When Lightning Strikes [COMPLETED]

Practice Makes Perfect (Part 9):

Julie could sort of make him out through the blanket. Did she trust him this much? Was she losing her mind over him?

She sighed. Her mind was already lost. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. But it's off the island, so I don't want anyone to see you going with me. There's nowhere here we can be that someone else doesn't already know about."

That sounds ominous. Her stomach clenched.

"Um, are you kidnapping me or something?"

"Yes." He laughed. "But, I'll get you back here before evening. It's somewhere we can go and not worry about anyone."

Julie relaxed. This was a date. He wasn't hauling her off somewhere forever. She was fairly sure, anyway.

"Why is that a problem?"

"Hush. You already know our families don't get along, but there's more. I can't explain all of it. We're getting to the bridge."

Julie felt a bump as the road connected with the bridge. She held her breath, waiting for something to happen. Another bump went by as one slab of concrete connected with another, then another, and another. She felt the bridge rise and fall and started to get up.

"Don't. Get down." He hissed. He sounded scared.

There were guards on the other side too.

She fell back, but she kept the blanket off her face so she could watch him drive. He smiled slightly as he met her eyes in the rear view mirror. She was suddenly glad she didn't drive over the bridge that one morning. Something was waiting on the other side.

"You know this is really weird, Rory. I know you can't tell me anything, but how stupid would I have to be to not know that there is something weird? I mean, seriously."

"I know, but you didn't grown up here. It's different for you. It's easier to miss the weirdness when it's normal, when it's the only thing you know. Atlanta sounds weird to me. Wonderful, but weird."

Kara. The others. Was that why they didn't question things? All this was normal for them.

"Why don't you want anyone to know about us?"

He looked away, focusing on the road. His eyes were shadowed from her.

"It may cause problems. Our families have a past."

"You mean your mom and my dad?"

Rory looked back at her in the mirror, eyes wide.

"She told you?"

"Yeah, your mom was supposed to marry my dad until she got in the middle."

His posture relaxed. "Yeah. This is awkward enough without all that mixed in."

That was the understatement of the century.

He looked her in the eye. "There's more. I want to tell you everything, but I can't."

Julie stayed silent, watching him in the mirror. He had a square jaw, and she was starting to love to poke at him whenever it set at a stubborn angle. He drove for a few miles beyond the bridge before letting her sit up. He didn't pull over, though, to let her could sit in the front with him.

"Where are we anyway? What state?"

"You don't know?"

"No. I was afraid to ask. I'm not sure who I can trust. I thought it might give something away that the memory thing isn't working on me."

His eyes met hers for a few seconds. They were wide and unreadable.

She shouldn't have let all of that slip.

"You figured that out on your own? You are controlling it?"

"Yeah. Don't tell anyone though, please. I don't want someone to try something else if they suspect I know something is up."

"But, Julie, it might mean...it might change things." He started his face glowing with...hope?

"No!" She held up a hand. "I'm trusting you, Rory. Please don't tell anyone. Please don't give me away."

He stared into her eyes. "Fine. I won't say anything since you don't want me to. But I think you should tell your parents."

"I'll think about it. I want my parents to tell me. I know that sounds stupid. But this whole time they've been lying to me about something. I don't know what exactly, but something. They may have been lying to me my whole life, but I need them to admit it." Her voice broke, and she wiped away angry tears.

"Jules—"

"Honestly, I want to escape with you today and not think about any of it. It was close to driving me nuts for a while there. Can we have fun today and forget about the island?"

Rory stared at her, and his frown turned to a grin. "I can agree to that."

This was one of the main reasons she didn't confront them. They had broken her trust. She needed them to make the first move so she could trust them again.

"So where are we anyway?"

"South Carolina. We live on a large island off the coast in South Carolina."

"I didn't think there were that many islands this big here. What's it called? Maybe I know it."

"No, it isn't on maps."

She snorted. "Um, how can it not be on maps?"

"I can't tell you."

Julie waved her hand in the air. Yada yada yada. "So what is it called?"

"Seelie Isle."

"What does that mean?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her in the rearview mirror.

"Right, you can't tell me. Will there ever be a time you can?"

"Yup. Just not now."

Rory smirked as she let out a groan of frustration.

"All right, here we are."

She looked around. There were boats lined up along several wooden docks. "This is a marina."

"Good, you could figure that one out."

Julie punched him lightly on the arm. She liked him like this. He seemed freer or something. Being on the island made him more tense too.

***

Hope you enjoyed!