My Night Breeze (The Breeze Series) (11 page)

The only person who knew the truth and could discuss things with her in detail stood before her. Maybe the only way to get the dreams to go away was if she figured out the truth. A tingle of fear ran down her back. It had been freaking her out to deal with them, but maybe finding out the real reason would make it stop.

“Come on, let me take you home.”

She sighed as he took a step closer, his eyes offering her a safe haven.

“Those girls have no idea what they’re doi
ng out there,” Valerie complained.

Audra grit
her teeth as Valerie walked over, slipping her arm around Tobias’s waist. Audra readjusted the straps of the backpack on her shoulders uncomfortably. Valerie leaned into his side with narrowed eyes.

“Thanks
, but no thanks,” Audra replied.

“Are you sure?” Tobias ask
ed kindly.

Audra nod
ded, giving him her back as she pushed out the lobby door. The cool wind nipped at her cheeks, but she’d rather walk ten miles in a blizzard than accept even a short ride home in a confined space with Valerie. It wasn’t worth it. She took her time walking down the sidewalk in the direction of home.

The cars pass
ed by against the wind, and it reminded her of the strange dream she had in Molly’s vehicle. She couldn’t have been more than five years old at the time. She had already been concerned about the rain, maybe early stages of fear? Dad had been in such a good mood, the happiest memory she had. Jim treated her like a sibling as it should be.

A strong wind whip
ped her hair into her face, bringing her back to the present. She’d only made it two blocks, and the weather didn’t seem to be getting any kinder. She continued trying to trek home, rounding the corner as a vehicle began to slow down beside her. She kept her eyes down to the sidewalk, feeling an awkward strain inside.

“Hey
, Audra!” shouted a voice.

She glance
d to the side and realized it was Ryan with Mateo riding shotgun. The strain didn’t subside, but at least she felt like she wouldn’t be attacked. She waved, but took another step towards home.

“Need a ride?” Ryan asked
again.

Another gust of wind bl
ew her hair into her face, but she shook her head no, waving them away. She continued to walk but at a faster clip. Mateo hadn’t said one word to her since Friday, and an awkward ride home wasn’t worth it. No matter the weather conditions, she just needed to be on her way. A little wind never hurt anyone. She tugged her zipper higher in retaliation and wrapped her arms around her waist protectively.

The navy car dr
ove up ahead of her and she sighed, feeling slightly better. She tucked her hair behind her ears again, gripping her shoulder straps, picking up the pace until she noticed the car pull over to the side. She took a deep breath deciding to ignore them as she kept going just as the door opened. Her heart rate started to speed up as Mateo stepped out, standing in her way. He pointed towards the car, but she declined trying to sidestep him.

“Th
ere’s a storm coming,” Mateo said.

“I’m fine.”

He didn’t listen, starting to follow her until he was close enough to grip her shoulder. She twitched violently from the contact as well as the wind. Mateo hadn’t let go, holding her steady until he rounded to face her. He towered over her with his gray eyes staring directly into hers. Audra swallowed hard as anxiousness started to overtake her stomach.

“Get in the car, please.”

A forceful gust of wind whipped by them, but his body protected her face like a shield. He leaned over, pulling her in closer and she tucked herself into him. As the wind subsided she looked up into his eyes, the concern clearly written within them. Audra opened her mouth to agree when a loud crack rang out. Her eyes lifted to the oak tree above just as Mateo lifted his own head to the thick limb crashing down the side of the tree.

Fear grip
ped her, paralyzing her from moving, let alone screaming. With wide eyes, she watched the branch come down right above their heads. Mateo’s body went rigid against her as he grabbed her waist to him tightly with one hand while fisting his other. A strange look crossed his features like a glare but full of rage as his pupils overcame his gray eyes. The clarity of the branch soaked into her memory, the indents and ridges, the color, the broken pieces barreling around it, headed straight for them.

Ferocious winds suddenly whip
ped Mateo’s hair around him as he gripped her tighter. The branch just barely missed her back, colliding viciously with the ground. Pieces of it broke off but with the assistance of the wind, didn’t fly in their direction. A strange calmness settled around them, but his grip upon her didn’t lessen. She could barely breathe as their chests were pressed so close together.

A
s her lungs started to fill with air, she began to hyperventilate with fear and adrenaline mixed together. Mateo looked down into her eyes, but all she could see was the black, eerie stare of his eyes with a tiny sliver of gray showing. It was nothing like she had ever seen before.

The anxiousness that was in her stomach ha
d been erased and left nothing but nausea in its wake. He reached up toward her face, but she leaned back away from him. She stepped back, panicked, as he released her waist. She knew what she saw, but none of it made sense. There was no way that that just happened. Her breaths came in quick succession, and a scream threatened to break out.

“Audra…” Mateo sa
id.

“You al
l right?” Ryan asked, suddenly beside them.

Audra panic
ked, taking another step back and falling over the branch that just moments before had been careening for them. Mateo reached out to help her up, but she held her palms up at him in a stop gesture.

“Don’t…don’t come near me
,” she said.

“Audra
, wait...”

She crab-
walked back a few more inches before crawling up into a stance. She glanced back down at the branch noticing a few specks of blood. A quick look at her arm showed the tear on the sleeve of her jacket with a scrape caused from toppling back. The pain didn’t register; nothing was registering except for the enormous amount of fear. Ryan took a step in her direction, but she shook her head at him too. She wanted none of it—nothing to do with any of it, or them.

Mateo reache
d out stopping Ryan. Audra gave them a wide berth as she started to walk quickly up the sidewalk toward home. As she passed Mateo, she noticed his eyes slowly returning to their normal appearance. A painful shudder wracked her as she tried to get away from them.

“Wait
—”

“No
, no, no! Please leave me alone,” Audra begged.

She beg
an to run away, allowing the adrenaline to take her away from the scene. After a few blocks, she began to shake uncontrollably. Her run became more of a hobble until she reached her walkway. As she slid her key into the door, a loud crack of thunder clapped, and she finally let out the scream that had been threatening. She tugged the door open and Jim stood on the other side in shock.

“What’s wrong?”

“Jim!”

Running into his arms, she crie
d against his chest. He kicked the door shut and walked her to the couch. He tried to ask her a bunch of questions, but she couldn’t say anything through the hiccup-crying coming out. The pain in her chest was excruciating; her sobs were so rough that breathing was difficult. Jim rubbed her back up and down trying to settle her down, but it did little to calm her.

“I’m gonna grab you a water, al
l right?” Jim asked.

Audra nod
ded, finally gaining control over herself, but a glass of water wouldn’t change anything. The facts were all she had to hold on to. That branch was coming down with such force; it was going to easily kill them. Storm or no storm, there was no way a wind could blow a huge limb like that away, which left only one option. The only person she thought she felt something for, the one who she snuck out of her house for, wasn’t who she thought he was.

Even with her head tucked under her pillow
, the chirping of her phone could still be heard. She thought to turn it off but knew that once she reached for the stupid device, curiosity would grip her, leaving sleep an unattainable wish. Audra still couldn’t get over how easily it was to get her parents to call in sick for her. It wasn’t that they couldn’t notice how strange she was acting previously, but she didn’t even have to fake a cough. Mom believed her right away and didn’t hesitate to go to the phone and call in to the school.

Another chirp
came from the phone, and she lifted herself from under the pillow and blankets to glare at it. First things first—she went to the bathroom with a handful of clothes, showering. She changed into lounge sweats and a t-shirt before grabbing her phone to take downstairs. Once in the kitchen, she filled up a bowl of cereal and munched while checking her missed messages. Stephen had sent at least five of them.

‘
Where are you?’

‘Are you sick?’

‘
Am I covering for you?’

‘
It’s noon and I haven’t heard from you!’

‘
You’re getting a visit today.’

Audra check
ed the clock, reading half past noon. She would have to give Stephen a call before she left. The big game was tomorrow, and Coach wouldn’t let her play if she wasn’t in practice. Hopefully, no one would rat her out. She scooped another mouthful of cereal before checking the next message. ‘Message from Mateo’ caused the spoon to drop from her hand onto the table. She put the phone down, anxiety causing her to lose her appetite.

What could he possibl
y have to say? She already knew to avoid him; after all, he told her to leave him alone. She respected his wishes, and yet he still came to her…touched her…held her so close that she could feel his chest pressed up tightly against hers. He protected her from a falling limb…but how? She was already dealing with her own past issues, fear holding her back from her current life. Did she need to add more to hide from?

Audra picked
up the device and opened the text.

We need 2 talk.

She reread the message a few times only to sit in shock. He shouldn’t be trying to contact her. He should respect her wishes. And she definitely shouldn’t want to talk to him. She closed the phone and cleaned up her breakfast dishes, heading into the safety of her room. She crawled back under the covers, but her mind plagued her with the need to respond to someone.

Please cover for me. I’m going to practice though.
she texted Stephen.

And as an afterthought she added
,
If Mateo asks, tell him I’m sick.

Hibernation would
n’t last as long as she would like, but if she was to play in the big rival game, she needed to be at practice. Audra changed, making her way to the school.  She went towards the back since it was easier to dodge classmates that way. It didn’t take too long to sneak into the gym, doing her warm up as the other teammates came out of the locker room. The expression on Molly’s face led her to believe that Stephen got to her.

“Faking
being sick?”

“Had a bad night
,” Audra replied.

The team began
practicing serving, blocking and hitting. Coach had them run through a few drills, but she was noticeably off. Molly kept giving her strange looks but otherwise kept quiet. It felt like the longest practice yet to date, but it did eventually come to an end. Audra’s muscles were sore and her legs achy. Molly nodded in the direction of the parking lot after she changed.

“It must have b
een a bad night,” Molly commented.

“It was rough.”

“Do you think you can get it together for tomorrow?” Molly asked.

“My head isn’t right today
, but I will be.”

“The Pirates are no joke
, so if you need me to, I’ll double block with you from the start,” Molly offered.

“I’ll let you know.”

Molly drove her home while Audra silently looked out the window. When they passed by the area where the branch came down, there was no trace of it. Audra glared at the area until she could no longer see it, but nothing was there. She looked down at her arm and saw the scrape had scabbed overnight. It was the only evidence that yesterday happened. Molly pulled up to the front of her house, and they quickly said their farewells.

The house was quiet as Audra went
inside; she collected a change of clothes, showered and came back down to the living room. She managed to sit down on the couch a second before the doorbell rang. She wasn’t expecting any company, but she went to check anyway. She opened the door, allowing Stephen to come inside. He looked her up and down wordlessly while she settled back on the couch.

“What?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Stephen asked.

Audra glanced d
own at her lap but couldn’t find the words to say. She couldn’t say all the words that he wanted to hear. Stephen huffed, leaning back into the couch. He grabbed one of her hands into his own, holding it tightly.

“You’ve been out of it for a while now. I don’t know what’s going on
, but you’re not telling me anything.”

“I have been out of sorts. T
hat’s why I stayed home. I needed to get it together,” she said.

“Does it have anything to do with Mateo?”

She kept her features straight, continuing to look in her lap.

“Why would you ask that?”

“He kind of bugged out when you didn’t come to school. He came up to me asking where you were. And then he wouldn’t stop looking at me all homeroom and gym. It was weird,” Stephen replied.

“Oh.”

“So it does,” he pressed.

“We got into a disagreement. It’s not worthy of skipping school. I needed a break.”

Stephen lifted her chin to meet his eyes. “You’re overworked, and the year has only just begun.”

She sighed
and lay her head against his shoulder. A small amount of guilt throbbed in her chest. She had never lied to him before. She’d never had to. There were plenty of things that she had kept to herself, but there was a difference between not saying things and outright lying. Audra closed her eyes trying to find some sort of comfort from Stephen but also within herself.

Walking into the gym with uniform in place felt like the space in between. The comfort of the home location to play against her rival felt like the upper hand, but there was a slight disadvantage. When home, the ego level rose on its own, whether she allowed it to or not. And nothing could sweep the team to the floor harder than that. The bleachers were already half full on both sides, and they were only just beginning to warm up.

Audra lined
up with the rest of her teammates waiting for the referee to blow the whistle. She had mentally prepared all day long, knowing that she needed to give more than she had the day before.

The
Pirates unfortunately took the first game, but the second was a real fight for the Wolverines to take over. With the third game hanging in the balance, Molly and Audra double-teamed on blocking. Even with Audra on her best day, the rival team had been working on their skills and reading through the net set up. It took almost everything she had within to keep up the pace. Audra double blocked with Molly when the ball suddenly flew back up over the net quickly. Before a plan could be set up on the fly, Audra jumped up using her left hand to smack the ball down.

The instant the ball hit the
floor, cheers rang out from the home side of the court. Molly grabbed her in a tight hug before the rest of the team joined in. The whistle blew, sending the girls to slap hands under the net before retreating back to their own side, near the coach. The excitement of the win was built up not just by the crowd but by the pride of the team. Coach smiled at the girls with the same prideful look.

“You did well tonight
,” Coach said. “Apparently, we have an ambidextrous blocker.”

The team erupted into laughter and smiled
as the coach released them to take down the equipment. Audra made a point of assisting in taking down the net and carrying it into the back room. She may have scored the winning point, but she couldn’t have won without the assistance of her team. She smiled as she was walking out when she noticed Stephen and Chris flagging her down. She ran over to her friends, doing a funny jumping triangle dance. Molly jumped into the middle causing more laughter.

“I knew my girl
s could do it!” Stephen exclaimed.

Audra
, exhausted, stopped jumping to catch her breath just as Chris nudged her side.

“Congrats
,” he said shyly.

“Thanks.”

“Let’s celebrate,” Stephen said.

“Time to go
,” Jim stated almost rudely.

Audra looked
up noticing her brother with a slight scowl on his features. He put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her away, only giving her a minute to wave a hand to her friends. Once in the parking lot, he unhinged himself from her. She got in the car, waiting for him to start it up before trying to get answers from him.

“What was that about?”

“Strict orders to make sure you came home tonight. You weren’t feeling well, and Dad doesn’t want you getting sick again.”

“You couldn’t give me a minute to talk to my friends?”

“Audra…” he started, “something is going down tonight. I don’t know what, but it’s safer if you’re not out.”

She bit
her lip not bothering to reply. Whether that was the truth or not, she still could have been given a minute. The ride back was quiet other than the radio. It didn’t bother her in the least not holding a conversation with Jim; he didn’t really have anything to say that didn’t deal with basketball or Dad. Neither was on her mind tonight.

Closing the door to her bedroom, she unraveled the towel from her wet hair and began to rub it dry. She put on her playlist of music, changing into her lounge sweats and t-shirt, hanging up the towel on the back of the door.

An odd sound caught her
attention as it didn’t flow with the song playing. She turned the music down and opened the door, but no one was on the other side. A ping sounded once again from behind her, sending her to the window. She tugged the cord and looked down, noticing someone standing in a shadow by the tree. She lifted the window and peered down trying to get a good glimpse.

“Hello?”

“Audra…” a soothing voice crooned from below.

She squinted
, trying to see who it was, but froze as he took a step into view. Her mouth went dry instantly as her heart began to race. Even in the darkness of the night she could never forget the person standing before her, let alone not recognize him. The trembling of her fingers grasped the windowsill as she tried to push back inside.

“Wait
, please,” Mateo asked.

“No, I told you to leave me alone.”

“I need to speak to you first. Please, just a minute and I’ll go,” he stated.

She glared
down at him, silently fighting the urge to speak with him or getting Jim involved. It took her a full minute to make the decision and shoved the window down, locking it and pulling the blinds down. She turned the music back to the level it was prior before slipping out of her room quietly. The hallway was quiet leaving her to believe Jim wasn’t home. She scanned the living room area quickly, noticing that the downstairs was quiet as well.

Audra glanced
out the window towards the driveway and noticed her parents’ cars in the driveway alone. She closed her eyes and tried to listen for any hints that her parents were awake but found none. Without giving it too much thought, she grabbed her jacket, slipped into her shoes and out the door. She rounded the corner of the house by the tree but couldn’t see him. She walked closer, inspecting the area, and noticed a slightly worn path around the tree, leaving unwelcome chills.

This wa
s a monumentally bad idea. She should have just stayed inside. Who knew what he was capable of doing? Her hands began to tremble again, and she clutched them inside the pockets of her jacket. This had to be one of the stupidest ideas she had thought through and still went with. She turned around ready to go back inside as she spotted him standing on the sidewalk, clearly taken aback at seeing her out there.

Mateo began
to walk towards her causing the anxiety to twist inside her stomach. She glanced up at the tree; it wasn’t so hard to get up to her room that way before. She could make it halfway up before he was close enough when she remembered that she locked the window after shutting it. As he got closer, he raised his hand into a peace symbol, and it struck her as odd. There was nothing peaceful about him; he screamed ‘run’ in every way possible. She was just too dazed about the possibility of running into his presence to see it, too overwhelmed to notice the signs.