Obscured (The Obscured Series Book 1) (20 page)

The
lake wasn’t as deserted as I would have guessed, but as I stepped out from the
car my face was assaulted with cold air. I was glad that Eli made me bring an
extra jacket. I shivered while I waited for him to open the trunk where my
jacket was stowed.

“So
what’s the plan?” I asked.

“How
do you feel about hiking?” he asked with a sly smile.

I
hadn’t been hiking in quite some time, but was always up for an adventure.
“Sounds good to me.”

We
hiked around the lake to one trail that led up into the desert. It led us to an
overlook where we could see a good portion of the lake. It was breath taking,
and we decided to have our picnic lunch there.  Eli had been kind enough
to carry the backpack on our hike, so we spread out our blanket and sat down to
eat.

“So,
can I ask you some more questions?” I boldly asked him after we were situated
with our lunches.

“You
can ask me whatever you want,” he said after chewing his first bite.

“What’s
going to happen when I’m not your ‘assignment’ anymore? Like if you get a new
one?” I was too embarrassed to look him in the eye. The truth was, I didn’t
want to lose him. If he wasn’t able see his dad, what exactly did that mean for
our friendship? That was the biggest thing that plagued my mind. I hadn’t asked
sooner because I was afraid of the answer, but it was time that I faced the
truth.

“I
don’t know… it’s something that every Protector worries about.” He lifted my
chin to look in his eyes. “But I can tell you nothing is going to change for a while,
so please don’t think about it.”

It
was not the answer I had hoped for, and I quickly changed the subject for fear
that I might cry. “It’s so peaceful out here. I love it.”

“I
come out here to think sometimes. It helps to clear your head; just to get away
from it all,” he said.

“I
used to have a place like that in California, but I haven’t had a chance to
find one here yet.”

“Well,
we will just have to do something about that, won't we?” he grinned.

“How
am I supposed to know if you are adjusting my moods?” I interjected.

“Well,
if you really pay attention you can tell, but I have only altered your moods a
few times and those have been when you were with me. Does it bother you?” he
asked, sincere concern in his voice.

“A
little I think. It makes me feel weird not knowing if what I’m feeling has been
generated by you, or if it is what I'm truly feeling.” I didn’t know if what I
was saying was coming across in the way I hoped it would. Then again, I didn’t
even really know how to describe it.

“I
think I know what you mean. How about this—if I think you need a boost, I’ll
ask?”

He
actually seemed to get everything I said, and he listened to what I was saying
with genuine interested. It meant so much to me that he was so caring, but then
again he didn’t really have a choice in the matter. “That would make me feel a
lot better.”

“I
want you to know that there may come a time though that I may not be able to
ask beforehand. It may have to do with your safety. When it comes to your
safety, I will always act first and ask questions later,” he said sternly.

He
said it in a blunt manner, which wasn’t a way he would typically talk to me. I
knew it was just because he was passionate about that particular subject. It
was sort of his job to be. It was so astonishing to think that someone was tied
to me just for my protection. I still didn’t like the fact that he felt I
couldn’t protect myself, even though my track record so far wasn’t too pretty.
However, I had been keeping myself safe for years until I moved there, and
suddenly there had to be someone to protect me. It took some getting used to. I
was certainly not comfortable yet, and I absolutely wasn’t willing to let
someone else get hurt on my account Instead of saying anything about it, I let
it go and sufficed with a simple, “Okay.”

We
finished eating and decided to head down to the shoreline. It was a nice sandy
beach to relax on, and I imagined that during the summer it was packed with
people smeared with sunscreen and
toe
-headed kids
building sandcastles and splashing in the water. I sat down in the sand and
leaned back on my hands with my legs out in front of me to bask in the sun. I
looked out at the water, and I could only see a couple boats in the distance.
During the summer, Eli said it was super busy. I tried to imagine all of the
boats and jet skis that might be on the water then.

“Penny
for your thoughts?” he asked playfully as he plopped down in the sand next to
me.

“I
was just imagining what the lake might look like during the summer,” I answered
casually.

“I’ll
take you here this summer.” He gazed out at the water.

“It’s
a date!” I said enthusiastically. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, my
eyes darted to Eli’s. He looked up just as quickly. I don’t think that moment
could have gotten any more uncomfortable. There I sat staring at him with a
doe-in-headlights expression. Nice Abby. “I-I didn’t mean it like that,” I said
shyly, looking back down into the sand so I didn’t have to look into his
alluring blue eyes.

“I
know,” he said solemnly.

It
was the first moment that had ever felt awkward between us; at least in the
romantic sense. I had never even thought of him that way before that very
moment. I wondered if he had before now. Probably not, with all the drama I
seemed to have brought upon him. I doubted he would ever think of me
romantically. I couldn’t even see why he would want to be friends with me. I
had changed everything about his life and it wasn’t exactly a good thing—but he
seemed to want me around just the same. Just as well; we were really good
friends and I would never want to jeopardize that for a fling.

I
tried to think of something to say to change the subject, but nothing came to
me. The silence was as loud as bongo drums in my ears. I kept my eyes off of
Eli for as long as I could. I looked at my watch, 2 p.m. I had to be to work in
two hours. I looked at the sky, watching a bluebird pass by. I wondered what he
was thinking, so I snuck a peek at him only to find him staring right back at
me. I almost jumped.

“How
are you Abby? I know the past week must have been hard to for you to take in,”
he questioned.

I
was beginning to feel better about everything even though there were still
mysteries that would only take time to uncover. With Eli by my side I knew I
shouldn’t have to worry about it. He would know the right moment to reveal
everything to me.

“Really
Eli, I am doing a lot better than I thought I would be. Once I got past the
lying factor—which I still am a little upset about by the way—I realized that
you wouldn’t intentionally hide things from me if you didn’t have a choice. I
wasn’t fair before when I wouldn’t speak to you. I’m sorry.”

He
took my chin and lifted it to face him for the second time. “Don’t be sorry,
these issues are not things that most people have to face. You are doing just
fine. Okay?”

I
nodded.

He
released my chin and stood up. “Well, it’s getting late, and we should head
back so we can get you to work on time.”

He
stuck out his hand and helped me to my feet before we walked to his car. His
arm brushed mine occasionally as we walked, and it sent a shiver up through my
body each and every time. What was happening? I had never even thought of him
like that and now my own body was betraying me. I couldn’t stop thinking about
him that way. He was so amazing. I always knew that, so what had changed?

At
the car, I shrugged out of my jacket and handed it to Eli to put back in the
trunk for the ride home. He grabbed two water bottles out of the backpack as I
took one last look around the lake. I sighed and climbed in, wishing I didn’t
have to be back for work. The trip to the lake had been exactly what I needed.
I couldn’t wait to come back, and hoped to make it a regular occurrence.

We
rode home with the top down, enjoying the sights without anything blocking our
view. Convertibles were definitely my kind of car. I would love to have one for
myself, but I didn’t know if I would have enough money for one of those cars. Maybe
when I got older.

“What
kind of car do you want to buy?” he asked, almost as if he knew what I had been
thinking.

“I
was just thinking about that! It would be nice to have a convertible,” I
grinned at him. “But I don’t think that will be quite in my price range.”

“You
never know!” he said encouragingly.

Eli
was kind enough to bring me home, wait for me to change, and then drive me to
work. He was off today, but that didn’t stop him from coming in and enjoying
some pizza while I worked and waited on him.

“Hey
Abby, you want me to come back and drive you home?” he asked as he headed out
the door.

“Nah,
that’s okay, I’ll just walk, thanks Eli!” I said graciously.

“Okay,
call me if you need anything…anything at all, okay?”

I
could tell he was trying to push the point. “I will. Promise.” 

It
was 6:45 and I was going to be off work at 9:30, but for some reason time moved
as slow as a snail and there weren’t many customers to help it speed by. I was
given the job of deep cleaning the booths and chairs around the restaurant, and
I finished the last red booth in the dining area just before it was time to
leave. Since there were still no customers my boss told me to go home 10
minutes early. I walked home at a quick pace, passing other pedestrians, and made
it in record time.

My
mom was sitting in the living room eating popcorn and reading a book.

“Hi
mom,” I said as I plopped down on the couch next to her, digging my whole hand
into the popcorn.

“Hey
honey, how was work?” she asked with a mouthful of popcorn.

“It
was long. I had to deep clean the booths because we were slow. I’m beat. I’m
going to go to bed. See
ya
tomorrow,” I called over
my shoulder as I walked out of the room.

“Alright,
sleep tight,” she responded. 

After
a full day of being at the lake and working, I was relieved that the day was
over. I had enjoyed myself, but I was glad to be able to go home and go to bed.
I took a long, steamy shower, and my muscles relaxed as the hot water cascaded
down from my shoulders to the tile shower floor. My worries melted away. I
spent longer in the shower than I had planned.

I
curled up in bed, content with the world around me for at least that moment in
time, hopeful for what tomorrow would bring.

                       
CHAPTER THIRTEEN

           
Sunday morning came bright and sunny
through my window. The smell of maple and fresh oranges made its way to my
bedroom. My phone said it was almost 9:15 in the morning, and there was a text
already waiting for me. It was from Eli.

               
I hope you don't have plans, we
aren't working today!

   
        
I smiled at the text. I didn’t have any plans, other
than studying for the two tests I had the following week.

      
    
I texted him back right away.
No
plans, have to study tonight. What did you have in mind?

     
      
I chose to be lazy and went downstairs to
eat breakfast in my pajamas. I padded down the stairs in my fuzzy red pajama
pants, plain black spaghetti strap tank top, and cheetah slippers.

 
          
Mom was sitting at the kitchen
counter reading the newspaper, sipping her coffee. She had a piping hot bowl of
maple oatmeal in front of her.

      
     
“Morning,” I said.

 
          
“Morning,” she mumbled.

           
There was already a bowl of oatmeal
cooling on the counter next to my mom for me, as well as a tall glass of fresh
squeezed orange juice. Mom was not in a talkative mood and seemed very
interested in her Sunday newspaper, so breakfast was quiet. I ate and headed
back upstairs to change for the day.

           
I checked my phone as soon as I got
upstairs and there was a message waiting. I expected it to be Eli, but it was
Bailey.

 
              
Hey, do you have plans this
weekend? Want to have a sleepover? I'm off Friday!

The
prospect of girl time sounded amazing. I responded immediately.

Absolutely,
just so happens I'm off too!

I
didn’t even bother checking with my mom. Normally she wouldn’t have a problem
with it anyway, but lately she had seemed pretty uninterested in things that
were happening with me. It was different for her to be so distracted, but I
figured it was her trying to give me a little freedom. I had been so busy that
I didn’t even have a chance to miss her. Thinking about it gave me pangs of
sadness. Our once-close relationship seemed to be dissolving before our eyes. I
knew that it was something that would eventually happen as I ventured out into
my own life, but I hadn’t realized it would be so soon. Maybe she had been
busying herself so that I wouldn’t feel badly. Either way, I was glad that she
seemed to understand exactly what I needed, even before I did. I was enjoying
my freedom more than ever before.

My
phone buzzed from across the room. It was Eli.

Downstairs…

He
was here? Yikes, I wasn’t even dressed yet. I threw on the first outfit I had
been contemplating, and hustled downstairs just as the doorbell rang.

“Hey
Abby, I brought over some movies, how about a movie day?” Eli asked.

“Sure,”
I said, ushering him into the living room. 

He
handed me the stack of movies, and all of them were ones I liked. I put in a comedy
first. We lounged together on the couch. It was a satisfying feeling being able
to just put my feet up without a care on my mind until I noticed Eli was being
unusually quiet.

“Is
something wrong?” I asked, suddenly concerned.

“No
nothing,” he answered, but he wouldn’t look at me.

“Seriously,
what’s wrong?” I persisted knowing full well he had something on his mind.

“I
might have to go away for a few days,” he admitted.

“For
what?” I squeaked.

“Pete
is… is causing some problems,” he paused. “I didn’t want to tell you before
because you were already so overwhelmed. I didn’t tell you everything about
Pete. The truth is Pete and my family go back a long time. He used to be a
Protector. He is one of the rebels I was talking about. They are always causing
problems for those of us that have chosen to uphold our end of the deal. Like
for example, when he realized that messing with you would mess with me,” he
stopped and looked at me.

I
couldn’t be sure what my face portrayed, but I had a really bad feeling that I
wasn’t going to like where the conversation was leading. “Go on,” I said.

“The
original story I told you about Pete was a lie. I’m sorry to have lied. In
order for a person to be shunned you have to blatantly ignore your assignment
and not protect them when they need you, therefore allowing them to be hurt or
possibly be killed.”

“And
in Pete’s case?” I asked, already regretting the words the minute they were out
of my mouth. Why did I want to know that? Well, the truth was, I didn’t want
to. I needed to.

“He
let his assignment be killed,” he said slowly.

“Oh
my gosh!” I felt like I was going to be sick. I kissed that disgusting person.

“I’m
sorry—you shouldn’t be a part of any of this. I made up the other story about the
fight and the disappearance. I hoped that maybe you’d stay away if you thought
he was bad news. Then, the last confrontation with him I hoped that he would
leave town and move on with his life, but it turns out he only went away to
return with help.”

“Help?
Help with what?” I asked.

“I’m
not exactly sure what he’s planning, but I know that he’s devising something to
get even. He's angry.”

“So
where do you have to go?”

“I
have to go talk to the elders. I need help. I can’t protect you and go up
against Pete and whoever he has gotten to help him,” he answered mournfully.

“Eli,
I’m fine!” My protests came out louder than I had anticipated. I hoped my mom
wasn’t paying attention. I was frustrated that I was feeling like the damsel in
distress all over again. It made me feel so uncomfortable and helpless.

“I
have been taking care of myself for longer than I have known you!” I didn’t
mean to appear so angry towards him, but I couldn’t help how I was feeling.

“Abby,
calm down. I’m sorry this is a problem at all. I am handling it. I won’t let
anything happen to you. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes,
but that’s not what I want. I don’t want you risking you’re life for mine…” My
voice trailed off unintentionally.

“I’m
not risking my life.”

“Of
course you are. Every time you come to my rescue,” I said sincerely.

“Abby,
I didn’t tell you this earlier either, I’m not sure how you will handle it. But
I can't die.” He waited, letting it sink in. “Do you understand?” he asked
finally.

He
couldn’t die? What does that even mean? Everyone dies; that was life. Thinking
that I knew enough about this unique situation had been so completely wrong. I
should have been asking so many more questions. Maybe if I had there wouldn’t
continue to be surprises.

“You
can’t die? What does that make you? Like immortal?” I asked.

“Yes,”
he said carefully.

It
was a good thing I was already sitting down, because I might have gone weak in
the knees. My best friend would live for thousands of years. He would watch me
grow old and die, just as everyone else he became close to. Forever. It wasn’t
the way things were supposed to work.

“I’m
sure that you are going through a list of all the things that you think you
know about immortals, but I bet that there are a few things that aren’t really
true when it comes to Protectors. Our lives are extended because we serve to
protect. It is a gift that is given in order to help us to serve without
failing.  If we should choose to stop serving, our lives still continue to
be extended, but you can no longer consider yourself immortal. We live longer,
but we can die just as anyone else. Depending on your history, the elders will
determine how much of the gifts you will continue to receive or if you will be
stripped of them immediately, but ultimately you will no longer be immortal.

“What
about aging?” I wondered out loud.

“I
age, but at a much slower rate. I spent my childhood progressing normally. That
doesn’t change until the first assignment. You, I guess. I think the elders
typically wait until the person is 18 years old before giving the first
assignment. So from now on I probably won’t seem like I’m aging,” he shrugged.
“Aging is so subtle as it is, but when you are like me, a person may not look
like they have aged more than a year in your whole lifetime,” he said sadly.

“Oh,”
I said with an apprehensive tone.

“Abby,
please tell me what you are thinking,” he said.

“My
best friend is going to watch me get old and die. I don’t really know what to
think at this point!” I felt exasperated and tired.

“It’s
not fair is it?” he said softly.

“No
it’s not,” I said.

He
leaned over and put his arm around me. It felt good to be under his arm. There
was nowhere else in the world I would rather be than safely in his arms. I
didn’t know if that close of a relationship was even allowed by his
‘guidelines’ from the elders, but in that moment it didn’t matter.

When
my senses came to me, I pulled away. I couldn’t let myself get wrapped up in
him. Ever since our awkward moment at the lake, I had been thinking about Eli
in a whole new way. Just having those thoughts swirl around my brain was a risk
to our friendship. I had to get past it, and quick. I was not willing to put
what we had in jeopardy. Heck, I didn’t even know if he felt that way about me.
In fact, I doubted it. He was only as close as he was to me because he had to
be.

He
was looking at me with an almost pained expression.

“I’m
fine,” I said. “It's just a lot to take in, kind of surreal.”

“I
know,” was all he responded. He sat back against the couch with his shoulders
slumped in a defeated position.

“Hey,
let’s go out for lunch,” I suggested.

It
wasn’t until then that we noticed the movie had ended and the credits were
streaming across the screen.

“Yikes!
We missed the last half of the movie!” he said laughing. “Where do you want to
go?”

I
laughed along with him.

“Know
any good places? I haven’t been to many new ones.”

“I
know a good burger place. How do burgers sound?” he asked.

It
had been a while since I had a burger, especially a good one. “Sure, that
actually sounds really good.”

After
checking with my mom to make sure it was okay, we took off.

The
restaurant was less than 10 minutes away, set back from the road. If I passed
it driving down the road, I probably would have never seen it. At first glance,
it wasn’t much to look at, but on the inside it was very cute and full of 50’s
theme decorations. Red cushioned booths lined the restaurant walls, as well as
cushioned seats at tables in the middle. There was a bar that you could sit at
just like they had back in the 50’s. People around us were deep in
conversations, while sipping chocolate shakes and devouring huge bites of giant
cheeseburgers.

      
    
We sat ourselves in a corner booth
that wasn’t relatively close to any other people. We quickly browsed through
the short menu. I decided to have a single cheeseburger with an order of cheese
fries and a chocolate shake. As I waited, I browsed the menu further. There
were definitely other dishes I wanted to come back and try.

      
     
When the waitress came over, she seemed
extra interested in pleasing Eli. She had long straight blonde hair, with
alluring blue eyes. She would be a catch to any guy. You could tell she was
active by her super thin, toned body. She pretty much ignored that I was even
there other than to take my order. I tried to push away my irritation that she
was practically hanging all over him. Eli ordered a double cheeseburger with
onion rings and a soda. After the waitress took our orders she flirtatiously
bounced away, casting a look back at Eli. Honestly, could she make it any more
obvious?

      
    
“Well, she was sure interested in
you, wasn’t she?” I teased once she was out of earshot.

               
“What? I didn’t even notice,” he
said, looking after her with a surprised expression.

               
Typical guy! Completely clueless,
unless you smacked them on the forehead with a note saying ‘I like you.’ I
certainly didn’t understand how oblivious guys could be; I think her interest
in him had been obvious to everyone in the restaurant.

           
I thought for a moment, trying to
change the subject. I thought about our conversation at my house. I couldn’t
believe I had actually gone a whole 10 minutes without thinking about the big
mess I called my life. I became even more curious about it after everything I
had just learned. He said he would tell me what I wanted to know if I asked,
right?