Chapter 5

Allie ran swiftly along the beach, enjoying the chill of fall in the air. It was just over a month since she’d arrived on Kelleys Island, and the leaves were a riot of colors. She loved her new home and its illusion of stability, but she didn’t trust it to last. She was more herself here than she’d ever been before, and she didn’t want to lose that. But something loomed over her like a dark cloud—an ominous storm that threatened to destroy everything.

She slowed to a walk when she neared the shady grotto nestled at the base of a massive cliff. A winding flight of steps rose from the sand up to Aidan’s palatial home along the ridge. He really did have a pedigree, with a trust fund and a panoramic view of the city across the bay.

She could hear the peaceful vocals of Miserere a 9 on the surround sound, and she paused to watch him. He was texting, a slight frown creasing his brow. It was noon in Germany, and he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to check in with his old girlfriend.

“How’s Wendy?” She dropped to her usual place beside him on the stone sectional covered in brightly colored cushions. Everything in the grotto was carved right from the limestone rock. Even the huge dining table was a slab suspended from the ceiling. The fire pit was formed right into the floor, where flames crackled cheerfully this morning, but dark black soot marred the low ceiling where a fire had recently burned out of control.

“She’s good.” His grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “And awfully curious about you.”

“How so?”

“Coffee?” He slid a mug across the table.

“Ahh, the nectar of my people.” She settled back comfortably against the cushions. “But I’m not so easily distracted. Why’s your old girlfriend curious about me?”

“She wanted to know if you were hot.” He snorted in a very un-Aidan like way.

“Um?”

“You’re more her type than I am.”

“Oh.” Allie giggled as Benedictus filled the air. “Feeling depressed this morning, are we?”

“I happen to like choral music. It helps me think.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“I need to know exactly when your sixteenth birthday is.”

“Halloween. Why?”

“You were seriously born with that orange hair on Halloween?”

“Orange?” She glared daggers at him.

“Is that a date you picked, or is it your actual birthday? We don’t know when Sasha’s is, so we let her pick her own when she was little.”

“It’s my real birthday, but you still haven’t answered my question.”

“Just want to make sure we have enough time for party planning.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“You’ve met me, right? I hate birthday parties. Mom always invited a bunch of random kids I didn’t even know. She gave up when I punched a kid for making fun of me because I didn’t have any real friends.”

“You have real friends now, but you seem determined not to accept it. I know you’re happy here, but why does that seem to scare you so much?”

“I will allow that blatant attempt to distract me. You should know, if you throw a party, don’t be surprised if I don’t show up,” she said. “To answer your question, I am happy here, but it can’t last. I didn’t want to get attached, but it’s too late for that. It would break my heart if I had to leave now.”

“Your parents promised. No more moving.” He draped his arm around her. She shivered as his fingertips grazed the back of her neck.

“Yeah, well, I’ve never known a world where we don’t move.” She pulled away. Allie always reacted strongly to his touch. If she were honest, she craved it. They were so drawn to each other and shared an amazing connection. She just didn’t want to encourage anything more than friendship. He felt differently and his intensity made her nervous.

Aidan caught her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. “It’s just us, Lex. If I’m affectionate, it doesn’t have to be weird. I can see you aren’t into me like that, and that’s okay … for now.” His smirk was arrogant, as usual. “I’m happy to have you as my best friend,” he added in a softer tone.

“Aidan, it’s just—” But he ignored her protests and tucked her securely under his arm.

“You’re still afraid you’re going to wake up one morning and have to leave again?”

“That’s my life. It’s inevitable.”

“You need to get over that constant fear or you’re never going to be happy.”

“I thought Quinn was your best friend?” She switched to a safer topic.

“Sure, but there’s always an awkward wall between us. It’s not like that with you. Our relationship is … you let me be me. And I’ve never had that.”

“I’ve always felt so disconnected from everyone around me,” she said carefully, not wanting to say too much to give him the wrong idea. “I don’t feel like that with you. It’s nice.”

“And comforting.” He absently stroked her hair. “Most kids our age are so exhausting and immature.”

“Immature? Really? Aren’t you the guy who took the school bus out for a joyride with your football buddies after the last away game? And didn’t I hear something about racing trains? Not to mention you have half the girls in school begging for your attention with that fake Aidan crap.”

“It’s an act, Allie. Surely you can see that by now.”

“But why? Fake Aidan’s an idiot. I like this guy.” She shoved him playfully. “But why does he only show up when we’re alone?”

“Back atcha, Lex. You hide behind your humor and sarcasm with everyone else, but you’re real with me. And you’re not so scary.” His eyes twinkled mischievously.

“Could be if I wanted to,” she muttered, a little unnerved by how clearly he saw her.

“Of that, I have no doubt.” He laughed.

* * *

“You’re disgusting!” Sasha shrieked as Aidan rummaged through the fridge.

“Dude, you do stink,” Allie added in amusement.

“Football practice got messy.” He stuffed half a club sandwich into his mouth. “I might have tackled Vince a few times just for fun.”

“Aidan!”

“The guy’s a douche.” He shrugged. “Want to stay for dinner? You can finally meet our parents.”

“Sure.”

“Shouldn’t you be discussing that with me?” Sasha hissed.

“Uh, I can just go home, Sash,” Allie said.

“Crap!” Sasha’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “I just meant … I … er, how does she do that?” She glowered at Aidan as he tried unsuccessfully to stifle his laughter.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m just not surfing the same channels as you guys.” Allie sighed.

“Hey, it’s my turn to cook this week.” Aidan shrugged out of his muddy shirt. “Want to help? You can just watch, uhh … I’ll do the actual cooking.” Since he was her unfortunate partner in their culinary arts class, she didn’t blame his caution.

Allie took a moment to admire his tattoos when he grabbed a clean shirt from the laundry.

Did they change? Something was missing…

“See something you like, sweetheart?” He grabbed her around the waist.

“Yeah, the tattoos.” She gave him a shove. “They look different than I remember.”

“Work in progress. I’ll show you the plan sometime. I was thinking you might draw my next one.” He quickly pulled the clean shirt over his head before they headed down to the grotto kitchen.

She sat at the bar and watched as he pulled several trays from the fridge: steaks marinated in something that smelled wonderfully Mediterranean, chicken and beef kabobs with onions and brightly colored peppers, ribs and chicken.

“That’s a lot of food for five people.”

“Er… when it’s my week to cook, I like to do it all at once. How do you like your steak?”

“Just short of mooing.”

“That’s my girl.” He grinned in approval.

Allie heard a rush of white noise and looked around in alarm. She got that creepy feeling a lot these days but never so strongly.

“Relax, it’s just my mom,” he said. But Allie didn’t think he meant to say it.

Allie’s eyes widened at his blatant acknowledgment of her feelings. She stared at him in surprise, but his only response was his typical arrogant grin.

“Dinner smells wonderful, son, but I see a lot of meat and very few vegetables,” his mother said as she and Sasha joined them.

“Hey, the kabobs have fruit, peppers, and onions.” Aidan draped his long arm around his petite mother. Allie noticed how she flinched, as if her son’s touch bothered her somehow. It was such a familiar reaction it didn’t register right away that it wasn’t in response to her.

“Just like your father.” She smiled, all traces of her discomfort gone, but Allie saw a flicker of sadness cross Aidan’s face. Without thinking, she reached for his hand, and he gently squeezed her fingers in silent affirmation of her offer of comfort.

“Allie, I’m delighted to finally meet you.” His mother was dazzling in her exotic Egyptian beauty. “Please call me Naeemah.”

“Th-thank you.” She stared at Aidan uncertainly.

“Aidan Loukas McBrien! Front and center, right bloody now!” his father called from the steps above.

“Coming, Da!” Aidan winced. “I know I’m in trouble when the Scots comes out.”

“What’d you do?” Allie giggled at his use of the Scottish endearment.

“Brought an unruly redhead home for dinner.” He winked as he rushed up the steps to meet his father.

“Come on girls, let’s see if we can find something green in this kitchen. The boys will be along shortly. I’m sure Aidan will have some fabulous excuse for whatever it is he’s done this time.”

Allie laughed. His mother sure wasn’t fooled by his charm.

“Sorry, Nae.” She heard the subtle Scottish burr when Aidan and his father finally joined them. Allie’s heart skipped a beat when he turned his attention on her. She glanced at Aidan, her confusion written all over her face, but he just gave her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze.

“Allie!” She looked up to see an all too familiar smile. “Greggory McBrien, it’s nice to finally meet you.” He winked.

“Oh no. There’s two of you.” She glanced between father and son who looked nothing alike beyond their mischievous smiles, yet they shared some elusive quality she couldn’t place.

“I’m starving, let’s eat.” Aidan hefted two full dinner plates onto the table. Naeemah arched her brow at her ravenous son as he slathered an absurd amount of butter on a tiny dinner roll.

“How did you come to be with your adoptive family?” she asked.

“I was abandoned in a hospital waiting room in South Africa,” Allie said. “I was only a few hours old, but I was placed with my parents immediately, and the adoption was finalized not long after.” She forced a smile. She didn’t like talking about the circumstances of her birth.

“Aye, family isn’t always about biology,” Gregg said. “We’re the epitome of the melting pot, but we make it work.”

After dinner, Allie sat quietly listening to her friends, but she couldn’t concentrate. She felt like Aidan was trying to tell her something—something he had no intention of putting into words.

As she slipped into the bathroom, she heard Naeemah and Gregg talking in the study below, their voices carrying up through the vents.

“How could this happen?” Naeemah asked.

“…must be making excuses,” Gregg said.

“What can we do?”

“…have to be careful…”

“…can’t overwhelm her, she is … see her touch him?”

“…might finally have someone.”

“Allie!” Sasha rapped loudly on the door. “We’re going out for coffee!”

Allie finished drying her hands, trying to hear over the ruckus.

“Come on, let’s get out of here!” Aidan shouted.

She caught his gaze when she stepped into the hall and knew he saw the questions in her eyes.

“Relax, Lex. Take a deep breath and don’t overthink it.” Aidan grabbed her hand, and she felt a wave of calm wash over her. Sometimes, he had the most remarkable effect on her.

“All right, but seriously, drop the Lex crap already.”