Clay's Hope (18 page)

“What do you think?” she said, turning
around.

Unhappy with the situation, I jumped off the
bed and turned toward the door, pretending to ignore Gabby as I
tried to decide if I would be able to follow her from a distance.
That wouldn’t help when she went into the house. I needed to go
with her as a man, but would she let me?

Lost in thought, I didn’t hear Rachel until
the door was already opening. I jumped out of the way just before
it hit me.

Rachel stopped and stared at Gabby in shock.
For once, I agreed with Rachel’s reaction.

“What the hell did you do?” she said.

“I’m going for dude. It’s safe, right? What
guy is going to want to hit on a guy even if he knows that
underneath, it’s a girl? Guys get weird about that stuff.”

“You know what’s going to happen?” Rachel
said, sitting on the bed. “All the guys are still going to be
attracted to you. Only they’re going to freak out because you’re
going to make them think they’re gay. You’re going to get your ass
kicked tonight.”

I swore and rushed from the room. There was
no way I’d let Gabby go without me now. Gabby and her classmate
would just need to adjust to the change in plans.

With Rachel in Gabby’s room, I shifted my
hand, let myself out the back door, and went to the garage. Dale
had given me some coveralls a few weeks ago, which I’d hidden in
the back. I grabbed them, dressed with speed, and pulled back my
hair. I wanted every man I encountered tonight to see my eyes and
know the threat they faced if they got near her.

Less than a minute later, I was at the door
again. I almost let myself back in, but remembered Rachel was
inside, and knocked. It didn’t take long for Rachel to answer. When
she saw me, she grinned.

“I’m glad you’re here. That girl’s going to
need someone to keep her safe tonight.”

I nodded. Finally, we were on the same
page.

“It’s for you, Gabby,” Rachel said
loudly.

Rachel didn’t move to invite me in, so I
waited outside for Gabby. As soon as she reached the kitchen arch,
she stopped and stared. Slowly, some of the anger and annoyance
left me, and I found myself grinning at her stunned expression.

Her scent changed the longer she looked, and
it made my gut clench.

Someone knocked at the front door.

“I got it,” Rachel said, grinning at us
before she rushed from the room.

Gabby glanced down at my coveralls, read the
name sewn on my chest, then met my gaze. “You have some explaining
to do, I think.”

My job had never really been a secret, no
more than everything else I didn’t say.

She turned away from me, but she didn’t seem
mad. I followed her to the front door where Rachel and another
woman were talking. The woman wore a form-fitting dress to attract
men. A mermaid or a siren; it didn’t make much difference. It was
good I meant to tag along.

“You’re gorgeous, Nicole,” Gabby said. “Are
you going to be warm enough?”

Probably not. And, a sweater would help draw
less attention.

Both of the women and Rachel laughed.

“Hey,” Gabby said, “it’s a valid question.
It’s the end of October for Pete’s sake.”

“I’ll be fine,” the woman said as her gaze
locked on me. “Hi, I’m Nicole.”

I nodded and stuck out a hand. She clasped
it.

“Uh, this is Clay,” Gabby said for me. “He
doesn’t talk much. And this is Rachel, my roommate. Are we
ready?”

While they focused on each other, I turned,
planning to beat Gabby to the car. In the beginning, she’d managed
to leave the house a few times without me. I was smarter now.
Silently, I left the room.

“Sure,” Nicole said. “I parked on the
street.”

“Great. Let me grab my keys,” Gabby
said.

Already in the kitchen, I grinned at the
keys in my hand and stepped out the back door. I was down the porch
steps before she reached the kitchen. The missing keys would let
her know what I had in mind if the overalls hadn’t.

Sliding behind the wheel, I started the
engine and waited.

A few minutes later, both Gabby and Nicole
stepped onto the back porch and hurried to the car. Gabby sat up
front with me, and Nicole slid into the back seat.

Gabby turned to look at Nicole.

“I don’t know where we’re going. Just tell
Clay where to turn and be sure to give plenty of warning. This is
the only car I have for the winter.”

I knew her warning was for me. No doubt, she
questioned my ability to drive. Although we’d grown closer, there
was still so much she didn’t know about me. I smiled as I backed
out of the driveway and followed Nicole’s directions to the
party.

The car-crowded curbs worried me as we
parked a few blocks away. Just how many men would I need to deal
with tonight? I glanced at Gabby, her costume still a source of
concern. She seemed unbothered by both her costume and the cold.
Nicole shivered as we walked, but Gabby seemed fine. Dressing as a
guy was still better than what Rachel had offered.

The blaring music began to hurt my ears as
we neared the party house. Stuffed sheets, their version of ghostly
decorations, hung from every tree in the yard. People crowded the
front lawn in groups that overflowed into the neighbor’s yard.

We caught the attention of a few men who
turned to stare. Their gazes drifted to Gabby, confusion clouded
their expressions, then they looked at Nicole.

“I knew you would make this fun,” Nicole
said with a laugh. “Oh, I see him on the porch. Do you think I
should say hi?”

I had no idea who she was talking about, but
I knew this wasn’t going to be fun with Gabby’s next words.

“Let’s push our way through the crowd and
get inside. We can warm up for a minute. It’ll be more attractive
if you’re not stuttering with cold.”

She wanted to go in? The windows rattled in
time with the beat of the music. It wouldn’t be pleasant inside,
and getting there would be less so because we needed to navigate
through the sea of men on the lawn.

Frustrated, I took Gabby’s hand and started
to lead her through an overly interested crowd. They willingly
parted for us, turning as we neared though I knew they couldn’t
hear us. Gabby was right. It was as if they sensed her, as if she
sent out some kind of signal. She’d told me. I’d just never seen it
get this bad.

When we reached the door, a man tried to
sell me an empty cup for three dollars while offering Gabby one for
free. Gabby politely said no. What was he thinking? Who wanted an
empty cup? Even for free?

I glared at him and pulled her inside as he
continued to look at her with interest. Immediately, my eardrums
wanted to bleed. The bass echoed in my ribcage and made my teeth
ache.

I pulled Gabby through the crowded entry,
into a packed living room, then shouldered my way to the small
couch. I glared at the two males sitting there. They uneasily stood
and left, making room for the women to sit. Alcohol fumes permeated
the air. Uneasy with the mood of the room, I stayed near Gabby,
sitting on the arm of the couch. The men around us were drunk and
unpredictable. I didn’t like it.

One of the males across the room caught
sight of Gabby and made his way over.

When the man stopped in front of her, he
swayed slightly on his feet. Gabby wouldn’t look at him. Good
girl.

The music decreased in volume as a softer
song came on. I would have sighed with relief, but the man used the
opportunity to try to speak to Gabby. The alcohol he’d consumed had
impaired his tongue, making him hard to understand.

“Hey...wash shore name?” he asked.

“Go away.” Gabby’s quick response almost
made me smile.

“Wanna go up shtairs? They have a pool
table.”

Nicole coughed, an attempt to hide her
amusement. I was not amused. I narrowed my eyes at him and curled
my hands into fists to hide my nails, which were slowly changing
color.

“No. Go away.” Gabby turned to glare at the
man.

From where I was sitting, just slightly
behind her, I caught the man’s attention and bared my teeth. The
flare of white snagged his attention, and his eyes widened before
he started to nod and smile.

“Oh, god it man. Sheesh yours.”

I nodded in return, and he moved away from
us. Both women looked up at me.

“What did you do?” Gabby said.

After a moment’s hesitation, I bared my
teeth, showing my elongated canines. As I anticipated, she didn’t
like it. Worry tinged her usual scent, which was hard to pick up
with all the odors in the room.

“If you keep those in all night, you’re
going to have sore gums tomorrow,” she said.

I had no idea what she was talking
about.

“Those are so real looking. You have to tell
me where you got them,” Nicole said.

Ah. She wanted Nicole to believe my teeth
were fake. Just so long as the other men eyeing Gabby thought they
were real, I didn’t care.

“He won’t say,” Gabby said to Nicole. “Warm
enough? Are you going solo or do you want backup?”

Nicole’s obvious nervousness hadn’t left
her. She wasn’t ready to talk to whoever drew her here; yet, I
didn’t think staying much longer wise. The men across the room were
starting to frown at Gabby. Was it the challenge I’d feared she’d
face or her pull?

While I kept my narrowed gaze on them, Gabby
reached out to pat Nicole’s bare shoulder. They both yelped,
drawing my attention.

“I’m so sorry, Nicole,” Gabby said. “I was
just going to tell you that we should say hi now, and I go and
shock you, instead.”

How had she shocked Nicole?

“No, I know what that was. It was a jump
start.” Nicole smiled at Gabby. “I’m going to go out there now. If
I can’t get his attention, we can go.” Nicole stood and made her
way to the door.

I turned my attention back to the men and
found their stares no longer on Gabby. The men who had seconds ago
frowned at Gabby now moved to follow Nicole. The sudden change,
though welcome, had me puzzled. I glanced at Gabby and saw her
studying the men as well.

She cast a worried glance in Nicole’s
direction and stood quickly. She almost fell, and I wrapped my
hands around her waist to steady her, truly concerned. She didn’t
acknowledge me at all. Instead, she kept her focus on Nicole.

After a moment, Gabby slipped from my hold
and started to follow. She seemed steady, but I stuck close and
remained ready.

Where people had turned and moved for us on
the way in, they completely ignored us now. I had to push people
out of our way. Someone almost stepped on Gabby. I grabbed him by
the back of the neck and turned him like a puppet.

Meanwhile, Nicole had no problem weaving
through the crowd, and the distance she gained seemed to upset
Gabby.

We made it to the porch as Nicole approached
a man. I heard her say hello, and the man turned to Nicole with an
eager smile. The attention he gave her reminded me of Scott.

Gabby didn’t move to approach the pair.
Instead, she worked her way to the railing to watch.

The men around Nicole all turned to stare at
her. As I watched, I realized this was similar to how men paid
attention to Gabby. A tad more intense, but I’d never seen Gabby in
a dress like that around men. Just the thought made my hackles
rise.

Gabby shifted from foot to foot, drawing my
attention. A shiver shook her, but it didn’t remove her focus from
her friend. I watched the shivers increase and the group of men
around Nicole grow. How long did we need to stay? The men were no
longer a problem, it seemed, but the cold still was.

Apparently having the same thoughts, Gabby
reached back, wrapped her petite hand around my wrist, and tugged
my arm up. I didn’t need any more of an invitation. I widened my
stance and pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her. She
leaned back into my chest, and I set my chin on her head, trying to
touch her as much as possible. I told myself it was only to share
my warmth.

“I don’t feel good,” she said. Her teeth
clacked together as she spoke.

I lifted my hand to her forehead. She didn’t
feel feverish.

“Do I feel warm?” She twisted her neck to
look at me, and I shook my head.

She didn’t turn back around. Instead, she
continued to gaze at me. A small smile lifted the corners of her
lips, and her gaze softened. My heart stuttered at the change in
her expression. Everyone around us ceased to matter. I knew what
Gabby was thinking when her gaze dropped to my lips. I’d never
wanted anything so badly than for her to follow through with her
thoughts.

She seemed to shake herself from the
moment.

“I think I’m ready to go, but I don’t want
to leave Nicole here. What are my chances of getting her away from
him, you think?”

With a heavy heart, I turned my gaze from
Gabby to glance at Nicole. The woman didn’t appear to like all of
the attention anymore. She seemed nervous again.

“I think now’s a good time to s-see,” Gabby
said.

I loosened my hold but kept a hand on the
small of Gabby’s back as she moved forward. She shook with cold,
and her plodding steps made slow progress. The people around us
didn’t seem to notice and would have easily pushed her aside in
their pursuit of a good time...if not for me. I pushed back. People
who didn’t move were moved. A few grumbled, but I bared my teeth
and dared them to take offense. Each one stumbled away.

When we finally reached the group, the men
turned to glare at me as if I were interested in stealing Nicole
from them. I was. But only so I could take Gabby home. She was
worrying me. In all the time since we’d met, she’d never once been
sick. Why now? And why were the men, who normally fawned over her,
suddenly treating her like she didn’t matter?

“Hi, guys,” Gabby said to the group. “Sorry
to interrupt, but we need to pull Nicole away for just a
minute.”