Lumen Cove

by Dianne Frost

  “She dates so many guys because they ask her,” Kelsey said, giving him a small guilty smile. Alex looked confused. “Like she doesn’t like turning them down. Especially if she doesn’t know them very well. A lot of boys in our class had their first date with Reva because she always said yes. Probably because Ezio always told her she was a pretty girl but she had to remember to be kind because it takes a lot of courage to ask a girl out. He told me that too.”

  “That’s actually…” Alex trailed, his brows drawing as he thought of ditzy, flirty Reva Sarno in an entirely new light. “Very sweet.”

  Kelsey snorted. “Oh yeah it was going great until they got the bright idea to have a Sadie Hawkins dance in eighth grade and every guy she asked turned her down because every guy in seventh and eighth grade was holding out to see who Elizabeth Grath was going to ask. Reva. Was. Livid.” Alex laughed and Kelsey smiled at the memory. “When Elizabeth picked, of all people, Logan, Reva was even more pissed and refused to ask anyone, which meant I couldn’t ask anyone and we just went together. She’s actually very picky now about who she goes out with but you know how reputations go in small towns. She figures she might as well have fun with it.” Kelsey shrugged then shook her head. “All that flirting. She gets away with murder. ”

  “Why don’t you date? Outside of being Reva’s wing woman?”

  “Who says I don’t date?” She asked. Alex blinked at her.

  “You think the gossip mill is bad in the halls? You should hear it in the teacher’s lounge.” Kelsey’s mouth popped open in surprise. Alex nudged her chin for her to close it and kissed her for good measure.

  Kelsey blushed, licking her lips. “I’ve dated, I guess but, I dunno. It always seemed kind of pointless to me. I mean what are the odds of anyone ending up with their high school sweetheart in the long run?”

  Alex narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you sure you’re not 35? Is this some 21 Jumpstreet shenanigans?”

  Kelsey laughed, her eyes dropping to his chest again. “Gram always said that,” she said softly, letting her nail skitter lightly down the center of his chest, a chill running through him at the sensation. “She said I needed to be less practical and not think so much. Always telling me to follow my heart and put myself out there.” Kelsey frowned looking up at him. “Except, I never really understood what that meant. I feel like I’m ‘out there.’ I talk to people. I pursue things that matter to me.”

  Alex tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear, watching her face darken as she pondered this. He had to admit Eleanor was right. Kelsey was practical to a fault and while Hilary assured him over and over again that she was the most creative mathematical mind she’d ever encountered, none of that imagination carried over into everyday life. It was hard for Alex to imagine now that he’d spent the past six years passing her on the beach and in the halls but he understood why. There was nothing remarkable to him about her then. She was just another young face in a sea of young faces. Until suddenly she wasn’t and now she was naked in his bed and he was breaking every rule he’d set for himself and risking his livelihood for what?

  “You’re sure you’re okay with this Kels?” He asked quietly and her face cleared, her eyes looking into his and it was his turn to feel pinned.

  “Yes, Alex,” she said leaning into him and he shivered at the seriousness in her voice. “I’m following my heart.”

  And she kissed him so hard all coherent thought was gone.

  Chapter Nine

  Kelsey strolled leisurely down the boardwalk towards Lumen Cove, breathing in the fresh ocean air and enjoying the warm sun on her face, despite the late October chill. She was blissfully unburdened, for once not having to navigate the landmines of half truths and made up obligations because it was show week for Reva so she was safely ensconced in the Community Center doing run throughs before opening night. Logan was at football practice and Elliot was grounded for missing curfew. It was nice being able to just walk out of the front of the school and head back to The Cove, not having to take a secret route or dodge questions about where she was off to.

  She’d spent the last few weeks in a blissful haze. While most residents of Lambency were grumbling about the onset of winter she remained cheery and unbothered by pretty much anything. Reva was suspicious of her new found optimism but didn’t pester her about it, however Kelsey did catch her looking through her text messages the other day. Luckily Reva didn’t know anything about android devices and Kelsey had installed a hidden messages app almost immediately after she and Alex started dating.

  She scrunched up her nose. Could she really call it dating? Sure they spent the majority of their time together, dinner at his place then snuggled on the couch watching movies that turned into make out sessions which led to the bed more often than not. She couldn’t get enough of him and he often accused her of trying to kill him but he never once turned her down, even when she woke him in the middle of the night and he was half asleep. If she had to pick, that was probably her favorite, slow and lazy with no sense of urgency, just enjoying the feel of each other.

  She trotted down the steps to the beach, the steel colored sky hanging low over a charcoal sea and she wondered if there would be storms tonight. She loved laying against his chest as lightening flashed through the room and the rumble of thunder made him squeeze her tighter in his sleep, a protective gesture that made her chest feel full to the bursting point. She watched down the beach as she rounded the bight and found Lumen Beach deserted but she still hurried along length of the crag until she was safely hidden by the building then climbed the stairs to Alex’s back door.

  The knob turned easily which she smiled at; Alex always left it open for her when he was home and that meant she didn’t have to wait for him. She slipped inside and stepped into the kitchen, dropped her school bag next to the counter and turned to shuck off her coat. She jumped, finding Alex sitting behind his desk looking bewildered by her presence and she laughed, pressing a hand to her chest.

  “Jesus, Lex,” she breathed, continuing to pull off her coat and draped it over the back of one of the barstools. “You startled me.”

  He didn’t say anything, just narrowed his eyes at her as if confused and she gave him a strange look, bending to tug off her boots before walking to stand in front of his desk.

  “How was your dentist appointment?” She asked and he blinked at her before giving her a smile that was all teeth and she laughed at the strangeness of it. “Well, I’m sure you’ll hear about this tomorrow” she said putting her hands on her hips and grinning at him. “But they pulled Cody Algers out of class again to try and catch him with pot somewhere on campus and came up short. I don’t know how he does it but it’s gonna give Vice Principle Danes a stroke here soon if he keeps coming up empty handed.”

  He was still looking at her as if she were an alien, his blue eyes intense but not in their usual serious way. It was beginning to unnerve her.

  “Is everything okay?” She asked, her head tilting to the side and his face smoothed. He nodded his head as his eyes ran over her with interest and she sighed.

  She walked around his desk and he didn’t take his eyes off her, turning in his chair as she came to stand next to him. She felt his body stiffen as she climbed into his lap letting her arms wrap around his neck. The chair wobbled precariously and he planted his feet to steady it. She twisted her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck, studying his face and something was different but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. He rested a hand on her thigh, studying her face in return and amusement danced in his eyes. She looked down at his shirt, a soft gray thing with a Harley Davidson Eagle on the front and she frowned.

  “Where’ve you been hiding this?” she questioned with a laugh, never having pegged him for a Harley guy but she had learned a lot of odd quirks about him over the past few weeks. She loved feeling like she was privy to things no one else was.

  He shrugged, still watching her face and something was definitely off. Maybe his mo
uth hurt. She cupped his cheek with one hand which he jumped at and she leaned in to kiss his lips softly, trying not to apply too much pressure. It was like a shock when their lips touched, something in her brain screaming wrong and she was just about to pull back when she heard the front door open.

  Her head whipped round and her mouth fell open when she saw…Alex, closing the door behind him and bitching as he shuffled through his mail.

  “So, what the fuck is it this time? You need money? You need an alibi, what?”

  Kelsey looked from the Alex by the door to the Alex on whom she was sitting and back again, her brain jamming hard, mouth working around silent syllables of shock. The Alex sitting under her grinned and she scrambled out of his lap as the Alex by the door yelled out.

  “HEY!”

  Kelsey’s back hit the bookshelf as she stumbled to get away, a few frames falling over from the force and the Alex in the chair broke into a bray of laughter that Kelsey had never heard before.

  “You never told your girlfriend you’re a twin?” The Alex in the chair asked through his laughter and Kelsey looked over at the Alex by the door slack-jawed. He was pale, the mail having fallen from his hand to the floor. “Pleasure to meet you darling. I’m Drew.”

  Kelsey felt the other Alex - Drew? - slip his hand into hers and give it a shake, his fingertips smooth and she jerked her hand away, skittering sideways to stand over by the couch. Drew just laughed again and Alex cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck hard as he dipped to pick up the mail.

  “Sorry for giving you such a shock,” Drew said smirking as he spun forward again in his chair. “Lexi never did like admitting we were family but obviously it’s a little hard to deny.” Drew gestured to Alex’s face then his own.

  Kelsey couldn’t help staring at him, everything about him identical to Alex but also distinctly different. His features were an exact match but Kelsey had never seen them situated into the expression that Drew was wearing. His eyes were the same indigo but held much more mirth though underneath Kelsey felt a current of maliciousness she never sensed in Alex.

  “You’re… you’re his brother?” Kelsey stuttered and Drew nodded before looking at Alex.

  “Got you a smart one I see,” Drew teased. Alex glared at him, moving to throw the mail down on the coffee table. “I’m his older brother,” Drew said to Kelsey, “By seven minutes. Twins run in our family. Dad had a twin. Died in Vietnam, really fucked Dad up, which is what I remind my baby bro about every time he threatens to murder me like he’s about to do right now.”

  “I swear to God, Drew,” Alex snarled and Kelsey jumped, never having heard his tone so hateful. She gave him a confused stare and he avoided her eyes.

  “Here look,” Drew said and Kelsey turned to find him pulling an album off the bookshelf and flipping through it. He turned it outward to Kelsey pointing to one of the washed out photographs at the bottom of a page. “That’s dad, Frank Danvers, and his brother, our uncle, Eddie.”

  Kelsey stepped forward to look at the grainy photograph that looked like it’d been run through the 1977 filter. Two young men in navy fatigues with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths leaned against a pile of sandbags that was waist high on what looked like a deck of a ship, an endless ocean in the background. Kelsey took the album in her hands and squinted at the two men, identical as the two men in the room with her right down to the side of their mouth their cigarette was hanging from. The resemblance to Alex - and Drew, she thought - was also striking.

  “Uncle Eddie died two days after that was taken,” Drew said and Kelsey looked up at him finding his face neutral, this news having no impact on him at all. “Dad named the Echo Delta after him. Hey Lex,” Drew said looking to his brother who was glaring at him with obvious dislike. “Where is the ol’ Echo Delt? We should take her out for spin. For old times’ sake. We can both get drunk and take turns yelling at each other about what lousy disappointments we are. It’ll be like Dad’s actually there. You’ll never be able to tell the difference.”

  Drew winked at Kelsey and she looked to Alex with eyebrows drawn to find him looking at the floor.

  “Kels,” he said, his voice thin with tension as he gestured her over and she handed the album back to Drew who took it and began to turn the pages but made no attempt to hide the fact that he was watching them.

  Kelsey’s eyes were asking him a million questions as she stepped up to him and he was refusing to look at her. He put a gentle hand on her lower back and inclined his head towards hers, his mouth next to her ear.

  “Look I have to deal with this,” he said lowly, his eyes flicking to Drew who was smirking at them knowingly and Alex swallowed hard, beginning to edge Kelsey over to the kitchen.

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” Kelsey whispered, her voice a little louder than she intended and Alex winced, taking her coat off the back of the barstool.

  “We will talk about this later I promise.” He nudged her arm so she turned and he was able to help her into her jacket. “I’ll text you,” he said with a finality that left no room for argument as he leaned over to put her boots in front of her, helping her into them awkwardly.

  “You’ll text me?” She asked, trying to keep her balance as he hooked his thumb in the back of her boot to pull it up her leg. She grabbed onto his shoulder as he did the same with her other foot, hesitantly looking at Drew again who was now sitting back in the desk chair, perusing the photo album with mild interest. He looked up then and Kelsey felt sucker punched by the resemblance. As Alex stood he picked up her bag and held it out to her, Kelsey looking to Alex’s face and back to Drew’s feeling like this was all a very strange dream.

  “Yeah,” Alex said and then seeing the look on her face quickly added. “Before I call I mean.” She narrowed her eyes.

  “Nice to meet you Kelsey!” Drew said brightly. “Would love to spend more time with you. Can’t remember the last time Lexi had a steady.”

  Alex made an annoyed sound and blushed when Kelsey looked up at him startled. He grabbed her arm with a little more force than was necessary and ushered her to the door.

  “Alex–“ Kelsey said as the entered the laundry room and he began to open the door.

  “Please Kels, not now okay,” he begged his eyes fatigued in a way she’d never seen before. “I’ll text you. I promise.”

  And with that he nudged her out the door and closed it behind her, leaving Kelsey standing on the landing, dazed and wondering what the hell had just happened.

  “What the fuck are you doing here, Andrew?” Alex asked, his hand still planted on the door and he could hear his brother’s chuckle from the other room.

  “I can’t just want to check on my baby bro?” he asked, the innocence in his voice misleading and Alex growled, returning to the kitchen to find Drew leaned back in his desk chair his hands folded behind his head while he grinned obnoxiously. Drew leaned forward then, standing and stretching. “Didn’t mean to kiss your girl but in my defense she sat down on my lap and initiated,” Drew teased. Alex felt his blood begin to boil, his hands clenching into fists. “This was not a Mallory Benson thing I swear.”

  “What are you doing here, Drew?”

  “You’re not still pissed about that are you?” Drew walked around the desk and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at his brother in concern. “It was…” Drew eyes widened as his cheeks puffed to blow out a slow breath. “…fifteen years ago? I mean, it was an honest mistake on her part. We are identical but I’ll admit that made me finally get why you went for the quiet girls. Wow, she sure wasn’t quiet in the sack-”

  “Andrew!” Alex yelled and his brother’s laugh cut off, his face situating into a wounded frown. “What. Are you. Doing. Here?”

  “I can’t just want to come see you, Alexander? It’s been almost six years. And color me surprised when I find out you moved to Alabama of all fucking places. You seem to be doing all right for yourself though…” Drew looked around with approval and envy though n
o one else would have seen the second emotion except for Alex. “Was that girl your student?” Drew asked suddenly, gesturing towards the laundry room and Alex stiffened, his back went ramrod straight and his face slipped into a blank stare. Drew smirked. “Settle down, Marine I’m not gonna report you. Good for you getting in while the gettin’s good.”

  Alex glared at him, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly. “What do you want?”

  Drew sighed, the humor leaving his face and then it really was like looking in a mirror. “I need a place to crash for a while.”

  “No,” Alex said simply and picked up Drew’s duffle from beside the couch and started to walk it to the door.

  “Come on Alex!” Drew whined following his brother to the front door and leaning on it before Alex could open it. “I’m your brother and I’m homeless. You want me sleeping on the street?”

  “Why are you homeless, Drew?” Alex asked glaring at him. “Last I heard you were in jail for petty larceny. What are you doing here?”

  Drew scoffed. “That was a misunderstanding and that’s why I need to crash with you. I gave your address to my parole officer.”

  Alex looked up at the ceiling, his arms flailing in a way that only happened when Drew was involved. “Why the fuck did you do that?”

  “Because when the parole board asked if I had any family I could stay with to help me stay out of trouble, I naturally told them about my twin brother who was a decorated marine and high school teacher!” Drew’s face went serious and his voice turned mocking. “‘He got all the brains and sense, Officer.’” Drew grinned at him. “Worked like a charm.”

  “I’m sorry, man. You can’t stay here,” Alex said, his tone indicating that he really wasn’t all that sorry and tried to open the door again but Drew nudged it back shut.

  “Look, you know how this goes. I’m not gonna be in your hair for long and as soon as I get a steady job I’ll be in my own place and you can start sleepovers with Lolita again.”