Midnight Rose

by Dani Hart

  “Then don’t,” I pleaded. “Don’t push me away, Wes. Please.” My heart ached.

  His iridescent eyes faded, replaced with a terrifying darkness as he pushed my hair away from my neck and leaned into me.

  “Your eyes,” my voice quaked.

  “Are you afraid of me, Abby?” His voice was steady.

  I shook my head slowly. “No,” I whispered.

  He took my wrist roughly in his hand. “Are you afraid now?”

  Tears rushed down my cheeks as I shook my head more quickly this time. “No.” I was holding onto the trust we had built over the years.

  He pulled my face closer to him, his nose gliding over my swollen eyes and dampened cheeks.

  “What about now?” he whispered.

  “Never.” Why was he doing this to me? I felt completely decimated, and it was my fault because I was letting him break me.

  His eyes lifted to mine, the onyx melting away to perfect iridescence again. Without warning, he jumped out of the Jeep into the storm and into the forest, his silhouette visible among the trees as lightning flashed across the forest.

  I’m not the one you need to be afraid of.

  I was stunned into disbelief. Believing in the unbelievable had shifted my sense of stability, forcing me to face all things out of the realm of possibility no longer trapped in the fantasy books of my childhood. The stories ran rampant around me no longer hidden in make believe. They were right in front of me all along. The veil had been lifted. Wes wasn’t like me. He wasn’t like anyone. He was something else entirely.

  THE WEEKEND ARRIVED without another word from Wes or Elijah. My shift at the bistro didn’t start for a few hours, and my homework was finished, so I curled up to the window with a book and tried to forget for just a few hours that my world had been turned upside down and to distract my thoughts from Wes—his smell, his touch, his voice. It was all-consuming and being away from him made me restless.

  I read the same paragraph half a dozen times before I finally gave up, tossing the book on my bed. Another storm was rolling in, the threatening clouds foreshadowing a big one. We had more rain in the last few weeks than we had all last year.

  I liked the rain. The pitter-patter of it on my window lulled me to sleep, and the whirring of the wind ignited something exciting and primal deep within me. Today, though, the darkness charging toward Sandpoint scared me, because I now knew that shadows bred hidden dangers. Ones with onyx eyes and devilish grins.

  As I descended the stairs, I heard my dad whispering in his office. When I peeked in, he was on the phone and he looked agitated, rubbing his face hard. Before he could see me eavesdropping, I tiptoed around the corner to the front door.

  “Abigail, are you ready for work?” my mom called from her knitting chair.

  “Yep, but I think Dad is busy, so I can just walk.” The thought gave me a mild panic attack.

  “I’m ready,” my dad announced as he closed his office door.

  The dark circles under his eyes were new, and the scruff on his face was growing thicker. I couldn’t remember my dad ever looking so disheveled.

  Driving to the bistro, I studied him in my peripheral. His laid-back demeanor was replaced with a tapping foot and tense silence.

  “Dad, is something bothering you?” I tried my best to keep my eyes on the road.

  The tapping ceased.

  “No, Peanut. Everything’s fine.” The exhaustion settling into the creases in his forehead said otherwise.

  I had been so wrapped up in my own life that I had failed to see that things were not fine in the Rose household. There must have been other signs of distress that I missed. I rifled through the last couple of weeks. The only things that stood out were my dad not traveling anymore and the odd moment with him and Mr. Hunter when we had dinner at the bistro.

  “You know, I’m not a little girl anymore. I can handle it if things are bad, you know, with you and Mom.” I knew I was prying, and I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to know, but I was worried.

  “Your mom and I are better than ever. I’m just working long hours to make up for the loss of clients with the new situation. I promise things are good.” He smiled.

  Not only was there something wrong, but it was worse than I could have imagined. My dad was an expert liar, and I meant that in a good way. He was the king of elaborate surprises, keeping secrets for weeks and making up cover stories. My mom and I were never the wiser. Today I could see right through him, but I didn’t press the issue. I didn’t have to. I could tell it was bad, and knowing that the only stability I had left in my life was slipping out from under me was terrifying.

  MR. HUNTER WAS A quiet man. He hadn’t said much to me since he hired me, but I got the impression he kept me in his line of sight at all times. It should have crept me out, but it felt more like he was watching out for me. It didn’t make much sense until the other night, but I was slowly starting to piece things together. Maybe he was afraid for me. That whatever was happening to Wes could possibly hurt me. But then, why move back here?

  “I think that table is clean.” Penelope smirked.

  I had been obsessively rubbing the finish off a table. “Oh.” A blush heated my cheeks.

  “You okay? You’ve seemed off all night.” Penelope twisted her blue hair around her finger, smacking her gum loudly.

  I looked around, confused. “Are you talking to me?” She had essentially ignored me since I started working here.

  “No.” She spun around and strolled away, planting herself at the table full of silverware and napkins waiting to be rolled.

  Well, that went well.

  “You can go now.” Mr. Hunter was suddenly next to me, his voice kind.

  “Are you sure? I can help Penelope with the silverware.” Something seemed different about him tonight, but I couldn’t place it.

  “She’s almost done. We’ll see you tomorrow.” His wider-than-life smile seemed misplaced.

  “See you tomorrow then.” I untied my apron as I went to grab my bag at the front desk.

  The door suddenly crashed open and Ben, Zoe, and Wes all flew in. The twins glanced at me for a second and then walked to the back to join Mr. Hunter. Wes’ eyes stayed on me longer, softer and less conflicted than when he left me the other night. My pulse pumped out of rhythm as he drifted slowly by me, his arm grazing mine, and his fingers secretly lingering on mine, the exhilaration reaching parts of me that only he could reach. Once his fingers slid from mine, the connection that bonded us was severed.

  Headlights through the glass alerted me to my dad’s arrival as he idled out front in the Jeep. Penelope was still smacking her gum, rocking out to her playlist while rolling silverware, and the Hunters were slumped over in a tight circle at the farthest table in the back. There was no reason to be suspicious, but their behavior wasn’t normal. Nothing was as it seemed. Not anymore.

  MR. HUNTER CLOSED the restaurant for the day, stating a family emergency, so my Sunday would be spent worrying about Wes. As far as I knew, the Hunters were comprised of just the four of them, and a family emergency would mean something had happened to one of them.

  I found my mom knitting on the patio in her old lady rocking chair. She hated when I teased her for it. It was a clear autumn day, the sun baking my skin as I stood in front of her. “Knitting another masterpiece?”

  “I wish you and your father would leave me and my knitting alone. I mean, what else would I do?”

  “Sorry. Where’s Dad?”

  “He’s getting ready to leave for Seattle. He should be back late tonight.”

  Her hands wrapped the yarn fluidly around a very large and dangerous-looking pin. I was almost afraid to ask what she was making with orange and pink.

  “That’s cute, I think,” I blurted, studying the pile of yarn curiously.

  “Don’t worry. It’s not for you. Cindy’s daughter is having a baby girl, so the knitting club thought it would be fun to knit different things for her.”

  Re
lief washed over me. “Aw, and I was really looking forward to another one of your lopsided sweaters.”

  She swatted at me playfully. “You’re horrible. Wait until I’m gone. Then you’ll appreciate all those lopsided sweaters.”

  Now I felt kind of bad for teasing her.

  “So, what are you up to today?” she asked.

  “Well, nothing, unless Dad would let me go with him to Seattle.” I could visit grandpa’s house without lying. It was a win-win. My mom was staring at me like I had grown a third eye. “What?”

  “Nothing. I’m just surprised you would want to spend the day with your dad, that’s all. I think he would like that.” She flashed an approving smile.

  “Cool. I’ll go find him.” I bounced back into the house, excited now.

  I caught up with my dad just as he was heading out the front door. “Hey, Dad, do you think I could come with you to Seattle?” I rocked back and forth on my feet, anticipating his answer.

  “I’m just going for business. It’s going to be pretty boring, and I won’t be home until late. You have school tomorrow.”

  “That’s okay, and Mom said it was okay. Maybe you could just drop me off downtown? I heard Pioneer Square is pretty cool. Lots of shopping and street vendors.” I might have been playing up my enthusiasm a bit. “Then we could have dinner together.”

  He pondered for a moment. “I’m sorry, Peanut. Not this time.”

  It was hard to hide my disappointment, but once my dad made up his mind, there was no arguing. He shrugged his shoulders and left without another word. I spun around the room, unsure of how to keep myself busy. Wes was plaguing me.

  “He said no, I see.” My mother stood in the doorway of the patio.

  “Yep.” I kicked the ground.

  “I’m sorry, sweetie. He’s been really stressed lately, and I think he was going to stop by Grandpa’s house to get it ready.”

  My ears perked up. “Ready for what?”

  “Oh, sweetie, I thought you knew. He’s selling it.”

  My heart broke. The comforts of my childhood lived in that house. They thrived. And now they would be sold to the highest bidder.

  My nose stung from the unintended betrayal, and tears fogged my vision. I needed to get out of here. The walls were closing in on me. I snagged my grandpa’s jacket off the coat rack and walked out the front door, my head filled with so much sadness. It was an all-consuming pain that I feared would haunt me forever.

  I hugged my arms around the jacket and tucked my head, having no idea where I was going or caring. I was angry with my dad for not letting me tag along. Right now, I just really needed my grandpa.

  “Abby?”

  When I looked up, I came face-to-face with Wes, who was standing on the sidewalk across the street. I was disoriented, not really knowing how long I had been walking for. Looking past him, I realized I had ventured to his house unknowingly.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “I…uh…” Embarrassed, I answered, “I don’t know.”

  “Are you okay?” he asked as he crossed the street, stopping just in front of me.

  “Are we having a real conversation?” I shifted uncomfortably.

  “Don’t do that.” His voice pleaded.

  My heart skipped. “Do what?”

  He took both of my shoulders in his hands and squeezed lightly.

  “We’ve never been like this.” He rested his forehead on mine. “I can’t take it.”

  I was forgetting how to breathe. “I didn’t make it this way, Wes. You are the one who left Sandpoint.” I choked back what I really wanted to say. You left me.

  “I know,” he said softly, sliding his hand to the back of my neck now. His pain was evident under his grip.

  After a shared silence, he cleared his throat.

  “You’re still wearing those red Chucks.” The tension dissolved for a moment.

  My cheeks burned. They were old and dirty, but I couldn’t part with them. They reminded me of him. They had survived the accident unscathed.

  “What do you remember from that night?” he inquired.

  Too much and not enough.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “You screaming in pain, me crying, a tree, lots of blood, and…” I wasn’t sure how much more I should say, because the next part I wasn’t sure about, and I didn’t want to come off as completely crazy. I was already unhinged enough.

  “And?” Wes held my gaze with a worried intensity.

  “And…nothing. Nothing else.” I turned away, not knowing if he was believing me. Hungry, murderous obsidian eyes.

  Ben and Zoe were suddenly across the street, staring at us with their own murderous glare.

  “I need to go,” Wes said, annoyed.

  He traced his finger over my lip, lightly taking my chin in his hand and tilting my head up to him. Everything stopped for us—the birds silenced and the twins forgotten. As he moved in closer, my heart raced and my head pounded, a surge of electricity charging through me. His lips stopped just short of mine.

  “Abby,” he whispered, filling my lungs with the sweet smell of his breath.

  “Uh-huh.” Anticipation soared through my veins.

  He leaned over farther. “Be careful,” he said softly into my ear and then turned quickly, racing to his siblings, leaving me in a state of conflicted bliss.

  The Hunter siblings glided back to their house, almost floating. The Hunters had always been pretty private in the community, but I had never noticed how secretive they were. Wes had never invited me to his house, but being so young then, I never really put much thought into it. Now it seemed odd.

  I was finally realizing there was so much I didn’t know about the Hunters. I didn’t care much back then because all I saw was Wes. I didn’t see past him, but there was clearly so much more to him. To his family. I wanted to know everything now. I wanted to know why they left so urgently after my accident and why they came back now.

  A chill swept through me, so I zipped up my jacket and headed back home. My mother was back to knitting, but inside now because of the chill.

  “Kendra called while you were out. Feeling any better?”

  “Define better,” I replied curtly.

  “Look, sweetie, I’m sorry selling your grandpa’s house came as a surprise to you, but what are we going to do with it? We never go into the city, and having renters is a lot of work. We just thought it best to let it go. Maybe you’d like to come pack things up?”

  Pack things up. Like it was that easy to take someone’s life and put it into a securely taped box. “I’d like that. Thanks.”

  Hiding away in my room seemed like the best thing to do. I watched another storm roll in over the mountains. The smell of my grandpa wafted from his jacket. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten about it. He was so proud of it, telling me stories about how he earned each patch, so when he gave it to me I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Had I known he was dying, it probably would have felt different. The jacket had several pockets. Three on the outside and two on the inside. I explored all of them out of sheer boredom, but when my fingers grazed a key, I was surprised. I dug it out, turning it in my palm. Engraved in the key was an infinity symbol. It was familiar, but I couldn’t quite remember why. But I knew this symbol and not from math class.

  “ABBY? ABBY?” KENDRA’S voiced hissed.

  Lifting my head from my desk, I realized I had fallen asleep in class. I had barely slept last night, trying to figure out what was happening with Wes and what that key I found in my grandpa’s jacket opened.

  Everyone was staring at me. Everyone.

  “Miss Rose, do you need to go to the nurse?” Mrs. Knight had her hands on her waist, looking less than thrilled with me.

  “No.” I ducked my head as I slid down in my desk.

  She shook her disapproving head and continued the math problem that I could have sworn she was working on before I fell asleep. Either I was only out for a few seconds or this was one of th
ose five-part word problems that never seemed to end and still had a variable in the answer.

  I shoved my book and notebook into my bag when the bell rang and strode out with Kendra.

  “You were mumbling something about Wes.” Kendra laughed, walking close to me in the noisy hallway.

  I grumbled, mortified, “How loud?”

  “Loud enough.” Her amusement smiled back at me.

  “You’ve been demoted from best friend to casual acquaintance.” She didn’t laugh. “I was kidding, Kendra.”

  She slammed her books into the locker and switched them out for her next class. “It would be funny if it wasn’t true.” Hurt pooled in the corners of her ocean blues.

  I picked at the corner of my math book anxiously. I had been pretty consumed with work. And Wes. I should have called her back yesterday. “I’m sorry. I’ve been drowning in schoolwork and the bistro.” It wasn’t really a lie after all.

  “You’ve always made time for me,” she said more forcefully than I’d ever been on the receiving end before, slamming her locker closed.

  The hallway was emptying quickly, with students deserting their lockers in favor of their next class. I wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Nothing? Really?” Disappointed and betrayed, Kendra stormed off.

  The second bell rang. I was late for English, again.

  IT SEEMED LIKE everyone was avoiding me this week. Kendra barely afforded me a glance, and the only Hunter I saw was Mr. Hunter at the bistro. Penelope even ceased her random comments.

  I wrapped up my Saturday night shift and climbed into my Jeep. I passed my driver’s test with flying colors, so I was on my own now. My dad was apprehensively proud, and my mom was ecstatic. It would seem that my life had resumed its monotonous routine.

  The lights in the bistro turned off, and only the dim parking lights illuminated small circles sporadically around the lot. Employees were required to park in the far corner, and, unfortunately, there were no lights, leaving me in pitch-blackness. Winter was quickly approaching, and the chill had accumulated in my car during my absence. I blasted the heat, revving my engine a couple of times to speed up the warming process. It was only nine, and I didn’t really feel like going home yet, but what other choice did I have?