Lingering Echoes (15 page)

I shook my head, fighting to clear my thoughts. Maybe I
was
being naïve. Maybe I was just like those stupid girls in the horror movies who never run when they are supposed to. They always just stand there like deer in the headlights, not making a move while they have the chance.

“I’m starting to sound like Brooke’s dramatic headlines,” I said aloud, remembering that first day of the festival. It was even back then that Brooke had warned me of a “homic
idal maniac,” the one she was so sure was following us. The one who turned out to be Damien after all.

A motor roared
, increasing in volume as it drew nearer. I sat up, alert and searching the foreground. Before long, a silver dirt bike tore across the sand. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of Damien in his black leather jacket and jeans. He pulled up beside the dock, shaking the wind out of his rumpled hair.

My stomach twisted inside itsel
f. Unable to decipher if it was nerves or excitement, I stood up and leaned on the rail for support. I questioned my ability to act nonchalant, to pretend I didn’t know what I knew. The papers crunched in my right hand, reminding me of their presence. There was nowhere to hide them now. In effort to better conceal them, I rested my arm at my side. I forced my wary eyes to meet Damien’s.

Walking towards me, he
exchanged a small, dimpled smile. “Hey.”

“Hi.”
My feet shuffled back and forth. My left hand gripped the rail.

Damien paused
, a step away from me. He studied my face. “You ok?”

“Me? Yeah.
Why wouldn’t I be? I’m just uh—tired, is all. It’s been a long day.” I pursed my lips, breaking eye contact for a moment.

He
paused as he looked back at me. “I stopped by earlier and didn’t see you around. What have you been doing?”

“W
ell, we had a late dinner for one thing. I made the mistake of offering to cook and that was a catastrophic. For future reference, clams and quinoa are not a good combo.” I shook my head for emphasis.

Damien raised his eyebrows. I rattled on.

“Yeah, bad idea, right? So, we threw it out and settled for a box of macaroni and cheese. But then my mom called, I lost track of time, and it burned the bottom layer of the pot....” I paused to catch my breath.

Slow down
, I had to tell myself. I was telling the truth, so I had no reason to allow my nerves to ramble.

Damien spoke. “
Now you know why I stick to peanut butter and jelly.” His expression changed to one of puzzlement. “Did something happen today?”

“Uh, yes.
Believe it or not, this afternoon I was out on the boat. I went wakeboarding for the first time since, well, you know, since last summer.”

He seemed a little
surprised. “How’d it go?”

“
Pretty well.” I gave a genuine smile, reliving the exhilaration for a moment. “It was so surreal being pulled across the water like that again. I had forgotten how much I loved it. It all happened so fast...I never would have tried it had you not—”

I stopped. I had turned around
to find Damien staring at me. He took a step closer so that I had to crane my neck to look up at him. Out of instinct, my hand pushed against his chest, maintaining a small barrier between our bodies.

“You really have beautiful eyes,” he said, puttin
g a hand behind my neck. “I’ve been meaning to tell you that.” My hazel eyes locked into his spellbinding gaze. His lips began to lower towards mine.

A
part of me ached to respond. Yet the hand at my side tightened, crinkling the papers that I gripped—a reminder of the fears, the doubts, and the unanswered questions penetrating my mind. I took a small step backwards, feeling a tremor shoot through my spine.

Damien stopped inches from my face. He studi
ed my expression, which I imagined was a combination of desire and trepidation visibly countering each other’s presence. He pulled back, uncertainty touching the curves of his dark brows. His hands slid down my arms, down to my wrists.

“I’m sorry. I thought—
”

The papers pinched together. Damien
looked down, tugging them from my hand. “What is this?”

Staggering, I struggled to complete the racing
thoughts in my head. “Nothing. It’s, uh—” Panic ripped through my chest, and I reached for the papers. Damien stepped back from my straining grasp, flipping through the pages. His face tightened; his body suddenly rigid.

“Where did you get this?” His tone was hollow,
low, and empty.

“Damien, I—”
My desperate words were silenced by the alarming shadows in his face when he looked down at me. His eyes were dark, no longer emanating their piercing blue. Clenching his jaw, he took a menacing step towards me. His voice was gruff.

“Apparently,
I’ve been your personal research project.” He shook the papers at me.

I flinched, too stunned to answer, and too terrified to look away.

“Are you afraid of me now? Is that what this is about?” Damien threw the papers on the ground. They fluttered and scattered onto the dock. He grabbed my wrists, pulling me towards him.

“
Ow! Damien, you’re hurting me.” I struggled to free myself, wrenching in vain against his strength. He tightened his grip.

“You know what?
Great. I’m glad you know. Now you can just go on your merry way and enjoy the rest of your summer!”

“Dami
en, stop it!” I squirmed in anger.

It was then that I glimpsed a familiar figure sprinting towards us.

“Get your hands off her!”

Aaron
body checked into Damien’s side. Damien grunted, plummeting to the ground and dragging me with him. I tumbled at his feet, skinning my knees on the dirt.

Aaron stood beside
me, breathing hard. Both fists were clenched and ready. Damien looked up at him in surprise, and then glared at him as he jumped to his feet.

Aaron held his ground. “You want to try someth
ing, tough guy?”

Damien stood almost level to Aaron’s height, but assessed his opponent’s lean build
with a mocking expression. However, he didn’t make a move.

Keeping a
steady eye on him, Aaron reached out a hand. I put my hand in his and allowed him to pull me to my feet. I dusted off my cut-off shorts and my knees, grimacing as my fingers brushed against the fresh abrasions.

Damien sighed and t
ook a step towards me. “Allie—”

“Don’
t even think about it,” Aaron threatened, stepping between us and pulling me behind his back.

Damien
gritted his teeth, staring hard at Aaron. He worked his jaw, struggling for composure. “Fine. It’s better this way anyway.” He trudged through the dirt and jumped onto his bike, revving the motor.

Aaron watched him with wary eyes, pulling
me into his side with one arm. Still shaking, I held onto him, watching Damien glance our way just once more. The expression on his face made my heart ache.

“Damien!” I called out. He paused, his eyes connecting with mine. I broke free from Aaron’s protective grasp and ran to him, ignoring Aaron’s voice of warning.

“Just answer this one question.” My voice softened, quieting my inquiry for our ears alone. “Did you do it?” I searched his eyes imploringly as they bore into mine.

“Does it matter to you?” He waited while I wrestled with my thoughts.

“I just need to know.”

He
, too, softened his voice, but his words were threaded with pain and anger.

“Yes. I killed them.” His bike roared as he sped away. I stood alone and watched him
leave, with tears stinging my eyes.

I
lay in bed the next morning and stared up at the ceiling, unwilling to remove myself from the comforts of my bed. I was unsure of what time it was, but the sick feeling in my stomach had awakened me long before the sun was shining outside my window.

I rubbed my eyes and massaged my forehead with both hands. Did last night
really happen? It was hours before I could fall asleep last night, remembering the look on Damien’s face before he drove off. I replayed the evening in my mind, over and over again.

I rubbed
my wrist, remembering Damien’s firm grip and the anger that hardened his face. What if Aaron hadn’t jumped in when he did? Would that unfamiliar side of Damien have escalated further?

I tried to shut my mind off. I knew be
tter than to dwell on “what ifs”. I had driven down that path for a long time before I realized it led to nowhere. No matter how many times thoughts and ideas revolved around them, they never changed the past.

Three short knocks on the door interrupted my
thoughts. I sighed, not bothering to move from my position.

“Allie?”

“Yeah, come in.”

Dad
entered the room, dressed in his usual casual attire of khaki shorts and a T-shirt. He looked refreshed this morning, which was more than I could say for myself.

“Still in
bed, huh?”

“Yep.”

He pulled the chair from the desk and sat down across from me. I could smell the sweet scent of banana pancakes and maple wafting through my bedroom door.

My stomach turned. I was in no position to entertain the thought of food.

“So...I hear you’re having some trouble with that boy.”   

My head shot back to face
Dad. He sat back against his chair, attempting to appear at ease. His eyes roamed around the room, as he twiddled his fingers. In truth, his efforts were somewhat comical.

Catching me eyeing him, he admitted, “Brooke stopped by. I hear
d her and Aaron saying something about it.”

I rolled my eyes.
That figures.

“
I didn’t quite catch the details of their whispered conversation, but I just wondered if you wanted to talk about it.”

I looked back up at
Dad in confusion.

Huh?

“I’m sorry, what?” I cocked my head to the side.

Dad
adjusted his position on the chair, clearing his throat. “Well, seeing Brooke and Aaron talking in hushed tones and you not coming out of your room this late into the morning, I’m assuming this has to do with whatever you needed to sort out, and I wanted to see if you are ok. That is, if you want to talk about it.”

Oh, boy
...

I hopped out of bed, sidestepping
Dad, and fleeing to the bathroom. I turned on the faucet and threw cool water on my face. Pumping out a handful of face wash, I massaged it into my skin, taking extra care and more time than usual.

“Allie?” He was at the doorway.

I loaded my toothbrush with mint toothpaste and stuck it in my mouth. I ran it over my teeth, lathering up the foam. “Saurry, Daud,” I murmured through my brushing. I spit once. “I haven’t even brushed my teeth. Thanks for getting me out of bed though.” I stuck the toothbrush back between my teeth and faced the mirror. My uncouth avoidance reflected back at me. I could feel Dad watching me while I rolled the bristles over my molars in haste.

Entering the bathroom, he
placed his hands gently on my shoulders. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your privacy. I just wanted you to know I’m here if you want to talk.”

I paused for a minute, my teeth clamped aga
inst the bristles. Rinsing out my mouth, I grabbed the hand towel, wiping it across my face. I turned to face him, still hiding behind the towel. He continued.

“
I don’t blame you for not feeling comfortable talking to me about whatever happened with this boy you’ve met. In fact, I’d be lying if I tried to say
I’m
comfortable with it. But you know that already.”

I put down the towel, revealing a humored smile. Oddly enough, his honesty was reassuring.

“Now, I may not be the best person for advice when it comes to relationships,” he said. “But I do know one thing. You deserve to be treated with the utmost respect, so don’t let anyone say or do anything to treat you otherwise.” He put a hand to the back of my head and kissed my forehead.

“Thanks, Dad.” I smiled
in appreciation as he turned to leave.

“I’ll just be up in the loft working on my laptop if you need me.”

“Ok.”

As he exited my bedroom, I thought about his words and felt the knot in my stomach return. Or maybe it had never gone away in the first place.

I pulled on a tank top and grabbed a pair of jeans, grimacing as I pulled them up my legs. The tough material rubbed against the developing scabs on my knees. It was a fresh reminder of last night’s altercation between Damien and Aaron, and how I had been knocked to the ground in the process. Disgruntled, I tossed the jeans in a corner, settling for a pair of shorts instead.

Stepping outside,
I breathed in the fresh air, hoping to clear my head. My eyes roamed eastwards, skimming through the thicket of trees beyond the lodge. I willed my eyes to see what I wanted to find—the tall, thick outline of his body, dark hair tossed across his forehead. Shadowy eyebrows emphasizing the sharp hue of his eyes, yet softened by the gentle dimples he was unable to hide—not even when he tried to mask a smile.

But no one was there.

I battled the desire to see him, a part of me hoping he’d come and take me away with him. Perhaps we’d pretend last night didn’t happen, that I had never heard about the troubled boy who killed his family, had never read the accounts reporting the mysterious and fatal fire. Then I could savor the memory of our time together at the spring, when it was just the two of us shutting out the rest of the world.

But the image was shattered, recalling the menacing anger in his face as he gripped my wrists.
My heart rate increased, remembering the fear he had seized me with. I struggled to understand the root of his emotions.

Was he upset with me bec
ause I had discovered the truth, or because I believed him capable of doing so?

Cas
ting my eyes at the ground, I started walking. When I looked up, I found myself approaching the basketball court. Brooke and Aaron were seated on the ground, their faces close together as they spoke. Brooke jumped to her feet when she saw me.

“Allie!
How are you feeling? Are you ok?”

I met Aaron’s gaze before answering. “Guess you’ve been filled in already.”

“Yeah. I’m so glad Aaron showed up when he did. Who knows what else might have happened?”

I frowned. “He only grabbed my wrists
. It’s not that big of a deal. I mean, Damien was upset, but I think he had good reason to be.”

“Look,” Aaron started. “
It’s not my business, but don’t downplay what happened. It doesn’t matter why he was mad. No decent guy should ever put his hands on you like that.”

I shook m
y head. “I still could have handled it differently.”

“No, Allie. Don’t put this on you.”

“I wasn’t being fair. I should have just talked to him about it!”

Brooke looked concerned. “Allie, you don’t have to defend him. He could have reacted differently, too, but he didn’t.”

I looked down at the ground. “Maybe it doesn’t matter,” I said with a soft voice.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Damien asked me if it mattered—if it mattered whether he did kill his family or not. I told him I needed to know. But people can change. Maybe his past shouldn’t make a difference in how I feel about him.”

“Are you listening to yourself?” Brooke
asked, her sapphire eyes wide and alarmed. “He said
yes
, that he killed them. That’s not an insignificant part of someone’s past to overlook!” The expression on Aaron’s face testified his total agreement.

My head was beginning to spin as my emotions caught up with me. “No. This is being blown way out of p
roportion.” Turning, I stalked towards the cabins. “I’m just going to grab the car, drive over there, and talk this out with him.”

My footsteps didn’t get me far. Aaron put a hand on my shoulder and held me back, stepping in front of me to block my path. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

I glared at him, peeling his fingers off my shoulder. “Aaron, I appreciate you stepping in last night, I do. I know you were trying to help. But you’re right; it’s not your business. I need to do what I think is best for the situation. Follow my instincts, right?” My mind set, I pushed past him at a steady pace.

“Allie—
Allie, wait!” Brooke called. “Let me come with you, at least.”

I turned around. “No, Brooke. I don’t think that’s going to help. He’s kind of a
private person. I don’t think he’d appreciate me bringing you along.”

Aaron lost it, throwing his hands up in the air.
“A private person? Who cares what he appreciates! A person doesn’t get to act like
that
and have his concerns met. You are falling right back into his trap, Allie. He’s luring you in by manipulating your emotions, making you feel bad for him. Do you think I’m going to stand by and let something happen to you?”

My level of ex
asperation reached its peak. “I don’t understand! What exactly do you think he’s going to do to me??”

I had never seen so much frustration displayed on Aaron’s face until that moment, as he struggled to organize his thoughts. It was unusual to see his natural charm and charisma fractured with distress. Brooke looked back and forth between us helplessly.

Aaron’s eyes fell to the ground before he lifted his head to look at me. His voice was calmer, quieter, but still lingering with a hint of desperation. “He’s a guy who’s angry with you for discovering a past he admits to committing, who seemed to have no intention of being honest with you otherwise. He’s also a single, older guy living alone in an isolated cabin. And you want to go off on your own and be with him.”

Aaron shook his head with a soft, sardonic laugh. “Even a guy without that kind of history is capable of taking advantage of a situation like that.” He pause
d before adding softly, “Unless...that’s what you’re going for....”

I clamped my mouth shut, fearful for what might escape.
Fuming inside, my cheeks glowed with more than just anger. I gritted my teeth. “That also, is none of your business.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’
t have said that. I just worry—”

“
Well, stop worrying, then. I know you’re used to taking care of your sisters, but I’m not one of them. I don’t need to be protected, not by you or anyone.” I turned to leave.

“Allie, please don’t go!” It was Brooke calling after me again. “We’re all a little high strung right now. Why don’t you just wait a c
ouple days, let things cool off? If you’re going to talk to Damien, it’s probably a good idea to let him calm down, too.”

This was going nowhere
. Although, maybe Brooke had a point. I sighed in resignation. “Ok. Fine.”

“Good.” Brooke linked arms with both
Aaron and me, pushing a smile. “Besides, it’s a beautiful day today. Let’s go get some sun.”

***

It was early evening the next day that I found myself salt-and-peppering ground beef patties. Brooke stood next to me chopping potatoes, followed by a teary-eyed Clara.

“Whew! These are so strong!” She turned her head away from the onions to give her eyes a breather.

“And they’ll be that much more delicious,” Dad said, sneaking in a kiss. “How’s our little assembly line?”

Clara smiled at him with a sniffle.
“Very efficient. We’re just about done.”

“Lacking some help from the Y-chromosomes, if you ask me,” I said. “Does anyone else think it’s fair that the only people in the kitchen are the women?”