Authors: Linda Oaks
The rest of my evening passed quickly enough, and even though my job was monotonous at times, it never was boring. Sitting out back, I was texting Kara when the rumble of Devon's low rider had me lifting my head. The truck was a suped-up bad ass S-10. He ran with a group of guys, who all had their rides obscenely lowered to the ground.
A chill skittered down my spine when I heard the metal scrape against the asphalt. He'd won trophies with that truck in competitions; two to be precise, which sat proudly displayed on top of his ancient TV. Devon had tried to fix me up with one of his buddies, but I'd passed. It had been only a couple of months after Natalie's death. I knew Kara had pushed it — she'd been worried about me — and while Devon had meant well, I just couldn't bring myself to date. Devon was an okay guy, and Kara was crazy about him. I was lucky to call them my friends.
From my position on the picnic table, I watched as they pulled up next to me and came to a stop. Kara opened her door, and the first thing I saw other than her messy red streaked blond hair was her long tanned legs barely covered by a tiny black miniskirt and the hot pink wedges she'd found on sale last weekend at Shoe Show. Her lipstick was smudged, and when Devon climbed out from his side of the truck, I also noticed that he was wearing the exact same shade.
"Goddess Pink looks awesome on you, Dev," I said, snickering.
Kara broke out in laughter when he raised his hand and rubbed his mouth.
"Smartass," he said with a grin and stroked his goatee with long fingertips. He walked toward Kara and grabbed her hand. They both headed straight for me. "Anything good in that dive you call a diner?"
"Best burgers and shakes for miles," I dead panned without missing a beat and glanced at Kara who wore a silly smile. "You guys gonna come in and eat or what?"
"No," Kara replied, shaking her head and Devon released her hand and moved to stand behind her. His arms hung loosely around her tiny waist, and his palms rested flat against her stomach. He bent down and placed a kiss on one of her bare shoulders. She was wearing a hot pink tank top the exact same color as her shoes. "Remember when I mentioned a surprise?" she reminded me, her voice filled with mischief as her blue eyes sparkled lively.
"Yeah," I replied, not feeling too enthused. Her idea of a good surprise and mine varied. I waited for her to just spit it out, but she didn't say anything. She kept looking at me grinning from ear to ear with that "oh boy, are you gonna love this" look on her face. Yep, after the day I just had, it was going to be my best friend who drove me over the edge. "Alright, Kara, what kind of surprise do you have planned for me?"
Instead of answering, she laid her head back and rested against Devon's broad chest. He stood at least six inches taller than her. Shaggy dark brown hair brushed his collar, and his blue eyes looked like ice compared to Kara's. Tats covered his arms. He'd finished his sleeves six months ago, and there wasn't a patch of skin left on his arms that wasn't inked.
"Actually, it was Devon's idea," Kara answered with a warm smile.
"Babe, just tell her, "Devon signed deeply as he spoke. "You're killing me. You're such a tease," he said with a huge grin. He let her go and reached into the back pocket of his faded jeans to pull out a pack of cigarettes.
Kara moved to stand in front of me and tapped her hands excitedly on my knees as if she were doing a drum roll. "Are you ready?" She asked, almost yelling in my face. The suspense was killing me. "Since Devon's birthday is Saturday and he'll be legal and all, we're having a birthday party for you both at his place. Of course, Friday night is still on; spillway after school. We can't let you spend your actual B-day all alone."
"You don't have to do that," I murmured, looking back at her then glancing at Devon. He wore a knowing smile and blew a stream of smoke from each one of his nostrils. At that very moment, he reminded me of a bad ass Chinese dragon. I let out an exasperated sigh. There was no way I was going to get out of this.
"It's no biggie, Addie," Devon replied. "Maybe, you'll even give one of my guys the time of day. They all think you're pretty hot, especially Jake."
"See, it's all set," Kara squealed then she wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me tight.
When she pulled back, I glanced down at my phone. I only had a minute until my break was up. "I've gotta get inside."
Kara stepped back. Her face grew somber. I knew that look, and I didn't like it one bit. "No backing out, Addie. You're coming even if I have to kidnap you."
"Alright, mother hen. Now, let me get back to work before I get fired."
She gave a little victory smile.
Devon walked around the passenger side of the truck and opened the door for her. "See ya, Addie," he called as Kara climbed in.
I waved at them both then turned and entered the diner through the side door.
Chapter six
I
'D CLOCKED OUT AT 11:15 WHICH MEANT
that I was walking through my front door by 11:45. Putting the car in the garage was such a hassle, so I left it in the driveway. As I walked through the house, I stopped in the living room to check the answering machine. No light blinked. No one had called.
I laid my keys, phone and wristlet on the kitchen table and headed for the stairs. I was tired, but not bone tired, and feared that even after a day of school and work, I wouldn't be able to sleep. The house was quiet, and I tried not to concentrate too much on the lack of noise because it would only make me more paranoid. Being alone was a familiar feeling, but it had always been a comfort just knowing my mom and dad were in their bedroom down the hall.
As I came to Natalie's room, I stopped in my tracks and studied her closed door. There were times when I'd prayed that her death was nothing more than a bad dream, one where I would wake up to find Natalie still here. I'd forgotten to leave the light on in the hallway. It was dark except for the moon's faint glow shining through the sheer curtains covering the window at the end of the hall. My hand closed around the doorknob. A chill slithered down my spine as I opened the door and stepped inside her darkened room. Every time that I came in here, I still expected to see her sitting on her bed. Everything was exactly the same way that she'd left it.
Her turquoise blue sneakers still sat by the dresser. The bed was still unmade. Mom had refused to touch it or allow anyone else to either. Right after it happened, I remembered sitting in my room listening to the sounds of her sobbing through the thin wall which separated mine and Natalie's rooms. As long as I lived, I'd never forget the depths of her grief or the heartbreakingly empty space that Natalie's absence left in our family.
Late one night, I'd walked down the hallway heading to the bathroom and saw her lying in Natalie's bed hugging her pillow; her face had been buried in the fluffy down which still to this day smelled faintly of Natalie.
I walked over to the bed, picking up the stuffed bear her boyfriend, Nate Lucas had won her at the fair. They'd been going together ever since Natalie's sophomore year. He'd been as devastated as the rest of us when it happened. I'd heard he was now a junior at Brown University. He'd decided to attend college a state away. I couldn't blame him. There was nothing left in Crawley but ghosts and bad memories.
Right after the accident, Nate had come to the house. The weather had been gloomy. It had been raining, and I'd been upstairs trying to occupy myself by going through old photo albums. I'd heard my mom screaming from all the way downstairs. Nate didn't stay long, and he never came back. I still don't understand why she was so mad at him. I'd never asked. I'd been too afraid to.
I laid the bear back down on the bed in the exact same spot where I'd found it and picked up one of her pillows lifting it to my nose. It smelled like daisies and sunshine, just like Natalie always had. The scent was weak, but clinging defiantly to the cotton pillowcase refusing to let go just like her memory.
I didn't want to be alone.
I turned from her bed, hugging the pillow against my chest, and walked out of her room and down the hallway. Thank God, I'd remembered to turn on my lamp before I'd left for work. I hated the darkness. Once I'd laid Natalie's pillow on my bed and stripped out of everything but my shirt and panties, I stepped over the discarded pile of clothes and padded to my dresser to set my alarm clock.
I'd forgotten to shut her door. I walked back down the hallway, and stopped just outside of Natalie's room. I took one more look around before I pulled the door closed and headed for the bathroom. Staring in the oval mirror hanging over the porcelain sink, I brushed my teeth and studied my reflection while thoughts of Chase and Chance invaded my mind. I'd never considered myself beautiful. A smattering of faint freckles ran across the bridge of my nose. My skin was sun kissed and glowed with a tan from all the days Kara and I had laid out on the picnic tables during summer break down by the spillway. My brown eyes were dark, a deep rich chocolate with naturally full lashes. I didn't need mascara, and Kara was so jealous that I never had to wear any even though I thought she was the prettiest. The thought of two hot guys showing an interest in me was quite confusing.
I grabbed a scrunchie, and managed to twist the thick length of my hair into a coil at the back of my neck which always reminded me of the way Princess Leia had worn hers in the movie, Star Wars. It kept it from getting tangled since it was such a bitch to brush out and tended to frizz if I did more than run my fingers through it. Unlike Natalie, whose hair had been as straight as a stick, mine was naturally wavy.
I'd remembered to turn on the hall light so when I reached my room, I could turn off the lamp. Since the floor was cold, I hurried across the hardwood floor to slide beneath the cool cotton sheets of my unmade, rumpled bed. Its comfortable softness felt like heaven and after I plumped up the pillows beneath my head, I reached for Natalie's pillow. Mom would have a cow if she knew that I had it. I closed my eyes, hugged the pillow to my chest, and prayed just to sleep. I could smell her and somehow, that made me feel like I wasn't so alone in this big empty house.
When the alarm clock went off the next morning, my eyes immediately popped open, and I groaned in disgust. It was as if I'd never even been asleep. I'd dreamed of Chance last night and could still see the gleam in his predatory eyes and feel the weight of his body covering mine. He needed to get out of my head. I couldn't control my dreams, but I could control my actions, and starting today there needed to be a clean break. I was never speaking to him again.
After a quick shower, I pulled on another pair of faded jeans with the knees ripped out and a green tank top layered over a blue one that showed the black straps of my bra. There wasn't time to change. I didn't think the mere sight of a couple of bra straps would be enough to get me sent to the principal's office or earn me an after-school detention. At least, I hoped not.
I yanked the scrunchie free and shook out my hair, running my fingers through the thick strands until it took on some kind of halfway presentable order. Then I applied a coat of clear gloss to my lips. I had just turned off the bathroom light and stepped out into the hallway when I heard a knock echo from downstairs.
"Just a minute!" I yelled, and ran down the hall to my room, where I grabbed the black and gray zebra burnout jacket that hung from my doorknob. The mornings were cool, but by the middle of the day it would be scorching hot.
As I headed downstairs to see who was outside, I shrugged into my jacket and lifted my hair out of the way. The persistent knock sounded once again. Whoever was outside was beating the hell out of the front door.
"Just a minute!" I yelled again, feeling my anger rising at the impatience of whoever had chosen to bang on my front door so early in the morning.
I hated to be rushed. Frowning at the disruption of my morning, I grabbed my phone and shoved it into my back pocket then slid on my wristlet and adjusted it. Then, I grabbed my keys and raced for the door. The knock sounded again, and I jerked it open with the full intention of chewing someone a new one for the unseen nuisance that waited outside.
Chance lounged against the brick porch pillar wearing a devilish smile. Faded jeans hugged his muscular thighs, and a tight black T-shirt clung to his chest, emphasizing his pecs. The matching leather jacket and gloves screamed badass. "Good morning, beautiful."
At the sound of his voice my anger faded. I stepped back, but he took a step toward me.
"Stay right there," I ordered, irritated by how much I sounded just like a frightened child.
He laughed, shaking his head. "Are you going to school barefoot?"
His gaze dropped to my feet, and I noticed they were bare. My toenails shined with the blood red nail polish I'd painted them two nights ago for the first day of school.
"No," I retorted angrily, and turned my back to him as I slid my feet into my flip flops. "I don't have time for this." I told him and turned around only to come up short when his leather gloved hands settled below my waist low on my hips.
"Did you switch cologne?" I asked curiously; he still smelled good, but something was different.
He arched his black brows questioningly at me. His eyes twinkled with mischief and he smiled. "Yeah, you like it?"
"No," I lied, but he laughed and leaned in closer. I pressed my hands against his chest preparing to push him away if he intended to kiss me.
"What do you say to me and you staying here all day and finishing what we started yesterday?"
The breath stilled in my lungs. Inside, I felt warm and feverish at the reminder of what had happened between us. I was already shaking my head no before the word formed on my lips. "I'm not sure my parents would like that," I replied, hoping that would deter his interest.
His eyes searched my face as he continued to smile back at me. "You're such a bad liar."
What the hell?
Somehow, he knew they weren't home. His hands fell away, and he walked out of the house and waited on the front porch. "I've come to take you to school."