The Rift (6 page)

Henry climbed into bed next to me as
carefully as he could, but he still woke me. I sat up and whispered
to him to call Tucker.

He shook his head. “You should sleep. You
were sleeping so peacefully.”

“The energy drain will put me right back to
sleep.”

He smiled as though I’d just offered him a
free trip to the moon, and I wondered yet again at the strength of
the love between him and Tucker. It was the most beautiful thing
I’d ever known, and I hoped to have a relationship even half as
solid as theirs someday. A moment later, Tucker joined us. He
didn’t seem to have the same reservations as Henry. Tucker lay his
ghostly form over my body and I felt a slight pull as he began to
slowly drain my life energy. A moment later, Tucker’s corporeal
body covered a third of mine from right ankle to right shoulder,
which seemed to be the magical arrangement that allowed him to be
solid and me to breathe.

I closed my eyes and tried to tune out their
low murmurs and the sound of skin against skin. I wasn’t about to
let them have sex or do anything obviously close to it but, while
my eyes were closed, I pretended they were just kissing and holding
hands and tried not to think too much about it beyond that. They
had turned on the bedside light, but their bodies blocked most of
it and I had gotten so good about tuning them out that I was half
asleep when the door creaked open and a male voice, said, “Oh,
shit.”

My eyes popped open and I saw Thad trying to
creep back out and close the door gently. His eyes met mine and he
took another look at the scene before him. Realization dawned on
his face in the same moment that Tucker slid off me and went
ghostly again, and Henry moved to cover me with his own body to
make it look like he and I were getting it on.

Thad continued his creep back out, but he
motioned toward the living room, and held up five fingers. I
returned my attention to Henry and let him kiss me until the door
was fully shut. There was no good reason to let Henry know what
Thad had seen. He’d just freak out and think he and Tucker had to
keep their distance, or maybe stop the physical touching, and I
didn’t think that was necessary. I didn’t know Thad very well, but
he liked to play the hero and ratting out Henry and Tucker wouldn’t
be heroic.

I gently pushed Henry off me. “He’s
gone.”

“Do you think he saw?” Henry asked, sitting
up in bed and running his hands through his hair.

“I think he saw skin and assumed you and I
were having sex. I’ll talk to him before he leaves, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. If he did see do you think
he’d…?”

“No, I don’t think he’d say anything to
anyone.”

“Okay, good.” He lay down next to me and
wrapped an arm around me.

I sat up. “Were you and Tucker…I mean did you
have enough time?”

He nodded. “Thank you, Kelsey. Come on and go
to sleep. I’m sure you’re drained.”

I shook my head. “Actually, I’m wide awake. I
think I’ll go look at the stars for a little while.”

He was already snuggled down in the pillow
and looking sleepy. “Okay, but be careful. You know how you
get.”

He was right, I was feeling groggy and
lightheaded, but I needed to talk to Thad. I pulled myself out of
bed and wove my way to the door, down the hall, and into the living
room, where I plopped down on the couch next to Thad.

It took me a moment to focus on his face and,
when I did, he was smiling. “Did I just see what I think I just
saw?” he asked.

I did a quick check around for Tucker or any
other eavesdroppers, but didn’t see anyone. He knew Thad would be
able to see him and had probably gotten as far from there as he
could. “What? Me and Henry having sex?”

He chuckled. “That’s what I thought at first,
but I’m pretty sure I saw Tucker in that mix. You into some sort of
weird three-way relationship?”

He looked almost hopeful, and I swatted him
on the shoulder. “It’s got nothing to do with me, except that I can
make Tucker corporeal. Please don’t say anything. If anyone found
out…”

Thad nodded. “Yeah, I can understand why
Tucker wouldn’t want anyone to know. It’s not easy to have a
relationship in our line of work. It’s gotta be kind of weird for
you, though.”

“I’ve learned to tune it out and, Thad, they
are just so truly, deeply in love, I can’t stand to tell them
no.”

“Does it take a lot out of you?”

“Tucker’s careful not to take too much. We’ve
learned my limits. I just feel a bit silly, lightheaded, and
clumsy.”

“Ahh, hence everyone saying you’re a
drunk.”

“That’s part of it, yeah. That and Henry and
I wanted to have a good excuse if anyone noticed we were spending
an inordinate amount of time together. We go out to the clubs to
put on a show.”

“Is that really necessary? Seems like a lot
of work to hide a relationship I don’t think anyone would
suspect.”

“Maybe,” I said, and left it at that. I
didn’t feel like telling him I was also training with Henry and
didn’t want people wondering where we were when we disappeared for
a couple of hours every day. “So what were you doing sneaking into
my room, anyway?”

He had the sense to blush. “I’m leaving
tomorrow and I was hoping…” He met my eyes. “I was hoping to finish
what we started back in Briarton before everything went to
shit.”

I remembered the kiss we’d shared and how
good it made me feel, and I almost leaned into him and let it
happen again. “I have a boyfriend.”

Thad snorted. “I never suspected Henry and
Tucker were a couple, but I knew he wasn’t your boyfriend. The boy
is an aw-fucking-ful actor. And, when I went for that walk with
him, I kept asking why you were wearing such baggy clothes when
your ass is so fine, and he didn’t get angry. I figured he was
either stupid or not your boyfriend, and I couldn’t see you hanging
out with anyone stupid.”

I groaned. “We’re gonna have to work on
that.”

“So how long are you going to keep—”

I was tired of talking and feeling lonely, so
I leaned in and kissed him to shut him up. Thad didn’t waste any
time kissing me back, but the kiss felt flat. There was no spark or
attraction. I pushed myself against him and deepened the kiss, but
still nothing. I pulled away and looked at him. The expression on
his face was one of pure confusion.

“That’s never happened before,” he said
before he caught himself. “Unless, did you…I mean was it…”

I thought about letting him struggle for a
while longer, but I was too tired. “I didn’t feel anything, either.
Maybe it’s just because my energy’s low.”

He nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. He
leaned in and we tried the kiss again. He even kneaded my breast,
and I ran a hand through his hair. When we pulled apart, it was
clear from his face and, I’m sure from mine, that any physical
attraction we’d felt for each other had fizzled. We were laughing
when someone cleared his throat behind us. I looked up to see Jed
standing in the doorway between the hall and the living room, a
fierce frown on his face.

“Hey, Jed,” Thad said in a low voice. “I hope
we didn’t wake you. Kelsey and I couldn’t sleep. We were just
catching up.”

Jed’s frown deepened. “No,” he said. “I just
couldn’t sleep. Something felt…off.” He stood there for several
long moments, the silence between us all awkward and deep. Finally,
Jed shook his head and went back to his room.

“How long do you think he was standing
there?” I asked.

Thad shrugged. “I’m sure he didn’t hear
anything about Tucker and Henry. He just thinks you’re a two-timer
as well as a drunk, now.”

“He already thought I was both.”

He widened his eyes.

“Yep, he found me with a half-naked man who
wasn’t Henry. But it doesn’t matter, I don’t think he cares one way
or the other.”

He shook his head. “Um, I don’t know where
you get that idea. You were there for his speech at your
intervention weren’t you?”

My heart thudded at the memory of his warmth
and his words. “I’m sure anything he said was in service to Yvonne
and her wishes. He was just trying to put on a good show.”

He stared at me like I was some sort of
alien. “Were you drunk for the intervention, too? He sounded
sin-fucking-cere to me.”

I should have let it rest there, but it had
been too long since I’d really had anyone to talk to about my
personal life. Henry was great, but he always worried that he and
Tucker were preventing me from having a real love affair of my own,
so I avoided complaining. “I kissed him, about three months ago, he
was laughing with me and I thought…anyway, I was wrong. I kissed
him and he pushed me away. I didn’t see him again until he informed
me of this
mission
.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know what that was all
about, but from the way he’s been acting since I got here, I’d say
Henry could do really well taking lessons from Jed on how to act
like a jealous boyfriend.”

I brushed off his words, because they didn’t
make any sense. If Thad saw any reaction from Jed, I was sure it
was nothing more than disapproval. I changed the subject, and Thad
and I stayed up and talked, his arm around me, my head on his
shoulder. We sat like that until the sun started to peek out
between the trees, then I tiptoed back to my bed and snuggled up
against Henry. For the first time in a long time, I felt easy and
happy.

Henry shook me awake the next morning and
told me to get out of bed and go say goodbye to my mom, Angelica,
and Thad, but I told him I’d rather sleep. Thad and I had said our
goodbyes already, and anything else we said that morning would only
mar the beauty of the night we’d had together. My mother was always
happier if she could blame me for being a bad daughter, and I was
glad to oblige. Angelica and I hadn’t gotten past awkward, yet, and
we’d already said everything that needed to be said. That decided
and my conscience soothed, I snuggled quite happily back under the
covers for all of fifteen minutes before Doctor Veronica knocked on
my door to remind me it was time for our morning session. I
convinced her to let me grab coffee and breakfast first and dragged
myself from bed. I was in shorts and a tank-top with no bra, so I
threw a hoodie over my t-shirt, ran a brush through my hair, and
brushed my teeth, before heading out to the kitchen.

I’d kind of expected to find Jed cooking
breakfast, like I used to when we lived together in Briarton, but
the kitchen was empty. I did find a full coffee pot, fresh bread on
the counter, and scrambled eggs in a pan with a lid to keep them
warm. I was sure the eggs must belong to somebody, but Doctor
Veronica, when I checked with her, said they weren’t hers, and I
couldn’t find Jed anywhere. I ate eggs and toast, drank the coffee
and went back to chat with Doctor Veronica, feeling slightly
off-balance. Why would Jed have cooked me breakfast? Henry couldn’t
butter toast without putting a hole in the bread, Thad might be
sweet but considerate wasn’t in his wheelhouse, and my mother
was…well, my mother. Either Angelica or Jed had made me breakfast
and I didn’t understand why they would have gone to the trouble.
I’d have to find out which of them did it and thank them.

Doctor Veronica and I rehashed my traumas yet
again, and I was sobbing and raw when we heard the front door slam
open and multiple feet tramp into the house. Doctor Veronica leapt
from her seat, motioning me to keep mine, and rushed from the room.
Moments later, I heard a shouted argument in familiar voices. I ran
out to see how I could help.

My mother was sitting in the armchair, her
head against the backrest, eyes closed. Her face was tensed, age
lines clearly delineating her age. My mother wasn’t old, but
whatever had happened when they left the house had taken its toll
on her. I rushed to her side through Thad, Angelica, and Doctor
Veronica, who were arguing and gesturing with their hands. “Momma,
what happened? Are you okay?”

She waved me off and lifted her head to look
at me. “I didn’t sleep well is all, Kelsey. I couldn’t stop
worrying about you.”

I just sat there for a moment and basked in
the warmth of her concern. My mother really did care what happened
to me, really did worry about me. That feeling only lasted a moment
before guilt and disgust at myself for causing my mother worry and
pain replaced it. “I’m fine, Momma. Everyone is overreacting,
seriously. I’ll stay here for a week or two and do what Doctor
Veronica asks, then I’ll go back to work, better than ever.”

She leaned over and gave me a hug. “I love
you, sugar.”

I hugged her back and breathed in the
familiar scent of her. “I love you, too, Momma.”

Jed and Henry walked in to the living room,
and Thad and Angelica stopped arguing with the doc. “It’s all clear
out there,” Jed said. “Why don’t we let Angelica explain what
happened again.” There were dark circles under his eyes, and he
looked pale. “Mrs. Fitzhugh why don’t you go back to your room and
relax. You won’t be interested in any of this. We’ll have you back
on your way in less than half an hour.”

My mother smiled, nodded, and left the room
far too easily for my liking. Momma loved drama in all of its
forms, and I couldn’t believe she’d willingly miss the scene
playing out in the living room. Still, she looked tired enough that
maybe she really did prefer to lay down. I watched her walk back
down the hall and, when her door closed, I leaned in toward the
others. “I don’t think she’ll try to listen at the door,” I said in
a low voice. “But I don’t want her to overhear anything. Choose
your words carefully.”

Angelica’s eyes were red and tears had
streaked the make-up on her face. “Bruce is working in the bakery
in town. I saw him. I was talking to him, and Thad dragged me out
of there.”