Mesmerized

by Crane, Julia; Jager, Talia

  Lily smiled and tore into hers. She gasped when her eyes rested on the beautiful amethyst ring. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “It’s a promise ring…and I figured more stones couldn’t hurt.”

  Lily giggled. “True.” She took the ring out of the box and realized there was an inscription: Today, Tomorrow, Always.

  She held the ring out to Jake. “You put it on.”

  He took her hand and placed the ring on it. “I promise to be yours forever.”

  Lily stared into his eyes and knew he meant it. She threw her arms around Jake’s neck and kissed him. “I love you.”

  Epilogue

  Lily was nervous. It was her first day back at school since the incident with Ben. Goodness that seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had taken place since then. Could she really go back to school and act as if nothing had happened?

  Jake and Lily decided to arrive in separate cars at different times. It was already going to seem strange enough that they were coming back to school on the same day.

  "Do you want me to come in with you, dear?" her mother asked, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

  "No. I’m fine. Just a little worried that people are going to cause trouble about the whole Ben thing."

  "I told you I took care of that."

  Lily sighed. "I know. Thank you for making the trip with me. Okay, I guess I better go in." She tightly gripped the car door handle and shoved it open. "I'll call you soon. I love you."

  She smiled as she blew her mother a kiss and then grabbed her backpack from the back seat. She stared up at the large brick building touching her necklace to calm her nerves. She felt the instant effect of the necklace and walked forward. It was late so there weren't many kids hanging out which she was grateful for.

  She didn't want to startle Hannah so she tentatively knocked on the door. Hannah flung the door open and threw her arms around Lily. "I'm so glad you are alright. I was so worried about you." She grabbed her hands and pulled her forward. "Tell me everything."

  Lily giggled. She loved having a girlfriend. How could she have been so worried when she knew Hannah would be waiting for her? Lily quickly told her the cover story they made up. "I know my mom told you I was homesick and part of me was, but the real reason I took off was that I totally freaked about Ben. I knew I didn't do anything wrong, but I was scared. I didn't want to get kicked out of yet another school. Jake was worried so he followed me. It was a mess. I never should have left. Once that was cleared up, Jake’s uncle died in a horrible fire. He was pretty shaken about it and I didn't want to leave him alone. So, I decided to stay with him until he was ready to come back to school. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations, we really didn't miss too much. I'm sure we'll be able to catch up." Lily finally paused to catch her breath. "Enough about me. What did you do for Christmas? What's the latest gossip? Has Samantha found someone new to make miserable while I was gone?"

  Hannah filled Lily in on everything she missed. Everyone was so relieved that Ben had recovered. They had all been freaked out at the thought of someone their age possibly dying. It seemed to have a big impact on everyone. Some of the kids had even started being nice to Hannah. Impending death can be an eye opener. They chatted for hours until Lily couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

  The next morning Lily walked down the halls and there were some stares, but nothing like she was used to. A few of the kids welcomed her back and offered their notes if she needed them to catch up.

  Lily touched her bracelet and smiled to herself. She could get used to this. When she walked into the class she had with Samantha, she had expected words, but Samantha looked up at her, curled her upper lip and looked away. No confrontation. Lily smiled to herself. Samantha still might not like her, but it wasn’t anything like it was before.

  After class, she tried to catch up with Jake only to find him busy with school work. She sighed and sat out in the hall waiting for him. It was another hour before he emerged from the room. She jumped up. “Hey!”

  Jake grinned. “Hey. What are you doing out here?”

  “Waiting for you.”

  “Sorry it took so long. I got pretty behind while we were away.”

  “I don’t mind. I just want to see you.”

  “Hey Jake?” Another student called out.

  Jake turned. “Yeah?”

  “See you for dinner.”

  “Sure.” Jake waved.

  “I guess that means we’re not having dinner together.”

  Jake took her hand. “Tomorrow. I’ve got to meet with these guys tonight. I'm sure you want to spend time with Hannah anyway.”

  “Fine.” She stuck out her lower lip.

  “Don’t be like that. We’ve only been back a couple of days.”

  “Seems like a lifetime ago.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “Stop exaggerating.” He pulled Lily close to him. “I love you, Lily, and things will be fine.”

  Lily nodded and kissed him, but she wondered if they really would be. They did have dinner the next night, but it was interrupted by plenty of people. Everyone wanted to know what happened and where they were. Lily got so sick of repeating the story, she excused herself and walked outside.

  Lily paced back and forth muttering to herself, “Should have stayed away from here.”

  “What’s the matter?” Jake asked, surprising her.

  “We haven’t had a minute to ourselves since we got back here. Maybe coming back was a big mistake. All I want to do is be with you,” Lily complained. "It's so hard to be so near you and yet unable to be alone."

  “I want to be with you too,” he admitted. “It’s just going to be like this for a few days. Then we’ll be old news.”

  Lily shrugged not really believing him.

  “Hey.” Jake closed the space between them. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her face up. “I love you. Nothing will change that.” He pressed his lips against hers. “I’ve got an idea.”

  “What?”

  “Let’s go to my cabin this weekend.”

  She pulled back. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I’ve got a car here now. We’ll just drive there. Just the two of us and no distractions.”

  Lily smiled. “I think that's just what we need.”

  Jake held up his promise. They snuck out of their rooms and to his car after dark. Lily reached over and grabbed his hand. "This is nice. Sorry I was acting like a brat the other day. I got so used to having you all to myself. It's hard to share you.

  Jake smiled and rubbed his thumb on her palm. "I feel the same way. But, you have to get used to it. Until we graduate we can't always be alone. I don't want you to miss out on the normal teen stuff. It might not seem like it now, but it's important."

  "I know. I just hope we can sneak away like this once in awhile."

  "You can count on it."

  Jake pulled into the driveway. Lily smiled when she saw the cabin in the distance. “I love this place.”

  “I know. This will always be our special place.” Jake led her inside. “I’m going to start a fire.”

  “I’ll be right out. I have a surprise for you,” Lily said and headed into the bathroom.

  A few minutes later, the bathroom door creaked just a little as Lily opened it. Jake looked back at her his heart skipped a beat. She was standing there in a long, white nightgown it looked like the dress she wore in his dreams. He'd never told her about the dress.

  “It’s been so long,” she said.

  Their eyes met. “It has.”

  Lily walked towards him letting the dress drag behind her. She stopped a few feet from him and raised her hands to the back of her neck. As Jake watched, she slowly unclasped her necklace and held it out, dropping it to the floor. Then she took off the bracelet and tossed it aside...

  More About the Authors

  Julia Crane

  Julia Crane is the author of Keegan’s Chronicles. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magi
cal creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up, her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she’s spent most of her lie on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

  Connect with Julia online:

  http://www.juliacraneauthor.com

  Talia Jager

  Talia Jager has been writing as far back as she can remember. As a child, her summer vacations were spent writing stories. Bedtimes were ignored when she hid under the covers with a flashlight, a notebook and a pen. At school, she kept her works-in-progress under her classwork.

  She took creative writing and journalism in high school and graduated with a major in English and a minor in French. She later earned her college degree in early childhood education. Writing was pushed to the side when she fell in love and had a family.

  Now, with the support of her family, she has several published books and continues to write young adult dramas.

  Talia lives in Texas with her husband and five daughters. Her published works include Damaged: Natalie’s Story, Teagan’s Story: Her Battle With Epilepsy, If I Die Young, The Ultimate Sacrifice, Secret Bloodline, and Lost and Found. She hopes to have her next book, Roots and Wings, out by the end of 2011.

  Connect with Talia online:

  Blog – http://taliajager.blogspot.com

  Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/taliajager

  Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/taliajager

  Acknowledgements

  We would like to thank Heather Adkins for her wonderful editing skills. Stephanie Mooney for the beautiful cover. Lizzy Ford for beta reading. Our families for putting up with us while we write.

  Stay tuned at the end of this book for a sneak peek of Lizzy Ford’s “Damian’s Oracle” War of Gods, Book 1.

  Sneak Peek

  “Damian’s Oracle”

  War of Gods, Book 1

  By Lizzy Ford

  CHAPTER ONE

  Sofia dropped her purse on the desk in her cube without removing her sunglasses. The early December sun couldn’t set fast enough to prevent her pounding headache from growing worse on her drive to work. To ease her exposure to the sun, she’d volunteered for the evening shift to support the West Coast customers. Unfortunately, the commute to work every day was still excruciating.

  “So … did the doc say you’re turning into a vampire?” Jake, her ex-boyfriend from college and current coworker, appeared in the doorway of her cube as soon as she sat down. She ignored the hunk, hoping he’d take the hint. “I brought you something. You can pretend it’s blood.” He held out a bottle of red water.

  “You have five minutes to leave my cube, or I’ll bite your neck!” she retorted.

  “Really, what’d the doc say?” Jake grew serious and sat in the spare chair in her cube.

  Sofia rubbed her temples. She was better off pulling a random diagnosis out of a hat.

  “No brain tumors,” she replied. “Probably not the neurological issue they thought. They’re looking at other ideas.”

  “Do they know what makes you allergic to light and eat raw steaks covered in peanut butter for every meal?”

  “They’re not raw, and I only eat them for dinner.”

  “Did the doc explain your mood swings, too?”

  She gritted her teeth. She’d known Jake since her junior year of college. They dated in college, parted ways mutually, and ended up working for the same financial planning firm in Virginia. Normally, she felt privileged that he still gave her the time of day, what with the way he’d turned out—formed like a Greek god with hazel eyes so pretty their boss swooned every time she spoke to him. But today, she didn’t want to be reminded that she’d changed from a normal human being into a sunlight intolerant, moody bitch in the two months since her twenty-fourth birthday.

  “Think you can talk the boss into letting me come in an hour or two later?” she asked.

  “Yeah, easy. I just smile pretty. Doesn’t work on you, but it does on her.”

  “Thanks, Jake. The headaches are getting worse.”

  “Sofi, I’m worried,” he said, softening. “What’s going on?”’

  “The doctors don’t know,” she said with a sigh. “They’re flying in a specialist from overseas. They said it might be some sort of rare blood disorder.”

  “What the hell does that mean? That they really don’t have a clue?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “I Googled your symptoms,” Jake said and unfolded a piece of paper. “A lot of bullshit posted by wannabe vampires and Twilight fans. But I found this, too.”

  He waved the page in front of her.

  “This is fruit punch, by the way,” he said, nudging the bottle of red water toward her. “Your favorite, right?”

  “I don’t remember telling you that.”

  “Anyway, among the wacko postings, I found this site.” He pointed on the page to reveal a link to a website with a single name and phone number written on it.

  Damian Bylun.

  “What is this?” she asked, taking the paper from him.

  Jake wiped his mouth the way he did when he’d admitted to cheating on her four years ago. She lifted her sunglasses to squint at him.

  “It’s a blog this doctor guy keeps. In it, he describes what you’re going through.”

  “For real?” she asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “How did you find it? I spent days surfing the net. Even Tanya tried to help.”

  “Aw well, you and your best friend just aren’t as good as The Jake. She’s still a bitch, by the way,” Jake said.

  Sofia rolled her eyes. He’d never gotten over her friend refusing to date him after she dumped him. Jake’s ego was as large as his size sixteen feet.

  “What does he say my symptoms are from?”

  “I don’t know. His blog is firewalled from here, though, so you should just call him.”

  Damian Bylun. It struck a chord deep within her, as if she should know it. Struck by something else, she removed her sunglasses and eyed Jake, saying,

  “You know, you haven’t spoken to me more than to say hello in two years. I haven’t been able to get you out of my cube for the past two weeks. What’s up with that, Jake?”

  “I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and am just trying to … be a better person,” he said with a nervous chuckle and rubbed his mouth again.

  She could almost see him standing before his mirror practicing the line before going to the bars to pick up chicks. But whatever he was hiding couldn’t be that important.

  “I’ll look at this later,” she said. “Go forth and leave me be, The Jake. Leave the punch.”

  “Sofia, I really think you should call this guy,” he said, looking her in the eye. “Please.”

  A sense of uneasiness ran through her at the gravity in his normally light tone.

  “Fine, I will.”

  He flashed a smile and strode from her cube. Sofia looked at the paper again. She retrieved her cell and tucked the paper into her pocket. Snatching her sunglasses, she almost made it to the door before she heard Lacy’s voice.

  “Sofia, can you come see me?”

  She grimaced and turned to see the tall blond striding toward her office. Lacy wore a skirt too short and tight for office wear, but when you’re the boss …

  “I noticed you’ve been taking a lot of sick time lately,” Lacy said as Sofia entered the room.

  “Yeah, I’m having some issues,” Sofia replied.

  “Jake told me. HR passed it to upper management. I need you to bring in some sort of paperwork from your doctor stating what’s wrong.”

  “They don’t know what’s wrong. I can bring you another one of the notes verifying that’s where I am when I’m missing work.”

  “What do you mean? They’re doctors,” Lacy said, looking up from the memo in her hands. “Of course they know what’s wrong. And those notes aren’t good enough.”

  �
�They really don’t know,” Sofia said again.

  “I can’t make reasonable accommodations for you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

  “That makes no sense, Lacy. If I have a doctor’s note saying I’m under their care, isn’t that good enough until they figure it out?”