Rush (Roam Series, Book Four) (14 page)

“You said you’d
stop
,” she wailed, breaking into panic-stricken tears. I stared at her open-mouthed, feeling like the shittiest shit on the face of the Earth.

“
I know- I’m sorry, I just-…,”

“I’m going home.” She burst to her feet, unsteady. I grabbed for her hand, but she wrenched it away, hurrying to the backyard where our books still littered the grass.

“Don’t walk. I’ll drive you-…,”

“I’m fine,” she attempted a brave smile, wiping at her tears with her fingertips. “I’ll be fine. I’ll just see you tomorrow, okay? Love you,” she added, reaching for an awkward half-hug.

“Love you too, Cam.”

I watched her walk down the road and turn at the stop sign toward her house, feeling like a complete and utter asshole.
You scared her, you dick.

Swearing, I flipped the mailbox open, gathering the two envelopes inside.
The top letter was from the high school and was addressed to me, so I ripped it open, scanning the words.

Madison High School baseball team… introducing the new coach…
I focused on the picture on the side of the paper, looking over his welcome letter.
I look forward to a winning season.

Sincerely,

West Perry.

The humid summer air stifled my ability to take a deep, calming breath.
West? What the fuck kind of name is that?

I stopped in midstride in the driveway, repeating his name in my mind.

Is that what Roam said? Did she really fucking say his name?

No. You’re acting like a jealous dickhead.
I crumpled the letter, satisfied as it hit the inside walls of the dumpster. All I’d heard about all week at lunch was Mr. Perry, the God of History. One week in, and I’d already had enough of Mr. History.

The problem was, I realized as the next few weeks progressed, I couldn’t
not
like Mr. Perry. He was cool, I admitted it, and Roam suddenly avoided talking about him, even in passing. I guessed it was Ally’s comment and the incident at lunch that doused whatever school-girl crush my girlfriend was having for him.

“I heard he has a
daughter
, and his wife
left
him because he had a big-boobed, blonde skank on the side who is now
living
with him. What an asshole.”

“Those are rumors, Ally-May
. Cruel. Stop spreading them.”

“Oh, untwist your panties, Ro.” She arched one eyebrow, offering me a speculative glance before turning back to her. “You may want to wring them out first.”

My eyes narrowed, and Roam’s fingers knotted together in tell-tale angst. “Mr. Perry is a wonderful teacher, and I’m sure he’s a good father. He talks about his daughter all the time. How he chooses to live his life is none of our business.”

“He’s fucking
hot
.” Ally declared.

“Mr. Perry and his-
hotness
- have nothing to do with the fact that you can’t stop gossiping!”

I saw him before they did, crossing behind our table just as Roam shouted her last statement.

He stopped, and she turned to him, and I could feel her mortification from across the table.

Mr. Perry kept his
disgustingly-perfect movie-star blue eyes on my girlfriend for way too long before looking my way. “Hi Logan. I wanted to tell you- there are job openings at
Strike
. Roam mentioned you were looking for a job.”

“Really?” I looked at Roam, who kept her eyes locked on her untouched lunch. “Hey, thanks.”

“Sure.” He nodded once before glancing at his watch. “Have a good day.”

“OMG he
totally
heard you.” Ally had the decency to blush.

Roam scowled at her, sweeping her lunch into her hands and marching to the trashcan.

Violet

“Are you on your way home?”

“Yes, I’m just leaving the school-…,”

“Mom is here. She’s pissed. Apparently she’s done talking on the phone.”

I glanced at my mother,
trying to give her a break. She had absolutely no idea about the prophecy, the castle, or the years she’d been held prisoner.

Somehow
, she had real memories of raising me for the past nine years, as though I hadn’t just spent my teenage life in and out of foster homes.

All she knew was the man who had left her with a four-month-old infant eighteen years ago was suddenly back in the picture, and I wanted to live with him.

“Tell him he’d better bring a lawyer.”

“Mom,” I covered the phone, trying desperately to keep the macaroni and cheese that I was making for Eva from sticking to the pan again. “Stop it.”

West must have heard her. “Tell her I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

He sounds tired.
“He’ll be here in ten minutes,” I repeated.

She nodded, lowering to a kitchen chair
next to the red-headed toddler. Eva was in the throes of the terrible threes, and launched into a tantrum as often as possible. I fully expected her to kick at my mom, but instead, she just pushed a crayon in her direction. “Color,” she ordered.

“I would love to color,”
Laurel exhaled slowly, as though trying to calm down. “So, where is
this
one’s mom? Did he leave her, too?”

I slammed the spatula down on the counter, glaring at my mother. “Please don’t. Just let the past go. Whatever his reasons were for leaving,
it happened. He’s
giving
you money. What else do you want?”

“I want answers, and I deserve them.”

He’s not going to be able to give you answers,
I thought, straining the water from the pan. A fresh pang of heartache tightened my chest, and I squeezed my eyes closed, trying not to think of Logan, and how I almost had him...

And how I lost him… again.

One moment, I was standing in the strange castle, surrounded by screams and gunshots as Logan rushed into the room, gathering me into his arms.

First,
I had felt his lips on mine…

A
nd then I felt the world fade away.

When I focused again, I was standing in the middle of West’s living room, holding Eva in my arms one Monday morning in August. I scrambled for my phone, powering it down twice before finally believing the date on the calendar app.

2012. Two and a half years in the past.

When the phone rang,
West’s voice was low and anxious. “Eva is there with you? You both remember?”

“I… I think so… what happened?”

“I’m standing in front of a classroom of seniors. Hold on.”

“Is Logan there? Roam?”

“She doesn’t remember.”

The realization that the three of us were the only ones who remembered what had happened was devastating. I just held Eva in my arms, crying until he called back.

The foster system had no record of my existence-
or
my juvenile record. My mom lived in West Virginia in the same house West had built years ago, believing that I just took off and left to go live with him after learning who he was.

It was as though Asher had created an entirely new life
for us…

And Logan wasn’t in it.

West walked in, and Eva dropped her crayons, running into his arms. “Hey, babe. Were you good for Vi today?”

“Daddy!
”

“You look the same. How do you look the same?” Laurel stood, and I hurried to West, reaching for Eva.

“Okay, let’s have some dinner. We’re going to let them talk grown-up stuff, okay?” I chatted, carrying her back to the table.

West loosened his tie, dropping his messenger bag by the front door. “Hi, Laurel.”

“Hi?” She moved to him slowly, crossing her arms over her chest. My mother was twenty-nine the day Troy abducted her and took her to the castle, and didn’t look a day over thirty. She believed
herself
to be thirty-eight years old. “Just ‘hi’?”

He gestured to the couch, and she rolled her eyes, taking a seat. I scraped the macaroni into a small, pink bowl, watching them carefully.

“Maybe we should go out on the porch and talk-…,”

“No,” she pointed in my general direction, and I froze. “This is about Violet. She’s almost an adult. This isn’t about you and me, it never was. This is about you owing her an explanation, and me being here to witness it.”

I was impressed with the cool control in her voice. I knew she could fly off the handle at any moment, but thankfully, she was keeping a check on her emotions- probably for Eva’s sake.

“We’ve talked, Mom.”

“Let’s hear it, then.” She sized him up from the couch with a shoulder shrug, tilting her head my way.

He moved to the couch, lowering to the space beside her. I watched him s
lide his arm over the back, leaning closer to her. “I’m sorry that I hurt you. I need you to hear me say that, and know how much I mean it.”

She opened her mouth for a moment, and then closed it, waiting.

“I’m sorry for a lot of things in my life, Laurel. If I was given another chance, the only thing I’d ever change is walking out on you… the way that I did.”

She lowered her eyes, and I knew h
e was having an effect on her.

“I want you to know that you and Violet will want for nothing for the rest of your lives, and I’ll make sure of that. I filed for the divorce; you only have to sign the papers. I love our daughter, and I intend to build a relationship with her now…
if it’s not too late.”

Her
intense blue eyes filled with tears, and she brushed a long curl from her forehead. “I hate what you did. To me. I loved you so goddamn much, West. I know… that I was sick, and I did… some things-…,”

“
Stop
.” He moved even closer, and I looked away, feeling like an intruder. Eva grabbed her cup and began to pour her milk into her macaroni, and I scolded her softly. She stuck her tongue out at me.

“I don’t want your money.” There she was- the pride in her voice gave me a second wind.
Go, Mom.
“I can’t help that she wants to stay here with you, and I can see that she and Eva are very close. Just tell me you love her, and that’s why you decided to put yourself in her life again. Don’t tell me you just need a fucking nanny.”

I clenched my teeth together, stalking to the couch. “I’m here because I want to be here, Mom.”

His eyes flashed from defensive to wounded. “I love you, Violet. I’ll hire a nanny if you feel-…,”

“
I never said
I feel like a nanny. Mom, tell him I didn’t say that.”

Laurel nodded once. “Those were my words, not hers,” she admitted.
She gestured toward the toddler at the table. “And Eva’s mother?” She fired bluntly. “Where is she?”

West kept his even stare. “She’s… gone.”

I knew immediately that my mom interpreted his words to mean that she had died. Cringing, she reached for his hand, and he let her take it. “I’m sorry. Damn it, Violet, you let me come in here like a raving lunatic.
Damn
it.”

“It’s over,” West squeezed her fingers in his, smiling up at me. “Now, we focus on moving forward. Violet has decided to do a home-school program for her senior year. Something about not wanting to go to the same high school her dad teaches at, I don’t know,” he teased, and I forced a
‘you-know-me’ laugh for my mother’s benefit.

“And college?”

“She has her pick,” West promised, turning toward Eva. “Now, I hope you understand… evenings are hectic around here. You’re welcome to stay, but I have to get Eva to eat some type of vegetable, give her a bath, and get her to bed.”

“No, I’m going.” She stood, and West walked her to the door. I let them speak privately on the front porch for a few minutes before my mother’s car backed out of the driveway.

When he stepped back in the house, I sighed. “I’m sorry-…,”

“Violet.” He removed his tie completely while gathering a couple
of random toys between the doorway and the living room. “Don’t ever apologize for my past. Come on, you need to eat, too.”

“Is she staying in a hotel…?”

“For tonight. We were talking about her moving to Ohio. If you’re staying, she wants to be here too.”

“I
wanna watch Mommy,” Eva pointed at the laptop, flicking her spoon to the floor. I scooped it up, knowing the battle about to ensue.

The videos of Roam that Eva had watched over and over were no longer, and the
kid was about to start screaming.

“Mommy was in a swimming race, and I can show you. But- you have to eat the carrots I make you first.”

“Yuck!”