Deceptions (The Mystical Encounter Series Book 2)

by Kimberly Readnour

  “Prom?”

  “Yeah, prom. Aren’t you and Barry going?”

  “Well, he hasn’t officially asked me.”

  “Heather, you’re going out. It’s implied that you’re going together,” she huffed.

  “Well, who are you going with?” I asked, trying to divert the attention off me.

  “Caleb,” she said.

  I tipped my head to the side. “Oh?”

  “Yeah, we always go to the dances together. It’s not a big deal.” She fidgeted in her seat. For something that supposedly wasn’t a big deal, talking about it seemed to make her nervous.

  “Is there anything going on between you two?” I asked.

  “Nothing exciting,” she said in a tone that indicated it was at least somewhat exciting. “Now, back to you. You’ll obviously need a dress.”

  With a stab of my salad, I asked, “Isn’t it several weeks away?”

  She lowered her fork and peered at me. “It’s four weeks away, but you need to start looking now. If you wait too long, all the good dresses will be picked over. I’ve already had the dress shop order mine; in fact, it’ll be ready on Saturday.”

  “Oh, I guess I need to start looking…‌” Unable to focus on what I was saying, my voice trailed off as I took another bite of my salad. There was a slim chance I would even still be with Barry in four weeks, considering that he was going to dump me when he found out about my role in getting his mom arrested. Surely, within four weeks the police would have made the arrest, and my deception would be known throughout the town. I stopped chewing as the food became tasteless from anxiety and sat there for a second to let my stomach settle. Forcing myself to swallow, I picked up my glass and looked at Nicole. I wanted to tell her about my visions and the awful business with Bart and Julian so badly. Instead, I took a sip of my soda while listening to her chatter.

  Nicole described various dress styles and then moved on to recommending dress shops I should visit, but focusing on her words was hard. I nodded at the appropriate times‌—‌or at least, I hoped I did but my thoughts kept resorting back to my conversation with Tanner.

  I had called him that morning and explained about the suspicious shed at Barry’s house where his mom supposedly grew flowers. I made sure to tell him that Barry was forbidden from entering the shed, and other shady details, like that the windowpanes were covered with a black tarp–like material. Tanner wasn’t as surprised as I expected him to be‌—‌he said he had already suspected that she and Bart got their supply by growing it themselves.

  I stabbed my salad a little too forcefully, and a few pieces of chicken fell on the table. I stared at them for a second, gripping my fork tightly and concentrated on my breathing. Calm down, Heather. Waiting for Tanner’s next step was driving me insane, but I thought I had masked my anxiety pretty well.

  “Heather, are you even listening?”

  Jerked from my reverie, I looked up and flinched. The scowl on Nicole’s face made me rethink my acting skills‌—‌apparently I had not been hiding my distractedness very well.

  “I’m sorry, Nicole. My mind wandered.”

  Before I could come up with any more excuses, my cell phone rang loudly with its snappy ring–tone. Thank God for the interruption. I frantically dug through my bag in search of the phone. I didn’t want to miss Barry’s call, although he wasn’t supposed to be home today. But who else could it be?

  I whipped my phone out, saw Tanner’s name, and tried to arrange my face to hide my nervousness. Crap. I sucked in my bottom lip as Nicole’s eyebrows drew upward. She continued staring at me, causing me to hesitate before answering. My anxiety spiked to an all–time high.

  Afraid the phone call would go to voicemail, I answered, “Hello.”

  “Heather, I’ll get straight to the point,” Tanner said matter–of–factly. “The search warrant is in place to search Jillian’s house. Now, you need to understand that I’m not in charge of this anymore. Because the local police force is corrupted and compromised, I had to go above my head. However, I felt like it was my duty to give you some warning. It shouldn’t be long before they arrive.” He sighed deeply.

  “I understand completely. Thank you for the warning,” I replied, trying to be vague for Nicole’s sake but still polite for Tanner’s sake. The last thing I wanted to do was alert Nicole that there was something juicy going on, but the inquisitive expression on her face suggested that ship had sailed.

  “Okay. Well, I’ll let you go,” Tanner said.

  “All right. I look forward to all this being over with.” That was the truest statement I’d ever uttered.

  The phone went silent, and pain ripped through my chest as I dreaded the anguish Barry would soon experience. I tried to compose myself, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over. Everything I liked about my life was about to come to an end, and there was nothing I could do about it.

  “What’s wrong?” Nicole asked.

  The multiple conservations going on around us morphed into one, and the noise level reduced to a humming sound. The room spun as I was overtaken by nausea.

  “Nothing,” I whispered, shoving the rest of my salad away. “Can we just leave?”

  As Nicole put down her spoon, her lips flattened into a thin line, and she studied me for a minute. Unable to keep direct eye contact, my eyes shifted downward.

  “Heather, I know you better than that. Something’s wrong,” she said, her tone reassuring.

  The knot in my stomach tightened, causing that sickening feeling to worsen. A throbbing sensation behind my eyes forced them to close as my hand automatically rose, squeezing the bridge of my nose. This wasn’t helping with anything, but I imagined it dispersing the pain.

  “I can’t say. Please just let it drop.” I stressed.

  “Was that my uncle?” she asked, unable to let the conversation lie.

  Silence followed as I refused to answer.

  After a few moments, she conceded. “Okay,” she said with a nod. As she gathered up our bowls, she added, “I get it. But just remember, when you’re allowed to talk, I’ll be there.”

  “Thanks, Nicole,” I muttered. “Please just take me home, I really need to get back.”

  If they were getting ready to search Barry’s home, I so didn’t want to be out shopping and pretending to have a good time. I couldn’t be there for him, but having fun while they ripped his life apart just seemed wrong. I was thankful that Barry had plans with his friends today. At least he wouldn’t be around when everything went down.

  Nicole nodded and we walked out of the restaurant. We didn’t get too far before she said, “I think a pick–me–up Frappuccino is in order before we head home.”

  That was the great thing about Nicole: she didn’t pry. She could sense that whatever was bothering me trumped her curiosity.

  With our frappe’s in hand, we started the long drive back home. From the passenger side, I watched the big fluffy clouds whiz by. The sun beamed in and sparkled all around me as it glowed on my face. The warmth felt nice, and brought me a sense of security. However short my time may be until Barry found out about the raid, it was lovely compared to the imminent disaster lying ahead.

  ~15~

  Accountability

  I straightened and sighed with relief when I returned to an empty house. Mom was still at work. The last thing I needed was to have to explain to my mother why the only thing I bought at the mall was lingerie. I made a beeline to my bedroom and emptied the pink striped bag onto my bed. I intended to grab the small scissors to remove the price tags, but became enthralled with each garment instead. Each matched set had its own characteristics that fascinated me with their novelty‌—‌some were satin, lace, beribboned, or a mixture. I picked up the all–lace thong and wondered how on earth Nicole talked me into buying it.

  Wouldn’t that be uncomfortable to wear?

  The sudden bang at the front door caused my stomach to plummet and I jumped. With my feet planted to the floor, I turned
toward the direction of the sound. Is that Barry? It couldn’t be, he was supposed to be gone. But who else could it be, Nicole just dropped me off? Oh. My. God. I had the worst luck ever. I looked back at my bed and the underwear that was spread everywhere. I sighed. I couldn’t be with him while the police raided his house. Life was so unfair.

  I quickly gathered the garments and threw them back into the pink bag. Hiding sounded like a good option. I could crawl into a ball and bury myself underneath the comforter and not resurface until Tanner finished everything. Another forceful knock resounded through the house, pulling me from my cowardly thoughts. I can’t hide, he more than likely saw Nicole’s car. I sucked in a scream and tossed the bag by the closet doors, then ran to get the door.

  When my hand touched the brass doorknob, I closed my eyes for a moment before turning it. I opened the door to see Barry standing there with his hands in his pockets. As soon as our eyes met, he broke into a warm, inviting smile. Speechless, I stood there, taking in the sight of him. After today, how many times would he knock on my door? I expected this to be one of the last times I would see him under pleasant circumstances, and I wanted the image of his handsome face engraved into my memory.

  His hazel eyes danced brightly as my gaze swept over his body. The polo shirt stretched tightly across his broadened chest accentuated his muscles. The image of a perfect torso hidden under that shirt sprang unbidden to my mind. I’d been privileged to catch a few glances when his shirt had ridden up. Today, I could imagine his muscles being showcased by the hip–hugging, cargo–style khaki’s he wore. Shifting my gaze upward, I noticed his eyes shimmering‌—‌enhanced by the yellow color of his shirt. He smirked, clearly enjoying my ogling. But he was striking, even with his unruly haircut. It took all my willpower not to run my fingers through the untamed waves.

  “Are you going to let me in, or do you want to keep staring at me?” he smirked.

  Heat rose in my cheeks and the corners of my mouth curled into a smile. His grin faltered, flattening into a somber expression while his stare penetrated straight through me. His eyes, full of mischief, shifted to an intensity I had never seen. There was longing in them. Desire. My stomach flipped, but the nagging sensation of guilt kept me from fully embracing the moment.

  I remained silent as the door swung wider, allowing him to enter. Taking the hint, he stepped forward, his eyes still locked with mine. He reached out, pushed the door shut, and took a small step closer to me. With mere inches between us, I became immobilized‌—‌trapped by the force drawing us together. His eyes, no longer bright, but the deepest green–brown I had ever seen them, shifted down to my lips. My heart sped up as my body craved his attention. Within a second, strong lips crashed into mine, slamming my backside against the wall. The eagerness to fulfill my craving took over as his hands wandered along my body before landing on my hips. I interlaced my fingers into his hair. I grabbed a fistful of hair when his body pressed closer to mine, leaving no doubt as to how much he returned that want.

  His fingers pressed further into my hips, unleashing a small shiver. He took a deep breath before planting small kisses along my jaw. Goosebumps erupted as he trailed down my neck, settling on the sensitive area below my left ear.

  With a small moan, he whispered, “I love you, Heather.”

  My body tensed, remembering what would occur at Barry’s house soon. He paused, mistaking my hesitation as a wish for him to slow down. With all the secrets I was keeping, everyone kept misinterpreting my signals. He released his hands, and placed them on the wall above my head. I slowly brought my hands down to his hips, looping my fingers through his belt loops.

  “Sorry, I got carried away,” he panted, leaning his forehead against mine.

  I tried evening out my breaths as my mind became a jumbled mess of consuming guilt. I hated that I had ruined our moment. I hated that I wasn’t confident enough to tell him I loved him back. I hated the hurt in his eyes because of my refusal to confess that love. But most of all, I hated not knowing if his love for me would be strong enough to overcome the biggest deception of his life.

  “I think we both got carried away,” I replied between breaths.

  “I’ll learn to control myself better. It’s just…‌mmm, that was…‌hot.”

  Barry smiled, planted a quick kiss on my forehead, and then backed up, lacing our fingers together. “Come on,” he said with a tug.

  “Didn’t you tell me you were going out with the guys today?” I asked, following him into the living room.

  “Yeah, but Stan had to bail on us because his dad needed help with a delivery, and Mike had to babysit his brother and sister.”

  “Babysit?”

  “Yeah…‌something about their regular babysitter getting sick. So anyway, Caleb wants to try for tomorrow instead. You won’t mind, right?”

  I tucked my feet underneath me as we snuggled together on the couch. His arm wrapped around me, pulling me into him. My stomach churned. This right here was what I’d miss the most once Barry found out about my deception. The security he brought me when we snuggled together‌—‌there was nothing better.

  “No, not at all. What are you doing anyway?”

  “We planned to go kayaking on the Meramec River,” he said.

  “That sounds like fun.”

  He kissed the top of my head. “Plan on going soon. There’s an annual outing in a couple of weeks, you’d like it. I’d ask you to go this time, but Caleb is insisting it only be the guys. He keeps saying it’s ‘bro–time.’”

  “Bro–time?”

  “Yeah. Lame, right? Sometimes he’s such a girl.”

  A small chuckle escaped despite the thickening in my throat. “That’s all right. I don’t want to interrupt bro–time, but I’ll take a rain–check.”

  “That’s a promise.”

  His smooth voice sent daggers through my heart. That was one promise he more than likely wouldn’t keep. His contentment made me hate myself for my deception, and I wanted to confess everything right then. I lowered my gaze, and was glad he couldn’t see my face.

  I leaned into him a little more, cherishing his touch. “You want anything to drink?” I asked softly.

  As if contemplating the idea, he said, “Let’s get some ice cream instead. You haven’t been to the Humdinger yet, right?”

  I shook my head no. Ice cream didn’t sound appetizing, but I wasn’t about to deny Barry anything.

  “Well then, you’re in for a treat. The Humdinger has the best ice cream in the county.”

  I inhaled deeply and forced myself to smile. “I can’t pass that up, now can I?”

  With that half–grin I adored, he rose and grabbed my hand. “Let’s go then.”

  We walked together to his car, and I knew going anywhere with him was a mistake. I was conflicted. I knew I probably shouldn’t be anywhere near him when he found out his house had been raided, but I also wanted to be there to support him. I’m so screwed.

  ~~~~~

  “So, I was right, wasn’t I?” Barry asked as I licked a melted drop of ice cream from the side of my waffle cone.

  I nodded.

  He was right, too. This was the best chocolate ice cream I’d ever tasted. Considering it was halfway through April, it surprised me they were even open. The stand–alone ice cream shops back in Clayton never opened until Memorial Day.

  I scanned the area and concluded the Humdinger had no problems selling cones in April‌—‌this place was packed. With limited seating, we were lucky to find an empty bench.

  “Afterwards, I thought we could—‌” the melody from Barry’s cell phone rang, interrupting his speech. He raised a finger, motioning for me to wait while he glanced at the screen. His nose wrinkled in annoyance. “What does he want now?”

  I could faintly hear a male voice shouting through the phone when Barry answered it. Even through the panicked shrill, I recognized Caleb’s voice. “Dude, you need to get home quick. There’s a SWAT team swarming your house. I’m tal
king feds bro, not the local joke around here.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Caleb was yelling so loudly, Barry held the phone away from his ear.

  My eyes closed as I listened to Caleb’s explanation, loud enough for me to hear through the phone. He informed Barry that the men swarming his house had the initials D. E. A. on their backs. Drug Enforcement Administration. Wow. Detective Tanner wasn’t kidding when he told me it was above him‌—‌he’d called in the feds.

  “Is it going on now?” Barry’s question cut through my thoughts as I held my breath awaiting Caleb’s answer.

  “Yes, I’m looking out my window, watching it go down.”

  My stomach churned and my ice cream lost its appeal. This was too soon. I hadn’t counted on any friends calling him. Of course, I had no clue Caleb lived near his house. Just my luck! Even though I knew it was coming, I still wasn’t prepared. Inhaling deeply, I opened my eyes, daring to peek at Barry.

  He paled the longer he remained on the phone, and I wanted so badly to reach out and console him. Finally, he spoke. “I’m heading there now.”

  We tossed our cones in a nearby trashcan and Barry rushed toward the car, with me scrambling to keep up with his pace.

  He mumbled something about how irresponsible his mother was as the engine roared to life. “What on earth have you done now?” he asked rhetorically.

  I sat beside him, speechless and consumed by guilt. In less than ten minutes, we would be at his house and he’d realize the secrets I had kept from him. He would hate me, and I couldn’t blame him. Lies and deceit were not a good foundation for a relationship. Intentional or not, it wouldn’t matter. Barry would definitely hate me.

  With a sideways glance, I studied his profile. He had gripped the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles had turned white. The smile I loved had disappeared from his face, along with the light that danced in his eyes. I hated knowing that I had played a major role in extinguishing that light. Why did I have this ability to see crap? Barry called it a gift, but it was a curse.