Thats one of the reasons she dated Tucker. He was safe. Cute and popular, but safe. He was busy with football and didnt mind how often she skipped out on him to work or study.
Dont be a prude. Give me permission, and Ill call him over here. Ill have his digits in five flat, and you guys can go out. I wont tell Tucker, I swear.
No. No, no, no! She shook her head for emphasis, ponytail slapping her cheeks. One, I would never cheat on Tucker.
Penny rolled her eyes. So break up with him.
And two, she said, ignoring her friends remark, I dont have time to juggle another boy. Even as a friend. Grades have never been more important. SATs are coming up.
You have straight As. And youll nail the SATs, guaranteed.
I want to keep the As, and the only way Ill nail the SATs is if I stay the course. You know that stuff doesnt come easily for me.
Fine. But when you die from stress and disappointment, youll think back to this moment and wish to God youd taken me up on my offer. Penny splayed her arms and peered heavenward. Who would have thought Id be the smart one in this relationship?
Now Mary Ann was the one to roll her eyes. If youre the smart one, what does that make me?
The dull, pretty one. Penny grinned, but for once the expression lacked its usual dazzle. You cant help it, I suppose. What with the psychobabble your dad is always feeding you. Theres good in everyone, blah, blah, blah. Im telling you, Mar, some people are as worthless as an empty bottle of beer and Tucker is oneofthem. The last was said on an excited gust of breath. Swweet! I didnt have to do anything and hes coming over! Yep, you heard me right. Your stalker is coming over here!
Mary Ann turned before she could stop herself. It was the boy from the graveyard. She barely hid her grimace as another of those jolts swept through her, burning her like acid.
At least the world didnt seem to implode on itself this time, leaving her with a strange sense of nothingness.
Steadier now, she studied him. His jeans were ripped but he had indeed changed his shirt. This one was clean and free of holes. His face was just as perfect as she remembered, too flawless to be real. He had thick black lashes that perfectly framed his eyes. Perfectly sculpted cheekbones that surrounded a perfectly sloped nose. Perfectly shaped lips, now dipped into a frown.
This close, she realized he was taller than shed assumed. If they stood next to each other, he would tower over her. His features were tight with determination.
One step, two, he hesitantly approached. When he reached them, he stopped and dropped his backpack at his feet.
Mary Ann tensed and her mouth dried. What would she do if he asked her out? Tucker was her first and only boyfriend. The first and only guy to ask her out, really, so shed never had to turn someone down before. Not that this boy wanted to ask her out. Please dont ask me out.
Arent you an egotistical one? Most boys want your study notes, not your body. Oh, yeah.
This day couldnt get any better, Penny said, clapping.
He waved shyly. Hi, he said. Then he frowned and rubbed at his chest, just as she had done a bit ago. His gaze narrowed, and he glanced all around them.
Hi, Mary Ann said, dropping her focus to the iron tabletop. Her tongue suddenly felt huge and glued to the roof of her mouth. Worse, her brain seemed to have taken a vacation and she couldnt think of anything else to say.
Awkward silence bloomed between them.
Penny released a heavy sigh. Fine. Allow me. Her names Mary Ann Gray, and shes a junior at Crossroads High School. Ill give you her phone number if you ask nicely.
Penny. Mary Ann slapped her friends shoulder.
Penny ignored her. Whats your name? And where do you go to school? she asked the boy. Wild Horse? Disgust dripped from her tone.
Im Aden. Aden Stone. I just moved here. And I dont go to public school. Pause. Yet. But whats wrong with Wild Horse?
His voice was deep and oddly shiver-inducing. She forced herself to focus on his words, though, rather than his tone. Hed said he didnt go to public school. Did that mean he attended private school? Or that he was homeschooled?
Hello, its only our biggest rival and home of the worst humans on earth. Penny kicked out a chair. But since you dont go there, would you like to join us, Aden Stone?
Oh, IIif you wouldnt mind? The question was directed at Mary Ann.
Before she could replynot that shed known what to sayPenny preened and replied, Of course she wouldnt mind. She was just telling me she hoped youd join us. Sit, sit. Tell us about yourself.
Slowly Aden inched into the chair, as though he feared having it shoved out from under him. The sun stroked him lovingly, practically worshipping his beautiful face. And for a moment, only a moment, Mary Ann saw those different hues in his eyes again. Green, blue, gold and brown. Amazing. But as quickly as they appeared, they vanished, leaving that blazing onyx.
The scent of pine and newborn baby drifted from him. Why a baby? From a wet wipe, maybe? Anyway, dirty as he was, she would have expected a more unpleasant odor. Instead, the sweet smell reminded her of somethingof someone. Who, she couldnt place. She just knew she had a sudden urge to hug him.
Hug him?
From attraction to curiosity to distaste to affection? Seriously, what was wrong with her? And what would Tucker say? Shed never flirted with other boysnot that she was flirting nowso she had no idea how Tucker would react if she did. He might be a piranha on the football field, but hed always been nice to her.
I was wonderingI saw you outside the cemetery, Aden said to Mary Ann. Do you, uhdid younotice anything that disturbed you?
So hesitant, he was. It was kind of cute. Sweet, too. The urge to hug him increased. But she merely blinked over at him, unsure shed heard him correctly. Had he felt that bizarre wind, too? Like what?
Never mind. Slowly he grinned, and it was a grin that not only rivaled Pennys, but surpassed it.
Guess he hadnt, she thought. Were you visiting a loved one there?
Uh, no. I, uh, work there. Just so you know, news stations will probably be blasting stories about the desecration of several graves soon. I wascleaning things up.
Was her mothers grave okay? It had better be!
How wonderfully morbid. Penny blew a puff of smoke in his direction. Are you ever tempted to do a little digging and steal a little bling?
To his credit, he didnt cough or flinch. Never, he said, turning to shield his face as a pudgy man walked by their table.
Hiding? Maybe that was his boss and he wasnt supposed to be on break.
She studied him, wondering what heHer gaze caught on the bruise on his neck and she gasped. Oh, ouch! What happened to you? There were two puncture wounds, both a mix of blue and black. Teeth marks, she realized then, and blushed. He could have gotten them from a girl. Probably had. Never mind. Thats personal. You dont have to answer that.
He didnt. He covered the wounds with his hand, his own cheeks heating.
Great, two prudes at one table. Penny released a longsuffering sigh. So what do you do for fun, Aden? Where do you go to school, if not public? And do you have a girlfriend? Im assuming the answer is yes, since youve been nibbled on, but Im hoping youll tell us its about to end.
His attention returned to Mary Ann. Im more curious about Mary Ann. Why dont we talk about her?
Way to dodge the questions, she thought.
Yes, Mary Ann. Penny rested her elbows on the table, expression mockingly rapt. Tell us about your exciting fifteen-year plan.
Mary Ann knew what her friend was doing: trying to force her to voice her supposed dullness so that shed realize she needed excitement. How many times had Mary Ann told her that admitting a problem was the first step to fixing it? Penny must have been listening because, for once, she was acting as the shrink. Another word out of you and Im going to take you up on your earlier offer. Your tongue will look nice above my bed.
Palms up and out, Penny projected her innocence. Just trying to lighten the mood, sugar. Grinning, she dropped her cigarette to the concrete and smashed it with her foot. Maybe the only way to do that is to leave. You two can get to know each other.
No, Mary Ann rushed out when her friend stood. Stay.
Nah. Ill just cause more trouble.
Aden watched the exchange, head zinging back and forth between them, expression bemused.
You wont. Mary Ann gripped Pennys wrist and tugged her back into the chair. Youll A thought occurred to her and she gasped. Oh, no. What time is it? She set her mocha on the tabletop, pulled her cell from her pocket and glanced at the clock. Just as shed feared. Ive got to go. If she didnt hurry, she wouldnt make it back to the Watering Pot in time.
Ill walk you wherever youre going. I dont mind. Aden jumped up so quickly, his chair skidded behind him and knocked into a man whod been walking past. Sorry, he muttered.
Im in a mad rush, so II think I should go on my own. Im sorry. Best this way, she told herself. Her blood was still burning in her veins, her stomach still clenching. She leaned forward and kissed Penny on the cheek before standing herself. It was nice meeting you, though, Aden. Kind of.
You, too. He sounded despondent.
She backed up a step, stopped. Backed up another step, a dark corner of her mind shouting for her to stay, despite everything.
Aden moved toward her, saying, Can I call you? I would love to call you.
I She opened her mouth to say yes. That dark corner wanted to see him again and figure out why she felt both pain and affection in his presence. The rest of her, the rational side of her nature, listed all the reasons to stay away from him: School. Grades. Tucker. Fifteen-year plan. Yet still she had to fight to work, No, Im sorry, out of her throat.
Whirling, she headed back to the Watering Pot, wondering if shed just made a huge mistake. A mistake she would regret for the rest of her life, just as Penny had predicted.
CHAPTER 3
Aden watched as Mary Ann walked away from him.
Heres her number. If you still want to call her, that is, considering her rudeness, the girl named Penny said, sliding a piece of paper toward Aden. The second number is mine. In case you decide you want someone a little more available. Then she, too, stood and walked away from him.
Thank you, he called. He grinned as he stuffed the paper into his pocket. The grin didnt last long, however. He didnt know a lot about girls, but he knew that hed made Mary Ann Gray uncomfortable. Knew shed wanted nothing to do with him.
Had she sensed how different he was? He hoped not, because that would make convincing her to spend time with him impossible. And he had to spend more time with her. Had to talk to her, to get to know her. She really was responsible for his newfound sense of peace.
It was strange, too. The more time hed spent in her presence, the more hed had to fight the urge to run away from her. Which made absolutely no sense. Up close, she was even prettier than hed realized, cheeks bright, eyes a mix of green and brown. She was smart, well able to hold her own against her friend. Any other guy would have wanted to date her, yet when theyd begun talking, hed first experienced a wave of affection, as though he should be mussing her hair and teasing her about boyfriends. (As if he needed more proof that he was weird.) And second, that stupid desire to flee for his life.
He could think of no reason good enough to run from her. The moment hed spotted her at the café, the voices had screamed againhe had hated thatthen quieted again, and he had loved that.
How did she do it? Did she even know she did it? She hadnt seemed aware, her pretty face innocently unconcerned.
He hadnt decided yet if she was the girl in his visions or not. She certainly looked like her, but the thought of kissing herhe grimaced. It just felt wrong. So very wrong. Maybe, hopefully, after he got to know her, that would change.
He kicked into gear, heading home, careful to stay first on the sidewalk above the graveyard, and then the main roads. Twice he tripped over trash, stumbling forward, and every wound on his body throbbed.
Ugh, were gonna hurt tonight, Caleb said.
Yep. Beyond the ache of the existing bruises, in a few hours, the poison would begin to break him down, chew him up and spit him out.
Youre really starting to annoy me, Ad, Elijah suddenly said. I do not like the airstream or whatever it is that tosses us into that black hole.
Tell me about it. The black hole, I mean.
Dark, empty, silent. And just for the record, Id like to know how youre doing it.
A girl. I caught a glimpse of her, Eve said.
Julian sputtered. A girl? A dumb girl is sending us away? How?
Is she the one Ive been dreaming about, Elijah? Duh. He should have asked before.
Dont know. I didnt see her.
Oh.
Well, I did see her, and Im positive I know her. Theres something familiar about her. Eve paused, clearly thinking things over. She pushed out a frustrated breath. I just cant place what, exactly, is familiar.
The others never saw the images Elijah projected inside his head. Only Aden did. So Eve wouldnt have seen her in the visions. Weve only been here a few weeks and havent left the ranch until today. We havent met anyone but Dan and the other dregs. Dregs, his name for the other wayward teens at the D and M.
I swear. I know her. I do. Somehow. And she could have lived in any of the towns weve been sent to.
Youre righ Realizing that he could be caught talking to himself, Aden searched his surroundings, making sure no one was within hearing distance. He would have thought his replies, rather than speak them, but there was such a constant stream of noise in his head that the souls had trouble differentiating his words from everything else.
He was outside, the sun finally beginning to fall, the ranch on the horizon. It was a sprawling structure of dark red wood surrounded by windmills, an oil rig and a looming wrought-iron fence. Cows and horses grazed all around. Crickets chirped. A dog barked. It wasnt the kind of place hed ever imagined living, and he was as far from a cowboy as a person could get, but he found that he liked the open spaces better than the crowded buildings in the city.