Accordance (16 page)

I didn’t know what to say to that, it was still scary to think about being married and having my own house. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be with him. I wasn’t doubtful of our always being together. It wasn’t just the being young thing and people thinking I was hillbilly either, even though that was front and center. The label of marriage just brought something different to the table. I wasn’t sure what. But my mom didn’t honor the vow. She just left. Why couldn’t we just be together and not worry about that right now? No, Dad would freak about my living with a guy and that’s not what I wanted nor believed in either.

Caleb had a point about living with him, also. It would be impossible for him to reach me with conflicting class schedules while living in the dorm.

Wow, I was being so stupid. The answer was right there in front of me. Marry the man. Live with him and be happy and prosper.

Why was I being such a silly idiot about it all?

I looked up at Caleb from under my lashes to see him watching me work it all out. His face was anxious and hopeful. When I stayed silent and continued to stare into his ocean of blue eyes he sighed and framed my face with his big warm loving hands.

“Maggie, marry-”

A deep sharp bark interrupted as Bella jumped and bounded up the beach. We looked behind us to see Kyle and Amber coming our way. I looked back to Caleb knowing full well what he was going to ask me. He looked back at me, smiling sadly and we waited for the annoying giggling to reach us, only then did we look away.

“Hey, guys. Wow, did you sleep out here?” Amber asked with a high voice and I glared incredulously at her thoughts.

Mmmm. The beach...maybe tomorrow night Kyle and I should change venues.

Kyle gave me a look for my glare and I rolled my eyes looking away.

Those two are seriously trying to show me up.

“So romantic,” she crooned.

“Yes. It is,” I said looking at Caleb, offering a little smile and then leaned my head back on Caleb chest and shut everyone out.

With his arms wrapped around me I could feel the rumbling deep in his chest as he and Kyle conversed, but I didn’t hear the words. I was in a mental state of shock, awe, happiness, fright and most importantly, unbelief. This just couldn’t be my life. Sleeping on the beach with warm loving arms around me, being almost proposed to as we snuggled in the sand, blocking out annoying chatter from my mind with just a thought. I was so very lucky and so very scared. I’d always wanted to be special and important and now that I was, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

I was the Visionary. It was time I accepted that and learn exactly what that meant. Then it hit me, we had to call the Reunification meeting early. There was no other way around it. I had to meet these people and understand exactly what it was that everyone was doing in the present day that was wrong when they were powerless and without abilities. It was strange to me that the ones who had already ascended got to keep their abilities. It was only the ones who hadn’t ascended who were affected. That had to mean something.

I glanced up to see Amber fluttering her hands as Bella tried to lick her hand.

“Ooh, ooh, get it away!”

“Come here, girl,” Caleb ordered softly and she dropped her head on my leg as she lay down beside us. He rubbed her ears. “She just wants some loving.”

“Well, she’s way too big and slobbery.” She wiped her hands on Kyle’s shirt. “My Pomeranian is way cuter and not so disgusting.”

Caleb cocked a brow at her and then Kyle, who just looked at the sky and shook his head. He had nothing to say to that.

“She’s not disgusting,” I sang to Bella. “You’re a sweet big girl.” I looked up at Amber. “She’s really sweet and soft and lovey. She can’t help it she’s so fluffy.”

She looked at me, almost like she was sorry for something, but her mind just flitted right on to the dogs again before I could grasp anything. She seemed like she was trying to not think about something awfully hard, like it hurt her to.

“Well...whatever, I just don’t like big dogs. Kyle, you ready to walk me home?”

“You live like three streets over,” he said and looked back at the house. “Can’t you just scurry home real quick like and I’ll see you later?”

“You’re not going to walk me home?” she asked and put her tan hands on her hips.

I was thinking the same thing actually. What kind of jerk wouldn’t walk the girl home after he spent all night with her in the pool regardless of what they did?

“Yeah, Kyle,” Caleb smirked and nodded his head at her. “Walk her home.”

“Everyone will be up soon,” Kyle said and glanced back to the house again.

“Maybe you should take responsibility for the things you choose to do,” Caleb said, not unkindly, just matter-of-factly. “If you’re ready to hang out all night and rebel, then you’re ready to walk the girl home and make sure she gets there safely.”

“Ahh,” Amber said and looked at Caleb with new eyes. “That’s so sweet.”

“Eat me,” Kyle said to Caleb, glanced at me, almost shamefully. “Fine, let’s go.”

“Ok, bye,” she said and let him drag her up the beach by her arm.

“Jerk. His daddy didn’t raise him to act that way,” Caleb muttered sarcastically.

“He just doesn’t understand. He doesn’t feel anything for her. That’s why he doesn’t care.”

“I know, and that’s the problem. How could he be like that to her and not feel like a jerk?”

“He’s just a normal human teenage boy. That’s how they act.”

“I never did,” he countered.

“Yes,” I put my arms around his neck, “but you were waiting for me. Remember?” I said sweetly, smiling brightly and playfully.

“Mmhmm.” He pressed his lips to mine, sucking on the top then bottom before taking them completely. “And now I’ve got you,” he whispered against my mouth and then deepened our kiss.

I felt myself being pulled to his mind, my body wanting to take over and feel everything in him. It felt like so long since I’d been in his mind, when it had been only a few days. I felt his protective barrier, burning even brighter. It almost hurt to feel the flame of it. He was almost angry it seemed regarding something he was worried about protecting me from; I wondered about it. His need to protect had doubled and it was a full force wild fire now. Something had happened.

But before I could dwell on that, I felt myself slip in further and saw a new loop of memories. Him watching me at his band practice, my face filled with awe and love and longing. I was shocked by it. It was all over me how much I loved Caleb and he absolutely loved that look on me. Then another one came of us surfing, me taking a glide and then fast forwarded to the pavilion. Me pressed against the wall. I blushed at the scene in which I was utterly enraptured in him and he was eating it up, loving it.

Then I was jerked away, seeing the energy ribbons I had completely forgotten about fizzle away in the air. Caleb put his forehead to mine breathing raggedly.

“You can dig in my mind anytime you want, babe, but not like this,” he said sternly but chuckled. “I want to, you know I do, especially since we were so close last time and were interrupted. I don’t think I could stand to start and not...finish again, ok? Let’s just wait until we know we won’t have any distractions.”

“Ok,” I sighed and took a deep breath to calm myself.

I wondered what he meant by ‘finish’. I wondered what happened at the end of the Mutuality. If it was that amazing during the act, I wondered what in the world could happen to top it off. My skin was hot and flushed from being so consumed by him and seeing the things I’d seen in his mind. He smirked at me and helped me up, standing himself.

“I better get you inside,” he said into my ear, his breath in my hair, “before you convince me that the public beach is an appropriate place for such a thing.” He nipped my earlobe.

“Caleb,” I breathed, “that’s not helping.”

“I know,” he snickered and dodged my swat. “Come on, gorgeous. I’m hungry, for food,” he said and gave me a sidelong grin, taking my hand.

I just shook my head and tried to walk straight. Bella trailed us and as we made our way inside she bolted to her bowl and scarfed the contents.

“There you are,” Rachel said and put a hand on her hip, spatula in hand. “I was beginning to wonder. You know it’s almost ten o’clock in the morning? Wasting perfectly good daylight,” she said and smirked.

Everyone was piled in the kitchen around the table or at the bar with plates high of pancakes.

“We were...practicing on the beach last night,” Caleb explained and smiled at me.

“Practicing what?” Bish muttered darkly.

I’m sure I don’t want to know.

“Um...” Caleb hadn’t thought about Bish being in there,
“surfing.”

“You’re not wet,” Bish observed and glared at me over the rim of his coffee cup.

“We changed our minds, it was cold,” I lied and went to grab a plate from Rachel.

She gave me a small knowing smile and then made a plate for Caleb.

“It looks pretty warm out to me.”

“So, I was thinking,” Dad interjected and glanced at me. I gave him a grateful smile, knowing he was changing the subject for us. “We’re in California and I’ve never been here. How about we head out and do some sightseeing today?”

“Yes!” Rachel said excitedly and took off her apron. “We can show you all the- oh wait, you meant you, Maggie and Bish, of course.”

“No, I meant all of us unless you’d be bored. I’m sure you’ve seen it all.”

“Not at all. We’re usually just content to lounge around and be lazy and…relax,” Peter chimed. He glanced at Rachel with a smile that made me hide a blush under my hand. I heard Caleb groan in my mind. “We’d love to come if you wouldn’t feel imposed on.”

“No, of course not,” he said.

“I better go get all dolled up then,” Bish said and thanked Rachel for breakfast before heading out.

“Peter,” I said softly and he glanced at me, “I need you to do something for me.”

“You want me to call the Reunification meeting early? Done.” He glanced at Rachel, “Can you hand me a knife, honey?”

“Sure,” she said and opened the drawer. A butter knife floated out and went through the air, straight to his hand.

“Thanks,” he said as he dug in, my father gawking openly.

“You already called it?” I asked, “How did you...”

He smiled and winked at me as he took a big bite of pancakes.

“These are divine, Ray,” he said to Rachel.

“Thanks, honey,” she replied.

“I’m not even gonna ask what a reuni… reunited…whatever meeting is,” Dad questioned, “I’m sure it’s something with a lengthy explanation and I’m ready to sight see. I’ll go get ready too.” Then he looked at me. “What
were
you two doing on the beach?”

“Practicing,” Caleb repeated. “We...discovered something about Maggie last night, something new.”

“What...like a new ability?” Peter asked excitedly and leaned forward on the table towards us.

I nodded and Dad went off...mentally.

Great, j
uuuust great, more reasons to keep her away from me. More reasons to upset Bish, to lie and more reasons for her to be even more of a freak.

I gasped and felt Caleb wrap his fingers around mine to calm me, but I felt the shock pouring off him too.

“Dad,” I breathed in disappointment.

He looked up and his face blanched white that matched the china plate his breakfast was on.

Crap, I forgot.

“Baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” He looked between Caleb and me and then over at Peter and Rachel, who had no idea what he’d said, and Jen, who’d been surprisingly silent. I felt my lip tremble and Caleb pulled me to him closer, a hand rubbing small comforting circles on my back. “Maggie. I completely forgot about your ability. That’s not an excuse but...I’m sorry. This all takes some getting used to.” He leaned his elbows on the table towards me. “I’m sorry, really, that wasn’t only an insult to you but everyone else in this room and I apologize.”

I nodded but didn’t feel much better.

“Dad, I know this is hard. Especially being on the outside of it and just looking in all the time. I’m sorry...I mean, I’m not sorry this happened, I’m just sorry that you had to get all wrapped up in it.”

He gave me a surprised look.

“You’re not sorry this happened? How can you even say that? They hurt you, those men who took you. You’ve had quite a few close calls. You’re saying if you could go back, you wouldn’t change anything?”

He did not understand at all. Not like I thought he did. He still saw this as something I was being forced to endure and just making the best of it.

“Dad, you’re so clueless. I’m not being disrespectful.” I held up my hands. “You have no idea, for some reason I thought you understood. I’m not being forced, Dad. I’m not unhappy. I’m not just enduring Caleb. I’m not just accepting my fate and going with the flow. I
like
my abilities...most of the time.” I shook my head side to side in debate. “I like being a part of Caleb’s family, I love Caleb. If I could go back and change the day I met him, I wouldn’t.”