Chapter Twenty-Five
Spring had finally sprung.
Small buds clung to Cherry trees, promising to bloom though the morning dew on the grass was still cold. Alex stood barefoot in the backyard with her eyes closed, letting the weak, early morning rays kiss her face. A small smile pulled at her lips at the sound of birds chirping in the woods beyond the property. A brisk breeze raised the hair on her arms.
March had come and gone, and two weeks into April, the temperature favored warmth and stopped dipping into the winter cold.
Alex opened her eyes, turned and practically skipped up the patio stairs in excitement. Today would be the first day she was allowed to ride her motorcycle to school. She had been asking Blair for weeks but her aunt always denied her request…that is, until last night.
With a grin, Alex slipped on her uniform socks and shoes and grabbed her leather jacket hanging on a rack in the foyer. As she reached for her keys, Blair appeared from the kitchen.
"How has school been?" her aunt asked.
The question was so out of the blue that Alex raised an eyebrow. "Fine, why?"
"Has everything been going okay? With work, school…friends?"
When Alex didn't respond right away, Blair continued. "Theresa said Tyler has been acting…off. Has he mentioned anything to you?"
Alex gripped the keys against her palm and fought a sigh. She had never told Blair of the drama surrounding her breakup with Tyler or even the reason why they broke up in the first place. As far as she knew, one day they just weren't together any more.
So, Alex shrugged, mumbled how she needed to get to school, and slipped out the front door before Blair could say anything else. She hurried to the garage and slid up the latch to lift the door open. With the flip of a switch, the lights above shined down on several well-kept cars, but she only had eyes for her baby. Sitting, newly cleaned and polished, was her 848 Ducati. She ran her fingertips over its glossy red frame.
"Hello, gorgeous."
In one swift motion, Alex grabbed her helmet from the handlebar, threw her leg over the bike and settled into the seat. With a flick of her wrist, the engine rumbled to life beneath her.
She twisted the gas twice as she balanced the bike and kicked up the stand. With a third rev of the engine, she was off. Goosebumps broke across her skin and a thrilling laugh escaped her. The breeze was invigorating as she tore down the streets, moving quickly around cars moving too slow for her. Warning honks sounded behind her but she didn't care. For the first time in what felt like a long time, Alex felt liberated, happy. Free.
The ride was too short and the feeling short-lived as she turned left and headed toward Spenser Academy's towering buildings. She was half tempted to keep driving but knew skipping school now would only prolong her graduation. Provost Higgins was strict on attendance so close to graduation, which was nearlya month away. Alex had no intention to mess anything up.
Since her arrival in Ipswich, she had gotten her life back on track. After the death of her mom, things went downhill fast for Alex. But being out of Chicago and away from toxic people, Alex was thriving. She would never admit it out loud, and could barely admit it to herself, but she was grateful to her dad. Robert would have never known that uprooting her from the only home she had ever known would, in the end, been the best thing to ever happen to her. Aside from all of the relationship drama, that is. But even that had calmed down. Tyler hadn't tried talking to her in weeks and steered clear of her. Actually, it seemed he steered clear of everyone lately.
Alex shook her head, ridding herself of thinking about her ex. Tyler was a big boy and what he did wasn't her problem. Not anymore.
She had barely parked and taken off her helmet when Sarah came rushing at her.
"If you're not hot enough already," Sarah said, gesturing to Alex then to the Ducati.
Alex grinned. She looked around and noticed she had the attention of several of her male classmates, as well as a few females. Alex winked at no one in particular before sliding from the seat and joining Sarah.
Together, they walked toward the school, taking their time. Like the rest of the students, they lingered to enjoy the first warmer day of the season. As she looked around, she recognized Pogue who stood next to his own motorcycle.
"Nice bike," she called with a grin.
Pogue rolled his eyes and smiled. Next to him Kate laughed and kissed his cheek before jogging to catch up with the girls.
"I'm dying over this weather," she said. "Let's go to town after school and walk around. Maybe get a coffee?"
Sarah agreed enthusiastically while Alex groaned.
"I work until closing tonight," Alex said, adjusting her backpack.
Kate made a frowny face and nudged her friend's shoulder. "We'll bring you a treat?"
Alex smiled and waved goodbye as they all parted ways. Alex walked with a pep in her step, her mood boosted by the great weather and the quick ride on her motorcycle. She made it to her locker and was emptying her bag when Aaron Abbot appeared at the edge of her vision.
"Has anyone told you how sexy you are?"
"Many times," Alex replied, not bothering to look at him. "What do you want?"
"You." Aaron smirked, and Alex knew his gaze was raking her body hungrily.
Alex choked on a laugh as she shut her locker and turned to face him. "That's funny. I didn't think you were the joking type."
"Who says I'm joking?"
"I do," she replied, determined to not let Aaron's unwanted advances ruin her good mood.
Aaron reached up and ran his knuckles down the side of her face. "Come on, after Reid and Tyler, you need a real man in your bed."
Alex slapped his hand away and moved around him only to find her path blocked by Kira Snider.
"Yes, Satan?" she asked, starting to become irritated.
Kira laughed sharply. "That's cute, Tayler."
Alex tried sidestepping her to make her way to class before the bell rang but Kira mirrored her.
"Stay away from my boyfriend," Kira said, loudly enough that those around them stopped to watch.
Alex peeked over her shoulder to Aaron but instead found a group of sophomores staring, as if expecting a fight to start. She wasn't afraid of an audience or Kira so she turned back to the redhead.
"You may want to talk to him about where your relationship stands considering he literally just invited himself into my bed."
Kira's face flushed red with anger but her gaze darted around the growing crowd around them. Her green eyes faltered in one place and a sneer slowly pulled at her lips. Alex followed her line of sight to see Tyler in the crowd, his blue-eyed gaze heavily on her.
"I always knew you were a slut." Kira clucked her tongue and laughed maliciously as laughter and jeers rippled through the masses. "What, jumping from one Son's dick to the other not enough for you?"
Alex raised her hand and before she knew it, her fist was flying into Kira's face. Bone crunched under her knuckles and blood covered her fingers before the chanting started:
"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"
The crowd pushed forward, waiting for Kira to retaliate but the redhead clutched her face with her hands as she stumbled backward. Alex fell to her knees, intending to do more damage when she was yanked backwards and onto her butt.
Caleb stood over her, facing away from her. "Get her to the nurse."
Alex peeked around his legs to see Pogue helping Kira up. She glanced around to see the crowd quickly dispersing as the warning bell rang. Tyler was nowhere to be seen.
She pushed herself off the floor and rubbed her backside, which was slightly sore from hitting the tiled floor with such force.
"What was that about?"
Alex looked up into Caleb's eyes, saw judgement and instantly bristled. "Kira said I was a Son jumper."
"Was she wrong?" he snapped.
Heat rose to her cheeks but she didn't break his gaze as she glared. "My sex life is none of your business."
Caleb cleared his throat and glanced around the nearly empty hallway. "You're right, it is none of my business. But I can't help but involve myself when two of my best friends are no longer on speaking terms because of you."
Alex's jaw clenched and unclenched, caught off guard by Caleb's sudden need to voice his thoughts and feelings.
"Not that I need to explain myself to you but whatever happened between me and Reid was over before Tyler and I became a thing. And if you haven't noticed, I broke up with Tyler months ago," she said. "So, the fact that they aren't speaking is not my problem."
"Yeah, and ever since then, nothings been the same." Caleb shook his head. "Again, because of you."
"What do you want from me?" Alex yelled. She felt beyond attacked, the blame Caleb was throwing on her was out of nowhere, having never expressed his thoughts about the situation until now.
"I broke up with Tyler because his friendship with Reid was falling apart. I didn't want to end things with him…I was in love with him," she sputtered. Tears of frustration filled her eyes and the sadness she had held at bay for so long broke through. "But I didn't want him to lose his best friend. It's been months, Caleb, it's not my fault they haven't mended , what exactly do you expect me to do?"
Caleb remained silent; either taken aback by Alex's vulnerability or by his own nerve to call her out.
Alex clutched her books to her chest, grateful the hallway was deserted but angry with herself for letting her emotions slip.
"Damned if I do, damned if I don't," she said, and left Caleb to stare regretfully after her.
She had told Caleb she was in love with Tyler. It had been the first time she had admitted it to anyone, or even to herself.
The morning had started off perfect, but it quickly took a turn once Kira had blocked her path. Now, she was in a bad mood, her raw emotions swirled just below the surface, and her hand ached. Alex snorted at her bruising knuckles, clean from Kira's blood, and flexed her fingers. At least one good thing came out of the confrontation. She heard through a rapidly spreading rumor that Kira's nose was broken and had to be reset.
Surprisingly, Alex hadn't been called to the provost's office. She had spent the entire day expecting to be called from class to be suspended, or worse, expelled. But as the hours passed and the school day came to an end, she realized Kira must not have snitched. Most likely for her own sake, but Alex wasn't going to complain.
Alex was brought back to reality to see Sarah and Kate walking through the door of the boutique. Kate smiled as she approached and offered a to-go cup of coffee and a bag of what smelled like Alex's favorite sugary treat from Carl's Café.
Alex accepted both graciously and took a greedy sip off too hot coffee. "I needed this."
Sarah noted her weary expression. "Are you okay?"
The last thing Alex wanted to do was cause a fight between her friend and Caleb, but she also wasn't going to lie. "Well your boyfriend accused me of being the reason Reid and Tyler are no longer friends."
Sarah's face twitched in surprise. "He what?"
"It's nothing-"
"It's nothing, my ass!" Sarah interrupted. "How dare he say that!"
Kate stayed silent and suddenly found extreme interest a shirt on the table near her. Sarah took notice and narrowed her eyes at her friend.
"Kate?"
The dark-haired girl turned back to them with wide eyes and shrugged. "I mean, Caleb's not entirely wrong."
Sarah opened her mouth, sure to argue but Alex held up a hand, cutting her off. "Kate has a right to her opinions. She's right, and Caleb's right in the fact that Tyler and Reid had a fall out because of me. Why they aren't friends now is another thing."
Kate smiled apologetically and placed her hand on Alex's arm. "Tyler's holding onto the grudge real tight. Reid has tried to patch things up but…"
Sarah sighed then sipped at her own coffee. "He'll get over it. He has to."
Alex wasn't so sure. It had been three months since she had ended things, and while she was sticking to her decision, lingering feelings or not, he still acted like the breakup was fresh and mourned the relationship.
Caleb stood before him, eyes dark as a starless sky. Tyler felt his lips lift in a sneer and his hands lifted against his will. Power coursed through his veins, raw and stronger than he had ever experienced before. A ball of energy quickly formed in his hand and before he knew it, he launched it at Caleb.
Tyler opened his mouth to shout, shocked by his overwhelming desire to attack his friend. But instead of his own voice, a growl of frustration rose from his throat as Caleb blocked the blow and caught the sphere between his hands.
A flash of light crackled across the sky, a single bolt breaking from the storm and struck Caleb in the chest.
Tyler's gaze rose to the heavens, and in desperation, launched himself toward the Son of Ipswich. But Caleb moved quicker and threw the ball of energy straight at him. Power ripped through him as he was thrown backwards into the flames engulfing Putnam Barn…
Suddenly, he stood in front of a floor-length mirror, but the reflection staring back at him wasn't his own.
As Chase Collins sneered back at him, he felt his own lips twist up. "Hello, brother."
"This is just a dream." Tyler closed his eyes and shook his head roughly.
Chase cocked his head to the side, his sneer turning into a nasty grin. "Is it?"
Tyler gripped at his hair as Chase's voice reverberated in his skull. I'm in here, too…
Tyler gasped. Beads of sweat trickled down his hairline, pooling at his temple while his heart thudded painfully in his chest. Nausea had his stomach rolling and he leaned over the side of his bed, emptying the contents of his dinner onto the floor. Tyler wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sat up, shaking.
It was just a nightmare. Just like last night, and the night before.
It always started the same—a drizzle of rain turning into a downpour. The old Putnam Barn, swallowed by flames, standing ominously against a raging storm. Lightening crackling across the sky… but this time, he had stood face-to-face with Caleb, fought him as if he were an enemy…as if he were Chase.
Tyler blew out a long, shuddering breath and shoved his palms against his eyes. The nightmares were getting worse, more frequent. He slept little over the last couple of months and exhaustion weighed on him almost cripplingly. It had affected his school work, his performance during swim meets and practices, as well as his relationships with his friends.
A bitter laugh escaped him. What friends? It had been weeks since he had been around any of his friends other than at school. Even then he avoided any interaction with them. Caleb had tried to talk to him, confessing he was worried about him. Tyler could have admitted his fears and worries right then and there, that he wasn't okay, nothing was. Yet like each time before, he couldn't bring himself to. After all, how could anyone help him? He couldn't even help himself…
Caleb held the box in his hands, the stone lay snuggly on the bed of velvet, taunting him. It was crazy, Caleb thought, that such a harmless looking thing could hold the Power to end the Covenant line and the ability to Use, but at the cost of a Son's sacrifice.
With a sharp snap, Caleb closed the lid and put the box back into his nightstand drawer where it would stay until he figured out what to do with it. They had tried to destroy it months ago, had tossed in the flames of a roaring fire, but the stone was left unblemished. From that moment, Caleb had kept it locked in the drawer, though he knew it couldn't stay there forever.
He ran a hand roughly over his face, unsure of what to do with it. Hide it like his father had? Toss it off the cliffs at the Dells and pray the waters sweep it away?
Caleb wished he had never found it. That he was still pouring over books in hopes to stumble across an easy fix. Now, the fate of the Covenant rested on his shoulders, as well as his brothers'. Sure, they agreed the Power could be controlled, resist the urge to Use but it was easier said than done. The need to Use, to release the Power always flowing through their veins was nearly constant. However, seeing his father age so prematurely, to see the life fade from him and watch the obsession turn to addiction, had scared Caleb. Pogue too had witnessed his own father succumb to addiction. It was something that would stick with them forever.
Reid on the other hand was rebellious, unafraid of the consequences even if it meant an early end. And Tyler… Caleb sighed and pushed himself from the bed.
The youngest Son had struggled during his Ascension. Mentally and emotionally he hadn't been prepared, his thoughts stuck on his break-up with Alex and his unstable friendship with Reid.
Guilt pulled at Caleb. He had been hard on Alex a few days ago, blaming her for everything. Alex had broken up with Tyler, admitting that she hadn't wanted to be the cause of a friendship destroyed. And Sarah had repeatedly expressed how it was no longer Alex's problem, that it was between the younger Sons'. But Caleb couldn't just sit back and watch two of his best friends end a friendship over a girl who was no longer a major part of either of their lives.
He had to keep trying.