I felt completely humbled and educated by the time he got done, even though it was all review. A short burst of relief flowed through me that I really did have all of my memories back, but in typical Father fashion, he educated me anyway. And to think I thought this meeting would be brief and awkward.
“Thank you.” I didn’t realize until that moment how much I’d missed him. His comforting manner did something to me that was very similar to Flint’s presence. I felt safe.
When I returned to the living room, it was empty. A few distant showers sounded in the bedrooms. I figured everyone was finally getting dressed. A figure appeared through the wall of windows overlooking the backyard. Mica appeared to be walking alone outside. I bit my lip. I was about to go to her when a voice stopped me.
“It went well?”
I spun. Flint sat on a stool at the large, granite island in the kitchen. A glass of orange juice and a plate of scrambled eggs and toast sat in front of him. A second full plate sat beside him. I didn’t have to ask to know that was for me.
“Yeah. It went well, very well.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to join me and tell me about it?”
I grabbed a piece of toast and kissed him quickly. “I’ll tell you all about it, but I need to do something else first.”
His gaze followed mine to the back windows. “She’s been out there for the last twenty minutes.”
“She was pretty upset when she left.”
Flint sighed and dumped my eggs onto his plate. “Good thing I’m hungry.”
DOWNSTAIRS, I COULDN’T figure out how to open the door or wall or whatever the hell it was to the backyard. Kicking it in frustration, I raced back upstairs and asked Father the password. After another annoying five minutes, I finally figured the damn thing out and was in the backyard.
Mica was nowhere to be seen.
Bright sunlight streamed down as I hopped along the stone walkway. I dipped around shrubs, trees and cactuses. The trickle from the fountain reached my ears a few minutes later.
When I rounded a turn, the fountain appeared. Mica sat close to it, throwing pebbles into the water.
Her gaze snapped to mine. They were rimmed with red. “Lena! You’re up.”
I sat beside her. The ground was ridiculously cold. Again, I wondered how long this fountain would keep running. “How are you doing?”
Her eyed widened. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You’re the one who almost died.” A flash of guilt crossed her face. “I’m sorry I haven’t spent more time with you in your room while you’ve been resting. It’s been . . . I . . .”
“I get it. Really, I do.”
We sat in silence for a moment. She picked up more pebbles and threw them. I inched closer to her. Another moment of silence passed before I said, “I’m sorry about what’s happened with Jasper.”
She sighed humorlessly and tried to smile. “Bastard, not Jasper. Let’s call him Bastard from now on.”
I flinched. “You must be pretty pissed off.”
She flung another pebble into the fountain. It hit the base and skittered into the water. “I’m more than just pissed off. I’m freakin’ irate!” Her chest rose and fell heavily.
I waited a moment before saying, “Have you talked to him about it?”
“No. He keeps trying to get me to ‘discuss it’ with him, but then he tried that crap this morning with his powers. What did he think? That if he couldn’t talk to me like a normal person, he could persuade me to not be mad at him anymore?”
“That wasn’t a smart thing for him to do. I completely agree.”
Mica picked up more pebbles but her throwing grew less and less. Tears streamed down her cheeks again. “It hurts so damn much.”
I put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
“I mean, the rational side of me is saying that he didn’t know we were together so I shouldn’t be mad at him, but my heart keeps breaking.”
I squeezed her harder.
“And then I look at you and Flint. I mean seriously, even when your memories were gone, you still only had eyes for each other. That’s true love. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. So what does that mean? That Jasper and I aren’t right for each other? That we shouldn’t actually be together?”
“I don’t think that’s what it means.”
Mica sniffed and wiped her tears. A breeze ruffled her shoulder length hair. “Then what do you think it means?”
I shrugged awkwardly. “That you were two people who met as strangers and didn’t have the memories of your history anymore. That you started new, like when we were kids. Friends first.”
“Until Amber came along,” she said bitterly.
“Have you talked to her?”
“No, and I have no desire to talk to her ever again.”
I softened my tone. “You’re hurting, I see that, but Amber didn’t know what you and Jasper had. None of us knew.”
“Do you really think it would have changed things if she had?”
I sighed. Mica had a point. Memories of how Amber behaved when we first re-met swirled through my mind. Within two days of picking her up at the airport, Amber had tried to come between Flint and me. She’d lied and hurt me intentionally, but I also knew she’d never done anything like that growing up.
“The drug changed her,” I finally said. “She never acted like that before.”
Mica snorted. “Changed her or revealed who she always was but we just never saw it?”
I had no idea how to respond to that. It was another intricacy we may never explain. There could be truth in that. Growing up, Amber had always been a kind, sweet girl. The petty, malicious one I’d known since Hideaway Hills was a complete one-eighty from who I knew her as.
“I haven’t seen any of her immaturity since this latest drug.”
“Well, you have been rather preoccupied the past few days, with almost dying and all.” Mica’s voice caught. “God, I’m such an awful sister! I should have been with you for the past two days, seeing what I could do to help you, not moping around because of Jasper.” She turned to face me. Tears filled her eyes again. “I’m sorry.” She pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I hugged her back. “I’m fine. Seriously, I am. And you don’t need to be sorry and you don’t need to worry about me.”
Mica pulled back and smiled when my hair tangled around her ear. “You’re really not mad at me for being so selfishly preoccupied?” She pulled another strand of my hair off her face and rolled her eyes. “Jeez, girl. You always had too much hair.”
I chuckled and pushed my hair behind my shoulder. “I’m really not mad. Okay?”
She gripped my hands in hers. “Okay, but please know that I’m really happy you’re okay. All of us were really worried.”
“I seem to be causing a lot of worries with my injuries lately.”
Mica just sighed. “And here I am, crying about a stupid boy.”
“That boy happens to be your first love. There’s nothing stupid about that so stop apologizing.”
She smiled then, a real smile. “You’ve always been able to make me feel better. I’m glad that hasn’t changed.”
We stood and strolled back to the house. By the time we returned, Mica’s tears had dried and she was smiling again. I had no idea what the future held for Mica, Jasper, Amber and the rest of us, but if we were returning to O’Brien we’d need to find a way to all work together again.
Our lives may depend on it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The next few days passed quicker than I could have imagined. Things with Jasper, Mica and Amber simmered down. A little. My conversation with Mica seemed to have cracked the possibility of her talking to him again. And while Mica still seemed miffed with Amber, venom no longer dripped in her every word when they spoke.
Baby steps. That was how we were all dealing with things.
The energy floating through the house had definitely kicked up a not
ch with all of the emotions and turmoil. It was impossible for me to not notice despite my newly remembered ability to control the energy around me. At times, it felt as if I was walking through electrically charged soup. It could be exhausting.
It hadn’t escaped my attention either that O’Brien Pharmaceuticals had fallen to the back burner. With the return of our memories, my nearly fatal reaction to the drug, and the dysfunctional dynamic that ensued meant our relationships had taken a beating. However, things slowly seemed to be mending. There had been a lot of conversations over the past few days, not just between Amber, Mica and Jasper but between all of us and Father.
It seemed Flint wasn’t the only one angry with Father. Jasper, Mica and Amber were too. That wasn’t surprising considering what happened. To try and deal with it, Father sat with all of them and talked through things while Di defended Father’s decision vehemently. Di was so devoted to Father he probably could have run her over with a two-ton truck and she would have merely stood up and brushed herself off.
And then there were our additional powers to deal with.
Just like I’d remembered my ability to see plant and animal clouds, and my elusive ability to join clouds into energy balls, the twins had also remembered their abilities to manipulate emotions and thought patterns, and Di had remembered her ability to control her visions. Mica could do more too, but she seemed more preoccupied with Jasper than on discovering how to control it.
Needless to say, it had been a whirlwind of a week.
I slipped on a pair of socks as I sat on a counter stool. Scents of pasta pescatore floated through the air. We were all in the kitchen at the moment, helping to prepare supper. I took heart in that. It was the first time all week the nine of us were together in one room and nobody was fighting.
My gaze lingered on the view as I pulled my pants back over my socks. The desert was awash in the fading sun. A few birds of prey circled in the sky, and the mountains glowed purple. The sun glinted off the huge dining table that easily seated ten. It sat at the edge of the kitchen, running parallel to the monstrous windows. The view from the dining table was impressive, to say the least.
Father and Jacinda cooked at the stove. Steam billowed up from the kettle boiling the pasta, while the sauce simmered gently in a separate pan. Jet stood at the island, fixing a salad while Mica made the garlic bread. Jasper, Flint and Di were busy setting the table and filling water glasses when Father asked Amber and me to grab a few bottles of wine.
“They should be in the cellar,” he said.
I hopped off the stool and headed downstairs with Amber. She silently trailed behind. Her energy strummed softly toward me. Sadness made it heavy.
Whoever had stocked the pantry, freezer and refrigerator before our arrival had been very thorough. The number of ingredients was endless. The wine cellar was no different. Hundreds of bottles of wine stared back at us in the cool, dry room.
“What should we choose?” Amber wore black leggings and a baggy sweater. The top seemed to hang on her.
“Um, good question.” I had no idea what wine went best with Italian seafood. We’d been educated on that sort of thing during our Real Life Etiquette course, but since that topic had seemed so trivial to me, I hadn’t paid much attention. Unfortunately, it appeared Amber hadn’t either.
“I’m trying to remember what we learned.” She bit her lip. “I think white goes best with seafood, but the pescatore sauce is tomato based. So does that mean red?”
I studied her closer. Dark circles rimmed her eyes. “So not white but red?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe we should bring up a couple of bottles and let Father decide.”
We both grabbed an armful and returned to the stairs. Her movements were slow and lethargic.
“So . . .” I walked carefully up each step. “How have you been?”
“Fine.”
Her reply was too quick and automatic. Anyone with eyes could see that she wasn’t fine. “Have you spoken to Jasper or Mica today?”
She shook her head.
“They seem to be talking to each other again.”
“Yeah. I know,” Amber replied quietly.
My heart broke a little at her sad tone. Since we’d regained our memories, Amber had changed. She seemed more like the young woman I remembered from before Father’s drugs. She wasn’t nearly as flirty as she had been at Hideaway Hills, and she didn’t act quite as spoiled or immature. Being the youngest, she’d definitely been babied during her life, but she hadn’t had it easy.
Growing up, we’d all formed close friendships and relationships within our group. The siblings, of course, had an inherent bond: Di and Flint, Jet and Jasper, me and Jacinda. But then the long-term relationships had formed: Flint and me, Jasper and Mica.
The only one who’d never been part of a relationship, or had a sibling, was Amber. I didn’t think I fully appreciated how lonely she probably felt because of that. Until now.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you and Jasper.”
She shrugged again. “S’okay.”
I stopped when we reached the top of the stairs and put my hand on her arm, which was awkward with how many bottles I carried. She stopped and faced me. Wide, brown eyes, rimmed with tears stared back.
“You know you’re as much a part of this family as anyone else. You know that, right?”
She nodded.
“And you know that we all love you, even if we fight sometimes?”
A small smile tugged up her lips. “Are you trying to make up for all of those years when you told me I was a big baby?”
I grimaced. “Me? Did I do that?”
Her smile grew a little larger.
I sighed. “Yeah, okay. I was like an annoyed older sister with my baby sibling. Will you forgive me?”
“I forgave you a long time ago.”
Her eyes were genuine and soft. How different the real Amber was from the one I’d met two months ago at Hideaway Hills. I knew in that moment Mica had it wrong. The real Amber wasn’t petty and immature, hiding her real nature our entire lives. The real Amber was this one, standing right in front of me. “I’m glad you’re back to your old self. I didn’t much care for the newer one.”
“You’re not the only one who should apologize. I’m sorry I lied to you about taking that ride with Flint. If I had known what it would turn into—”
I gripped her tighter. “It’s okay. It’s in the past now.”
“Do you mean that?” Her eyes grew wide and hopeful.
“Yes.”
She sighed. “Good. I thought you hated me.”
“I will never hate you, but I can’t promise I won’t get irritated every now and then.”
“You irritate me too sometimes.”
I laughed. A bottle almost slipped out of my arms. Amber caught it just in time.
We both laughed then. I nodded toward the kitchen. “We better get back before these stairs become covered in pinot and shattered glass.”
A soft giggle was her response.
Back in the kitchen, we deposited our goods on the counter. I gave Amber a quick hug. She smiled a little wider when I pulled back. Overall, she didn’t look quite as somber as she had downstairs.
Jet raised his eyebrows when he saw the nine bottles of wine on the counter. “Have we turned over a new leaf? Nobody’s allowed to go to bed anymore unless one’s completely intoxicated?”
Amber laughed, at which Jet’s eyes lit up. I’m sure it wasn’t lost on him that it was the first time Amber had really laughed in days.
“Those are all for me, Jet,” Jasper cut in. “You know how I love my wine.”
The smile on Amber’s face vanished. She ignored Jasper and joined Jacinda, mumbling something about helping her. Jacinda put an arm around Amber’s shoulders and squeezed.
I sighed. It would definitely take a while before our family got in sync again.
“All right, supper’s ready,” Father said. “Let’s all sit
down.”
Everyone picked up dishes and carried them to the table.
“Which wine?” I asked.
Father surveyed the bottles sitting on the island. Chairs being pulled back from the table made a scraping sound in the room. Father leaned down and surveyed the bottles’ labels. “This one and this one.”
I glanced at the wines. Sangiovese and Malbec. Pretty sure Amber and I would have never gotten that right.
“Let’s eat before this gets cold.” Jet had already dished a huge serving of pasta onto his plate.
Father grabbed the wine openers and popped the corks. One by one, we all sat. Each dish was passed from person to person, along with the two bottles of wine Father had chosen. It was so normal and familiar that my earlier anxiety over our family’s energy subsided. Feeling a bit better, I swirled pasta onto my fork as everyone chatted with one another.
I lifted another bite to my mouth when Di abruptly asked, “When are we going to O’Brien?”
I almost dropped the utensil but managed to swallow without choking too much. Everyone else grew silent. Flint put an arm around my shoulders. I took some comfort from the contact and wiped a few drips of pasta sauce off my shirt.
Father finished chewing his food and took a sip of wine. “I’ve made a few inquiries to my O’Brien contacts about how many lost children are still being held. I should have an answer in a day or two.”
Jacinda’s honey-brown eyes widened. “So, we’re still going?”
“Of course, we’re still going,” Di replied. “If there are others like us, still alive, we can’t leave them.”
The room blazed red as the setting sun shot through the glass. The walls seemed bathed in blood. Di was right. We couldn’t leave them. That wasn’t an option.
I took a sip of wine as an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. I felt Flint’s eyes on me. The worry was back on his face. I tried to smile.
I couldn’t.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Complete Lost Children Series Page 39