Back at Nancy's, we all spread out in the living room as we ate on paper plates, talking. I let Calin explain how the community in Wickenton worked and feigned ignorance as everyone asked about what had happened since I left, claiming that my lost memories skewed my perception of the events. Calin filled them in, and I was surprised at the way he'd perceived how things had occurred, which painted me in a much better light than I deserved.
More than once, Aiden asked if I wanted to stay rather than returning, promising that he could have me emancipated in less time than it took Devland to realize I was gone. I knew he was wrong, considering the fact that Devland probably already knew I left. If not for whatever spell he'd cast but because Aiden had managed to take away his power as the executor of my mother's estate. Each time Aiden offered, I declined without giving a reason why. Sure, I had to help Maible, but I could do that from Calin's or even a hotel room. More than that, which I wasn't ready to admit to the crowd, I had to discover what Devland was up to. Where was the missing boy and what was the room in the cellar used for?
I shared a glance with Calin and smirked, looking back to my empty plate.
At least someone knew what I wouldn't say and understood.
"Well, we're going to go to bed," Aubrey-Lynn said and stood. She went around the room, gathering the disposable dishes. "You guys don't stay up too late, okay? I'm making breakfast in the morning."
Nancy rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mom."
"I am!"
I laughed and Nancy smirked. We both knew that meant Aubrey-Lynn was going to wake up and demand that Aiden prepare food for them. She couldn't boil water without burning the pan.
Aubrey-Lynn passed the dishes to Aiden and stopped by the couch I was sharing with Calin and leaned down to hug me. "Good night, Nora. Remember, Calin has the guest bedroom and you're bunking with Nancy."
My face flamed and I refused to look at Calin. "Mm-hmm."
She laughed as she stood, then followed Aiden out of the room. Silence hung in the air. With no plate, I sat staring at my fingers as I wrung my hands. After a minute, Calin reached out and twined his hand with mine to keep me from fidgeting. Once again, I felt calm.
"Okay then," Nancy said too brightly. "How about we watch a movie?"
"Sure." Julian shrugged, and Calin agreed.
I eyed Nancy. "What kind of movie?"
"Aw, come on, Nora!" she whined. "It wasn't that bad!"
"Whatever." I shook my head and stood, dusting off my pants. "I'm going to the bathroom. Do not let her put on a movie about cheerleaders or dancing or singing or... yeah." I shook my head again and laughed, calling over my shoulder as I left the room, "Just find a Marvel movie or something."
"Nora!" Nancy whined.
"Three against one, Nance!" I yelled back, still laughing.
Feeling better than I had since we'd arrived, I quickly went to the washroom and washed my hands. As I opened the door and stepped out, I jumped in surprise, then laughed as Julian smiled down at me.
"You scared me," I said, clutching my chest. I looked down to the floor and up, dropping my hand. "Everything okay? Oh, don't tell me you guys caved about the movie."
"No, no. Nancy is letting Calin choose a movie."
I raised my eyebrow. "You know he was okay with letting me make him watch Meet Joe Black. That might not be a good solution."
Julian laughed, then he grew serious as he appraised me. "You know, Nora, I had no idea what my mom was doing."
"I know, Julian. I never thought you did."
"I just wanted to make sure. I would never do that to you."
"Trust me, Julian. When I saw your mother there, I never once thought you had anything to do with it," I said. "I think... Your mother may know my father. He was the one who was selling my house, and he isn't a great guy. Obviously."
"Well, I'll keep an eye on her."
"No, you'll go to school."
"On the weekends, Nora."
"Let's just watch the movie. We can figure out the rest another time. I'm sure your mom just got caught up in Devland's plans. Don't worry about it."
"I worry about you."
"I'm good," I said, smiling, and we stopped in the doorway leading back into the living room. My gaze went to Calin and back to Julian. "Hey, how's your friend? Trevor... Jaxon?"
Julian shrugged. "I don't know. After your mom, he stopped by a few times to see how you were doing, but I haven't seen him around for a while. He's been around school, I guess. Why?"
"Oh, just wondering." I started back into the living room, not wanting to tell Julian how I'd thought I'd seen Trevor in Wickenton in his own variation of Julian's Tiberon. Perhaps it had been another of Astrid's attempts to distract me on behalf of Devland. Thanks to the fact that I kept needing a replacement phone, I no longer had his number, or I'd call and ask Trevor myself if he was in Wickenton.
Settling back on the couch beside Calin, I asked, "What movie?"
Calin reached out and pulled me to him. "Thor."
"Hmm." I opened my hands and held them up. "Hey, Nance?"
She laughed and threw me my throw blanket while unfolding her own before settling on the other couch with Julian. Calin laughed, looking between us and shaking his head.
I pulled my feet under me and snuggled in, tucking my head against Calin chest as his arm curled around my waist. "What?" I asked, not looking away from the T.V.
"You guys do this often?" he asked, straightening the blanket so that it covered me.
"Enough." I shrugged. "If not here, then at my house."
"Oh!" Nancy jumped up and ran to turn out the lights, then ran on the tips of her toes back to the couch. "There. Press play."
Calin rubbed circles along my side with his thumb as the movie began, and I felt my eyes start to droop. By the time Thor was hit with the truck and the action truly began, I was asleep, exhausted.
*****
I woke with a jerk just as Thor was receiving his powers back in the movie.
Calin's chest rumbled as he laughed, and I looked up to find that he was watching me, all the while still rubbing circles on my side with his thumb.
"Ugh, why are you watching me?" I whispered.
He shrugged. "I was watching the movie until you twitched and woke yourself up."
"Whatever." I sat up, moving the blanket off me. "Can we go to bed?"
"Yeah." Calin nodded and stood, grabbing my hand to help me up.
"I'll wake Nance when the movie is over," Julian offered from the other couch as we started out of the room.
"Thanks," I muttered.
We went up the stairs and into the guest room, and I paused, looking around at the familiar surroundings. The white furnishings still held a spa-like feeling, which was soothing. I walked into the center of the room and gestured around.
"This is where you'll be sleeping. I'll be in Nancy's room."
"Why don't you sit and chat, Nora? Julian will wake Nancy up, remember?"
"Right." I nodded and sat on the edge of the bed as Calin came to settle beside me.
"So, you didn't last long." Calin laughed.
"I'm still tired," I said, drawing in a deep breath. "It's been a long day, you know. I can't believe we had school this morning. It seems like weeks since then."
"I know."
"You know, this is where I was when my mother died," I said, looking around the room. "I was in this room when my binds were torn away. It was... painful."
"I can't even imagine, Nora. I'm sorry."
I shrugged. "It was better here than alone, I guess. Nancy and Aubrey-Lynn and Aiden... They were there for me, and Devland took that away." I looked at Calin. "You said that I'm different with them than I am around everyone in Wickenton, and you're right. But it's like that with family, isn't it?"
Calin nodded.
"I guess, in Wickenton, I finally accepted my abilities because that made sure everyone left me alone. Here... I don't want to set myself apart. I don't want to be different, Calin, and I know I am because my mom told me never to show anyone what I can really do."
Calin put his arm around my shoulder but didn't say a word. It was as easy as it was confusing, although I had probably said too much. By telling Calin what my mother told me not to do, I had basically informed him of what I could. He didn't seem surprised but accepting. I guessed, after all that we'd been through in Wickenton, it shouldn't come as a shock that I was different by the standards in both Briarville and Wickenton.
"Hey, Nora," Nancy called from the bedroom door. "You're bunking with me, not your friend."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Where's Julian?"
"I woke up as you guys left the room, so we stopped the movie. He went home but will be back for breakfast," she said. "You coming?"
I nodded. "In a minute."
"Good. Cause I want to gossip." Nancy wiggled her eyebrows at Calin and then twirled away, and I laughed as I heard the bathroom door close down the hallway.
"Well, I guess that's my exit line," I said and stood up.
Calin stood beside me and I tilted my head to meet his gaze. "You want me to tuck you in?"
"Maybe."
He leaned down and kissed my cheek, exhaling softly so that his breath whispered against my ear, sending tiny shocks of awareness down to my toes. I sucked in a breath and held, waiting for him to say something. Or do something—anything—to follow up.
"I'll see you in the morning, Nora," Calin said and stepped around me to open the bag at the foot of the bed.
I stared at the wall and counted to ten, then exhaled.
"Good night, Calin," I said and walked past, shutting the door as I left, and I swear I heard him chuckle behind me.
"There is no way that you guys are just friends," Nancy said from outside of the bathroom door, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "Have you kissed yet?"
My face flamed.
"Oh, my God!" She squealed, jumping in place, and I held my finger to my lips as I darted my eyes to the guest room door.
"Shh, Nancy," I said quickly in a low voice, placing my hands on her shoulders to spin her and push her towards her bedroom. "I'll tell you all about it, okay? Just... not where Calin can overhear you. Jeez."
"Do you like him?"
"Seriously?"
"Oh, this is going to be good! Do you want some popcorn? I think we have gummy worms in the pantry that mom doesn't know I know about. Ooh! How about some hot chocolate?"
"Nancy, this isn't like going to the movies," I said and pushed her the last few feet into her room, closing the door behind us. "Yes, we've kissed, but it was spur of the moment kind of stuff. It hasn't happened again, and I am so confused."
"Okay." She nodded and jumped onto her bed, balancing on her knees with her hands pressed against the mattress at her sides. "This isn't a movie, or we'd be giving you a makeover, so you tell me what's going on. Then I'll fix it."
"You don't fix people, Nance." I rolled my eyes.
"You know what I mean! Tell me what the problem is—as in what the hell is holding you back—and I'll tell you how to go about fixing it."
"Why do you think it's me—"
Nancy raised an eyebrow at me. "Seriously, Nora? I've met you. Of course, I know you're what's holding back the relationship you could be having with Calin. He clearly adores you."
"Maybe that's not enough." I shrugged and quickly began dressing in my pajamas. As soon as I was, I climbed into bed beside Nancy, and she laid down, turning onto her side so that she could still face me. "You know, since I moved away, I've accumulated a lot of baggage. He would have to be crazy to want to be involved with me as more than a friend. Even that's dicey."
"Says you," she said.
"What do you mean?"
"You've always had a knack for finding the worst-case scenario and applying it to what's happening around you, Nora. Not that that's a bad thing—it can be good sometimes, I suppose, since you've obviously had to protect yourself. This isn't one of them."
"So, what? Do you want me to go back to his room and demand he tell me what he wants for us? Kiss him? What?"
"No, are you crazy?" She laughed. "My parents would kill us if I allowed you to stay in his room."
"Why don't we save this conversation for after I tell you everything?"
"But you told us downstairs."
"No." I shook my head. "Calin told you, and he doesn't know everything. Would you like me to tell you or are you going to continue to bug me about Calin?"
"I want you to tell me," Nancy said and crawled under the blankets.
"Okay, so there's this girl, Duvessa, who was actually dating Calin when I first arrived at Grimas High School." I laughed. "I had no clue that Calin broke up with her, but he did, and she started to pull pranks to frame me because of that and... Well, my mom did something to limit her family's magic before she left Devland. Anyway..."
I continued the play-by-play, explaining to Nancy everything that had happened since I'd left Briarville up until my return, excluding details about the accident because I still couldn't recall what had happened. For once, she didn't interrupt me, which was a relief considering it was the first time I'd relayed everything all at one time. By the time I was finished, I could tell that Nancy had been left speechless as I waited for her to respond.
"So, does this mean you do like Calin?" she finally asked, and I laughed, rolling onto my side so that my back was facing her.
"Good night, Nancy," I said and smiled, closing my eyes. "And thanks for listening."