Scintillate (Scintillate Series Book 1)

by Karen Tjebben

  Nick kept one arm around my waist, and his other arm slid diagonally across my chest upwards, towards my shoulder, separating me from the shadow.

  “Get off!” he shouted. “Let go! Now!” he commanded in a deep, firm voice.

  The dark mass disappeared. The weight was gone. Fresh air filled my lungs, and I released the sled handles. Nick pulled me from the sled, but we continued to roll on the icy snow in the shade of the trees.

  “Ow!” I screamed as ice tore away at my cheek as we tumbled. The searing pain and cold were excruciating. Nick slowed us by jamming his boots into the snow. I momentarily saw the shadow again. Glowing red eyes glared at me as it rode our abandoned sled towards a tree.

  Nick and I came to a stop with me on top of him. “Are you all right?” Nick asked. He lifted my head from his chest. “Let me see your face,” he demanded. “Are you hurt?”

  I laid on him, too shocked to move. As he held my face, he examined it. Nick’s fingers pressed against my raw cheek, and a tingling sensation filled my face. “Ugh,” I moaned.

  Reese reached us first. “Kate, are you okay?” Snow sprayed us as he came to a halting stop.

  “Are you all right?” Lauren asked as the others joined us.

  “I think Kate just needs a moment,” Nick answered.

  I lay on his chest and replayed the terrifying events. What was that shadow? Were those really eyes? What kind of shadow has weight?

  “I couldn’t move,” I whispered. “Something just held me there. It all happened so fast.”

  Nick’s hands rubbed my back over my thick coat. “You’re okay. You’re safe now.”

  “Did you guys see that?” I asked, referring to the dark shadow.

  “Yeah, of course we saw it,” Meghan gasped. “You’re lucky you didn’t crash into those trees.”

  “Kate, not that I mind you laying on top of me, but do you think you can stand up?” Nick asked with a grin.

  “Oh… um… what?” Could he feel my heart thundering through my chest?

  “Here, let me help you.” Reese offered me his hand.

  “Oh, sorry about that.” I climbed off of Nick. Pain shot through my back as I straightened up.

  “Here are your hat and sunglasses,” Ravi said. “I found them back where you first rolled off the sled.”

  “Thanks.” I took the items, and Ravi walked off again. I gingerly touched my cheek. It felt raw. “Am I bleeding? I think we landed on ice.”

  “No, it’s not bleeding. You just have really bad ice burn. You know, like carpet burn,” Nick said. “It should heal without any scarring.” He gently touched my cheek.

  “Wow, you saved us from crashing into the trees. I was so scared. I just froze.” I looked at the imprint in the snow where we stopped. “I feel like a real idiot.”

  He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me to him. “You shouldn’t. It wasn’t your fault.” As he stepped away, his hand brushed over my cheek again.

  “Wow, check this out!” Ravi shouted. “Look at your sled. It’s totaled.” In each hand he carried a piece of the sled that broke on impact with a tree.

  Nick took the two pieces from Ravi. “I guess that explains the ‘whomp’ sound that I heard.”

  “Wow, just think of the force it would take to do that to the sled,” Reese said. “Kate, your head would’ve cracked like a melon if you hit the trees.”

  “Or Nick,” I replied. “He could have gotten hurt too.”

  “Yeah, well, you almost got yourself killed,” Reese said. “Why didn’t you roll off?”

  I stared at him, near tears. How could he be angry at me for something so out of my control? I wanted to roll off, knew I needed to roll off, but something restrained me. How could I explain that to them? Who would believe me?

  Nick tucked the two pieces of sled under his arm. “No one ever knows how they will react in a terrifying situation. You shouldn’t be angry with Kate. Next time she might surprise you. She might save you.”

  “Save me, huh! That’ll be the day,” Reese scoffed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “Well, hopefully that day will never come.” Nick lightly brushed snow off my back.

  “We should head back,” Meghan said. “It’s getting darker and colder by the minute.”

  Ravi held his sled under one arm. “Wait a minute. I hate to kill the seriousness of the moment, but I noticed that you two crashed as Meghan and I were taking the lead. Does that mean we win by default?”

  Meghan smacked him in the shoulder. “Ugh! You’re such a goober. Come on.”

  I was grateful that Ravi lightened the moment by his question. Things were too intense, and we needed a lighter atmosphere.

  We headed back to the ATVs a little less joyful than when the day began.

  “I know it’s my turn to drive, but would you mind doing it?” I already knew Nick’s answer.

  “Not a problem. Do you think you can hold on?”

  “Totally. I just want to chill.”

  “Honestly, I’m a little nervous about you. You may have a concussion. If you loosen your grip at all I’m going to stop and check on you. So you better hold on tight the entire way back.” He stopped walking and his cerulean eyes stared into mine. “I don’t want you falling off while we’re racing along the path.”

  I ran my gloved hand down the front of his coat. The fabrics screeched faintly as they rubbed against each other. “I’m not going to fall off. Where’s your confidence in me? A few minutes ago you had me rescuing Reese. Now I’m falling off of ATVs because I’m too weak to hold on. So which is it? Am I a wuss or a heroine?” I smirked and grabbed his hand.

  He shifted his weight to his other leg and narrowed his eyes. “Honestly, you’re greater than you realize and far from being a wuss. Put on your helmet, hold on tight, and I’ll do my best to get us back in one piece.”

  His directness left me speechless for a moment. I stared at him, wondering what he meant by “greater than you realize”. Nick’s flirting was sometimes a little over-the-top.

  “I’ll grab you so tightly it’ll feel like a boa constrictor is choking off your air supply,” I replied back, a little less over-the-top.

  “Good, that’s what I expect from you.”

  Once we were settled on the ATVs, Nick said, “Hit me up here by my shoulders if you need to stop. Are you ready?”

  I nodded, and he started the ATV. We headed towards the Wager’s with us in the back because Nick was worried that I might fall off and he didn’t want me to get run over. Seriously, what kind of girl is so weak and pathetic that she goes around falling off of ATVs? Is that what he thinks of me? Could I really blame him? Apparently, since I lacked the good sense to roll off an out of control sled I can’t be trusted to ride an ATV. And what was up with the dark shadow? Could that be a side-effect of yesterday’s mold spore inhalation at the manor? First my hand was engulfed by a mirror. Then I saw my attacker in the mirror, and now a dark shadow is stalking me. When will these hallucinations go away? Nick’s going to think I’m a weakling who needs to be coddled and watched like a baby. How humiliating! I groaned inwardly and stewed in self-contempt the rest of the way back. The beauty of the snow covered woods was lost on me. All I could think about were the bizarre events that made me question reality.

  Mr. and Mrs. Wager were watching television in the family room when we arrived back at their house. “How was sledding?” Mr. Wager asked.

  “It was awesome until the very end.” Matt threw a hitchhiker’s thumb my direction.

  “What happened?” Mrs. Wager asked.

  “We lost control and had to bail from our sled,” Nick said. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

  “What happened to your face?” Mrs. Wager walked towards me with her hands up, ready to cradle my cheeks.

  “I’m fine.” I shook my face in an attempt to avoid her hands. “I slid in some snow and ice for a moment.”

  “Well, I have acetaminophen if you need it,” Mrs. Wager offered. She re
sted her hands on her hips. “Meghan knows where it is.”

  “Thanks, I might take some later,” I said. “I’m going to get changed now.” Rylee and I went to our room to get out of our sledding clothes.

  “Wow, you were really lucky.” Rylee pulled her sweater over her head. “I can’t believe you just froze like that though. It’s so unlike you.”

  “I know. I just sat there, terrified. We were headed towards all those trees, and everyone was yelling for me to roll off, but I just held on.” I leaned against the edge of the bed and took off my snow pants. “I was even yelling at myself to roll off, but it didn’t matter. It was like I didn’t have control of myself. It felt like something was holding me there. Did you see anything?”

  “Yeah, I saw you cheat death.”

  “You’re terrible.” I pulled my turtleneck over my head. “Hey, what’s this?” Reddish-brown spots speckled the collar of my turtleneck.

  Rylee walked over and examined the shirt collar. “That looks like blood. You must have cut yourself when you skidded on the ice.”

  “Yeah, but where? Do you see any cuts?”

  She brought her face closer to mine and studied my face and neck. “No. The marks on your face don’t even look like they bled.”

  “Huh… weird.” I grabbed my flannel shirt. “I wonder where the spots came from?” I headed towards the bathroom. “I’m going to go wash my face and check out the damage.”

  I grabbed a clean washcloth from the closet and looked in the mirror. My cheek was raw and tender, but I didn’t notice any cuts that looked like they’d bled. Where did the blood on my shirt come from?

  After dinner we decided to relax in the hot tub. Hot bubbles danced along the surface, and a fire warmed the room. I quickly submerged myself into the water next to Nick and cuddled up beside him. The powerful jets bombarded my aching muscles. “This is so relaxing,” I said. I rested my head on the ledge of the hot tub, glad I’d put my hair up in a loose bun to keep the ends dry. I knew that as long as we kept our voices hushed, the hum of the jets provided a little privacy.

  Nick’s hands floated along the top of the water. “I had a blast today. Until the last run, of course. How are you feeling?”

  “Fine. I think I made a snow angel as we rolled down the hill.”

  “Really? A snow angel. I wish I’d seen that.” The flickering flames from the fire cast shadows on the walls and illuminated Nick’s face.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty talented like that.” I nudged him in the ribs and my body to slipped off the seat. I instantly grabbed his thigh and my nails gripped his skin. “Oops, sorry.”

  “No worries. I’ll survive if you touch me,” he said.

  Matt stepped into the hot tub. “I cracked the porch door a little, so we shouldn’t get too hot in here like we did last night.”

  Meghan picked up the remote control and pressed a button. The screen popped to life. She turned to the guide channel.

  “Hey, that’s an awesome movie,” Reese said. He pointed at the television screen. “We just missed the first few minutes.”

  “Isn’t that about mutants?” Ravi asked. “Does that sound good to everyone?”

  “Sure, I don’t care what we watch,” said Lauren.

  “You can’t go wrong with a mutant movie,” Matt said.

  “It sounds like we have a decision.” Meghan settled into the water.

  After our exhausting day, a movie and relaxing in the hot tub were the perfect ending. Everyone must have felt the same way because the only sounds were the movie and the noises of the jets thrusting out balmy water.

  Nick’s shoulder made the perfect pillow for my head. My eyes began to feel heavy as the movie played on.

  “Look at you,” Nick whispered. “You’re about to fall asleep.”

  “I guess the warm water is too relaxing.”

  “We should get out.” Nick stood and stepped out of the hot tub. Water dripped down his chest, and the flames from the fire cast shadows on his body making him look mysterious and fabulous at the same time. I got up, took his hand and stepped out of the hot tub. He wrapped me in the towel, and then he wrapped his own towel around his waist.

  Lauren looked at me and smiled. “Are you two getting out?”

  “Yes. We’ll just talk a little inside,” Nick said.

  Reese’s eyes darted between Nick and me. His smirk suggested that he suspected more was going to happen than talking.

  We stepped through the doorway and into the kitchen. “I thought we should take advantage of our last night together and get some quiet time. How does that sound?” Nick’s warm fingertips stroked my bare arm.

  I smiled and gave a little laugh. “That sounds perfect, but first I’m going to put some warm clothes on.”

  We walked hand in hand down the hallway towards our bedrooms. At the door to my room he leaned close and whispered, “I’ll meet you in the family room.”

  I walked into my room, closed the door, and sighed as I rested my head against the door. I felt confident that Nick would kiss me tonight.

  I quickly changed into a pair of jeans, a feminine cut flannel shirt, and layered it with a sweater. I pulled on wool socks and then brushed my teeth. Why risk having bad breath?

  The hallway was dark, but an orange light cast flickering shadows on the walls in the family room. A flannel blanket covered the floor in front of one of the sofas. Another blanket laid to the side of this makeshift nest. Some pillows were propped up against the sofa to add comfort and support for our backs.

  A high-pitched beeping from the kitchen led me to Nick. “What are you up to?” I asked.

  Nick removed two mugs from the microwave. “I thought we could use a little hot chocolate. Mrs. Wager showed me where it was she went upstairs.”

  “Mmm, that sounds delicious.” I drummed my fingers on the granite island.

  He dipped the tip of his finger into the milk. “It’s hot.” He licked the milk from his finger tip.

  I ripped open the pouches and added the chocolate powder to the milk. The spoons clanked against the mugs as we stirred. I brought the mug to my lips and tasted the hot chocolate. “Perfect.”

  “You’re right. It is perfect,” he said after sampling it. “Shall we?” Nick pointed to the family room.

  The mug warmed my hands as I held it. “I’d love to.” I walked towards the blanket in front of the fire and hoped this would be where we’d share our first intimate kiss. “This is nice.” I sat down on the blanket and leaned against the pillows. “It’s so comfy. You were busy while I was changing.”

  “I was motivated to get out here and get things ready for you. Are you warm enough?”

  “Yes. Besides I can always cuddle up next to you, can’t I?” I took another sip of hot chocolate. Its sweetness danced over my tongue, and its warmth soothed me as the steam tickled my nose. The heat from the fire radiated out, and its flame cast an alluring glow on Nick. His crooked smile and tilted head charmed me and awakened the butterflies in my stomach.

  “You’re on to me now. That was my plan all along.” He set his hot chocolate on the coffee table and leaned up against the sofa. Then he rested his arm on the seat cushion.

  “I thought so.” I snuggled into the crook of his arm as I held my cup. “I’m really glad you came this weekend.”

  “Thanks for letting me. I’m glad you didn’t think it was too weird.” He took my free hand. “I’ve had a blast.”

  “This weekend would have been so different if you hadn’t been here. I would’ve been bored out of my mind, or at least felt like a tag-along.” I inhaled his cologne. “I think this has been the best weekend of my life.”

  His fingers caressed my hand while his other hand played with my hair. “I’m so glad to hear you say that. It means so much to me that you feel the same way that I do.” He looked intently into my face. “I think you are very special, and I want to spend as much time with you as possible.”

  I felt the warmth from my cheeks as I blushed. I
didn’t expect him to put it quite like that. The butterflies in my stomach were flitting about sporadically now. When would he kiss me?

  “Did I embarrass you?” The tiny muscles around his eyes tightened as he studied me.

  “I just didn’t expect to hear you say it that way. I’m flattered and shocked.” I looked at the mug and then at him. “You keep amazing me. You aren’t inhibited or intimidated by stuff that other guys are intimidated by.” I set my mug on the coffee table.

  “I guess I’m not like other guys. I hope that’s all right with you.”

  “Trust me — I like you the way you are. You’re perfect.” If he didn’t kiss me soon, a butterfly might fly out of my mouth.

  Nick slowly moved his arm from behind me and shifted his body so he faced me. I remained frozen against the sofa. His curved fingers lightly stroked my raw cheek. His touch was so soft and gentle that it felt like a feather brushing against me. His bottomless blue eyes gazed into mine. I was transfixed by him in every way.

  He leaned towards me and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and breathed him in. His fingers grazed my cheek and traced the curve of my chin. Then he strategically placed kisses from my forehead to my ear; his warm breath left a trail of delight in its wake. My heart raced along at thundering speeds as my breathing quickened.

  “You have captured my heart,” he whispered and tucked loose strands of hair behind my ear.

  I smiled back, unsure of what to say. This was better than I imagined.

  His hands cradled my face as his lips slowly fluttered against my forehead, fully awakening the fluttering in me. I leaned in closer and ran my hand up his back. When his lips were at my ear, he whispered, “Katherine, you are more precious than rubies.”

  I inhaled deeply. The time was near. He kissed the tip of my nose and paused. I could feel his breath near my lips.

  A bright light in the kitchen flicked on and cast a harsh glow on us. I tensed and flinched in Nick’s arms. Nick smiled as he held my gaze, indifferent to this new development.

  Reese sauntered into the family room. “Hey, we’re all coming in. Hope we’re not interrupting anything.”