deal for me, and you’re about the closest thing I have to a friend in this town, I’d appreciate you putting your big girl panties and cooperating.”
Friend. When was the last time someone had called her that?
Selene stopped fighting. Ana eyed her warily as she turned. “You’re right.” She signed. “Give me ten minutes.”
Ana pointed to her watch. “Ten. Not a second longer.” She spun on her heel leaving Selene alone.
From the basin, Selene plucked the little blue bottle and squeezed three drops onto the back of her throat. The now familiar numbing sensation spread as she stepped under the spray. If only it affected the rest of her body in the same way, she might have some hope of getting through this unscathed.
Mindful of the minutes ticking by, Selene rushed through her normal routine. Funny how little things like clean hair and shaved legs improved your outlook. When she presented herself to Ana in white cut-offs and an emerald green halter top, ten minutes past her allotted deadline, the smile on her face was genuine.
“And what time do you call this, Missy?” Ana burst into laughter as Selene didn’t hesitate to flip her the bird this time. “That’s my girl. Might be hope for you yet.”
Arm in arm, they headed for the door.
On the footpath outside the cafe, a crowd waited.
Selene followed Ana and parked in space reserved for employees. Kyler’s SUV wasn’t in sight. The women entered the kitchen via the back door. Several staff members greeted Ana while giving Selene curious glances as she was ushered through to the main area.
Not much had changed, but it was amazing how a fresh coat of paint and a few added touches gave it a whole new atmosphere. The walls, now painted off-white, had a black dado rail cutting them at chair height. Cherry red curtains, held back with gold brocade, framed the front window. The previous neutral tables and chairs remained, now covered in red tablecloths. On the main wall, opposite the door, the cafe name was painted in the same cherry red as the curtains.
‘Cafe Freak - because why settle for normal’
Selene raised an eyebrow signing as she did. “Cafe Freak. Seriously?”
Ana grinned. “Yep. Your boy thought it was a hoot, and,” she thumbed at the crowd outside the door, “it hasn’t scared anyone off. Best open the doors.” She pointed towards Selene’s old table. It now stood on a raised platform displaying a reserved sign. “Saved you the best seat in the house.” She spun towards the door before Selene could protest.
Great. So much for blending into the background. Selene took a deep breath, acknowledging Ana’s gesture made her feel special, despite her discomfort. One of the cafe staff slid a latte and a hot cross bun in front of her, the second she took her seat. “Boss says it’s on the house.” He smiled and headed back to the kitchen before she could offer her thanks.
Several people waved, or nodded, in her direction as they filled the cafe, and she did the same. From her raised position, the view of the crowd was unhindered. No one took any special interest in her, which dispelled the foolish notion she held that people constantly stared at her. With her view of self-importance firmly deflated, she leaned back in her chair and relaxed.
Her newfound sense of peace lasted a little over an hour.
Selene sensed his arrival. One moment she was sketching caricatures of the patrons, the next her head lifted to see Kyler’s SUV pull into a space right in front of the cafe. Her traitorous heart thumped while her eyes noticed every little change. His hair was longer, the lines on his forehead a little deeper. Tension still tightened his shoulders, perhaps even more so.
As if he sensed her, Kyler turned in her direction.
Selene ducked back behind the curtains, and the walls she’d rebuilt crumbled. No matter the lies she told herself, she wasn’t over losing Kyler. Though given his somewhat haggard appearance, was it possible he felt the same?
The thought only lasted a second.
A tall, curvy woman, with flawless skin and captivating green eyes, exited the other side the vehicle. She tossed the natural red curls that tumbled halfway down her back before linking her arm through Kyler’s.
Frantic, Selene stumbled through the crowd. The bell above the door rang as she pushed her way behind the counter.
Ana grabbed her arm, halting her escape. “Selene, where are you—”
“Selene.”
In slow motion, she looked over her shoulder when the voice whispered in her mind.
For the briefest moment, their eyes met. Everything she saw made her want to run to him, to throw herself into his arms, but a burning sensation forced her attention elsewhere. The redhead stood beside him; hand on his arm, her eyes blazed at Selene, the warning leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Mine.
Tears in her eyes Selene fled, ignoring Ana’s worried shouts. The lies she’d told herself crashing all around her.
She’d been wrong.
Losing Kyler broke her after all.
The sound of the front door opening caught her breath.
“Sel? Can I come in?”
Selene resumed breathing and continued to pack. She’d anticipated Ana showing at some point.
Filled and half filled boxes lay all around the cottage. From the corner of her eye, she watched Ana enter her room and take it all in.
“What are you doing?”
“Leaving.” For a second, the electronic voice from her phone caught her by surprise. For weeks she’d barely used it. To hear the word aloud, made it all so—real.
“Nope. I don’t think so.” Ana pulled the clothes from Selene’s hands, before sweeping everything, including her phone, to the floor. Selene mouth and eyes widened further when Ana pushed her onto the bed. “Now talk.” She took a spot between Selene and the door. Any attempt to escape would be futile.
Resigned Selene dropped her chin. She couldn’t look at Ana as she signed. “What do you want me to say?”
“For starters, why did you run?”
“It wasn’t obvious?”
“Come on Sel, tell me.”
Selene shrugged. “You saw what happened. After ‘Victoria-gate’, Kyler left town and I didn’t even know he was back until you told me. I haven’t seen or heard from him until he showed up with—” she couldn’t make herself say it.
But Ana could. “Until he showed up with her.” She looked around the room. “And so what? You’re running away?”
“I’m not sure I even understand how it all happened. We only knew each other for a month, but I fell for him, Ana. I fell so hard. He reopened parts of me I’d kept locked away for years. That day at the cafe, he defended me against Victoria. Earlier that morning, he rescued me from Troy, and told me he’d wait, however long for me to get on the same page, but he didn’t. He left and found somebody else, somebody who doesn’t need... fixing.”
“Then he fooled us both. I honestly thought he was one of the good guys, but my judgement is unreliable at the best of times.” Ana scooted forward to take her hands. “Don’t let him scare you away. If you do that, then he wins. Take off for a few days. Go somewhere, regroup, and come back and show him how strong you’ve become. I get that it hurts, believe me, I’ve been there, but don’t let him chase you from your home. You were here first, and you aren’t alone. You have me, and I’ll be here for you, I promise.”
Selene let Ana’s words sink in. Yes, she’d carved out a life here, simple as it was, formed a few friendships even, so walking away would be hard. And while Kyler had broken her heart, but it wasn’t the first time it had happened, and it wouldn’t be the last. Each time she’d survived, grown stronger and though this time felt harder than the rest, maybe she wouldn’t have to go through it alone.
“You’re right, I don’t want to leave, but I can’t be here, not now.”
“Okay, I have an idea. A friend of mine owns a shack on the beach about eight ho
urs east of here, in a town smaller than this one. It’s quiet and the locals leave you alone. It’s a great place to hole up when you need some alone time, and I’ve got a standing invitation to use it whenever I like. What do you say?”
Going somewhere new was equal parts terrifying and exactly what she needed. “I’m in.”
9
Kyler’s SUV raced across the bridge towards the centre of town. For the first time in weeks, he was free of Arabella’s constant presence. No matter how often he turned Arabella down; she kept coming back. But inviting her to come here had been a mistake, one he hadn’t realised the significance of until he’d seen it written across Selene’s face. The pain in her eyes, pain he’d put there, pain he needed to erase.
Tyres squealed as he hit the brakes. The car hadn’t rolled to a stop before Kyler was out and headed for the cafe. Several patrons jumped as the door crashed open. “Where is she?”
Hand on her chest, Ana took a second to respond. “Hello, Ana. Good to see you, Ana. How are you, Ana?” She continued serving the next customer in line, ignoring him.
Kyler crossed to the counter and pushed his way to the front. Nobody protested. “Tell me.”
Eyes wide, she stared at him. The hint of fear on her face forced him to rein in his frustration. None of this was Ana’s fault. This was all on him. He drew a deep breath and relaxed his stance. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to—please tell me where she is.”
Ana scowled. “After the way you treated her? No. Actually, make that hell no.” Ana peered over his shoulder. “Forgive the intrusion, Mrs Marshall, what can I get for you today?”
Kyler yelled in the direction of the kitchen. “Byran.”
The former owner poked his head through the door. “Yeah, boss?”
“Come out here and take over from Ana. Give everyone whatever they want, it’s on the house.”
A cheer echoed around the cafe, and Kyler used the distraction to pull his shocked manager aside. He didn’t resist as she tugged her hands-free, crossing her arms over her chest. “Look, I messed up, I know that, but you don’t understand.”