Atone

by Wendi Wilson

  Wyatt’s hand flies out and punches Jett in the shoulder. “Of course, we can. What the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets.”

  “Thanks,” Savanna says. “I have a few things I need to get and besides, hanging out at the mall like normal teenagers who don’t have a maniac after them sounds like heaven.”

  Jett’s face softens. “Sounds like fun.”

  “Liar,” she laughs, “but I appreciate the effort.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Beckett states. “Savanna, you should probably get dressed first.”

  She looks down at herself and laughs. She’s wearing pajamas with an extremely tight football shirt over them.

  “Oh, thank God,” I declare, trying to be funny. “I was trying to figure out how to tell you I couldn’t be seen in public with you like that.”

  “Ha. Ha. Ha,” Savanna mutters, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’ll be right back.”

  Savanna and the boys leave to change, and I head to the bathroom to do the same. When we all meet back in the living room, I’m dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and an ivory sweater with three-quarter sleeves that compliments my light brown skin and black corkscrew curls.

  As we file out of the house, the boys’ jokes make Savanna and I laugh. I realize that I feel comfortable for the first time in… forever. I don’t know why they’ve decided to forgive me and let me into their close-knit group after all I’ve done, but I know I’ll never take their inclusion for granted.

  And I’ll never lose their trust again.

  14

  Our time at the mall is… interesting. After grabbing some fruity iced drinks, we wander along the path that leads from one end of the building to the other. The boys take turns going into each store with Savanna, and I’m not sure how I feel about it, at first.

  She heads into a clothing store, Wyatt hot on her heels, while I peer into the display windows of the nearby stores. I glance surreptitiously at Beckett and Jett, unable to understand their willingness to share Savanna’s affection. Beckett comes to stand beside me, and I carefully broach the subject.

  “So,” I say, peering at him from below my eyelashes, “how does it work?”

  “How does what work?”

  I look over my shoulder to see Jett plop down onto a stone bench, but I can tell by his face he heard my question. He’s staring at me with one eyebrow arched and narrowed eyes. I decide to ignore him. I’d much rather deal with Beckett. He seems sweet.

  “Your relationship with Savanna. How do you do it?” I pause for a second and add, “How can you stand to share?”

  He stares at me for a moment, his face stern and I fight my natural instinct to shy away. Keeping my face blank and judgement-free, I maintain eye contact and wait patiently for him to answer.

  “We all love her,” he says, his voice low, “and she loves us. All three of us. Equally.”

  I nod. “I get that. But… don’t you get jealous?”

  The corners of his mouth tick up. “It was hard, at first. Wyatt, especially had a hard time keeping his jealousy under control.”

  “And now?” I ask.

  He takes a moment to answer, like he’s searching for the right words to make me understand. He opens and closes his mouth a couple of times before Jett’s voice startles me and I spin to find him standing directly behind me.

  “Now, we know how special what we have with her is. We won’t let petty jealousies or outside opinions threaten that bond.”

  That last bit sounds like a warning. I open my mouth to defend myself, but Beckett speaks before I can.

  “It’s not like we’re having wild group orgies, or anything.”

  I laugh. The twinkle in his eyes tells me that was his intent, to break the tension. I look back at Jett to see him roll his eyes.

  “I never thought that,” I say, sobering. “And I’m not being judgmental, either. I just want to understand. Polyamory is not something I’ve ever come into contact with and I find it… fascinating.”

  I didn’t realize those words were true until they leave my mouth. I do find it intriguing, not that I’d ever enter into a group relationship, myself. It’s just too strange.

  We end the conversation and move to wait in front of the shop doors for Savanna and Wyatt. As they emerge, I notice Savanna’s lips are red and plump, and Wyatt’s mouth looks just as ravished.

  My eyebrows raise of their own volition. They were totally making out inside the store. Nice.

  I look over at Jett and Beckett and, while I see them staring pointedly at first Wyatt, then Savanna, they don’t mention the evidence of their activities. Jett takes Savanna’s hand and asks her where she wants to go next.

  She claims she needs to hit the bath and body store for some hair products, and we start shuffling toward a store we spotted earlier. The fact that no one seems upset or uncomfortable amazes me. I know they said they each appreciate their own relationship with her and don’t really get jealous, but seeing it firsthand makes it real.

  They really are making this work.

  Wyatt announces that he’s starving, so he, Beckett and I head on toward the food court after promising to get Savanna and Jett some food. The area is crowded, but the line for the pizza-by-the-slice place is not too long. By tacit agreement, the three of us head that way and order several slices of pepperoni.

  We find two empty tables and slide them together and, to my surprise, Wyatt slips into the chair to my left while Beckett sits across from me. There are three other empty chairs he could have chosen and by sitting next to me, he shows that he’s not put off by my presence.

  That small action is really considerate, further convincing me that I made the right choice by forsaking Brother Earl and the Purist church.

  Wyatt reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a small metal flask. Unscrewing the cap, he takes a sip. His eyes drift closed with pleasure and I squirm a little in my seat.

  Is that booze?

  He’s underage, it’s the middle of the day, we’re in a public place and he’s drinking? My thoughts flash to Savanna and I wonder if she knows Wyatt has alcohol on him. I snap back to the present as Wyatt passes the flask across the table to Beckett, who accepts it and takes a swig.

  My shock must be visible on my face, because Beckett shoots me an apologetic look as he screws the lid on and passes the flask back to Wyatt.

  “Sorry,” he murmurs. “We need it, but we try to make it as inconspicuous as possible.”

  That’s when it hits me. It’s not liquor. It’s blood. My face contorts into a grimace against my will.

  “If it grosses you out so much, we can go sit somewhere else,” Wyatt says, a frown transforming his usually smiley face.

  “No!” I shout, sitting up straight in my chair. I flinch at the volume of my voice and lower it. “It’s not that,” I say, my tone pleading for them to believe me. “It’s just…”

  “It’s just, what?” Beckett asks, his voice gentle.

  “I mean, sure, I’m not going to lie,” I admit, “people drinking blood in front of me is weird.” An awkward laugh titters out of me. “But that’s not why I had that reaction. It just shocked me, is all. I guess… I forgot for a minute.”

  “Forgot what?” Wyatt asks.

  “That you’re Alts.”

  Wyatt’s grin returns and it’s infectious. I can feel my own lips turning up at the corners.

  “So you see us as regular people after an hour at the mall?” he quips.

  “Yeah. I guess so.”

  “You hear that, Beck? All we have to do to get norms to accept us is to take them shopping.”

  Beckett rolls his eyes at his brother’s antics before turning his attention to me. “It wasn’t that long ago that you hated us for what we are.”

  My grin falters at his softly spoken words. He’s right. I hated them based solely on their DNA. I had no idea who they are, as people. Shame heats my face.

  “I know,” I admit. “I was a bigoted, closed-minded Puris
t, raised to hate a whole group of people because they weren’t like me. If it weren’t so horrible, it would be funny, considering my own ancestors were regarded the same way in this country not that long ago.”

  “Well, we forgive you,” Beckett says, offering me a small smile. “You weren’t the first and you certainly won’t be the last. The main thing to remember is that you’ve changed.”

  “Yeah,” Wyatt adds, taking a huge bite of pizza, “and no one who gets to know us can resist our charm.”

  He smiles as big as he can while chewing the food and I laugh, unable to help myself. I pick up my own slice and take a bite. The cheesy, greasy flavor bursts on my tongue, making me moan with pleasure.

  Wyatt laughs out loud. “She sounds just like Savanna,” he says.

  I freeze, a blush burning its way up my throat as the food gets stuck half way down. I cough to dislodge it, grabbing my soda and slurping it down.

  “He means, when she eats,” Beckett says, chuckling. “Savanna moans like that when she eats.”

  “Why, Lizzie, whatever did you think I meant?” Wyatt asks in an overly dramatic voice, a hand pressed against his chest.

  I wad up a napkin and toss it at his head, but he swats it away with a laugh. My cheeks start to hurt from smiling and I wonder at the ease I feel hanging out with a couple of guys I barely know.

  I can see what attracted Savanna, making her fall for them. They’re funny, sweet, considerate, and kind. They’ve accepted me into their group and made me one of them, making me feel welcome and more at home than any of my so-called friends back at school ever did.

  I am pulled from my musings as I spot Savanna and Jett enter the food court area, and I lift a hand to wave them over. When they reach the table, Savanna plops down in the chair on my right. Beckett slides a plate holding a piece of pizza across the table to her.

  “Thanks,” she says, smiling at him.

  I watch her pick up the pizza and notice that her hair is a little mussed and her lips are slightly swollen. She and Jett had obviously taken advantage of their alone time, finding somewhere private to make out. I’m not surprised. And I’m already starting to get used to their unconventional relationship.

  As she takes a big bite, her eyes drift closed with pleasure. Gooey cheese hangs in strings, connecting the pizza to her mouth. She twirls her tongue to wrap the cheese around it, and I glance around the table. Jett and Wyatt are on my left, talking in low tones while passing the flask of blood back and forth, but Beckett is across from Savanna, and his silver orbs are trained on her mouth, burning with fire.

  He clears his throat, running a hand through his dark hair as he looks away. Savanna’s eyes flick to mine, and I can’t hide my amusement. I don’t say a word, I just look away and take a bite of my own pizza while trying to decide what I can do to help. Feeling mischievous, I look back at her, one eyebrow cocked.

  “So, Savanna,” I say, drawing the attention of everyone at the table, “did you get everything you need, yet?”

  It’s an innocent enough question, one that draws curious stares from Jett and Wyatt. But they can’t see my face from their positions on my other side. I trap my bottom lip between my teeth as I waggle my eyebrows and dart my eyes between her and Beckett.

  Her eyes snap to Beckett, and I follow their path to see him looking at me, one corner of his mouth lifted into a slight grin. I smile back before returning my gaze to Savanna. Her cheeks are pink as she takes another bite. She stares at the table blankly for a moment, seeming to come to a decision before she looks back up at me.

  “Actually, I do have one more store I need to hit,” she declares, giving me a bright smile before looking back at Beckett. “You wanna go with me?”

  His chair screeches across the tile floor as he stands, making his haste obvious to everyone. I can’t help but chuckle, giving Savanna a wink before turning to look at Wyatt and Jett.

  “I saw an arcade on the second floor,” I say. “Are you guys up for some video games?”

  “Always,” Wyatt asserts, holding out a fist toward me.

  I look at it for a moment before bumping my own fist against it. Jett nods and, grabbing everyone’s empty plates, heads for the trash bins. Dumping everything in, he gives Savanna and Beckett a wave before turning and heading for the escalator.

  “Bye,” Wyatt says, giving Savanna one last grin before following his brother.

  “Have fun,” I say in a knowing voice, winking.

  She rolls her eyes at me and I laugh. Turning, I have to run to catch up to the boys. When I hop on the escalator behind Jett, he turns and gives me a thoughtful look.

  “That was nice of you,” he says, his face unreadable.

  “What?” I ask, keeping my voice light an innocent.

  “You gave Savanna the out she needed to be alone with Beckett. She probably wouldn’t have insisted on it on her own, and Beckett wouldn’t bring it up and embarrass her. Even though it’s been a few months, we are all still getting used to this type of relationship, so there are… speedbumps.”

  “I understand,” I say, then a grin tilts my lips up. “Happy to help.”

  He smiles at me and my breath catches in my throat. It’s a real smile, not one of the arrogant ones I’m usually the recipient of. Like with Wyatt and Beckett, this glimpse into his real self helps me understand Savanna’s attraction. When Jett Patton graces you with an expression of true pleasure, it’s devastating.

  We play a few games at the arcade. As I laugh at one of Wyatt’s jokes, Jett gives me a strange look. Like he’s discovering a whole new me and might actually like the person he’s finding.

  I might actually like her, too.

  After a while, we leave and head back across the mall, walking slowly and talking in boisterous voices. It’s fun. And exactly what I’ve needed since making the decision to turn my back on everyone who was previously important to me.

  We stop when we see Savanna and Beckett coming out of a nearby department store. She spots us and heads in our direction, Beckett walking behind her, his face red.

  “Did you find what you need?” I ask, a knowing grin plastered on my face.

  She blushes, rubbing a hand against her neck. “Yeah,” she breathes.

  “What’s that?” Jett asks, his voice harsh.

  “What?” Savanna replies.

  “I saw something on your neck. Are you hurt?”

  He tries to pull her toward him, one hand on her wrist and the other pulling at the material of her shirt. Savanna yanks herself away, holding the collar of her shirt against her skin. She looks uncomfortable and really embarrassed.

  “It’s nothing,” she says.

  “Savanna, what happened?” Jett asks, trying once more to pull her close.

  “Leave her alone,” Beckett orders, his voice heavy and demanding.

  I’m shocked, unable to reconcile the Beckett I’ve come to know with the angry boy standing in front of me now. I look over at the other two. Jett’s eyes widen and Wyatt gasps. Like puppets on a string, they both turn and walk away.

  “What’s happening?” Savanna cries, watching them go.

  It hits me then, and I suck in a sharp breath. I know what’s happening. I’ve seen it before. I grab Beckett’s shoulders and shake him out of his confused stupor.

  “Tell them to stop,” I demand.

  “What?” he asks, still confused.

  “Beckett, you persuaded them to leave Savanna alone. Tell. Them. To. Stop.”

  Beckett shakes his head, disbelief written all over his face. But instead of arguing, he calls out to his brothers, telling them to stop and come back. I can hear Savanna’s breath hitch in her throat.

  Wyatt and Jett both stop, turning slowly to face us. Wyatt looks shocked. Jett looks pissed.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened,” Beckett insists as they walk back toward us.

  “I do,” Jett says.

  “You do?” Wyatt asks, his face a mask of confusion.

  Jett no
ds toward Beckett. He doesn’t look angry anymore, only resigned and maybe a little disappointed.

  “He drank her blood and gained the power to persuade Alts.”

  15

  “How is this even possible?”

  We are back at the Madsen’s house, sitting around the living room in total silence, which Beckett’s question breaks, drawing everyone’s attention. Savanna has been staring at the floor for ten minutes, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

  “I guess it makes sense,” Wyatt says. “When Savanna bit Beckett, his blood made her sense of hearing heighten temporarily. Maybe this is the same thing. Beck got her power to persuade Alts, but it will go away in a day or two.”

  Wait, what? Savanna bit Beckett?

  I’m a little surprised, to say the least. But I brush it off quickly as Savanna’s eyes flick to me, gauging my reaction. I give her a sympathetic look, letting her know I think it sucks that all her private business being discussed and dissected. She gives me a small smile.

  “You seem to be taking all this in stride. It has to be weird, at the very least, for you,” she says.

  I think about my words for a moment before responding, “Honestly, it is a little weird. I’m sure it’s weird for you, too, though. This is all new, right?” She nods, and I continue, “My parents tried to ingrain hate in me, preaching the doctrine of Brother Earl. Alts are unnatural. Demons sent to bring about the downfall of man. Abominations that should be destroyed. And, for a while, I believed it. All of it.”

  “And now?” Savanna asks when I pause to look at each of the boys.

  I look back at her. “Now I know that you’re all just people. Different, sure, but still people. While I was faking friendship with you, I noticed things. You’re a good person. Funny. Passionate about what you believe in. Loyal to those you love. I went from pretending to like you to actually liking you, and guilt just about ate me up for lying. For setting you up and humiliating you. For joining Fiona in all her bitchy tricks over the years. I’m sorry, Savanna.”

  She nods, her eyes glassy like she’s trying not to cry. Which makes my own eyes burn. Before she can speak, a shout rings out from the front of the house.