Time's Daughter (19 page)

“
No? We stopped for gas before we
crossed the border back. The station looked open because the lights
were on but there was no one to take our money. We tried a
convenience store up the street but it was the same. Same goes for
the restaurants—lights were on but nobody was home.”

“
Hmm. Maybe they close up on
Sundays. Do you remember the name of the town?”

“
Nah. Peter might know. Or James—he
was driving. We got the hell out of there because we saw some huge
dark thing in the shadows. Thought maybe it was a bear.”

He’d used another cameraman’s name as if I’d know
who it was. I didn’t question him on it because I’d spotted another
angle for a photo that might trump all of my others. With photo
paper in hand I waved to Guy, stepped into the round door and
disappeared into the darkness of the darkroom.

It was crowded with four of us working in the dim
red light. I took my time setting up the print in the enlarger on
the far wall because the trays already had photos in each. One by
one the photos were moved down the row until they were in the
rinse.

“
I don’t think I have time to do
another print,” a classmate told her friend.

“
Me either. This sucks.” Their
voices faded as they went out the door. “We only have a few days to
finish…”

The door quieted. Footsteps padded toward me. I knew
what I’d find when I looked but still I slowly turned my head
toward him. Alex stood at my arm with his face in shadow. He leaned
in, sending his lovely scent into my nose as he neared. I didn’t
dare breath while his lips hovered over mine. He feathered them
along my mouth before settling in for a nice kiss.

Alex drew back. “I’ve been waiting thirty five hours
to do that again.”

I broke into a stupid smile. “And I’ve been thinking
about the last time for that long.”

His arms slid around me, pulling me close. I hadn’t
realized I was cold until he warmed me up. I rested my head against
his chest and put my arms around him too. He smelled like a
wood-burning stove and like the wild at the same time. I memorized
the scent and the feel of his back beneath my fingertips.

It was surreal
. A stranger stood before me
and yet I’d never felt so at ease. The door squeaked, alerting us
seconds before someone would interrupt. Alex jerked away. I almost
pulled him back to me. He must have had the same idea because he
stole a kiss before heading back to the trays where his prints
awaited.

I exposed my photo paper for seven seconds then
dropped my print in the developer solution before I’d have to fight
for the trays. Alex moved to the enlargers for a second photo. We
worked in silence while our classmate chattered on a cellphone.

With our photos rinsing we returned to the light
seconds before the bell rang. Alex hovered near me even though we
were going to different classes. He snatched my hand up as we
walked next door then begrudgingly gave it up so I could go into my
drawing class. Yet another kiss was deposited before he left.

Every time he kissed me felt nicer. What would it
feel like in a
week
?

I couldn’t wait to find out!

Stan waved a new CD near
my drawing table. My face brightened even more than it had been. I
dropped my things down and grabbed it.

“
Oh, awesome! More Elbow,” I said a
little too vibrantly. “I could kiss you for this.”

“
My girlfriend might have a problem
with that,” Stan drawled.

“
So would my boyfriend.”

He pulled his head back as if he needed the extra
space to fully see my face. “The Still has a boyfriend?”

I blushed upon thinking of Alex. “Yeah.” It was
still too unreal to believe he’d asked me to be his girlfriend.

“
Good for him.”

The answer made me laugh because he hadn’t said good
for
you
.

“
Thanks again, Stan.” I shook the CD
at him. “I can’t wait to listen.”

We started our figure study section in drawing class
now that we’d finished with still life. Stan was picked to be our
model today. I did a few preliminary sketches in my sketchbook to
get the composition right then began on the larger paper. Stan had
such a unique look that it was a treat to draw him. I took care
with his features, making sure his personality came through on the
paper.

Stan peeked at my drawing as I stowed it in the
racks. “It’s like a mirror, Still,” He chuckled. “You even got that
humorous gleam in my eye.”

I followed him to the door. “The arrogant gleam you
mean?”

“
You say arrogance, I say humor.
Later, Still.”

He waved genially but my eyes weren’t on him. They
were on the dark-eyed person standing across the hall. Alex looked
furious. I swallowed a lump and wondered if I’d unknowingly used a
new power that had angered his family.

He strode stiffly beside me as we walked to the gym.
His attention was on Stan’s disappearing figure. “Who was that?”
His cool tone didn’t easy my trepidation any.

“
Stan.”

“
And why ‘could you kiss’
Stan?”

I burst into nervous laughter. He’d heard me at the
beginning
of my art class. Alex’s dark expression didn’t
lighten.

“
He’s my music buddy,” I said. “He’d
just given me a new CD.”

Alex pointed to the open page of my sketchbook where
the two hasty drawings of Stan were visible. “Do you sketch
pictures of all your music buddies and tell them you could kiss
them?”

A cool chill wound its way up my spine because he
was really upset and I’d already seen what he was capable of doing.
“He was our model for figure study class today,” I said. “I was
kidding about kissing him. Apparently you didn’t hear where I told
him about my boyfriend.”

“
I forced myself to leave after I
heard that,” he said with a growling voice.

“
Ordinarily I never would have said
something like that but I guess I was stupid giddy because of my
really good mood.” I glanced at him surreptitiously. He was still
scowling. “Aww, is le chat jealous of my music buddy?”

“
Apparently so,” he said with a
pettish grumble. He’d nearly thawed back to the Alex I
knew.

I leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek to
send the remaining ice away. “You’re the only one I want to
kiss.”

He blinked lazily and then allowed his lips to
spread into his smile.

“
That’s better.” I smiled
back.

Alex took my hand and squeezed it then refused to
let it go until we’d reached the locker room doors. I waved goodbye
to Guy and went inside. Alex waited for me at the door before
class, took my hand again and kept it until the game of basketball
started.

Basketball wasn’t Alex’s best sport but he wasn’t
awful at it like me. Catching the ball was easy for him but his aim
left much to be desired.

It was nice to finally find something he didn’t
excel at. Maybe he wasn’t quite so perfect after all.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Alex waited for me at
the locker room door after gym class. I’d taken longer than usual
to get changed because I was concerned about my appearance. Family
was important to him. I wanted to be as impressive as a former
enemy could be.

He cornered me at his car door in the student
parking lot for another quick kiss before Peter caught up with us.
I blushed and hoped I never got used to his kisses.

Alex held out his palm. “So let’s hear what this
music buddy of yours gave you.”

I handed the CD over, praying Stan hadn’t
unknowingly loaded it up with love songs. It started out with
another lively song that wasn’t about love at all. I settled back
in my seat in relief then remembered where we were going. The
relief was short lived.

Alex spoke after three songs. “His taste isn’t bad.
But you just got a rival for your music buddy. I’ll be making you a
CD later.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Awesome. The more music
the better.”

“
You’re going to be sorry you said
that, mute girl,” he chided playfully.

“
I highly doubt it, le
chat.”

We both heard Peter’s chuckle in the back seat.

I kept the conversation going. “I noticed we left
the town behind about two minutes ago. Where are we going?” I sort
of knew where we were going but it had been dark and I had been in
fear the first time I’d “visited” his family.

“
North Junction Lake.”

“
Wow, the lake.” My tone was a
little disgusted. “Let me guess, your family has one of those
pricey massive mansions on the waterfront?”

“
Mansion? No.” Alex let out a light
chuckle. “But there are nine of us so it can’t be a
cottage.”

“
What do your parents do for a
living anyway?”

Alex glanced at me as if to gauge my mood. “My
father used to own a construction company. But he’s gotten more
specific. Now he installs full electrical systems in homes.”

My eyes crinkled in confusion. “Don’t most houses
already have electric?”

He bobbed his head. “Yes, this is different. He
installs automation systems. The kind where the lights, heating,
cooling, stereo and appliances are all connected to a computer
system.”

“
Why would anyone want
that?”

“
I guess it saves money.” He
shrugged without looking away from the road.

“
So they pay a bunch of money to
save money?”

He chuckled at my disgusted question. “Yeah. Sounds
weird, doesn’t it?”

With a roll of my eyes he wouldn’t see I replied,
“I’ll never understand people who have too much money.”

“
Maybe one day you’ll have too much
money.”

I snorted. “Highly unlikely.”

Alex turned onto a rockier road then brought the
subject back to my original question. “My mom is an interior
designer.”

“
Like on Trading Spaces?” It was the
only thing I knew about interior design so I latched onto
it.

Alex gave another bob of his head. “Yeah, like
that.”

“
Cool. The things those people do
always look so nice after.”

“
My brother and uncles work for my
father. My aunt works with my mom. Often my father’s clients will
hire Mom to decorate as well and vice versa. So the whole family
works together most of the time.”

“
And they all get along?”

“
Most of the time.”

I shook my head in awe. “That’s wild.”

The rockier road turned into a dirt road. We’d moved
in a slight incline for at least a mile. The tree cover was thicker
here than back before we’d turned. No doubt we were getting close.
My unease grew at an exponential rate. Alex switched hands on the
steering wheel so he could grasp mine. The reassuring squeeze of
his fingers over mine helped a tiny bit.

“
It will be fine.” He glanced at me
and gave me his best smile. “I promise. Just give them a
chance.”

“
I’m more worried that they won’t
give
me
one.”

“
They will. They know how important
it is to me.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. I wasn’t even
sure what it meant.

Alex slowed his car and then took a left onto a
narrow drive. I remembered enough to know we were almost there. I
clenched my fingers without realizing it. He clenched back.

“
Tomorrow you’ll wonder why you’d
been so worried.” Alex shot me a grin. “And you’ll beg me to bring
you back.”

Because I had to ruin everything, I snarked,
“Tomorrow I’ll be stocking shelves and folding t-shirts while my
boss angers the few customers we have. The only thing I’ll be
begging for is a fifteen minute break so I can eat dinner.”

The grin faded but Alex said nothing. I stared out
the window of his car at the steadily approaching lights on the
front porch and wondered why I’d had to ruin the moment. Then I
remembered why. It was impossible not to recall that those very
lights had been the spotlights on a supernatural transformation I’d
never forget.

I was insane! Was I actually coming back here?
They’d kidnapped me and had definitely seemed like they were going
to kill me. Now I was dating their son?

The front of the house was immaculate with timber
accents, spiral evergreens, colorful mums and holly. Best of all,
the big black van was missing. Alex drove his Chevy around the side
of the house to his parking spot in the large garage that sat
partially behind the house. It was then that I saw he’d lied. They
did live in one of the pricey mansions on the lake complete with a
private dock and motorboat.

Alex came around to help me out while Peter
struggled to get out in the small space with his camera. He
gestured to the house and spoke for the cameraman’s benefit. “The
whole place is wired up so you can go ahead and take off.”

“
But sometimes they go
haywire—”

“
I’m sure it will be fine tonight,”
Alex said with a slight edge to his voice.

“
Oh, okay,” Peter lowered the camera
dutifully and “took off” as suggested.

I stared after him. My last remaining ally had
left.

I faced forward and found Alex staring at me. His
attention darted across my face as though looking for a sign.

He must have gotten it because he took a step
forward in an already cramped space. With deliberate care he lifted
his hands to my face, pushing the hair beside my cheeks away before
he took hold of them. The feather touch against my hair drew a
shiver. Our eyes locked. I didn’t dare to breathe. Up close, even
in the dimming light, Alex had never looked better.