head in mimic of a tiara. Teresa embraced the new arrival warmly as they exchanged pleasantries.
Kennedy looked on as her best friend and her mother conversed at the door. Something in Lauren had changed. It wasn't anything physical, other than her obvious exposure to the sun. It was more in the way that she carried herself. Her movements were more graceful, her words softspoken, her eyes more certain somehow.
She acted like an adult. Like a grown up woman. She had just turned eighteen, but Kennedy didn't think that was the reason behind Lauren's sudden behavior modification. It was as if her brief experiences with Nathan had made her a different person.
Was that even possible?
Kennedy blinked away her assumptions. Maybe nothing was different, perhaps the fact that she knew about what had transpired between her friend and the Italian stranger made Kennedy all the more aware of things that she normally wouldn't pick up on.
The conversation at the front entrance quieted as Lauren's eyes finally found Kennedy. The girl dropped her tangerine bag onto the floor and broke into a short sprint until she reached her long time friend and immediately encased her in a bone crushing hug.
Kennedy hugged the mass of trembling curls back with all of her might as they both cried happily. She knew how her friend felt, like if they had been appart for years instead of weeks, but she was there now and things seemed to be slowly falling into place.
They jumped up and down together all the way to Kennedy's bedroom like a pair of overgrown toddlers high on caffeine.
Kennedy was ecstatic. She couldn't believe that she was ever mad at her friend. They were like sisters and she couldn't wait until they were alone in her room talking about their time apart.
As they got there, Lauren got to talking and never gave her the chance to tell her about Damien or to even try to think of an excuse to go over to his house.
All that Lauren talked about was Nathan and Kennedy listened halfheartedly to all that her friend had to say. Partly because she felt that it was her duty and partly because she felt guilty for wanting to be at Damien's more than she wanted to be there with her best friend.
Although, she was sure that the situation would have been pretty much reversed, had Nathan still been on the island. That eased her guilt a little, but not so much as to make her stop Lauren from her story. Parts of which had just risen in rating and Kennedy warred with herself.
Did she really want to hear that?
“Then he gently started to unbutton my jeans and I felt like dying. It was the most torturous and satisfying feeling...” Of course she did.
Kennedy's face went red as Lauren's tale – the details of which will not be disclosed in here for matters of privacy and such – progressed.
Then, she got to the part where he left and it broke her heart to see her friend hurting so badly. It wasn't as if she could be angry at the guy, he had just been there for vacation and Lauren must have known what would happen if she followed her feelings through to conclusion.
Still, Nathan went back to England and left her to deal with a snotty Lauren who was currently choking the filling out of Mr. Feeney – her stuffed elephant – while she bawled her eyes out.
Kennedy heaved out a long sigh as she moved to group hug with Mr. Feeney and her friend.
That was going to be a long night.
7. Don't Fear the Reaper
For what appeared to be the hundreth time, Kennedy found herself in front of the closed door that lead to her father’s abandoned sanctuary, debating whether to go in or run away.
It was a little after three in the morning and she had just woken up from her usual smoke filled nightmare.
Lauren's crying exhausted them both and they had fallen asleep in an awkward position across the bed. Her back and neck hurt again and she doubted that her nervous system could handle another one of those floating clouds of black smoke that her brain had taken a liking to conjure up lately.
She'd never been brave, but her skepticism had always been a useful tool against scary situations.
Unfortunately, after the things that she’d seen recently, her disbelief had taken a sick leave. Still, she knew that running up to her bedroom and hiding under the covers would be of little use if there were a real perpetrator in the house.
She made up her mind, took a deep breath and extended a tremulous hand to open the door.
The lights were off. Her father's study room was shrouded in darkness.
As her eyes adjusted, she saw that a familiar figure stood over her father’s desk. It held a few papers in its large hands.
Fear’s cold fingers gripped her heart and Kennedy froze in shock.
It was the man from the alley!
The black eyed man that had in all probability murdered Brandi. The same enormous man who was headed straight for her at that very moment. She swallowed the scream that had been building up in her throat and turned to run.
She crashed directly into Damien.
His hands held on to her shoulder’s to keep her from falling and her hands fisted on his shirt as she looked up at him with terrified wide eyes to tell him to run.
He wasn’t looking at her.
Damien’s gaze was set calmly on the big man that should have reached them already. Kennedy ventured a small peek behind her and saw that the man had stopped to look expectantly at Damien.
“Wait outside.” He said coolly to the man, who gave a start, but paused to look at her.
“Leave us.” Damien spoke again. His tone held an authoritative note that was not lost on her.
She was both amazed and alarmed at the obedience that the brawny man showed him as he left the room giving her a menacing smile before closing the door behind him. She could see his shadow obscuring the small crack of light that should have been coming from under the door. He hadn't left.
Kennedy was frantic!
First, she’d found the mysterious man that she’d seen emerging from behind the dumpster rummaging through her father’s desk drawers and now it turned out that Damien seemed to know him somehow.
What was worse, he let him walk away with just a dismissive nod. She had been gratefully relieved when she had turned around to find Damien there. Then, it dawned on her, what was he doing in her house at three in the morning?
“What’s going on, who was that and what the hell was he doing in my father’s study?” And most importantly, why are you here? She added in her head and was instantly terrified of the answer to her silent question.
“Nobody – he said and at seeing her incredulous expression, he supplied – just a colleague.” Kennedy waited for him to explain. He didn’t elaborate.
What had he meant by calling the man a colleague?
“Well, I’ve seen him before.” She was getting impatient. That man, who to her better understanding was a killer, was still in her house and things didn't make any sense.
“Really, when else?” His unconcerned question angered her.
“Last week, walking away from a crime scene!”
“Kennedy, you–” She moved to interrupt him as she noticed the condescending expression that he held as he said her name like if he were talking to a small child.
“Please, don’t lie to me. Something is wrong and I want to know what it is.”
“You have no idea what you are asking for and even if you did, you would not like the answer.”
“I don’t care!” She stopped herself as she realized that he was right to have addressed her as a child. Because she was behaving like it and a really petulant one at that. She only needed to stomp her foot down and the picture would have been complete.
Kennedy calmed herself, took a deep breath and tried again.
“Damien, it might seem like it, but I'm not stupid and I've seen enough of papa’s paranormal research to suspect that the man I just saw leave this room is something more than human.” He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again.
A whole minute of
uncomfortable silence went by before she gave it another shot.
“I’m not blind either and I’ve noticed that there have been a lot of weird things happening around here lately. I feel like I’m stuck in a cheesy horror film and I’m starting to freak out!”
“You do realize that you sound like a crazy person?” He said, like a true skeptic.
“Oh, don’t give me that crap! Did you get a good look at his eyes?”
“Yes, but you need to calm down and think rationally abut this.”
“No, what I need is for you to stop evading my questions and give me a truthful answer.” All of her father’s stories about beings whose eyes turned pitch black rushed to her conscious mind.
One word stood out from the muddled mess of thoughts and images. But, after all the time and effort she’d spent trying to escape her father’s views of reality, was she really going to believe in that? Damien seemed to have come to a decision and looked grim as he turned to address her.
“Very well, but remember that you asked for it. Now, go sit down and do not scream.” He gestured to the tall chair behind the big mahogany desk.
“I’d rather stand.” She folded her arms across her chest and waited.
“Have it your way then.” He took a few steps back from her and stood straight. His hands hung clenched into fists at his sides.
Tick-tock...
Tick-tock…
The low ticking of the grandfather clock that stood in the corner was all that could be heard in the room. Kennedy waited patiently for him to start explaining, but no words came from him, just silence.