I joined my mom in the living room and watched some television but it was impossible to shake all of the fearful thoughts from my head. A cooking show was on the screen and they were making a delectable chocolate dessert with enough layers to create a tower. It made me crave chocolate cake and my mouth started to salivate.
An engine started up outside the house so I sat up to peer out the window. My dad came flying out of the garage on a riding lawn mower, trying to get the feel for the controls. He had on headphones and a baseball cap, no doubt listening to talk radio.
“What time did you get in last night?” My mom broke my concentration.
“Around ten. When did you guys get that?” I asked while pointing out the window. She turned her body to check out what had grabbed my attention.
“Oh, about a week ago. There’s so much grass to cover that we figured it’d be easier than pushing one the whole time. You can turn it to something else.”
“That’s okay. I’m not really watching it anyway.” She dropped the spools of yarn into her lap and looked up at me.
“Are you all right sweetie?”
I glanced over for assurance. “I’m fine. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“Is it a boy?” A mischievous smile formed on her face.
“Well, if you have to know...yes.” She went back to her knitting and I returned to the flamboyant chef separating egg whites on the television screen.
“Is this the one you’ve been spending so much time with?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What’s his name?”
“Mom, what is with the interrogation?” She laughed softly.
“I’m sorry. I’d like to know what’s going on in your life. I won’t mention it again if it bothers you.” She went back to her knitting, looping together the pieces of yarn.
“I’m sorry Mom. His name is Jaden and he’s a very nice boy.”
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” She reached over and squeezed my cheek.
“Why are you knitting?”
“I don’t know. I suddenly got the urge to. It came to me right out of the blue.” She let out a single laugh. “I didn’t even know I could knit. I guess all those times I watched my grandmother sew, I learned something.”
“I’m going outside to have a smoke,” I said while standing up, still trying to figure out what brought on this new hobby of hers. I stretched my arms into the air and cracked my back.
“I wish you wouldn’t.” I rolled my eyes and left the room.
As I stepped outside, the heat from the sun hit me like a truck. There was hardly a breeze in the air and the moisture level was similar to that of a rain forest. I groaned out loud as I sat down on the top step. The sun glared in my eyes and it made me long for my sunglasses—my personal shield against the world. I should never have left those inside. I reached into my pack to pull out a cigarette and lit one up. I watched my dad bounce along on the mower as he went back and forth on the long strips of grass. He eventually saw that I was outside and waved to me.
How can he be having so much fun baking in this sun for hours? It was bad enough even with the protection of shade. I rubbed my neck, wiping away the sweat that was dripping.
A white van turned into our driveway and I watched as it made its way up to me. It pulled up to the walkway, allowing me to see the company name, and I saw that it was a flower delivery service. A woman dressed in a blue uniform got out of the van and went to the back.
I met her at the bottom step, keeping her from taking the long ascent up the stairs. She walked up to me and shouted over the mower, “Are you Wilhelmina Hunter?” I nodded and she handed me a bouquet of a dozen pink roses.
“Thank you.” She nodded and went on her way.
They were amazingly big, in full bloom, and they all looked perfect—not one tear or bruise on any petal. They were bright in color, reminding me of pink cotton candy. I could smell their clean scent as it lingered into my nose. I searched for a card and found a small white envelope stuffed inside. I pulled it out to read it.
Mina,
I saw these flawless roses and thought of you. They are nothing to your beauty but they captivated my eye just the same.
Jaden
The center of my chest felt tingly with emotional sensation as I read over his words. I stuck my nose deep into the flowers and inhaled their sweet perfume. I felt like I was twirling around inside even though I was really standing in one place. I had never gotten flowers from a guy before so this was a special treat in my eyes, and they were from Jaden. I ran inside the house to put them in water and my mom followed behind after seeing the huge bouquet I was holding. She looked at the flowers and grinned from ear to ear.
“These are so beautiful. Someone sent these to you?” She was overjoyed by the romantic gesture, a slight glow to her cheeks.
I smiled widely. “They’re from Jaden.”
She winked at me. “He’s a keeper.” I nodded back at her. I’m in complete agreement with you mom...for once.
I cut the ends of the roses off by an inch and placed them in a water-filled vase, adding the nutrient packet that came with. I took them with me to my room, ignoring my mother’s lingering eyes.
I set them on my computer desk and admired them. I pulled out a single rose and twirled it between my fingers while holding it up to my nose. I stared out the window and imagined him. I touched my neck as I remembered his mouth pressing hard against my skin and I yearned for him. I smelled the rose again and shoved it back into the vase with the rest of the flowers.
I tried to occupy my mind away from Jaden but he was very hard to remove. As a distraction, I got on the Internet to check my e-mail. I had a welcome letter from the college, which was basically a handbook with all of their rules. I had to print the last page and bring it to the school signed to prove that I read it. I went through the rest of my e-mail and it was mostly junk. At the very bottom, I saw Greg’s name and I moved the mouse down to click on it.
He sent me a short but sweet e-mail containing five pictures of his new place. It looked nice from the pictures but it was a bachelor pad for sure. There was a special picture of Greg, Kyle (his roommate), and Jared. Those were my guys. Every day of the week in high school, we were together. Kyle and Greg had been best friends since kindergarten; Jared and I were the outsiders of the group. We met them later on in junior high when I entered my rebellion period.
I heard a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I answered. My mother opened my door but stayed in the hallway. I swiveled my chair around to face her.
“Your dad and I are going on sort of a date tonight. Dinner and a movie, keeping it simple.” She bit her finger like a ditzy teenager, twirling a strand of hair around another finger. I scrunched my eyes and almost retched at her display.
“That’s good. You guys never go out.”
“I just thought I’d let you know because we might be out kind of late.” She winked. I didn’t need to take a hint by the meaning of that wink.
“Mom.” She straightened her posture and stood in her normal position. “No problem. I’ll be fine by myself.”
“Aren’t you going out tonight?” She crossed her arms across her chest and I turned back to my computer.
“I haven’t really decided.”
“Okay, well make sure you take your car tonight if you do go out. You don’t want to be stranded somewhere without a car. I know how young men can be.” I rolled my eyes.
“Got it.” I didn’t say anything else in hopes that she would go away and this worked perfectly. I heard her close the door a few seconds later. Her heels clanked against the floor as she walked down the hallway. I played solitaire on my computer until I heard my parent’s car leave about an hour later.
I listened to some music and turned it up loud enough for the birds to hear outside my window. I sang along to a song while I went into my closet to find an outfit. I grabbed a black and purple striped shirt and some faded jeans. Afraid of a repe
at incident, I took a quick shower in the downstairs bathroom and got ready with plenty of noise to distract me.
I brushed through my hair and put some powder on my face to conceal the sweat. While I moved my hair around, I noticed the marks on my neck had disappeared. I checked both sides and there was no sign of them. Huh? I have never had a hickey that went away so quickly. This made me again question if the marks were really from Jaden or something else.
I sat on the couch and watched a movie while I cooled off from the heat. I began to doze off, unmistakably dreaming of him.
The doorbell rang throughout the house sometime later, playing a classical chime, breaking me from my short nap and I was unsure if I was still dreaming or someone was actually at the door. I was awake but I was asleep. It was a strange feeling. I yawned widely and headed into the hallway just to be sure. I peered through the window to the right of the door and excitement took over me as I saw who it was. I closed the curtain and shrieked silently inside of myself. I breathed and grabbed the handle.
He stood very statuesque by the door and the light hit him at such an angle that he almost appeared angelic. All that was missing was a pair of wings. It was very off-character for him, even in all the black. He was the bad boy, the strong, hot-tempered boy who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He wasn’t even a boy, he was undeniably man.
The light of the sun reflecting off his eyes made the blue color pop and I found myself bedazzled by them yet again. He strutted inside and I couldn’t remove the smile from my face as I watched him. He put his arm around my waist and led me into the living room restlessly, closing the door behind us in one swift movement.
We sat next to each other on the couch and I turned my attention to him. He seemed to be uncomfortable and his eyes looked shifty like the night before so I started talking.
“Thank you for the flowers.” He nodded and relaxed his posture a bit. “I’ve never seen so many perfect roses.”
“I asked for the best.” He glanced my way and I leaned forward going in for a kiss when the most annoying commercial sounded on the television, distracting us both from anything else. I turned the channel just to be rid of it and he laughed.
“That was awful.” I shook my head, turning the volume down on the TV so I could hear him better.
“How are you doing today, you know, after last night?”
“Which event are you referring to?” He sighed heavily, his body slouching with it. “I'm surprisingly well. Talking to you last night really helped so thank you.” I rested my hand lightly on his knee, hoping to calm him. I felt his body heat radiate into mine, creating a warming sensation in my hand.
“I’m glad I could help. To be honest, I feel a little uneasy being here.”
“I’m sorry. Did you want to leave?”
“I probably should and I really just came over to make sure you were safe.” He scooted forward on the couch.
“That's so sweet.” There was a craving in his eyes and I couldn’t look away. He lunged toward me, frightening and exciting me at the same time. His force made me fall back on the couch and he fell right on top of me. I could feel his weight bearing down on me but it wasn’t crushing. I started to laugh and soon he joined in.
With slight embarrassment he replied, “That didn’t quite happen the way I wanted it to but actually...this worked out better.” He turned my face to the side and brushed my neck with his lips. I shuddered under him as he started to apply more pressure to my neck.
“Oh,” I groaned, “They just went away too.” He stopped to laugh, which made me gleam.
When his lips returned to my skin, it felt like my blood was on fire as it moved under my flesh. His kiss was stronger this time and I felt his tongue move around the muscles of my throat. I gasped and he moved his mouth to my ear.
“Am I being too rough?”
“No,” I said in a breathless whisper.
“Good.”
I felt his warm breath as he kissed behind my ear. I whispered his name and he brought his lips to mine. I lifted my leg around his waist and his hand ran down my thigh. His touch sent quakes throughout my body like chocolate bliss. He stopped, pulling his mouth away from mine and gazed into my eyes.
His eyes lifted from me and his breathing slowed. Suddenly, for no apparent reason he distanced himself from me on the couch. I was wondering what had just happened. Had I missed something? I stared back at him in disbelief when I saw that his focus was on something else.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, turning back to face him. He was staring off into space.
He waited a few seconds before he spoke. “I shouldn’t have stayed so long. I must go.”
“No!” I protested. I reached across to grab his hand.
“I can’t be in this house!” There was a strain to his voice that revealed his weakened state; although, he had been doing a brilliant job hiding it. His forehead was starting to perspire and the rose color had faded from his cheeks. He took a few steps back, running his hands through his long hair and the whiteness of his flesh disappeared into his black mop. “I thought I could handle it but I’m not ready for this.”
“Ready for what? Please tell me what happened.” I pleaded with him but he turned away and headed for the hallway. I followed him outside to his car, trying my best to keep up with his long stride.
“Jaden, I wish you would talk to me.” I pulled on his arm when we reached the driveway.
“I’m sorry Mina. Too many things happened in that house and it brings back memories that I promised myself I'd forget.”
“Okay. We don’t have to stay here. I’ll go anywhere with you.” He plopped himself in the driver's seat but left the door open. “I can stop by your place later on,” I suggested. He didn’t answer right away so I finished, “Unless you’re tired of me.”
I looked away at the newly-trimmed yard. He reached for my hand and when I took it, he pulled me into the car and forced me on his lap. My rear end hit the horn during this process and we shared a laugh. He lifted me off the wheel and pulled me closer to his heaving chest.
“I could never grow tired of you. You've only just entered my life.” He half laughed to himself as if I was an idiot for suggesting it. He touched my face with his hand and kissed me delicately on the lips. “I’m heading back to my house so come over whenever. Sooner than later I hope.” I squeezed his hand and headed back inside.
I found all of this very strange, especially when I was still in the process of getting to know him. Most girls would probably have said goodbye to him forever after that, finding the strange situation too much to handle but I always liked a good challenge. To me, Jaden was worth it. There was something special about him and for the first time, I found myself growing close to someone without wanting to push them away.
Chapter Thirteen
I jogged back inside and crept with watchfulness into the living room. I still didn’t see anything but I had an eerie feeling as I walked through the rooms of our house. Denying the urge to look behind my shoulder, I turned off the television and went to the kitchen to write my parents a note. I told them where I was in case they got home before me—I didn’t want a panicked mother on my back. I grabbed a quick drink of water from the faucet and went upstairs to get my things.
I bore the brunt of the heat as I hurried to my car, hoping to escape it but it was near impossible. I stopped by a gas station near Jaden’s house to grab a pack of smokes and while I looked around, I noticed that it was awfully deserted for a Saturday night. There was one other person at the pump and one employee standing behind the counter inside. He was an older man in his 60s I would’ve guessed. I told him I was new in town when he commented on not having seen me before—another perk of living in a small town. They are always aware when a stranger is amongst the herd. I mentioned where I lived and he was eager to tell me about it. I didn't know whether to take that as good news or bad but my hunch was telling me bad. Either way, I was glad to be getting some information, no m
atter whose mouth it came from.
“That house is a town legend.”
“Really? I heard from someone else that it was pretty historical.” I handed him my money.
“Oh, you could say that,” he replied, scratching at his head. “When they first built that place back in 1870, Jerold Laenzar opened it as a sort of orphanage. When the city closed it down after the fallout, his son took over the home and lived there with his family.”
“Nobody told me it was an orphanage. Did something happen there?”
He didn’t seem to hear my question because he spoke about something else entirely. “The last person to live in that house is still living in town. He’s a Laenzar, of course. I can’t think of his name right now.” He stared up at the ceiling while he thought. I watched as his bald head shined reflectively in the light. “I’m pretty sure it starts with a J like all the others. They were always big into letters and symbols. Thought there was some kind of magic to them.” He chuckled in disbelief.
“Jaden?” I guessed with a smile.
“That’s right. Jaden. It’s an unusual name. I’d steer clear of him if I were you Miss.” He finally put the money I gave him in the register and counted my change.
“Why?” His statement had left me stupefied.
“All of them Laenzars have always been different sort of people. Why do you think they lived so far out of town? Most of the property outside of town is still owned by the Laenzars. This Jaden does live in town but he didn’t always. It’s surprising that he’s turned out so normal after all that happened. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard of any trouble from him in years so he might be all right now. He didn’t turn out at all like his father. Now he was trouble.” He clicked his tongue and handed me my change, which took him a total of three minutes to count.
I felt anxious and wanted to leave. “Uh, thanks for the information.”
“You betcha. Take care now.” I walked out of the store with slow uncoordinated steps while trying to wrap my head around what this old man just told me. As I thought about all of the conversations I had with Jaden, I couldn’t remember one where he mentioned either one of his parents. That’s odd.
Shadow Heights (The Dark Side Trilogy Book 1) Page 14