said guiltily. He reached out and pulled Blaire’s hand into his own. “I don’t know what’s come over me. I guess even I’m still upset about being taken off the case, and I’m taking it out on the two of you. I shouldn’t and I apologize.”
“That’s fine, honey. I understand that you’re still not one hundred percent,” Blaire said reassuringly.
Aaron smiled at her gratefully.
Kate pulled in a deep breath, deciding that it was time to go. She had made plans earlier in the week to hang out with Rico, and she decided that now was as good a time as any.
“Where are you going, sunshine?” Aaron asked Kate.
Kate put her dishes in the sink and turned toward her parents. “I’m hanging out with Rico in a little bit. I’m going to go upstairs and get ready to leave.” Kate bit her lower lip, unsure of herself for some reason.
Blaire looked at her daughter and nodded encouragingly. “Have fun,” she said. “You deserve it after being cooped up in the house all week. I thank you for all of your help this week, baby. You were so kind for taking care of your dad.”
Kate started to speak but her dad interrupted her thank-you. “Blaire, I think it would be nice for Kate to stay in today. I haven’t seen her all week.” Kate’s dad turned to face her. “Would you mind staying home with me today? I want to spend some time with you now that I’m much better. Would that be too much to ask of you right now, honey?”
Kate looked down and played with her fingernails, searching for the right words. Her father’s question made her feel guilty because she loved him so much, but she needed time away from the house; she needed time for herself and for Rico.
Blaire interrupted, answering for Kate. “Aaron, why don’t you let her go out today? She can stay in with you tomorrow. I think she deserves today after all of the time she spent taking care of you,” she said, coming to Kate’s defense.
“I suppose,” Aaron said sadly. “You have to promise that we’ll spend time together tomorrow, though. Is that going to be okay?”
Kate smiled. “Of course, Dad. I promise.” With that, she walked over to hug her parents before heading upstairs to get ready. While upstairs, Kate mused about how her mother and father had seemingly switched places during breakfast. Blaire was defending Kate, and Aaron was attempting to hold her captive; it was odd that Blaire appeared to be more understanding and sympathetic toward Kate’s current situation, while her father was not. Normally, Kate’s father would push Kate to escape the house after being trapped inside for so long. Right now, Kate thought as she buttoned up her summery dress, he was like someone else.
22
Kate knocked on Adriana’s front door a while later. She wore a mint green dress and Rico’s necklace. Leather wedges were strapped to her feet, and a dark leather clutch held her possessions. Kate’s hair was down; her curls tumbled down her back. An opal headband sparkled in the sun, changing colors like the sunrise.
Rico answered the door, stepped outside, and shut it behind him. He took Kate in his arms and kissed her fiercely. Kate was breathless when he let go. “I’ve missed you,” he said. Then, he tilted his head to the side, holding her at arm’s length so that he could better look at her. “You doing okay now that you’re getting a little break?”
Kate nodded and told Rico about her dad feeling better. She left out the part about his attitude change; she didn’t want him to worry about her feelings, and she wanted the rest of the day to be fun. She wanted to be carefree and happy. If that meant forgetting for a few hours, then she would forget.
“I’ve missed you too,” Kate said as Rico led them to his cherry Ferrari. “So what are we doing today?” she asked him as he opened the door for her. She paused, her arm resting on the door, as she waited for him to answer.
Rico just shook his head back and forth. “It’s a surprise, Kate.”
“Is everything going to be a surprise?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow at him.
“I think so,” he said, grinning. “Now get in.”
Kate playfully rolled her eyes and got inside the vehicle, the cool leather of the seats smooth against her legs. A few minutes later, they were speeding down the interstate. Kate knew they were headed north but didn’t know where or when Rico would stop. The long car ride was pleasant, a nice escape from the monotonous week she had, and Rico made sure not to press her for too much information concerning her father or Kern. By the time that Rico pulled off the interstate, Kate felt much better. They were in Lake Wales this time, their destination the wildly beautiful Bok Tower Gardens.
When Kate stepped out of the vehicle, she was instantly hit by the glorious scent of blooming flowers. She glanced at Rico and broke out into a fit of giggles. This was exactly what she needed. Kate held her arms out, stretched her fingers, and spun around, basking in the warmth of the sun. The sensation was exhilarating, and Kate grew dizzy with excitement. Rico watched her, admiring her carefree spirit.
Kate stopped spinning and held her hand out. Rico took it, and they began walking into the gardens. Kate pointed out different flowers and talked to Rico about the gardener, Mr. Evans. She followed Rico as he led her around the gardens, along the paths and under canopies of trees and blooming flowers. They took different paths, exploring everything, from the strange bark of the Silk Floss to the unique petals of exotic flowers. Kate loved seeing the firecracker plants, azaleas, and snapdragons. Rico was partial to the Mexican sage bushes and trumpet trees.
After walking around, Rico and Kate sat on a bench near the decorative tower. They alternated between talking and kissing until they were tired of both, and then they walked toward the car, hand in hand. “This was perfect,” Kate said quietly; she was almost afraid to ruin the mood.
“I thought that you would enjoy the open space after being cooped up in your house. I didn’t want to go to a place that was crowded either. I wanted to be able to enjoy my time with you; I wasn’t ready to compete with the other spectators.”
Kate squeezed Rico’s hand and looked up into his cobalt eyes. “You know that you have my undivided attention, Rico.”
Rico smiled and squeezed her hand back. “I know. But I still have to work to keep it that way. I don’t want you to get tired of me.”
Kate pushed him softly and ran toward the car. The smile that crept across her face was strong and real, concrete evidence that it had been the perfect day and that this afternoon had been exactly what she needed.
The drive home was nice, and after Rico dropped her off, Kate let herself in to a dimly lit, quiet house. She was so overwhelmed with her happiness and her soaring heart, that she didn’t care to check on her parents, who were whispering in their bedroom. Kate was completely enthralled with Rico; her thoughts rifled through every detail of their afternoon together. She thought of their hands, touching and tangled in one another’s. She thought of Rico’s lips and how they were soft yet urgent when they touched hers. Kate let her thoughts roam freely and slipped upstairs before her parents had the opportunity to force her to commit to a movie or conversation. Kate was far too caught up in Rico’s cobalt eyes and beautiful smile to focus on anything other than the fact that she was falling for him. For the moment, that was the most important thing to her.
Kate stood in the gardens at Bok Tower, her ivory dress flowing around her bare ankles. The sun was radiant, shining down on the Earth and painting it gold the way it always does in the late afternoon. Kate stepped forward, drawn to the brick tower. This was like her old visions, the ones that took her where she was meant to go, and Kate felt safe following her intuition. She stepped forward, lifting up the bottom of her dress so that ivory material didn’t drag on the cold, wet ground.
As Kate walked, she let her fingers trace the soft petals of the azaleas. Her bare feet relished the feeling of the soft grass, the crunch of the gravel. She walked calmly along, ready to see what was waiting for her at the bottom of the tower.
When Kate reached the tower she didn’t see anything immediately. However, she walked
to the bench that she and Rico had spent part of the afternoon at and saw what she was meant to see. There was a small photograph of her as a child. It was the day that her father yelled at her so many years ago. The picture was a shot of her sitting in the sand during the time that she was alone, away from her parents; her parents must have still been working somewhere down the beach or searching for her.
Kate reached over and picked up the photo to get a better look. In the photo, Kate’s back was facing the viewer; it looked like it had been taken right behind her. Kate’s thoughts traced over the events of that day, and she never remembered anyone standing behind her, let alone with a camera. That man had stood next to her that day. However, the worry about who took the photograph vanished in seconds, because, next to Kate, on her left side, was a drawing etched into the sand. It was the burning world. Kate had drawn it before. Kate had always been a dark, evil being.
Tears stung the back of Kate’s throat. She held the photograph out, away from her, and watched as it suddenly caught flame. Kate dropped it, only to watch sparks of heat and fire lick the grass near it. The green grass caught fire and began to blaze. Kate attempted to stop the burning by stomping on it, but it spread like wildfire, claiming the plants and trees around her.