Keepers of the Cave

by Gerri Hill

  CJ grinned. “And what exactly are we apologizing for?”

  Paige’s blush deepened, but a smile played on her lips. CJ found herself staring at those lips and had to drag her eyes away. Paige didn’t answer. Instead, she stood, pointing at the table.

  “You get to do the dishes. I think I’ll take a turn with the TV.”

  ***

  Fiona was nervous as she walked up to the door. While she got along well with everyone, she didn’t normally go out of her way to interact with them. But Mother Hogan had insisted because she thought it odd that the two new ones would so boldly enter the café the way they did. Mother Hogan felt they were a threat and had asked Fiona to monitor them. Fiona knew how paranoid she could be. She once accused Ryan Hogan of disobedience, suspecting him of spying and taking his tales to the authorities. Despite pleading his innocence—which Fiona believed to be the truth—he had nonetheless been culled in a most brutal fashion. There was no magic potion from Mother Hogan to dull his senses. He’d been taken past the chamber, deeper into the cave. His screaming was...oh, it was so loud, so piercing. It stopped abruptly, with finality. She shuddered as she remembered the sounds of bones snapping. Like the others, she could only imagine what lived in the caves. As far as she knew, no one was privy to that other than Mother Hogan. No one dared set foot beyond the chamber and into the dark earth. Only Mother Hogan ever ventured deeper into the caves. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. Others were forced to go, those being culled. And the girls, of course. The ones being sacrificed and offered to him.

  She shook those thoughts away, going back to the task at hand. She knocked lightly, hearing the sound of a TV, then silence. Soon, the door opened, and the woman she hadn’t met yet, the one they called CJ stood at the door. Fiona smiled in greeting.

  “Hi. I’m Fiona Hogan, your neighbor.”

  “CJ Johnston, pleased to meet you.”

  Fiona looked past her, hoping Paige was around. She’d met her the other day at school and had found her to be both charming and friendly.

  “I actually came over to invite you two over for lunch,” she said. “Assuming Paige is home, of course.”

  CJ stood back. “Sure. Come on in,” she invited.

  Fiona found the inside to be much the same as her own house, although there was very little in the way of decoration. No pictures or prints adorned the walls. In fact, very few personal items were on display.

  “Hi, Fiona,” Paige greeted her. “Would you like some iced tea?” she asked, holding up a glass.

  “Oh, no. Thanks. I just wanted to invite you over for lunch. That is, if you don’t already have plans.” She smiled. “I’ve learned that on Sundays following the dancing trip, no one gets together for cookouts.”

  “True,” she said. “Sure, we’d love to join you for lunch.” Paige looked at CJ, as if for confirmation. CJ nodded.

  “Great. It’s nothing fancy, but I thought it would give us a chance to get to know one another.” She made a show of looking at her watch. “About an hour?”

  “Sounds good. What can we bring?”

  She was about to say nothing, but she knew in her haste to plan this she’d forgotten about beverages. “Whatever you’d like to drink. I’m afraid I don’t have anything.”

  “Okay. We’ll be over in about an hour then,” Paige said. “Thanks.”

  Fiona left feeling a little uneasy. Mother Hogan expected her to grill them for information, but she found she was looking forward to their company. She smiled to herself, wondering if pregnancy was affecting her good senses. She knew if Mother Hogan deemed them to be a threat, Belden and the others would capture them and take them to the chambers.

  True to their word, an hour later the women were knocking on her door. Lunch was simple but she couldn’t take credit for it. Mother Hogan had had Selma prepare the chicken salad that morning. It was a special recipe that was quite delicious. She had sent a loaf of freshly baked bread as well. The only thing Fiona could claim was the lettuce and tomatoes she’d picked from the community garden earlier.

  Paige was holding two bottles of wine. “I wasn’t sure what you were having,” she explained.

  Fiona knew nothing of wine so could offer no suggestion. Mother Hogan did not allow alcohol in any of the homes. “Nothing fancy. Just chicken salad sandwiches.” Paige’s grin was infectious, and Fiona felt herself smiling too.

  “The Riesling will go beautifully then. And if we’re daring, we can have the Beaujolais for dessert.”

  “Careful honey, or you’ll give her the impression that you’re a mad drinker,” CJ said.

  “Oh. I thought you were going to say I was a wine snob.”

  CJ laughed. “Well, that too.”

  Fiona was jealous of their playful interaction, never having been a couple with anyone herself. They were both looking at her expectantly, and her lack of social skills became glaringly obvious. While she often joined the other teachers for lunch in the small lounge they shared at the school, this was the first time she’d invited anyone over to her house. She was out of her element, and her anxiety must have shown because Paige squeezed her arm reassuringly.

  “Can I help you with anything, Fiona? I see you have the table all set. Shall we have a glass of wine before we eat?”

  Fiona let out a nervous breath, thankful Paige had offered a suggestion to move the lunch along. Otherwise, she would have simply taken the food out and started eating. But as she saw the wine bottles Paige had set on the table, she panicked.

  “I’m afraid I’m not prepared,” she blurted out.

  CJ raised her eyebrows questioningly, but Paige apparently knew what she meant.

  “You don’t have a corkscrew, you mean? No problem.” Paige turned to CJ. “Do you mind running over and getting ours?”

  “Of course not.”

  “I don’t have glasses either,” Fiona said. “I’ve got regular drinking glasses. Will that do?”

  Paige laughed. “Okay, so maybe I am a bit of a wine snob. We must have wineglasses.”

  “I’ll get those too. Be right back.”

  Fiona apologized as soon as CJ left. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to having company,” she admitted.

  “It’s okay, sweetie,” Paige said. “It was nice of you to invite us over.”

  She relaxed, feeling a little more comfortable as Paige didn’t seem fazed in the least. For a moment there, she almost felt as inadequate as she had when she left for college. Arriving in Nacogdoches from Hoganville, she’d been as lost and confused as if she’d been dropped off in a foreign country. Which, in a sense, it was. But then, she hadn’t minded the scrutiny she received. She knew she would be leaving there and never see those people again. It was different here, as this was her job. Mother Hogan expected her to fit in, to be involved at the school. And, of course, to keep her informed.

  The school was something she was familiar with so she decided that was a safe topic of conversation.

  “Do you like it here so far?” she asked.

  “Well, it’s definitely different,” Paige said. “CJ and I are both from Houston so the pace is a little slow. But everyone has been super nice. Suzette and Becca, especially.”

  “Yes, they are. For the most part, everyone gets along very well.” Never having been curious about the other teachers’ personal lives, she was surprised by her next question. “How long have you and CJ been a couple?”

  “Not long,” Paige said, smiling. “Six months.” She raised her eyebrows. “What about you? You have a nice, handsome guy waiting on you in Hoganville?” Then she grinned. “Or a woman?”

  Fiona felt herself turning red. “No.” Thankfully CJ returned, saving her from elaborating on her answer.

  “Okay, so since I was digging around in the cabinets in your kitchen, I just now realized how many wineglasses we have,” CJ said with a laugh. “I counted twelve of them.”

  The look Paige gave her caused Fiona to laugh.

  “You can never have too many wineglasse
s,” Paige said. She turned to Fiona and grinned. “She’s not normally allowed in the kitchen.”

  “Except to do the dishes, don’t forget,” CJ corrected as she twisted the corkscrew.

  “Yes. And you are an expert at that.”

  A muted pop and CJ held the cork up triumphantly. She was rewarded with a quick kiss from Paige. Fiona felt herself blushing once again, this time at their display of affection. It apparently surprised CJ as well because she too looked a bit flushed.

  She accepted the glass Paige handed her, hoping she didn’t gag on the wine. She’d only had it once before, when Gayla and Dave had hosted a birthday dinner. She had wanted to fit in with everyone and she took a glass. The wine had tasted dry and bitter to her, and she had nearly spit it out. But since Paige and CJ had gone to the trouble, she would at least try it.

  “I don’t know your preference in wine, Fiona, but this Riesling is on the sweet side, as is the Beaujolais,” Paige said. “I hope it’s to your liking.”

  The wine was cool in her mouth, and she was pleasantly surprised by the fruity flavor. “I taste apple,” she said without thinking.

  Paige laughed. “Very good. You must have a natural palate for wine.” She turned to CJ. “And what do you taste?”

  “It tastes citrusy to me.” When Paige shook her head, CJ added, “What? Too vague?”

  “A little.”

  “Well, maybe my...tongue is not as talented as yours...in the taste department.”

  Fiona was fascinated by the look they exchanged, and she could swear the temperature in the room rose ten degrees in a matter of seconds. Paige cleared her throat, turning to Fiona. Her gaze held none of the intensity that she’d just shared with CJ. Again, since she’d never had the closeness that these two obviously shared, she couldn’t relate to what had clearly passed between them with only a glance.

  “How long have you been at the school, Fiona?” Paige asked.

  “This is my ninth year,” she said.

  “I guess you plan on staying then?”

  “Yes. It would be hard for me to leave Hoganville.” She shared a silent laugh with herself. Not hard to leave. Impossible.

  Whether it was the wine that relaxed her or the company, Fiona didn’t know, but their lunch passed quickly. She was pleased that CJ enjoyed the chicken salad enough to request a second sandwich. By the time they were ready to take their leave, Fiona realized she had not asked even one of the questions Mother Hogan had demanded of her. Well, she would have a week before returning home. Perhaps she would run into Paige at school.

  “Thank you again, Fiona. We had fun,” Paige said. “Maybe one day this week we could grab lunch together,” she suggested.

  “Yes,” she answered quickly. “I would like that.”

  “Great. I’ll see you at school then.”

  She watched with envy as they headed to their own house, their hands clasped together, lightly swinging between them. They made a cute couple. She closed her door and leaned against it with a sigh, her eyes landing on the empty bottles of wine and the wineglasses which CJ had placed on the counter. Paige had told her to keep them for the next time they were over.

  Would there be a next time?

  She hoped so. She’d had fun. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed and enjoyed someone’s company as much.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CJ took her shower first, so while Paige was taking her turn, CJ took advantage of the empty bed. It was a queen, but when you live alone and are used to a king, it was a little small and a challenge to stay on her side of Paige’s imaginary line. She spread out now, arms and legs both, loving the feel of the cool, smooth sheets. Paige had excellent—and expensive—taste. She’d never given much thought to her sheets before or their thread count, but after this, one thousand thread count Egyptian cotton was her new favorite.

  She rolled over, staring at the pillow Paige used. She sighed, wondering what was up with her. The lunch had actually been enjoyable. Paige was loose and carefree, and there appeared to be no tension between them at all. That was evidenced by the spontaneous kiss Paige had given her, the first one Paige had initiated between them. Yet when they left Fiona’s, Paige had reverted back to silence, staying in the bedroom, on her laptop while CJ had watched TV. Dinner had been leftovers, which was fine with her. She didn’t expect Paige to have to cook every night. She just wished things weren’t so strained between them. The only time it wasn’t strained was when they were around other people.

  When the bathroom door opened, she dutifully scooted back to her side, mindful of Paige’s line. When the light went out she squinted in the darkness, watching Paige move to the bed. Just the sight of her coming to their bed caused her libido to kick into gear and she turned away.

  “I had fun today,” CJ said, trying to break the ice.

  “Yes, it was.”

  CJ rolled toward her. “You know, I was thinking, maybe we could lose this imaginary line here,” she said.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I like to roll around a little bit. I’m used to a king.”

  “So am I.”

  “Good. Because I hate the line. Every time I roll over I have to be careful not to get into your space.”

  “As it should be.”

  “Come on, Paige. Please?”

  “No. Stay on your side.”

  “No. We’ve played by your rules long enough. My turn. I’m giving you official notice that I will not abide by the imaginary line.” So there.

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  CJ let her hand drift onto Paige’s side, only to have it slapped. She very nearly giggled.

  “Don’t make me hurt you,” Paige threatened.

  “As if.”

  Without thinking, CJ moved her foot, rubbing it lightly against Paige’s leg. This earned her a growl as Paige slammed her fists onto the bed.

  “God, must you?”

  “I must.”

  “I feel sorry for your mother. You were probably a horrible child.”

  The words were said in jest, she knew, but they hit home all the same. She felt the tightness in her chest, and she drew a shaky breath.

  “Yeah, sorry. I was apparently a terrible kid,” she murmured, squeezing her eyes shut to try to keep the memories away. Terrible kid. She learned quickly all the different ways punishment could be doled out.

  Paige grabbed her arm, squeezing tightly. “I’m so sorry, CJ. I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “It’s okay. You shouldn’t have to worry about every single thing you say.” She rolled her head to look at her. “I have a few issues from my childhood still. I’m working through them. I shouldn’t be so sensitive about it. I...well, it’s been twenty years.”

  Paige loosened her grip but didn’t remove her hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No. But thanks.”

  “I...I don’t really know what happened,” Paige said. “Just hearsay and gossip at the office. I don’t want to assume.”

  “Whatever you’ve assumed, it’s way worse.”

  She rolled over then, her back to Paige. She kept her eyes closed, almost wishing she could cry. Now, she wished that. As a kid, she refused to cry, refused to give in. He would win then. But now, she just wished she could cry and get it out. She was startled to feel Paige’s hand on her back, rubbing, soothing her. How nice would it be to roll over and let Paige hold her? Would Paige hold her? Her touch was comforting, yet it felt strange. She never felt a comforting touch before. Not even in those darkest times when her father visited her did her mother ever come to her aid, ever come to comfort her. That job was left to her sister, who needed her own comforting. She relaxed now, her eyes closing, her mind easing as Paige continued to rub lightly back and forth across her back.

  As she was about to drift off to sleep, she felt Paige move, sliding up behind her protectively. Paige slipped an arm around CJ’s waist, then let out what CJ thought sound
ed like a contented sigh, her breath on her skin.

  “I think you’re over the line,” CJ whispered.

  “Yes. I am.”

  CJ smiled, then took Paige’s arm and pulled it tighter against her. She didn’t try to analyze the meaning of Paige’s actions. She simply closed her eyes, loving the feel of Paige resting close behind her.

  ***

  Paige knew she should move. CJ was already asleep. She allowed herself a few more seconds before slowly unwrapping herself from around CJ. God, what game were they playing? What game was she playing? Yes, they had sex. More than six months ago now. Just a one-night stand, basically. A one-time lapse in judgment.

  And she couldn’t seem to get past it. She wasn’t comfortable with casual sex. CJ, on the other hand, had perfected it to a fine art. She rolled over onto her back, her fists balled together. We had sex. And all of this, this acting they were doing, was blurring the line. It was becoming too real. When they were around others, Paige could pretend that it was all just for show, she could let go of her inhibitions, but here, alone, she tried so hard to keep things professional between them.

  She nearly laughed out loud. Professional? No. There was nothing professional about the situation they were in. Like now. The need to comfort CJ had been overwhelming. She had sounded so wounded, so defenseless, her voice conveying a need that Paige didn’t understand. And all Paige wanted to do was protect her. But in reality, all it did was blur the line even more. She rolled her head slightly, looking at CJ’s sleeping form, wanting nothing more than to go to her again, to slip her arm around her, to feel CJ pull her closer.

  God, don’t do this.

  Maybe they should just do it. Just sleep together again and get it over with. Maybe it would ease some of the tension. She groaned. Did I just think that? I do not want to have sex with CJ.

  Yes. I do.

  She rolled over in frustration, her back to CJ now. No, she did not want to have sex with CJ. Been there, done that. So no. No, no, no.

  She heard a scraping noise and she opened her eyes, the eerie feeling of someone watching her making the hairs on back of her neck stand up. She glanced at the window, the blinds lowered haphazardly, an inch of space remaining on one corner. The loud scream was out of her mouth before she could stop it, and CJ shot out of bed, her eyes wide.