Seeing Red (16 page)

“No. Well, it happens sometimes, but I’m not a real
empath. I have to be very connected to the person. That time, when
you overdosed, I not only had a psychic—ugh, I hate that word. It
sounds too hocus pocus. Anyway, not only did I have a vision of you
in the hospital I felt you were on something—which I later found
out was drugs. I was exhausted afterwards, which I always am, but I
was also feeling some of your effects from the drugs too. I slept
for hours after that. Basically I was drugged too or at least I
felt drugged.”

“God, Jillian. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“So if you had known, you wouldn’t have been
using?”

“Um—”

“Don’t answer that. It’s not a fair question. I was
just telling you because you asked, but I didn’t mean to make you
feel bad about it in any way.” Jillian clarified. “So, now you
know. When you called me a freak all those times, you were right.
In fact, I’ve even had doctors laugh me out of their office. Your
best friend is a witch! What do you think about that?” She smiled,
but it lacked any trace of humor. The alcohol was doing most of the
talking now.

“To witches!” They cheered and slammed back another
shot of tequila.

“You know I’m just teasing you, right? I don’t think
you’re a witch. Sometimes you are kind of a bitch, but that’s just
with me.” He winked.

“Very funny.”

“If I ever meet any of those doctors, I’ll make sure
they never laugh again.” He was serious now. “Babe,you have a gift
and you’re special, but I’ve always known that. Always.” He was
looking into her eyes, and she had a sudden urge to reach over the
table, grab him by the back of his neck, pull him close to her
face, and kiss him wildly. But she refrained and he changed the
subject, most likely noticing her uneasiness.

“So tell me about those journals. Anything
juicy?”

“Nothing noteworthy yet. I have them in the
apartment, and I was planning on spending Christmas break reading
them, but . . .”

“What?”

“No, it’s nothing. Never mind.”

“Tell me.” His voice was terse.

“Well, while skimming through them, a police report
and a picture of a man fell out. The person’s name was cut out, but
the charges were for murder. They were from before I was born but
just a few months before. I’ve been avoiding it. And, okay, so
there is one other thing, but I don’t want you to say anything to
anyone, okay?

“What now?” He rolled his eyes.

“I’ve been having a strange vision that I can’t seem
to shake off. It has something to do with a redheaded man. I see
him all the time.”

“Okay, now you’re scaring me, Jillian.”

“I don’t actually see him; I have flashes of him.
Have you ever thought you saw something in your peripheral vision,
but it was nothing, or have you ever had a head rush from standing
too fast and you saw spots.” Alexander shook his head, “Well, it’s
like that, but instead of spots, I get a quick flash of a man with
red hair, sitting with his eyes closed. I don’t know who he is, but
he’s somehow connected to those stupid journals. Then, attached to
the police report, lo and behold, there was a photo of the guy.
Since then, I keep seeing him more and more often. Actually, it all
started when I moved here to Texas and started school. Anyway,
that’s why I haven’t read them. Isn’t ignorance bliss?”

“Jill, what if you’re in some sort of danger?”

“No, it’s nothing like that, I’m sure.”

“You have to promise me to read the damn
journals—soon.”

“Yes, sir.” She saluted him with her hand to her
forehead. She passed tipsy two tequila shots ago.

“Jill, promise me that you’ll tell me once you know.
Even if it is dangerous, don’t try to hide it from me. I want to
know, okay.” His tone was firm.

“Okay, okay, I promise. Don’t get your panties in a
ruffle, mister.”

“Panties?” He batted his eyebrows up and down and
laughed.

“Pervert.”

“Can I ask you something else?”

“Sure. But I have to warn you, I’m starting to
really feel those tequila shots.”

“What’s going on with you and Black?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, he’s always looking at you. He’s tougher on
you than anyone else.”

“He’s always looking at me? Really?” She smiled.

“Oh wipe that stupid smirk off your face, Jill. He’s
your teacher. You’re better than that. It’s inappropriate.”

“Xander, there’s nothing going on. I can smile if I
want to. It’s flattering to know a hot guy is checking me out.”

“I didn’t say checking you out. I said looking at
you.”

“Oh,” she said, embarrassed. “And anyway, you
noticed too, huh? He is tougher on me than anyone else. And you
know what else?” She whispered.

“What?”

“You have to swear that you won’t say this to
anyone.”

“I seem to be making a lot of promises today”

“Swear.”

“I swear,” he rolled his eyes.

“Ohh, I love this song. Let’s dance.”

“Focus, Jillian. What were you going to tell
me?”

“What?”

“About Professor Asshole. You were going to tell me
something.”

“Oh, yeah, that day he called me to his office, he
just wanted to ask me if I got a locker. Isn’t that weird? He could
have just asked me in class or after class. He was so intense about
it too.”

“That is weird. Why were you in his car today?”

“How’d you know?”

“I saw you.”

“Oh . . . um . . . he saw me walking to the library
and insisted that I let him give me a ride.”

“I have a strange feeling about that guy. Be
careful.”

“Are you jealous, Mr. Jacobs?”

“Yes.” He put the palms of his hands on the table
and leaned towards her, looking dead serious; it was a sobering
realization, and it took her a second to process.

“Um . . . Guess what, Xander. You were right. You
can get drunk off beer. I think we should head back.”

“I don’t think it was just the beers, Red. The
tequila shots had a little to do with it too.”

Alexander called the waitress, paid the bill,
refusing to take any of Jillian’s money, and helped her up.

“Can you walk? We can take a cab if you’d like.”

“No, I’m okay. I think the fresh air will help.”

For the most part, she walked without stumbling. He
rested his hand on the small of her back, protectively, and perhaps
even a little bit possessively, as they walked back home. He had to
help her the few times that she almost tripped on her own two feet,
tightening the hold on her every time. Neither felt the least bit
uneasy walking so closely together back to the apartment. When they
arrived, he took the keys that he still had in his pocket and went
to open the door and noticed it was unlocked.

“Shit. Wait here. The door’s unlocked.”

“You probably left it unlocked. I’m terrible at
locking it too. No biggie.” She went to walk in, but he grabbed her
shoulder and stopped her.

“Jillian, I said stay here. Do not move a fucking
muscle until I come back out. Do you hear me?”

“Jeez. Talk about overreacting. Fine, I’ll stay
put.” She giggled a little while leaning against the wall as
minutes passed.

“There’s no one inside, but I am 100% sure I locked
the door. Is there anyone that has your keys or would come in?”

“No. Only our landlord but he lives in Florida. Oh,
and Heather, but she’s out of town at her parents’ house. Relax.
You’re just spooked from what I told you at the restaurant. I’m
sure you just left the door unlocked.”

“I didn’t leave the door unlocked!”

“Except that you did.” She said it giggling, but he
was stone-cold serious.

“You argue about everything. I know that I locked
it. Let’s go in, and I want you to look around and see if anything
is missing or misplaced.”

She walked in and looked around. Everything seemed
as she had left it, except her closet. The door to her closet was
open, and she knew she had closed it, because she had a habit of
never leaving the closet doors open. It gave her a strange vibe to
leave it open.

“What is it?” he noticed her face of concern.

“My closet door is open and I never leave it
open.”

“Is anything missing?”

She rummaged around. It was a big walk-in closet.
The shoes were on the shoe rack, clothes were hanging on the poles,
and boxes were on top of shelves. Everything looked in order.

“Are those Helen’s boxes up there?” He said,
pointing to the top of her closet.

“Yep. In fact, can you go get the stepladder that’s
in the kitchen so that I can bring them down and make sure all the
journals are inside.”

He rolled his eyes. He didn’t need a stepladder.
Duh! He was a giant of a man. He reached up, causing some of his
shirt to shift up, exposing his perfectly sculptured lower abdomen.
She had to literally hit the side of her head to stop staring at
the “v” that formed right above his very low-rising jeans.
Yum.
She almost reached forward to trace the muscles but
stopped herself.

“You’re staring, Jill.”

“Huh? What? No, I’m not. I just, um . . . Just give
me the damn box, Alexander.” He smiled and handed her the first
box. As he brought the rest of them down, she looked through
them.

“Here, count these two boxes and I’ll count these.
Make sure there are twenty in each box.”

Alexander did as instructed. All the journals were
there. Nothing missing. “So nothing strange. Nothing missing? Only
thing was the unlocked front door and the open closet door?”

She sat on the bed and started thinking.

“What is it, Jill?”

“I’m remembering that in the last few months at
least five times I’ve come home to the door unlocked but I just
thought we forgot to lock it.”

“How could you be so stupid and careless, Jillian!
You need to be more careful. Now that you told me about the police
report that you found combined with this reoccurring unlocked door
and your damn visions, I’m convinced there is something going on
and I don’t like it. Let’s go. You’re coming home with me.”

“The hell I am.” It came out a few octaves too high.
“Nothing has happened to me in these last few months. I’ll be fine.
I bet you just left the front door unlocked.”

Irritated, he slowly accentuated each word, “I.
Locked. The. Damn. Door. I’m not asking, woman, I’m telling you.
Until we figure this out, you are coming home with me and that’s
final.” He grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the
door.

“Stop it. You can’t to tell me what to do! I’m not
going anywhere with you. Thanks for helping me forget my sorrows
tonight, but I’m going to take a shower and go to bed—alone—in my
apartment. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself just as I’ve
always done. And anyway, if someone were in here or something bad
were going to happen, I’m sure I would’ve sensed it by now.
Remember, I’m psychic.” She pointed to her head, and shrugged. She
was a little nervous about staying alone but not really scared.
Sleeping at Alexander’s place was scarier.

“You told me yourself that your visions and senses
are only linked to those that are close to you: those that you
know. You probably don’t know the crazy person that came in here
tonight, and that’s why you haven’t sensed anything. Jill, you’re
drunk and not thinking straight. You can’t stay here tonight. Let’s
at least call the police.”

“No, I’m not drunk. No way am I calling the police.
I’m fine. I would’ve felt something if it were something imminent
to
myself,
and I haven’t felt or
seen
anything. I’m
not nauseous and my heart isn’t racing. I’m fine. So you don’t have
to worry. Sometimes my little superpower comes in handy. No
visions, no problem.” She was kind of swaying and slurring, still
drunk.

“Yes you are! You’re super drunk.”

“No, I’m not. Leave me alone. Go away, Xander.”

“You’re a mean drunk! Stubborn and mean. Woman,
you’re coming home with me. This apartment is not safe.”

“I am not going home with you, and stop acting like
a caveman trying to protect me. You haven’t even been around for
the last eleven years. You can’t tell me what to do. I barely even
know you anymore.”

“That hurts. You know me better than anyone. You
know it and I know it. I’m not telling you again, Jillian. Let’s
go. You’re slurring stupidity.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her
so hard towards the door that she stumbled forward. He caught her
right before she fell. His body pressed against hers as she tried
to regain her balance. The proximity of their bodies turned her
brain into Jell-o. He was leaning against the door with his legs
spread apart, and she stood between them.

“You left me.” Her voice dropped to a whisper.

“I’m right here. What are you talking about?”

“Twice, Alexander, twice” she held out two fingers.
“You left me twice. You abandoned me after we were rescued. For
seven years, you disappeared. Then after you were in the hospital .
. . No goodbyes, no nothing for four years. That’s eleven years of
my life that I was without you. What the hell did you expect to
happen? How can we have stayed friends when you didn’t bother to
write or call? You know who didn’t abandon me,” she yelled,
slurring her words. “Oliver. Oliver, he didn’t abandon me. He never
abandons me.”

“How did we end up having this conversation? Your
damn door was unlocked and someone was in here. That’s what we need
to focus on right now.”

“No. It’s important because you have no right to
tell me what to do. You can’t barge into my life, acting all
protective when you haven’t been around for eleven fucking
years!”

“I thought you weren’t cursing anymore?”

“Fuck you!”

“God, you’re a mean drunk.” He sighed and put his
palms on her cheeks, cupping her face, “Jill, I was fucked up. My
life was a mess. I didn’t know anything. I was just a kid when we
were rescued. Do you know how much I’ve regretted those years? Do
you know how much it pains me that you have this perfect
relationship with my brother and that, you and I, all we do is
fight? But you can’t deny that there is something here,” he pointed
to the air between them. “There has always been something between
us. There is something that you don’t have with Oliver or with
anyone. Jill babe, please. Come home with me, please. I have a
spare room. I can’t leave you here, knowing you’re not safe.
Everything I’ve done since I left the hospital has been for
you.”