Chapter 10
“I”m exhausted,”Phillip said, pulling into the parking lot and choosing a space in front of Room 604. He had already been to the front desk to reserve it, after I”d insisted we pay in advance. “This place looks like a dive, but as long as I”m taking charity from you, I want to spend as little as possible.
“Phillip, I told you I don”t mind-”
“I know,” he said firmly. “But I don”t like taking your money. I”ll be glad when I can pay it back.”
“Anyway, this place doesn”t look all that bad,” I said hopefully, stepping out of the truck. We stood on the curb. “It”s old, that”s for sure, but it isn”t dirty. And this is an okay neighborhood, from the looks of it. They even have Wi-Fi and a pool.”
“Fancy a dip later?”
“Maybe. It”s so cold, though.” I smiled at him, a genuine smile. Now that we were out of the cramped truck, things felt a little brighter. “I just hope a certain someone stays away.”
“Shh,” he said, putting a playful finger to my lips. “We”re on vacation, Stormy, let”s not ruin it with bad thoughts.”
“Vacation. Ha.” But I was smiling. It sort of did feel like a vacation. A road trip upstate with a handsome, thrilling man, staying in a motel in the middle of the week. It was all so spur of the moment. Something I never did. It felt kind of good. I realized, guilty, that I hadn”t checked in with Sloan all day. I hadn”t sent so much as a text. Then again, she hadn”t contacted me, either.
“Let”s go see this dump of a room,” Phillip said, and grabbed my hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I followed him up the steps to the second floor, and he fished the key out of the pocket of his dark black jeans. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get us two beds. They only had one queen left.”
“You expect me to believe that?” I teased as he fiddled with the room key, trying to get the handle to click open. “Don’t you read romance novels? That’s the oldest trope in the book. Couple forced to travel together under weird circumstances, there’s all this sexual tension, then they get a room and they’re forced to share a bed because the one motel within miles miraculously has no double beds despite being, you know, literally a place full of beds.”
“Sexual tension, huh?” he interrupted, turning to me with a sly smile. “Are you saying we have that?”
I met his eye. “Are you denying that we do, Phillip Deville?”
“Hey, I’m not denying anything at all. But you’re the one calling me a liar, here.”
“I’m just saying that it’s…convenient.” I smirked up at him. We stared at each other, the sound of the ancient AC unit clunking behind us, until finally he looked away. He pushed the motel room door open and gestured for me to enter.
The room was dark, so Phillip flicked on the light. It was sparse, a little old and dusty, but clean, with green carpet, green drapes and a patchwork bedspread on the queen bed. It smelled of lavender cleaning solution and stale coffee, which I figured was better than most. There was a bathroom with a bathtub and shower, much to my relief. My salt bath the night before was wearing off and I felt more than a little ripe. I took off my jacket and purse and laid them on the bed, then turned to Phillip. “Well, what n-”
I didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence. Phillip grabbed me, pulled me close and placed his huge hands on my shoulders. “Stormy,” he said in a fierce whisper, his face inches from mine. “I want to kiss you so bad. I”ve been wanting to since I first laid eyes on you. Tell me you want me to. Because I can”t stand it anymore.”
For a minute I just looked at him, eyes wide, forgetting how to form words. “I do want you to,” I said finally, in an equally fierce whisper. I stared up at his beautiful face, his flashing eyes, and smiled. “Duh.”
Then his lips were crushing mine, tasting of cloves and of Coca Cola, very sweet, soft and rough at the same time. The stubble from his chin was scratchy against my face, but it felt good. His arms gripped me, his hair brushed against my cheeks and I was filled with the essence of him, dark and warm and bright. I kissed him back, giving myself up to it immediately, stopping the racing thoughts in my brain. There would be plenty of time later for rehashing, replaying, and screaming to myself in disbelief that this really happened. But right now, it was happening, and it felt so good that my knees went weak, so I leaned into him, my hands resting on his hard chest, my fingers splaying out, wanting to touch him tenderly, to memorize him completely. He was an amazing kisser. He tasted so good, and I opened my mouth fully to his, wanting to explore him, devour the delicious wetness of his tongue, the crushing firmness of his mouth. His kiss felt somehow sacred, and also profane, and tantalizingly delicious. I never wanted it to end.
But he pulled away, leaving me aching, hanging by a thread.
He smiled at me, long and slow, pushing his hands through his hair and back out of his face. His eyes ran over me and I felt scorched by the heat in his gaze. “I”ve been thinking about this since last night when I had you in the bathtub,” he confessed with a drawn-out grin. “And it was every bit worth the wait.”
“I”ve been thinking about it since you put that bass in my hands,” I growled, and pulled him toward me.
I put a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat, the warmth of him. I wanted to finish what we”d started, taste more of him, feel his breath on me, his mouth on me, but I didn”t want to push. There was something agonizing and exquisite about the waiting, the postponing of the inevitable. We both knew it would happen, but when? Where? How? Each of these questions had weight, and the weight was heady and full of mouth-watering, thrilling tension. I felt my breath catch as we stared at each other, both breathing hard. I felt my lips curl into what felt like the thousandth smile of the day, my cheeks hurting with the effort, and as I started to pull away, he pulled me close, his face achingly close to mine, his lips barely brushing against my mouth, his breath feather light against my lips, his dark, long lashes soft and ticklish against my face. I put my arms around his neck, and his went around my waist as he picked me up easily, pressing his mouth against mine with agonizing slowness. We would draw this out, make it last, make it build and build until it took us under…
“Is it true about rock stars and hotel rooms?” I murmured against his mouth.
He groaned and chuckled in a low voice. “Is what true?”
“That they get up to all kinds of nefarious things in them.”
“Depends,” he answered, his lips trailing down to my collar bone. “On what you consider nefarious.”
“I don”t know.” I laughed, relishing the feel of his mouth on my skin. It was all I could do not to collapse; my knees felt so weak. “I”d like to think I”m up for anything, but I do happen to know that you toured with Motley Crue, and I figure Nikki Sixx might”ve taught you some really bad habits...”
“I guess you”ll just have to find out.” His mouth was on mine again, and I was kissing him back, my arms around his warm neck, my hands buried in his tangle of long black hair.
“If you”re up for it, I am.” I giggled into his neck.
“Believe me, I”m up for it.” He growled, grabbing me by the hips, and I almost started purring right there in his arms. Forget waiting; I wanted him right here, right now.
I was just resigning myself to, it”s going to happen it”s going to happen, when there was a knock on the door.
Phillip put me down instantly and we stared at each other, startled, both still breathing hard. My hands were still on Phillip”s chest. His heart was beating fast.
“Nobody knows we”re here,” I whispered. “It”s got to be him.” Lee.
“I”ll take care of it.” Phillip brushed past me and went to the door, gesturing for me to hide in the bathroom. I went in reluctantly, pushing the door shut but leaving it open a crack as I heard Phillip fumbling with the door handle. I heard him say, “Who are you?” and the voice that replied, “I’m here to see Stormy,” was not Lee Courtney, but rather someone else. Someone whose voice I’d know anywhere. I emerged from the bathroom, confused.
Tess, my ex-husband, was standing in the doorway.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
“Hey, hey, darlin”,” Tess said with a big smile, coming into the room and sweeping me into a hug like an old friend. After the pleasure of Phillip”s hands – and mouth – all over me, it was an unwelcome sensation and I recoiled. “I knew it was you! At first, I was like, ”nah, it can”t be her, why would she be all the way out here, with some weird looking joker like that’…but it is you.”” He grinned at me. He”d cut his hair, and looked oddly tanned, which was weird since it was fall. He was also either baked out of his mind, or drunk, from the way he was stumbling, leaning up against the wall. Knowing him, it was probably both.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded again, gaping at him. “Did you follow us?”
He shook his head. “Well, I did, but only from the Chevron station up the road. I was pumping gas and I saw you come out with a bunch of drinks and I couldn”t believe it was you. I didn”t know why you”d be out of state, especially out this far, and my curiosity got the better of me.”
“Why didn”t you just say hi at the store?” I asked, suspicious.
He laughed. “You were pulling out in too big of a hurry. I had to finish pumping my gas, didn’t I?”
I stared at him, disbelieving, and he stared back at me, all wide-eyed innocence. We”d done this when we were married...he”d jokingly called it the redneck standoff. But I wasn”t in the mood today.
“Well, as, uh, nice as it was to see you,” I said, trying to keep my voice polite, my rage simmering underneath, “I”m really tired. It”s been a long day. I was just getting ready to go to bed.” Something wasn’t right. I didn’t believe that Tess, who just a few days before was sniffing around my Sloan, just happened to see me at a gas station hundreds of miles from home. Or that he’d follow me to a motel on a whim and knock on the right door. Or that this grand coincidence would happen less than twenty minutes after we”d seen Lee Courtenay follow us. It was all beyond fishy. But I wasn”t about to waste any time trying to solve the mystery. The truth was, I didn’t care. I didn’t have any more patience for unwelcome stalkers; not tonight. I wanted to get back to Phillip and finish what we”d started. “Bye, Tess.” I said, gesturing toward the door. “I suggest you don”t come back and tell your friend the same. I”m officially out of patience, got it?”
Tess ignored this, turning to Phillip with a look of what could only be described as misguided self-confidence. “I don”t believe we”ve been introduced.” He extended his hand. “Tess Spooner. Stormy”s husband.”
If he was waiting for recognition, embarrassment or shame to show on Phillip”s face, he was disappointed. Phillip stared at his outstretched hand and made a point of putting his own large hands in his pockets. He didn”t offer his name in return, but instead looked at me, waiting for my cue.
“You look kinda familiar,” Tess continued, peering up at him. “We meet before? Did you go to our high school?”
Phillip still didn”t respond but gestured his head toward the door in an unmistakable command. Leave.
I had told Tess to go, and here he was, still standing around, clogging up space. After years of being ignored and ill-treated by him, something in me finally snapped. “Get the fuck OUT, Tess!” I yelled, my face turning red. “Do you fucking hear me? Out. Now.”
“What”s wrong, darlin”?” His face was a picture of innocence.
“Don”t play dumb with me,” I thundered, inching closer to him. “You show up in town less than a week ago, calling Sloan, asking her for favors, trying to get information out of her. And now I happen to go out of town and you miraculously show up at the same motel within five minutes of me arriving? How dumb exactly do you think I am?”
“I swear, darlin’.” He put his hands up in mock surrender. “It”s a coincidence. I came back to Brunswick to get some of my stuff, after I got out of rehab. Roberta and I left the next day.”
I didn”t even know he had been to rehab. I hated myself for the pang I felt at being cut out of his life. It was a joke, was what it was. This man wasn”t shit. That was clear as day. And yet, I still felt sad. We”d had something, once. If nothing else, he’d kept me from feeling alone. Years of security, comfort, companionship, after my shitty, isolated childhood…He had given me that much. I bristled against those feelings and settled instead with the rage. I set a firm eye on him. “I”m glad to hear it, but you still need to go. And don’t come back, Tess. This is messed up.”
“It is a coincidence,” he insisted. “My girlfriend – you remember Roberta - has family out this way. We were in town last week, but we came back here this mornin” to stay with her aunt for a few days. She”s real sick.”
“Whatever.” I put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him to the door. “Just go.”
“You sure do look pretty, darlin”,” he said with a smile as I jostled him out. “Whatever you”re doin”,” he winked at me, “it agrees with you.”
Suddenly Phillip was in front of me, clearly furious. “Stop fucking with Stormy and go. Or I’ll make you go.”
“Calm down, dude.” Tess put his hands up in surrender. “Don”t worry, I”m not trying to get a piece. I had my fill when we were married, and believe me, there”s plenty of better ass-”
He didn”t finish his sentence because Phillip”s fist connected with his face with a loud thwack.
Tess” nose immediately began to gush blood. For a second, he just stared at us, wide-eyed, then a childlike wail came from him. “Oh, you fuckin” ASSHOLE. You broke my fuckin” NOSE-”
Phillip slammed the door in his face. We heard Tess continue to curse and wail outside for a minute, then silence.
I went over to the bed and sat down, putting my face in my hands. My shoulders shook with laughter, but my fingers were wiping away tears. It was official; I was losing it.
“You ok?”
“Yeah.”
“You”re crying.”
“Yeah, well, I”m laughing, too.” I looked up defiantly, wiping at a cheek.
He cracked a smile. “I”m sorry,” he said, sitting down beside me. “I shouldn”t have hit the guy.”
“I”m glad you did. He deserved it.” I tried for another smile, but I was humiliated. “I asked him to leave, what, fifty times? You saw how he ignored me; he was always like that. And what he said about me – about how he had his fill-”
“That”s just shit guys say when they’re outmatched,” Phillip said easily with a kind look. “Don’t pay him any attention, Stormy. If he wasn’t still hung up on you, why would he be here?”
“I don’t know,” I said glumly. “I don’t know anything anymore.”
He put an arm around me, but it felt brotherly. The mood from a few minutes before had drained away. “I might go for a swim,” he said after a moment, and I hated myself for how deflated I felt. I wanted him to stay there with me.
“You”ll be cold.”
“It”s a heated pool.” He smiled at me. “Come join me, if you feel like it. I”d really like it if you did.” He paused, pulling my head toward his, his lips brushing against my temple. His chin was scratchy against my cheek. He stayed there just for a beat, long enough for me to feel his breath as he sighed, then got up.
He grabbed a towel from the tiny bathroom and exited the room without saying anything else. I managed to keep it together until the door shut and then dissolved into tears.
Here I was, on a road trip with the man of my dreams – literally. We”d just been sharing an amazing kiss, our first kiss, and I”d managed to let Tess get to me. What was wrong with me? Just looking at the two side by side, Tess” sneering, idiot face and dumb accent and cocky, shitty personality, contrasted with Phillip”s tall, strong gracefulness, swift, sharp mind and beautiful face, there was no contest. Phillip had been right to knock his block off. That was one ”redneck standoff” the good ol” boy had decidedly lost. He”d always been vain, preening in the mirror twice as long as I ever had – well, let him catch a glance of his face tomorrow morning. It”d be twice its normal size with a lovely blue-black hue to go with it. Try to snort a line with that nose; it”d hurt like the dickens. In another life, I would have laughed about it, would already be texting Sloan; she”d find the whole thing hysterical. But all I could feel was emptiness. Tess was my husband. Well, had been. When he”d left me, everything I thought was true about my life had fallen apart. I couldn”t put a funny face on it. Not after seeing the way he still dismissed me to nothing, not when his cruel mockery still sounded in my ears.
The way he’d stood there smirking, making jokes, acting as though he still casually owned me but didn’t give a crap about me at the same time, stung. How could such a no-count jerk face still have the power to reduce me to nothing with a glance?
He was definitely following me, but it wasn”t because he loved me or wanted me back. That was clear. No, he must have some other purpose, some reason for suddenly reappearing in my life. The fact that he was reappearing at the same time Phillip had entered the picture didn”t seem like a coincidence, either. I remembered what Phillip had said back at the house about how men sometimes acted around women - “like pissing on a fire hydrant. It”s an ownership thing.”
What did Tess want? Was he just here to pee on his hydrant, or was something else going on?
I sat for a few more moments, thinking, trying to get my brain together, then got up and washed my face in the sink. I patted my skin dry, hoping the puffiness wouldn”t be too noticeable. My face always swelled up like dough when I cried. I reapplied a little of my makeup and re-braided my hair, which was silly if I was going swimming. I realized I didn”t have a bathing suit. Phillip could probably get away with swimming in his black boxer briefs, but I couldn”t swim in my undies. I remembered back to the night before, sitting in the bath in our underwear, and how see-through my white panties and bra had been, and felt myself go warm. I really did want to join him for that swim...I”d join him anywhere, if it meant I got to feel his hands on me, and taste those delicious, full lips...
Maybe, if nobody else was at the pool, it wouldn”t hurt to just jump in for a second in my undies...what was the harm?
I grabbed a towel and headed for the door, remembering to grab the motel key, sliding it into my pocket. I opened the door, stepped out, and shut it. I only felt a split second of unease before I was grabbed by a pair of strong arms and yanked backward, into the shadows.
“Don”t make any noise.”There was a hand over my mouth and an arm over my throat, so it would have been hard to make much noise even if I”d wanted to. I struggled, but whoever it was held me fast. He was strong. Maybe not as strong as Phillip, but close. “Stop struggling. I”m not going to hurt you.”
Yeah, right. Like I was going to believe that.
My immediate thought was that it was Tess, back for revenge for the nose incident, but the voice was all wrong, and honestly, Tess wasn’t very strong.
“I have a little message to pass on to Mr. Deville.” His hot breath was in my ear, his lips brushing against my neck. “I don”t mean you any harm, Stormy. Just pass along the message, and you head on back to Jekyll and I swear I won”t bother you again.”
I kept struggling against him, uninterested in what he had to say, only interested in getting away.
“If I ease up on your neck and take my hand off your mouth, will you cooperate?” I didn”t answer, only thrashed against him. “Stormy, come on. Stop. Look, I”ll let go of you, but just hear what I have to say. I don”t want to have to hurt you. I saw what Phillip did to that fucker”s nose. I”d rather things not get physical if they don”t have to.” And suddenly the weight was off my neck, the hand was off my mouth, and I was spun around to the impossibly young face of Lee Courtenay.
His eyes shone pale blue under his baseball cap, and he managed a smile that almost looked genuine. His freckles were stark against his flushed cheeks. “I”m sorry for strong-arming you like that,” he said. He managed to look contrite.
I rummaged blindly for my phone. “Why the fuck are you following us? And how dare you put your hands on me!” Where the fuck was my damned phone? Had I left it in the room? I deliberated; could I make a run for it and get past him, or should I stall him, keep him talking? Should I yell for Phillip?
“I”m sorry,” he said. “I have been following you.”
“No shit. Since the day I saw you at the farmers market. Bringing flowers to your aunt – yeah right.”
“My aunt actually does work there,” he said.
I took a step back, my hands clenched into fists. “I”m about two seconds from screaming, Lee. Do you understand me?”
“Okay, Stormy. Calm down.” He held his hands out. “Just let me talk to you for a second and I’ll go, and I won’t bother you again. I swear.”
“Like I’d believe a word you say.”
He rubbed at his brow. For someone with such a babyface, he had a lot of mannerisms that seemed much older, like someone who had seen a lot and was just plain bone-tired. And Lord, was he strong. There was no way I would have been able to get out of his grip if he hadn’t decided to let go. “Stormy, there are…people that aren”t too happy with Phillip being...back. Let”s put it like that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“We don’t have time for you to play dumb,” he said, still rubbing at his brow. “I know exactly what and who Phillip is, and I’m the least of your worries. I”ve been trying to warn you for days, but there”s always somebody around who...” he trailed off, rubbing his brow again, then resumed talking. “Now, Phillip can exist peacefully if he doesn”t draw too much attention to himself but going back to his stomping grounds is a very bad idea. Like, the opposite of what he should be doing. Traipsing around his old house looking for buried treasure and trying to look up old friends is the opposite of laying low. Better for him – and for you - to get in your truck and head back to Jekyll Island. Keep a low profile, find a way to blend into the scenery.”
“How do you even know that”s what he”s doing?” I demanded, angry.
“It”s pretty obvious, isn”t he? Why else would you two be here?” He smiled, not unkindly. “Just tell him to go back to Jekyll for a while. He”ll listen to you. If he does that, he”ll be left alone.” His face darkened. “If he doesn”t, well...nobody wants to die twice, do they? At least not after a measly week.”
“Is that a threat?” My blood felt hot in my veins. I’d rip him apart myself if I had to.
He laughed. “Hell, no. Do you think I could take that guy? I might be strong, but he’s stronger. I”m only the messenger, and I”m just telling him – through you - how it”s got to be. If he wants to stay safe and keep you safe.”
“What the fuck does it matter if he goes to see an old friend?”
“Best not to meddle in it, Stormy,” he answered. “You”re in enough trouble as it is.”
“Why? And who the hell are you to give me advice?”
“A friend,” he said, his pale eyes looking into mine. “Probably the only one you”ve got.”
I snorted. “Then I really am in trouble. What kind of friend works with my ex and follows me halfway across the country-”
He scoffed. “Tess? I hate that guy.”
“Oh, well in that case, that changes everything,” I sneered. I was seething. “You ran me off the road. You”re lucky we didn”t run into the creek. I could have been killed. Some friend. Anyway, I barely fucking know you.”
“I didn”t run you off the road,” he said, his eyes wide and perplexed. “Why would I do that?”
“For the same reason you”d rummage through my barn, break into my house, and follow me to a motel and kidnap me from the stairwell.”
He shook his head, two bright spots appearing on his freckled cheeks. “Just give Phillip that message. And it wasn”t me that ran you off the road. I swear.”
“The guy I saw in my rearview right before I crashed into the river sure looked a lot like you,” I snapped.
He shook his head, his light eyes still wide, and took a step back, appearing unsure. I took the opportunity and bolted. I didn”t need to look back to see if he was following me; I could somehow feel that he wasn”t. My heart was beating hard in my chest, and cold sweat collected under my armpits. Whatever Lee might say about not wanting to harm me, I knew that whatever he was mixed up in was no joke. I had to get to Phillip and warn him, fast.
Phillip was oblivious, happily doing laps in the steaming pool, swimming the length with long, measured strokes. Despite my frenzied state, I took a second to just stand there and watch him, in awe of his graceful physicality, the sheer power of him. His arms and legs were impossibly long and lean. I collapsed into a deck chair, still sweating from fear and exertion, and waited for him to get back to my end of the pool, marveling at the almost super-human power he seemed to possess, wrapping the dry towel around my shoulders because I”d forgotten to bring a jacket. I was shaky, my heartbeat wild from my encounter with Lee. Watching Phillip swim was calming, though, as I counted each stroke, his arms coming in and out of the water, the tattoos on his left arm stark in the blue water and the cold steam coming off it. He had many tattoos, most of which I knew about from pictures, a couple of which I didn”t. There was the band logo, a serpent on his thigh. But it was the one on his right arm that I”d always wondered about – the number seven, crowned, behind a locked gate, a human skull as the padlock. There was a beam of sunlight streaming down from the heavens, illuminating the numeric figure. It was a strange tattoo, one that fans had spent a lot of time theorizing about, and I made a mental note to ask him how it had come to pass later.
“Coming in?” He”d noticed me sitting there and swam over to the edge of the pool with an eager smile.
“I thought about it, but I guess not,” I said. “No swimsuit.” I no longer felt like swimming.
“You don”t need one,” he said, and his eyes met mine, still full of delicious heat.
“Don”t tempt me,” I said, looking him in the eye. “Anyway, something’s come up.” I related what had just happened with Lee in the stairwell, my heart still hammering. I twisted my hands in my lap as I recounted everything, wondering how on earth any of it could be happening. I didn”t know how many more late-night followings I could take, how many more jolts to my nervous system. Between Lee and Tess, I was a mess.
As I told him, Phillip swam over to the steps and came out of the pool, wrapping a motel towel around his waist. Steam came off his huge shoulders. He sat beside me on the deck chair, the bright smile from before replaced with a look of anger. “Did he hurt you?”
“No,” I said. “I don”t think he ever intended to. I think he just wanted to scare me a little, to warn us.” I had gotten the impression that what little power he”d exerted over me, Lee found detestable. It seemed like the entire thing had left a bad taste in his mouth. Shady dealings didn”t seem to come naturally to him. I told Phillip this, and he nodded.
“Maybe not, but we still need to be careful. We don”t know who he works for, and what he”s willing to do to stop us. It might be that he doesn”t have much choice in the matter.”
“Will we go back, then?” I asked. “To Jekyll?”
He shook his head. “I won”t. But I think you should.”
“No, I”m not leaving you.”
He sighed. “Stormy, I know you want to help, and I”m really touched. I like having you around. Not just because you summoned me and I”m drawn to you and all that, but because I really like you.” His eyes burned into mine. “I really do. But this...it”s dangerous. Tonight alone you”ve had two guys show up that could have done you harm. We”ve been followed. Somebody ran you off the road. People are showing up at your house in the dead of night, snooping. I can”t keep putting you in danger. It”s not right.”
“You just proved my point. I”d be in just as much danger at home, by myself,” I argued. “Maybe more. And anyway, I”m the one who started the whole-”
“I really don”t think so,” he said. “This is about me. Some rule must have been broken, some taboo has been breached, like you said. Whoever it is I”ve angered, they don”t like that I”m here, just like Lee said. I won”t know what”s up exactly until I can talk to Guthrie. But I feel like if you went home and went back to your life like nothing was wrong, they”d leave you be. That”s clearly what they want you to do. Lee told you as much.”
“But what about Tess?” I asked.
“I don”t want to hurt your feelings when I say this,” he said. “But I don”t think Tess is following you because he cares about you. I think he works for, or maybe with, this Lee guy. I think he”s wrapped up in all this somehow.”
I knew that already – Lee confirming that he knew Tess had made that obvious. But it still stung to hear it. “How, though? How would he even know any of these people? And he was back in town before I did the spell. Before you were ever in my life.” I wasn”t sure why I was arguing. I knew he was right.
“Just one of my hunches,” he said. “I”ll just get a feeling about something, a vibe or whatever, and so far, they’ve been right every time. You know, you”ve seen me do it. I wouldn”t call it full-fledged psychic or anything, but I get, like, impressions. I just sort of have general ideas about things and I can trust them.” He put his hand on mine. “I think there are other people out there who can do the same thing. What if maybe the fact that you were going to do the spell was already out there, before you ever did it. And whoever these folks are, they felt that intention, they could read it. And they”ve sent out their...whoever they are...to try and either stop you, or at least curb you somehow. I think Lee is one of those people, and so is Tess.”
“My intention...” I trailed off. I had been pretty clear on my intentions. I”d even joked with Sloan about it beforehand. Could it really be possible that somebody, somehow, had picked up on my plans – even though at first they”d been a joke – before I”d even started?
“I”m the one who brought you back. I”m the one who read the spell. I”m the one who did the magic,” I said finally. “You”re driving my car and we”re on my dime, at least for the time being. You”ve been with me every step of the way since you came back. Do you really think after all that, if I just turn around and go back to my shitty trailer that they”ll leave me be? I”m a liability!”
“Not if you release me,” he said quietly.
I looked at him, confused. “What do you mean, ”release you”?”
“You summoned me. So I came,” he answered. “But if you release me of that duty, so to speak, I am no longer summoned to you. I can go and do whatever. And the tie between us is severed.”
“That sounds like some idiot bullshit from a YA vampire novel,” I said, irritated. It hurt my feelings that he”d suggest such a thing. And I wasn”t sure I believed it could be that simple, anyway. “How do you know it”d even work? You said you didn”t know about the spell.”
“I don”t,” he said. “Not really. There”s a lot Guthrie needs to answer. But this is just a thing I-”
“That you just know, right?” I snapped. “Seems like you conveniently just know a lot of things.”
He was annoyingly calm. “Why are you upset with me?”
“I”m not.” I couldn”t look at him, so instead I stared at the steam coming off the pool. The tendrils of white fog almost looked like ghosts floating on the water. “You could have just said that you wanted me gone.”
He was quiet for a minute, then he picked up my hand, brought it to his mouth, and kissed it. “No, Stormy,” he murmured. “I don”t want you to go home. I want you to stay. So bad I”m tempted to just say forget it, come with me. But I”m trying to keep you safe.”
“I don”t enjoy being treated like a child,” I said angrily. “I can make my own decisions. You”ve been back, what, three days? And you”re trying to boss me around.”
“No, Stormy, I just want-”
“Yeah, yeah, to keep me safe,” I said, standing up, wrapping the towel tighter around my shoulders. I was freezing, and so very tired. And very hurt, and very angry, though I wasn”t sure I had the right to be those last two things. “Funny, that’s just what Lee said, too, right after he had his arm over my throat.” I sighed. “Fine. I”ll release you. If you want me gone so bad, you don”t have to tell me twice. I”ll do it in the morning, okay? Right now I”m tired, and I”m going to bed.” I pulled the towel from around my shoulders and handed it to him, ignoring his stricken expression. “For your hair. Enjoy the rest of your swim.”
I stalked off back to the motel room, hoping he”d come after me, stop me, kiss me. Anything. But he didn”t follow. Instead, I fell asleep wrapped up in the stiff, scratchy motel sheets, trying to swallow my angry tears. When Phillip woke me some time later, sliding in beside me, his damp hair brushing against my face, I rolled over on my side and put my back to him.