Reason Is You (9781101576151)

by Lovelace, Sharla

  He frowned. “You’re not buying them?”

  “No,” I said, waving a hand in their direction. “I was just messing around.”

  He reached around me and picked them back up.

  “Jason—”

  “Hush.”

  He held them up to my ears again for the mirror, standing behind me so close I felt the goose bumps tickle my skin. “Have you bought yourself anything since you’ve been back here?”

  “Hmph,” Miss Olivia said loud enough for me to hear.

  “Yep, bought some toothpaste day before yesterday.” I turned so that his raised eyebrow of disapproval was up close and personal.

  “Cute.”

  “Yeah, she’s irritating that way,” Miss Olivia said, shoving plastic bags of her purchases into her giant pink one.

  I tried a loving glare, but she just smiled and leaned against the table.

  “I’m good, Jason. I don’t need earrings.”

  “Your earlobes might disagree.” He touched my earlobes as he said it and I thought for a minute they might ignite into flames.

  “Well, they’ll just have to suck it up.”

  He laughed and handed the earrings back to the guy, leaning into me as he did it. I got a delicious whiff of him that made my insides go a little wiggly. He hooked an arm around my neck and led me away, squeezing Miss Olivia’s hand as he did. She winked at me. Oh lord.

  “Subtle,” I said softly.

  “What?”

  “You just slipped her money to buy them.”

  He looked wounded. For about two seconds. “You make it really tough to do something nice for you.”

  I laughed. “Sorry. Guess I’m not used to it.”

  Jason pulled my head to him and kissed the top of it. It stopped me. Intimacy in public was something way outside my box. My feet stopped and I looked up into eyes that already had me figured out.

  “Relax,” he said softly.

  A thumb ran across my cheek, and I couldn’t look away. He understood me. And yet he knew nothing about me. He dropped a soft kiss on my lips followed by the sexiest grin I’d ever seen.

  My stomach flipped over, and I tried not to want to do the girly scream as we walked on. There were children around, after all. But my giddiness was short-lived. Because right in front of me, sitting on the hood of an old car, was Alex.

  I never expected him to be out there. Too much contact potential. I must have tensed or stopped or choked or something, because Jason’s head turned quickly.

  “You okay?”

  My mouth worked and I couldn’t quite form the words. Alex’s expression hit me to the core. Raw. Pain. The last time—the only other time—I’d seen that on him was when he was talking about Alyssa’s death. My head suddenly filled with that loud wind again, and I shook it away and pleaded with my eyes for him to understand.

  “Dani?” Jason said, shaking my shoulder.

  “I’m—sorry,” I managed, breaking eye contact with Alex. “I—”

  “Well, wasn’t that sweet?”

  It was a smart-ass drawl I knew in my sleep just by the level of skin crawl. Shelby and her equally obnoxious husband approached, her carrying a bag of jar candles, him carrying a beer.

  “I had no idea y’all were a couple now,” Shelby said, smiling with all but her eyes. They darted back and forth between us, pissed off.

  “I could say the same,” I said, glancing around them. Alex was gone. Damn it. “Never seen the two of you actually together.”

  Matty ignored us and scanned the crowd, letting his eyes fall to the ass of a twentysomething walking by. Always after the strange.

  “I thought you were fishing the tournament,” Jason said, pulling Matty’s attention back.

  “Fish were crap the other day,” he said. “We decided it wasn’t worth the time.”

  “The boys, either?”

  Matty shrugged. “Not sure what Carson’s kids are doing, they probably bailed, too. Storm’s coming, anyway.”

  Yes, it was. I rubbed my arms, suddenly itchy as uneasiness blanketed me.

  Shelby caught a glimpse of someone better and excused herself. Matty turned to follow her, but not before giving me what I’m sure he thought was a sexy once-over. I pulled Jason away before Matty’s slow response time could even register I’d vacated the spot.

  Dad and Jiminy walked up to our right, and I couldn’t miss the expression of curiosity on my dad’s face.

  “Nathaniel Shane,” he said as they approached and I said nothing, reaching across me to shake Jason’s hand.

  “Oh my God, I’m sorry. Dad, this is Jason, my—” I looked up at him, looking for a description. “Boss?”

  Jason laughed and pumped his hand heartily, thank goodness. “Jason Miller, good to meet you, Mr. Shane.”

  “You must be the new honcho at the bait shop that Marg has told me about.”

  “Uh, I’m pretty sure Marg just humors me, sir. She lets me think I’m the boss, but we all really work for her.”

  Jiminy chuckled. “Isn’t that the truth?”

  Dad laughed, his eyes lighting up. “Where’s Riley?” he asked me. “She hanging out with her boss, too?”

  “Cute.”

  He winked at me and gave Jason an approving nod. The best he could do, I’m sure. Meeting up with my love life wasn’t something he’d had much experience with.

  “She’s with Grady.”

  I pulled my hair back and twisted it up with a hair band I had on my wrist. It was hot, yes, but it was more about stress. It felt like my blood was on a switch that someone kept flipping, changing the direction at will. I ran a hand over my face, wiping away the light sheen of sweat.

  I was uneasy. Alex had seen me kiss Jason. That hurt my heart and I felt the urge to talk to him. And not just for that. For whatever else was going on. Whatever the hell else was behind the secrets and the walls and the noises and the feelings I kept getting and my feelings for him that kept igniting in weird ways and Sarah and my computer and my mother. There were just so many unanswered questions. And besides all that, I missed him. I missed my best friend.

  And something was bugging the crap out of me with Riley. Something familiar. It was making me a nervous jumping bean that she wasn’t in my sights. And that wasn’t normal. Nothing was normal.

  Jason and I walked along, but I didn’t register much. I kept looking for either of them, Riley or Grady. Something to ease the acidic dance my stomach was doing. Then I heard it. What my subconscious knew was coming, but I’d forgotten the signs. The feeling of everything being off.

  The laughter. Not happy laughter or even an emotional release. But the bitter, evil, merciless sound of group hate. My eyes and skin burned in unison as I jolted toward the sound and left Jason behind. Not far.

  I rounded the kiosk selling the sandwich I’d never see and nearly took down a small redheaded girl watching from outside a circle of people. She wasn’t laughing with the others. She was tearful. And she was dead.

  The brief contact with me made us both gasp. Kind of like sticking a paper clip in a light socket, and I had to catch my breath. But I’d seen her confusion and regret in that instant, and I knew she’d asked Riley for help.

  Don’t talk to strangers.

  Seven or eight teenagers were gathered to pounce on my girl with the taunts and ugly ignorance I knew too well. She was alone; I didn’t see Grady anywhere. She was standing stiff and defiant, jutting that chin out and flashing her eyes, but it got quiet when Carson’s son Drew zeroed in.

  “I’m sorry,” the redheaded girl said softly, backing away. I held a hand up.

  “It’s okay.”

  Five heads swiveled my way as I let my guard down by speaking to the girl they couldn’t see.

  “What’s okay?”

  I turned to Jason’s questioning gaze, then back to the group in front of me that for a moment forgot about Riley.

  “That’s her mom,” whispered a pretty brunette to a girl I recognized as Micah, Shelby’s
daughter. Micah nodded but was less interested in me than she was in the fact that her boyfriend was making a spectacle of hitting on Riley.

  “Drew, come on,” she said, scooping a stray blonde lock behind her ear. Her eyes darted to a few of her friends and there was a crinkle above her nose. “Who cares what she did. Let’s go.”

  He was clearly oblivious to her request, because as Riley attempted to walk around him, Drew stepped in her path, grabbing her around the waist and whispering something that included a tongue wag.

  In that one action, I flashed backward twenty-five years. To Matty in the nurse’s office. Blaine behind the stairwell. Carson and his groupies at the party, and nightmare school days too numerous to count. Everything glazed over, coupled with the whispers echoing in my ears. I rushed forward to stop history from repeating itself. But Riley beat me to it.

  She slapped his face so hard, even I jumped, stopping in mid-step. Wow. I never did that. Micah sucked in an audible breath at the sharp pop of hand against face.

  “Get your fucking hands off me,” Riley said, her voice low and trembling.

  Drew’s face twisted in shock and embarrassment, and he grabbed Riley’s arm and yanked her against him.

  “What the hell’s going on here?”

  I turned toward the voice I recognized as Carson’s, but the view of him became a blur as Grady morphed from behind me, newly purchased pork kabobs and boudain balls flying in his wake as he lunged at Drew. He had him pinned against the back of a giant wobbly plastic ice cream cone before anyone could react.

  “Touch her again, and I’ll break your fucking hands,” he spat.

  Drew’s face mirrored Riley’s for shock value. Shrieks and oh-my-Gods charged the air and pulled him back into action. Red-faced, he shoved back at Grady, moving him a foot or so with his bulk, but that just gave Grady leverage to slam Drew backward again.

  “Drew!” Micah cried.

  “Bring it, pretty boy,” Drew hissed. “I’ll mess up that face of yours. See if she wants to fuck you then.”

  Grady grabbed him by his neck, but Drew slammed a hand up under Grady’s jaw. Jason was suddenly there, pulling them apart, and I realized I hadn’t moved.

  “Come on, Grady. It’s not worth it,” Jason said through his teeth.

  But Drew was hell-bent on making it worth it. As Jason pulled Grady backward, Drew blew a kiss to Riley.

  “Yeah, I’ll show that cunt what a real man is.”

  “Drew!” Micah yelled, this time in anger.

  She looked like she wanted to pelt him herself. Grady broke free, however, and beat her to it, coming across Drew’s face with a hard right hook. Jason scrambled to restrain Grady as all hell broke loose. Girls screamed, Carson rushed in to extract his moronic son, and I yanked Riley by the arm and pulled her out of the way just as Drew spat blood in Grady’s face.

  “Jesus, Carson, control your kid!”

  It was out of my mouth before I could put any logical thought behind it. Carson had Drew around the chest, straining with the exertion, but he had enough energy to fix me with a sneer.

  “Control yours, you bitch. She started this.”

  “What?” Riley yelled.

  I held on to her and she was trembling. I saw Grady’s eyes glaze over and Jason tighten his grip.

  “She can’t help it, Carson.”

  It was Matty’s voice. We all wheeled around as Matty and Shelby Sims strode up like king and queen of the prom. Shelby went straight to Micah’s side.

  “Coach, he jumped me,” Drew slurred through his bloody mouth.

  “It’s okay, son, he’s trash,” Matty said, smiling and patting Drew’s shoulder. “Just like what he hangs with.” He took a swig of his beer.

  “Excuse me?” My voice didn’t sound like mine, but all eyes turned to me so apparently it was.

  “Exactly,” Shelby chimed in. Micah looked at her with confusion and unmistakable embarrassment.

  “Watch your mouth, Sims,” Jason said through his teeth to Matty. “This doesn’t involve you, but if you keep talking about Riley like that, it will.”

  Matty laughed. “I’d say it doesn’t involve you, but I forgot you’re banging her mother.” He took another swallow of beer and I felt my ears go hot. “Like I said, the little whore can’t help it, it’s in the genes.”

  Everything boiled and a lifetime of repressed rage bubbled to the surface. I was around Riley and smashing my hand across Matty’s face before I even realized it. I heard Riley gasp along with about twenty others, but no one had time for a second one because Jason shoved Grady aside and slammed a fist into Matty’s nose.

  “Shit!” I yelped as blood spurted everywhere, jumping back and pulling Riley with me.

  “Oh my God, Mom,” I heard her whimper, but I didn’t have the chance to look at her.

  Matty’s bottle hit the ground and shattered, he swung back and missed, and Jason hit him again, bringing him down.

  “You asshole!” screamed Shelby, running to her husband. “He’s unconscious! And you!” she continued, thrusting a finger at me. “This is all your fault. You and your psycho babbling to people that aren’t there. You’re a fucking lunatic and she is, too.”

  “Mom, shut up,” Micah said, tears in her eyes and in her voice.

  I felt like I was in the center of hell with Riley, and everyone around us had torches. Carson released his son in the chaos, who then shoved Grady from behind. Grady whirled around and it was about to be on again when a voice boomed across the ruckus.

  “Enough!”

  It was like God commanded the air, and everyone jumped. But I knew who possessed that voice. And that tone.

  Chapter 16

  “POP,” Riley whispered, and she ran to him, her eyes red with tears and fury. He wrapped her up in his arms and kept moving, pointing at Carson with his free hand as he nodded toward the dysfunctional family scene on the ground.

  “Get that idiot up and out of here,” he said, his voice gruff.

  Carson grabbed his son by the shirt and half dragged him behind him to help Matty up as he stirred. A whimpering Shelby moved out of the way. Drew tried to help Micah up and she elbowed his hand away.

  Matty wobbled to his feet, shoving hands aside. “You son of a bitch,” he growled, heading toward Jason. But my dad moved Riley behind him and stepped in front of Matty, making him stumble back a step. Matty pointed around him at Jason.

  “You’re mine, Miller,” he croaked. “You broke my fucking nose. I’ll sue you for that.”

  “I don’t think so,” Jiminy said, walking up next to Dad.

  Matty gave him a look. “What?”

  “You heard me,” Jiminy said, his voice flat. For a small man, there was power there.

  Dad pointed at Matty. “You and your pathetic wife.” Shelby scoffed and he turned then to include anyone in his line of vision. “All you people. You’re toxic.”

  My eyes burned, and I pulled Riley to me. She felt stiff. I looked at her and she looked numb.

  “My family has never done a thing to any of you, but you’ve made my daughter’s life a living hell from the time she was old enough to remember.” He spun around. “Now you’re poisoning your kids to do the same thing to Riley. They have a gift. So what.”

  I felt Riley suck in a breath and I was already holding mine. We were being outed. Behind an enormous ice cream cone.

  “They can see people after they die.”

  “Oh shit,” Riley muttered, and I closed my eyes as the murmurs hummed.

  When I opened them, Jason and Grady were staring at us, questions and surprise on their faces. Dad turned to us with tears in his eyes, the white of his beard in sharp contrast to his flushed skin. He wasn’t one for the spotlight.

  I felt the familiar prickle on my skin, one that I instantly knew wasn’t the redheaded girl. But I was too stunned by my dad’s expression and Jason’s eyes boring into me to look for Alex.

  “Who cares?” Dad said softly. “You’ll pay to see movies
about things like this, but when it’s real people, you treat them like lepers? Are you that small-minded?”

  The whispers stopped. It felt like the very air stopped—heavy and thick. I couldn’t look at the faces. I couldn’t focus on anything but my dad and the shaking that I wasn’t sure came from me or from Riley. Then the droplets began, echoing on the metal roofs around us. It seemed to break the shocking quiet and even diffused the charged heat of the moment.

  People started to move again. Quieter, as if sound might bring attention to them instead of us. Micah left her parents and walked away. Matty and Shelby went the other direction, not looking at each other. Everyone else wandered off, trying not to make eye contact with me.

  Everyone except Dad, who looked defeated. And Jason and Grady, looking stunned. Jiminy stood with his shoulders spread and his back to us, staring everyone down as they walked away, like a guard.

  The raindrops became steadier, drumming out a dance around us, causing steam to rise from the hot pavement. Riley pulled free and pivoted to face me, anger and hurt in her reddened eyes. Her face was wet with rain and tears.

  “We have to leave here,” she said, her voice hoarse.

  I blinked free tears that had been burning and took a couple of steadying breaths, not trusting my voice.

  “It doesn’t stay in Bethany, Riley. It comes with us,” I finally said.

  “The people don’t.”

  She stormed off, pulling away from my grasp.

  “Riley.”

  But my voice was lost behind the frogs in my throat, as stuck as my feet were. I could feel eyes on me. Eyes I couldn’t meet yet. I was too afraid of what I’d see. And there were whispers in the raindrops, falling from those heavy clouds. Whispers I couldn’t make out.

  “Let her go,” Dad said softly.

  I looked at him as his eyes followed her. He looked all wise with rain dripping off his hat, but his shoulders gave him away, stooped and spent.

  “I’ll go after her,” Grady said. I touched his arm as he tried to pass me without looking my way.

  “Grady, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” he said gruffly, then he faltered. His eyes met mine only for a second, then all the anger, hurt, and bewilderment were turned back to the pavement. “She could have told me, you know. Why didn’t she tell me?”