Broken Road (14 page)

Tim, who was driving, was quickly becoming irritated with Morgan.

“Why do you give a damn whether Angel dates Jarrod or not? You’re with me now, not him.”

“I know, baby, but it’s just a silly rule we girls have. No dating ex-boyfriends of friends, or
cousins
.” She emphasized the last word for Angel’s benefit.

“Well, the key word in that sentence is ‘silly,’ and I would add ‘stupid’ to it as well,” he said, obviously bothered by the entire conversation.

“Don’t be jealous. You know you’re the only guy for me. I just don’t like the idea of Angelise dating my ex-boyfriend.” She turned toward the backseat and said to Angel while shooting daggers out of her eyes, “Why would you want my sloppy seconds anyway? I don’t want the two of you sitting around talking trash about me.”

“Morgan, I would never talk trash about you, and I’m hurt that you think I would,” said Angel resentfully. Besides, if she got together with Jarrod, she was positive there were a million other things they could do other than discuss her cousin, so why would they waste their time doing so?

“He’s still off limits,” said Morgan forcefully. “You’re absolutely not allowed to date him.”

“Enough,” said Tim forcefully. “Angel doesn’t need your permission to date Jarrod. She can make her own decisions and she doesn’t need your approval.”

“Thank you, Tim. Very nicely put,” said Angel. She turned to look out her window and smiled shyly as she reminisced over her encounter with Jarrod. Dear Lord, he was handsome. So tall and muscular, yet not excessively so. He was just right: lean and fit. His jaw was firmly set and perfectly carved, while his eyes were unbelievably clear and blue, as if they were inviting her to dive into the deep abyss of his soul. She loved how his dark, thick hair fell into short waves and longed to run her hands through it. And he was so charming—and masculine—and gentlemanly. He was undeniably and irrefutably the most perfect specimen of a man she had ever had the pleasure of meeting.

She turned her head and looked toward her cousin, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, seething.
Well, it was just too bad if she wasn’t happy about this
, she thought to herself. Jarrod was a prize that her cousin took for granted, and she was not going to be that stupid.

And then she thought about how he had taken her hand and kissed it, and she felt shivers run up and down her spine. He was so romantic. “Like a dream,” he had said. Ohhhh…what it must be like to feel his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and let her fantasy sweep her away.

“So, you and Cruella’s cousin seemed to hit it off,” said Alec as they were heading home after the party.

“Yeah. She’s gorgeous, don’t you think?” asked Jarrod.

“No doubt.”

Jarrod stopped walking for a moment. Alec was forced to stop and took a few steps back. “Hey. Can I talk to you about something?” Jarrod asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, sure.”

“It’s pretty heavy stuff. You might even think I’m nuts.”

“I already think you’re nuts,” Alec responded matter-of-factly.

“I’m serious.”

“Fine. Spill your guts. I’m listening.”

“Remember when Dad told us that I had…well, that I had…flatlined…the night of the accident?”

“Dude, why are we talking about that? You know how it creeps me out.” Alec noticeably shuddered.

“I know, but something happened. I haven’t told anyone about it. Not even Mom or Dad.”

“What? What happened? Are you able to heal the terminally ill with a touch of your hand now, or better yet, can you bring back the dead?” Alec raised his hands in praise and shouted, “Praise the Lord! Hallelujah, brother!”

“Jeez, Alec. Would you please take this seriously?” Jarrod said, irritated.

Alec quickly realized Jarrod wasn’t joking around and that he was having a hard time getting this out, so he decided to take his brother up on his suggestion and take it seriously. “Alright. Sorry.”

Jarrod pointed to a park bench across the street. They crossed over and sat beside each other. Alec leaned back while stretching his legs out in front of him and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Jarrod to speak.

“It’s a little weird, and I don’t even know what to make of it…” The older brother took a deep breath and continued on by saying, “I’m pretty sure I had a near-death experience.”

Alec glanced at Jarrod quickly and then turned away just as rapidly. After a few seconds, he turned toward him again, this time allowing the gaze to linger. “What exactly do you mean when you say you had a near-death experience? I mean, you weren’t ‘near’ death; you were dead for twenty-five seconds.”

“Alright, if you’re going to get technical about it, I’m pretty sure I had a ‘full twenty-five seconds of death’ experience.”

“I’m listening,” said Alec. He seemed interested in knowing, but at the same time, a bit wary. He never was a big fan of anything related to the paranormal. Nervously, he scouted his surroundings and suddenly became extremely aware of how dark it was and how alone they were. There were very few stars that could be seen, but that was normal. Cliffside’s close proximity to the city meant it suffered the ramifications of the light pollution that existed there, which virtually destroyed any thoughts or plans for casual stargazing. Alec involuntarily jerked when a furry, little squirrel scuttled by and quickly scampered up a nearby tree. Without being too obvious, he inched his way closer to his brother on the bench.

“I saw a bright light and felt unbelievably at peace when standing in it. As if nothing bad could ever happen. Just serene like…”

“Was Grandma there?” Alec asked, completely engrossed now in the conversation.

“No. I just saw a light.”

Alec again moved closer to his brother and surprised even himself when he calmly asked, “So, what exactly happened during this experience of yours?” This was getting creepy, as far as Alec was concerned. A chill ran through him and he shivered slightly. He tried moving closer to his brother, but Jarrod stopped him.

“Would you get off of me? You’re practically sitting on my lap.” Alec nodded and moved slightly to his right, leaving only a few inches between the two of them.

“Answer my question. What happened?” asked Alec.

“Nothing. All of a sudden, the light was gone, and I didn’t feel anything anymore. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in the hospital hooked up to about a hundred machines and in total agony. The weird thing is that the feeling I had…when I was…well, dead…I sort of had the same feeling tonight when I met Angel. Just for a second, when we were looking into each other’s eyes, I felt at peace, safe and light. No pain, no pressures, no sadness. It was as if a warm blanket had been placed over me and all my troubles were suddenly gone. Crazy, huh?”

Alec didn’t respond. He sat there in silence, not moving. Jarrod realized his younger brother was terrified. If Alec got any closer to him right now, they’d be conjoined twins.

“I wonder why there’s always a light,” Alec said, wide-eyed and mouth agape in wonder. “People are always saying there’s a light.”

“Who says?” asked Jarrod, grinning just a bit.

“People,” Alec stated flatly.

“Which people?”

“I don’t know,” Alec said, frustrated. “People that have died and come back. People like you.”

“Well…whomever these people are…they’re right. There definitely was a light. I wanted to head toward it, but then it was just gone.” He took a deep sigh. “Alec, it was just the most incredible feeling ever. I felt safe there. Remember when we were little and we’d get sick or fall down and get hurt?”

“Yeah,” responded Alec, completely fascinated with Jarrod’s account.

“Remember that feeling you had when Mom would take you into her arms and just hold and soothe you?” Jarrod stared straight ahead into the darkness as he mentally relived those comforting moments of his childhood.

Alec smiled at the fond memory and nodded. He instantly recalled the many times that his mother would comfort him after a nasty fall. No matter how bad the scrape, sprain, or strain was, her love and warmth always seemed to ease the pain and make it bearable.

“Just imagine that feeling, only infinitely stronger,” Jarrod said.

Suddenly, a black cat wildly streaked past the brothers with lightning speed, causing Alec to leap to his feet and shriek like an eight-year-old girl. Jarrod immediately began laughing hysterically.

“What the hell is wrong with you? That wasn’t funny,” wailed Alec.

“I’m sorry,” Jarrod responded with his head thrown back laughing. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t help it! You were so scared.” He struggled to rein in his laughter, but every time he looked at Alec, he would begin again. Alec glared at him and angrily plopped himself back on the bench, this time leaving approximately two feet between them.

“Just go on with the story,” Alec said stoically.

Jarrod finally regained a semblance of self-control and said, “That was it basically. Weird, huh?”

“Unbelievable is more like it. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I do believe you…it’s just that…yeah, you’re right…it is sort of weird.”

“Crazy as it sounds, I almost feel as if there’s a connection between what happened that night and meeting Angel. I mean…first I have this indescribable feeling upon meeting her, and then when she told me her name, I almost freaked. Seriously, how many Angels have you met in your lifetime?”

“None until tonight. Do you think she sensed anything?” Alec asked, uncertain.

“No. Definitely not in the sense of something otherworldly. But I do think she felt some sort of a connection. You know, like an attraction between the two of us. I mean, I definitely felt it.”

“Yeah, we all kind of felt it. It was obvious there was chemistry between the two of you. What do you plan on doing?”

“I’m going to call her and take it from there. Do me a favor and don’t mention any of this to anyone, alright?”

“Nobody would believe me anyway,” Alec said.

Letting out a soft groan as he stood up, Jarrod leaned forward to rub his right knee. Mildly worried, Alec asked, “You okay to walk, or do you want me to call Mom or Dad to come pick us up?

“I’m okay. It’s just that some days I feel as old as…well, as old as Dad.”

“That old, huh?”

“Yup. That old. I have to admit, though, it felt good to laugh. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.”

Alec nodded and then said, “Damn cat scared the shit out of me. I think I may have peed on myself just a little bit.” Once again, Jarrod burst out laughing.

Chapter Thirteen

“H
as he called you yet?” Morgan asked Angel as she stood leaning against the doorway of the guest room Angel was staying in. The room was small, but Angel thought it perfect. Aunt Helen had decorated it simply, yet tastefully. The curtains that hung on the one window were of a soft, beige lace, very feminine. The matching dresser and nightstand were purchased at a flea market, but had an antique, distressed look to them that Angel found utterly charming. Helen had originally purchased them for Morgan’s room, but she wouldn’t hear of having the secondhand, battered “junk” anywhere near her. Angel knew the sheets and comforter were new, because they still felt stiff and scratchy. A few washes and they would be just right.

“Has who called me yet?” She knew exactly whom Morgan was referring to, but she wasn’t about to let her know that.

“You know who. Jarrod.” Morgan said with an impatient sigh.

“Nope, not yet… no big deal, though.” Like hell it wasn’t. It had been three long days. She was beginning to wonder if he would ever call. He seemed so interested that night. Why did she feel this overwhelming connection to him? She had dated plenty of guys before, but she had never felt such a strong pull for one as she did for Jarrod. Angel’s mind was being driven to madness because he hadn’t called yet. Over the past few days, she had found herself willing the phone to ring more times than she cared to admit and had lost count of how many times she had checked the battery charge level.

Morgan sauntered over to the mirror and began to brush her hair. She was trying to behave indifferently to the whole situation, but in reality it was eating her up inside. Rumor had it that Jarrod was doing well and was even planning to commence training again for baseball in a few short weeks. She was beginning to have second thoughts about the breakup. What if he did recover completely from all the injuries he had sustained in the accident and was eventually able to play ball again? Perhaps she had been too hasty and acted impetuously when making her decision to end things.