Deceptions (The Mystical Encounter Series Book 2)

by Kimberly Readnour

  When we arrived at his house, vehicles blocked his driveway and uniformed men stood everywhere. There wasn’t any way we were getting close to the house. A few neighbors stood outside their doors, straining to get a better view. Some had their hand over their mouths, shaking their heads in disbelief. Tanner’s dark blue Interceptor was parked in the driveway, and a minuscule stream of hope swelled in my mind. At least Tanner was nearby.

  Barry swerved to the side of the road and threw the car into park. Immediately springing from his seat, he slammed the door before running toward his house. I had to sprint to keep up. I had never felt so helpless in my entire life.

  “Sir, you need to stop right there. Get back behind the perimeter,” an officer yelled.

  “That’s my house. What’s going on? Where’s my mom?” Barry’s pitch rose with each question until he was practically screaming at the officer.

  Barry kept advancing forward, and the armed officer stepped toward him, yelling with more force, “Stop, right there.”

  Afraid they were going to physically hurt him, I started searching for Tanner. If he was here, maybe he could calm Barry down, at least enough to explain what was happening.

  I scanned the area. Several officers emerged from the shed, hauling green plants. My breath sucked in as my suspicions about the shed were confirmed.

  A grunt jarred me from my speculations. My head snapped toward the noise. An officer had wrestled Barry to the ground.

  “No!” I yelled and ran over to help Barry. Another officer grabbed ahold of me, pinning me in place. “Please, let him go!” I screamed.

  Pain shot down my arms as I wiggled back and forth, trying to get free. The officer’s hands clamped tighter around my arms, but I didn’t care. I needed to get to Barry. If they’d just answer his questions, he’d calm down.

  “Ease up, he’s harmless. He lives here.” Tanner’s voice echoed. “And let her go, she works for me,” he added with an exasperated sigh.

  In that moment, it was the sweetest voice that ever passed through my ears. Tanner glanced toward me and our eyes connected. The lines in his face softened, revealing his compassion for my situation. We had grown close these past few days of working together, and this had to be tearing him up inside.

  After the officer released my arms, my gaze shifted toward Barry. I rushed over to him as he tried to stand up. His piercing glare stopped me in my tracks. How could I forget? Now that he had heard Tanner say that I worked for him, he had doubtless put two and two together.

  He tore his eyes from me, then zeroed in on Tanner. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Barry, I know you want answers, but I’m only allowed to say so much. It seems your mother has gotten herself into trouble. She’s being detained for now.” Tanner’s lips pressed together in a slight grimace as he struggled to find the right words. After a long pause, he continued, “Barry, listen. The charges against her are serious. Not only are there possession charges, but there’s over one hundred grams of marijuana growing in the back shed. That is a serious felony to manufacture that many grams, especially with intent to distribute in the state of Missouri.”

  Every bit of Barry’s soul was sucked from his body as his cold, hard stare went vacant. His chin lowered and his arms fell limp by his side. With his shoulders hunched, he shook his head ever so slowly. My heart broke in half. I crossed my arms, pressing my fingers against my sides to keep from running to him. I wanted so badly to comfort him. Hold him. The hardest thing was not being able to do a damn thing.

  “Barry, just go back to your grandma’s house and wait. I’ll call you when I can. Being here, seeing all this…‌it won’t help.”

  Without a word, Barry walked toward his car.

  I glanced at the detective, and he nodded, silently wishing me luck. With a slight grimace, I turned away and noticed Caleb standing across the street. His hand squeezed the back of his neck, and his eyes darted from Barry to me. I forced a small smile and then rushed to Barry’s car. I wasn’t sure if Barry would take off and leave me here or not. I was sure he wanted to be as far away from me as possible.

  Silence prevailed on the way back to his grandmother’s home. Barry’s jaw worked back and forth as if he was contemplating what to say. He stared straight ahead with the most vacant expression. In all the turbulence we’d been through together, I’d never seen this type of emptiness. It was rather scary. Scarier than when he punched Micha.

  ~16~

  Storms

  Gray clouds were fast approaching from the west, choking out the sun. The farther Barry and I drove, the more the tree tops swayed from the increasingly strong gusts of wind. The irony was not lost on me‌—‌the storm wasn’t limited to the skies. No, it was brewing between the two of us. The ride back home was unnerving, and the silence twisted my stomach into knots. Occasionally, I stole a glance at Barry, but his refusal to look at me or speak to me weighed heavy on my chest. I wanted so badly to fix it, but how?

  After parking in his grandma’s driveway, Barry sat there for a few minutes and stared straight ahead. He remained silent, and my bottom lip quivered as I contemplated what to say. I was at a loss for words. Unable to bear the tension any longer, I shook my head before grabbing ahold of the door handle.

  “Answer me this. Were you involved in getting my mother arrested?” Barry asked sharply.

  I sighed and sat back down in my seat, shutting the door. I turned toward the window. The skies had dulled to a stone gray as the sun became engulfed by the darkening clouds. The wind whipped, making the tree branches rattle and ensuring the storm I had predicted.

  After a long pause, I choked out, “Yes.”

  Barry’s breathing accelerated, but he remained still, avoiding my eyes.

  “So your vision included my mom,” he stated.

  Thunder clapped in the background as a single tear escaped my eye, running down my cheek. “Yes,” I replied, my voice shaky. I didn’t want to draw attention to the fact I was crying. I needed to be strong to get through this conversation.

  He reached for his keys and turned off the motor. “When?” he asked. His head tilted, and our eyes locked. His beautiful, vibrant eyes that usually held a mischievous gleam were empty.

  I cringed. My answer wasn’t going to help. As soon as he learned the timeframe, he’d know how long I’d been deceiving him. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was hurt him. He’d been the best thing for me, and I hated that I hadn’t held up my end of our friendship.

  His left hand gripped the steering wheel tighter. “When?” he repeated.

  “Um…‌after we found Nick, Tanner needed to take care of some paper work. We went to the station here in town. I stayed on the steps and waited for him while he went inside. The police chief followed him out, and he touched my shoulder before leaving. The vision showed Bart with your mother. It wasn’t until later that we figured out what was going on.”

  He tensed at Bart’s name, but that was the only emotion he showed. After a long pause, he asked, “So…‌for the past two days we’ve spent together, you knew they were investigating my mother?”

  “Barry you have to understand, I wasn’t able to say anything…‌” my voice trailed off.

  “Humph. Yeah, right. We were together, Heather. Every. Single. Day. There was plenty of time for you to mention something.” His voice raised a couple of octaves and his nostrils flared.

  There was another, louder thunderclap and I jumped. Small droplets of rain fell, splattering the windshield.

  “Barry, I was warned. Detective Tanner more or less threatened me if I interfered with the investigation.”

  “Heather, you deliberately went behind my back and kept information from me. Information about my own mother! Did you think I wouldn’t find out? The police used her, and you served her to them on a silver platter,” he yelled.

  It was pointless to answer because he was too upset to listen. How would I respond anyway? He was justified in being upset. Even if I wasn’t a
llowed to divulge details of the investigation, I could have at least given him some warning. Maybe. I had expected him to be mad, but I still wished he could see things from my perspective. I couldn’t blame him, though: he had every right to hate me.

  “Just leave,” Barry demanded.

  The rain fell harder as another thunder cloud roared above our head.

  “Barry, please…‌”

  “Leave,” he repeated forcefully, and exited the car. I winced as Barry slammed his door so hard I worried it might break.

  The rain soaked my hair, matting it to my face within seconds, but I didn’t care. Through my blurred vision, I watched him take a few steps toward his grandmother’s house as we were pelted by the rain.

  Barry stopped and turned back around to face me. I swallowed hard, stunned by his hardened stare. He raised his hand and waved his index finger at me. “You know, I’ve had enough of this. Of you.” I flinched at those bitter words and watched him stalk away.

  My legs trembled, threatening to collapse beneath me. The moment I feared had finally arrived‌—‌my abilities were too much for Barry to handle. The cold cut through me as Barry approached the front door. The harsh reality stung, and his hurtful words sliced through me like a knife. Tears, mixed with rain, streaked my face as I stood and watched the guy I loved walk away. Yes, I loved him. Why was I so scared to admit it? It didn’t matter if it was spoken out loud, affection didn’t hide under unspoken words.

  “I do love you,” I rasped, unable to stop myself, the desperation was apparent in my voice, even to me. My breath hitched, as I stood there immobilized, seeking a reaction.

  His body tensed and he paused as if contemplating my words, but his body language spoke volumes‌—‌I was too late. He took another step forward without uttering a single word, and I gasped. I stayed silent, rooted in place until he disappeared inside his grandma’s house. My eyes closed as cold raindrops prickled my skin. I turned slowly toward my house, and the harsh reality crashed over me. My chest heaved, and every ounce of oxygen became precious. I had lost more than my boyfriend…‌I lost my best friend.

  ~17~

  Repercussions

  The heavy door to my house slammed shut behind me, and I leaned my back against it, sliding down until I hit the floor. Water from my drenched clothing pooled around me as wailing erupted from my lungs. I buried my head in my hands and burst into tears. I just sat there and cried.

  Mom came running into the breezeway. “Heather, what’s wrong?” she asked shrilly, eyes wide.

  I hardly ever cried. Even back home in Clayton when everyone shunned me, I never let anyone see me cry. But this was a different kind of hurt I couldn’t hide.

  “Oh, Mom, I’ve messed up,” I managed to get out between sobs.

  Her gaze roamed over my body as if physically assessing me. After determining that I wasn’t physically hurt, her shoulders relaxed and she pulled me into an embrace. “What happened?”

  Where do I even begin? There was so much I couldn’t say. “Barry just broke up with me.” I managed to choke out.

  Her head drew back slightly. “That boy is smitten with you,” she said. “I see it whenever he stares at you. What on earth happened?”

  “He couldn’t handle my abilities anymore,” I said, leaving out some crucial details.

  “Since when? He’s witnessed you go through some heavy visions; why the sudden change?”

  “Oh, Mom, I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say. Remember Nicholas?”

  “The boy you helped find?”

  I nodded.

  “I thought he was found and everything was all right.” She squeezed me tighter.

  “He was, but there’s more to it than that. It starts back at the ceremony for Johnny.” I sniffed and stared down at my hands.

  She leaned away from me and cleared her throat. “What happened at the ceremony?”

  I turned to look at her. The tears had blurred my vision, but I could still see the concern in her eyes.

  “I had a vision,” I said meekly.

  Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath. A moment passed before she reopened her eyes and stared at me lovingly. “Oh, Heather.”

  “It’s a mess, Mom. Everything has escalated from there, and it’s all so complicated. The one suffering is Barry, and it’s all my fault.”

  I laid my head on her shoulder and cried. She let me sob and didn’t ask anymore questions. I was soaking the sleeve of her shirt, but she didn’t seem to care. She just held me, and I clung to her as if my life depended on it.

  A few minutes passed before I pulled away from her. The tears had dried up, but I was a mess. I couldn’t breathe through my nose and desperately needed to blow it. I sniffed, wiping my nose on the back of my hand.

  “Here.” Mom leaned over and grabbed the Kleenex box off the hall table. She handed me the box and I took out a couple. “Sweetie, maybe he just needs time to cool down. Can you tell me anything else? I’m having a hard time understanding the connection between Nicholas and Barry.”

  “Not really. Tanner warned me to not talk about the case at all. But what I saw in my vision included Barry’s mother, and let’s just say she wasn’t acting very maternal. Tanner handed her over to the feds. Not just the local police, Mom. The feds. Tanner wouldn’t let me say anything because he didn’t want the investigation compromised, so I had to keep it from Barry. I still don’t know what I can tell him. That’s what makes it so hard: I can’t explain my reasoning to him, not that it would make a difference.” I let out a humorless laugh.

  I glanced at my mom’s face and felt like a little girl again. The difference being, I’d never sat and talked with her about my feelings this deeply. Another breakthrough for us. I wish it didn’t take rotten circumstances to bring us closer together.

  “Ironic, huh? My abilities brought Barry and I closer together, yet drove us apart in the end.” I stared straight ahead and whined, “I’m destined to be alone.”

  “Don’t say that, honey. That’s not true.” She reassured me as best she could.

  That was when I noticed that her usual outfit of scrubs had been replaced by a nice pair of jeans and a cute checkered button–down shirt. A cute checkered button–down shirt that now had a soaked sleeve.

  “Are you going out tonight?” I asked.

  “Um...no. I got a call from Steve a few minutes before you crashed through the door. He asked if you were home yet. When I told him no, he asked if it would be okay for him to come over later to talk to you. He said he had to tie up some loose ends, but he didn’t think it would take long. He should be here…‌” Glancing down at her watch, she sighed. “Any minute now.”

  I stood, groaning, as it suddenly seemed like an enormous effort. My throat was so scratchy; my hands immediately clutched my throat when I tried swallowing. I took a step, but my soaked jeans became like a vise, compressing my legs, making it difficult to move. Another sob escaped. I was such a mess.

  “I can call him back and let him know tonight’s not good,” Mom said, reaching out to me. Concern swarmed through her eyes as she searched for my answer. After studying me for a moment, she shook her head, stating, “Yes, I’ll call him and tell him he can talk to you tomorrow. He’ll understand.”

  “No, Mom, it’s all right. Let him come over. I have a few questions for him anyway.” I grabbed my shirt and pried it away from my stomach, wincing at the suctioning sound it made. “I’m going to take a quick shower first, though.”

  Her mouth opened, but the doorbell interrupted her protest. She frowned before we both glanced at the water pooled on the floor. She sighed. “Go get ready, I’ll take care of this mess.”

  I hurried toward my bedroom, and left Mom to compose herself enough to let Tanner in. With the clicking of the doorknob echoing down the hallway, I rushed to my room.

  I grabbed the change of clothes and glanced down at the pink striped bag lying innocently against the closet doors. Well, I won’t need those anytime soon. I squeeze
d my eyes shut and allowed the pain to rush through my core. God, Barry really does hate me.

  I sat on my bed and inhaled a deep breath before letting it out slowly. I stared out my window and wondered if this ache in my chest would ever go away. It was too raw right now, exposed, but over time people accepted things and moved on…‌right? Barry had been my rock the entire time I’d lived in Missouri. Whatever I needed, he’d always been there either as a boyfriend or friend. I’d never had that before, and now I was lost and alone again.

  I’d betrayed him and deceived him, and not just a slight betrayal like when he told Nicole about my clairvoyance. No, mine had cut deeper. From now on, even if he forgave me, he would never think of me in the same way again.

  I wanted to scream.

  Muffled voices carried into my room, reminding me that I wasn’t alone in the house. Maybe I should’ve taken Mom’s advice and had her postpone Tanner’s visit until tomorrow. Although I was curious to know what had transpired in the raid on Barry’s house, part of me didn’t want to hear it. Once he told me, it would make everything real. And reality sucked.

  I grabbed my pillow and squeezed it against my chest as a fresh wave of pain hit me. Maybe sitting here thinking about it made me feel worse, I wasn’t sure. I glanced downward and recalled Barry’s first time in my bedroom. He had revealed his caring side to me that day. I had bared my soul to him, and he had listened so intently without ever shying away. God, he was so sweet. These recalled memories weren’t improving my mood, but perhaps my heart needed the reminder about the good times we shared. The distaste displayed in Barry’s eyes was hard to picture, considering he’d never acted so disdainfully before. The venomous words he had spat sliced through me, making it impossible to recover.

  I sucked in a breath and ran my hands over my face. Please don’t cry again. I couldn’t hide my puffy and swollen eyes, but I didn’t want Mom and Tanner to see fresh tears falling down my face. But damn, it was hard to hold myself together.