Marked (The Pack) (14 page)

“I’ve wanted to do that since the first minute I saw you, and if we can’t be together, well at least I’ve done that.”

“You’re trying to make this hard for me.” I whispered.

He pulled me toward him until my head rested against his chest. “I’m not making it hard. The situation is hard all by itself.”

“Channing has liked you for a long time. She still likes you.”

“I realize that.”

“She’s my friend, and you don’t date the guy your friend has liked forever unless she says its okay. I promise, Channing isn’t going to say it’s okay.”

“She’s not your friend.”

I pulled away from his chest and immediately missed the warmth, the beat of his heart. “What do you mean?”

His mouth was in a tight line. “I mean you two aren’t that close of friends. You haven’t known her more than a few weeks.”

My throat tightened. “I haven’t known you any longer than that either. I thought you agreed it would be best if we didn’t do this.”

“I did think that, do think it. I only wish it was different.” He said quietly.

I held on to a fistful of his shirt. “Me too.”

He reached out, his fingers grazing my cheek. “I’ll let you go now.”

I nodded, and he walked away. Watching him get on the jet ski and look at me one final time before riding away, my chest tightened. Automatically, I started the ATV and headed for Channing’s house.

***

“So, you up for a couple of nights out on a real town?”

I glanced up, realizing I’d missed most of the conversation between Channing and the other two girls. “How do you mean?”

“My cousin is coming back soon to take me to spend the weekend with her in New Orleans. I can bring some friends.”

“You should come,” Celina piped up. “We always have a good time.”

“I’ll ask my aunt. When are you going?”

Channing flicked through channels with the remote. “Two weeks. Come on, let’s go downstairs and mix drinks before my parents get here.”

I followed them to the kitchen, then glanced out the window at the darkening sky. “I better get back. My aunt will freak if I’m out after dark. We’ve been having these hybrid wolf dogs at our house lately. She doesn’t want me out if they show up.”

The three girls stared at me.

“What! It’s true. I swear. I saw them.”

They started laughing. I shifted from one foot to the other. I’d have thought they might have seen them too. But it could be happening on our side of the lake only.

“You’re hilarious.” Channing said.

They were busy digging in the liquor cabinet when I headed to the door.

***

Louise and I approached the front of the very large and very beautiful house with its massive porches and decks surrounding all four sides. Another Friday night and another meal with the Sanfords and Brantons. In the end they weren’t so bad.

Mrs. Sanford let us in and informed me that Brynna was in her room, up the stairs, second door on the left. Then she and Aunt Louise stood there waiting for me to excitedly race away in that direction. I couldn’t think of a single excuse
not
to go, so I climbed the stairs, my feet dragging across every tread, praying Myles and his dad would hurry and get there so I wouldn’t have to deal with Brynna alone.

I tapped on the door and Brynna opened it. “Your mom said for me to come up.”

“Figures, I hate you got such a nasty sentence. Maybe you’ll get a parole soon.”

I ignored her because I didn’t have the energy to argue with the girl. Brynna’s room had a huge bed with posts that nearly touched the ceiling. I reminded myself that it really wasn’t hers at all. I wondered if the Sanfords had a real house of their own anywhere, or if they roamed from place to place with nowhere to call home. Maybe none of them did, not the Brantons or even my aunt. I’d never bothered to ask Louise if she owned her own home somewhere else.

Brynna had laid claim to this room by filling it with pictures of herself and her family and friends. I wandered around, looking at the framed images.

“So, your friends all look kind of normal.” I picked up one photo and waved it. “Where’s this taken?”

Brynna came over and took the photo from me, setting it back in place. “My friends are normal, unlike you. That was taken in Venice, Italy. I went there on a trip with my normal friends.”

“You mean your parents didn’t go?”

“They went, but we weren’t together all the time.” Brynna studied me for a minute. “As strange as it is to you, I don’t think adults are enemies I have to escape from.”

“I don’t think that.”

Brynna snorted. “Well you sure act that way.”

Did I? “You don’t understand because you’ve never been jerked away from your friends and your home and dropped off in some place you’ve never heard of.”

Brynna tilted her head and regarded me in silence. Obviously, to allow me time to figure out the idiocy of what I’d said.

“Okay, okay. So I guess you do know because you guys move all the time. Doesn’t that make you mad at your parents? Don’t you want to tell them to quit and stay put?”

“Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a home and stay there for years, but then there are fun things about moving. I’m sure I’d find things I didn’t like about staying in one spot. It’s the way my life is. In the end I wouldn’t change it.”

I turned away to look at the other pictures, lightly running a finger across the top of the frames as I studied each one. What kind of person didn’t want to change their life? Grudgingly, I did have to agree with some of Brynna’s reasoning. “I guess that’s true. There were times I was sick of living in Chicago and wanted to travel to other places or live somewhere else for awhile.”

“Right. If you’d quit being so pissed that your mom left you here with Louise, you might even have a good time.”

I really didn’t like it that Brynna actually made good sense. I didn’t want her to know, but the words popped past my lips anyway.

“You’re right, I guess.”

Brynna arched an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

I ignored her and continued my exploration. I passed Brynna’s closet door, and a couple of bright colors caught my eye. I paused in front of the half open door and fingered the silky fabric.

“That’s a dress I wore to a formal ball in England.” The other girl pushed the door wider and pulled the dress from the closet.

“It’s beautiful. You really do travel a lot, don’t you?”

Brynna nodded putting the dress back.

“My parent’s have friends in different countries.”

I didn’t respond because something behind the dress caught my eye.

“What’s this?” I ran my hand over the dark steel gray, almost black jacket and the gray stretchy shirt underneath it. The jacket was long and must have hung almost to Brynna’s ankles. Showing beneath the shirt was a pair of black pants.

“That’s something I wore to school, for a play.”

“A play, what were you, the night crawler?”

“Just a character, nothing important.”

Bryanna snapped the closet shut. I moved to the window and stared at the lake. Shadows lay on the water, broken only by a few wind blown ripples. In the yard, tree limbs sagged toward the ground, the moss seeming to weigh them down. I started to sit in the chair next to the window, but noticed something shiny at my feet. I pulled at a flat box with its lid askew, and it slid into view. Inside were a pair of glittering silver knives resting on a velvet covering. Knives might not have been the most accurate description. I’d always thought a sword was a long thing. These were mini swords. The entire thing couldn’t have been over a foot and a half long including the handles, which were made of swirling pieces that started at the top of the grip. When you held them, and of course I had to, your hand was nearly concealed. I tried to make out the design, but couldn’t.

“Hey, now these are too cool. What do you do with them?”

Brynna rushed over and pulled them away from me. “Where did you find those?”

“They were on the floor.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re extremely nosey?”

“Sure, all the time, has anyone ever told you that you’re extremely stingy with your stuff?”

Brynna didn’t answer right away but stared at the floor. Then her shoulders twitched. Her head came up and she was smiling.

“All the time, so at least we recognize our faults, huh? Here,” Brynna handed me the little swords back. “Be careful, they’re sharp. I take a class, kind of like martial arts. Anyway, I learn to use these in it.”

I stood and struck a pose with the swords in hand. “Cool. I’ve always wanted to take karate or something, but my mom didn’t want me to.” I spun around the room and stumbled on the rug. Brynna grabbed my shoulder to keep me upright.

“Maybe I should take these before you gut yourself with them.”

I watched her tuck the silver pieces into their box and slide it under the chair. “So, you’re good with those?”

“I do okay. Why?

“Just wondering.”

“You think maybe you’ll need me to help you fight off Channing if she realizes Eric is never going to date her because he’s much more interested in you.”

I stared at Brynna for a moment, then frowned and sat on the bed. “What makes you think there’s something between Eric and me?”

“Myles said he thought you two liked each other. I think he actually said ‘like at first sight’.”

“Myles talks too much.”

Brynna nodded. “That’s true. However, I did see Eric practically take you down at the party.”

I took a deep breath. “I think we both drank too much punch that night. Eric apologized the other day.”

Brynna’s eyes widened. “He apologized for mauling you at the party?”

I groaned. “He was not mauling me. And yes, he apologized. He said he felt bad for being too pushy and aggressive. Does that surprise you?”

The red head looked at the ceiling then at the floor as though concentrating before she spoke. “Nope, doesn’t surprise me at all, because he really likes you.”

Sitting on the bed, I scratched my finger on the comforter’s floral design. “I don’t know what to do. It’s kind of weird.” I stopped and picked up a pillow to hug.

“What’s weird?”

“Just that… You’re going to think this is ridiculous.”

“Probably, but I’ll still listen. I’m very good with ridiculous things.”

I sighed. “I’ll never hear the end of this, but I’ll tell you anyway.”

“Good, because you can’t say something like ‘it’s weird’ then not finish.”

“When I’m around Eric it’s like I’m… I don’t know, held by some kind of force field. If I try to move away I feel something’s pulling me back.”

“A force field?”

“See, I knew you’d think I was being strange.”

“I don’t think you’re being strange. If you say you feel a force field then you do.”

I hugged the pillow tighter. “Maybe force field is the wrong word.”

“Maybe you feel drawn to him, like a strong attraction.”

“That’s it, I think anyway. Have you ever felt that with a guy?”

Brynna snorted. “No, and I’m wondering if the whole force field thing is worth you doing battle with Channing. I’m sure if you dated him, she’d do everything possible to make your life miserable.”

“Eric said the same thing. I guess you’re right.”

“I’m definitely right.”

“I’m not so worried about her making my life miserable. It’s just not something I’d ever feel right doing. What kind of person would I be if I dated him knowing she’d had a thing for him for a long time?”

Brynna stared at me so long without speaking my skin crawled. “What?”

“I didn’t really expect that from you.”

“Why? You think I’d do anything to get what I want?”

The red head nodded. “Pretty much, yeah.”

I shook my head. “That’s not me.”

Brynna gave a little snort. “Then what in the world are you doing trying to be friends with Channing?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but no words appeared, so I leaned further back against the mound of pillows.

Beside me there was movement underneath one of the pillows. I stared at it and waited, wondering if a rat could be hiding beneath. The tassels on the corners swayed, and the pillow fell over. I leapt up.

“There’s something under there.”

Brynna dug under the pillows and slid out an alien like creature, which was possibly a cat on another planet, like Venus.

“I’m guessing that’s a cat, but it appears to have been experimented on by aliens who forgot to put the hair back on it.”

“It is a cat, dummy, and it‘s not supposed to have hair. His name is Kurt, after one of my favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut.”

I nodded and ran my hand over the cat’s soft fur, or maybe it was skin, or suede, which is what it felt like. I’d never heard of Kurt Vonnegut, likely not on the required reading list last year at my school.