Kimber (24 page)

“I’m
getting married, not dying.” Tiff frowns but the rest of us laugh.

“Actually,
it’s still kinda new and I don’t wanna jinx it, but if I don’t say it I’m gonna
explode.” She takes a deep breath and releases it saying, “I’m seeing someone.”
Her face exudes happiness.

             Amber and
I are similar on the inside but on the outside, we are night and day. My hair
is dark brown and wavy. Amber’s is blond and straight. My eyes are brown. Hers
are blue. Our bodies are similar in the way that we’re both thin, though
Amber’s body is accentuated with curves I’d die for. I keep waiting to fill out
like she has. Her face is oval and mine more rounded. Amber stands an inch
taller than I do at five eight. Our appearance is as different as our taste in
men. I cannot recall one relationship of hers that lasted more than three weeks.
Unlike me, Tiff is quick to remind Amber of that very fact.

“Poor
guy. Who wants to take bets?” She laughs with Robin.

“What’re
we bettin’ on?” Tommy asks making his way over to Tiff.

“How
long Amber’s new boy toy will last?” Tommy comes up behind Tiff, leans over her
and kisses her upside down. 

“Why
didn’t you invite him?” Perhaps Amber knew how invasive her friends would be
once they found out.

            “I did.”
And
the jerk hadn’t show up?
“And not that I need anyone’s acceptance but this
time it’s different. He’s not a boy, he’s a man.” She says triumphantly eyeing
Tommy.

“Put
your tampon back in.” Tommy jokes but Amber scowls at him even harder. “Hey!”
He says as Tiff smacks his arm and with a narrow evil glare from his future
wife Tommy says, “Ok, I’m sorry. So where’s your man at?” 

“Here.”
Amber says enjoying the shock value.

All
our eyes drift to the grill, where the only single remaining men stand. I feel
sick. An image of Amber and Leo flashes through my mind. I turn to Lena who
seems to be extremely tuned in to me today. She shakes her head and the acidic
sensation in my throat subsides. That leaves Joel, highly unlikely, and Mike.

No
!

“Hey
babe!” Amber calls and to my dismay, Mike turns from whatever conversation he
was having with Leo.

I
close my eyes tight just as Leo gives me a questioning look. I’d like nothing
more than for Amber to find happiness but with Mike she won’t. I’m not even
sure how I feel about him supposedly being neutral and passive when picking a
side. Leo may have walked away from the Grigori but it’s clear which team he’s
batting for.

“It’s
still new but we’re really into each other. He’s super cute though, isn’t he?
His eyes are so sexy.” Amber says as I open my eyes, nod and with pressed lips,
smile at her.

  I
look around, the guys are hovering near the grill, the girls still sitting in
their chairs. On my right, Robin discusses her major and the reason why she
chose marine biology with Lena. On my left, Amber and Tiffany talk about the
holiday sale at Macys.

The
sensation of surreal displacement spins my reality. My heart accelerates and
nervous adrenaline pushes through my veins. I feel the inability to control an
impulse that evolves throughout my body. I’m overwhelmed. I shift uncomfortably
in my chair, lace my fingers together and take deep and controlled breaths.
Get
control of yourself. It’s nothing, it will pass. It will stop, it will. Stop!

A
loud clanging noise draws everyone’s attention to the grill.

 “Losin’
your touch?” Tommy jokes to Leo.

He
doesn’t respond, he just passes the tongs to Mike and walks back inside.
Everyone looks at one another before settling their eyes on me. But I’m too
focused on the crawling of my skin and how abruptly it stops. Lena places her
hand on my arm. Her brow is creased in concern. If it’s for Leo or for me I
don’t know.

“Um,
I guess I’ll go see if he’s ok.” My words come out sounding as uncaring as they
had in my head.

Truth
is, Leo’s a grown man. He can take care of himself. And no, that’s not the,
he’s overly complicated and I’m still pissed at him, chip on my shoulder
talking. I’d rather figure out what the hell came over me and what attributed
to it.

I
find him sitting on the couch; his head slumped in his hands. I can’t think of
anything to say. At least nothing that won’t sound condescending. It’s not that
I don’t want to help, it’s that I don’t know how. I don’t know my place with
Leo anymore.

“What
happened?” Leo asks lifting his head to me.

Outside
laughter fills the air.

“Could
you be more specific?” I ask sitting down on the adjoining couch.

I
look down to my naked nails. When was the last time a floral color dressed
them?

He
studies me like the answer is written somewhere on me. “It’s the blood or maybe
your Awakening. It’s more than I expected.”

I
haven’t a clue what he’s talking about. Then I realize, “You felt it.”

“Felt
it? No, I heard it. I heard you.” He twists his body in my direction, resting
his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers. I scoot back and mentally try
to grab hold of normality. “What’d you feel?”

“H—heard
me?” I sputter. “How does blood make that possible?”

“Our
blood, it holds secrets. Magic. We aren’t made the same way as Amber or Tommy. Now
we share our own power.” He smiles.

Maybe
I’m just too exhausted to see the lighter side in this. I stare at him for a
moment, shrug my shoulders and without looking back leave him sitting there on
the couch. The last thing I want is something to bring me closer to the one
person I wish I’d get over.

Later
in the night, my friends and I gather on the beach. We lay out blankets and dig
our toes into the cold damp sand. We draw lines in the night with our sparklers
as the boys light off multi colored mortars.

With
every boom, the night illuminates in light and the sound of crackling embers.
It’s this moment, the smallest of the small, that cradles my heart.
No
matter what happens, as long as these simple moments exist, I’ll be ok
. 

Lena’s
face lights up, physically and literally. Robin points out her favorite blasts
to Joel. Tiff leans back against Tommy. Amber and Mike sit side by side, as she
leans in against his shoulder. Nothing good can come of her being with Mike,
but for now, she is happier than I remember.

 Leo
squats down silently beside me wearing a warm smile. It’s not until much later
I realize he probably heard my thought.

            I AWAKE THE
next morning feeling the best I’ve yet to feel. I shower, pull on shorts and a blue
tank top with a white dove decal on the lower left side. I put a little product
through my wavy brown hair for extra shine and control. I apply SPF moisturizer
to my face. I check my reflection in the mirror. It’s me who I see looking
back, smiling.

            “I’ve missed
you.” I whisper to my reflection.

 I
walk to the kitchen where, on the table, I find a note.

KIMBER,

 OUT WITH LEO. SEE YOU
SOON.

 LENA.

“Huh.
That’s a little vague.”

I
glance around the small kitchen until I see the microwave. The time, nine forty
one, shines in green. I can’t fathom what Leo and Lena could be doing. Then
again, it’s better I don’t. Whatever it has to do with, it doesn’t involve me,
thank
God
! But a sick and twisted part of me wishes it did. The exact part of me
that won’t listen to the lies I tell myself to lessen the hurt.
We’ll never
have what we had. Our love doesn’t exist.
All the while knowing that if
he’d see past the Grigori’s threats he’d find his way into my arms.  

            Twenty
minutes later, I’ve not only cleaned the useless thoughts from my mind, but
also Leo’s room and a few things left out from yesterday.

             As I wipe
down the rest of the counter, I hear the sound of a car engine as it pulls up
alongside the house. I toss the wad of paper towels I’m holding in the trash
can. 

           I walk into the
living room seconds after Leo. He’s wearing black basketball shorts, black Nike
sneakers and a black shirt with a neon green soccer logo on the font.

           
Wow,
slips
through my mind in a dreamy type of way. Leo’s head turns mid stride to look at
me.

           
Ah, hell
.

            He smiles
wide then disappears into his room. There has to be a way to turn this off. I’d
rather die than have him listening to every incriminating thought I have about
him. Which are growing excessively frequent.

            A second
later Lena enters through the front door. “Hello sweetheart. Feeling better?”

“Yes.”
I smile.

I
sit on the couch just as an intoxicating woman enters the beach house. Exotic
and far beyond what I’d call beauty. Her high cheekbones accentuate her long
lashed almond shaped eyes. Her black hair falls in layers against her chest and
along her back. Her nose looks like a button and her lips the texture of
marshmallows. Her honey colored skin glows. Egyptian is the first nationality
that comes to mind. She fits it perfectly. Her flat stomach peeks out from her
white crop tank top. Her long gold necklace is a chain of hoops and dangles
just above the hem of her khaki shorts. She’s aware of her height hence her
thong sandals. Her tall slender body alone would have men drooling over  this
year’s Victoria’s Secret summer collection. Especially with a two-piece bikini
and a suggestive pose.

 I
know it’s immature and petty but I don’t like her. And it’s not because she’s
hotter than I’ll ever be. It’s the way she looks at Leo with hungry eyes. She
wants him and she doesn’t care if I know it.  

“Hello.”
I say through a fake smile. I sit on the furthest part of the couch. Away from
where she sits. She smiles back in a dismissive manner.

      Thankfully, Lena notices
her lack of manners and as she pulls up a chair from the kitchen, introduces
the foreign beauty. “Kimber, this is Alexandria. Alexandria, my niece Kimber.”

“Alright,
just make sure he gets the message.” His long body pushes off from the wall he
leaned against. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

Alexandria’s
face lights up. Her smile is a dentists wet dream.

“It’s
fine.” As she speaks, I bite my lip to keep from smiling. Her voice is
obnoxious and nasally.

While
Lena and Leo focus their attention on Alexandria, Alexandria focuses on me. I
recognize the look. It’s something adults do when they’re waiting for the kids
to leave so they can have adult time. My mother’s lawyer friends used to do it
all the time. I get the urge to slap the look from her face. The fantasy plays
out in my head. The image of her recoiling when my hand crosses her perfect
cheek bone.

Next
to me Leo shifts his weight, as if he’s preparing to stop my violent attack. I
have to find a way to shut him out of my head. He waits a second before turning
his attention back to Alexandria. 

“So
what’ve you got for us?” He asks.

“With
respect Leo, I’d feel comfortable doing this in private.” In unison, three pairs
of eyes settle upon me.

I
straighten my shoulders. “This is as private as it gets. I’m not leaving.”

Leo
nods and though it’s the faintest of smiles, he makes sure I see his approval.
But I’m not staying for him. It’s the irritation on Alexandria’s face that
gives me pleasure. It’s obvious she’s here on Neph business, so screw her if
she thinks I don’t belong.

“Fine.”
Alexandria says less than appeased. “The reason for my visit is simple. Word is
spreading fast that you’ve cut ties with the Grigori.” She shoots me a quick
look assuming it’s my  fault. “With your blood, they’re going to be knocking
down the door to get to you.”

“Well
you’re the first, so what is it you want?”

“Allegiance.”

Leo
huffs in disbelief, slowly shaking his head. “Hopefuls crawl their way up
through units like yours. I stepped out. I’m not stepping down.” 

Alexandria
stays poised through Leo’s insult. She clears her throat and begins again. “Our
unit
has been in existence longer than the Grigori. You know who I am
Leo and what that offers. The longer you say no, the harder the game gets.
You’re not like these diluted cesspools thinking they can bounce around like
their blood actually means something.” She hurries the words out like they’re
acid in her mouth.

“Excuse
me,” the words rush past my lips before I can bite them back, “I know you don’t
know me, but the last thing I’ll ever be is a diluted cesspool.”

 “Oh,
I’m sorry was it your turn to speak because right now the important people are
talking.”

I’ve
never been very confrontational. I always preferred to verbalize my anger. But
something about this girl flips a switch inside me bringing out the bad.
Abruptly I jump to my feet and for a second I’m surprised when Alexandria does
the same. Crap! I don’t have a next  move. Thankfully Leo stands placing himself
between Alexandria and I.