Something Of A Kind (15 page)

He was mine for a few seconds. It was perfect.

The idea of leaving, maybe to never see Noah again, physically
hurt. She had felt longing swell in her chest. A sudden tightness
twisted in her lungs. Something knotted at the back of her throat. It
felt overwhelming to decide he was the best thing that had ever
happened to her – somewhere between silly and nonsensical – but at
that moment, she felt it.

She didn’t want to leave whatever it was she had found in
Ashland – Noah, the new beginning she’d wanted so badly. If she
left, he’d have disappeared without a trace before she could return.
Aly knew he had plans– something along the lines of finishing
school and skipping town. If his parents couldn’t track him, she
couldn’t imagine she would be able to. Even if they made
arrangements… he had only known her for a little while, barely a
summer fling. Yet she had been ready to organize her entire life
around him.

I still might be– that’s so crazy.

 

“You know, I think that’s considered battery.”

 

She shrugged. “It’s not like they threw me to the ground for
unlawful arrest. Maybe harassment?”

 

“Something, definitely. It doesn’t sound legal. Your dad isn’t
back yet?”

 

“No,” she smiled. “This sounds awful, but it’s been nice.”

“I don’t blame you.” His chestnut eyes shined, locking with hers.
His thumb brushed across her knuckles. Remembering the feeling of
his solid embrace, grounding her to the earth, Aly shivered. She had
held her breath, afraid he’d hear if she lost it.

Maybe it’s only a little crazy.

 

He squeezed her hand.

“Don’t worry. If my brother can weasel his way out of a full
-
blown DUI, some biologists forgetting to tag a trap shouldn’t be a
big deal.” He winced. She suppressed a laugh. It hadn’t come out
right, but she knew what he meant. “His company probably has
fancy lawyers from the city. I’ve never heard of a business have an
issue like that.”

“I think it’s an organization,” Aly replied, fighting a frown. She
jumped as the doors to her right flew open, two boys bustling in.
Noah steadied her. They both braced for his brothers to rush in.
Instead, Luke stumbled to catch his footing, Owen’s head thrown
back in laughter.

“Not cool, man.”

 

“You were looking through the window so hard, I thought I’d
help you find your way in.”

 

“I was not.”

 

“Not stalking?”

“Hey!” Noah yelled, motioning for them to calm down. They
shoved past each other, continuing to bicker, sounding irrationally
passiveaggressive. “I thought you girls ran for the hills when the
wood beast came running. I assumed you were still floating out
there.”

“Hello Alyson, the perfectly nice person who is not Noah who I
am ignoring,” Owen said, feigning some sort of accent, like a
Siberian who learned to speak English in the Outback. Aly waved
until they reached the table.

“I’m surprised you weren’t a meal,” Luke added. “I guess Old
Woody wasn’t hungry. Lucky-ducks, you two.”

 

“Yes, because you clearly didn’t survive,” Noah smirked.

 

“Got told off by my dad for it too.” Owen grimaced. “Because
I’m the idiot who actually asked an elder about it.”

“Really?” Aly leaned forward, eager to listen. Flushing, she
elbowed Noah’s ribs as he chuckled, watching her with a curious
expression. “And?”

“They like the ladies,” Luke offered, brow wiggling.

 

“Most tribes are very protective of women,” Noah informed.
“The beasts, or whatever, are believed to take interest in them.”

“Rolland said there
are legends were women and sasquatch
mated and stuff. The babies end up mentally disabled and grow too
fast. They never learn to speak or understand the language. Then
they die young or get kidnapped,” Owen explained.

“That’s horrible, but unlikely. It looked monkey-bearish, not like
a halfperson.”

 

“Monkey-bearish?” Luke snorted, sliding into the seat across
from them. Owen dropped in at his side.

“It’s probably an animal,” Aly disagreed. “But since you guys
are so afraid of the forest monster, I doubt we’ll ever figure that out.
My guess is bear. And hey, there are owls that sound like that too.”

“I am not!” Luke defended, a crimson clouding his cheeks.

 

“You ran out of there screaming like a girl.” Owen laughed, his
hands clutching his stomach as he released throaty laughs.

 

“You were no better!” Noah accused, exchanging a glance with
Aly. Beneath the table, her hand was locked with his.

 

When did that happen?

 

“Enough,” Luke said, palms falling to the table like the slap of a
gavel. “We were not scared of the imaginary forest gigolos.”

Mid-laugh, Owen furrowed his brow. He warned, his voice
losing a playful edge, “You shouldn’t talk like that. People around
here respect them, whether they’re real or not.”

“Not,” Luke corrected, rolling his eyes. He slumped against the
window, grumbling unintelligibly.

 

“You should go find one then,” Aly challenged. “You know,
since you’re not afraid or anything.”

 

Luke froze, countering, “Yeah right. You can’t find what’s not
real.”

 

Aly shook her head, dark waves brushing her face. She insisted,
“Sure you can.”

 

“That’s right,” Noah agreed, “I know we heard something.”

 

“Walk right up there, Detective No-Fear.” Owen nudged Luke’s
elbow. He blanched, turning to point an accusing finger.

 

“You were just as bad as me! You know what? I will. Because
unlike you, I wasn’t freaking out.”

 

Owen raised his palms in surrender. “I’m going, I’m going.”

 

Maybe I’ll get to the bottom of this whole thing with my dad.

 

Aly grinned, straightening in her seat. “Me too! I’m insanely
curious. You in?”

“I’d love to,” Noah smiled, holding her gaze. Feeling the onset
of a blush, she looked away. Shifting to stare out the window, she
hid behind the cover of curls, her hair falling across her eyes.
Wordlessly, Noah removed his hand from hers, sliding an arm
around her shoulder.

She held still, conscious of the heat at her back, the coolness
settling into her warmed fingers. He tucked a front lock behind her
ear, exposing her face. She glanced up. Owen and Luke were too
animated in conversation to notice. From their hands, gesturing and
pointing indignantly, it seemed they were content trying to one-up
each other’s bluff. Realizing she had burrowed into Noah’s embrace,
she straightened, swallowing hard. Aly waved to grab the boys’
attention, releasing a breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

“So are we doing this?”

 

“Definitely,” Owen confirmed, sticking a fist forward.

 

“Gentlemen and Aly,” Luke announced, punching Owen's
offered knuckles, “Challenge accepted.”

 

CHAPTER 10 | NOAH

 

Aly glanced atNoah, her expression unreadable. “Do you spell
your last name… unusually– or is it just…?”

 

He shrugged. “Not really. L-O-C-K-L-E-A-R. Pretty straightforward. Why?”

 

“Because my father’s being a jerky jerk,” she sighed.

Noah grinned, pleased she remembered his advice. They said it
in school as kids – life’s too short, jerks are too jerky. Most agreed
the dried meat was foul smelling, if not generally disgusting, an
unpleasant surprise dropped in their lunchbox. Cheap rations in offseason was a fact of life. When the tourists moved through the coast
midJuly and again in December, the town’s delicacies could shoot
past six bucks a slice plus flavored brine fees. There were always
mini-recessions when the vacationers dispersed. In those months, it
was the only protein available for seventy cents a pound.

The adults seemed to get into it, but then again, they also
enjoyed hard liquor and sports on cable that had never been played
in Ashland. As far as Noah was concerned, acquired tastes were the
small town’s thesis.

Aly sighed, slumping against the window. As Noah pulled into
the familiar parking lot, his peripheral nervously focused on Owen’s
uncalled-for tailgating. When they passed through shade cast across
the street with trees, a glare let up enough to see his friend had his
hands off the wheel more often than not.

It’s incredible he’s not crawling out of a ditch by now.

Unable to tell if they were singing or arguing, Noah risked a
glance at Aly. She looked like she was fighting tears. His brow
knitted in concern.

“Hey, is everything okay?” he asked. The pickup slowed to a
stop. He cut the ignition.

 

Aly lied, nodding. Climbing out of the truck, he sprinted to get
her door. She hugged herself, staring at the blinking cell in her lap.

She made an effort to avert her gaze as she unbuckled, ignoring
his concerned expression. Moving to wait
at the hood,
she
shuddered as she leaned back at his side. He cocked his head.
“Seriously, Aly, what’s wrong?”

Her face twisted. For a fleeting moment, he expected her to
brush him off. Wordlessly, she stuck out her hand, the screen open to
an instant messaging app.

Thunderbird02_PHD:
ALLISON, Y THE HELL IS MY SUV
@ LEEs?– GREG GLASS

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
Did
you really forget how to spell my
name?

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
AUTOCORRECT. ANSWER THE Q –
GREG GLASS

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
I was literally just at the diner.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
WHERE R U – GREG GLASS

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
Hiking. I’ll be back in a few hours.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
U CANT LEAVE IT THERE. – GREG
GLASS

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
Don’t you have the keys? I can get a ride if
you want it home.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD: I
DON’T GET BACK UNTIL MON.
MORNING– GREG GLASS

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
How do you even know about the SUV
then?

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
WORK FRIEND. WHO R U WITH?–
GREG GLASS

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
Noah Locklear and some friends.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
WHAT? Y?– GREG GLASS

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
If this is an interrogation, call me. This is a
lot of typing.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
BAD
TIME. ANSWER THE
Q –
GREG GLASS

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
BECAUSE I’M TRYING
TO BE A
NORMAL HUMAN BEING AND INTERACT WITH MY KIND.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
CAP
LOCKS
ALLISON. –
GREG
GLASS

 

Noah raised an eyebrow. Was that a scolding or an observation?

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
No, sarcasm.You can yell later. I’m going
now. – AUTOCORRECT ALYSON

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
ALYSON
MACKENZIE –
GREG
GLASS

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
Meanwhile, you can figure
explain the troopers.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
WHAT??– GREG GLASS
out how to

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
Officers, hunting
vendetta,
Familiar?

 

thug
tactics.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
WHAT DID U SAY 2 THEM?– GREG
GLASS

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
ANSWER THE Q – GREG GLASS

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
HOW
DARE
U
ALLISON
MACKENZIE – GREG GLASS

 

Austen-esque_Aly:
Nothing. I always say nothing.

 

Austen-esque_Aly is invisible.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
Message not delivered.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
Message not delivered.

 

Thunderbird02_PHD:
Message not delivered.

 

I know the feeling.

 

Noah winced sympathetically, offering it back. “Is he always
like that?”

“When he’s actually talking to me.” She shook her head, as
though it needed to be cleared. “On the bright side, a bigfoot might
show.”

“You know if you’re not up for it, this can wait.”

She shrugged, a forced smile tugging at her lips. “It was my
idea. Besides, if I went running to Mr. Grumptastic Overlord, he’d
havethe satisfaction I’m not feeling generous enough to offer.”

She gets it.

 

He smiled. “You’re a spitfire, you know that?”

“I’m surprised you do.” She smirked. As the beeping in her hand
continued, she shut it off, sliding the phone into the back pocket of
her shorts. “Well, it was nice while it lasted.”

“What’s that?” He frowned.

 

“Greg leaving me alone, not constantly making demands,” she
sighed.

 

“At least he’s not back just yet,” Noah offered, waving as Owen
U-turned across three spaces.

 

What is wrong with that kid? He’s going to get himself killed.

“But he’s watching from afar,” Aly noted, seeming troubled as
she watched Luke jumped out of the vehicle. Owen reached across
the seat, slamming the door shut before attempting to correct his
parking. Laughing, she added, “That sounds so creepy.”

“And you were worried about the troopers stalking you,” he
teased.

“You know what? It is creepy. There’s something wrong with
that man. I’ve always known that, of course.” She groaned, burying
her face in her hands. “What was my mother thinking? Greg is
insane.”

Noah chewed his cheek, unsure how to respond. The last time he
had asked about the pretty woman from the photograph, Aly seemed
hurt. He wasn’t sure how to comfort or evade, or which would be
better.

“Sorry,”
she apologized, frowning. Aly waved, as though it
could fan the comment from the air. “I didn’t mean to drag an
elephant in.”