For the Love of Lacey

Turner Returns

I laugh nervously, "Nothing. Everything's cool. Why?"

"You're just not acting like your normal self. I'm starting to worry. Especially since Lathe doesn't seem too disturbed by how you're acting, but he's still trying to keep you close."

"There was a small incident the other night when I was on my way home from doing something for my mom." I go on to tell him the whole flat tire, getting choked thing. I gloss over the kissing in the moonlight thing, hoping the guilt isn't evident in my voice. "That may be why we seem a little weird. It's really no big deal. I'm fine, but still a little leery of going out too much. Especially with all the animals gone missing and the hikers that disappeared still haven't been located."

He turns white and sits there staring at me. He seems to pull himself out of his daze and pulls me to him, holding me tightly, "God, Lacey! Why didn't you tell me!! I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"What would you have done? You would have wanted to rush home for something that had already happened, and your family needed you. I have family here to take care of me."

He lets me go and a hurt expression flashes across his face.

"Turner," I place my hand on his arm to keep him from moving away from me, "It's not that I don't need you, I do, it's that your family needed you, too and you were already there. Please don't look like that."

He looks at the floor, "Look like what?"

"Like that, like I've just licked all the stripes off your candy cane."

He snorts at that and looks at me, "I just want to be the one to protect you, Lace. You mean a lot to me."

"I know I do, but I'm okay. Really!"

"Let's go meet your brother." He grabs my hand and leads me to the door. I grab my coat and we take off. The conversation on the way to the alley is kept light and inconsequential. I try to stay focused on what he's saying, but my mind keeps screaming at me, 'Jerk! Cheating, lying, Jerk!!'

By the time Turner drops me off at home I'm exhausted and confident that I'm going to sleep without dreams tonight. I give him a quick goodnight kiss on the cheek and run inside. I see my cell on the kitchen counter where I must've left it and notice 4 missed calls from Xavier, and there are 8 texts from him.

I scroll through the texts, HEY, WHERE R U?, I WANNA C U 2NITE, CALL ME....PLEASE! I listen to my voice mail, and it's pretty much the same thing, Call him, he wants to see me, where am I, why aren't I answering my phone. I delete everything and go to bed.

My phone rings waking me up and I answer it automatically, without thinking or checking the caller ID. "Lacey, are you alright?" I hear Xavier ask.

"Xavier, what time is it?" I yawn into the phone as I sit up and look at the clock. 3AM.

"I've been worried, and you've been avoiding me. Are you okay!?" He asks a little more forcefully.

"Yes! Yes, I'm okay." I reply, matching his fervor. "Why? What's up?"

"I was just worried that Dante had hurt you. He doesn't always know his own strength."

"No, I'm alright, I've just been busy. Turner is back and I went out with him tonight."

"Turner's back? Good. Did you talk to him?"

"Umm, noooo, I haven't decided if I want to see you. I like Turner, and he and I have a good time together."

He sighs heavily into the phone, "Lacey, please don't cut me out. Talk to me. Let me convince you of how much I want to get to know you. I believe we could be good together. I really like you and I believe you like me too, or you could if you'd let yourself. I think you just feel guilty about kissing me while Turner was away and you're letting that cloud your feelings. Please, I'm begging you, just talk to me!"

He starts to sound a little desperate, and I wonder if I should worry. I decide a straight forward approach is the best, "Xavier, you're starting to scare me. Can't you just leave me alone and let it all rest? I tell you I'm happy in my relationship and you keep pushing me; that isn't winning your case for you. Please, just leave me alone....I'm begging you, now."

"Fine. I'll leave you alone...for now. I'm reserving the right to convince you of the sincerity of my feelings at a later date."

"Okay, whatever, just...goodnight." I hang up and try to get back to sleep.

I toss and turn, trying to get comfortable, and I hear a noise in the hall. I sit up in my bed and listen as closely as I can to see if I can hear it again. All I hear is the silence, so I finally call out, "Latham?" still silence, "Mom? Dad?", but still nothing. I must have imagined it. I lay back down and finally drift off to la-la land.

When I get up in the morning I start to step on a book and almost trip trying to avoid it. I reach down and pick it up, Island of Lost Dreams. How did this get on my floor? I haven't touched it in ages, and I know it was on my bookshelf.

I look closely at my bookshelf and see that the book isn't the only thing that's been moved. A few of my things are on different shelves, or just placed differently than I usually keep them. Not that I have any special way of keeping my stuff, but I know these things weren't like they are now. I start rearranging things and there, behind a statue of a teddy bear, is my blue topaz necklace that I've been looking for.

I know I checked here when I first looked for it and it wasn't here. I had taken everything off the shelves and dusted and straightened everything, and I KNOW it wasn't here! What in hell is going on!!?

I put the necklace on my dresser and go look for Latham. I'm downstairs before I realize that he's in school right now, so I run back up to my room and text him.

SOMETHING'S UP! FOUND MY LOST NECKLACE WHERE IT COULDN'T BE. I'M KINDA SCARED

I start to pace around my room, biting at my fingernail in a long lost nervous habit, and wait for him to text me back.

My phone rings and I check caller ID. It's Latham, so I answer quickly, "Lathe, have you been moving things in my room?" I ask desperately.

"What's going on, what are you talking about? No, I haven't been moving things in your room."

I explain about the necklace, the book and the stuff on my shelves.

"Lacey, just stay in the house. I'll be home after class."

"All right." I take a deep breath, "Thanks, Lathe."

I decide to shower and dress while I wait. I debate whether to go to school today, or not.

Latham comes to my room as soon as he gets home. I go through the whole thing again as he sits on my bed with a worried expression on his face.

"Is anything else missing?" He asks.

"Not that I've noticed."

"Maybe the doors have been left unlocked and someone's been in going through your stuff."

A violated feeling descends over me and I rub both my arms," That's just too creepy!"

"Yeah, I'll talk to mom and dad about making sure the doors are locked, but I don't want to worry them too much, so I don't think we should discuss the whole necklace, stuff being moved thing. What do you think?"

"Yeah, okay, if you think that's best." I take the keys from him and decide to head to school. I feel a little better after talking to Latham and I'm going to put it out of my head for now.