The Violet Hour (The Violet Hour Series) (8 page)

“We’re not going to have this discussion now, so I suggest you let it go and eat your meal,” Luke said sternly.  His coldness caught me off guard like a slap in the face.  I grabbed my clutch and got up from the table.

“Where are you going?” he nearly yelled at me.

“To the restroom, Luke.  Is that okay with you?” I said as defiantly as possible.

“Logan, I would prefer you wait.  Otherwise, I will have to escort you.”

“I have to go, so if you feel the need to
escort
me, then I suggest you start moving.”

I turned to leave, unconcerned with whether he was following or not.  I went into the restroom without ever looking back and headed for the last stall.  Was this really happening?  Every day, since the moment I found out my mother had died, I had wished I was trapped in some sick nightmare and would soon wake up.  Then, in the midst of my broken heartedness, I met Luke and had pulled back from the darkness.  Now, in a moment’s notice, I was sinking back into the nightmare. 

I’d had enough.  Something wasn’t adding up and I deserved answers.  Not able to put the pieces together on my own, Luke owed me an explanation.  Otherwise, he needed to take me home.  I shoved the stall door open. 

“What are you doing in here?” I yelled at Luke who was sitting on the counter.

“I told you I was following you,” he said, with a guilty smile.  Seeing that smile again and his perfect form perched on a tiny counter in the women’s restroom was oddly disarming.  I fought down a grin. 

“What’s going on, Luke?  I need answers.  Now.  My dad has been acting weird, now you, Jackie, Alexander…” I said, trailing off.  Luke took one of my hands gently and then the other, pulling me toward him.  I tried to speak, but couldn’t focus on words.  He slid off the counter when I reached him, forcing his body tightly against mine.  I held my breath.  He ran his hands up my hips, inside my jacket, and around my back, pulling me in even closer.  The conversation was slipping from my mind as he ran his hands from under my jacket toward my face.  He cupped his hands around my cheeks and pulled my face toward his.  His lips touched my cheekbone then traced down my jaw.  He lingered for only a moment before tracing back up to the tip of my ear.

“Just breathe, Logan,” he whispered softly against my ear, sending a hard chill through me I knew he felt.  Hands still on my face, he traced back up to my forehead, kissing, and then tracing his lips to my nose, placing a kiss on the tip.  I closed my eyes, losing myself in the moment.  He pulled his hands down from my face slowly, but never taking them off my body.   

“I’ll let you finish up.  I’ll be just outside,” he said as he slid away from me and out the door. 

I dropped my hands to the counter to brace my weak knees and focused on breathing while the minutes ticked away.  When everything slowed down again, I was able to unclench my hands from the counter and ran them under cold water.  I realized what had just happened.  He should’ve apologized, but he didn’t.  He tricked me; changing the subject without saying a word.  Two could play that game, I thought.  When I opened the door, he was patiently waiting with a devious grin.  He held out his hand and laced his fingers through mine. 

“Where are we going?” I asked, pulling back on his hand.

“While you were finishing up, I took care of our order and the check.  We should get back home.  It’s a school night, you know?” 

This was going to be easier than I’d thought.

Though we strolled slowly hand-in-hand toward my car, I hadn’t forgotten about what had happened.  If anything, Luke was buying me more time to think things through.  I needed to be up front and to the point with my questions.  If Luke wouldn’t answer them, I’d ask my father.  I pulled the car keys out of my clutch and unlocked the door.  Luke tried to open it for me, but I beat him to it.  Smugly, he handed me our boxed up dinner and closed the door after I was inside.

He walked around the front of the car, and got in the driver’s side without taking his eyes off mine.  I held the keys up in the air.  He reached for them and I dropped them back into my purse.  He put his hand on the steering wheel and slumped back in the seat as if he knew this might take a while.

“I
need
answers, Luke.  I
need
to know,” I proclaimed forcefully.  “Why is my dad being over protective of?  What was the conversation with Jackie after the parade all about?  And who is Alexander?  You go from being a sweet normal guy to this weirdo following me into the restroom and I may not completely know what’s going on, but I know something’s not right.”

Luke didn’t say anything while he tapped his fingers lightly against the wheel.  I had all night, nowhere to be and wasn’t about to give up. 

“This is about my mother, isn’t it?”

His silence told me all my questions had real answers.  Answers that he had.  He finally let out a sigh as if giving in.

“Logan, it’s late and I need to get you home before your dad starts to worry,” he said, sounding slightly defeated.

“Fine,” I said, pulling out the keys.  “I’m sure my dad would be more than willing to answer these questions for me.  You
should
take me home.”  I held out the keys again while my words sank in.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” he said, putting his hand over mine and the keys.  “I’ll tell you everything, just not tonight.  I promise it’s not that big of a deal.”

“If it’s not
that big of a deal,
Luke, tell me now.” 

Another deep sigh told me I was breaking him down.

“I want to tell you everything when the time is right.”  I started to open my mouth to argue but he put his hand up to silence me.  “And, I want to show you.” 

I considered his words, but could see from the pain in his eyes he was struggling.  The coldness from before had disappeared.

He tiredly, yet quietly, sighed again.

“Show me?” I finally questioned. 

“I promise,” he whispered, anguished.

His sincerity caught me off guard and I turned to look at him.  Mistake.  His eyes were liquid sapphire against the dim streetlights.  They melted every part of me.  I knew he was telling the truth and he knew I was giving in – or – giving up for now. 

As if to seal his promise, he pulled my hand toward his face and gently pressed the back of it against his lips, making a vow.  

Andrea Wells – The Violet Hour

Chapter 9

I spent two hours getting dressed and doing my hair before I was ready to face my first day at Sheridan High.  I felt amateur – I usually took my time getting ready in the morning, but not
that
much time.  I was wearing the last outfit my mom bought for me, a mustard colored sweater dress that stopped just above the knees.  I checked.  Over the dress, I had on a wide brown leather belt that perfectly matched my Chanel leather knee-high boots and bag.  Paired with my mother’s real emerald ring and earrings I took from her jewelry box, I felt confident my look wasn’t going to be too fashionable for school, yet still met my standards.  As I looked in the mirror, I realized with sadness it wasn’t my mother’s jewelry anymore – it was mine.  However, the sadness was bittersweet as I remembered with a smile our last shopping trip.  It felt good to think of her with something other than complete anguish.

I had been excited all summer for this day.  It was supposed to be the first day of my senior year at Laguna High, but my excitement had been replaced with nerves and dread.  New school, new teachers, new students, new friends, new everything.  I thought about my Laguna friends getting ready for school, but they didn’t even make up half of what was on my mind.  The conversation I needed to have with Luke hung heavy in my thoughts.  He had put it on such a high pedestal by making me wait that I could hardly sleep.  I was dwelling on it even though I had no idea when and what he was going to tell me.  If it was going to be easy, he would’ve already told me, but he hadn’t and the anticipation gnawed at my patience.

“Logan?” my dad called from downstairs.

“Coming!” I yelled.

When I walked into the kitchen, everyone had already eaten breakfast and was milling around waiting, knowing I wouldn’t eat anything on a morning like this.  I avoided looking at Luke so I wouldn’t feel awkward.

“Good morning, Logan,” my dad said as I approached him for a hug.  It was becoming easier to show affection with him.

“Morning, Dad.”

“You look nice,” Kate said when she appeared from behind the fridge door to hand me a little brown paper bag.  The type of bag I hadn’t seen since kindergarten. 

“Well, we’d better get going or we’ll be late,” Jack said as he headed toward the garage door.  Jesse shoved through the kitchen after him while Luke waited to hold the door open for me.  Jack and Jesse pushed each other, racing for the driver’s side, and in the end Jesse won.  I followed them to the edge of the garage until Luke took my hand, tugging me softly back. 

“Why don’t we take your car so you can drive home?  That way you’ll know how to get to school the rest of the week,” Luke said. I frowned, wondering if this was a hint he wouldn’t be around.  He waved Jesse on and they took off down the drive.

“Rest of the week?  Where are you going to be?” I asked, climbing into my car.

“Jesse has football practice every day after school and Jack usually hangs out waiting for Jesse or catches a ride.  On the days I don’t do either, I’ll catch a ride with you.” 

I felt my throat tighten slightly, but I spoke anyway.  “You’ll
catch
a ride with me?  So, you’re assuming I’ll take you home – I’m
just
a ride?”

“Logan, be serious.”

“I am.”

“You’re not just a ride, you know better than that.” 

Did I?  I wasn’t sure.  I hoped for better than that, but sometimes hope and reality don’t go hand-in-hand. 

“On Thursday, we’re going up to the Tetons with your dad and Kate.  We’ll be back on Friday around noon so we don’t miss the game,” Luke finished, as he backed out of the garage.

“The second week of school and you’re already bailing for an early vacation?” I joked.  “Wait… am I invited?” I pressed.

“Oh, I didn’t mean it that way, we take off this time every year to go hunting,” he said, acting as if he knew there was no way I’d be interested in going hunting with them.  He was right.

When we got to the end of the driveway, Jesse’s truck was already out of sight.  We drove in silence to the interstate before I built up enough courage to bring up Luke’s promise.

“So… when are you planning to tell me about last night?” I asked with grave hesitation.

“Not now, Logan,” he angrily replied.

His eyes were fiercely focused on me when I turned to glance at him.  His body was rigid and fists clinched on the wheel.  It was as if I had just asked him to commit a crime.  He jerked his eyes back to the road and I looked away, hurt.    

Shocked by his reaction, I didn’t speak another word the rest of the way to school.  I hadn’t demanded to know, I’d simply asked when he was planning to tell me.  Whatever was really going on was getting bigger by the moment.  Someone needed to start talking and soon. 

He pulled into the school parking lot and headed toward Jesse’s truck at the back.  Kids were already making their way through the front doors but Jack and Jesse stood outside waiting for us.  As soon as we parked, I started to get out when Luke reached over and grabbed my arm, causing me to pull the door shut.  I was frustrated by his mood swings. 

“I’m sorry about snapping at you, Logan.  It was uncalled for,” he whispered as his brothers stared at us. 

“Just forget about it,” I replied flatly, edging toward the door again.  I wanted to get away from him.

“It is a big deal.  It’s a
really
big deal.  I didn’t mean to treat you like that.”

“If you want to tell me about it, then tell me,” I countered, staring out the window.

“I’m going to tell you when the time is right.  I’m going to tell you because I have to tell you, not because I want to.  If I had it any other way, you’d never know.  I wish…” he paused in frustration taking a deep breath before finishing.  “Logan just trust me, okay?  I know you don’t really know me, but it’ll make sense soon.  I’m asking you to just trust me.  Please?” 

I turned and looked him deep in the eyes.  I held my breath and went for it.  “Look – Luke, you’re right, I don’t know you and more importantly, you don’t know me.  I’ve never done something like this before… I mean, I’ve never said the things I’m about to say, before.  I have never felt towards someone the way I feel about you.  It’s hard to put into words but I trust you more than I probably should at this point.  I don’t even understand why.  I feel safe when I’m with you.  In that crowded parade of people, when I was with you, it felt like there was no one else.  I trust you, even though you’ve given me no reason to feel that way.  And, as weird as this is going to sound, I know whatever you tell me will be fine. I don’t know why, but I know it will be.”

Luke hadn’t said a thing or moved a muscle from the moment I’d opened my mouth.

‘Shit’ was all I could think to myself.  I was certain I’d just ruined everything.  Jesse slapped his hand on the trunk of my car as he paced impatiently.  I felt like I was the size of an ant as another immeasurable amount of time in complete silence passed.  I looked straight ahead, debating whether to get out of the car or kick him out and drive away.  I realized, immediately, there was no debate.  Silly of me to think he’d just get out if I asked and let me leave.  I wouldn’t apologize for what I said because I meant it.  I wasn’t sorry for that.

I mentally began to make my move out of the car. 

Luke’s hand touched the side of my face, gently turning it toward him as he leaned out of his seat toward me.  He shifted his body and pressed against me, pausing when he was so close I could only see his eyes.  They were more gorgeous than ever.  Shades of green sparkled from the center outward and a deep violet streaked from the edges inward, creating a tie-dye affect.  His thick, dark lashes fluttered over them when he blinked and the tiny wrinkles by his eyes seemed too soon for his age.  He let out a breath of cool sweet air and closed his eyes.  Slowly he pressed his lips into mine.  I kept my eyes open in shock, closing them when his kiss grew slightly more passionate.  I traced my fingers through his messy hair down to his neck and pulled him closer – the warmth of his body taking my body temperature up a degree.  When I opened my eyes again, he was looking into them.  Pressing his lips to mine one last, short kiss he slowly pulled away.  Smiling gently, Luke took one hand off of my face to brush a few stray hairs out of my eyes. 

“In a thousand years, I couldn’t match the words you just spoke.  Like a coward, all I could do was kiss the lips those words escaped from and hope they would kiss me back,” he whispered. 

I smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

“I promise you will know everything soon.  Just give me time, that’s all I ask,” he finished.

“I can do that,” I whispered.

“One more thing,” he said, as his grin grew.

“Getting a little greedy aren’t we?” I joked.

“We need to get to class – shall we?” he asked as he dropped his hands from my face and jumped out of the car, leaving me breathless.

I pulled myself together and stepped outside.  Jack and Jesse were giving Luke a hard time.  They may not have seen our exchange through the darkly tinted windows, but a small part of me felt like they knew.  Luke waited for me to catch up while his brothers led the way.  The closer we got to the building, the tenser I felt and the three of them encircled me when we stepped through the doors as if they were bodyguards at a club.  They waited outside the front office while I went in to get my schedule. 

The women at the front desk dropped her mouth when I approached.  She looked me up and down more than once before grabbing a piece of paper and stepping to the counter.  Maybe I had overdressed?

“You must be Logan Keller,” she said. 

I smiled and nodded, though I didn’t think she was asking.  I wasn’t sure if she knew who I was because she’d seen me in magazines or if she knew because she didn’t recognize me at all and it was such a small school.  She handed me my schedule, a map of the school, and proceeded to mark where we were and my first class.  Behind the sheet was a parking pass form. 

“I don’t know the plate numbers on my car,” I said when I finished, filling in the other blanks.

“Oh, don’t worry, dear,” she said, taking the form from me and reading it, “I can run outside and get it…,” she trailed off, as her finger stopped on the make and model of the car.  She tried to hide her surprise, but her silence spoke loudly. 

“Lemme see your schedule,” Jesse said, soon as I walked through the door.  He snatched it out of my hand before I could answer, Luke grabbed it back, and together they studied my classes against their own.  Each one was in at least one of my classes, proving how small Sheridan was.  I never had any classes with Lindsey. 

“I have first hour with you, I’ll show you the way,” Jack offered.  Luke briefly touched my arm before Jack whisked me down the hall.

My first class, Calculus, drug on as did most of my morning.  I hadn’t met anyone yet, but they all knew who I was.  Every single one of my teachers made me get up in front of the class and introduce myself.  Since I’d already missed a week of school, I had also missed everyone else’s introductions.  One of my teachers, Mr. Harsh, informed everyone I was the only new addition to their senior class as if I were a novelty.  He finally let me sit back down, mortified, and went on with the rest of Government until the bell rang.  Outside in the hall, Luke was waiting for me. 

“Well, how is it so far?” he asked with a grin, as if he already knew.

“Uneventful.  I’ve had every class with either Jesse, Jack, or both.  Everyone should know my name by now, but I don’t know anyone.”

“You know me,” he whispered near my ear.

“Is that going to be enough?” I joked before he got too far away to hear. 

Fear shot through me when we walked through the cafeteria doors.  I felt overwhelmed by the crowded room because everyone in the school took lunch at the same time.  I looked around and was grateful when I spotted Jack and Jesse already sitting, motioning me toward an empty seat with them.  I was under the impression it was their regular table because Luke was already on the way there.  Sitting beside Jack was a girl I didn’t remember seeing in any of my classes, but was so strikingly gorgeous I couldn’t have missed her.  Shiny dark hair, bright amber brown eyes and dark olive skin made her stand out just as much as I did.  Long bangs framed her high cheekbones.  She didn’t move a muscle as we sat down. 

“Hi, Rachel,” Luke said when we settled into our seats. 

She wouldn’t even acknowledge we were there, let alone that Luke had spoken.

“Gee Rachel, you’re always so pleasant to be around,” Luke said after a long awkward silence.  She got up from her chair and headed silently to the soda machine.

I opened my brown bag lunch and bottled water.  I was used to not eating healthy for lunch, but that was apparently about to change.  Kate had packed each of our lunches exactly the same.  It made me chuckle as I looked around the table at the plastic sandwich baggies, carrots, apples, crackers and cheese.  At least I wasn’t going to gain weight eating crap school lunches or fast food before I got back to L.A., I thought to myself.

“Can’t you do anything about her?” Luke asked Jack once Rachel was out of earshot.

“I can’t control her, Luke, you know that,” Jack replied.