Luminescence (Luminescence Trilogy) (3 page)

His mouth lowered the tiniest fraction closer to mine.
The breath I
held
caught
in what I never would have imagined – anticipation. I actually wanted this strange
guy
to press his lips to mine. Right now it was all I wanted – his kiss. The zeal of his breath fanned my senses, making me dizzy with the scent of him.
My mind must have
taken a detour
bet
ween eighth
and ninth
period.

A
gentle stroke of his thumb on my bare arm
sent a shudd
er down my spine, knocking
me out of my spell
bound gawk
.
I jerked out of his embraced, immediately missing the contact.
What was wrong with me?
I don’t encourage strange guys to kiss me, really any guy for that matter.

“What are you doing?” I demanded harsher than intended.

He lifted his pierced brow again mockingly.
“Saving you it seems.
Obviously I’m not the
only one ditching last period.”

His voice was an extension of his look – dark, sexy, edgy
, mysterious
and dangerous. Not precisely the kind of guy you’d want to meet alone in an alley
,
bring home to mom or
behind the school yard for that matter
.

He was dressed from head
to toe in black –
dark denim with a loud t-shirt, combat boots and a thick leather band around
his wrist. This guy wasn’t
shy about jewelry.
He had a James Dean q
uality –
rebel without a cause ambiance.

Now that I was
n’t
so enamel by his eyes I could appreciate the whole package. His hair was
layered around his face
with flirtatious
slash
ing
strands
black as sin.
He was a mouth full of eye candy – yummy and delicious.

“I – I
don’t normally ditch class,” I stammered
, running a frustrated hand through
my
tangled
hair.

The look he gave said he
found me
entertain
ing
, but didn’t buy into the whole not ditching thing
.
He just shrugged his shoulders.

N
arrow
ing
my eyes at him
I
slung the bag that had slipped back over my shoulder. “I’ve never seen you her
e before. Do you even go here?”

His eyes caught mine again and they seem
ed
to laugh. “Umm yeah – I
t’s my first day.”

“You ditched on your first day?”
M
y voice was a
s
perplexed as the idea was to me.

“Sure. It seems worth it now
.
”
H
is voice held sex appeal –
husky and dark. “
I’m Gavin
,
” he introduced
,
shov
ing
both hands in his pockets
now that he wasn’t holding ont
o me.

“Brianna
,” I replied. The last warning bell sounded reminding me that I shouldn’t be loitering. “I
should go,” I mumbled hastily.

He leaned back casually against the brick wall, one leg propped up behind him. “I’ll be seeing you
Bri
.
”
He shortened
my name
like were acquainted more than we were
.
His
husky
voice held promise.

I couldn’t tell if I was flattered or insulted.
“Sorry about
…
running into you
,” I
uttered
and
turned toward the parking lot
not waiting for a response
. I couldn’t get to my car fast enough.

When I got inside my aging mustang, I wasn’t sure what to do next or where to go.
Everything inside me was muddled.
An inability
to
get a handle on
the ratted
emotions overc
a
m
e
me.
T
he lingering exhaustion from my anger
slowly
sta
r
ted
dissipating
and
was
now
ac
companied by the
bursting excitement in my chest. All of it was too much.
The
need to unwind and smooth my frazzled nerves
was too great to ignore
.
The first thing that came to mind was my
a
unt
and
her
shop
,
Mystic Floral and Gifts
.

Chapter
2

MY AUNT WAS LIKE NO OTHER – she was amazing. Her small floral boutique was located in the heart of downtown Holly Ridge – my part-time job. The short ride from school had done little for my frayed emotions. I felt like I had just been bunging jumping, flying from pissed off to shame – a giant drop. Then to a confused excitement that if I didn’t know better resembled attraction. This Gavin wasn’t my type, not that I really had a type. You’d have to have dated. My inabilities to find a niche in life were no doubt contributing factors.

My aunt’s shop was enchanting and potent. The second you walked in you were dazzled with the serene smells of lilies, lavender and freesia. She has this impressive window display that captivated people, encouraging them in, showing off her flair for the dramatic. Cornflower velvet draped over stands of various heights, her floral arrangements cascading over like green waterfalls, clusters of rainbow crystals sparkling like magic in the morning sun.

I’ve always had a complete ease and sense of belonging here. The atmosphere she created was what I identified with – otherworldly, fantasy, an escape from reality. Right now I needed all of the above.

Walking into the shop I noticed my aunt behind the glass counter with a customer. Her silky long caramel hair lay softly over her shoulders. Such a contrast to my own dark strands. Her smooth and creamy skin shone flawless against the sunbeams from the storefront windows and soft mahogany eyes twinkling.

My Aunt Clara is my legal guardian. Her and my mom had been twins. Sometimes it was peculiar having my aunt look and sound like an exact duplicate of my mom. When I was younger it had been much more difficult.

At age five I came to live with my Aunt Clara here at her home. I was orphaned after a drunk driver killed both my parents on New Years Eve.
Gwynn and Andrew
Rafferty had been on their way home from a business event with my dad’s firm when the tragic accident occurred. I don’t have clear memories of that day, only a snapshot in my head of the way they were elegantly dressed and the smell of her perfume, like roses as she hugged me good-bye.

I do remember the empty confusion after the fact. My aunt cried with me through our pain, kissed the salty tears from my eyes and held onto me at night when I was frightened and alone. She became my rock.

Even now, years later, when I caught the scent of a rose in full bloom, I would ache. And wonder what life would have been. The what if game… I detested playing those wishing games. The lost of my parents wasn’t something I reflected on often. Although, it snuck up on me and squeezed the place they hold in a corner of my heart.

Mostly I deluded myself into believing that I was nothing but an average teenager. After today, my doubts skyrocketed. What I needed was confirmation that I wasn’t an oddity or needed to be locked up in the loony bin. Maybe I did need therapy. But right now I wanted my aunt.

Passing by one of the mirrors used on display, I caught a glimpse of my reflection. A loud sigh escaped my lips. How I yearned for the elegant grace and classic beauty of my mom and aunt. In truth there were none of those traits within me. Instead I was graced with unmanageable auburn hair. My skin was anything but flawless, maybe it would have passed for adequate if not for the dusting of freckles over the bridge of my dainty nose. I scrunched it in the reflection just to prove my point.

My aunt said I have a unique look. What does that mean? Does she mean unique as in appealing or unique as in odd? Probably she is just trying to keep my self-esteem from reaching a negative point. I had a hard time looking at myself and visualizing anything uncommon. Just the same face. The one I’ve seen for the last seventeen years – ordinary.

I’ll admit I did have an odd feature. One I guessed you could call
novel
– my eyes. They are a profound violet – like an amethyst.

Strolling around the shop I trailed a finger along the shelves, trying everything to distract my mind.
Mystic Floral
was my aunt’s heart and soul. She was divorced and I think the store had become her saving grace. Being the owner did take an exuberate amount of her time. She often felt guilty that I spent much of it alone and taking care of myself. When I was younger I would spend my afternoons in the shop till closing. This place had been as much of home as the house on Mulberry.

I admired my aunt’s gift with plants and her artistic design to make something beautiful. It was in this place I could breathe. The smells were so alive and aromatic – the environment spellbinding. I traced my nail along some of the new colored decorative bottles she had arranged glistening against crystal stones.

“Brianna.” Her voice was like a warm hearth, filled with security. I turned to face her. “You’re early, is everything okay?” She checked the time on her wrist.

Swallowing hard I didn’t know whether to cry, laugh, or hug her. Instead I lied, something that I don’t do very well. “I got sick before last period.” I kept my eyes averted to the tiled floor and silently prayed she wouldn’t see through my ruse.

She pursed her lips looking concerned. “Why don’t you go home and take the night off. You look a little… peaked.” Her caring suggestion only made me feel more guilty than I thought possible.

“It’s not as bad now,” I assured. “Would it be alright if I stayed?” I asked hesitantly. I really wanted her company – the calm reassurance of love.

“Yeah honey, if that’s what you want.” She totally didn’t buy my flimsy excuse, but I knew she wouldn’t hound me till I was ready to talk.

I nodded my head.

“Why don’t you help me set out some of these arrangements I just finished.” She encouraged knowing that I needed anything to help ease my mind.

An hour into my shift I headed to the backroom in hopes of occupying my thoughts with homework. Mister dark and dangerous seemed to find a way to flitter his way into my head. The shop had a bell on the door that chimed at the arrival of a customer.

I found my aunt sitting at her work table crafting a display with flowers my untrained eyes have yet to be able identify. She cut the ends on their long stems. “Feeling any better?” Concern feed her tone.

I took a seat beside her, picking up the discarded stems. “Yeah some.” Surprisingly it was true.

“Good. You want to talk about?” She could tell that something was bothering me. I sucked at hiding my emotions – and lying.

I sighed. “I just had a horrible day.” Horrific was more like it. “I had a headache that wouldn’t quit. Then a girl at school was bullying Austin and –” I paused, not sure how to tell her.

“Did you say something to this girl?” She clipped another stem from a pretty blush colored flower.

“I kind of grabbed her arm. Hard.” Admitting it was tougher than I expected and kept my eyes locked onto the grain of the table.

She put the flower down and eyed me. “Did it go further than that?” she asked probably wondering if we’d exchanged blows in the halls. The whole hair pulling and nail scratching deal or if she was going to be getting a call from the principal.

I shook my head, lifting my gaze. “I left school right after and came here. I wanted to punish her for all the crap she’s been giving Austin, but I didn’t want to physically hurt her.” Well if I was being honest with myself, at the time that is exactly what I wanted to do. Reflexively I brushed a strand of stray hair behind by ear.

She eyed me with worry. “I know it’s challenging dealing with those who have no care for others feelings. You did nothing wrong by defending your friend.”

Then why did I have so much guilt? I knew that she was trying to pacify my inner turmoil, but I wasn’t sure there was anything she could say that would absorb it from me.

“I know that in my head but it’s my conscious that doesn’t agree. I feel like I lost myself somewhere during the day. Like my control just snapped,” I begrudgingly admitted and slumped in my seat.