It was understandable why Luke was on edge. He was used to things being just the two of us, so he was rattled by the sudden appearance of a sarcastic jerk. And he was probably extra pissed off by the fact that Mom was treating Seth as if he was my new boyfriend, much to my dismay.
But on the other hand, I couldn't understand why Seth was acting so weird. He didn't have any reason to be angry or overprotective. I was almost positive he was just acting like a douche to piss off Luke.
"Where did you say you were from, Seth?" Mom asked. She couldn't stop smiling, which was rare for her nowadays. I wasn't sure if it was because she was genuinely happy that I finally brought home a guy who wasn't Luke or that she was sucked in by those pretty blue eyes and perfect smile.
"Arizona," Seth said, scooping more food onto his plate as he talked. "I miss home, but it's definitely a lot nicer here. The sights are much prettier."
He looked over at me as he said this, and I thought my mom was going to faint from happiness. She was practically swooning at everything Seth said and did. This caused Connor and Luke to roll their eyes simultaneously.
Looking bored and detached as usual, Connor flicked his peas around his plate. Luke saw me frowning at my brother, so he nudged him and tried to strike up a conversation. His attempt wasn't very successful, but I still appreciated it. Luke always seemed to know what I needed, even if I didn't say anything
After dinner, it was like a race between Seth and Luke to see who could clear the table and fill the dishwasher faster. Connor disappeared before I could even talk to him and Mom went to her room to shower.
And then I was stuck with the two head-butting alpha males.
They were like striking opposites, I realized, now that I was seeing them side-by-side. There was Luke, who I've known all my life, with his light hair and more cheeriness in his pinky than the whole pep squad. Then there was dark-haired and derisive Seth, who I barely just met, but has shared with me one of the most terrorizing experiences of my life.
I folded my arms over my chest. "What the hell is wrong with you two?"
Luke smiled at me. "I wasn't aware anything was wrong."
"It must be nice to be so blissfully ignorant."
I sighed. "Seth, was that necess—"
"I'll show you who's blissfully ignorant," Luke said through clenched teeth. He lunged at Seth, and I had to grab Luke's arm in both of mine to hold him in place. It was unusual for him to be this worked up.
Seth was already reaching for his extending baton. Visions of him beating Luke's head in with it flashed in my mind. I gave him a look. Don't even think about it.
He replied with one that said you are absolutely no fun.
"Seth, can we talk tomorrow?" I asked. "Please?"
Luke seemed to calm down as I said that. "I'll wait for you in your room." He disappeared down the hallway only after throwing Seth one last glare.
"Let's go," I said, pointing in the direction of the front door.
"Your friend is just full of pent up frustration, isn't he?" Seth remarked, as I walked him out to his motorcycle.
It was dark out. The night was filled with the sounds of wind rustling through leaves and chirps of crickets in the distance.
"He's not normally like this. You must be really detestable if Luke doesn't like you. He's the most easygoing guy on earth."
"Ouch. Detestable."
"You didn't have to be so mean, you know. He's just worried about me and you kept making fun of him," I said.
Seth snorted. "I wouldn't have acted like that if he wasn't treating me like I shoved you off the side of the Grand Canyon."
"He worries about me."
Seth picked up his helmet. "It could do him some good to worry less. You don't have to give me that look. I'm leaving. I'll get out of here before he gets the chance to run out here and kill me in a fit of jealousy. I'm picking you up for school tomorrow."
"Luke always drives me to school," I responded, waving him off.
"No offense, but I don't think he'll be of much help if those guys show up again. He can play bodyguard at school and at home, but you're my responsibility otherwise." Seth's tone left no room for negotiation. "And I'll be taking you home too. I gave you my word that I'd keep you safe until we figure this out, so you'll have to find a way to escape your tyrannical nanny."
I sighed. "You're doing it again."
"What?" he asked innocently, bringing the helmet down over his head.
"Antagonizing Luke. Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about," I said.
He started up his bike, the engine coming to life with a loud roar. He put a hand up to his ear and said, "Can't hear you." Then he gave me a curt wave and rode off.
After watching his bike disappear around a corner, I made my way back into the house and into my room. Luke was laying on my bed with his hands behind the head.
He sat up when he heard me shut the bedroom door. "Go ahead and say it."
I went and sat down next to him on the bed. I let myself fall backwards onto the covers and stared up at the ceiling. "Say what?"
"That I was a complete jackass earlier," he said, grimacing. "I don't know what came over me."
"I wouldn't say that Seth didn't have it coming, but I was surprised. You're usually Mr. Calm and Collected."
He leaned back and took up the space next to me. "You don't know how scared I was. When you didn't call me back, I came to your house right away, but you weren't here. And Connor said he hadn't heard from you even though you left him a voicemail saying that you were coming straight home after school."
I had completely forgotten. "I'm the worst sister ever. And the worst daughter in the world," I said, matter-of-factly. "I didn't even ask Mom how her job interview was."
"If it helps, it wasn't on her mind either. She was too enthralled with your new boyfriend."
I groaned and covered my face with my hands. "Not you too! Please don't say that. I've heard it way too many times from him today."
"He called himself your boyfriend?"
"No. He kept calling you my boyfriend. It was so annoying."
"Nice to know you're so annoyed at the prospect of having me as a boyfriend," he said, grinning.
"You know that's not what I mean. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked if we were a couple, I could buy a new dad."
He laughed, then turned on his side to face me. "So what did you guys do all day?"
"We went to the mall. We rode around on his motorcycle for a while. It was pretty cool."
Luke frowned slightly. "I really don't like the idea of you on a motorcycle. You're so accident prone."
I grimaced. "About that..."
"What is it?"
"Seth's giving me a ride to school tomorrow," I said casually. I felt apprehensive as I waited for him to respond.
He took in what I said, his expression slowly changing from concern to betrayal. "You didn't tell him that I pick you up every day?"
"I did, but—"
"So why would you even agree to it?"
I racked my brain for something believable to say that wouldn't hurt Luke's feelings. The last thing I needed was for him to think that I was picking Seth over him when he had always put me before anyone else.
"I asked him to give me a ride," I said casually, forcing myself to stay calm so he couldn't see that I was lying. I hated lying to Luke more than I hated lying to my own mother. But then again, I am a teenager.
"You did?" Luke asked, incredulously. "Why?"
My eyes darted around my room, searching for an excuse. Anything. I spotted a picture of my family pushpinned to my bulletin board. Dad's face had been blacked out with a Sharpie.
"Because of my dad."
He stared at me for a couple seconds. Then he said slowly, "I don't see the connection."
Guilt was ripping a hole through my chest. I had never lied to Luke about anything serious, and this felt like the ultimate betrayal. I was exploiting his sympathy for my broken family.
"I feel like I can forget about my dad when I'm with Seth. He is so new to my life and to this town that nothing about him makes me think of my Dad. Everything else feels tainted by him, except Seth." I guess it was partially true. But I didn't mention that the main reason why I didn't think about my Dad when Seth was around was because I'm running for my life most of the time. "It's helping me grieve."
I could tell Luke was mulling it over. He was torn between helping me move on and keeping me off the motorcycle. I wished I could tell him the real reason why I needed to ride with Seth. Finally, he relented. "Is he a safe driver?"
I flashed back to the speeding and all the sharp turns. "Yes," I lied.
"I'm not happy about this."
"I know."
"Can I drive behind you while he takes you to school to make sure you'll be okay?" The crinkle around his eyes assured me that he was joking. And just like that, things were normal again.
"Luke, can you please save the stalkerish-overprotective-father act for when you have your own daughters?"
"If my daughters are half as pretty as Lucy, they're not leaving the house. No smart-mouthing, motorcycling punks are coming near them." He grinned at me. "Do you think our kids should take my last name, or hers?"
I responded by hitting him in the face with a pillow.
---
That night, I dreamed of Seth.
This Seth was so different than the one I met today. Dream Seth was more serious and silent. There was something small and black in his hand, and I didn't even have to see it clearly to know what it was. He was alert as he circled around me, his back straight and his eyes focused on me.
Looking around, I couldn't remember how I got here.
We were in our history classroom, and I was in my pajamas. Blushing, I folded my arms over my chest so that he couldn't see I wasn't wearing a bra. The homework Mr. Grant assigned for the night was still scribbled on the chalkboard. There was only one desk in the entire room, and I was sitting in it.
"What are you?" he asked. His voice was even and distant. He was acting like a stranger, as if we hadn't just spent the whole day together after he saved me.
"What the hell are you talking about? And why are we here? Where are all the other desks?" I asked, looking around. Mr. Grant was going to give us both detention if he caught us. "Did you bring me here?"
"You're not an average human, we know that much," Seth said. "And somehow, I don't think you're a demon. Mara isn't here so no one is going to brashly drive a knife into your heart, but that doesn't mean I'm not just as likely to kill you if you try anything."
"You're acting crazy, Seth. Are you high?"
His eyes burned with frustration as he glared at me. He slammed his hands onto the desk and said through clenched teeth, "You don't honestly think I believe that you don't know what you are?"
I scooted my chair backwards to put more space between us, glaring back at him. "Are you out of your damn mind? I have no idea what you're saying. You're talking nonsense. Killing? Demons? You're insane. I'm getting out of here."
I tried to walk away but he grabbed onto my arm
"Stop, Rory--"
The temperature in the room suddenly dropped. The lights in the classroom flickered a few times before going out completely, engulfing us in darkness.
Seth swore. His hold tightened on my arm. "This isn't you, is it?"
My shivering answered his question. The room was freezing. The little moonlight that had been streaming in through the windows dimmed as the glass panes frosted over from the cold.
"What's going on?" I asked, my voice coming out as a shaky whisper.
Seth pulled me closer to him. "Don't run. Stay close to me. These things are much more dangerous than the men from earlier today."
"What's with the sudden change of heart?" I asked, still annoyed about earlier. "Are you bi-polar or something? One second, you're saving my life, and the next, you're threatening to kill me."
Before he could answer, a blood-curdling wail pierced through the room. I couldn't block out the noise even though I was covering my ears with both hands. I thought my ear drums were going to shatter. It sounded like the cries of a thousand men being killed.
"Make it stop!" I moaned, but my words were wiped out by the screaming.
Seth clutched me tightly against him. He put his lips near my ears and shouted something. I could barely hear him, but it sounded like he was telling me to hold on.
I grabbed onto his coat and shut my eyes, burying my face in his chest.
I thought the lights turned back on because I could feel the warmth and see the increasing brightness from behind my eyelids. I opened my eyes, and my jaw fell.
The lights weren't back on.
It was coming from Seth. His whole body was emitting a golden glow. I was terrified as the glow spread to his arms that were around my shoulders. The light felt warm and surprisingly familiar. Then it felt like we were being sucked into a vacuum or a portal.
I held on more tightly and screamed.
---
The next thing I remembered, I was sitting in bed clutching my bed sheets instead of Seth's coat.
I breathed deeply to calm my racing heart. There were beads of sweat on my forehead. My arms were shaking, but not from the cold. Right before we disappeared from the classroom and I woke up in bed, I saw a shadowy creature lunging from the darkness, coming right for us.
The creature had glowing red eyes and a wispy dark outline. I couldn't know for sure, but I had a feeling that it was what caused the power outage and the temperature drop. It barely reached us by the time we disappeared. It had extended one talon-like hand and tried to grab me, but we were already gone.
I didn't realize how close it had come to hurting me until I looked at the sleeve of my shirt and saw four long, jagged tears.
---
I was grumpy when Seth picked me up for class the next day. Even though I didn't wake up with any new marks on my body, I was plagued with nightmares all night long. The details were fuzzy, but I remembered something about Seth and history class and a monster, which debatably could've been Mr. Grant. There was a bruise forming around my wrist where I was grabbed by the man yesterday, which I easily hid by tugging my sleeves over my hands.
"He certainly is handsome, isn't he?" Mom said. She was standing next to the window, holding a coffee mug in one hand and using her other to separate the blinds so she could peek through.
Seth was sitting on his motorcycle in our driveway and staring off into the distance, his brows furrowed slightly as he squinted against the sun. His helmet was tucked under his arm and he was wearing the same military styled jacket as yesterday.
"I think he's too young for you, Mom."
She ignored me. "I wasn't as popular with boys when I was your age. None of them would give me a fraction of their attention, and here you are, with two adorably handsome men, practically fighting each other to take you to school. You certainly got your good looks from your father."
My heart clenched. "Mom, don't."
It was true though.
Mom was very plain with her frizzy brown hair, dull grey eyes, and round face. Dad, with his perfect teeth and high cheekbones, would attract attention wherever he went. He was the high school prom king and captain of the soccer team. And he aged remarkably well, too. He was still handsome now, even though his hair started greying and his skin wasn't as smooth. He was still boyish and even more distinguished now, people would say.
I used to admire the relationship my parents had. People always said that my father was a smart man who saw my mother for her heart and not her face. What my mother lacked in beauty, she made up for in every other way. She was smart and caring and a wonderful listener. My parents made me truly believe that beauty was only skin deep.
But that belief shattered entirely the day I woke up and found my father's car gone and a note he left saying that he was leaving with his therapist, a beautiful blonde woman who could've passed for my older sister.
"We can't avoid talking about him forever, my dear. And I know you probably think I should hate him, but it's hard to hate the person who gave me the two most wonderful things in my life," she said, touching my cheek gingerly. "Does your friend want to come in for breakfast?"
"You're too great, Mom. I really don't understand how you do it. And don't worry about Seth." I kissed her forehead. "Love you. Have a good first day at work!"
From outside, I could see her shadow lurking from behind the blinds. They rustled slightly and I knew she was still watching as I walked over to Seth.
Seth glanced at me. The sunlight made his skin glow and his eyes shine even brighter. "Could you have possibly taken any longer?"
"You didn't have to wait outside. You could've knocked. My mom would've been thrilled if you came in for some breakfast instead of waiting outside like a creepy stalker," I said.
"Your mother is still watching."
I sighed. "Yeah, I know. Just ignore her."
"I brought you an extra helmet." He lifted up the butt of his motorcycle, revealing a secret compartment with a helmet, some water bottles, and a pair of fingerless gloves inside. Seth reached for the gloves and slipped them on. He flexed his fingers. "That's where they went. You won't believe how long I've been looking for these."
I was still staring at the helmet. "Is it yours?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"It's purple," I said.
"Good to know you're not color blind. Do you want me to test your depth perception as well?" he asked.
"Har har. Why do you have a purple helmet with flower decals on it?
"I'm holding it for my grandma," he said sarcastically. "Why does it matter? Must you chit chat about everything? It's like you never stop talking."
"You better not have killed someone and stolen this," I said, checking the inside for blood.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I know nothing about you, except you get involved with bad people and you're afraid of cops."
"I am not afraid of--"
"And you're so experienced when it comes to fighting and running from kidnappers."
"I saved your life," he reminded me.
I was in the process of putting the helmet on, but I paused at his words. "What did you say?"
"I saved your life?" He raised his eyebrow as he repeated his question. "What?"
I frowned. "I'm not sure, but when you said it, it made me think of something. I think I dreamed about you yesterday. You saved my life."
"That wasn't a dream. I actually saved your life. Two goons in a construction site? Or did you forget already?"
I shook my head vehemently. "That wasn't it. It was something scarier. It was like a monster." Seth stared at me with a mixed expression as he waited for me to elaborate. "Oh nevermind. It was just a nightmare."
"I was in your nightmare?"
I didn't want him to think I had some creepy crush on him. I also didn't want him to think I was crazy, but I could feel my heart rate speed up as I tried to remember my dream. Even though the details were slipping away, I still remember vividly that I had woken in a panicked terror.
"Well, it was mostly because of how scary your face is," I joked. I climbed on behind him.
"Funny." He put on his own helmet and then fired up the motorcycle.
We drove to school in silence. Even though I knew it was just a nightmare, which was probably prompted by the scary events from the previous day, I couldn't help but feel that something was going on that involved Seth and those men. All these weird things that have been happening these last few weeks couldn't all be coincidental.
If only I knew how everything was connected.
--
A/N: Thank you for reading! This chapter is a little longer than usual. I really wanted to give some insight into her parents' relationship. Please rate and comment and I'll be sure to get the next part out soon. I'll try my best to upload 1-2 times a week. Thanks again for reading!!
Dedicated to Cait for the lovely comments and for always voting. <3
xx