chapter Thirteen
Ava
After the revelation that Peter can sort of read my mind, things calm down for a few days. I go back to school on Thursday to little fanfare. I'm hopelessly behind, but with my newfound resolve to live in the moment and not regret the past, I start catching up. Peter helps me with some extra credit math assignments, and starts reading aloud some of the books I needed to catch up on for English. Actually, he started reading aloud all of my books, including textbooks. Chemistry became waaayyyy more interesting when he was explaining it.
Mom's doing better. She has no episodes, and I call her several times a day while I'm in school to check up on her. She just laughs and says that she's glad for the solitude.
I go back to work at the bookstore and start putting money away for Jamie's Truck Makeover. Tex still thinks it's a lame idea, but I ignore her. She's still pestering me about the double date, but after I snap at her one night and tell her to leave it the *^$% alone, she does.
I'd spent two days trying to convince him to take me to see his friend, but he refused on the grounds that I needed to rest from our separation and he didn't want to make me sick by dragging me all the way to Florida in the middle of the night. No matter how much I begged and pleaded and protested and snarked at him, he wouldn't budge. I'd even tried giving him the silent treatment, but that had worked about as well as everything else. Meaning not at all.
Jamie's dad continues to be sober and less of an asshole, so I take Jamie out to Miller's for breakfast on Saturday to celebrate. Of course Peter comes too, but Jamie doesn't know that. I felt the pull to be with him, even though he was just outside the restaurant in my car. It seemed our connection had gotten shorter.
Whereas before he could go at least a mile before I felt any effects, now he had to be within at least twenty feet for me to feel safe and comfortable. It sucked for me, but I felt ever worse for him. I had him on a really short leash. I tried to give him more blood to make up for it, but he refused. Such a martyr, that Peter.
****
There's a strange car in the driveway when we get home from Miller's and I instantly panic. My emotions are definitely getting the better of me lately. I can't blame Peter entirely, because 99 percent of the crazy feelings are mine.
“There's someone new in the house. A woman. She smells like honeysuckle and bricks.” I think for a moment, but then it clicks. There's only one person I know that smells like both of those things who drives a VW Bug.
“What's Aunt Jenny doing here?” Just as I'm getting out of the car, the door bursts open and a voice calls out across the porch. A voice I'd know even if I didn't have extra-sensitive hearing.
“Oh. My. God. Is that a boy in your car?” Jenny stands on the porch, hand shading her eyes, staring at Peter. Oh dear. I wasn't prepared to make yet another introduction. At least Aj is way cooler than Dad. It was a wonder they were related at all.
I give him a look and he gives me a blink. Guess he's okay with it. “Yeah, it is. His name's Peter,” I yell back. I don't think too hard about the reason she's here. I've been emailing her at least once a week for years, but I haven't actually seen her in months. It doesn't take a rocket scientist (or a noctalis) to figure out what she's doing here. I just wish I would have had some warning.
“Well, get him on up here, I want to meet him!” She windmills her arms as if she can draw us up the porch just by force. This is one of the many reasons I love this woman. Suddenly this day looks like it might not suck so much. It had started out not sucking. But I shouldn't count my chickens. She hasn't met Peter yet.
“Hey Aj,” I say, leaping into her waiting arms. Other than my mother, she's the most easy person on the planet to hug. Aj's taller than me, but somehow we make the hug work and her arms go around my back and I feel safe. If only for a second.
“How are you doing?” Her words are barely a whisper, but I know Peter hears them. I pull back and she studies my face. The way she does it reminds me of Peter. As if she's looking down into the well of my soul. Searching for coins or sparkling things.
“I'm...” I struggle to find the right word. The thing is, there is no right word. “I don't know. Trying.” It's true. I was trying. But failing most of the time. She holds my face in her hands and kisses my cheek, like a blessing. I feel Peter behind me. He'd stayed back a bit to give us some privacy. Because he was considerate like that.
My chest starts to feel tight and it's hard to breathe.
“Aj, this is Peter. Peter, this is my Aunt Jenny.” She turns me so that she can keep her arm around me. Her fingers dig into my shoulder. This is not a good sign. I feel her fear. For the first time since I hugged her, I smell her blood. It's sweeter than Dad's. If I'm categorizing the smell of blood. Which I'm totally not. I try holding my breath.
“Nice to meet you, Peter.” She says his name as if she's unsure. The hand that's not holding onto me sticks out, waiting for a handshake. Here we go.
“It is nice to meet another part of Ava's family.” Human hand, meet noctalis hand. I feel her flinch all the way through her body. A worse sign. She's got noctalis radar. Big time.
“What are you doing here?” I say, trying to distract her attention.
“Claire called me.” Her eyes pull away from Peter's face and focus back on me. I can almost smell her unease. I was so hoping they would get along.
Peter was right. She does smell like honeysuckle and bricks. The honeysuckle I knew about. It's her favorite scent. And she lives alone in an old brick house that she calls her castle.
“Did she tell you?” A weight presses on my chest, making air a precious thing. I try to take a deep breath, but it's not easy. Peter is concerned, sending soothing vibes my way. They're not working.
“Yeah, she did.” Her arm holds tight, as if she'll never let go. Eyes, absent of tears, search mine again.
“We should probably go in,” I say. Dad's at a charity golf tournament, so Peter's allowed inside.
The smell of blackberry jam cake fills my nose, tamping down the smell of blood. I trail my hand in the air behind me, and Peter briefly touches my fingers. Letting me know he's there and that I should stop freaking out. I really don't understand why I'm so stressed about Aj being here.
“Hey baby, look who came to see us!” Aj laughs and Mom plants a kiss on her cheek. They look like they could be sisters. With her dark brown hair and similar height, Jenny and Mom are two peas in a pod. Except for the eyes. Jenny's are a lovely brown. They remind me of chocolate with gold swirled through it.
“I know. How long are you here for?”
She rolls her eyes. “Just today. I have to get back to work, but I'm going to come more often. I miss you. I miss knowing what's going on in your life.” This is a direct jab at Peter, who lurks in the doorway. He's out of place in this situation, but I don't want him going anywhere.
“Who wants cake?” Mom says.
Peter
“Don't you want some cake?” Ava's Aunt asks.
“No thank you, I am lactose intolerant.” It is the line Ava and I agreed on when my eating habits came up. Ava's energy is frenetic and panicked, but also she is happy to see her aunt. It is hard for me to follow as she flits from one emotion to the next. Her panic continues to rise, escalating with each second.
“Oh really? That must be horrible.” She takes a bite of cake and I am reminded of Ava and her earth-shattering cheesecake. Ava toys with her fork, trying to calm down. I brush my fingers on her back, giving her reassurance. She will be fine. We are fine.
“I am used to it,” I say. I am used to not eating.
She takes another bite with relish.
“So, how did you two meet?” Ava looks at me, and I take the lead from her.
“I went to a party with my brother that Ava was also at. Our eyes met across the room and I knew I had to speak to her.” I meet her eyes and try a smile. She chokes a bit on her cake, so I must have done it right. The flash of desire also indicates I have done well.
“And then I spilled a drink on you,” she says, blushing.
“How romantic.” Jenny's tone is such that I can tell she doesn't find it romantic at all. She does not like me. And it is not simply her natural reaction to a noctalis. Even if I were human, she would not like me.
“It was,” Ava says, swirling her fork over the surface of the cake. My presence is intrusive and disruptive to their family gathering. But I worry about leaving Ava. Her soul yanks at me, making it impossible to even move away from her.
“Peter's an honor student at Galdon Academy. He had the day off so he came over to see Ava. Isn't that nice?” Ava's mother makes another valiant effort. I have nothing but admiration for that woman. It is such a shame that human lives are so short. So fleeting. Claire's is a soul that should live on. I was sure that it would.
“Sure.” Ava's Aunt is more involved in her cake than the conversation. Her blood smells similar to Ava's. But I do not desire it.
“I'll be right back,” Ava says, getting up from her chair. I wait to see if she wants me to follow. She pulls me with her, and I am forced to move, trailing after her like a lost sheep. Her power over me grows with every second.
I follow her upstairs, my hand on her back. Her breathing is uneven, jagged.
Once she thinks we are out of earshot, Jenny speaks to Claire in a hushed tone.
“You're letting her go up to her room with him?”
Claire smiles. “I don't think there's much they can do in a few seconds. I trust her.”
“That's your first mistake.” Jenny snorts and licks her fork.
Ava brings me into her room, closing the door behind us.
“I'm sorry I needed a second.”
“I can tell. You are upset.”
“No shit. I just can't deal with this right now on top of everything else.” She walks from one side of the room to the other, hands tearing through her hair and heart racing.
“Calm down.”
“That's easy for you to say, you're always calm.” Her fingers twist together and it is all I can do not to seize her and make her look at me so I can calm her with my eyes. I try not to do that to her anymore. It is no better than tricking her.
“I am not. Your distress makes me distressed. And then it rebounds back to you, like light and mirrors. If you do not relax it will get worse and I am not sure if one of us will burst with it.”
She gives a little laugh.
“Yeah, that would be great. Okay, calm, calm.” Her eyes close and she shakes out her arms, taking deep breaths and rolling her shoulders. It does not look like a relaxing activity, but I stand by the door and wait. Her emotions continue to swirl, but at a slower pace. I do my best, trying to slow them further. Like ripples in a pond that spread out, it takes time.
“Okay, okay.” She rolls her head on her neck. “I'm good. I think. I don't know why I freaked out.”
“It was a surprise.”
“I know, I know. I just thought things were going to calm down and now I'm freaking out again.”
“You never have to be sorry for what you feel. Ever.” I do not touch her, as much as I want to. My touch has done nothing but make her emotional today.
“They're talking about us, aren't they?” She turns her head to the side, as if she is trying to hear.
“Yes.” I have been listening while she calmed herself. The majority of the talk was about males of my age and what they expected of girls and how those expectations could be met in only a few moments alone. I also learned that Jenny had been promiscuous when she was younger, and was concerned about Ava. Claire defended me.
“I can't quite hear them.”
“I can.”
She snorts, crossing her arms. “I figured.” She lets out a huge breath, expelling all the air in her lungs. “I probably don't want to know, anyway. She probably thinks I brought you up here for something scandalous and not virtuous.”
“She does.”
“Oh well.” Her manner is casual, but it does bother her. On top of everything else, it is beginning to become too much again. My hands have started to shake again, but I am strong enough to hide it.
“We should go back down. She probably thinks I'm having my way with you.” Her voice is thick with desire, but she doesn't touch me. Afraid of what happened earlier. Of losing control and losing me. I need to give her some time with her family.
I follow her back downstairs. Jenny and Claire have their heads together as they giggle over a shared joke.
“Everything okay?”
“Fine,” Ava says, smiling. Only I know how not fine she is. I decide to make my exit.
“I should get home. My mother is expecting me. I have homework.”
“Yeah, sure,” Ava says, hiding a small smile. “I'll call you later.” She sends a rush of heat and love toward me. I send my adoration back.
“It was nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, Peter.” Jenny does not move to shake my hand. I nod to Claire and leave through the front door.
“Wait a second. How is he getting home?” Jenny's voice reaches to me after I've closed the door.
“He's going to run,” Ava says, smiling again.