Secrets Return (Leftover Girl Book 2)

by C. C. Bolick

  We formed a circle on the wooden section of the living room floor as Angel lit three candles and turned off the lights. She placed the candles in a triangle around us.

  “Shouldn’t you make a star?” Rachelle asked.

  “Mom only had three candles,” Angel said.

  “Are you scared?” Bailey whispered to me.

  “Not at all,” I said.

  Tosh stared at the board intently, closing her eyes as we all placed a hand on the planchette, as Bailey had called it. I shrugged to Bailey and closed my eyes.

  “Lisa,” Angel said, “if you’re here, talk to us.”

  The room pulsed with an almost electric feeling, though it was eerily silent. A loud click sounded and we jumped.

  “That’s just the air turning on,” Angel said.

  My heart raced, but I wasn’t sure why. Could Lisa really be near? I settled a hand on the heart-shaped game piece once again, along with everyone else. Again, Angel called to Lisa, and again the room was silent like a movie from a hundred years ago.

  “This is so fake,” Rachelle said.

  I grinned, thinking about how I could move the plastic with my mind, if I only focused.

  The planchette broke from my hand.

  Rachelle screamed.

  I opened my eyes to see Rachelle dancing around, gripping her knee. “It hit me! Who did that?”

  Looking around, I watched each person in the circle. Tosh was stunned. Angel looked fearful. Bailey…stared at the lifeless piece of plastic.

  Rachelle pointed at Bailey. “You made it hit me.”

  “How?” Bailey asked. “First you accuse me of dropping the tequila. Now I hit you?”

  Angel raised her hands. “Stop it, you two.”

  Was my power getting stronger? I’d stopped Ronald’s drink. I’d thought about moving the planchette. Had I?

  Rachelle went back to her knees. “If it didn’t happen, how did this piece of junk get to my leg?”

  Bailey shrugged. “Maybe it was Jes or Angel.”

  “Maybe it was Lisa,” Tosh said.

  “No,” Rachelle said. “Too many weird things have been happening lately, and Bailey is always there.”

  “How?” Bailey asked again.

  Tosh pushed the board away. “Maybe you thought about it and made it happen like telekinesis.” She looked at me. “I’ve studied several cases in the last few months that seem to prove it’s possible.”

  Bailey looked at me, a clear question in her eyes. I’d never told her about the day Chase opened all the lockers and sent Tosh running for the doors.

  Yes, Chase. Maybe he wasn’t just watching over me. Had he shown himself to Bailey, or was he close enough to make ‘weird things’ happen? Would she be so upset about Chase being gone if she knew he’d returned?

  “Okay,” Bailey said, “maybe I did push it at your leg. I’m sorry.”

  “That’s so not cool.” Tosh stood. “I think I’m ready for bed.”

  “I’m sorry you guys,” Bailey said. “It was just a joke.”

  Angel frowned. “I can’t believe you made fun of Lisa.”

  Bailey hung her head, but she never mentioned Chase again that night.

  Reality Check

  “Have fun?” Pade asked when he picked us up the next morning.

  “Not really,” Bailey said, tossing her bag into the jeep. She wasted no time climbing over the side and buckling herself in the backseat.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “Silly girl stuff,” I said.

  He looked concerned. “Did Tosh cause problems? Did she say anything to upset you?”

  I climbed into the passenger seat. “She barely said anything all night.”

  “Can we get out of here today?” Bailey asked.

  “Sure.” Pade cranked the jeep.

  We sped down the dirt road, sliding a few times as he moved too close to the road’s edge. Each time Pade recovered with a laugh, but Bailey refused to smile. He cranked up the radio. I fought my hair as it caught in my eyes. A truck passed us and Pade slammed the gas, catapulting us through the oncoming cloud of dust.

  As we pulled onto the pavement, Pade glanced at me. “Want to go out tonight?”

  “Yeah,” I said, but pounded my knee when I remembered Dad’s words from the night before.

  Pade turned down the music. “Other plans?”

  “Dad wants to talk about what happened the night Collin got hurt.”

  “Have you remembered what happened?” he asked.

  “Not yet.”

  “Well, if your schedule opens up, I thought we might go to the movies. Skip’s taking Angel and he mentioned maybe you and I could come.”

  “That sounds awesome.” Two hours of nothing but eating popcorn and drowning myself in a world of action and adventure. I could hold Pade’s hand. But Dad had insisted on a family session.

  Bailey grumbled. “Does that mean I’ve got to go too? Are you guys still going to keep up the ‘friends’ cover?”

  I nodded. “My parents can’t know. They already think I’m mental.”

  Bailey stuck her head between us. “No one thinks that.”

  “We’ll see after today, after we all ‘talk’ about my past.”

  “What if you do remember?” Pade asked. “What then? Back to the blue box?”

  I considered the fact I hadn’t looked through the box again. After all, it wasn’t really my past. If only I could tell them the truth.

  * * * * *

  “In here,” Mom said, from the living room.

  I dropped my bag in the hall and took the spot next to her on the couch. I crossed my legs and drew a long breath. Closing my eyes, I prepared for the speech.

  “Your father had to leave,” she said.

  My eyes shot open. “Leave?” I looked around the room. “To where?”

  Mom took my hand in hers. “Back to the hospital in Atlanta.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “He hasn’t been feeling…himself lately. Dr. Baynor called in some tests, just to be sure.”

  “Sure of what? Has his cancer returned?”

  The ensuing silence felt as if someone had built an invisible box around me. I couldn’t seem to move from my space on the couch.

  “I don’t think so.” Mom squeezed my hand. “He had blood work done when you were in Atlanta, and everything looked good. It’s merely a precaution.”

  “Then why is your hand shaking?”

  She pulled away. “I didn’t want to upset you. Truth is, this week has been too much for me. The boys wanted to stay the night with Sam and I didn’t argue. It’s a relief they’ve gotten close to Joel’s youngest son. They haven’t mentioned any friends from Atlanta lately.”

  I sighed, thankful they were gone. Hopefully Skip didn’t mention going out to his brother. “Can we skip the family meeting until Dad comes home?”

  “Sure,” she said. “We could have a quiet evening.”

  I opened my mouth, already feeling guilty. “Bailey wants to go to the movies. Pade is going to drive us.”

  “You’ve seen a lot of Pade this week.”

  “He’s Bailey’s brother.”

  “Yes, I know.” She took my hand again. “Charlie and I worried last year—every time Pade was near, you seemed to get upset. Your father and I had several discussions about the two of you, trying to figure out how you could hate Pade so much. You barely knew him growing up.”

  “I don’t hate Pade.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded and squeezed her hand back. “Mom?”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t tell Dad—but if I ever did realize I sort of like Pade, or maybe really like Pade, not that I do, but if I did at some crazy point in the future, would you freak out?”

  Mom smiled. “Don’t tell your father—but would you freak out if I said no?”

  I hugged her, for I had the best mom in the world.

  * * * * *

  “What do you think abou
t skipping the movies?” Pade asked as I reached the jeep.

  “But you said—”

  “We could hang out, just you and me.”

  “What about Angel and Skip?”

  Pade glared at the front door of his house. “Bailey isn’t in any hurry tonight.”

  “I didn’t ask about Bailey.”

  He frowned and turned back to me. “They went swimming at the river.”

  “Alone?”

  “We were invited, but…I didn’t think us going would be a good idea.” Pade squirmed in the driver’s seat. “Not after what happened when Collin—”

  “Because I freaked out? Or is it because of the water?” I asked. “I’ve told you before. I’m not afraid.”

  “Do you even know how to swim?”

  “I took lessons at one of the other schools. Mom and Dad never knew.”

  Pade laughed as Bailey locked the door and ran toward the jeep. “Why do we have to hide stupid things from our parents?”

  “Please,” I begged, leaning close to his face, “it will be fun.”

  “Promise you’re not going to freak out on me?”

  “I swear.” Maybe I could forget about Dad being back in Atlanta. “The river would be great right now.”

  Bailey rolled her eyes. “Better bring a change of clothes.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Pade pulled the jeep into a gas station. Bailey climbed out and stood next to him. “Have fun,” she said and ran to a white Pontiac parked next to pump number six.

  Tosh stood next to the beat-up car, pumping gas. She waved to us as Bailey reached the passenger door.

  “Tosh has a car?”

  Pade laughed. “It’s her mom’s. She and Bailey are going out.”

  The way he looked at me brought a smile to my face. I touched the collar of my shirt. I’d slipped on the gold necklace Pade gave me all those months ago, for the birthday that wasn’t really mine. Although I’d decided against fastening the clasp many times, this night Pade won. Too bad I planned to keep it hidden beneath my shirt, not ready to admit my heart still soared every time he smiled at me.

  Pade drove toward Angel’s house, but instead of taking her road, he chose a dirt road I’d never noticed. We bounced as the jeep slid around the deep holes. At times the tires spun, bucking us from side to side until I felt sure we’d be stuck. The woods thickened to either side as we passed beyond the area where houses changed from sparse to nonexistent.

  The jeep fishtailed as Pade took a corner too fast. I grabbed for the door handle. Pade talked fast, excited about our final stop, still not giving away crucial details. We topped a hill and Pade slammed on the gas, sending us flying ahead so fast I closed my eyes. We could have slammed into a tree or flipped over, but no amount of pleading from me convinced him to slow down.

  Just when I thought we’d entered a nightmare, the jeep slowed and came to a stop next to Skip’s red truck. Pade killed the engine and for a moment we sat in complete silence. Then I noticed the chirping of crickets. Birds cried in the air, from miles away. Water sloshed at the edge of hearing; we were near the river.

  Pade helped me from the jeep. “Wasn’t that a rush?”

  “Yeah,” I said, my heart still racing. “Where are Skip and Angel?”

  He pointed to a trail, barely visible in the moonlight. “That way.”

  Pade climbed the hill ahead of me, talking with no fear of someone hearing. He pawed the briers away, holding the lower ones from my face. The moon stole the night sky, casting a silver hue across the ground. I thought of Chase, a million miles away on a planet with no moon. Or he was in Credence, lying to me? Not sure which was worse, tears filled my eyes. I wiped at the moisture and stumbled through the light, making my way into a gleaming mist that thickened as we approached the water.

  “Do I need to walk behind you?” Pade asked.

  “No, you should lead the way.”

  Through the bushes, I saw water to our right—if not for the moon it would have been invisible. The silver glow filled all the gaps between the leaves, which had already begun to fall. I swore as a brier caught my arm. With my power, I could simply push the needle-like thorns away. If only I could keep Pade from noticing.

  Pade turned and grabbed my hand. “Be careful. We’ve still got a long way to go.”

  Above us the hill seemed to stretch to the sky. Where were we going? My feet were already screaming with the pain of blisters on each toe. Just when I thought the hill would never end, Pade scaled the top and pulled me up behind him.

  Beyond our feet were tracks, overgrown rails that led to a bridge, surrounded by a complex structure of metal beams, crisscrossing into the sky.

  “Ever heard someone brag about jumping off the train trestle?”

  “Yes,” I said, filled by awe over how far the weathered metal stretched. As a makeshift roof, several metal bars collided to form a repeating X.

  “Don’t worry.” Pade tugged my arm. “There hasn’t been a train on these tracks in years.”

  Fear rose inside of me with each step. Several of the wooden planks were rotted and barely hanging on. Some of them were missing completely. I shuddered to think with one wrong step we might be in the water.

  “Keep your feet on the metal,” Pade said.

  I eyed the water to either side of the bridge. If I slipped, I could always zap myself somewhere else, if I could only keep my fear in check. But what about Pade? I muffled a laugh with my hand. What would he say? Was my power strong enough to save us both?

  “Don’t look down,” Pade whispered, as water started to show through the boards.

  “There they are,” a voice yelled.

  Up ahead stood Skip and Angel, leaning against a metal beam.

  “Watch this,” Angel screamed and jumped over the side.

  I looked down, nausea overwhelming me at the shear distance between us and the water.

  Skip jumped next, as her scream carried across the water, not fading until her feet broke the crystal surface. One set of rings appeared, left by Angel when her body went under, and then another set of rings only feet away, left by Skip. It felt like a set of eyes staring up at me until the water calmed. Skip pushed back through the surface first, followed by Angel.

  I released my breath. Seeing Skip and Angel safe slowed my racing heart but not by much.

  “We’ll take this slow,” Pade said and pulled me along the bridge.

  “Jump, Jes,” Angel called from below. The sound echoed up as if bouncing around a canyon. “It’s amazing!”

  I pulled away from Pade, stepping closer to look over the edge. A cold fear sickened me. It’s not the water, I told myself. The moonlight faded and I was on that platform again, staring down at Chase.

  Pade’s lips were moving—I felt the sound even if I couldn’t hear it. I turned as he took my hand.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said.

  My teeth chattered. “What…could…happen?”

  “I promise to always be there for you, to protect you no matter what.” He pulled me back from the edge and circled his arms around my waist. “We’re different—I get that. The secrets you carry from New York make it hard for you to trust me. No matter what happens, don’t forget I care about you. I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  The intensity in his eyes scared me. I couldn’t breathe. My lungs no longer worked. His arms tightened, pulling me close until his lips were on mine.

  Somehow, I must have found a breath because the kiss didn’t stop. I’d never felt anything like the shock when Pade’s tongue touched mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, taking in the raw smell of his sweat merging with the iron rails. It was everything I’d hoped for, and more emotions than I ever imagined. My stomach swirled until he broke away.

  “Wow,” Pade said as he stepped back. “Now is the perfect moment.”

  He held my hands as we climbed through the rails to stand on the outside edge.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  I took a
deep breath. “No.”

  “On three…one, two, threeeee!”

  The water rushed up as we plummeted, leaving no room for more thoughts. For a split second, I could see the stars above us, a perfect dome-shape of light surrounding the moon. Then cold water wrapped around me, holding my body stiff as I dropped below the surface. I opened my eyes, seeing the moon as a hazy silver coin dancing beyond the water. Waving my arms, I kicked my feet and propelled toward the surface. As if bursting through a ceiling of glass, I pushed the last inches of water away and took a huge gulp of air. My lungs begged for more as a thrilling sensation surged through my veins. I was alive and in that moment, nothing in the world mattered more.

  Pade laughed from a few feet away. He swam to my side and pulled me close. He kissed me again, pulling me so tight against his chest I felt his heartbeat. Maybe it was faster than mine.

  “Get a room,” Skip yelled. He and Angel laughed.

  Pade released me, but held onto my hands. “Have you ever felt a greater high?”

  I joined in the laughter, shaking my head. “Never.”

  If only the feeling would never end.

  * * * * *

  On the following Thursday, Bailey rushed into the cafeteria, midway through first lunch. “Jes, we need to talk.”

  I looked up from my tray. “Maybe we should wait until after I finish eating.”

  “It’s about Tosh.”

  “About time you told her,” Rachelle said.

  My stomach churned. “Told me what?”

  Angel looked away. Bailey tapped her fingers on the table, which matched her nervous voice.

  “Tosh is pregnant,” Rachelle said. “People are saying the baby is Pade’s.”

  “It’s not,” Bailey said, slamming her hand on the table. She shoved a finger in Rachelle’s face. “Don’t ever say that again.”

  Stunned, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. No one at the table said anything for what seemed like hours.

  “I offered myself to Skip,” Angel finally said. “He turned me down.”

  Rachelle looked at her. “That’s…good…I hope.”

  Angel coughed. “Skip said it wasn’t time. He said we should wait until I’m ready.”