The Awakening (Entangled Series Book 1) (3 page)

He was usually right about these kind of things. It was one of the main reasons he’d chosen the career path he had. He’d always had a knack for… just knowing. Especially when things were off or hidden. He’d always known when someone was lying to him or when someone was hiding something. Like Xtina had earlier.

But something deep inside him told him she was just hurt and confused.

As he set off on his daily run, he wondered why the local police had quickly closed the case and marked it an accident. The more he ran, the more certain he was that Christina’s parents had been murdered. And that the local police were covering it up. So many questions ran through his mind. Did she know? Was she involved? He played over their conversation several times in his mind. She hadn’t even hidden the fact that she was relieved that they were gone.

She’d never hinted at why, or what they had done to her to make her feel so bitter. As he rounded the corner, he stopped and took a deep breath. He hadn’t meant to run to the bend in the road where her parents had skidded off into a large oak. But standing there with the sun just rising, he started questioning his skills.

The spot looked like a place that it would be easy for a car with bald tires to slide off the slick asphalt. But something still nagged at his gut. Why?

He walked over and touched the large tree with the gash in it. Instantly, his vision grayed and his knees went weak.

Behind his eyes, he witnessed a scene right out of a horror story.

A young couple stood over a large metal tub filled with steamy water. The couple’s hands were clasped tight together, holding one another back. There, in the deep water, lay a very young girl with long flowing blonde hair. Her green eyes stared up at them in horror until finally, they closed in death.

He woke from the dream state when his knees hit the trunk of the tree. His fingers dug into the dirt as he threw up, emptying the tea and coffee he’d drunk that morning.

What the hell had that been? He took a moment to steady himself before he stood up again, making sure not to touch the tree or its large roots.

Taking a few steps back, he glared at the thing. If her parents had died there, did that mean they were still around?

He did a quick 180, his eyes moving over every tree branch, every bush, in fear. There was no way he was sticking around if more ghosts would be haunting his nights or days.

Then he remembered Xtina’s words.
“She’s not a ghost.”

If the lady in his bedroom wasn’t a ghost, what exactly was she?

He turned around and started back towards the house at a slow pace, his mind racing over the scene that had just played in his head.

Was that Christina? Had her parents drowned her? He focused his mind on all the details he could remember, from what her parents had been wearing to what other objects were in the small room. He made mental notes of everything and was determined to jot them down when he returned back home.

He could probably chalk up the entire episode to lack of sleep. He only averaged five hours a night due to his… guest making an appearance each morning. That, or the fact that work had been stressful. Maybe it was because it had been a few months since he’d been out on a date.

His mind sharpened when he thought of Jessica Sorenson, the pretty brunette who worked in the local coffee shop.

He’d run into her the first week after he’d moved to Hidden Creek. He’d made it a weekly habit to stop by the Coffee Corner for coffee and muffins, and he’d asked her out less than a month later.

They had hit it off, something that had shocked them both. He’d had several relationships in the past, but nothing that felt as right as this one had. Jess had even commented on how crazy things had felt between them.

Then, two months later, it all fell apart. He wasn’t quite sure what had happened between them, but the night he’d made plans to finally sleep with her, something changed.

Of course, they hadn’t felt the change until after he’d unbuttoned her blouse and had a handful of those soft breasts of hers.

She had stiffened first, her eyes going wide, then he’d felt it. Her gray eyes had dimmed as she looked up at him. In his mind, they had morphed into something darker, something… greener. Her sandy colored hair had darkened to an almost jet black.

Jess had gasped, shaking them both out of the trance. Ever since that night, he’d avoided going into the Coffee Corner when he knew she was working.

His mind snapped to the fact that Xtina fit the description of his vision almost perfectly. Feeling a shiver up his spine, he quickened his pace, trying to shake the thought from his mind.

By the time he made it to the driveway, there was a sheen of sweat trickling down his back. The cold would be coming in the next month or so. The heat was actually something he loved about the south. Most people complained about the mugginess, but he actually lived for it. He loved the hot summer nights, the sultry mornings, and the cool evenings when the wind kicked up. He enjoyed the cooler winters too, just not as much.

When his little house came into sight, he smiled. The place was coming along. He still had the outside to paint, along with a long list of things to finish on the inside, but it looked a million times better than it had when he’d moved in. The yard was clear of debris, and the grass was starting to fill in where it had been bald. He’d spent a hefty chuck to lay down seed and fertilizer after clearing a lot of brush. By next spring, he had no doubt that his yard would look as nice as the big house next door.

Turning his eyes towards the giant home, he frowned. He’d never really given the massive house a second thought. The older couple had pretty much stuck to themselves. He’d never heard them screaming at one another, like his neighbors had in Atlanta.

They had a service that took care of the yardwork and maintenance around the massive yard so he never really saw Christina’s father outside much.

In fact, the only time he’d actually talked to Christiana’s parents was the day he’d moved in. He’d walked over and knocked on their door to collect a package of his that had been delivered to them by accident.

He’d briefly spoken to her father and had returned home less than ten minutes later. Their conversation had been short and friendly enough.

As he walked up the long driveway towards his place, he wondered how long Christina planned on staying. Or if she was thinking of moving into the house permanently.

He’d stopped himself before from looking into her background, but now that something nagged at him about her parents’ deaths, and more important, the vision he’d seen, he had no qualms about punching her name into his system. He wanted to spend several hours learning all about Christina Warren or Xtina, as she liked to be called.

A
fter one of the worse night’s sleep in years, Xtina decided to break her no caffeine rule and run into town for a strong cup of joe at the Coffee Corner. She needed the extra kick if she was going to make it through the day.

The small town of Hidden Creek hadn’t changed that much except several new chain stores and restaurants had moved in. Coffee Corner was the only private business that still thrived, since it was easily the most popular. She second-guessed her decision when she saw the line of people waiting for their morning shot of caffeine. But her body and mind screamed for the liquid as soon as she smelled the sweet aroma in the air.

“Christina?” someone said from behind her and she cringed. She hadn’t thought about the fact that people actually knew her here.

For the past few years, she’d really enjoyed being Xtina. She’d moved all over the States, enjoying her anonymity everywhere she went.

Pasting a smile on her face, she turned around and greeted Laura, one of her old friends from school. Over the next few minutes, she listened to the woman brag about her life; she had a wonderful husband, two darling children, and a big house on the outskirts of town. The part of her that was Xtina shivered, but Christina felt a slight longing and decided to ignore the jerk reaction to marry the next single man that walked through the doorway.

It was nice, however, to not have Laura jump all over her and try to hug her. She was thankful that most people in town remembered from her days in school not to touch her. Everyone except Mike, her mind broke in.

Why she’d thought about him now, at this time, was an enigma. As Laura continued to chat about her perfect life, the line slowly moved forward and Christina kept playing over the fact that her sexy neighbor with the hidden brown eyes was the only other person she’d ever met who could see the same things she could. She wondered if he felt what she felt too? Maybe that was why she hadn’t been jolted with visions when he’d touched her. Maybe they had somehow crossed each other’s powers out.

“Christina?” An excited voice came from behind her.

Xtina turned towards the counter to see Jess, her best friend from high school, standing behind the counter in a dark brown apron.

“Is that really you?” Her friend smiled and reached over across the counter towards her.

Xtina took a step back, knocking into Laura’s chest.

As soon as she made physical contact with Laura, the vision came.

Laura was flat on her back, her long legs hoisted up around the shoulders of a blond man, who was easily five years younger than her. Her husband, a thick balding man, stood naked next to the bed, a video camera in his hands as he smiled down at his wife and the other man.

Xtina jerked forward, breaking the connection and desperately wishing for a shower as her stomach lurched angrily.

“Sorry,” Jess said, rushing around the counter. “I’d forgotten,” she whispered close to her, so no one else could hear. “Are you okay?”

Xtina nodded her head slightly. “I…” She thought about rushing towards the bathroom to be sick, but then cringed at the thought of standing in the long line again.

“Go, I think I can guess what you want. I’ll have it waiting for you,” Jess said, nodding towards the lady’s room.

Xtina did rush this time, barely making it into the empty stall before losing what little she had in her stomach.

She was just washing up in the large stall, which housed its very own sink and mirror, when she heard two ladies come into the bathroom. She felt the shiver rush through her. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of the sink.

“Can you believe she’s back? I mean, we all knew she’d come home for the funeral, but…”

“I know, and the scene she made.” They both giggled. “No wonder she left in a hurry. I mean, making a fool of yourself in school is one thing, but as an adult.” They both giggled. “You would have thought that she would have outgrown being a freak by now.”

Everything after that was just a high-pitched sound in her head. Xtina waited until they were done washing up before she started breathing again. Then she waited another few minutes to make sure they had cleared out of the shop before exiting the stall.

She’d grown up listening to that kind of talk. Actually, she was used to much worse. She didn’t hide because she was embarrassed. Not anymore. She hid because she wanted to avoid conflict.

Invariably someone would stand up to her. Someone would want to say their piece. After all, they were deep in the heart of the Bible Belt, and there were over three thousand bible-loving citizens currently living in Hidden Creek.

“Are you okay?” Jess asked after waving her over to a private booth near the wall of windows.

“Yeah.” She glanced around. “Shouldn’t you be behind the counter?”

“No, I’m on my break.” Her friend’s smile grew. “When did you get back?” Her smile dimmed. “I’m sorry about…”

She let the words hang, then when she felt she could, she nodded. “Last night.”

“Are you staying?” Jess’s gray eyes begged.

“I haven’t decided yet.” She reached over and took a sip of her coffee. It was exactly what she’d wanted. Her friend had always had a knack for knowing what people wanted. There was a large slice of coffee cake sitting next to her mug, so she pinched off a piece and stuck it in her mouth. The spicy bread hit her stomach and caused all of the fluttering to cease. “Thanks.” She nodded towards the food.

“Anytime.” Her friend leaned in. “What did you see?” Jess’ eyes moved over to where Laura sat chatting away with another woman near the front door.

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.” She shivered at the memory.

Jess’ eyes moved back to hers. Her friend was the only person she had ever confided in. Well, the only one she still trusted.

She’d never felt threatened or judged by the sandy-haired beauty that sat across from her. Nor had she ever felt the need to jerk away like she had moments ago. But, after five years away, she supposed it had become habit.

“I’m sorry… about earlier.” Xtina’s eyes focused on her hands wrapped around the coffee mug.

“Don’t be. I should have remembered. Besides, it’s been years since we’ve seen each other. I’m sure there’s lots of new stuff up here…”—her friend tapped her skull and smiled— “that you don’t want to know about.”

Xtina met her friend’s eyes. “You’re wrong. I want to know all about you. Catch up. But I’d like to do it the normal way.” She smiled. “I should have called.”

Jess smiled and nodded. “Yes, you should have.”

And just like that, they were back to the way they had been five years ago. No secrets, nothing to hide from one another.

Reaching out, she took her friend’s hand and braced for the onslaught, pushing everything aside and focusing on only her friend’s gray eyes. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

***

Mike walked into the Coffee Corner and stopped dead in his tracks. There, across the room, was Xtina with her hand laying lightly on Jess’s hand. They were looking into each other’s eyes like long lost… lovers?

He almost burst out laughing then and there. Maybe the attraction he’d thought had been coming off Xtina last night had been all in his head. Or, maybe… he took a step closer and watched as Xtina dropped Jess’s hand and Jess smiled. Maybe he was a dork and hornier than he thought. He chuckled when it became obvious that the ladies were nothing more than best friends.

Taking a very long deep breath, he headed over to the counter to order his coffee and a large cinnamon roll.

With his to-go cup in hand and the box holding his daily dose of sugar, he walked over to say hi. He wouldn’t have normally done that, except the ladies made a point to wave him over.

“Hey,” he said, standing at the edge of the table.

“Sit,” Jess said, scooting over.

“I…” He looked between Xtina and Jess, about to make an excuse as to why he needed to run off, but in truth, he didn’t have anywhere particular to be just yet.

“Go ahead, I’m sure she feels just as awkward as you do.” Xtina nodded towards the empty spot.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at Jessica.

“Don’t look at me.” She giggled. “She walked in less than fifteen minutes ago and I’ve only gotten to say a few words to her so far.”

He slowly sat next to Jess as he frowned. “I…”

“Easy.” Xtina smiled. “It’s a small town. People love to gossip about other people’s relationships, especially failed relationships.” Her eyes moved over to a rather pretty blonde sitting near the front door. He’d never met the woman, but noticed that she was watching him. She blushed and turned away when she noticed everyone at the table was looking at her.

“Oh.” He set his coffee down.

“So, have you two officially met?” Jess asked, leaning forward until her thigh rubbed against his, sending a zing up his skin.

He scooted closer to the edge of the small booth and nodded. “Well, I guess you can call a cup of tea at three in the morning that.”

“Oh?” Jess smiled and leaned on her elbows on the table. “Do tell.”

Xtina sighed and took another bite of her muffin. He watched her lips as she nibbled the bread and felt his own stomach rumble. Opening the box, he took out his fork and shoveled a spoonful of sugar into his mouth.

“Wow, that looks amazing,” Xtina said, breaking the silence. “When did you start selling those here?”

Jess giggled. “I started making them last year. I thought they would be too sugary for your taste.” She took his fork from his fingers, broke off another piece, and handed it to Xtina. “Here, I’m sure Mike won’t mind.”

He didn’t, but watching Xtina’s lips close around his fork caused another kind of hunger to roll throughout his system.

“Amazing. You’re a woman of many talents.” Xtina gave a full, unhindered smile to her friend, and her green eyes changed to an almost emerald hue. It was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

By the time Jess scooted out of the booth when her break was over, he’d finished off his roll and coffee.

“I hope you got a few hours of sleep in,” he said, following Xtina out the front door.

“Enough.” She stopped just outside and zipped her jacket as her eyes scanned Main Street. “How about you? Did you get a few more hours in after…” She let her words drop.

“No, I never really do.” He nodded towards the liquor store a few doors down. “Want to walk with me and help me pick out our poison for later?”

She smiled and fell into step next to him. “It’s funny. I’ve been gone for almost five years and nothing really has changed. I mean, there are a few places that have a fresh coat of paint, some new signs, but underneath it all, it’s just…” He held open the glass door for her. She was about to step in when she stiffened.

His eyes followed hers and landed on a man around his age behind the counter. The man’s arms were easily double the size of his own and were fully covered in tattoos. His blond hair was spiked up, almost military style. Mike had talked to the guy a few times since living in Hidden Creek. He thought that the guy’s name was Joe, but knew little more about him.

One thing was sure—nothing could drag Xtina into the store with that man in it. She took a step backwards and glanced around, no doubt looking for an excuse to leave him to his task.

“You okay?” he asked, reaching out and cupping her elbow. The slight touch seemed to jolt her out of the fear that had taken over her since he’d opened the door.

“Yes, I—”

“Listen,” he interrupted, “I think I get it.” He let the door shut and took a few steps towards the curb with her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “There’s a reason I didn’t want to come back to Hidden Creek.” He waited until he felt her get herself back under control. “I’m not particularly excited to see everyone in town.” Her eyes moved back towards the glass doors.

His hand brushed up her elbow until he was holding her shoulders. Her eyes moved slowly up his hand until her eyes met his. “What do you want?”

She turned her body towards him, but she wouldn’t look at him.

“I want…” The question loomed between them. “I want to be treated like I’m not crazy. I want to never see things, hear things, experience things that aren’t normal. I want to leave this town behind without feeling the pull to return.” Her eyes moved around the street once more. “To never run into people…” She turned her head back towards the building. “From my past.” She trailed off and turned back towards him.

“I meant, what kind of wine?” His fingers had dug slightly into her shoulders but relaxed when she smiled and her eyes softened.

“Surprise me.” Her eyes once more moved to his fingers still sitting lightly on her shoulder. “Something tells me you’re good at surprises.” She took a step back, breaking their contact, then turned and walked away.

He watched her disappear around the corner, then turned towards the shop, deciding it was high time he started asking Joe some questions.

Almost an hour later, he walked out of the liquor store feeling a little queasy himself. Something hadn’t sat right with him when he’d approached the man about different kinds of wines lady friends would like. Joe seemed to know a lot. A lot more than your average meathead should.