“Hey,” Bish said quietly and smiled. “It’s ok. It’s good for the heart to get pumping a little bit. I haven’t been in a fight in a long time.”
She laughed a little and sniffled.
“Well, I’m glad I could help. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
And then, feeling soft towards her, he moved in to give her a sideways friendly hug. Something took over me. I just knew I couldn’t let them touch. Something would happen- bad or good, I didn’t know which. I didn’t understand it but I went with my gut, not like I could stop it, when my hand shot out and the words ‘No, don’t,’ shot out of my mouth. I clamped down on Jen’s arm, pushing her behind me. Bish looked confused and his eyes traveled back and forth between mine and Jen’s. Jen was, unfortunately, more perceptive.
Maggie? What? What did you see?
I turned to look at her sadly, having no answer, but knowing exactly where she was going with it. She thought I saw her imprint with Bish.
“I’m sorry, I’m just really ready to go. I’ll drive.”
She looked unconvinced as she handed the keys over.
“What is it?” she asked in a whisper. “Please tell me.”
“It’s nothing. It’s not what you think.”
She looked at Bish with the saddest expression, longing and want etched on her face as she closed her eyes and tried to hold her tears back. She thought I was lying but couldn’t bring herself to touch him, to find out for herself. She was just lonely.
Caleb came up beside me and asked the silent question as well. What did I see?
Nothing, I just had a feeling. I…I just couldn’t let them touch each other. I don’t know why. Something…something happened.
Caleb’s eyes roamed the parking lot, as if it contained the answers and then back to me.
Let’s get out of here and go home. I nodded. Be careful. Follow me.
In the car as I drive, I tried to focus on Caleb and not listen to Jen’s inner monologue of self pity, but Caleb was just as bad. His eyes shifted and he looked in the mirror for me every five seconds. He was thinking about his dad hiring someone to watch the house at night and installing a newer security system. He regretted bringing Beck and Ralph here because they’d just cause more distractions and make them and us vulnerable.
Beck was anxious for the rest of our trip and mad because I hadn’t told her I’d cut my hair as she glanced at me from the passenger seat. Mad that I didn’t ask permission, like it was girl-code or something.
When we pulled into the huge houses driveway, we got out and by the time I reached the porch, after listening to all their ranting, I was pretty upset by it all. Feeling and hearing someone else’s thoughts was exhausting and it messed with me, made it hard to tamp down on my own feelings. I felt close to losing control like before and I saw a few energy ribbons bounce in my sideways glance.
“Lightning bugs,” Ralph muttered and kept walking, not realizing that I had frozen in fear at the fact that he had seen them.
Caleb took my trembling hand as everyone else went inside.
“There’s something we need to do first,” he said and I knew he’d seen what just happened.
“What?”
“We need to practice.”
“Practice? Practice what?” I asked puzzled as he towed me to the garage.
“That Marla is pretty, right?”
“What?” I asked and heard my voice take a harder note. Why the heck would he say that? “What are you talking about?”
He shrugged, rolling his shoulder and sticking his hands in his pockets.
“I was just saying that she was pretty. I haven’t seen her in a while and she’s sure got a lot hotter since I last saw her. And there’s gonna be tons of girls at the reunification I haven’t seen in a year. I wonder if everyone is gonna be able to make it, hope so.”
“Ok. That’s nice,” I said still confused but feeling a ping of unease as to why he was bringing this up.
“You know you were right. They are a lot of girls who are gonna be upset to see you with me. Last year was the worst,” he groaned like I should feel sorry for him and leaned against the big chest freezer behind him. “I spent the whole time fending off phone numbers and offers to visit other clans.” He clucked his tongue. “I guess this year will be different, huh? Oh well. I’m sure we’ll still have fun, even without all that female persuasion.”
I looked at him closely. His mind was closed, cut off from me so I couldn’t see anything but I sensed something. Why was he bringing this girl stuff up? It seemed there was a point somewhere but as my skin began to tingle with annoyance and energy, I had a feeling I was missing it.
“I’m sure we have bigger things to talk about.”
He quirked a brow and seemed to be a little annoyed.
“I bet Ashley would love something like that.”
I froze and stared at him. Really? Did he just say that?
“What are you doing?” I asked in accusation.
“What? I’m just thinking. Ashley would fit right in with the rest of the clans. She’s just like them in some ways and they’d probably really like her.”
I balked and glared at him.
“Ok,” I bit out, feeling my breaths begin to shallow.
“I can’t wait to take you to London. Show you off to all those significant-less jerks.” He walked slowly to me and put his hands on my hips suggestively. “My girl. My hot, sexy girl that only I can have. They’ll be so jealous,” he crooned.“Caleb, that’s terrible. Why are you saying that?”
“And Bish and Jen. Wa, wa, wa,” he said, making horrible baby noises. “Get a life already! I’m so sick of hearing them complain.”
I pushed away from him and looked at him incredulously. I felt and saw a few ribbons of energy dance in the background. My fingers started to shake.
“Caleb, what are you doing?”
“Nothing. Just saying out loud what we usually don’t. Like the fact that your brother hates me. The fact that Kyle’s in love with you,” he growled.
“Caleb, stop,” I breathed and felt the air shaking around me, too warm and too blue to be normal.
“The fact that you feel sorry for him, the fact that every man I pass looks at you like they have the right to. Like you would enjoy them looking at you.”
“Caleb-“
“The fact that if you’d never met me, you’d probably be dating that tool Chad, again.”
“Enough!” I said loudly and the light bulb above the counter burst, then another above the trash as the air around me turned scalding.
“Finally, took you long enough,” he groaned in relief and came forward.
He wrapped his arms around my back, pressing me to him, and kissed me fiercely as he gathered me up into his arms and lifted me, setting me atop the freezer. He stood between my knees and they clamped onto his sides automatically as I saw the blue energy ribbons writhe and dance in a haze, me letting my focus shift. But I was mad…right? Confused was what I was. I pushed him back a little.
“What are you doing?” I said through puffs of breath. “Why did you say those things?”
“I needed to get you riled up,” he explained and let his palm drift down my neck to my chest. “We need to practice your taming the emotion, when you get overwhelmed like you did in the alley.”
“You said all that just to get me riled?”
“Yeah, you didn’t think I’d ever say those things for real did you?”
“No,” I admitted. “But you’re a good enough actor,” I answered wryly.
“I’m sorry,” he said and nuzzled his way into my neck, kissing my throat and pulling me closer. “But we have to do things we don’t want to sometimes, for research purposes.”
“Research,” I repeated breathlessly and anticipated his next move. Then he pulled away and crossed his arms, out of reach, leaving me cold and strange feeling sitting there. “What?”
“So, what are we gonna do about Bish and Jen? He’s really suspicious.”
“Now you’re talking about Bish? Caleb…you’re driving me crazy.”
“I know,” he said poignantly. “Feel it. We need you to feel it and let it take you over, then we’ll reign you back in. Practice. We can’t have you breaking light bulbs and making energy strings out of thin air every time you get upset.”
Ohhhh… I got it. He was purposely trying to piss me off, to help train me to control it. And boy was it working. I focused on what he said, Bish and Jen. That whole situation was aggravating and sad. I thought about it, how I’d feel if it was me, if I were Jen and had to watch her little brother imprint instead of me. After everything that happened to her, she deserved to be happy. And Bish’s story was even worse…I saw the ribbons start to appear, Caleb noticing them too. Bish had a life no one should have to endure…the glass on the car window started to rattle and Caleb quickly stepped forward to capture my lips with his, rubbing his hands down my arms.
His touch soothed away the anxiety quickly. I pushed him back a little.
“Ok, let’s go again.”
“Good. This time try to pull yourself back to normal.”
“Ok,” I agreed as he moved to stand just out of reach of touching.
“Think about something you don’t want to,” he said, the protectiveness in his voice spiking at the idea.