We must deliver this last paragraph as a warning: Liam must not be taken lightly. He is extremely dangerous and should not be approached by any means. Contact with Liam will undeniably guarantee death.
CHAPTER 5
It was dark and drizzling on the drive home from James’ house. The weather was unseasonably balmy for the end of March and I felt like I was suffocating. I cracked the window despite the rain.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Liam. He sacrificed his own mother? What kind of monster would do that?
The Gamma pamphlet was informative, but it didn’t help me with what I really needed - a way to defeat Liam. The only thing the pamphlet did was tell me how screwed I was. For hundreds of years, hunters failed to kill Liam. He was such a formidable opponent that Gamma had given up hope of ever defeating him. And now I was supposed to defeat him in seven months, before I received all of my powers?
Unlikely.
I turned onto my street. Peter’s black truck was parked in my driveway. Twin headlights illuminated the old garage door.
My stomach dropped.
I pulled in front of the house. I wasn’t sure if I could face him. I tugged at my lips. They’d never touched any pair of lips but Peter’s. I felt guilty about that, too.
I exhaled. I wouldn’t cry in front of him. I wouldn’t do it. I sloshed through the muddy lawn, enjoying the soft mist against my skin. When I reached the driveway, the truck door opened.
“Where’s your umbrella?” Peter asked with an attempt at a smile.
“Where’s yours?”
“I gave it to you last week,” he said quietly.
The headlights reflected off the garage and created a weird shadow over us. I brushed the raindrops off my sleeve. I didn’t want to be the first to speak.
“Can we go inside?” He asked.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Peter exhaled. “Okay. We can talk out here. I want to explain what happened on Friday night.”
“Three days later? Did I finally make it down your priority list?” I bit my lip, surprised by the angry outburst.
Peter frowned. “I didn’t feel well and I wanted to give you time to cool down.”
“I’m sorry you had a bad weekend. Mine wasn’t too great either.”
“I was sick, that’s why I didn’t come by sooner.”
“You look fine to me.”
“It must have been a forty-eight hour bug or something, I don’t know. And to be perfectly honest, I was afraid to face you.”
I flinched. “You thought I’d do something to you?”
“No, I didn’t mean like that.” Peter’s chest heaved. “Will you let me explain?”
“Go ahead.”
“I feel horrible about what happened, but it wasn’t what it looked like. I swear. After Lover Boy showed up, I had to get out of there. I couldn’t find Luke, so I went outside. People were on the pier and I wanted to be alone. I went around the corner for some peace and quiet. I was angry that James was so excited to see you.”
“Don’t blame James for what you did.”
“I’m not. I’m explaining what happened. I was killing time on my phone when Olivia showed up.”
“You kissed Olivia because she showed up? Wow. Is that what you normally do? How many other girls have you kissed behind my back?”
“Lex, don’t be ridiculous. I’ve never cheated on you. I love you. She kissed me. I was just standing there.”
“Peter, you two were in deep conversation and then you kissed.”
He ran his hand through his wet hair and pulled the ends up in frustration. “That’s not what happened. Why won’t you believe me?”
“Because I know what I saw.”
“I didn’t do anything, Lex. I was completely caught off guard. Olivia was talking about how upset she was because James hadn’t bothered to come to her party. I told her that he just arrived and was with you. Then, she started talking about something. I can’t remember what. The next thing I know, she kissed me. That’s it. I swear.”
“You couldn’t push her away?”
“I was in shock. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
I couldn’t look at him. It hurt too much. “You supposedly hate Olivia, but I find you two alone in the dark?”
“I don’t know what we were talking about. I can’t remember what happened.”
“I have to go.” I walked away.
“Lex.”
I reluctantly turned around. “What?”
“We have to fix this.”
“Do we?”
I was shocked by my words, but they rang true. Grandma Longfellow was right. Maybe we weren’t meant to be. Would it ever really work out in the end? I was a witch. He wasn’t. We lived in different worlds. Besides, I was due to be sacrificed in seven months. What was the point?
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. If Peter was out of my life, then he was safe. He wouldn’t be hurt by Liam or Gamma or any other witch hunter. He could live a normal life without worrying about all of my supernatural drama. Maybe he could find someone who made him happy and let him live an ordinary life. Could I do it? To keep him safe?
“Lex?”
I loved him enough to let him go. “Even if you really don’t remember what happened on the pier and Olivia kissed you, then...fine. But we still weren’t doing well before that.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve barely spoken in weeks, Peter.” I shook my head in frustration as the words tumbled out. “You never forgave me for what happened to Anne Marie on the Bell Tower.”
“That’s not true -”
“It is.”
“It’s not,” he said.
“You’re lying.”
Peter stared at the cement. “Fine. You should’ve saved Anne Marie. I begged you to save her.”
“See?”
“But I’m not angry with you.”
“Yes, you are.”
“It should’ve been me that took the fall. Not my baby sister.”
“You can’t imagine what it’s like living with that guilt day after day,” I said. “You haven’t looked at me the same since that night.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s my fault. But the worst part is… if we were in that same position and your life hung in the balance, I would still choose to save you. I’d always choose to save you. Over everyone. Over Emma. Sadie. Your mother. Anne Marie. Everyone. It’s horrible that I would risk someone else’s life, but it’s the truth.”
“Lex, I’d -”
I shook my head. “You’ll never have to make that choice. You have to protect your family. Protect them from me. From my life. What if Liam comes back? What if he tries to kill your mother next time? Or what if he goes after Anne Marie again? It’s never going to end.”
“We can -”
“No, you never should’ve been in that position in the first place. What happened to Anne Marie was my fault. My witch drama.”
“You’re talking crazy.”
“I’m not. It goes back even before the Bell Tower. You killed a man because of me. Simon was trying to kill us, but still…you killed someone. All because of me.”
Peter stepped closer. “You didn’t ask to be a witch.”
“I know. But I am. And there’s nothing I can do about it. Maybe this is nature’s way of telling us that we’re not supposed to be together.” Tears fell down my cheeks as I said the words I was afraid of saying.
Peter swallowed. “Are you breaking up with me?”
I couldn’t answer. I bit my lip.
“Lex?”
Was I really doing this? Could I do this? I’ve never known a life without Peter. Ever. Could I let him go? It hurt to even contemplate the thought.
I let out a long breath. “Yes. I’m sorry, but we can’t be together anymore.”
CHAPTER 6
Day one officially without Peter sucked. I cried the whole night. The next morning, I skipped scho
ol.
Day two without Peter sucked, too. So I skipped on Wednesday.
Thursday wasn’t good for me either. I stayed in bed. Hawthorne called regarding my absence. It was a warning from Mrs. Pratt, our school principal, who hated my guts. I dragged myself out of bed and made it as far as the parking lot. I stared at the massive brick building that resembled a medieval castle. Once my eyes hit the enormous squared tower with its large iron bell sprouting from the center, I put the keys into the ignition and drove home.
Mrs. Pratt could suspend me for all I cared.
I went back to sleep.
Around four o’clock I woke up to an empty house. Emma was at work. She’d recently landed a job at the Hazel Cove Diner. I was ecstatic that she was now a contributing member of the community, but she wasn’t too thrilled about it.
Emma had never worked a day in her life. Ever. Now that she was waiting tables - tables filled with friends and peers - she had to adapt to our drastically different lifestyle. She was no longer Emma Ramsey, trophy wife / housewife. Now she had to squeeze out a living to support herself and her daughter. She was trying and that was the important part. I couldn’t ask for anything else.
I ate dinner alone. Well, with Scooby, my Chihuahua, but alone in the human sense. It was strange to go so long without talking to Peter. He’d called again. In fact, Peter had called every day this week. Not answering his calls was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I knew I’d cave the moment I heard his voice. It was too difficult to just be friends with Peter. Maybe time would make things better, but now it was too soon. Too fresh.
My cell phone rang a little after seven o’clock. It was Sadie. I didn’t want to answer, but I’d been avoiding her calls all week, too. Some friend I was.
I put the phone to my ear. “I don’t want to talk about Peter.”
“Well, hello to you, too, Grumpy.”
“Sorry.”
“Why are you avoiding me?” Sadie’s voice sounded hurt.
“I’m not avoiding you.”
“Then come over.”
“Now?”
“Yes. Let’s hang out. Remember when we used to do that?”
“I do, but -”
“Fantastic, I’ll be expecting you in exactly twenty minutes.” Sadie hung up.
Guilt that I’d been a horrible friend was the only reason I showered, got dressed and drove to Sadie’s house.
“You came!” Sadie squealed. She dragged me upstairs to her bedroom. “Is it true? You caught Peter making out with Olivia?” Sadie closed the door. “And you ended it?”
Sadie never beat around the bush. I exhaled loudly. “I saw them on the pier. Peter says she kissed him and he was caught by surprise.”
“Maybe she did.”
“Maybe.”
“But you broke up with him anyways? Without knowing for sure?” Sadie asked.
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he wasn’t. It doesn’t matter. We’ve been on the rocks for weeks.”
“But you can’t end it!” Sadie plopped down on the bed next to me and searched my face for answers. She hugged me. “I’m sorry.”
I hugged her back, thankful to still have my friend.
“It doesn’t make sense.” Sadie tucked a short piece of jet black hair behind her ear. “Why Olivia?”
“I don’t know. She’s pretty.”
“She’s not prettier than you,” Sadie said. “Besides, Peter’s not like that. The more I think about it, the more I think she kissed him off guard.”
“Maybe he was bored with me.”
“You’re anything but boring.” Sadie tilted her head. “Are you still not having sex?”
Heat rose to my cheeks. Only a few people knew about my virgin status. Then a sinking feeling hit me. “Do you think that’s why he kissed her? Oh my God, do you think they -?”
“No! Of course not! Peter would never do that. Forget I said that. I’m sure it was just Olivia throwing herself at him. It’ll work out. I’m sure of it.” Sadie hopped off the bed and peeked out the window. “Now, please don’t get upset with me.”
“What?”
“My mom and dad are in Hawaii for their anniversary. I invited a few people over.”
“Sadie! I’m not in the mood to see anyone.”
“I know, but you wouldn’t have come over if you knew I was having a party. Please don’t be mad.”
“A few people or a party?”
Sadie shrugged. “I guess you could call it a party.”
“On a Thursday night?”
“We don’t have school tomorrow. Teacher-in-service day. You’d know that if you actually came to class this week.” Sadie lifted onto her tiptoes. “Lucas and Logan are here.”
I followed Sadie. The Cooper twins were downstairs, along with most of the juniors and seniors from Hawthorne Prep and Hazel Cove High. So much for a few people. I found a comfy corner chair and blended in with the wallpaper. I didn’t want to see anyone and I didn’t want to talk to anyone. My plan was to wait until Sadie was too preoccupied with the party. Then I’d quietly slip out the back door.
The downstairs quickly filled with people. Music blared from the speakers. The party was in full swing within the hour. Unfortunately, Sadie wouldn’t let me out of her sight. I swear she knew my plan and was trying to prevent my escape.
On top of it all, everyone was staring at me. I’m sure they’d heard about the kiss and were dying for the story straight from my mouth. Hell had to freeze over before that happened. I kept my eyes on the carpet.
“Here, drink this.” Sadie handed me a red plastic cup.
“No thanks. I’m driving.”
“No, you’re spending the night with me and drink this anyways. It’s just punch.”
I eyed the glass suspiciously and sniffed it. Strawberries and mangos.
“Seriously? You have issues.” Sadie disappeared into the crowd, but I’m sure not too far away.
I sipped the drink. It tasted like punch.
“Alex?”
I glanced up.
“Ah, you’re not in a trance,” Lucas said. “I was beginning to wonder.”
I gave him a weak smile.
“A lot of people, huh?” Lucas sat down beside me. “I’m guessing Sadie didn’t mention the party.”
“Nope. She tricked me.”
“She’s trying to make you feel better.”
“I know.” I swallowed another mouthful of punch.
“You probably don’t want to talk about it, but you should know I’m done with Olivia. Our friendship - if you can even say we had one - is over,” Lucas said.
“Thanks, Luke. I really appreciate -”
Untidy almost-blonde hair weaved through the room. Peter didn’t see me or at least he pretended not to. He walked into the kitchen without a glance in my direction.
The physical pain of seeing him was too much. I downed the rest of my drink. I had to get out of here. I stood up. The room spun. I closed my eyes and opened them, but the room continued to rotate.
“Oh.” I sat down and waited for the rowboat feeling to subside.
Lucas swapped my empty cup for his full one. “You look a little dizzy. Relax.”
I sloshed Lucas’ drink in my hand. “Is this the punch?”
“It is.”
“It’s delicious.”
“And strong.”
I downed the rest of the drink. “What do you mean strong?”
“Strong as in it’s spiked with alcohol. A pretty high proof, too.”
I leaned back in the chair.
“What’s the matter?” Lucas asked.
“Sadie told me it was regular punch and now I think I’m drunk.”
“It’s not the end of the world.”
“I guess not.”
Lucas pushed his shaggy blonde hair out of his eyes. “Is this your first time drinking?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve had a prett
y bad week.”
“Sadie gave it to me so I wouldn’t drive. Now, I’m stuck here.”
“She’s sneaky.”
“It’s not funny, Luke. How am I going to get home?”
“Stay the night with Sadie. Or I’m sure Peter will drive you home. He doesn’t drink.”
I squinted at him. Sadie and Lucas were up to something. And I suspected it was trying to get Peter and me back together. “I broke up with Peter.”
“I heard. But you should get back together. There’s no way he cheated on you. It’s all Olivia’s doing. You know that.”
I downed the drink. At this point, who really cared how sloshed I was? Actually, the fuzziness around my brain was nice. It numbed the pain.
Well, one thing was for sure, I wasn’t spending the night and I wasn’t asking Peter for a ride. I’d have to find another way home. The problem was that everyone I knew was here, except for James.
“Where’s James?” I asked Lucas.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Home. Why?”
“Why isn’t he here? Sadie didn’t invite him, did she? She doesn’t like him.”
“I invited him, but he said he wasn’t in the party mood.”
“Oh.” I pulled out my cell.
“Alex.” Lucas grabbed at my phone. “If you call James, he’ll come over and that’s going to piss off Peter.”
“I can never see James again? Is that what you’re saying? What about the swarm of girls all over Peter in the kitchen?”
“Alex.” Lucas frowned. “You’re drunk and not thinking clearly. There aren’t any girls hanging all over Peter.”
I hit the call button and put my finger to my lips. “Shhh… hello? James?”
Lucas shook his head.
“Alex,” James said. “I can barely hear you. It’s so loud. Where are you?”
“Sadie’s party. You should come. It’s fun.”
“Alex?”
“James, you’re missing out.” My head weighed a hundred pounds. It took a tremendous amount of effort just to keep my eyes open. I handed the phone to Lucas and rested my head on the arm of the chair.
“Hey man,” Lucas said. “No. She’s drunk. Uh huh. Sadie tricked her. She did, but we won’t let her drive home. Oh, okay. All right, bye.” Lucas handed me the phone and shook his head. “James is on his way over.”