Perigee Moon (10 page)

“What’s your last name?” I finally asked, feeling like that was the most basic place to start.

“Foster.” He didn’t break his gaze away from the gentle push and pull of the water.

“And your middle name?”

He grinned and glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “William.”

“Alex William Foster,” I said, feeling something tugging at my memory that I couldn’t place. My mind was too fuzzy when I was near him.

“And you?” he asked, intrigued now.

“Rowan Melody Bliss.”

He smiled and nodded. “Beautiful,” he murmured as he glanced back out to the water.

I looked down at my hand, half buried in the sand. I remembered how awkward and cold Tyler’s hand had felt around mine, how wonderfully different Alex’s had felt. I frowned as I looked at how his hands were folded in his lap almost protectively. It reminded me of the way I had been guarding myself against Tyler last night.

“What’s your favorite color?” I asked.

He rested his wrist on his knee and traced the horizon with his fingertip. The sky seemed to catch fire against his touch, burning up with a lavender and tangerine sunburst of color. “Is sunset a color?” I twisted the bands around my wrists thinking about the scars under them. How I’d labeled them that exact color so many times, trying to make them into something they would never be…beautiful.

“Yes. Definitely a color.”

“Then sunset.” He nodded appreciatively. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Why do you always wear those?” He ran a finger along the gold lace pattern of my armband and I tensed. “Sentimental value?”

“Something like that.” I tucked my hands back down by my sides.

“How do you drink your coffee?” I said to change the subject. He didn’t quite look satisfied with my answer but he let it go.

“I don’t drink coffee.”

I scrunched my nose up as I remembered the first and only time I had tasted it. “Me neither. I’m a hot chocolate kind of girl.”

He stared back at me, anticipating my next question but I stalled, trying to decide what to ask next. I wanted to know so much. Did he prefer waffles or pancakes? What was his favorite song? What was his favorite book? But more than that I really wanted to know who he was. Why he was so resistant to know me.

“What’s your family like?” I finally decided to ask.

His eyes tightened and went dark. “I don’t have one anymore. Just my Aunt and she… well she is very set in her ways. She took me in when no one else would. I suppose in a way I owe her my life.”

I held my breath waiting for him to go on but he didn’t.

“What happened to your parents?”

“My father died of small pox a little more than a year ago and my mother…” He paused like he was struggling with the words. “My mother was murdered,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Oh my God. Alex I’m so sorry.” I felt horrible and stupid for bringing it up. No wonder he was so guarded with his past.

“It’s alright.” He gave me a weak smile and slipped his hand into the sand to cover mine. I shivered as the warmth shot up my arm, causing me to tingle from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

“Are you cold?” he said, his face furrowed with concern as he inspected the way I was shaking. His shoulders were arched towards me like a set of wings and his fingers curled tight around my hand. He seemed so familiar in that moment. Like I’d known him for a lifetime.

“No.” My cheeks flushed bright red with the admission.

He smiled to himself and released my hand. It suddenly felt naked and alone there in the sand without his to warm it.

“Would you like to swim?” he asked staring out towards the water.

I glanced down at my clothes. “I don’t have a bathing suit.” I didn’t know what he was proposing but my face went hot as the possibilities ran through my mind.

He laughed as if his thoughts were in tune with mine.

“You know, where I’m from women wear more than you are right now to swim.”

“And where exactly is that?” I asked, starting to believe he might actually belong to an Amish community.

“Never mind.” He stood up. Peeled off his shirt and a chain from around his neck and tossed them to the sand beside me. He kicked off his shoes. I couldn’t remember how to breathe let alone force my limbs to function. The sunset painted a honey glow across his bare skin. I couldn’t stop staring. The hard sheet of strength beneath his chest, the sharp slope of his shoulders, the irresistibly curious sapphire glow in his eyes. I’d never wanted to touch a boy as I wanted to touch Alex in that moment. He looked puzzled as he stared back at me. “Are you coming?”

I nodded, embarrassed and half expecting him to tell me to take a picture it will last longer.

I stood up and followed him, leaving my sandals in the sand. I stopped when the water rushed over my toes.

“What’s wrong?” he said. He was already up to his waist in the chilly surf.

“It’s cold.” I flinched back as the tide rushed in and buried my ankles in the water. Really cold.

He laughed and waded back to the shore until he was in front of me. He grabbed my hand and started to pull me out. I closed my eyes and held back a squeal as the icy water lapped against my stomach and then my chest. He laughed again as he stopped and inspected my face.

“Are you okay?”

I opened my eyes and forced a smile. I was already going numb so it didn’t bother me as much now. “I’m fine.”

No sooner had the words left my mouth and it happened. My entire life could pass and I was certain that I’d never be able to explain it, but there it was. A flash of silvery smoke appeared before me, dancing on the water, a face emerging through the midst. Its iridescent lips opened, mouthing something to me. Something I would never hear because just then, the sand gave way beneath me. Panic and terror swept through my body like fire. My hands flew out in front of me searching for something to grab onto but all they found was air and more water. My head plunged under the waves and I kicked to try to get back to the surface. I had never been the best swimmer, always choosing to lounge on a floating inflatable bed in Bevin’s pool rather than swim laps like she did. I couldn’t find the sand beneath my feet. I couldn’t get to the air above my head. I panicked. I kicked and flailed but that’s when I realized that there was something around my ankle. All I could envision was the silvery face above the water, it’s fingers locking me there under the sea, waiting until the last of my air supply ran out. But when I felt the tough slimy texture I realized it was seaweed. Jerking my foot I expected it to break free but it refused to release me, winding tighter around my skin. I wanted to scream but I was running out of air. I tried to remember if Alex had seen me. Had he already swam away? Before I could think about it anymore a pair of arms were around my waist tugging at me. We both stayed stationary at first but when he pulled a second time the seaweed around my ankle snapped in two.

My face broke through the surface and I gasped for breath. Coughing and sputtering I sucked in a lung-full of the wet briny air around me, thankful when I could feel the sand under my feet again. I wiggled my toes in it and glanced around. We were still in the water but it was only high enough to lap against my waist now.

“Did you see it?” I sputtered, my eyes darting around the bay like a crazy person. I had seen it. Hadn’t I? I mean I knew I wasn’t exactly the picture of sanity lately, but I wasn’t completely crazy. I didn’t have hallucinations.

“See what? Rowan? Are you alright?” Alex’s fingers were wrapped around my shoulders almost shaking me. His eyes were wild and panicked. I could barely register what had just happened to me when I looked at him. His wet black hair was dripping and disheveled, hanging into his eyes. Beads of water were rolling down the smooth muscular lines of his chest. And his eyes looked like tiny oceans glistening in the sun. I reached out and placed my hand against his bare stomach without thinking. Maybe I hadn’t seen it. Even if I did…could I tell him? Would he think I was crazy? I couldn’t risk it.

“Rowan?” he said again. His voice was shaking.

“I’m okay,” I said. My throat felt raw and my voice sounded scratchy. I pressed each of my fingertips into his skin just as I had in my dream, praying that I wouldn’t wake up from this one. I looked up and his lips were parted, his eyes full of longing. My heart beat wildly as he let his hands slip down from my shoulders and come to a rest around my waist. He clutched at the white saturated fabric around my hips and pulled me forward until my chest was pumping against his. It reminded me of the waves I’d been watching earlier, the way our breaths were a steady push and pull of raw emotion. I stretched up onto my toes so that I could reach his lips, and let my hand inch up his chest. Alex grabbed my wrists.

“You need to get dry.” He swallowed, looking me over. “You’ll get sick.”

I blinked water drops away from my eyes. “O-okay.”

I let Alex lead me back up onto the beach, still shaking, wanting something he obviously wasn’t ready to give. He leaned over and grabbed his shirt and slid it over his head. The chain I dimly remembered him taking off fell into the sand. I picked it up, about to hand it to him, but when my fingers closed around the cold metal chain, I stopped. I slipped the chain around my fingers and let the charm fall into my palm. I had to blink away the shock. It was just like the necklace that was around my neck. Just like the one in my dream. I felt dizzy as the memory came rushing back to me.

“What is it?” he said, sinking down onto his knees beside me. I flipped the charm over to look at the markings on the back. They were the same too.

“I have a necklace just like this,” I said.

He leaned away and pulled it out of my hand. “I seriously doubt that. My mother made me this. It’s one of a kind.” He looked at it and slipped it over his head

“No really,” I said, pulling the chain out of my shirt and standing on my knees. “Look.”

He wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me closer. I inhaled sharply, tasting salt and sand. Alex raised his brow at me and gave me a half smile. He pinched my necklace between his fingers and brought it close to his face, flipping it over to inspect the back like I had. His fingers loosened around my waist and his face turned white.

“What’s wrong?”

“Where did you get this?” He sounded dumbfounded.

“I found it under a floorboard in my grandparent’s house. It was with an old book. Grams said it was a grimoire from the 1600’s,” I said, my voice trailing off into a whisper as I watched the look on his face harden. He let the cold jade charm fall against my chest and released me from his grip. I looked up, stunned. He was already standing, trudging across the sand.

“Alex?” I called after him but he wouldn’t turn around or even acknowledge me. I scrambled to get to my feet.

I glanced down when a breeze blasted across my wet clothes. My teeth were chattering and I felt like a drowned rat. My white shirt was soaked and plastered against my body as were my denim shorts, but at least you couldn’t see through them. I folded my arms across my chest self consciously to shield the view of my now translucent top.

“Where are you going?” I said. I wasn’t in the mood for one of his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde routines. Not after what I had just been through.

He stopped and turned to face me, his eyes widening as they drifted over my dripping wet body. Finally a normal boy reaction.

“I…I have to go,” he said, tearing his eyes away from me.

“Well did you forget that I drove you here?” I pulled my keys out of my pocket, thankful they hadn’t washed away when I nearly drowned.

He nodded and followed me up the beach and towards the car.

“Do you want to come in?” I asked, feeling the hopelessness in my voice as I coasted into my grandparent’s driveway. I knew he wouldn’t want to.

He didn’t answer right away, but when I sighed and popped my door open he grabbed my arm. I glanced down at the water pooling in my seat. Great. Grandpa was going to kill me for ruining these seats.

“You said there was a book. With the necklace you found.”

I stared back at him.

“Yes.”

“Do you still have it?” he said. He looked worried.

“Yeah. It’s upstairs. Do you want to see it?”