aterovis_bleedinghearts.pm6 (17 page)

Of course, Gilly was just a cover. I felt like a spy. Just 144

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call me Bond. Killian Bond. I giggled to myself.

I was still flopped on my bed when the phone rang in my hand. I yelped and then started giggling at myself all over again. I was still laughing when I answered the phone. By now I was in a very silly mood.

“Hello. This is Bond. Killian Bond,” I said in my best English accent.

“Killian?” a shaky voice said uncertainly. It was Kane.

“Kane, hey, are you okay?” I asked in my normal voice, all silliness gone.

“No.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve got to get out of here. It’s horrible.”

“What’s horrible, Kane?”

“Mom, she watches every move I make now. I can’t do anything with any of my friends. I go to school and have to come right home. At home, she never speaks to me except to scream. She’s going through my stuff. I have to sneak onto the computer or the phone. Yester-day she slapped me because she caught me on the computer trying to e-mail you. She’s never hit me before. I hate her. She lied to me about Dad, she sent Seth away.

I can’t stand it anymore. I’m running away. I’m coming down there.”

“Kane, whoa, slow down,” I said quickly. “Look, if you come down here your mom will just come get you again. You’re going to have to do this the right way.”

“What right way?”

“I don’t know, but I know running away isn’t it. What about that legal stuff you were talking about?”

“That would take too long. I want out now.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Kane. Wait, hang on, lemme go get your dad,” I said and took off to the living room, where Adam was reading a book.

“Adam, it’s Kane and he’s really upset. I think you’d better talk to him. He wants to run away.”

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Adam snatched the phone.

“Kane?” he said into the phone, his voice filled with tension.

He listened for a while, making comforting noises occasionally. Finally he said, “Kane, listen to me, son.

Hang in there for a few more days. I’ll call my lawyer in the morning and see what’s involved here. But if she hits you again, call me and I’ll come get you. I don’t give a damn about her lawyers. You’ll be with me soon.”

They talked for a few more minutes, then they said good-bye and Adam hung up.

“Thank you, Killian,” he said when he’d hung up.

“For what?” I asked.

“For being there for Kane. He told me he talked to you and what you told him. You are a good friend and a good person. You’ve proven that I can trust you. I couldn’t talk the other night when you said I was like a father to you. I was too overcome with emotion. But I want you to know that I have come to think of you as a son as well.”

I took the few steps between us in one leap and gave him a huge hug. I didn’t cry though. I was getting better.The dreams came back with a vengeance that night and I woke up in a cold sweat. It was so bad I had to go wake Adam up. He let me sleep in his bed and I finally got some rest.

I overslept a little and was late getting to class, so I didn’t get to talk to Gilly until after first period. We met by the door and everyone grinned at us as they walked by.“Does everyone know already?” I asked. It never ceases to amaze me how fast news travels in a high school.

“Yeah,” she said with a grin, “I told a few people and it spread like wildfire. After the rumors that Zack and 146

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Jesse were spreading this is hot stuff.” She giggled.

I laughed and she gave me a hug before running off to her next class. I was eating lunch later that day when someone sat down beside me. I looked up to find Asher sitting there with a confused look on his face. I hadn’t spoken to Asher since the day Zack and Jesse tried to beat me up.

“You’re dating Gilly?” he asked in an accusatory voice.

“Well, yeah, kinda,” I said meekly.

“You’re dating my cousin...who’s a girl,” he hissed the last part, leaning in towards me intensely.

“Look, Asher, its not how it seems...” I started, but he broke in.

“Then how is it? Huh? Tell me, Killian. Are you just gonna sweep through the whole family? Who’s next, my brother Marcus? Or maybe you’d rather go after my sister Bethany? Hell, maybe you want both of them since you can’t seem to make up your mind.”

“I can’t make up my mind?” I was getting angry now.

My voice was climbing and a few people near us glanced over at us curiously, so I made an effort to speak more quietly. “Who was it that said they didn’t want to ruin their precious reputation? Who was the one that backed off with us? Who was it that said they couldn’t handle all this? Here’s a clue; it wasn’t me!”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t run off and start dating your cousin, who’s a girl, less than a week later.”

“It’s none of your business who I date, Asher,” I lowered my voice even more and leaned in until our noses were almost touching. He refused to back off or look away. “You had your chance and you blew it. Sorry, babe.”

I stood up, grabbed my backpack and walked away without looking back. I should have felt great. I’d just told Asher off, something I never did. I don’t even know 147

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what came over me, it was almost like it was someone else speaking and I was just as shocked as he was at what I was saying. But I didn’t feel great; I felt awful for hurting Asher. Why didn’t I just tell him the truth?

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By the end of the day, the whole school knew about Gilly and me. I had guys I hardly knew clapping me on the back and telling me way to go; girls who had never had the time of day for me before waving and smiling at me and calling me by name from across the hall. It was truly bizarre. Like popularity in a box, just add beautiful girlfriend.

I didn’t run into Asher anymore that day, although I was half hoping I would so I could apologize. I was supposed to be at Gilly’s house for dinner at 5:00 so that gave me a couple hours to kill. I drove home, but Adam wasn’t there. I found a note on the refrigerator saying he was seeing his lawyer and wouldn’t be home before I went to Gilly’s, but he would see me later that night.

I made myself a light snack and was just sitting down to eat it and work on my homework when the doorbell rang. I got up to answer it. I hated that frosted door. I could never see who was there, just shadows and movements. For a split second panic swept over me as I was reminded of my dream and I almost didn’t open the door, but the moment passed and I did. I immediately wished I hadn’t. There stood Zack and Jesse.

I froze for just the briefest second but it was long enough; when I tried to slam the door Zack was already 149

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in motion and managed to shove the door back open.

“That’s not very hospitable, Killian,” he said, “We’re just here to pay you a quick visit. I promise it won’t be long.”

I wasn’t about to let them into the house so I stood where I was, feet apart and arms crossed to try and hide their shaking.

“What do you want?” I demanded. I refused to let them see how scared I was.

“What kind of game are you playing, Killian?” Zack asked casually as he leaned against the doorjamb.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Don’t play games, faggot,” Jesse entered the conversation for the first time with his usual wit and charm.

“I don’t know what you are talking about? What games?”

“What’s going on with Gilly? We know you’re a fag, you told us so yourself. Plus we saw you with Asher,”

Zack explained patiently.

“I’m going out with Gilly,” I said simply.

“We got that much, what we want to know is why.

Why date Gilly if you’re gay?” Zack said.

“Maybe I changed my mind,” I almost giggled at the thought but I restrained myself out of fear. I could feel the sweat trickling down my back I was so nervous.

“You can do that?” Jesse asked in surprise.

Zack shot him a disgusted look and said, “Look Killian, I don’t know what you are up to, but don’t forget we’re watching you. If you hurt Gilly, we’ll hurt you. Got that?”

“Yeah, I got it, Zack. You know, you guys are pretty pathetic if you don’t have anything better to do than follow me around all the time and keep tabs on my love life.”

Zack pulled himself up straight and squared his shoulders. Jesse moved into position behind him and it 150

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became very evident that my big mouth was about to get me in trouble again. Just as I was about to try and talk myself out of whatever was coming, Adam pulled into the driveway.

Zack glanced over his shoulder and started backing up.“We’ll talk more later,” he said loudly enough for Adam to hear as he got out of his car.

“Are we leaving?” Jesse asked. I swear Jesse would be out of his depth in a parking lot puddle.

“Yeah, we’re done here for now,” Zack told him.

“Who was that?” Adam asked as they got in their car and pulled off.

“Zack and Jesse, also known as Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dumber.”

“What did they want?” he asked sharply.

“They were trying to figure out what I’m doing with Gilly. I think it really confused them; more than their insignificant intellect can handle.”

Adam laughed. He put his arm around me and steered me into the house. “That mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble one of these days. I think your lips move before your brain gets done thinking.”

“It almost just did. I’m glad you got here when you did,” I went on to recount the whole scene with Zack and Jesse.

“I don’t want you coming home alone anymore,” he said when I was finished. “If I can’t be here I’ll have to figure something out. It’s just not safe. That could have gone so many ways.”

“But it didn’t,” I said, “I’m okay. I just won’t be so stupid as to open the door before I know who’s there anymore. So what happened with the lawyer? I didn’t think you were supposed to be back this early.”

“Nice change of subject. It went well. Ilana thinks we have a good chance.. She’s very confident.”

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“Ilana?”

“My lawyer, Ilana Constantino. She’s going to go ahead and start the wheels turning on this custody thing.

She’s going to contact Eve’s lawyer. I told her to expect all hell to break loose when Eve finds out.”

“What happens if Eve gets ugly?”

“Oh, it’s not a matter of if, and I guess I’ll just have to get ugly back. This is my kid we’re talking about. I’m not playing around any more. I’m tired of being the nice guy while my kids get hurt.”

We’d settled in the living room by now. We talked for a while about all the legal ins and outs of the situation and what it would be like to have Kane move in with us. We would be sharing Seth’s old room; Adam said he would get twin beds. Some time later, Adam looked at his watch.

“Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for your dinner with Gilly’s family?” he asked me.

“Getting ready?”

“Meeting the girlfriend’s family is a big deal, you know,” he was grinning now.

“Gilly’s not my girlfriend, not really,” I said defen-sively, thinking about Asher and my angry words earlier that day.

“I know, Killian, I’m just kidding. But you should still make an effort to look nice.”

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing now?”

“Nothing...if you’re going to school. Why don’t you just go change? Doesn’t have to be anything too dressy, just a little less...beachy.”

I looked down at my T-shirt and faded jeans and realized that maybe he had a point. I ran upstairs and changed into a pair of cargo khakis and a dark green button-up shirt over a white T-shirt. I checked myself out in the mirror and thought I didn’t look half bad.

My hair was even curlier than usual. I decided not to 152

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brush it out since I kind of liked the way it looked curly.

I went back down and presented myself to Adam.

After getting his approval I decided it was about the right time to head over to Gilly’s house; a little early, but not too much. I hated being last minute.

I followed the directions Gilly had given me, but I was sure I must have messed up somewhere when I pulled into the drive of the address she’d written down.

The house was a huge, old plantation manor; it could almost be described as a mansion. After I double-checked the directions and address, I parked the car and walked up to the front door. It opened before I could even knock. Gilly stood there grinning ear to ear.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” she said before I could even say hi.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Think you’re prepared to meet my crazy family?

They all turned out to meet you.”

“W-w-what?” I stuttered nervously.

“Aunt Judy’s in town for a few days, she lives in California, so everybody will be there to see her. I kinda forgot that when I invited you, but Mom said what’s one more mouth?”

“Oh great,” I thought, “I’m walking into a freaking family reunion. Now I have to impress the whole family.” Then it struck me that Asher might be there and I almost headed back to the car, but Gilly had me by the arm and was dragging me in.

I shouldn’t have worried though; from the moment I stepped through the door it was like being swept up into a whirlwind. People were everywhere, or so it seemed. As I was given a mini-tour of the downstairs of the house, I was introduced to everyone.

In the living room I met the famous Uncle Rick and Todd, who were both seated on the couch and seemed to be in a deep conversation. Alex, Asher’s dad, was 153

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talking to Asher’s sister, Bethany, who was home from college for the weekend and had extended her stay to see Judy. Rick was in his mid to late 30s with straight light brown hair that he wore in a stylish short cut brushed to one side. Todd was a year or two older than me with shoulder length blonde hair and the same sky blue eyes that Gilly had. He was the stereotypical surfer boy, tan and built from all the paddling and swimming.

Alex had graying sandy blonde hair and gray eyes.