Call Me Grim (24 page)

“Max!” My whole head feels like it’s on fire. “Stop saying he’s my boyfriend! Do you have any idea how much trouble your big mouth has caused?” I kick his chair and it scoots back a good foot, but Max giggles.

He wraps his arms around his middle, rubs his back sensually, and makes kissy noises. “Ooooo, Aaron…I wish you would kiss me…”

“Shut up!” I glance at Aaron. His red face and humongous grin is not making this any better.

“What?” Max feigns innocence. “That’s what you said last night in your sleep. You were like, ‘Oh, Aaron, I don’t care about the stupid rules. Kiss me. I really want you to!’ It was so gross!”

Aaron’s mouth drops open. His eyes dance back and forth between us and then he pushes away from the wall and walks out of the kitchen. At this moment, I would be perfectly happy to melt into the floor and disappear.

“That’s not true!” I say, more to Aaron than to Max. “Oh God, Max! Please stop!” But Max continues to make out with himself at the kitchen table. I grab one of his groping hands and pry it from his own back. “You’re embarrassing me!”

“Why? It’s not like he’s here.” He stops rubbing his back and frowns. “He’s not even real.”

“What?” I gawk at him. “What makes you think he’s not real?”

Max gives me the same I’m-really-worried-about-you look he gave me this morning when I told him he could have all of my things.

“Today, my friend Sam said his brother saw you talking to yourself last week, right before the accident. Then you fainted. When you woke up, you told him you were talking to some guy named Aaron. He said you looked like a crazy freak. And when I got my Alaskan meteorite from your room this morning, I saw that letter you said was from Aaron on your dresser. The one that’s folded like a flower. It’s blank.”

“Why were you snooping in my room?” I glare at him.

“Why do you want to kiss an imaginary guy?” He glares back.

“Um, I’m not imaginary.” Aaron steps back into the kitchen. His eyes sparkle, even as he glowers at Max. “Libbi was talking to me on the Bluetooth I let her borrow, and I wrote that letter in disappearing ink.”

Max’s hands fall to his lap. I must have been so distracted by my brother that I missed the crackle of Aaron becoming visible. Since when could he do that without me? I thought he needed to be touching me to use my visibility.

“Aaron…how did you—?” I press my lips together and start again. “What are you doing?”

“You wanted him to stop, right?” Aaron gestures to Max with one hand. “And now he’s stopped.”

“Ooooo…you’re not supposed to have boys in the house.” Max points at Aaron. “You are so grounded.”

“Not if you don’t tell Mom.” I lean across the table to him. “Aaron was only in the house for a few minutes, anyway. And we’re leaving now, so no harm done.”

Max narrows his eyes and watches Aaron. The freckles between his eyebrows bunch together.

“Where are you taking her?” He puffs out his chest, my little protector.

“Nowhere. Libbi’s driving.” Aaron smiles at Max, but I can tell by Max’s stern face that he’s not impressed. “But I promise to have her back in one piece. I’ll even let you punch me in the gut if she’s not home before dark. Okay?”

“But you can’t tell Mom he was in here, Max,” I say. “I’ll take my Alaskan meteorite back if you tell her.”

“No!” Max says. “You said I could have it.”

“And you can, if you promise to keep your mouth shut.”

“And I get to punch him if he hurts you,” Max says.

“Absolutely,” Aaron says.

“Fine.” Max slumps in his chair. “I won’t tell.”

“Good.” I retrieve my cell from my purse and find Miss Lena’s number.

“But, what if—”

“Not one more word, Max, or that meteorite is mine.”

***

The front door bangs as Miss Lena closes it behind me. I look over my shoulder and catch Max releasing the lace curtain of the window in the living room and ducking under the windowsill. Spy.

Aaron chuckles from the bottom of the stairs. He waits with his hands in his pockets and one foot resting on the bottom step. The sunlight streaks his hair with blue highlights.

“What’s so funny?” I plod down the stairs, digging in my purse for my car keys. With Max watching us, we can’t disappear and run. I’ll have to drive the car somewhere else before we do that.

“Your brother.” His eyes flit up to the porch and he shakes his head. “He’s a riot.”

“Is he still at the window?”

Aaron nods. “He reminds me of my sister. She could be just as embarrassing when she was his age.” His eyes bulge and a surprised laugh spurts from his mouth. “Now he’s smacking his fist into his hand, like a tough guy! He really wants to punch me, doesn’t he?”

“Oh God!” I whip around, expecting to see Max’s pseudo-threatening scowl at the window, but instead I catch the curtain swinging closed again. My cheeks burn. He was making that face, I know it. Aaron’s toothy grin is enough to tell me my hunch is right.

“You know, I had him under control in there,” I mumble. “I know how to handle Max.”

“Clearly.” Aaron touches his chin in a contemplative pose.

“I do!” I find my keys at the bottom of my bag entangled with an empty gum wrapper and a movie ticket stub. Both flutter away when I yank the keys out. “You didn’t have to show yourself to him.”

“I know I didn’t have to,” Aaron says. “I wanted to.”

I stop trying to unlock my car door and face him.

“Why would you want to do a stupid thing like that?”

“Why is it such a stupid thing?”

“You could have gotten me into a heap-load of trouble, Aaron.” I gesture toward the house in frustration. “I don’t want to spend my last couple of days fighting with my mom or grounded because I had a boy in the house.”

“I’m sorry.” Aaron’s face drops. “I didn’t think about it like that. I just figured it would look better, less crazy, if Max knew I’m real and not a figment of your imagination. I was trying to keep you out of the nuthouse.”

“I would have been fine.” I fit the key into the lock on the car door. “How did you do it, anyway? I thought you needed to touch me to be seen by the living.”

“I did at first, but now I don’t. Same as when you walked through the guardrail at the Gateway. I didn’t hold your hand for that. I just needed to be close to you and you did it on your own. Speaking of being close to you, I have a question.” He leans against the car door next to me and looks into my eyes. “Those drawings in your room are of me.”

“That’s not a question, Aaron.” I fidget with my keys, but I can’t look away. He has me locked in his gaze.

“I guess the question is about something Max said in the kitchen,” he says softly, and I lose my breath with the intensity in his eyes. The memory of the kiss where I imagined it was Aaron spirals in my mind. “Is it true?”

“Is what true?” I say, though I know exactly what he’s talking about.

“Do you really want to kiss me, Libbi?” He touches my elbow and drags his fingertips down my arm, leaving a trail of prickling heat. His fingers hook my hand and he gently pulls me closer.

“You already know the answer to that. I told you at the bridge.” I would look away, if his faded blue eyes and the light dancing in his hair didn’t completely captivate me.

“At the bridge? I thought you were just being nice after I embarrassed myself…and since you saw my scars.” He traces the lines of my palm with his thumb. “I thought you didn’t want to hurt my feelings.”

“Well, you were wrong about that.” I drop my gaze to our joined hands. “I wanted to kiss you before I saw your scars. But you said you didn’t want to break Abaddon’s rules and complicate a crappy situation.”

He sweeps a stray piece of hair out of my eyes and traces the line of my jaw with his fingertips. Tingles race over my skin where he touches me.

“Screw Abaddon’s rules,” he says.

Before I can respond, Aaron’s arms circle my waist. He pulls me close, bends down, and touches his lips to mine.

At first, his smooth lips only brush against mine, tenderly searching, as if he’s waiting for me to pull away. When I don’t, he leans in and molds his lips to mine. The fine stubble of his chin scratches my cheek, but I don’t care. I wrap my arms around him and grip the back of his shirt, pulling him closer, inhaling his earthy scent, memorizing the feel of his arms around me. I don’t think it’s possible for him to be as close as I want him to be, but I try anyway. His lips part and I follow his lead as his tongue dances in and touches mine.

This is definitely not like kissing Kyle. Even when I pretended it was Aaron I was kissing, it doesn’t compare. Aaron’s lips and tongue move against mine like he’s been kissing me for years, not just this once, but at the same time it feels new and exciting and a little dangerous. He ends the kiss way before I’m ready to stop, and I restrain a discontented moan.

He keeps his eyes closed and rests his forehead against mine as my rapid breathing and heartbeat slow.

“That will have to be enough,” he says, eyes still shut. Somehow I know he’s talking to himself and not me. Then he pulls away and opens his eyes, and I can feel the distance opening between us, pushing us apart.

“It doesn’t have to be,” I say, once I trust my voice enough to speak. “I don’t care about the rules, either.”

Aaron lets go of my hand, sighs, and steps back. “I know,” he says without meeting my eyes. “But you should.” He walks around my car, opens the door, and slips into the passenger seat without another word. I get in the driver’s seat.

“So, after I move the car, where are we going?” I turn the key and the engine sputters to life.

“We’re going to visit my sister.” His eyes fix on something straight ahead and he scowls. “And, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to drive. I want to stay visible today.”

Aaron directs me through town. Nobody really notices us, except a hairy guy who pulls up next to us on a motorcycle and glances our way. Aaron smiles and waves at the man.

“Sorry,” he says when I glare at him. “It’s just nice to be seen.”

Downtown Carroll Falls disappears behind us as the woods close in and we climb into the foothills. I’ve lived here all of my life, but I’ve never been on this side of town. The roads are twisty and confusing, and by the time Aaron finally tells me to pull over, I’m hopelessly lost. I pull in beside an ornate wrought iron gate in the middle of the dense forest.

Tall stone walls surround the place, decorated with colorful Beware of Dogs and Keep Out signs and topped with long loops of barbed wire. It reminds me of the walls of a prison, but rather than functioning to hold inmates in, the wall seems designed to keep people out.

“What if she’s not here?” I ask as I take in the fortress-like front gate.

“She is.” Aaron walks around the car to stand beside me. “I’ve been waiting all day for her to come home.” He swings his hand in a wide, welcoming sweep. “Ladies first.”

I easily melt through the gate ahead of him. His hand rests on the small of my back as he steps over the threshold behind me.

The long driveway winds through the trees and we pass three squat buildings as we walk—white-painted concrete blocks with tar roofs. Whinnies and snorts greet us as we walk by.

“Horses,” Aaron says. “Sara used to have five. Now she has two. She sold one last week and she just got back from taking two of them to new homes in Kentucky.” He points to another building I hadn’t seen. “The goats are over there. The chickens are behind the garden with the rabbits. The cats and dogs used to get the run of the house, but they’re all gone now.”

“Wow!” I say. “When Mrs. Lutz said Sara had a zoo, she wasn’t kidding.”

“Yeah.” Aaron tucks his hands in his pockets. “Sara always got along better with animals than with people.”

I take a step to continue along the driveway, but Aaron grabs my arm and yanks me to a stop.

“You know, I’m not so sure this will work.” He rubs his hand up and down on his forearm as if he’s freezing, even though sweat collects on his upper lip and drips from his brow.

“What? You changed your mind?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “I need to do this. But I’m not sure if walking right up to the house will work. She’ll probably freak.”

“Okay.” I grip his damp hand and squeeze. “What’s your plan?”

“Well, first…” The popping sound envelops him. He’s made himself invisible again. “I thought you could knock on the door and sort of ease her into all of this. I don’t know how she’ll react if I just show up after all of these years, looking exactly the same as I did back then. I don’t want to make it harder for her.”

The flagstone ranch house sits off the driveway, surrounded by trees. There’s no denying it’s the house of an artist. Dark purple and blue swirls punctuated by orbs of lemon yellow decorate the front door. Fire-engine red shutters adorn the windows and each step leading up to the
Starry Night
-esque door is a different color of the rainbow. Abstract sculptures that vaguely resemble human figures line the last thirty feet of the driveway.

Suddenly, I can’t wait to see inside.

Aaron and I climb the rainbow stairs and I lift my closed fist to the door, but Aaron stops my hand.

“I have to warn you,” he says. The corners of his mouth dip down. “Sara’s marked for suicide.”

“And how do you know that?” I park my hands on my hips and glare at him. “You said you can’t tell the difference between a suicide mark and a murder mark. You said Kyle’s mark could go either way.”

“And that’s true. You can’t tell the difference by looking at them, but Sara’s got it all planned. I’ve read her suicide letter.” Aaron gulps and wipes his sweaty hands on his pants. “She’s donating most of her artwork to a charity for victims of violence. She’s sold half of her animals already, and she has plans to relocate the rest this week. And once they’re gone…”

“She’ll do it.” I twist the end of my ponytail between my fingers. “At the end of this week?”

“Yeah.” Aaron nods and rubs the back of his neck.

“But how can I help? I can’t even get my best friend’s mark to heal, much less a complete stranger’s.”

“You’ve already helped by accepting my job and agreeing to train with me,” Aaron says. “All you have to do now is stay close enough that I can share your ability to talk to her.” He turns back to the blue and yellow swirled door. “If you can convince her to hear me out, that is.”