Watch Me: Teen Paranormal Romance (A Touched Trilogy Book 3) (13 page)

“In the morning then.”

The same frustration I felt tightened his features. Guilt filled me. I picked a fight so I could take my frustrations out on him. Smiling, I bumped his hip with mine.

“Let’s not argue. It’s not going to be the end of the world if we don’t go out tonight. Go see your movie with Travis or Ricky, and I’ll go hang with Bianca. We can see each other tomorrow or on Monday.”

“All right. What about on Sunday? I have the day shift, but Travis might switch with me.”

“I can’t. I have plans.” I unlocked the car and slid into the driver seat.

“What plans?” he asked, settling into the passenger side.

“Family plans.”

“That’s cryptic. Am I not allowed to know the details?”

As I considered what to say, I pulled out of the parking spot and began driving to Andrew’s house. I wasn’t intentionally concealing my plans. It was just hard to talk about. Detailing your family’s trip to the cemetery was too morbid to casually drop into a conversation.

“Should I take your silence as your way of telling me to mind my own business?”

“Sunday would have been my mom’s forty-fifth birthday. It’s a tradition for us to go to her grave on her birthday.”

“Oh.”

His response was precisely why I hadn’t wanted to tell him. Most people my age didn’t know how to respond at the mention of my dead mother. That one sound, ‘oh’, would inevitably come forth, bursting with sympathy and the guilt they felt for still having a mother.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go tonight?” he asked.

For a moment, I was tempted to check my future to see if I was supposed to go with him. Then I realized I didn’t need to, because whatever I saw could change.

“I’m sure.”

When I got home, I texted Bianca about my change of plans. Within seconds of pressing send, my phone rang.

“What’s wrong?” she asked when I answered.

“Nothing. Why would you think something’s wrong?”

“Chloe, you’re bailing on Andrew and I’m supposed to think everything is okay? It’s like you’re sending out a small desperate cry for a shoulder to sob on.”

I laughed as I sat on the couch, curling my legs underneath me. “I wasn’t into going to the movies again. That’s all we ever seem to do. It’s getting old real fast.”

“Aren’t movies and film Andrew’s life?”

“Pretty much.”

There was a long pause.

“And you’re bored?”

“With movies, not Andrew.”

“Are ya sure? Because the Chloe of three weeks ago would have done anything to spend a few more hours with him.”

“Well, that was when I thought our time was limited.”

“And now it’s not?”

It was, though I had yet to see when the end would arrive. But I felt differently about this new moment in time that was inevitable. Before, the end of our relationship signaled the end of love for me. Now… well, maybe the end of us meant the beginning of something greater than I’d ever have with him.

Chapter 14

The new pool hall was actually the renovated old pool hall next door to the bowling alley. The place was packed, not surprising since there were limited places in Beachgrove open to the under twenty-one crowd on a Friday night.

Divided into two separate rooms, to the left of the entry was the bar and adult only area and the right consisted of a large rectangular space with ten pool tables lined up in rows, flanked by high round tables at either end. Low hanging lights suspended above each one seemed to be the sole providers of light in the whole place, other than the brightly lit concession stand. Apparently, the appearance of a bar only went so far. No need for a bar or bartender when the strongest drink they served was a coke on the rocks.

It took me a couple minutes to find Bianca and Owen at a table in the back corner, mainly because I had to walk carefully to avoid entering anyone’s future. When I finally found them, a moment of wishing I had gone with Andrew instead rushed through me.

Things between them were changing. They had been close for years now, but always in a clearly friendship way. Even with the limited time I spent socializing with them together, that had always been obvious.

Tonight, each seemed more aware of the other, although I would hazard a guess that neither was sure what was going on. They gravitated toward each other, only to awkwardly move apart, embarrassed smiles on their faces.

I hoped up on a high stool and plucked Bianca’s glass from her hand. Taking a long sip of her Sprite, I evaded her grasping hand and tisks of protest.

“Hey! I didn’t invite you tonight to drink my drink,” she said as I relinquished the now half-f glass.

“I’ll buy you another one.” I scanned the room for the waitress.

“Good luck finding anyone to take your order,” Owen said as he racked the balls. “We waited twenty minutes before someone came over.”

“Well, I’ll give her a five. Who’s playing this round?” I asked.

“You and Owen.” Bianca thrust the pool cue at me. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.”

We watched her traipse off, leaving behind her a swelling uncomfortableness. What do you say to your friend’s BFF who broke up with your BFF so he can then date said mutual friend while he was probably still unaware of the fact that he wanted to date her?

“So, are you breaking or am I?” I asked.

I didn’t give him a chance to respond before I lined up my shot and hit the cue ball dead center. The resounding crack of it hitting the precisely racked solid and striped balls at the opposite end of the table was much more satisfying than watching the four balls I managed to move roll slowly across the green top, while the white one sank into the side pocket for a scratch.

“Nice shot,” Owen said as he circled the table.

“Thanks, I barely noticed your sarcasm.”

“What?” For a split second, the confused look on his face made me realize there hadn’t been sarcasm hidden within his words. “Oh, yeah. Four in the corner.”

I rarely played pool, and when I did, no one called a shot. Every ball sunk was typically a result of luck or the perfect easy shot.

Sure enough, he tapped the four in and the cue ball spun backward until it lined up with the six. He called the next two shots, which included a complex bounce off the side before hitting the ball in. So much for thinking Owen’s geeky exterior was evidence of his lack of ability at any form of sport.

“I feel like I’ve been swindled,” I said, when he missed a shot.

He shrugged a shoulder. “It’s pretty much just luck.”

I leaned over and pretended to be looking for a good angle.

“Do you think it’s strange that we’ve only ever hung out a few times?” I straightened and glanced over at him. “I mean, you dated my best friend on and off for months. You’re friends with both my sisters. Bianca is a mutual best friend, and yet I think this is the first time we’ve ever been alone together.”

“Not strange,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. Were those new? Or was my lack of noticing them another sign of how little I knew about Owen? He twisted the blue chalk onto the tip of his cue and blew the extra residue away. “Other than Nadine, I never had an interest in cheerleaders.”

I would have been offended if he had said it with anything close to disdain. Instead, I shrugged off the unintended offense.

“So, why did you come tonight?” he said as I took my next shot. The cue ball sank into the pocket. Again. Owen stepped up to the table. “Scratch.”

“I’m here because Bianca’s my friend. Why wouldn’t I hang out with her?”

He sank another one before answering. “I figured you’d be with your boyfriend. Besides I thought with Bastian coming you’d be avoiding the place like a plague.”

I barely managed to hold in my groan, but I must not have done a good a job with controlling my facial expressions, because Owen gave a laugh and said, “I take it Bianca didn’t tell you he would be here?”

“No, but that’s fine. As long as he’s not a complete douche I can handle it.”

“Who’s a feminine cleaning product?” Sebastian’s voice came from behind me and I glanced at him with a tight smile.

“Hey, Bastian.” I turned back to Owen who wore a grin so big I knew he wasn’t as unaware of people as he seemed. Then I noticed the table was devoid of any solid balls. “Crap. I lost, didn’t I?”

“Did he neglect to inform you that he’s a pool shark?” Bastian asked as Bianca hopped onto one of the stools at our table. “I hope you weren’t playing for money.”

“No, just fun. Who’s up next?” I held out my cue to them.

Both reached for it, but Bianca grabbed it first and stuck her tongue out at him before sliding off the seat she’d taken. That left me basically alone with Bastian and suddenly the discomfort at being alone with Owen looked downright pleasant.

Finding something I wanted to say to him proved next to impossible. The last time we spoke had been at Javier’s party after I essentially accused him of being heartless and then halfway through my apology I took off in search of Andrew. Then Bastian inadvertently altered the course of my entire future, giving me a chance for everything I’d ever dreamed of. Thanks would be too weird, especially since he had no clue I could even see the future, so I took the safe route.

“I’m sorry.”

“Go on.”

My eyes narrowed and I swallowed the nasty words threatening to erupt. The guy had no idea when to stop with the smug, know it all attitude.

He cracked a smile. “All right. Apology accepted. It’s not your fault I have commitment issues.”

“Well, everyone has their issues, right?”

“You’re most likely correct, though I still fail to see why a career with NASA seems unsatisfactory to you. I believe I’ll find it highly satisfying.”

Thankfully, a waitress showed up, preventing me from making a comment that would have only spurred the conversation on. Rather than trying to converse with Bastian, I watched Bianca and Owen play. While he practically slaughtered me, she was doing much better, though her strategy seemed to involve less of sinking balls and more of putting the cue ball in awkward positions, making Owen’s shots exceedingly difficult.

I’d never seen any special chemistry between the two of them before, but it was there now. The way they both made the same dorky comments and laughed spontaneously at the same time as if they had mentally shared an inside joke. They would be good together. Or maybe they wouldn’t.

Their futures may have changed because of me. I hadn’t bothered looking into them because neither of them ever wanted to know and I’d assumed they wouldn’t be any different. Bianca came over to grab her drink and I seized the opportunity.

Images of the next few days and weeks flash, yet the farther I move forward in time, the harder it is to distinguish details.

Bastian cleared his throat and I dragged myself back to the present, glancing at him.

“Deep contemplation can be a relaxing past time, though in polite company is often seen as a sign of boredom and lack of manners.”

“Ha ha. Maybe if I were in polite company I’d worry.”

He threw a hand up to cover his chest. “Ouch, your mockingly pointed arrow has pierced my heart. How ever will I recover from such a glib quip?”

“I’m sure you’ll survive.” At least he was mildly amusing. “Where’s your girlfriend? Daniela?”

“I assume she is at home washing her hair, or some similar activity women indulge in when they are deeply involved in avoiding a particularly undesired pastime. She is also not my girlfriend. She is simply a friend.”

“Why? I mean, she seemed nice and she had pretty hair.” I avoided the cute description mainly because I couldn’t remember what she looked like. Hair seemed generic enough.

“She is, she does, and she even smells like vanilla, but she’s only a friend.”

“Does she have a boyfriend already or is she not allowed to date yet?”

“Not that I’m aware of and I’m not sure why I would care.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Why the intense interest in Daniela?”

Why, indeed? I didn’t care if they were dating. Did I?

“I was attempting to figure out why the two of you weren’t dating. You seemed like you would make a cute couple.”

“And you came to this conclusion through your one minute observation of us in the hallway? I would think with your vast knowledge of love, you would realize not all people are compatible and are simply not interested in each other as anything other than friends.” He leaned forward. “Do you date every male friend you have? Is it a prerequisite for being allowed entrance into your circle?”

“Who has prerequisites for friendship?” Even as I said that, I realized who would do that. Phoebe. “Never mind, I forgot about my sister. Well, I don’t and I don’t date all of my male friends.”

“So why the assumption that I am either dating Daniela or that I should want to?”

“I don’t know! I was trying to have a conversation you didn’t completely spin way out into the universe.” Why had I even contemplated the idea that I might be able to get along with this guy for more than a few silent seconds was beyond me.

“Ah, well, as a conversation starter I believe ‘how about those Lakers’ or ‘this weather is crazy’ do a much better job than ‘why aren’t you dating that girl I saw you talking to’. This is, of course, only my humble opinion.”

“Fine. How about those Lakers?”

“No clue. I don’t watch basketball. I prefer football or hockey. Now the Kings, they’re not doing so well.”

I dropped my head into my hands and gave a defeated laugh before looking up at him. “Why is it so hard to have a normal conversation with you?”

“The concept is highly overrated. If I were normal would you even attempt to converse with me?” One of his eyebrows lifted making him look even more like Dr. Spock. “Or would I simply blend into the masses and be overlooked by your keen eye for the unusual?”

“If you were normal we’d be having a conversation that actually made sense.”

“True. So, let’s make sense of our conversation. Last week, you asked me what I want for my life, yet you never told me yours beyond denying the two point five children and a comfy life with your current beloved.”

I had denied that future not because I didn’t want it, but because at the time I had thought it wouldn’t happen. It’s easier to avoid disappointment when you know in advance that your dreams never will come true.

My new one, though, gave life to those fantasies.

“I never said I didn’t dream of those things, just that they weren’t in my future.”

“Why dream of them if you don’t plan to pursue them? That is the purpose of having them, isn’t it?”

“At the time, I didn’t think there were options. I thought everything was predetermined and… that life wasn’t going to happen for me.”

“That was a week ago. How has your perspective of the world and fate changed so drastically in such a short time?”

His words made me pause. It was a huge shift in a short time, yet the memory of my old future was a distant one. Already the sharp clarity once defining the days ahead of me was blurred.

“Something that was going to happen didn’t,” I replied.

“Something you wanted to happen?”

“No. I didn’t want it to, but it was supposed to.”

“Ah, so you had a grand scheme and it failed to materialize, thus effectively changing future outcomes.”

“Not really, well, maybe. Do you believe in the supernatural?” As soon as the question popped out of my mouth, I wanted to swallow them back.

I didn’t want to talk about my gift with Bastian. Heck, I’d never even confirmed it to Andrew, although he’d pretty much figured it out. Bastian though would have no idea about all the crazy stuff I used to tell people that had eventually led to our classmates referring to us as The Freaky Matlins.

“If you are inquiring about whether I believe in ghosts and vampires, then no I don’t. Now the existence of alien life forms I am open to as well as the eventual probability of zombies.”

“No, I mean supernatural like visions or sixth sense,” I explained. “Do you believe there is a force in the world that enables some people to be more than just normal?”