Save Me

by Jenny Elliott

He got out of the truck and came around to open her door. “I hope I made some of those kids think about getting away from the dangers they’re dabbling in.”

  He pulled her into a hug as he helped her down.

  “You certainly got everyone’s attention.”

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Halloween night, Cara woke often and thrashed about during nightmares filled with blonde witches, black-eyed demons, and sea monsters with giant white teeth. Seaside students had Friday off, but rather than staying in bed, she gave up the battle for rest while the sky was still black outside her bedroom window. She might be sleep-deprived, but she had big plans for the day.

  After she showered, dressed, and blow-dried her hair, she did a light makeup job, trying to make it look like she hadn’t spent much time on her appearance. When she knew her mom would be awake, she headed downstairs to the family room.

  She sat in the armchair next to the love seat.

  “What’s wrong?” her mom asked, setting down her crossword puzzle and coffee cup.

  Cara adopted a neutral reporter’s tone and expression. “Rachel was hanging out with Mr. Wilson’s stalker last night.”

  Her mom blinked and leaned back against the love seat with her hands clasped together in her lap. “Explain.”

  Cara relayed most of what had happened, starting with the red car following her and ending with crashing the party, leaving out the parts about Garren making a scene and Amber being the one who followed her. She didn’t want to incriminate Garren and she also didn’t want to emphasize that Amber was stalking both her and David.

  Her mom pursed her lips before she spoke. “What I’m hearing is that the stalker Mr. Wilson dated is now targeting teenagers.”

  Cara wasn’t sure what to say to that.

  Her mom picked up her purse from the floor and pulled out her cell phone. “Liz wasn’t impressed with the psychiatrist I suggested for Rachel. Maybe this will convince her to give him another chance.”

  A few seconds after her mom pressed a number on the cell, she said, “Hi, Liz. It’s Mary. I’m sorry to bother you so early.” After explaining all Cara had said, she promised to inform Ms. Clark of anything else they discovered. She ended by strongly suggesting that Rachel attend another session with a psychiatrist.

  Her mom hung up and dropped her phone in her purse. “Liz appreciated us letting her know what Rachel’s up to. But I don’t want you doing any more detective duty. Stay away from that stalker, and that house.”

  “I will. I promise.” She meant it. The promise seemed like an easy one to keep. Contact with Amber wasn’t something she wanted to initiate. She got up to leave.

  “Where are you going?” her mom asked, pointing a finger at the seat of the armchair.

  Cara sat back down. “I want to talk to David about this.”

  Her mom’s eyes widened. “David?”

  Cara didn’t realize she’d slipped until it was too late. She shrugged. “Fine. Mr. Wilson.”

  Her mom subjected her to an extralong sideway gaze. “Maybe I should also talk to David.”

  That wasn’t a “yes.” It might even have been a veiled threat. She choked back a comment about how she could have opted to talk to David without her mom’s knowledge.

  Her mom stared at her for what felt like forever. Cara kept a straight back and maintained eye contact. She didn’t want to be defiant. But she would be, if necessary. This was important.

  Her mom stressed each of her words. “I don’t think your talking to Mr. Wilson is a good idea.”

  Cara pleaded with her mom with her eyes as well as her words. “Please let me talk to him?”

  Her mom hesitated for several moments. Cara gave up waiting on a response and rushed upstairs to her room. Amber’s threat sounded in her mind: I’m only going to warn you once. Leave David to me.

  Cara grabbed her cell phone from her bag, sat on the edge of her bed, and tapped out a text to David:

  This is Cara. I need to talk to you. Can we get together?

  He called her back within seconds. “What’s going on?” he asked in a rush.

  “I need to talk to you about something that happened last night. Can you meet me at the beach by Surfseekers?”

  “You’re okay, right? Nothing happened to you?”

  His protectiveness caused a familiar warmth to kindle in her chest. “I’m fine. Can you meet me at the bottom of the stairs?”

  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  She bounded downstairs and nearly ran into her mom, who stood in the entryway at the bottom of the staircase. Cara slowed, but didn’t stop.

  “I’m not going to lie to you. I’m going to talk to David.” Oops. She did it again. “I need to know what he has to say,” she added, before she slammed the door behind her.

  Her mom’s voice bellowed from behind it. “I expect to talk about it when you get back!”

  * * *

  Less than ten minutes later, Cara stood at the bottom of the stairs by Surfseekers, surveying the water for any sign of whales. From the surface, the water appeared as barren of life as the beach. Soon, she spotted David running toward her, wearing dark gray running pants and a crimson, long-sleeved T-shirt. His short, dark hair blew back as he ran. When he made it over to her, he bent down with his hands on his knees and took a second to catch his breath.

  He stood up straight and examined her face. He wouldn’t be able to read much. Even she wasn’t sure of everything she was feeling. She avoided eye contact.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  She walked toward the water. He followed after her. Concentrating on the cresting waves in the distance, she took deep breaths and tried to calm herself. A light breeze blew and hazy sunlight shone down from behind a thin cloud cover. The only sounds echoed from the rumble of the ocean and raucous seagulls.

  Once he walked by her side, she said, “I’ve noticed a red Jetta has been following me for a while.”

  “Amber?”

  “Yes.”

  He stopped, but she kept walking.

  “I didn’t know it was her at first. The car has California plates,” she said more loudly, so he could hear from behind her.

  He caught up to her and they reached the water’s edge and walked alongside it.

  “Last night, Garren and I saw the car and followed it to a house party.”

  His words were sharp. “Amber is crazy. Why would you follow her?”

  “I wanted to make sure it was her. Also, she was following Ethan and Rachel.”

  She peeked over and saw his eyebrows bunch together.

  “Rachel Clark?”

  “Yeah, my once-upon-a-time best friend and her boyfriend. At the party, Rachel and Ethan were playing with a Ouija board. Amber hung out at a table covered with tarot cards.”

  He grimaced.

  “Amber and I dated the same guy in high school. She accused me of stealing him from her.”

  This time, when he stopped, she faced him. His gaze dropped to the sand.

  “She also warned me to leave you to her.”

  He still didn’t look at her. “I had no idea Amber was involved with those types of things. But I’m especially not happy to hear she has a personal problem with you.”

  Cara might have figured he’d skip over the last part of what she’d said about Amber’s warning. She locked her knees and clenched her fists in an attempt to hide her trembling legs and hands. “Amber was wearing a formal dress at the party. Did you see her at the dance?”

  Now he looked up and met her gaze. “No, did you?”

  “Only in the parking lot.” She let the warm connection between them take hold. “I know I should wait to talk to you about this. But I need to know how you feel, if you’re interested in Amber.”

  He didn’t look away and opened his mouth like he planned to speak. But he remained silent. After a few tense moments, she heaved out a sigh and turned to walk away.

  His voice was so quiet that, if there’d been a breeze, it wou
ld’ve carried his words away. “When I told Amber I didn’t want to see her again, I said it was because I had feelings for someone else.”

  Cara turned back to him. “And she thinks I’m that someone else?”

  His eyes met hers again and he held out his hand. She stared at it and stopped breathing. Then she took a deep breath, let it out, and placed her right hand in his. Warmth spread between them and the tether pulled taut. She watched as he raised her hand and placed it against his chest.

  The swift, strong beating of his heart pounded under her fingertips. He dropped her hand and she lifted her eyes to his face again.

  He looked as if he’d committed a crime. “I shouldn’t be doing this,” he said, and hung his head.

  Not wanting to pressure him, she backed away. But he held her arm and stepped closer to her. His gaze dropped to her mouth.

  She placed both her hands on his chest, then slid them around to run her fingers through the back of his hair. He tensed, but she tugged on his neck, and he leaned down. She bridged the final space between them, standing on her toes and letting her mouth meet his. His hands came to rest on the small of her back.

  Lightly, she brushed her lips against his, then paused to look at him. A smile turned up one corner of his mouth. She took that as her go-ahead to kiss him the way she’d been dreaming about for months. At first, her mouth molded gently with his. He responded hesitantly. Then his breaths grew deeper and he drew her closer to him. Her lips covered his more fully and a warm wanting flooded her body.

  He stopped to kiss her forehead, then held her against him. His chin rested on top of her head, just as it had when he’d held her on the Lookout. When he finally moved her back by the shoulders, he continued to hold on to her, but didn’t smile.

  “Please don’t feel guilty about this,” she said, placing her hands on his upper arms. “I can’t explain the connection between us, but it’s not wrong. I know it isn’t.”

  He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed the side of her face. “That’s why I feel guilty. Because I don’t think it’s wrong, either. But maybe I should.”

  She shook her head at him.

  “Don’t forget that I’m the creepy teacher in this situation.”

  “You are not creepy.” She took his hands in hers and moved closer to him, until only their joined hands prevented their bodies from touching again. “And don’t worry. We can keep this quiet.” She hesitated before offering up a less desirable option. “Or we can wait until school’s out, if you want. If you’ll still be around.”

  He didn’t answer, so she said, “I should get home.”

  He walked her there and didn’t ask whether she planned to tell her mom about what had happened between them. She wasn’t sure yet if she would.

  No matter how David felt about what happened, she couldn’t help but feel happy and guilty at the same time. She meant it when she said she didn’t believe their involvement was wrong. But she felt selfish to want him so much that she’d put him in a position that could cost him his job and reputation.

  Still, nothing could change the fact that she and David had admitted their feelings for each other.

  * * *

  In the kitchen nook, Cara’s mom sat clutching a mug of coffee. She nodded for Cara to take a seat on the other bench. Cara wished she’d armed herself with a diet soda, at least to have something to do with her hands. But her mom’s eyes fixed on her and she could tell she’d better start talking.

  She rubbed her clammy hands on her jeans, then clasped them together on top of the table. “David and I admitted our feelings for each other.”

  Her mom raised her eyebrows and remained silent.

  Cara sighed. Better to just say it straight. “We kissed.”

  Her mom set her coffee mug down and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t believe he’s allowing this to happen. He leaves me no choice but to report him to the school.”

  Cara moved her hands to her lap and squeezed them together under the table. She sucked in a ragged breath and struggled to keep the “don’t you dare” look off her face. That type of reaction usually resulted in the opposite of her intended effect with her mom. Still, she thought her mom should appreciate that she was revealing any of this in the first place.

  “I want to keep this private, but I’m telling you because I also want to be open and honest with you. I want to give this relationship a chance.”

  Her mom spoke as much with her hands as with her words. She looked like she was trying to swipe something away. “You sound like an inexperienced, immature schoolgirl who believes that the first guy she feels romantically about is somehow her soul mate.”

  Cara reminded herself that her mom knew nothing about the connection she shared with David. All the same, it sure was convenient for her mom to suddenly forget about Chris. “He’s not the first guy I’ve felt romantically about. And I’m not a fickle person. I don’t believe David is either. Our feelings for each other are real.”

  “This could cost him his degree, Cara, his career. What you’re doing—what he’s doing—it’s wrong.”

  Cara kept her tone light. “I don’t believe it’s wrong.”

  “This thing between you began with a life-threatening situation that intensified the chemistry between you. That chemistry led to infatuation.”

  “If it’s infatuation, it’ll fade with time and either develop into something more, or David and I will grow apart. Please give us the chance to find out.”

  Her mom abruptly stood. “Given the circumstances, it’s wrong, Cara. And I’m sorry, but it’s my job to put a stop to it.”

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Early Saturday morning, Cara opened her curtains to gunmetal gray clouds and waves that pitched sideways. Sherry confirmed that the whale-watching tours were canceled for the day.

  Cara crawled back under the covers and tried to catch up on sleep. A few hours later, her phone buzzed and woke her from the memory of David’s soft kiss. His number displayed on the screen.

  She answered with a jovial, “Good morning.”

  “How are you feeling about what happened?” The worry in his words couldn’t be written off as a warble in the phone reception.

  “Happy. You?”

  She kept her phone pressed to her ear, settled back against her headboard, and drew her knees up to her chest. Looking out her window at peaks of ocean waves, she prayed he had as much faith in their fledgling relationship as she did. But she knew she had to be prepared to put that relationship on hold. And to trust that Amber wouldn’t be able to seduce him and steal him away from her.

  “Did you tell your mom?”

  The tether sagged when he didn’t comment about how he felt. “Yeah, she wasn’t supportive.”

  He let out his breath in a big whoosh. “Does she want to talk to me?”

  “I didn’t ask, but she didn’t mention it, either.”

  He groaned.

  “I hate to say this,” she said, and truly, words couldn’t describe how much she hated to say it, “but my mom threatened to talk to the school.”

  “She has every right to.”

  “I wouldn’t have told her if I thought she’d say anything.”

  “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. And it’s good for you to be honest with your mom.”

  “I understand if you think we should wait to see each other again.”

  “I think you need to take the weekend to seriously think about what you want.”

  “At this point, waiting seems like lying. But I won’t put you in a bad position.”

  “Let me worry about my position.”

  She imagined the tether ripping away when she thought she might lose him. “I can’t help but worry about you. About us. But whether we wait or not, I need you to know how I feel. This is what I want. I’m not going to change my mind.”

  “You need to know it’s okay if you do.”

  * * *

  Cara’s mind whirled w
ith all the unknowns surrounding how she and David would interact now. She’d never been more thankful for Garren’s presence when he joined her on the wall during lunch on Monday. While the sunlight bathing her face helped calm her, the air was frigid and relaxation wasn’t within reach.

  Garren handed her an apple. “Sometimes things work out despite the obstacles,” he said, accepting half of her cucumber and cream cheese sandwich and a bag of chips. “It’s obvious that David has strong feelings for you.”

  “I know,” she said, unable to infuse her words with enthusiasm.

  She bit into her apple and chewed, obsessing over the fact that she’d stopped by David’s classroom twice that morning and had only seen Mr. Cutter. She couldn’t shake the guilt weighing on her. Her mom might already have called the administration and David might already have lost his internship.

  More than ever, she appreciated the companionable quiet Garren always shared with her during lunch. When she finished her apple, he took the core just as her phone buzzed.

  David had texted:

  Want to get together to talk later?

  She was grateful to get his message before lunch ended.

  You didn’t get fired did you?

  No.

  Where are you?

  My place.

  Can we talk there?

  You’re okay with that?

  Of course. What’s the address?

  374 Jettison Avenue.

  I’ll come over after school.

  See you soon then.

  * * *

  David’s place was a little blue box of a cottage on a hill above the beach, less than a mile from Cara’s house. The walk along the sand would be a nice one, but she chose to drive. Not wanting to take the chance someone might notice a student visiting a teacher, she parked two blocks away. Burying her face in the hood of her jacket, she hung her head, resenting having to hide and hating that she felt ashamed.

  When David opened his front door, he met her gaze, and warmth poured through her. Their connection held, strong as ever.

  “I take it you haven’t changed your mind?” he asked.

  “Not happening.” She sounded much calmer than she felt.

  Stepping closer, she held her hand out to him. He lifted it and kissed it.