“Are you ok?” Caleb asked into my hair.
“Yeah, it was just so real…I can’t control the visions.” I turned to him. “I’m ok,” I said, wiping my eyes and face. “It just sucks, I feel everything-”
I know. I felt it too.
You did?
I didn’t the first time. Maybe it’s because I was touching you this time. I’m sorry, Maggie. I know you don’t want this and I hate it that it hurts you.
It’s the Visionary’s to handle. I’ll be ok.
We’re a team, you said so yourself. You and I can handle this.
I smiled gratefully up to him.
“Hey, Bish, having fun?” I asked as we approached, playing off as normal as possible.
“Where have you been?” he roared over the music. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” I spouted sarcastically without thinking and kept going. “Since when do Jen and I look alike?”
I stopped and grimaced. I looked up at him and he was red with embarrassment, having no idea how he’d been caught.
“Whatever. Are ya’ll ready?”
“Not really.”
“Lighten up, man,” Caleb said easily. “Come on, it’s a club. Why don’t you go ask that girl to dance?” He pointed to a young girl, brunette, who was glancing our way. She saw she’d been caught and turned, biting her lip. “She’s definitely into you. Go for it, man.”
“Nah,” he said but looked over at her and smiled a little when their eyes met.
It’s not like I’ll ever see her again, pointless, but maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m too uptight and need some fun. Everyone else is certainly having some.
In his mind was a picture of Jen. She was the one having fun, the one most annoying to him. His gaze traveled over to the end of the bar where Jen was and he watched, pained, as she sipped her non-alcoholic drink from a little pink straw and laughed at something one of the guys there was saying.
Fine, she obviously doesn’t care and I have no idea why I do.
He got up without another word and walked over to the brunette that was looking at us before. Her smile was genuine and surprised when she turned to see who tapped on her shoulder. He sat on the stool next to her and immediately ordered a drink.“So, I’m Jessica,” she was saying to him, I heard in their minds.
“Bish.”
“That’s unusual, I like it.”
“Thanks. My mother gave it to me.”
She laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. Caleb took my hand and started to tow me away but I stopped him.
“Wait, I want to see if he’s ok.”
“Maggie, would you want him sitting around listening to us?” “No,” I answered truthfully. “But it’s…” I sighed in defeat, “ok, fine. I just feel so bad for him and Jen.”
And as if to prove my point, the second Jen decided to notice Bish, I felt a thorn of unease and disappointment go through me from her mind as we passed her. Caleb stopped in his tracks, feeling it too.
~ Fourteen ~
Just keep going. I can’t listen to this anymore, Caleb muttered.
Yeah, I wonder what Beck and Ralph are...never mind. I guess we won’t visit them either. Well, you wanna dance with me again? I promise not to step on your toes this time.
He pulled me into the circle of his arms and moved me with the music beat and pulse. He spoke to me, reassuring my turmoil.
They’ll be fine. They just need some distance.
Would it be so bad for them to be together? I thought carefully. What if she never imprints?
Maggie, we’ve been over this. The rule has a purpose.
I know it does but what if she doesn’t? Do you really want her to be alone forever? Maria never to have a father?
It doesn’t matter what I want. It’s what’s best and what’s the safest for everyone.
I know it’s risky, but what’s love without risk anyway? Life is about risk. I hate to see two people who are so clearly attracted to each other not be able to have something that could be really good for them. What if you and I had never seen each other again after that first time? Would you have just forgotten about me?
Maggie, I can’t talk about this. It doesn’t make me feel good to think about it. I love my sister and I know you love Bish. I feel it, what they feel, but it’s not worth it to break the rules for it. Where does it stop? Who decides what rules are ok to break and what aren’t? Take Sikes, what he’s doing isn’t right but they’ve become so desperate, they’ll do anything. It probably started with something small but built up to this big thing. Once you open the door, it’s hard to close.
I know, I nodded. You’re right. I just hate it. And it’s easy for us to say for them to follow the rules, we already have each other.
I know.
He sighed and rubbed the end of my curls in between his fingers with a contemplative expression on his face. I felt his guilt, though it wasn’t our fault that we imprinted. He still wished there was something we could do and I was right there with him. His mind also flashed with images of the Watsons. They were trying to sneak into the house, grab me. Marla in the limo, looking all too eager to help but something just didn’t add up. Sikes with his demented mind so focused on aiding his clan and ending ours. Marcus…
I hated to see him upset so I ran my hands up his neck to his hair and massaged and rubbed, trying to take his mind off of everything but me. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against mine. This was exactly what he’d done for me not an hour ago.
Hey, I shook my head ‘no’. Stop, don’t do that.
I need to think. I need to be focused on keeping you safe. To be one step ahead of them at all times. I won’t even let them get close to you and I won’t hesitate the next time I see Marcus.
Just don’t, we’re a team now. You and me, remember? We don’t need to drive ourselves crazy with worry about it all. We’re powerful enough even to make them scared, so don’t worry. We’ll handle anything they throw at us.
I placed my cool hand on his cheek and he sighed. Then nodded and smiled sadly in gratitude and I was happy he was trying at least.
You ready to go home? I asked. We can take Ralph and Beck surfing in the morning and get them out of the house.
You just want to show off your new skills.
Yeah, so.
He laughed and squeezed me to him. His blue eyes latched onto mine, all the lights and noise and bodies fading away around us.
Gah, I’m sorry, I don’t want to bring you down but I can’t help what’s in my head.
Don’t worry about it, nothing’s going to happen to me. I know you. You’ll take care of me. You’re a really good dancer, by the way.
It’s pretty easy with you.
It’s easy with you! You make me look good.
Baby, that is not possible.
I rolled my eyes. Let’s find the gang.
Gang?
Shut up!
He laughed as I poked his stomach.
Alright, gorgeous, let’s go home.
You had me at gorgeous.
He smiled and led me threw the throngs of thrashers with a firm grip on my hand. We found Bish and Jen together at the bar and from across the room they seemed to be arguing. Caleb looked back at me curiously and I opened my mind to focus on them. That’s when I realized what was going on, that they weren’t arguing with each other but someone else. Bish was defending Jen against the guy she’d been talking to at the end of the bar.
It was aggravating trying to pay attention to their voices and their thoughts but as we tried to push our way through to get to them, Caleb encouraged me to try harder.
It seemed that the guy had asked for Jen’s phone number and when she explained she didn’t live here and was just out having fun, he apparently didn’t take the news well. He tried to coax her to go home with him and when she refused he got angry and threw his shot glass. Bish had been watching her on the sly and when he saw the guy, he got up from his seat - mid sentence with the girl he was talking to - and went to stand in front of Jen. She’d been so taken back from his gesture that she was standing behind him, leaning on the column with a hand on her chest and trying to catch her breath. Bish was holding his own to a very drunk guy who was practically in his face, yelling.
Crap.
If he swung, that’d be it and Bish would let him have it. Caleb emerged just in time to catch the guys arm as he made a clumsy try for a swing. He grappled with Caleb but eventually stumbled to defeat on a stool as the bartender threatened to call the cops. I assured him we were leaving and took Jen’s arm as Caleb and Bish looked for Beck and Ralph. We found them near the bathroom and told them it was time to go.As we made it through the door, Jen’s arm linked through mine, Toad winked at me and made some comment about coming back to see him. Caleb turned and gave him a look that suggested otherwise but we kept walking. Once to the cars, Beck asked what was going on and Caleb told them about the little altercation. While he was doing that, Jen turned to Bish who was standing beside me.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “I don’t know what happened. One minute we were telling stupid jokes and then next he was…” She choked up a little and I saw flashes from the little bit she remembered from when she was raped. Just bits and pieces was all she remembered, but it was enough to rile her. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok,” I assured her and gave her a sideways hug, trying to keep the images from reaching Caleb.