Disclaimer: I don't own any of Kelley Armstrong's books. Darkest Powers and Women of the Otherworld are hers.
I watched as Derek finished his third sandwich. He looked up and saw me watching him eat; I immediately realized that my mouth was hanging open like an idiot. Derek smirked as I snapped my teeth together as my mouth closed. I looked down at the half eaten sandwich on my plate. I can't help marveling sometimes at how much he eats.
We were the only ones still eating lunch, having gone to town earlier in the morning to go to the Recreational Center and getting back too late to eat with everyone else. I realized again just how right Aunt Lauren was, we don't see each other very often. We needed to have a group meeting, just casually, and talk.
"Next time we go to the Rec Center, you're going to stay with me." I look up from my sandwich and see that Derek's expression has changed from amused to serious and brooding. Damn, he's been moody, switching from happy to serious to playful to angry at the drop of a hat. He doesn't look happy anymore, a slight scowl on his face and his eyebrows drawn together.
I sigh. "Derek, it was nothing. You're over reacting. Ted was just—"
Derek interrupts me with a growl that makes the glass of milk in front of him tremble. "Ted," Derek says the name like an expletive. "He was not just asking you how far you run. He was not just asking if you wanted to go running together. He does not just want to be friends."
Theodore Heller is a beautiful college boy that goes to the community college in town. He works out at the Rec Center three days a week and works there part time. Not only does his dark chocolate skin make his smile beam, his dimples make a girl's knees go weak. Or so Tori told me. Personally, I just try to stay away from him, knowing Derek gets angry any time a boy talks to me.
I narrow my eyes at Derek. "You can't keep doing this Derek. Ted doesn't like me like that. He has to be at least four years older than me. The most he sees in me is a fellow runner who might be able to keep pace with him." This is not strictly true. Ted had a more than friendly attitude around me that I had been trying to discourage for awhile now.
I had recently begun running around the track at the Rec Center while Derek worked out with the superior equipment there; what's in the basement just isn't up to snuff. I had never been one to partake in sports during school, but since being captured, I've resolved to get into better fighting condition. Training with Kit helps, but I was still smaller than almost any opponent I was ever likely to go up against. I worked hard, but most likely, running was going to be my best solution.
I'd taken to the activity, much to my surprise. Running helps clear my head and after a good run, I feel less tense, if sweatier and tired.
Ted runs, too. I've noticed that, like Derek, he works out doing kick boxing, weights, and all other kinds of things that I find hard to believe I will ever be able to do. Like doing 200 pull ups. I can do almost twelve now thanks to Derek's weight training.
But when Derek, Tori, Simon, and I go (it's not always all of us; only Derek and I go regularly. Tori and Simon go for their respective computer and art classes the Rec Center has once a week) Ted seems to stop what he's doing (pull ups, weights, or kickboxing) and starts to run. Usually, around the track. With me.
Which pisses Derek off to no end.
Derek doesn't look pleased with my answer. I stand and take my plate to the sink, tossing my half eaten sandwich in the garbage. "Besides, what would I do if I stayed with you. I can do approximately one eighth of what you do." I turn to look at him, one hand on my hip.
He grunts and grabs his fourth sandwich and takes a huge, angry bite. The sight is so ridiculous with Derek getting mustard all over his face and half the contents of the sandwich falling onto the table, I have to laugh.
Derek growls again before cutting it off short. He swallows and wipes the mustard from his face. "I can help. You need to step up your weight training anyway." His expression looks tense and his eyes don't meet mine. I snort.
"Right. Sure. Let's see how that goes." I tap my chin and think out loud. "Derek will kick, punch, and destroy his kick boxing opponent; Chloe will watch. Derek will lift Mr. Universe-amounts of weight; Chloe will do her stupid exercises with ten pound weights. Derek will perform amazing feats on the pull up bar; Chloe will pass out after fifteen pull ups." I look back at Derek who is looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "Does that sound like fun, or what?" I say in a sarcastic impression of a cheerleader.
Derek looks sullen. "I don't want that prick running with you." He sounds like a pouting toddler.
I huff. "Don't pout. It doesn't suit you." I turn back to the counter and start to put away the sandwich ingredients.
I feel rather than see or hear Derek move. He gets up and stands behind me as I gather all the ingredients into my arms. I hear him sigh and pause, waiting to see what he'll do. This could go either way. Mad Derek, or Sorry Derek.
His hands rest on my sides and he tugs me backward so now my back is pressed to his front. I sigh. Sorry Derek it is.
Briefly, I reflect on how different this is from when we first met. Mine and Derek's relationship has taken an almost complete turn. From indifferent to inseparable.
I set what's in my arms back on the counter and turn around to face him, my arms circling his waist. Derek looks down at me, his face still sullen, but his eyes say he's sorry. His mouth is pursed in a way that means he's still not happy. And his eyebrows are drawn together to reveal that he's torn, indecisive. I wait for him to speak.
"Chloe, I can't let him-" he stops and starts again. "He wants what is mine." He looks guilty saying it. I look up at him, deciding on how to handle this.
"Derek, don't you trust me?" My voice dares him to say he doesn't. Wisely, he nods. "And don't you think I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Again, he should wisely nod. But hesitates and I pounce.
"Derek!" I explode. "What do I have to do? How can I prove that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself? If I can escape people trying to kill me, I think I can escape unwanted attention from boy." I am getting madder every second.
Derek stops me before I can say more by removing one hand from my waist placing it firmly over my mouth. He looks stubborn and even a little mad. "I want to protect you, Chloe." His voice has dropped to a growly bass.
My jaw works as I struggle not to yell. I feel like I have to deal with this every day from him. Oh, that's right. I do. I pull his hand away from my mouth. "Derek, I understand that. But that doesn't mean you have to. I am not a h-helpless child." Oh, damn! I do not need this stupid stutter right now! Thanks a lot Derek, for getting me upset enough to stutter. "I am your girlfriend, but you keep treating me like I'm some w-weak, powerless, little g-girl that can't even tie her own shoe." I look down now, upset and I take a step back. My breath hitches in my throat. "Do you really think I'm that weak? That I can't handle a s-stupid boy like Ted?" I will the tears in my eyes to go away and they do, barely. Damn, how did this go from eating a pleasant lunch to a fight and now I want to cry.
I realize now that this is my biggest problem with how Derek treats me. I know he's protective, but he's not trusting me, not believing in me to be able to handle situations on my own.
"No." It's so quiet that I can barely hear the whispered word. "That's not what I think." Before I can process what he's said, Derek has scooped me into his arms and is carrying me outside through the back door, moving at a rapid walk that gets us to the forest in ten seconds.
"Derek, what are you doing?" I ask, flinging my arms around his neck to keep from bumping around as he speeds up until he's running full tilt through the trees. He doesn't answer, but just keeps running, his breathing uneven and his arms crushing me to his chest. He's starting to frighten me.
Finally, after we've made it possibly to the middle of the forest, Derek stops. He doesn't put me down, though, and just stands in the middle of the clearing, breathing harshly.
I pull my face away from his chest where I'd hidden to avoid branches scratching my face. Derek's eyes are wild and panicked and his face is covered in tiny scratches that are already scabbed over. They'll be healed in a few minutes. A trace of blood is on his lower lip.
"Derek." My voice is a hoarse whisper. He doesn't look at me, but he sets me down, making sure I can stand before letting me go. I wait and finally he looks at me. The panic has left him but instead there is steely resolve in his eyes. I resist the urge to back up a step from the intensity from his gaze, but I can't control my small intake of breath. The noise seems to push him into action.
His body tenses, every muscle like steel. And he pounces. His hands wrap around my upper arms in a bruising grip, trapping them to my sides. He hauls me upward and backward while stepping closer and all at once, I'm pinned against a tree. I barely have time to suck in a breath before his head descends and his mouth is on mine.
He tastes of desperation, blood, and his hands move from my arms and down to my waist. I don't understand what's going on, but he's upset. I've upset Derek.
I wrap my legs around his waist to give myself better purchase. My hands tangle in his hair, the strands soft and slightly damp from his recent shower. Immediately, Derek's hands move down to cradle my bottom, shifting me up higher. Butterflies erupt in my stomach and lightning runs through my blood.
Derek's kiss becomes more frenzied. He assaults my mouth with his tongue, possessing my mouth. My heart speeds up and I feel my body hum with the excitement his touch brings me. One of his hands grips my hip now, and the other moves upward in a caress. Relentless, his assault on my mouth begins to soften, as he gains some control, becoming more potent as the heat between us charges. I can't help tugging his hair and pulling his head closer to mine.
As if to defy my struggles to keep him closer, he pulls back. His hand tugs roughly at my hair, holding my head back and giving him better access to my neck. And he begins a slow, torturous journey along my jaw, nipping, sucking, and kissing. My breathing is ragged and embarrassingly loud. I grip his shoulders, my nails digging softly into the hard muscle, trying to gain some semblance of control of my uninhibited body. Derek's mouth reaches my ear and he nips my ear lobe. A small, startled noise escapes me and Derek's chest rumbles in reaction. The combination of his mouth and teeth, gently scraping my skin, and his rumbling chest, causes little tingles to erupt over my body and a wave of something—desire?—to cascade over me.
I suck in deep breaths and try to think. I try, but damn it, it feels so good.
Derek's hand on my hip has been kneading the flesh there, slowly and insistently, almost to the point that it hurts, but not quite. Now, his fingers slide under my t-shirt, up to the bottom of my rib cage, then further up…I can't control the moan that comes out, hoarse and throaty. Derek pauses, pushing me harder against the tree, grinding into me and growling. The sound is sexy. It also brings some sense back to me.
I open my eyes and see that Derek is staring at me, his eyes desperate and needy. That resolve lingers there, giving his look and intensity that rivals any other look I've seen from him.
We pause, both looking at each other trying to understand what's happening between us.
This time, I lean my head forward slowly, slowly and kiss him, my eyes remaining open staring into his. I bite his lower lip and suck, and watch as his eyes widen. Then I really kiss him, with everything I have. I try to say in my kiss that everything is alright. My tongue glides smoothly, soothingly over his. Everything is alright, Derek. Everything is alright. My hands lightly trace the muscles in his back.
And I see it. The panic, the desperation leaves his eyes. I stroke the side of his face gently before he closes his eyes and moans. He returns my kiss equally. This time gentler, though it's…more, and I let my own eyelids fall as I fall into the kiss. There is some unknown factor that has been added to the kiss. Slowly, very slowly, his hand descends and wraps around my butt again and his other hand joins it. After a shaky step backward, I am released from being pinned to the tree.
The kiss, very slow and gentle now allows some of the fire to burn out from my body, but makes my heart swell. Oh, Derek. What's upset you so much? What did I say?
When the kiss ends, our foreheads are touching and I nuzzle his nose with mine and give it a nip, like yesterday. The action makes him relax a fraction more. Neither of us says anything and we just revel in each other's arms.
After what could be seconds, minutes, or hours, I let my legs fall from around his waist and he slides me down his body to the ground. I reach up run my fingers through his drying hair; the softness always surprises me. He closes his eyes and makes a sound dangerously close to a purr. I kiss his chest through his t-shirt and rest my cheek against it, my fingers still buried in his hair.
Derek breaks the silence after a moment. His arms tighten around me, like he's reassuring himself that I'm there, in his arms. "I thought that...I thought we were over. I thought that was it."
I tense, hearing the pain and hurt in his voice. I don't say anything, waiting for him to continue. When he doesn't, I lift my hand from where it rest on his chest, by my cheek, to the back of his neck. I play with the hair there, tugging it gently and am rewarded with another purr. I rub my cheek against his chest, loving the way it vibrates with the noise. His hand comes up to cradle my head.
"Thought what was what?" I ask tentatively. I don't want him to change his mind and not tell me what he's talking about, but I don't understand.
The purr stops, but he doesn't tense up again. Instead, his hand begins to slowly stroke my hair. I wonder briefly what we must look like. A ridiculously powerful werewolf holding a tiny necromancer, both petting the other. I smile against Derek's chest.
Derek's voice is a gruff, reluctant mumble. "I thought that was finally it. I thought you'd finally had enough with me: over-protective, over-bearing, stubborn, unreasonable, and grumpy. I thought you…I thought you'd finally come to your senses, that you were done..." He can't finish and his chin rests on the top of head, rubbing softly back and forth.
My hands in his hair tighten, pulling—probably uncomfortably—on his hair. No. He wouldn't, couldn't think that I'd break up with him over Ted? Could he?
"No." My voice is strong, powerful and Derek staggers at the sound of it. My arms move to clamp around his waist in a vice like grip. "No."
"Yes." Derek whispers and I gasp. "I panicked, thinking you were slipping through my fingers. So, I…"
His behavior now has an explanation. Everything, the gripping too tightly, the possessiveness, the rough touches, they all make sense. Everything was not alright in Derek's mind. He saw me slipping away and reacted instinctively. He took me away from everyone else to the forest, to a place where we were the only ones left. And he possessed me in the most effective way possible. I'm not ready for sex yet, but I think that's the direction this was headed.
"No. No, no, no." I tilt my head back so I can see his face. His eyes are screwed up in pain and it's a shock. This is not Derek. Derek doesn't ever look like this. Where is my defiant, sarcastic, smart, strong boyfriend? Who is this vulnerable boy?
But I have seen him like this before. Not exactly, but I've seen him afraid and in pain during a Change. A different pain, of course, pain that's physical and only lasts as long as the injury is there. This is emotional, mental pain. I marvel at the thought, I am bewildered at the thought, that Derek is like this because he thought he was losing me.
"Derek." My voice is barely a whisper, but he can hear perfectly with his werewolf hearing. He doesn't open his eyes, but I know he's listening. "Derek, I will not beak up with you. I will never leave you. You'll have to leave me."
And there is such conviction and sincerity in my voice that he shudders and the pained look leaves his face. I place one hand on his cheek and wait for him to look at me. When he does, I lock gazes with him and say again, "I. Will. Not. Leave."
He swallows and his hand goes to my face, too. He leans down and gives me the sweetest, gentlest kiss, his lips barely brushing mine and lingering.
After a while, as the sun descends, we find the motivation to head back to the house. Briefly, I wonder if anyone saw us leaving the house. I let the thought drift away, deciding not to care. We walk slowly, taking in the feeling of walking next to each other. Our steps are in sync and we walk with our sides toucing and arms around each other. I don't want to leave the privacy of the forest. I sigh and continue walking, knowing if I voice that thought, Derek will makes us stay out here. No way would he pick the house over the forest.
But we can't stay here forever.
As we near the house, Derek tenses.
"What is it?" I ask him. He furrows his brow and his head tilts to the side as if he hears something. He looks very wolfish.
"What?" I ask again.
He huffs and turns his head to look at me, exasperated. "You're impatient," he states.
I nod. "Yes. Now tell me, what do you hear?"
He looks at me impassively and I can't tell what he's thinking and then he shrugs. "Tori and Simon. They're fighting about something petty. I think the bathroom."
I groan. Tori and Simon will find any excuse to avoid each other, and if they can't they fight. And it usually escalates until something blows up or is broken. Unless someone stops them.
As we continue, even I, the necromancer with perfectly human-average hearing, can hear shouting and breaking objects. Then a new voice joins the yelled argument. One that is more familiar. Aunt Lauren.
When we enter the house through the side door, the farthest entrance from the kitchen and the yelling match, Derek drops my hand and winds his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. I don't move right away, but after a second's contemplation, decide to slide my hand into his back pocket. I peek up to see his lips twitch. The mood between us seems to lighten fractionally.
Suddenly, our names are being called. "Derek! Chloe! Come on, you're going into town. Now!" Aunt Lauren's voice sounds frustrated and irritated.
We walk into the room.
"What? Why?" I ask, not moving my hand from Derek's pocket even as Aunt Lauren squints at us. She can't see where my hand is exactly and if she could, I wouldn't care. Her attitude toward Derek is becoming intolerable.
Tori is leaning against the counter staring stonily at the fridge, looking like she wishes that the fridge would explode. Simon is slumped in a chair, an arm on the table and he glowers at the ground. His fingers tap an impatient rhythm on the table and he's tense. Jeez, what did they say to each other?
I worry briefly about the two. They are supposed to be family. Not that I expect them to be buddy-buddy, but they could show a little civility toward each other. Instead, they're either indifferent or hostile. I'm an only child. I can't imagine having a sibling, but I think if I had one, I'd at least be civil if not loving. It's family, for Pete's sake.
Aunt Lauren sighs. "I think you kids need to get out. You've been here too much. Go to town, spend some money, have fun. Do something," and then she mumbles under breath something that sounds like "just give me a little peace," but I can't be sure.
Derek nods. "Okay. I'll drive." And he turns around, taking me with him and we stroll casually out of the room. When I hear Aunt Lauren's intake of breath, I remember that my hand is on Derek's ass. I fight my smile, but I feel Derek shaking with silent laughter. I can hear Tori's reluctant chuckle, too and Simon's loud guffaw.
We wait in the van for Tori and Simon. Simon's black eye from yesterday has gotten darker, making him look as menacing as Simon will ever look. Tori changed into a dark blue shirt and white shorts before getting in the van. Simon sits on the middle bench and Tori climbs into the very back. I suppress a sigh. They can't even sit next to each other.
We get to the mall around 3:45. The parking lot is packed and I can only imagine what it's like inside. I glance at Derek. He's tense and his jaw is clenched. He won't like this. Too many people.
I look around. Across from the mall are several separate stores. A Lowe's, Home Depot, Kohl's, and Old Navy. I know that across town there's a small strip mall that is made of small businesses. A small restaurant that is surprisingly nice, a hair and nail place, a quilting store, a bookstore that sells weird books as well as odd supplies, and a boutique that has the most adorable clothes. It's much lower key than any store near the mall or the mall itself.
I make a decision. "Tori, Simon." They stop their amble toward the mall. Derek has been waiting for me while I think and stands only a foot or two away from me. He's never far.
"Derek and I are gonna go check out the strip mall on the other side of town. You wanna come?" I resist glancing at Derek. I wait for him to object, knowing I didn't consult him before announcing a decision he didn't make. Nothing comes.
I peek at him, but his head is down so I can't see his expression. Uh oh. I'll hear about this later.
But then his mouth twitches and I know he's not too mad.
"What? No." Tori looks like her bad mood just dropped further and she's pissed. "You and Derek," her voice is whiney. "You always go off with each other and leave Simon and me on our own. Do you think we want to spend any time together? Seriously? Because neither of us wants to be near the other much less be forced together because you two always leave."
Tori's face is a blotchy red and her hands are flexing. I take a step toward her, my hands raised as if I'm approaching a frightened animal. She looks ready to explode. God, this is a trying afternoon. Good thing Lauren and Kit aren't hear, or Tori would never make it to college.
"Tori, calm down. We're not trying to force you two together." I try to make eye contact with her and send calming vibes at her, but she's shaking with rage. What the hell is going on? One second ago she was just pouting, now she's in a full outrage.
"Yes you are!" she's almost screaming at me. "It's always Derek and Chloe this, Derek and Chloe, that. Well, I'm sick of it."
Derek places his hand on my shoulder, stopping my progress forward. His hand is a warning. Don't get any closer, Chloe, or I'm going to haul you over my shoulder and carry you away. I freeze. Simon is giving me a hard look, probably trying to tell me the same thing Derek is. He's slowly inching away himself.
Frantically, I try to think of something to calm her down.
"Listen, Tori. There are a lot of people in the mall," I blurt out, trying to explain quickly and calmly. My voice is low and I hope steady. I pray for no stuttering. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that Derek gets a little, um…twitchy when we're in crowds. I just thought a low key, smaller strip mall would be better. I didn't want to force you into going if you wanted to stay here, but I also invited you." And then, the mistake.
Tori seemed to be listening to me, maybe calming down a bit. Her breathing was slowing and she was shaking less. Her fists stayed in tight fist. I forgot about Derek and Simon and completely focused on Tori. I took another step forward.
"NO!" Suddenly, I was being hauled over Derek's shoulder and we were flying behind the van. A loud bang sounded behind us and then there was the sound of a fight: skin slapping skin, a fist hitting flesh, and grunts.
Derek had me pressed up against the van, standing in front of me and crouched low. He looked very much like a wolf protecting his pack. I was frozen where I stood.
Then the sound of the fight stopped. Derek turned his head around to look at me, fury in his eyes.
His voice is low and carefully controlled when he speaks. "You weren't supposed to get any closer."
I can't respond and after a minute, he let's go of me. "You want me to trust you?" Suddenly, the conversation from the kitchen comes back to me. How could I forget what cause Derek's distress earlier. I nod tentatively. His eyes are at once, glacial and buring with fury. "How can I trust you when you do stupid-stubborn shit like this." Derek's swearing. He's pissed.
I look down. "I know. I'm sorry." I look up at him, begging him not to get mad. He looks like he's going to stay mad for a second, but then his shoulders slump and he shakes his. He reaches up and clasps my chin and gives my a hardy, swift kiss. "Well, you wouldn't be Chloe if you didn't something stupid once in awhile." He lets go of my chin. I decide not to get my back up about that comment and let it go. Derek's letting it go about almost getting mysefl blown by an unstable-yes, unstable-Tori.
I slump against the van for a second before running back around the it. Derek follows more slowly.
The van has a dent in it, scorch marks surrounding it. Tori must have thrown some kind of energy bolt at me. I shudder to think about it hitting me instead of the van.
Simon has Tori pinned beneath him and she is making harsh sounds that are scarily close to sobs. When she looks up, though, her eyes are dry. "That was bad," is all she says. I nod.
Everything calms down in a flash and Simon lets Tori up. He doesn't offer her a hand up, but instead walks over to Derek. They have a quick, whispered conversation as I walk over to Tori and help her up. Her nose is bleeding and she has a split lip. She holds her ribs and I assume they're bruised. Simon doesn't look injured except for the black eye from yesterday.
Tori stands but won't look at me. "Sorry," she mumbles and the whispering behind me stops. Derek growls menacingly and I know that I shouldn't have gone over to her. I turn and glare at him, just as he takes his first step toward me, his intent clear in his blazing eyes. I am not letting him get in another lift-her-over-my-shoulder move. He stops but glares at me, furious and torn. He knows I'll be pissed if he takes another step but he doesn't trust Tori.
I look back at Tori and she's looking open-mouthed at Derek, fear clear in her eyes. She knows what he can do. Her eyes flick to me and her mouth closes as she looks at the ground again. "Sorry," she says again. "I'll leave. You know, go to the mall. You guys take the van. I'll call later if I need a ride." And before I can argue and insist she stay with us after her total loss of control, she's running full tilt toward the mall.
Since I've become a decent runner, and Tori does little running or exercising, I know I can catch her and Derek could have, too, but we both let her go. I let her go, because, honestly, I don't know what to say to her. Her loss of control is unacceptable. She should be getting better control of herself, but instead she's all over the place. One minute she's being helpful and finding necromancer tips online, the next she's jealous that Derek and I are always going off on our own and is blowing my head off with an energy bolt.
Suddenly, Derek is right beside me. I take his hand we get back in the van and head toward the strip mall. After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, Simon starts talking about his comic. I grab onto the subject gratefully and we begin a debate over the greater creative possibilities between aliens and robots. I'm for robots, he's for aliens. Derek chips in every other sentence, and seems to be against both of us, though he's not coming up with a better possibility himself.
The mood lifts and I start to feel guilty about leaving Tori behind. But then, if she were here, the debate would have been declared stupid, useless, geeky, and boring by her. I stop my thoughts about her and laugh at Derek's view on aliens from a different galaxy.
(Jaime's POV)
I try to keep a positive attitude as I walk toward the small strip mall in the town that's almost two hours from my hotel in Richmond. I need to stock up on some materials and I know the owner of The Tome, a bookstore/necromancer's-dream-supply-store. I need to replace some supplies, mainly dogwood bark, dried maté, and vervain.
I reach up to rub the tension out of my shoulders and neck and spot the store just up ahead. Last night I had spent most of the night talking with Eve. She needs information on a family that was killed in a fire in the 1800s. I spent more time on that than sleeping. And all morning I had been with my manager, J.D., as we tried to take the new venue from dining hall to séance. It was more difficult than I'd anticipated, but I'd kept a smile on my face. I really need to get some sleep.
Now, I let myself sulk just a little, now that there isn't anyone to impress. I haven't heard back from Jeremy since I left him a message that I wouldn't get to see him for another week. I miss my boyfriend. Although, boyfriend doesn't quite capture what Jeremy and I feel for each other, it's usually how I introduce him.
As I walk into The Tome behind a group of three teenagers, I feel my phone vibrate. I sigh as I pull it out of my jeans pocket. I don't wear jeans often, but today was definitely a jeans day; I'm not going to redecorate a dining hall in chiffon or silk.
I glance at the screen and can't suppress my sigh when I see the caller ID. J.D.
"Hello?" I answer brightly, hiding my weariness. What does he want now?
"Hey, Jaime. Sorry to bug you, but I just wanted to let you know how much we all appreciate how much you've helped out, this morning and the past month. We know how hard you've been working. I especially wanted to thank you for not making a huge deal out of changing venues. You've been…Well, I can't even think of a word to describe how awesome you've been."
His voice is so sincere and I can't help but feel my heart swell. All those fake smiles pay off in moments like this. No one wants to work with a diva and I made it my mission to be the opposite.
"Aw, thanks, J.D. You've been awesome too. I know how much it takes produce the shows. Everyone's been great. Of course, I don't mind the venue change. Who could've anticipated water damage?" I try not let the lie in my voice be detected.
"Wow, Jaime. You're really something. I don't think I know anyone who is as understanding as you. Especially in show business." I smile as I thank him before getting off the phone.
With my mood lifted fractionally, I pay more attention to my surroundings. The store is lined with dusty old books and odd nick-knacks. The musty smell of the books is stifling but I ignore it and head toward the back of the store to the counter. Paul is there, reading a text that looks to be written in Latin. The three teens are browsing the books, whispering to each other. I can't help but wonder why teens would be in here instead of the mall.
I give them a brief glance and take in the differences of them. One of the boys looks like a blond Asian, another like a linebacker, and the third, a very young girl, just starting look like a teenager. She has small curves, a tiny stature, and red-blond hair. I give my sympathy to the girl, who's probably older than she looks if she's hanging out with these older boys.
As I watch, the big linebacker wraps his arm around her and pulls her into his side, and lifts a book down from a tall shelf that the girl was pointing at. She smiles and he leans down to give her a kiss and nip at her nose. She giggles and the blond Asian boy shoves the big linebacker. The linebacker shoves back and snarls quietly at the boy. Something about the gesture seems familiar in a disturbing way. The big linebacker's eyes suddenly meet mine and I turn away, not wanting to be rude and stare at him. I give a small, embarrassed smile to be caught watching the exchange between him and his obvious girlfriend. I turn to Paul.
"Hey, Paul." Paul Viscotti is the owner of the store. We're also on a first name basis. Our families have done business for centuries. "I need to restock." He gives a smile and without a word, leads me into the back room. Fifteen minutes later I leave with everything I need.
The three teens are still there, now sitting on the floor and with several books open around them. I am just about to walk out the door when the girl's voice floats over to me in the silent store.
"But, how does anyone ever survive an infection from a zombie, then? Jeez. When I think of all the times they were crawling all over me…What could've happened..." A low growl interrupts her.
I swing my head around, intrigued by what she said. Did she say zombie? I am suddenly very curious about these teenagers.
I see now that the linebacker has pulled the girl onto his lap and his hugging her in a bruising grip. The blond boy is staring horrified at the books.
My thoughts are in a tizzy. Why would these kids be in here looking at necromancer books and talking about zombie infections? And such a strange group of kids. None of them look like they'd be friends, yet here they are. A crazy possibility flits through my head, but it's too preposterous and I dismiss it before a thought is even fully formed in my head.
I force myself to believe that it's nothing, though my instincts are screaming at me that there's more to this and I should figure it out. But that would mean more problems and more time away from Jeremy. Probably these kids are just looking for material to pull a prank on their friends. Or looking for information for a school project. There has to be an innocent explanation.
I turn around very deliberately walk back to my car, get in and start driving. When I glance back at the store, the kids are leaving, several books in their arms. Two hours later, back at my hotel, I call Jeremy.
"Hey. Um, I'm not sure if I should even mention it, but I saw something strange in this store today…"
