Secrets Return (Leftover Girl Book 2)

by C. C. Bolick

  I shivered at the finality in her voice. “Where is that?”

  “You’ll find out when we get there,” Dad said, looking down at me. “You’ll have to trust us, but I will tell you this is going to be an all-nighter.”

  “Can I say goodbye?”

  Mom stopped in the doorway and she and Dad exchanged a look. She nodded and typed a message into her phone. In a matter of seconds, Aunt Charlie appeared in the living room, with Bailey and Pade not far away.

  Bailey put her arms around my neck. “Was Chase okay?” she whispered.

  “Yes,” I whispered, forcing what confidence I could find into my voice, though I wasn’t sure. “He’s going home.”

  She nodded and wiped a palm across her eyes. “Are those people still after him?”

  “I don’t think so.” Another lie, but my words had the effect of calming the fear in her voice.

  Bailey pulled away. “I’ll miss you.”

  Pade stepped up, hugging me as if we hardly knew each other. Then he moved away, his eyes revealing nothing about the way he felt. “See you, short…stuff.”

  So, we were back to the ban on cuss words? I smiled. “I’ll miss you too.”

  He nodded and turned away as Aunt Charlie hugged me and then reached for her sister. Mom and Aunt Charlie held each other as if they might not meet again for years. I couldn’t take my eyes off them as they cried. Even Dad seemed hesitant to break up their goodbye.

  When they finally disappeared, I climbed the stairs. Time for the dreaded task of getting ready to move again. I’d only been here thirty times before. What was once more?

  From under my bed, I pulled the striped bag and the roller with stars, preparing to fill them as I had on the night we’d come to Credence. I looked over my dresser, selecting a few of my favorite memorabilia accrued over the years. Racing through my closet at ninety-miles an hour, I grabbed my best fitting jeans and a couple of shirts.

  I noticed the sweater and hat I’d worn the night before, in a crumpled pile near the bed. I grabbed them and tossed them in the bag. As for everything else—I didn’t need it anymore. No reason for more reminders that my whole life had been a lie.

  On my dresser sat the book. I lifted the copy of Pride and Prejudice my mother gave me, gripping it to my chest. It was her favorite. No way could I leave it behind this time. I placed the book in my bag, safely between my clothes, and zipped the bag. As I turned to survey the room one last time, I jumped when I heard a sound behind me.

  “Hey,” Pade whispered.

  I threw my arms around him. He took my hand and wrapped his fingers over mine, but when he released my hand I felt something cold against my skin—a slim golden ring, accented by a row of tiny diamonds around its center. Turning the ring over and over in my hand, I looked into his eyes. “Skip gave Angel a promise ring.”

  “This isn’t a promise ring,” he said gruffly. “This is a ‘I plan to marry you’ ring. It belonged to my grandfather. He gave this ring to my grandmother when she moved to Earth.”

  “Mom’s parents?”

  He nodded. “I’d get down on one knee but there isn’t time. We’re going back to Colorado.”

  “You still want to be with me?” I asked, pulling his face to mine. I thought the longing welling inside would tear me apart. “You wanted to at Terrance’s house.”

  He smiled with a glint of humor. “I’d be lying if I said I don’t, but we’ve got to hurry. Your parents will be ready to leave at any moment.”

  “But when?”

  “Wait for me,” he said softly. “Wherever you go, I’ll find you.” Pade circled his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. “No matter how long it takes, I will find you. I promise.”

  Our lips were barely an inch apart. He released a breath and I inhaled. Pulling me even closer, I exhaled as he drew a breath. I closed my eyes as happiness surged through my veins. Every inch of my skin longed for the feel of his hands.

  “You feel it too?” he whispered.

  “Yes,” I said, struggling to form the words. I didn’t want to talk, I simply wanted to live in this feeling forever.

  He ran a thumb over my lips. “Then you finally understand.”

  “Understand what?” The only thing I understood was how I might melt under his gaze.

  “How I felt the first day we kissed.”

  I opened my eyes. Already the corners were stinging with a salty moisture I must hold back.

  “Don’t cry,” Pade said. “Your dad is on the stairs. Can’t you hear him?”

  All I could hear was my own heartbeat thudding in my ears. “I’ll wait.”

  “Good,” he said and kissed me.

  My heart hammered faster, though this wasn’t like our kiss on the trestle. This was goodbye. I closed my eyes again, this time wrapped in a beautiful bliss, wishing the kiss would never end.

  “I love you,” I whispered when his lips left mine.

  The door to my bedroom flew open.

  “It’s time,” Dad said.

  I opened my eyes. Pade was gone.

  “Grab your bags, Jes. No need to cry over this place. You never know, we might make it back here someday. But right now, we’ve got to go.”

  I closed my hand over the ring.

  * * * * *

  With a bag in each hand, I walked through our front door for the last time. It’s just another move, I told myself, like all the others we’d made over the last twelve years.

  Mom stood in the driveway, loading bags into the back of a black car.

  “Get in,” she said.

  I looked from her to the van, sitting lonely next to this new car.

  She noticed my hesitation. “We won’t be driving the van anymore. Too many people know our patterns.”

  Nodding, I placed the roller suitcase in the trunk of the car.

  “There won’t be room for both bags,” she said. “You’ll have to hold one at your feet for now.” She looked over me, then touched the side of my face. “I’m sorry you’ve had to live like this, Kayden. We wanted to protect you, not take the life of luxury that should have been yours away.”

  “I’ll forgive you, but only on one condition.”

  “Which is?” she asked.

  “Call me Jes.”

  She pulled me into her arms. “You never cease to amaze me.”

  I climbed into the backseat, thankful I’d beat the boys. One of them would have to sit in the middle. The striped bag and my purse fit at my feet, leaving more than enough room to stretch out. The seat under me felt softer than the couch I’d always slept on in the house near Phoenix. I leaned my head back, inhaling the new car smell. In twelve years, we’d never had a new car.

  The boys, still whining about having to leave, argued about who would sit in the middle. It wasn’t a big deal—four of us could have ridden comfortably in that seat. Still, I kept my mouth shut as I pulled my MP3 player from the bag. Digging through the bag, I made sure the book was there while I still had light.

  Dad opened the door in front of me, and climbed into the driver’s seat. “It’s been awhile since I sat so low.”

  Mom got in the passenger seat and closed her door. “It feels like we’re sitting on the ground.”

  He looked in the mirror. “Okay back there?”

  Danny and Collin said “no,” with perfect timing as always. I smiled in the darkness as my pillow appeared in my lap. The boys were too busy sulking to notice.

  “Get some sleep,” Dad said, backing the car out of the driveway.

  Beyond the dark glass, I watched Pade’s window for any sign of movement. As the car pulled onto the road, I thought I saw a shift in the blinds, no more than a sliver of a gap between the manila strips.

  Then we were out of the neighborhood, heading for the interstate.

  I patted the necklace under my shirt and traced the ring with a flutter of my heart. Without the moon to guide us, the sky felt like a nightmare called from along the horizon.

  Was Chase and
my mother on a ship somewhere above us or had they managed to find their way back to Golvern? I had a feeling many nightmares would come and go before I’d see them again.

  I’d probably never see Rachelle or Angel again. Angel and Skip would have their happy ending, I was sure. But I wanted to see Rachelle, to tell her I didn’t hate her. Losing these friends brought a fresh round of tears to my eyes. How could I possibly have more? I pushed the thought away. No more tears after tonight.

  Would I see Pade and Bailey again? He’d promised to find me, but how could he when I didn’t even know which planet I’d be on tomorrow?

  The car merged onto an empty highway. Only lights from two eighteen wheelers could be seen in the distance. I read another sign for Credence as we passed the last exit for miles. With the hum of tires, I closed my eyes and faded off to sleep.

  Pade

  He watched as she climbed into the back of a black Lexus. It was a fast car. No doubt it was one they could disappear in.

  “I miss her already,” Bailey said. She split the blinds wider, but the room was dark enough no one would notice. “You think Dad bought their car?”

  “Probably.” Their Dad had bought everything else.

  “Did you tell her how you feel?”

  His sister had always insisted he belonged with Jes. Although he usually hated to admit she was right, this time he didn’t mind. “I asked her to wait for me. I gave her the ring.” And she’d finally said the words that wiped every question from his mind.

  A smile spread across her face, one with more sadness than she deserved. “Jes will understand. I only wish Granddaddy was here. He wanted the ring to go to someone special.”

  He laughed bitterly. “I kept my promise. No one’s more special than Jes.”

  “Yeah,” Bailey said. “I wonder if they’ll visit us in Colorado.”

  The car sped away, tail lights fading over the last hill and into the darkness. “I get the feeling they won’t be visiting anyone.”

  The light above them burst to life. “Ready?” their mother asked. Her arms were crossed where she leaned against the door frame.

  Bailey swung around. “We’re leaving for Dad’s place tonight?”

  The woman’s eyes were tired. “There’s no telling who will show up next door. They’ll ransack the house when they realize it’s empty, maybe even burn it down. I can’t go through that.”

  “Where did they go?” he asked.

  “I honestly don’t know,” she said. “Lorraine doesn’t even know yet. It’s safer that way.”

  “How will you find them again?”

  She looked him over before answering. “Lorraine and I have lived through our own share of rough times, long before you were born. We’ve been separated by a sea of stars, but we’ve always managed to find each other.”

  “How much time do we have?” Bailey started for the door. “I’ve got to get my clothes and my makeup. I can’t walk through the airport with my eyeliner looking like I’ve been standing on a street corner.”

  Her mother frowned. “You won’t need any clothes. Or makeup for that matter. You’ll have everything you need when we arrive.”

  Something was wrong. “We’re driving to Colorado?” he asked.

  “No one’s going to Colorado,” she said. “As of now, I won’t insist we do things the human way anymore.”

  Bailey grabbed her mother’s arm. “You said we were moving to Dad’s.”

  “We’re moving to your father’s house on Golvern.”

  Acknowledgements

  I want to thank you for reading this book. Please consider leaving an honest review.

  Thanks to:

  Tommy for reading this story before it was complete. I appreciate his insights, his candor, and the fact that he’s a nice guy (though I promised I’d never admit this to anyone).

  Jodi for reading this story and for reminding me what I love most about young adult books.

  Carla for reading Leftover Girl while it was a mess and still talking to me afterward.

  Becky for being my eleventh-hour beta reader.

  Christie at EbookEditingPro. Her suggestions were spot-on and forced me to dig deeper. The results made me enjoy the story even more. I’d be thrilled for her to hand me a shovel any day.

  Tabitha at Tacal Designs for the beautiful cover design. I knew when I saw it, that was Jes.

  Carole P. Roman for all of her insights into publishing. Not only does she write books and blog, she helped this indie writer navigate the uncharted waters. I could never thank her enough for reaching out.

  My husband, for without his help none of this would be possible. He understands and encourages me even on the days when I wonder how he can.

  About the Author

  C.C. Bolick grew up in south Alabama, where she’s happy to still reside. She’s an engineer by day and a writer by night—too bad she could never do one without the other.

  Please visit her website at www.ccbolick.com for updates on future releases.