A Secret Fate (11 page)

Darcy was over at the men’s table in a flash. Boy, you’d think she had some hyper speed power the way she got there so quickly. She looked cute too, in her tight jeans with the glittering flaps on the back pockets that showed off her curvy rear end. Addie watched her friend stand in front of
her
boyfriend, smiling as she placed little cocktail napkins in front of each of them. Cael looked up at Darcy and smiled, his blue eyes twinkling with delight. Oh, she’d better
not
be flirting with him!
Darcy was a great friend, but Addie wouldn’t put anything past her, even though Darcy and Jared were heavily in love with each other. Darcy always commented about how gorgeous Cael was, and Addie knew he didn’t remember Darcy anymore than he remembered her. It would be just like Darcy to tease him just to see if she could get a reaction. At a time like this, Addie almost wished she wasn’t behind the bar mixing drinks but instead out and about, waiting on tables. The fact that Darcy wore some pretty salacious clothing did not help Addie’s ego at that moment, as she noticed Cael’s eyes roaming up and down Darcy’s body. Addie flicked her hand up and the tray Darcy balanced on her hand fell to the floor with a crash. Empty beer bottles clanged and rolled around. Addie cringed and then smiled; thankfully, none of them broke. Darcy always prided herself on how well she balanced those trays. Addie watched all Darcy’s tip money scatter around the floor, and a little twinge of guilt crept up her spine as Darcy became all flustered and apologetic to Bart and Cael. Well, Darcy shouldn’t have acted so … so available. Besides, making the tray topple over was a harmless and virtually uncontrollable urge.

Addie glanced at her watch. In twenty more minutes, the band would start and her shift would be over. She stared back at the table and winced. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Aiden’s eyes following hers and he frowned. The last thing she wanted was to cause him any pain.

She needed to be able to spend some time with Cael and Bart without seeming to barge in. How could she engage in a conversation with them when they were all the way across the room? It wasn’t like she could just walk over and sit with them, or could she? She knew Bart. Why not? She glanced at Gerry. He looked at her and nodded knowingly as he approached her, standing by her side while wiping a glass. “You want to take off early, it’s okay with me.”

“Thanks, but I don’t know what to do. I’d hoped that there would have been some seats here at the bar for Cael and Bart, making conversation a bit more spontaneous and casual. But walking over to that table and plopping down in a seat with them seems a bit too forward, considering Cael really doesn’t know me.”

“Bart knows you. It’ll be fine. You’re just a jumble of nerves, that’s all. Go on, walk over there and say hi. He met you at Breena’s party, right?” She nodded. “I’m sure he’ll remember you from then. You’re not that easily forgotten, sweetheart.”

Apparently, she
was
forgettable, at least with Gerry’s help, though she didn’t want to point that out and make him feel any worse about the situation than he already did.

“Here.” Taking off her apron, she chucked it nonchalantly at Gerry’s chest and he caught it in his hand, making her smile. “Wish me luck.” As she strolled past Aiden, he stretched out his arm and touched hers gently. She studied his handsome face. His kind gentle mannerisms made her stop in her tracks. She knew how he felt. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she’d never given him any indication that they would have a future together.

“Good luck.” Not the words she expected to hear from him. “I mean it.” His slight smile told her it must have been a difficult thing to say.

“Thanks.” She sucked in her bottom lip as she made her way, weaving between the tables to get across the room to the corner table where the love of her life sat.

“Hi, Bart.” She looked at Cael. “Hi.”

“Hey, the girl from Breena’s party, right?” Cael gave her a sexy grin and she almost fell into his arms, but simply nodded instead. “Addison.”

She breathed in deeply, trying to squelch every instinct to wrap her arms around him and hold on like she’d never let go. Trying to keep it together and not bombard him with knowledge of their history together. Trying with all her heart not to cry because he didn’t remember her. She’d known instantly that everybody was right when Cael walked in tonight with unfamiliarity written all over his face. She couldn’t tell him. Sure, he recognized her as the girl from Breena’s party, but everything else was blank. She had to keep from telling him. Otherwise, how would she ever know if he loved her, really loved her like he had or if there would simply be affection through an obligation of being told what used to be?

“Most people call me Addie.” She decided to see his reaction to that. He had never called her Addie, ever.

He shrugged. “Hmmm … you strike me as more of an Addison. But if you prefer Addie, then …”

“No, Addison is fine.”

“Come joi …” Bart began but Cael interrupted him.

“Would you like to join us, Addison?”

Her heart raced so fast she thought it would pop out from thumping so hard against her chest. “Sure. I guess I could.”

“Would you like a drink?” As Cael asked the question, Darcy appeared carrying three pints of Guinness draft.
She knew
. Addie smiled in spite of the guilt she now harbored from making Darcy drop her tray earlier. Nonetheless, a warm fuzzy feeling grew inside her, and she appreciated her friend’s seemingly precognitive gesture, even though Darcy didn’t possess any supernatural abilities. At least none that Addie knew about. Of course, when it came to Addie and Cael, she guessed Darcy didn’t need any super powers to know how she felt or even what she liked to drink. Embarrassing though; she didn’t want it to appear as if her sitting with them had been planned.

“I brought you one too, Addie. When I saw you head over here, I thought you might like a drink after working all evening.” Darcy smiled and placed the three pints on the table.
Darcy, you are a lifesaver.
Addie would have hugged her right then, if she hadn’t been already sitting down.

“Thanks, Darcy.”

“No worries.” She shrugged. “Saved myself an extra trip back here.”

***

Cael noticed the tight short skirt. Hell, how could he not? The way the fabric hugged her curves was enough to send any man into fantasyland. Did she always dress like that while tending bar? It didn’t seem like the best choice of clothing, considering how gorgeous she was. Men must flock here just to get a glimpse of those long shapely legs. He blinked as an unwelcome surge of energy heated his blood and his face warmed. Jealously? Where did that come from? Addison crossed her legs and he had to reposition himself in his seat at the sight of her milky white thigh. She intertwined her slender fingers in her lap as though she didn’t quite know what to do with them and he wondered, fleetingly, if she had the ability to read his thoughts. Shrugging off that idea and calming the erotic vision her exposed thigh instilled, he noticed a shyness about her. Yet at the same time, he sensed a powerful essence seeping from her. What was that? He had a sudden urge to run his fingers through the golden brown curls draping loosely over her shoulders. Her brown eyes picked up the light golden color from her blouse. But her thoughts were a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. She wasn’t like other women he’d known. Most of them were usually easy to read. Maybe things were different now that he was thirty, but it used to be, they’d get one look at him and immediately undress him with their eyes. Boring. He tried his damnedest not to portray an air of conceit—knowing he was a good-looking guy—but it was hard sometimes when they were so obvious. But this Addison was different. He honestly could not get a clear reading from her convoluted emotions.

“So, you’re a friend of Breena’s?” Cael asked, wanting to know why someone Addison’s age would be friends with a little girl. Maybe it was something simple, like she was Breena’s babysitter or something. But wouldn’t his mom have said that instead of “It’s complicated?” And who the hell was that guy who’d so graciously wrapped his arm around her waist when they’d been introduced? Did Addison possess an ability? Had all the people at the party possessed abilities? He’d been gone a long time. Not gone, he corrected, just robbed of his fucking memories.

She nodded but kept her eyes focused on her drink. Most definitely shy.

As he studied her, it was almost as if some alien took over his body and he couldn’t stop himself from blurting out, “I have to wonder why a woman of your age would be friends with a little girl?” Not very tactful, he admitted.

Addison blinked at him and he sensed a tiny bit of … what? Fear? What was she afraid of? Or was it just a flux of uncertainty? Then, when she answered, he realized it wasn’t fear at all. In fact, there was nothing uncertain about this woman that he could see. “I don’t understand why that would be so odd. Breena’s a very intelligent and likeable little girl,” she answered matter-of-factly and with a hint of defiance. He found her bravado a bit too sexy. She paused for a few seconds and added, “She’s come to visit Bart a few times, right Bart?”

“Oh yeah. Of course. All the time.”

Cael glanced at his uncle, wanting to ask why he hadn’t mentioned that, but remembered there were too many things that he couldn’t recollect and Bart couldn’t possibly know all of them. Focusing back on Addison he said, “You’ll have to forgive me. I seem to have forgotten a lot of things. You see, the last I recall, Breena was only five years old and …” He trailed off as thoughts of Breena’s mother, Claire, came to his mind, her dark hair blowing in the breeze the day Stefan and she married in the courtyard of the Sectory. Breena looked so much like her now. Claire had been very protective of Breena, never letting anyone other than Siana watch her. A long time ago, he reminded himself, shaking the thought away.

“Yes, I heard. I’m sorry. You’ve lost five years of your memory, right?” She picked up her beer and sipped, averting her eyes as she did.

“It appears so.”

“That must be difficult.”

“People have been filling me in here and there but it is annoying.” There was something off, the way she seemed to go out of her way not to make eye contact. Was she keeping something from him? “You, uh, didn’t ask me how I lost my memory.”

Before she could answer, the band began to play, thwarting all possibilities of continuing any decent conversation without yelling. She was definitely a puzzle. A puzzle he wanted to solve.

Addison turned in her seat to watch the band. Cael followed her eyes as they fell on the lead guitarist, the guy she was with at Breena’s party. Were they a couple? He hadn’t given it a thought when he shook his hand and the guy introduced himself as … what was his name? Aaron? Allen? Aiden?

Cael wanted to ask Addison to dance except he wasn’t the type to come on to someone else’s woman, if that was the case here. He looked to her left hand for a ring but she seemed to be sitting on it. Perhaps her hands were cold. God knows, as sexy as that outfit was, she must be a bit chilly. He wanted to talk to her some more, and maybe if he held that body of hers in his arms they’d be able to hear to each other over the band. He grinned to himself at the prospect of what she must feel like, but as soon as the thought entered his mind, she stood and said, “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

***

Addie shoved open the bathroom door, her hand clutched to her forehead. Her heart racing, she struggled to catch her breath as she pressed her palm to her chest and stared at her image in the mirror. “Breathe,” she ordered, inhaling as deeply as she could. She’d panicked at Cael’s inquiry. My God, she hadn’t bothered to inquire about the reason for his memory loss.
How could she be so stupid? Any normal person would ask that. Now he had to be suspicious of her. Thank God, the band started up. How would she ever get through this?
It would be so much easier just to tell him what he meant to her. She eyed the ring on her finger. Had he seen it? What if he had and came to the horrible conclusion that she was engaged to someone else? Oh no, she hadn’t thought of that. Maybe she should take it off, put it away for a while. The last thing she wanted was to make him think she wasn’t available.

She tugged the locket, housing the crystal out from under her blouse where she always kept it hidden. Just because Eidolon was dead didn’t mean it was safe to parade around with the thing out for everyone to see. She never knew when the amber-colored stone inside would start to glow. Grasping the round metal case in the palm of her hand, she closed her eyes.
Please, please give me the strength to get through this. Give me the strength to be able to be around him and not tell him how much I love him.

“Addison. Siana is right. It has to be this way, honey.”

Her eyes popped open at the voice. Her father’s voice. “Daddy?” She glanced around but didn’t see him anywhere. The light from the crystal glowed so brightly she had to shield her eyes. “Where are you?”

“Here.”
She turned toward the sound of his voice and there he stood in the mirror, only an image this time. Was it her imagination? He’d always appeared to her in the flesh before, so real all the other times. Or were those times always in a dream? No. He’d appeared outside in the garden at the Sectory with her mother after Siana had first told her about her mother and the twin brother she’d never known about.

“Don’t worry about the details, Addison. I can and will appear to you in many different forms depending on the situation.”

“You read my mind?”

“Of course. I’m a part of you and I always will be. As long as you wear the crystal, you have the gift to see and speak to me. But I can’t always appear as a real person, like here in this room. It would be too dangerous if someone were to come in. I can fade more quickly this way.”

“Dad.”
She touched the mirror, a cold hard surface.

“Sweetheart, you and Cael are meant to be together, but if you want it to be the way it was before, he must learn about you on his own. He will need to fall in love with you all over again. Think about it, if the situation were reversed and you suddenly couldn’t remember parts of your past and someone told you that you were engaged or in love with a man you have no recollection of, a man you only see as a stranger, how would you react? If you or anyone tells him how he used to feel, don’t you think that would be hard for him?”