by Gerri Hill
The polite thing to do would have been to lie, but Paige didn’t think Fiona wanted that. So she nodded.
“Yes. Mostly they’re concerned,” she said. “And of course, some are surprised by your pregnancy.”
“Yes. I am too,” she said with a small smile. “But it’ll be over soon.”
“You’re due already?”
“Yes. Soon,” Fiona said evasively.
Paige didn’t press her. She, too, was concerned about Fiona’s health. Although, as she’d said, she did look better today. But she decided to keep things light during their lunch and not grill her.
“I got another lecture from Ms. Miner,” she said. “She walked in the gym while we were doing Zumba.”
Fiona laughed. “I bet she almost had a stroke.”
“Worse. She’s set up an appointment with Director Avery to go over my lack of curriculum.” Paige leaned forward conspiratorially. “She thinks I’m out to sabotage the audit that’s coming up this fall.” She smiled. “Yes, I’m going to singlehandedly take the school down.”
Fiona clasped her hand. “Oh, it feels so good to laugh. Thank you.”
Paige nodded but was startled when Fiona linked their fingers together.
“I really like you, Paige. I think...I think we could have been really good friends.”
Paige frowned. “What do you mean could have been?”
“I mean, I wish it wasn’t here. I wish it was out in the real world.” She squeezed her fingers. “Different place, different time.”
Paige wasn’t sure what she meant, and she supposed the look on her face registered it as shock because Fiona laughed again.
“No, no. I don’t mean sexually,” Fiona said. “Not like you and CJ.”
“Oh. Okay then,” Paige said, giving her a relieved smile, but she tightened her hold as Fiona tried to withdraw her hand.
“I just feel, with you, if we’d been somewhere else,” she explained, “we could have been best friends.” Fiona sighed. “I’ve never had a best friend.”
Paige cleared her throat. “Well, now you do.”
They went back to eating their lunch, and Paige wondered what was going on with Fiona. She seemed different. The same, yet different. Fiona’s next words only confirmed that.
“Do you believe in monsters?” Fiona asked quietly.
Paige nodded. “Yes, people can be monsters.” She winked. “These students can be monsters.”
Fiona did not return her smile. “Not people. Real monsters.”
Paige leaned her elbows on the table, studying her. “I don’t know. We read about them in books, they’re in movies, but whether they exist or not, I’m not sure.” She watched as Fiona’s hands went to rub her belly. “Are you okay?” she asked.
Fiona looked up quickly, the smile on her face forced. “Yes. Sorry. Must be my hormones.” She cleared her throat. “Listen, will you and CJ be home Friday after school?”
Paige nodded. “Yes, but I have to make a run into San Augustine for groceries. Unless the Hogan Grocery will be open,” she teased.
Again, Fiona didn’t smile. “No.” She met her eyes. “Don’t go in there.”
Paige was confused by how serious Fiona was being. Surely she knew Paige had only been teasing. “Okay.” She touched her arm lightly. “What’s up?”
“I have someone I want you to meet, that’s all.”
At this, Paige’s interest was piqued. “Someone special?”
Fiona took a deep breath, nodding. “Yes.”
Paige waited for Fiona to explain, but she said nothing more. She shoved the uneaten part of her sandwich in the bag and stood, using the table to support herself.
“I should get back.”
“Okay.” Paige gathered her trash quickly, taking Fiona’s from her and tossing it all into a trash bin.
“I’m just tired,” Fiona said.
“What?”
“You’re worried.”
Paige laughed. “Does it show?”
Fiona surprised her by taking her arm. “Thank you for being my friend.”
“If you need help, you’ll let me know, right?”
“Of course.”
“Because—” She stopped, seeing Jules approaching. She smiled. “Hi. You getting a late lunch?”
“Oh, no. I just haven’t seen you all week.” She turned to Fiona. “How are you feeling?”
“Fat,” she said, and they all laughed.
Jules turned to Paige. “I wanted to make sure you knew about the cookout on Sunday. It’s at Val and Ella’s.”
“Okay. What’s the theme this week?”
“Oh, no theme. We’re doing steaks and a side dish. Dave has a gas grill he’s wheeling over.”
Paige nodded. “Great. We’ll be there.”
“See you two later,” Jules said, waving her goodbye at them.
“Wonderful,” Paige said dryly. “Steaks. CJ will love that.”
“Oh? And you won’t?”
Paige shook her head. “I’m just this close,” she said, holding her thumb and index finger together, “to being vegetarian.”
CHAPTER FORTY
CJ lay wide awake as the lightning flashed across the closed blinds and a light roll of thunder followed. The wind had picked up, and she assumed rain was not far behind. She instinctively tightened her hold on Paige, her eyes slipping closed for a second as she gently kissed her naked shoulder. Paige burrowed deeper into the pillow, her hand keeping CJ’s arm wrapped around her waist from behind.
CJ thought she could stay like this forever and that surprised her. No doubt, when the case was over, when they returned to Houston, then this little affair that they were having would come to an end. Frankly, that sucked. Lying in bed like this with someone else, some stranger she’d just met, wasn’t appealing in the least. But who was she kidding? She never stayed around long enough to hold anyone. Hell, she never wanted to hold anyone. Sometimes, she couldn’t get out of their bed fast enough. God, so much had changed. She kissed Paige’s shoulder again. No, she wasn’t looking forward to going back to her old life.
She also was no closer to falling asleep. She eased away from Paige slowly, keeping the covers around her. Paige stirred but didn’t wake. CJ grabbed the T-shirt she’d discarded earlier and slipped it on, then walked barefoot into the living room. She opened the blinds, the storm in full strength now as thunder rumbled overhead. She stood near the window, watching the show, the large pines across the road swaying mightily in the wind. She wasn’t one for weather forecasts, but she’d heard Chief Aims mention to one of the other guards that these storms could produce tornadoes. She craned her neck, looking at the giant pine that stood just outside the window, figuring if it fell it would squash their little house into matchsticks.
She stepped away from the window quickly as a lightning flash sizzled over the woods immediately followed by a clap of thunder. Her gaze went to Fiona’s house across the road. She assumed Fiona was in bed; it was just after midnight. She was curious as to who Fiona wanted them to meet. Paige thought maybe it was the father of her baby.
Another blaze of lightning streaked across the trees, illuminating the forest. She leaned forward, not believing what she’d just seen. She squinted, waiting for another flash of light. And there it was, a big hulk of a creature standing at the edge of the woods near Fiona’s house.
“What the hell?” she murmured.
Again, darkness, and she waited. The lightning flash was nearly simultaneous with the roar of thunder and she jumped back. The...the thing seemed to be looking right at her, then it bolted off into the woods on all fours.
What the fuck was that?
“CJ?”
She jumped and let out a scream, her eyes wide. She caught her breath, embarrassed now.
“What’s wrong?” Paige asked.
CJ turned back to the window, pointing. “I saw something. Something I’m not sure I can even describe.”
Paige tilted her head. “And it scared you? Bec
ause you screamed like a girl.”
CJ laughed. “Yeah, well, a little.”
Paige came closer, linking their arms together and they both stared out into the dark night. Another flash of lightning illuminated the woods but there was no sign of...it.
“I couldn’t sleep,” CJ said. “The storm. So I came out here to watch it. This...this thing was over by the edge of Fiona’s house. It was an animal of some sort, I guess. Four legs. But it was standing on its hind legs.” She turned to Paige. “It was like it knew I was watching. I swear, it turned and looked right at me. Then it took off running on all four legs, back into the woods.”
“What do you think it was?” Paige asked quietly.
“I have no idea. But whatever it was, I’d guess it’s the thing that we hear screaming at night.”
“And it wasn’t a black panther?”
“No. It was too big. When it was standing on its hind legs, I’d say it was eight or nine feet tall.”
Paige looked at her skeptically. “You’re sure?”
CJ stared at the spot where it was, trying to picture it again. Granted, she had only seen it for a few seconds, but the image was ingrained in her mind. “Yes,” she said. “I’m sure.”
And off in the distance, the eerie scream was heard, loud enough so that even the rumble of thunder couldn’t cover it up. Paige leaned in closer to her, her fingers digging into CJ’s arm.
***
Fiona jerked awake, her eyes wide. She was surprised to find herself in her bed. She lay back down, blinking her eyes several times.
Only a dream.
But a vivid one, for sure. She’d been running. Fast. In the tunnels. And...something was chasing her. She rolled her head to the side, seeing the remnants of the storm flashing behind her closed blinds. A gentle roll of thunder, then there it was, the haunting scream from deep in the woods. No one talked about it. Not even her own mother. But they all knew what it was and where it lived. Mother Hogan assured them that they were safe, but still, Fiona made it a point not to be outside late at night. More than a couple of the flock had turned up missing over the years. She wondered if that wasn’t one of the reasons the tunnels were built, so that they could move about without fear—fear of the outsiders and fear of it. Funny, since the tunnels linked to the chamber anyway.
A sharp pain in her gut made her gasp, and she pressed her hand firmly against her side, willing the ache to go away. When it subsided, she reached for the bottle of pills Don had left. She’d only taken a half of one at bedtime. She took the other half now, swallowing it down with the water she’d left on the table.
She rolled away from the window, eyes blinking slowly, waiting for the drug to take hold. She felt herself growing drowsy, her eyelids heavy. She was surprised to feel a tear running down her cheek. She wiped it away impatiently. It would do no good to allow her heartache and sorrow to escalate. It was too late for that.
There was only one way out of this nightmare. Fiona only hoped she was strong enough.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Paige eyed the legs that were swinging back and forth beside her. CJ was perched nonchalantly on the counter, an unopened bottle of wine between her thighs. She turned the sauce down to a simmer, finally stilling CJ’s legs.
“You must know you’re breaking all sorts of rules by sitting on the counter.”
CJ laughed. “Driving you crazy, Miss OCD?” She hopped down, the bottle of wine forgotten as CJ reached for her, tickling her sides with both hands as Paige slapped at them.
“God, will you stop,” she said, laughing, trying to get away.
“You should have never told me you were ticklish.”
Paige grabbed the wine bottle and shoved it into CJ’s hands. “Do something useful, please.”
“Okay, dear. I don’t want to come between you and your wine.” She resumed her spot on the counter, the wine bottle again secured between her legs as she twisted the corkscrew.
Paige felt an unexpected wave of affection come over her at the sight. She enjoyed CJ’s company immensely, yet they were nearly complete opposites.
“I don’t know why I like you so much,” she said, giving voice to her thoughts. “You are so not my type.”
CJ looked up, a smile playing on her lips. “Baby, I’m exactly your type. You’ve been such a good girl all your life, I think you like a little bad.” CJ met her eyes, her playfulness vanishing. “That’s why I like you. I need some good in my life.”
“I don’t know why you’re so convinced I’m good,” she said. She took the wine from CJ and set it aside, standing between her legs. “What’s wrong?”
CJ shook her head. “Nothing really. It’s just, you’re right. I’m not your type.”
Paige frowned, puzzled by the change in her tone. She linked their fingers together tightly. “Talk to me. What’s bothering you?”
CJ shrugged. “It’s just...if we didn’t work together, if we’d just met somewhere, you wouldn’t give me the time of day. Because I’m not—”
Paige put a finger to CJ’s lips stopping her. I’m not good enough. She hated that CJ felt that way, but obviously her childhood, her upbringing, had a profound effect on her. But she wanted to be truthful with her.
“You’re probably right, CJ. If we’d met on the street, at a party, I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about you, about getting to know you,” she said. “But that’s not how we met. I do know you. I know the passion you have for the job, for the people, the victims. I know how much you love this, how personal it is for you. I know you just want to take care of everybody, yet you don’t take care of yourself. It’s like you don’t think you’re as worthy as everyone else.” She squeezed her hand tighter. “I know all that, CJ. You have more integrity and honor than anyone I know. So don’t say you’re not good enough. You’re better than good enough.”
Their eyes held and Paige could tell that CJ was looking for the truth in hers. She opened herself, letting CJ see all that she needed. CJ finally nodded, a small smile forming.
“So, even with my good looks and charm, you wouldn’t have thought twice about me, huh?”
Paige laughed. “Gee, you’re so modest.”
CJ laughed too, her grin chasing away the last of the somberness that had sprung up. “You know, I’m really glad we stopped all that pretending. The tension was really unbearable.” She poured wine into one of the glasses. “Isn’t this so much better?”
Paige nodded. “I’ll have to agree with you. This is much better.” She leaned closer, kissing CJ lightly before taking the wineglass.
CJ’s legs resumed their swinging as Paige lifted the lid on her spaghetti sauce. She poured most of her glass of wine into it, then stirred it. Without her having to ask, CJ dutifully refilled her glass.
“I never used to drink wine much,” CJ said. “I think you’ve got me hooked on it.”
“Well, I try.”
CJ took a sip, looking at her thoughtfully. “You know, that night...”
Paige smiled. “That night?”
CJ laughed. “Yeah, that night. At the bar. Afterward—even though it was weird for us at work—I kept hoping you’d come back.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. I kept looking for you, hoping I’d see you there again.” She shrugged. “I know, it’s crazy. I mean, seeing as how we didn’t even talk about it. Didn’t even talk at all.”
Paige shook her head. “It’s not crazy. I actually thought about it a time or two. But I didn’t want to make things any more awkward than they already were.”
They were quiet as Paige stirred the sauce, but she felt CJ’s eyes on her. She finally looked at her questioningly.
“You were right, you know,” CJ said. “When you said I didn’t know how to treat women.”
“Oh, no, CJ. I’m sorry.” She put the spoon down, moving to stand between CJ’s legs again. “I didn’t mean that. I was angry. We were having an argument—”
“No. No, you did mean it. And it’s t
rue. I don’t know how.” She shrugged. “I could blame it on the role models I had growing up, but that would just be an excuse,” she said. “Truthfully, I never wanted anyone to know me. I didn’t want there to be anyone I had to tell my story to, you know.” CJ took her hand, her thumb rubbing lightly across it, back and forth. “It was easier to be alone, easier to have those one-night affairs.”
“I’m glad you trusted me enough to tell me, CJ. I think if you had let anyone get close to you and you’d told them your story, I think they would have understood. You were a child. There’s no blame to be placed on you.”
She tugged CJ off of the counter, wrapping her arms around her tightly. She kissed her cheek, moving slowly to her mouth. They pulled apart, their foreheads resting together, eyes closed. She felt her attachment to CJ growing with each kiss, each touch. The fact that CJ trusted her enough to let her vulnerabilities show only served to strengthen the bond that was growing between them. Yes, they were very different. They grew up at opposite ends of the spectrum, their upbringing could not have been more dissimilar. Yet here they were, in each other’s arms, comforting and consoling. Friends and lovers. She tucked her head, burying it at CJ’s neck. Lovers? Yes. But friends? That’s something that she never considered before, not with CJ. Because they were so different. But those differences meant nothing now. She would venture to guess that CJ had no friends. And if she took an honest look at her life, she would have to admit that she had no close friends either. Superficial relationships that meant nothing, really. The people she was closest to, the people she spent time with, the people who actually mattered in her life were Billy, Ice and, yes, CJ. Why had it taken this assignment for her to see that?
She lifted her head, finding CJ’s mouth again. Their kiss was light, soft, neither of them deepening it. She pulled back, seeing CJ’s gaze on her. She smiled quickly, then kissed her again.
“Thank you,” CJ said. “I didn’t mean for our conversation to be so serious.”
“No. I think it’s good that we can talk like this. We should be able to be honest with each other about what we’re thinking.” She took her wineglass and moved away from CJ, going back to her sauce. “I want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything.”