“Jessica!” her name ripped from my chest as the crack sounded. The pain was suddenly just slightly more bearable. Just slightly. If I focused on what made enduring this worth it, I would make it through somehow. “Jessica!”
CHAPTER NINE
JESSICA
The wind tore through the trees making them creak and moan in a frightening argument of nature. The surf hit the rocks just feet below my shoes with pounding force, sending ocean spray into my face. I hadn’t expected the storm today but I was grateful for it. It meant there would be no hikers wandering by.
I closed my eyes, unsure of what exactly I needed to do to get their attention. “Please,” I said, barely above a whisper. “Please give him back to me.”
It seemed crazy, it seemed irrational but I knew that they should be able to hear me. My father had made a plea for me before, Alex had made a plea that they had heard. Now it was my turn to make a plea.
“I want him back,” I said, my voice slightly louder. I really didn’t expect anything, but I opened my eyes, searching for any signs of my other half. Nothing had changed. It was still just the ocean, the rocks beneath my feet, and the towering trees at my back.
As I had sat in my room last night, feeling completely helpless, I couldn’t deny anymore that there was really only one place Alex could be. I knew the terror that could come from that place. I also knew that once you went to that place you weren’t supposed to come back.
“Please,” I said more softly, a single tear rolling down my cheek. “Please, give him back. I need him.”
The wind picked up in intensity, whipping my hair all around my face. It pulled the tear from my face and carried it down into the salty water before me. Perhaps it was the increase in the elemental disturbance, or perhaps it was just the feelings of panic, uncertainty, and anger building up within me but I was surprised as the words burst from my lungs.
“Give him back!” I screamed towards the heavens. “Give him back now! Or you will regret every second of his trial!” My voice dropped away after my last statement. What could I possibly threaten them with? How could I possibly tell them what to do? They had proved they had every bit of control over me for sixteen years.
The tears started streaking down my face as I sank to the ground. The sunset that colored the sky made me ache all the more. Alex had been gone for five days now. I felt as if all my insides had been ripped out of me. I knew there was a strong possibility I might never see Alex again, never feel his touch, never hear him laugh again. I had already lost Alex once, I had watched him die. I didn’t think I could bear it again.
Knowing that even with my enhanced vision I wouldn’t be able to make my way back through the forest in the dark, I forced myself to get up and make my legs move. I felt drained and empty. I didn’t see the ground moving beneath me as my feet carried me across the dirt, moss, and ferns. I couldn’t feel any emotion other than a sense of loss, the sense of total emptiness. Somehow though my feet knew the way back to the house on their own.
The moment I walked through the front door, I heard a clatter of sound, as if something heavy had been thrown against the wall in the basement. This was immediately followed by a high pitched scream.
“Amber!” I yelled as I sprinted for the stairs. My feet maybe touched two of them as I nearly fell down them.
I froze at the bottom of the stairs as I registered the scene before me. Amber was sitting on the couch, cowering, the TV turned on too loud. She was staring at a ball of perfectly white feathers that seemed to be pushing the shattered remnants of the bedroom door off of it.
“Alex!” I screamed as I shot across the room, clearing the remainder of the door off. It looked as if he had plowed right through it as he had suddenly burst back into the world of the living.
Alex gave a slight groan as he rolled onto his side, his eyes rolling around in their sockets. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room, I was horrified to see the bruises and welts that covered his bare chest, arms, and face.
“Amber, turn on the light!” I shouted at her still shrieking and cowering form. I didn’t see her move but the light suddenly flashed on.
The bruises that covered Alex’s body were deep purple and black. They spotted his skin, the largest one running from his shoulder, down his chest, and covering his ribs. Bands of red, raw skin ran around his wrists. Angry red welts also covered his back and some of them looked like they were trying to take on the coloring of the bruises. There was only one thing that could have made those marks. Alex had been whipped viciously.
“What is that?” Ambers shaking voice came from across the room.
My heart leaped into my throat as I registered what Amber was seeing. A winged, beaten man who had suddenly exploded into the room. “That,” I said, my voice surprisingly calm, “is Alex.”
“What?” I barely registered her gasp.
“Jessica,” I heard Alex quietly gasp, his eyes still rolling around in his head. “Jess…”
“Alex!” I whispered as I scooped him into my arms and crushed him into my chest. He gave a gasp of pain and I quickly released him. I didn’t even notice the tears that were streaming down my face again. “You came back.”
Amber’s breathing was coming in shallow swallows and as I looked over at her I saw she was swaying slightly, her knees trembling as they held her up.
“Go upstairs, Amber,” I said firmly. “I’ll come up in a while and we’ll talk.”
She didn’t say anything, just stumbled toward the stairs and climbed noisily up.
“Help me up,” Alex said, his voice shaky but getting steadier.
“Are you sure?” I asked, concern filling my face.
“Help me up,” he repeated.
I pulled him to his feet, his face wincing with pain at every movement. He stumbled toward his bathroom, his arm wrapped around my shoulder to keep him steady. By the time I turned the light on, his wings were gone.
Alex staggered toward the shower, stepped over the tub wall, and turned the water on cold. With his jeans still on, he braced his hands on the wall and let the frigid water pour over his head. Wide-eyed, I watched as the bruises shrank, the welts smoothed out and within a minute, all traces of whatever beating Alex had received were gone.
Seeing Alex standing there, trembling under the water, his eyes closed, finally broke me. Before I even realized what I was doing I had climbed into the shower with him and buried my face into his chest. His arms wrapped around me and crushed me into his chest until it was difficult to breathe. Tears mingled with the flow of water and my sobs reverberated off the walls.
I wanted Alex to say something to comfort me. I wanted to say something to calm and sooth his trembling frame but neither of us seemed able to say anything as the cold water cascaded around us.
I felt so relieved to have Alex back, safe and tangible in my arms. Yet at the same time my nerves were so shot that I felt like throwing up.
We stood like that for a long time, both of us shivering and shaking. I finally found some bit of sense and turned the water off. I grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it around myself, then reached for another and when Alex held his hand out for it, gave it to him.
“I’m going to go put something dry on,” I said, once I had stopped dripping everywhere.
Alex didn’t say anything, just nodded his head and followed me out of the bathroom. He went into his bedroom and as I went into mine I still felt sick. I had to know but I didn’t want to know how Alex had gotten covered in bruises.
I quickly changed into a tank top and some comfortable cotton shorts and found Alex sitting on my tiny couch, wearing only a pair of basketball shorts. He reached for my hand and we both walked out onto the deck and into the darkening but still warm night.
The wooden swing that hung down from the upper deck creaked and groaned as we settled ourselves into it. I leaned into Alex’s chest and he wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
Not a minute after we had sat down, I notic
ed Alex was trembling again and soon sobs were escaping his chest.
“Alex,” I said, feeling horrified that I didn’t know what to say to comfort him. I laid a hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes, though his gaze stayed in his lap. “Alex, it’s alright.”
Even though the sobs kept erupting from his chest, no tears came. I had never seen anything more heart-wrenching than an angel who couldn’t cry tears.
“Jessica,” he finally choked out. “They…they,” another sob erupted, cutting off whatever he was going to say.
“It’s okay now,” I whispered as I wrapped my arms around him and cradled his head into my chest. I instantly regretted saying what I did. How were things okay? How could I know that?
“They tortured me!” Alex suddenly burst. “They tortured me when I told them I didn’t know where he was! How could they not believe me? They know everything we do! I told them I didn’t know where he had gone and they tortured me!”
Alex’s sudden outburst startled me. “Who, where who’d gone?”
“Cole,” Alex said through clenched teeth as he sat up. “They wanted to know where he was and I told them I didn’t know.”
Alex’s form was still trembling but I sensed a change in his mood. I was aware of how his jaw was clenched, how his fists were balled up, the taut way his shoulders were set. Alex shrugged me off and got to his feet. He stalked to the railing, resting his hands against it, his head hanging low. I could feel the anger and hatred rolling off him as if it were a physical, tangible thing.
“I could kill him right now if he were here,” he said, his voice low but clear.
“Alex,” I gasped when I noticed the wood beneath his hands was splintering as his fingers dug into it. “Don’t talk like that.”
“I would Jessica,” Alex suddenly spat. His harsh tone stung but considering what he had just been through, I tried not to be too harsh on him. “I could kill him for everything he’s done to us.”
“You can’t kill a man who’s already dead,” I said softly, realizing that Alex probably needed a little time to himself. “I’m going to talk to Amber.”
“What are you going to tell her?” Alex asked quietly as he looked out over the pitch-black lake.
“I’m not sure, but I don’t think I can lie about what she saw,” I said as I walked through the door and closed it behind me.
They had tortured Alex to find out where Cole was. Alex didn’t know. But I did.
I wasn’t sure if my nerves could handle talking to Amber, but I knew it had to be done. I was physically exhausted, partly because I hadn’t eaten in almost two days and I hadn’t slept the night before.
Amber was in what was now apparently her bedroom, sitting on the bed, her back propped against the headboard, a pillow clutched tightly in her arms. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. Neither of us said anything for several long moments.
“So do you want to explain to me what the crap just happened down there?” she finally said, a sharp, accusing edge to her voice.
“I don’t know if I can,” I said, my voice small and exhausted sounding. “Alex was missing, now he’s back.”
“That wasn’t just some great costume, Jessica. I saw the wings, you couldn’t fake that. And he just appeared out of nowhere. I was just watching a movie and all the sudden the door explodes as that…that…” she didn’t seem to be able to find a word for what Alex was. “Came blasting through it.”
I didn’t say anything as we stared at each other for several long moments. “So what is he supposed to be Jessica? An angel?”
“Yes,” I said simply, the answer catching in my throat.
Amber didn’t seem to have a response to this. At first she seemed like she was going to laugh at my answer but her face slowly grew serious, her mind seeming to be somewhere else.
“Angels,” she said quietly, her eyes looking distant. “You… you used to always tell mom and dad about the angels. They… they hurt you. That’s why you didn’t sleep you said.”
I had often wondered how much of my twisted past Amber remembered or knew about. Apparently she knew enough.
“That was all real.” she whispered. “Wasn’t it?”
I could only nod.
“Mom always said you needed help, that you were having hallucinations or something. It was real though.”
We were both quiet again for another moment before Amber rose from the bed and came over to me. Her eyes were hesitant as she approached me and I was surprised to see the tears that welled in them. I was taken off guard as she suddenly wrapped her arms around me.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice shaky with the tears that broke free.
“For what?” I whispered as I wrapped my arms around her.
“For everything. For mom, for not believing you, for not being there for you.”
“You were just a kid,” I tried to comfort her. “You shouldn’t have had to deal with any of this, no kid should.”
“But you did,” Amber said.
“It’s over now,” I whispered. “I don’t have the nightmares anymore. Alex is the reason for that.”
Amber looked down into my face, her eyes searching but I felt that she didn’t want to know any more than she did now. “Can I meet him?” she asked as she wiped her tears away. “For real? Seeing him explode into the house doesn’t count.”
I felt the smile creep onto my face. It felt good. It felt like it had been ages since I had really smiled. I nodded and knowing I didn’t have to raise my voice any louder than if I were speaking to Amber and said “Alex.”
Before the look of confusion could fully develop on Amber’s face, a soft knock at the door surprised her. I opened it, my heart leaping in odd ways in my chest as I took in Alex’s glorious, now more composed face. I took his hand as I pulled him through the door.
“Amber, this is Alex,” I said, knowing the smile that covered my face probably looked ridiculous, but not caring. He was finally back. “Alex, this is my sister Amber.”
A smile crept to one side of Alex’s face as he extended a hand to Amber, who took it with shaking hands. “It’s nice to meet another member of Jessica’s family.”
Amber didn’t say anything as she stared at Alex’s face. Her eyes, the blackness now gone, her face totally healed, were slightly wider than normal, her jaw hanging slightly slack. I couldn’t blame her for the way her eyes traced downward; it didn’t mean that it didn’t bother me just a little bit.
“Sorry,” Alex said clumsily. “About earlier. I didn’t mean to scare you. Kind of couldn’t help it though.”
A knock at the door made everyone but Alex jump and Rod’s voice was calling for Amber a second later.
“Amber’s not going to say anything about what she saw or knows to anyone,” I said, my voice low as I stared her in the face. “Right?”
Amber continued to stare at Alex for a moment longer before she seemed to register that I had asked her a question. “Right,” she finally said. “Right. Besides, who would believe me anyway?”
“Amber?” Rod called again.
Amber stepped around Alex and walked out into the living room, Alex and I following her.
Rod seemed surprised to see Alex and stopped short. “Finally decided to return, huh?”
“You know me,” Alex said, trying very hard to keep his voice light. “I just felt the itch to go out for a while.”
“Well you could have told someone about that itch. I think Jessica was about to have a mental breakdown.”
Alex managed a small smile, wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and gave a firm squeeze. “Sorry,” he said. I wasn’t sure who it was directed at but it didn’t matter. “Is anyone hungry?”
“I’m starving actually,” Rod said, a grin spreading on his face.
Glad for the distraction, Alex walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
“Whoa,” Rod marveled as he looked after Alex. “Those are some nasty scars. What happened?”
?
??I got in a fight with a really nasty guy,” Alex said, his head buried in the fridge. “Over a girl.”
CHAPTER TEN
ALEX
“Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice,” I said as I sat in the leather chair.
My lawyer, Ted Kennedy, sat at the large desk in front of me and unbuttoned his suit jacket. “Anything for Paul’s grandson. What can I do for you today, Alex?”
My hands gripped the arm rests, I had to be careful not to crush them. The sick feeling that had been in the pit of my stomach since I had exploded back into the world was still there. What had happened had shaken me far more than I ever wanted to admit. “I want to transfer all of my assets to someone. Everything.”
“Okay,” he said, drawing out the word, his eyebrows rising. Ted was well aware of just how much “everything” was. “To who?”
“Her name is Jessica Bailey,” I answered, still unable to look up. I felt strangely hollow, like something hadn’t come back with me into this world, had been left behind.
“And may I ask who Jessica Bailey is?”
I felt a little irritated at all of Ted’s questions. What did it matter to him as long as I paid his bill? But I supposed I could understand why he was asking them. He was curious as to who I wanted to hand the Wright fortune to. “She’s everything to me.”
“But you two aren’t married, right?” he asked, his voice unsure.
“No,” I replied simply. “I don’t want her to know I’m transferring everything to her though.”
“Well, there’s no way I can transfer everything into her name without a lot of signing of papers. There’s no way she wouldn’t know what was going on. I mean there would have to be title transfers, account papers. We can set up a trust fund if you want or we can write up a will.”
“A will should do just fine,” I said, feeling sick. I seriously wanted to throw up.
“Is something going on that I should know about, Alex?” Ted asked as he leaned forward, folding his arms on the desk. “You’re scaring me a little, if I’m being honest.”