"Through your embrace you speak a thousand words, without ever saying one." ~Unknown
~~~
My fingers drummed along the side of the couch. I licked the tip of my teeth. Seriously?
“And I asked him to sit down so I may examine his crotch area…”
I held my breath, irritated. Dr. Evans was a tall man with neatly combed gray hair and oversized spectacles. He was old, but appeared younger.
Dianne broke into a fit of laughter. “Did he really?”
“Quite so, I couldn’t stop staring,” he chuckled.
Blocking out their conversation, I turned to Olivia who was gawking at her Grandfather, Dr. George Evans, in complete astonishment.
“Gran-daddy, please!” she hissed. Olivia hovered over her seat, only one more crude comment and she’d pounce on her Grandfather.
Dr. Evans cocked a bushy gray brow, securing his thin rectangular glasses on his crocked, lumpy nose. His vibrant hazel eyes had as many wrinkles as he had stories, ones I didn’t want to hear.
“Olivia, it’s quite alright. I love your Grandfather’s stories,” Dianne answered, seeming livelier than usual.
Unable to take hold of the torture, I got up. Dianne flashed me a concerned look.
“Lucas, something wrong?” she asked, cupping her hands together on her lap. She was dressed up today in a brown knee-length skirt and colorful top with matching jewelry.
“I’d like some fresh air.” I looked at Olivia. “Care to join me?”
Olivia, who was still eyeballing her Grandfather, suddenly jumped up and nodded. “Yes!” Together we quickly left the living room to Dianne and Dr. Evans to tell all the disturbing patient stories that they wanted.
Pushing the back door open and stepping onto the cool patio, I let out a long sigh of relief, like a prisoner tasting freedom.
“God, I hate my Gran-daddy,” Olivia moaned, stretching her hands over her head as though reaching for the stars.
“He’s odd,” I stated bluntly.
We were silent for a moment, listening to the chirping crickets and the wind’s howl. The frosty air nipped at my hairs, straightening them behind my neck.
Olivia leaned on the door with her arms crossed. Her blonde strands were tied in a bun and she wore jeans, a tight yellow shirt with the words, ‘come get this’ written underneath a cupcake and a pair of wedges. “So, I guess Liliah really went to that party, huh?” she asked, looking up at the patio lantern.
Surprisingly, Olivia hadn’t gone to Chase whatever’s party. She was here, with me, Dianne and her Grandfather, listening to yesterday’s jokes.
“She must be having fun,” I muttered, bitterly. “I’m actually quite astounded that you’re here instead of there.”
She laughed. “I hope Liliah will be okay, though. Chase’s parties always have alcohol and drugs, partially the reason why I stopped going to them. I mean, they’re always the same. You party, dance, get drunk and wake up in one of Chase’s unoccupied rooms with a half naked guy next to you.”
I snapped my eyes to her.
Reading me, she answered, “Well, that’s what happened to me before, not like it’ll happen to Liliah. She’s not that stupid.”
But Olivia was that stupid and Liliah was only a fraction smarter than her. Plus, Liliah was with Hunter. The wise-ass might even get high and decide to do something…What if Liliah was drugged? What if something really bad happened to her? I couldn’t just sit here and let it pass by. Gripping the rail along the patio, I shook my head. What was I thinking? That couldn’t possibly happen; I had gone overboard with the thought. Liliah would be fine, I told myself, just fine.
“Olivia,” I called. “Hunter has a thing a Liliah, doesn’t he?”
She was taken aback by my sudden question. “Well…” She shifted uneasily. “Everyone knows that. I think it’s just one sided love on Hunter’s part. Liliah’s never really noticed him before,” she paused, “why?”
“Do you think we should stop by Chase’s house?” I knew I shouldn’t have said that, but Hunter made me uneasy as did that party.
She blinked. “Huh?”
“I’ve never been to party…it sounds fun,” I lied, clicking my tongue.
There was a smirk on her lips. “Well, we might have to change that.” She reached into her jeans and pulled out a ring of keys. They shined and dangled between her fingertips. “Let’s try to get back before dinner.”
“What about Dianne? Your Grandfather?”
She rolled her eyes. “Gran-daddy will kill us. He doesn’t like people who leave in the middle of something. Anyways, do you want to listen to more of his jokes?” she challenged.
I wasn’t ready to receive death in the hands of Dr. Evans. “Alright,” I replied.
We tip-toed around the backyard and turned on the engine of Olivia’s red Chevy Cobalt. As she swerved the corner of the road, my mind raced with probable scenarios. The rolled down windows only accelerated my heart’s beating. I’m just going to take a look. To make sure it’s safe, I assured myself.
Trying hard not to think about anything, I raised my gaze towards the bleak sky. Chilly winds ruffled my hair and I glanced back at Olivia who was driving with lips pressed in a line.
“There’s something I have to tell you,” she said, catching my gaze from the corner of her eye. “Hunter thinks there’s more to you two than what it seems. I don’t know whether that’s true or not but he’s serious about it and he believes it as much as a religious man believes his god. And if he thinks Liliah feels the same way or something, I don’t know what he’ll do at this party. What if he has some sort of agenda? Honestly, I would have gone with her, to keep an eye out but I thought I was just crazy. I mean, it’s Hunter. He’s head over heels for Liliah, so why would he hurt her? But his obsession for her…that’s what I’m afraid of.”
Narrowing my eyes, I growled, “Why didn’t you tell me this before? Jesus, Olivia, what if that bastard does something to Liliah?” All hell broke loose inside my head. What did she mean? Was Hunter some sort of…I couldn’t even name it.
“What are the chances?” she snapped back.
“One drink can turn a righteous man into a rogue! And there are plenty of drinks at this party, he’s capable of everything,” I snarled. “Do you even have a brain? You said so yourself, you woke up with another guy next to you.” The thought of Liliah in the same situation almost made me puke.
She gawked, stomping on the brakes as we neared a red light. The sudden halt send me forward with a grunt.
“Oh my god! Why are you freaking out?” she yelled, turning her torso. She threw a hand up. “It’s just a party! I was wasted last year, totally knocked out of my league and the likelihood that the same thing will happen to Liliah is slim.” Her hand slapped the wheel. The rusted car behind us honked and Olivia pushed the car forward again. I jolted back into the seat, feeling my stomach flatten. “Just chill out, okay?”
I sucked in a breath, I had to chill. Seriously, I was acting like a psychotic chick. She was right; there was no big reason to get worked up about this. As much as I disliked Hunter, the probability of him not doing something outweighed him doing something. Why was I getting so worked up for?
We rode in next to a large white brick house. The building spoke of riches unknown to the middle class citizens and its vibrant lights made the cool house stand out against its neighbors.
“Come on,” I said to Olivia, opening the car door after she parked near the curb.
“Maybe I should just patrol the area,” she suggested. “In case they’re outside.”
“I don’t know anyone in there, come on,” I repeated before slamming the door shut.
She muttered to herself as we walked towards the front door. It was massive, encrusted with little snowflake-like symbols and bore no welcome mat. There were a few cheers and screams on the distant lawn which belonged to underage drinkers and tipsy girls.
Olivia pushed the door open and we walked in, greeting the loud rap music and echoing voices. Without wasting a second, we charged into the vast living room, our eyes in search of Liliah and Hunter.
I pushed past a few girls. They reeked of hard liquor and bubble gum, flaunting their skin like a trophy. Purposely, they touched my chest and tried to pull me into a dance with giggles. I shut them up with a hard glare.
Turning around, I knocked into a body. He was an auburn haired boy with sapphire eyes. Giving me a scowl, he opened his mouth to say something. I felt a hand on my arm as Olivia found me in the thicket of dancing bodies.
“Luke, I asked a few people and they haven’t seen her,” she shouted over the loud music. Her gaze turned to the boy and froze. “Chase…”
My attention pulled back to Chase and the smug smile that pushed on his lips. “Well, well, Olivia. I’m glad you could make it to my bash.”
She sneered, “I’m not here for you, jackass. Where’s Liliah?” Her chin pointed up as a frail attempt to look stronger.
“Don’t tell me you’re still angry about last year? You can’t still be blaming me for that,” he scoffed.
That’s when I figured it out. Why Olivia decided to come to my house with her Grandfather. Why she refused to attend this party and why she told me would patrol the area instead of going inside. She was afraid to meet him, Chase, the boy she woke up with last year at this same Homecoming bash.
Olivia’s gaze hardened and she stomped up to him, her fist catching hold of his collar. “Tell me where the hell Liliah is or I’ll kick your little ass right here.”
“Wow, I’m so scared of the flimsy cheerleader,” he muttered sarcastically.
“Tell me,” Olivia growled again.
“Why are you so curious?”
Annoyed, I gently pushed Olivia aside and took her place. My fist tangled with the already crumpled shirt. “Tell me where Liliah is.” My nose crinkled in disgust.
Chase lifted a fuzzy brow. “And who the hell are you?” he asked, sounding not one bit afraid.
“I’m the one who’s going to going to rip that smile off your lips if you don’t tell me where she is. What do you gain in keeping her location a secret, anyway? Are you really willing to take a punch for her?” I asked, haughtily.
Licking his lips with a short laugh, he closed his eyes. “Alright, alright. I’ll tell you, let go of my shirt first.” I released my hold and shoved him back. Seriously, if he kept playing these petty games with people for entertainment, he was going to get hurt one day. Straightening himself out, he puffed out a breath. “I met the new couple an hour ago. Give Hunter my congratulations again; it’s nice to see him finally have a girlfriend.” From the looks of it, Chase didn’t look drunk, in fact, he seemed oddly normal for someone who was throwing a party.
Olivia gasped. “What? She’s not going out with Hunter!”
Chase shrugged. “That what they said. Anyway, they’re not here right now, I caught them leaving ten minutes ago.”
I felt my stomach flip at the mention of them being a couple. Why were these things making me so upset?
“Luke, let’s go,” Olivia said, turning. But Chase caught her arm, spinning her around.
“You don’t want to spend time with me? Come on, Olivia. Let the past go,” he forged a smile. “We should talk more.”
She wretched her arm free. “I have nothing to say to you.” Giving him another dark glare she reeled around, and I followed her out the front door.
“Olivia…Chase was that guy?” I asked as we paced toward her Chevy.
She ceased walking. Her head looked over her shoulder and she said, “Yeah. Don’t tell Liliah.” Hands tightened at her sides. “It wasn’t Chase’s fault. We were both over our heads and things just happened. I woke up the next morning a completely different person and well…”
She threw up a hand suddenly and laughed. “We’re supposed to be looking for Liliah. Forget about Chase.” Finally, she looked at me with a smile as fake as her Grandfather’s wig. I pitied her, really. Olivia was a person you’d first meet and get all sorts of bad impressions of her. But deep inside, she was just another girl.
We climbed back into the shiny red car. Olivia started the engine, turning up the heat. “Should we scan the area? I mean, Chase said they left ten minutes ago so they should be around here.”
Beyond the street, there was a herd of cars near an empty parking lot which seemed to belong to some community building. A few teens staggered out of the vehicles, joyfully laughing as they made their way towards us. “Try over there,” I hinted.
With a nod, Olivia slowly reversed the car and rolled the wheels into the ahead parking district. I craned my neck, looking for Hunter’s familiar SUV. There was another sound, a tiny scream calling out my name. When I spotted his green Ford Explorer, I noticed something strange. Fire rouse in my chest as I motioned Olivia towards his Ford. She turned the car, the headlights moved across the glass and I saw him, his eyes widened as he looked back at us.
Olivia’s gasp was the last thing I heard before my mind was taken over by rage. Pushing open the door, I stomped over to the SUV. Rounding the front I swung open the back door.
She was crying.
Within a second, I reached into the back seat and grabbed hold of Hunter’s collar. Shear hatred and distrust was reverberating through my fingertips and the frightened look in his eyes only licked my temper. With a strong pull, he stumbled out of the car and I shoved him onto the floor. There were no need for words at this point; I was going to destroy him.
My clenched fist flew, punching him across the cheek. It wasn’t enough. I threw another punch and then he pushed me back. We struggled, rolling around the pavement in grunts and shuffled punches. Once I pinned him down, my legs straddled over him and one hand feverishly gripping his shirt.
“Luke, wait!” He tried to defend himself.
No, I had wasted a sufficient amount of time already.
Feeling his jaw on my knuckles gave me some slight satisfaction. But I needed more. I punched him again. His head whipped to the side as blood trickled down his nose.
I beckoned Hunter up, daring him to look into the devil’s eyes. But he threw his head back in a daze. My arm rose again with a tight knot. I couldn’t think of anything else, the dire need to pound him until he forgot his own name was too strong for me to consider his injuries.
“Luke, Don’t.” Soft fingers wrapped themselves around my wrist, pulling my hand down. Slowly, the beating in my chest silenced and I dropped my hold on the punk. Hunter’s head hit the pavement and he let out a quick gasp, closing his eyes…as if praying. Liliah stood above me, pulling me back to my feet and I shivered with her touch. “I’m okay, Luke. Don’t worry.”
Normally, I would laugh right about now. Care about you? Who said such a thing? But that wasn’t the truth, it was lie. Whatever Liliah had over me, whatever magic she was using…it was working. I missed her voice, her giggle, her rambling and her gentle round eyes which now held fear, but were containing it behind an artificial smile. The longer we stared at one another the glosser her eyes became. Without realizing it, my hands made it to her shoulders and I pulled inwards. My body greedily feed on her warmth and I let go before Liliah lost control of her tears.
“Let’s go,” I said, taking hold of her hand.
Hunter groaned, rolling to his side. If he even dared to get up, I wasn’t sure what I would do to him. My eyes met Olivia and she nodded. We walked back to the car and I helped Liliah into the back seat. I slipped in next to her. Olivia started the engine and she pulled out of the lot, I could see Hunter slowly raising himself off the floor, his eyes followed us until we lost view of him.
A head planted itself against my shoulder and I snuck a peek at Liliah’s kitten like face. She closed her eyes and muttered, “Just for today. Let me bother you and I’ll stop be annoying tomorrow.”
I felt a pang of hurt. I didn’t want her to stop bothering me. In fact, she could annoy as much as she wanted because she entertained me, made me feel alive, like a real person. All my life I felt like a robot, controlled by his past and striving for nothing but a good report card. That was all. I had no goals, no future plans, no one to care for. But that had all changed. Slowly, I was becoming human.
Olivia flicked her eyes at us from the rearview mirror. I looked out the window, watching the darkness engulf the purple sky. Hunter thought there was something between Liliah and me. What if he was right? What if I really did feel something for? I was sure my reaction towards Liliah today was normal for an older brother. Any brother would have done it, I convinced myself. It’s just brotherly love.
As the car parked in the driveway, I noticed Dr. Evans with his hands on his hips. Both he and Dianne were outside, waiting for us with deadly scowls. Liliah must have noticed the sudden halt of the engine and woke up with hazy eyes, shifting right and left as if she had forgotten where she was.
I pushed the door open and helped her out. She stayed close to me, keeping her fingers on my sleeve as if she would lose balance any second.
“Where in the world have you two been? Liliah, I thought you went a party?” Dianne howled.
Dr. Evans stroked his chin, examining us head to toe. “I’m sure they had a good reason.” I found his statement to be quite surprising. Surely, I thought he was going to pounce on us. When I hooked my gaze on Olivia, she was just as astounded as I was.
“Gran-daddy, we did have a good reason.” She crossed her arms and taped a foot, like she was totally cool. “Liliah wanted to come home early so she texted me earlier.”
“But Hunter was with her,” Dianne noted.
“Hunter was unable to drive, Mrs. Everstone. He got into a…situation.” She struggled to find an appropriate word.
Dianne knotted her brows and gave me a suggestive look. I smiled. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you earlier.”
“Mom, please.” Liliah’s voice was barely a whisper. She looked weak, partially in need of a good rest and some food.
“Go inside,” she said. “I’ll let it go this time.” Dianne was eyeing Liliah but didn’t say anything about her appearance or asked any questions regarding my bruised lip and red knuckles. I was sure she had noticed…feeling the burning sensations where I hit and was hit, I was positive it was impossible to miss.
Peeking back, Olivia’s mouth was a firm line but she nodded at me. Dr. Evans walked up to her to and began lecturing…she was in for a long night, poor girl.
~~~
Dianne was attending to Liliah, acting like a nurse. Liliah informed her that she was simply feeling ill at the moment and Dianne believed it. It wasn’t like she could tell her the truth. Not yet anyway.
I looked into the mirror on my closet door, examining my red lip. Hunter knew how to throw a hard punch, the bastard.
When Dianne finally went to bed, I snuck into the hallway. I couldn’t stay away from her, questions poured in my head like fast raindrops. Sneakily, I twisted the doorknob. An apology still needed to be addressed, if I didn’t do it now, the sleeping fairy would never pay me visit.
The room was dark besides the elegant glow caused by a dim lamp on her desk. Her eyes were still open, slightly tired but she was awake.
“Can I come in?” I asked.
She nodded.
Entering the forbidden room, my feet carefully made their way towards her bed. “Were you hurt?”
She shook her head. The oversized blanket seemed to eat her alive, being so thick, at least it looked comfortable and snug.
“Do you feel sick?”
She shook her head again.
My lips hardened. Please, say something. “I wanted to apologize, Liliah. I shouldn’t have said those things to you that day. You hadn’t done anything wrong and yet I still pounced on you.”
My heart skipped a beat as a fraction of a smile painted her lips. “If you keep talking to me…I’ll forgive you.”
How mischievous.
“Deal, I’ll talk to you,” I answered with glinting eyes.
“Luke.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for coming for me today. I called out your name…”
“I know.”
“I didn’t know who else to call out to. All I could think about was how nice it would have been if you were there. If I hadn’t said anything to make you upset, if I was still at home none of this would have happened and Hunter would have still been my friend.”
My jaw locked, thinking about Hunter.
“I was in the wrong too. I shouldn’t have questioned your past. You don’t have to tell me anything.”
Anger was replaced by a slight frown. I sat on her bed then, thinking how I thought my life would never change. That I would be stuck in the same cycle forever and how easily Liliah managed to turn my world upside down in a matter of weeks.
“I want to tell you…” I answered, looking at the carpet floor. Why did Liliah’s room have carpet? Mine had wood…
The blanket rustled. Warm hands wrapped themselves around my waist and her cheek rested against my shoulder blade. My heart suddenly ricocheted into a rheumatic beating. Skin became tingly with fire and it took a toll of energy to keep myself still.
She must have sensed my uneasiness but refused to let go. I could feel the smile forming on my back and lowered my eyes, almost closing them.
“Just one hug,” she chuckled. “And I’ll listen.”
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