by Sarah Ripley
Amber rushed to my rescue. “If she gets on the plane there’s not much you can do to stop her.”
“She won’t be getting on a plane because she’s not going.”
The table became quiet. Claire turned her empty drink cup around in her fingers. Amber played with her hair. Kian looked out the window and studied the parking lot. Eugene suddenly noticed something interesting on his laptop. I stared at Connor and he crossed his arms and stared at the table.
Claire finally managed to be the first to think of something to say.
“So you’re staying at the motel?” she asked Kian. “Which one? Thelma’s?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t that right by your Dad’s shop?” Amber asked. “That’s where you met, right? Lucky you, Mai, you’re there all the time.”
Whoops. Connor’s eyes narrowed and I instantly knew he’d be showing up more during my work shifts.
“I need to use the bathroom,” I said. I had to untangle myself from my boyfriend’s arms in order to get up. Once inside, I locked the door and sat down on the toilet seat. This wasn’t working well at all. Connor was obviously threatened and he was doing whatever it took to show Kian that he was with me. In any other circumstances I’d probably be flattered, except I didn’t really like being pawed like that.
I probably wasn’t being very fair to Connor either. He was seeing the new guy as his enemy and it didn’t help that I’d introduced Kian to all of our friends and that they liked him. I was making him out to be the bad guy and it wasn’t deliberate.
There had to be some sort of middle ground in which we could work with. If I could convince Connor that there wasn’t a threat he might back off a bit. Getting up off the toilet I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes looked back at me. It was amazing how two tiny orbs could say so much without speaking a word.
Was there something for him to be worried about?
There. I asked it. The big question.
Yes, there was something there. The moment of truth was upon me. I had to admit it and once I stopped lying to myself I’d be able to move on and settle this problem for good. There was nothing wrong with it. Plenty of people were attracted to others while in committed relationships. A little window shopping was healthy.
I loved Connor. I knew this with all my heart.
But there was something about Kian that I couldn’t understand. The underlying notion that I’d known him my entire life was strong. Whenever he touched me, my body went into convulsions from imaginary sparks that I knew couldn’t be real. My stomach filled with turbulence every single time he glanced in my direction. But it went beyond that too. I was comfortable with him in ways I wasn’t with Connor.
How was any of that possible? I’d known Kian for less than a week.
I’d been with Connor for four years. We’d grown up together. I wasn’t about to give that up on some boy I’d just met. But he wasn’t making this easy on me. His actions were pushing me away. He’d never acted this jealous before but he’d never been put in such a situation either.
How many excuses could I make for him before I finally opened my eyes?
Was this a side of Connor I’d never seen before but had always been there? Was this going to be my life if I continued dating him? What would happen if I made that decision to go to university? Would I have to explain my actions every time I talked to a new man? It didn’t sound very enjoyable.
Something had to be said. I needed to make it clear to him that if he was going to continue this way he’d end up losing me. Not because of Kian but because of him.
Back at the table, Connor instantly tried to put his arm around me again but this time I shrugged him off and deliberately pushed my chair away from him. Claire immediately noticed and thankfully decided to take action.
“It’s getting late,” she said and she began to gather up her books. “I’ve got a big test tomorrow and I should probably head for home. Are you coming, Amber?”
“What? Ok.” The disappointment was heavy on her face. She wanted to ask more questions.
“We should go too,” I said.
Kian got up from the table and so did Connor. They both stood there glaring at each other.
“Thank you so much for the coffee and the conversation,” Kian said politely as he put on his jacket.
“Thank you,” Claire said. “For all the info on Europe. You’ve seen so much. I’m jealous.”
“Yes,” Amber said. “You have to do it again. We meet here almost every night.”
Eugene shook Kian’s hand. He’d barely said two words the entire evening. He was stuck. It was obvious that he liked Kian but didn’t want to appear too noticeable since he was Connor’s best friend.
I ignored the anger that was coming off of my boyfriend in waves and walked around the table. “See you,” I said and then I lowered my voice so no one else could hear. “I’m glad you came.”
“Me too,” he whispered. And then he waved to my friends and left.
* * *
Connor didn’t say a word at first. I was busy trying to think of the right way to approach him when he pulled the car over a few blocks away from Bean Town. Keeping his hands on the steering wheel, he turned to look at me.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said.
“Done what?”
“Brought him. You shouldn’t have done it. He made me look like a fool. Why’d you have to introduce him to our friends? He’s not part of us.”
This was weird. This wasn’t my boyfriend. Connor was a fun guy who laughed at my jokes and held my hand when we took long walks in the summer evenings. He was the one who gave me jars of sand and convinced his mother to let us into the community centre after hours.
This person was a stranger.
“You’re joking, right?” I finally said.
“No. I don’t want you hanging out with him anymore.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“I’m your boyfriend.”
“You don’t own me.”
Connor slammed his fist down on the dashboard, making me jolt upwards in my seat. There was only one thing to do now. I reached down and gathered up my backpack from between my legs. I opened the car door and climbed out.
“You aren’t fooling anyone,” Connor said. “I see the way you look at each other.”
“Oh? And how’s that?”
“You look at him like you’ve all ready slept with him.”
I slammed the door as hard as I could.
Tires spinning, Connor put the car in gear and sped off into the darkness. I managed to keep the tears away until he turned the corner and I knew he was completely gone.
I sat down on the curb and cried.
Seven
“Are you OK?”
Kian sat down beside me and stretched his long legs out onto the snowy road. I hadn’t heard him coming but that was fine. I didn’t ask him how he knew this was going to happen, or how he knew I’d end up stranded in the middle of town, but none of that mattered. I was just glad he was there.
The tears wouldn’t let up so I continued to sob for a while. Eventually I managed to wipe my face with my glove and try to make myself presentable. My mascara was probably halfway down my cheeks and my eyes must have been puffy and looking like raccoons but it didn’t really matter. I sniffled twice. During this time Kian had patiently waited for me to finish. There was a deep grove in the snow from where he’d absently dug a hole with his shoe.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have put you through all of that. Connor acted like a complete idiot. I knew it was going to happen but I tried anyway.”
“I’m not complaining.”
“Amber and Claire liked you,” I muttered. “You must think I’m such a fool to be dating a guy like him.”
“Nope, not even close.”
“He’s not usually like that.”
“I’m sure he isn’t.”
“How did you know I was here?”
/>
“I was worried about you,” he said. “I decided to follow you to make sure everything was cool. My cars just down the street. I hope you’re not mad at me. If you want, I can stop coming around. Maybe that would be better for everyone.”
“No,” I said. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Anytime.”
“Can we go someplace?”
* * *
We went to the gas station and Kian waited patiently while I washed my face to try and get rid of some of the puffiness. The fluorescent lights hurt my eyes and made me look faded but I suppose there wasn’t much I could do about it. Afterwards I treated him to some hot chocolate and we got into his car and Kian suggested we go back to the motel.
“Thelma gave me the spare key to her library,” he said with a sly smile. “She’s thrilled that there’s someone else in this town who loves old books. Besides you of course.” He altered his voice and made it all high and breathy just like Thelma. “You get yer butt in there and have some adventures. Them books just collecting dust right now. You’d best give them a run for their money before they become nothing but memories.”
“That’s Thelma,” I said. “She talks about books like they’re holy.”
“They are,” he said. “They’re the makings of history, even the fiction.”
“History is inaccurate,” I said, reciting what Marley often said. “Books are only written by the educated males or those in positions of power. It’s a very one sided skew.”
“Very true,” he said. “It’s always the winners who write the outcome, never the losers. There are some wars, which with different endings, might have made the past and the future very different.”
“You should meet my Dad’s girlfriend,” I said. “She’d love you. She’s got a MA in history. She studied at Cambridge.”
“Sounds like she’s influenced you. Told you lots of stories about the UK?”
I smiled. “Yeah, she got me interested in wanting to go there a few years ago. She talks a lot about England. About how the fog rolls in across the hills and it’s like being in the middle of a bowl of pea soup. I really want to see London. The old buildings. The museums. The theatre. There’s just so much culture there. I’d like to live somewhere like that.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “There’s got to be some culture in Addison.”
“Once a year the church puts on a pageant. Oh and there’s the community centre. I’ve heard they teach Painting 101.”
“I saw a listing for a book club at the grocery store,” Kian said.
Although it was more depressing than funny, I laughed so hard that I nearly choked on my hot chocolate.
“I just want some excitement,” I finally said. I glanced out the passenger window as we drove down the main street. All the shops were closed and the lights were off. Two shops offering ski and snowboard equipment. An insurance company. A clothing store that sold overpriced merchandise designed for older women. A dollar store. Three restaurants: two hamburgers, one Chinese food. There were other stores but they mostly just blurred together into one long line of decal covered windows and doors with chimes that dinged when you walked in.
Thelma’s motel was dark when we pulled into the parking lot. It wasn’t that late, only a bit after nine, but the No Vacancy sign was on so either Thelma had retired early for the night or she’d gone out to play cards with her friends. Either way she wasn’t planning on doing any more business that evening.
“Hold on,” I said as I got out of the car. “I left my Biology text over at the shop. I might as well grab it now since I’m here.”
“OK.”
I pulled my keys out and dangled them in my hand as we walked. As we approached the door, the temperature in the air suddenly dropped. The wind, which was blowing hard against my face suddenly died away as if someone had flicked off the switch. My boots crunched in the snow, the noise loud and suddenly foreign. I paused.
Something was wrong.
Kian stiffened, his hand shot out and found my arm. Electricity pulsated through my body, forcing my toes to curl in their boots. It pushed its way through my veins and a cold stream drenched my back that had nothing to do with the weather. I opened my mouth but nothing came in or out. The simple act of breathing suddenly escaped me. I think my heartbeat stopped. It was as if someone had suddenly forced my fingers into an electrical socket, only there was no pain. My body vibrated.
“Do you feel that?” I whispered.
“What? What is it?” Kian pulled on my arm, drawing me towards him. Our jackets touched. His voice was breathy. Urgent. “What do you feel?”
Something was out there. Energy. It blew in from all around us, pushing me in towards the shop window. The lights inside the shop flickered, went dead and then turned back on. I could hear the security system start to beep through the closed door. I had to get in and put in my code or it was going to activate. My keys dropped from my fingers. I bent down to pick them up but it was taking forever. Everything had gone into slow motion.
The moment I unlocked the door, Kian pushed against me, shoving me inside so quickly, I banged my elbow against the door. He didn't even apologise. Instead, he slammed the door and turned the lock before I even managed to punch in the security code. I pressed the buttons but the machine kept flashing.
"I don't know if that'll work," I said. "I'd better call the company."
The lights in the shop surged again and everything went dark.
"Are you still feeling it? The energy?"
Headlights lit up the shop in front of us. They were blinding, I couldn’t tell where they were coming from. A car’s engine revved, tires squealed, and suddenly Kian had me by the collar of my jacket and he was pulling me behind the counter.
I fell forward onto my knees, smacking my already sore arm against the wall. I couldn't see anything through the darkness. Kian pressed hard against me, covering my body with his own.
There was a terrible crashing noise. Glass splintered and the alarm sounded. Something flew through the air and hit the wall behind us. Lights flickered. Kian yanked me to my feet, pulling me up with his arms.
That's when I realised the shop was on fire.
Smoke rapidly was filling up the small room. I coughed, blinking back tears as my eyes began to burn.
“We have to get out of here," Kian shouted. "Is there a back door?"
I nodded and pointed towards the backroom. But there was a slight problem. The door was engulfed with flames. So were all the auto manuals piled on the bookshelf beside it.
I looked towards the front window, wondering if we could go that way. Bright headlights blocked the exit. I couldn't see anything through all that light. A shadow moved to the side and suddenly a huge fireball was coming straight for us.
I froze. Kian didn't.
He grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the flaming back room. More glass shattered behind us. I saw the 'Addison's Auto Body Shop' sign dangle precariously before toppling to the ground.
“The shop!”
“Forget it,” Kian said. “We have to leave.” He yanked on my sore arm and stars burst like fireworks in front of my eyes.
We raced through the back room in the darkness. I slammed into the shelves before getting my bearing. Kian didn't know where to go. He'd never been in the back room and it was a little tricky. There were lots of doors. Dad's office, the garage entrance, closets, and even a bathroom. I had to take control or we'd never get out of here. Smoke was filling the air rapidly. Soon neither of us would be able to breathe.
"This way," I said. It was my turn to drag Kian. I led him around the corner towards the toilets and to where the 'exit' sign burned in the darkness.
Energy continued to coarse through my body and I tried to tell myself that this was what being in shock felt like.
"Get behind me," Kian said. He unlocked the door and stepped out, pulling me into the cold. The backyard was empty. "Come on. Head for the motel. Run. Don't stop."
We ran.<
br />
Micah met up with us halfway. Wearing only a pair of jeans and no shirt or shoes, he stopped to check on us. He must have been freezing but there was nothing in his body movement to suggest it. No shivering. He didn’t even seem to notice his feet as they sunk into the snow.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Company,” Kian said.
Micah stiffened. The building alarm screamed in the background. The security company was probably on the phone with Dad right about now.
“They're still in the front,” Kian said.
“Get her inside,” Micah said. “I’ll check on it.”
And then he disappeared into the night and Kian was dragging me the rest of the way across the lot. I looked back, Dad's shop was engulfed in flames. They lit up the night, melting away all the snow.
Once inside the motel, Kian pulled me through the kitchen and down one of the hallways which I recognized immediately as being one of Thelma’s personal corridors. Using his key, he unlocked the library shoved me inside. I was still dazed and didn’t even try to fight him. Sitting seemed like a good idea.
“Stay here,” he said. “Promise me you won’t move.”
“Why?” I muttered. “What’s wrong? Why can’t I...”
“Promise me!” His eyes glowed with intensity.
“OK,” I said.
Then he was gone and I was alone.
I dug through my backpack, searching for my phone but I couldn’t find it. I wanted to call Dad and let him know. He was probably on his way down as I sat there feeling completely helpless. Did anyone know that I had witnessed it? Was Dad even thinking about me? As far as he knew I was still at the coffee shop doing my homework like a good girl. I stood up and went to the window but it faced the back of the motel and all I could see was another parking lot and more trees. There were no other cars around and the streetlamps let off an orange glow that gave the surrounding area a dark, grey shine.
Everything was so wide open and isolated.
And the people moving in the bushes off to the side weren’t my imagination.
I pulled back from the window, suddenly acutely aware of just how exposed I was. Yanking the heavy curtains closed, I stepped backwards until I was in the middle of the room. A few seconds passed that felt like hours.