Fade (15 page)

Dace drove me home with dawn breaking on the horizon. He kissed me on the forehead at the front door before turning and jogging back to his Jeep.

I stumbled upstairs then crawled into bed, too exhausted to do anything more than kick off my shoes. My eyes closed the instant my head hit the pillow, and I was out.

I awoke at nearly eleven, feeling better than I’d felt at any time since opening the door to the officer who told me about Mom. I think I may have felt better than I’d ever felt in my life. Given the past twenty-four hours, and my impending sense of doom, I’m not sure what made me feel that way. A simple conscious decision, maybe?

I’d decided to see this through. I had no illusions that living in this new world would be easy, but
I
decided. That distinction felt important to me. Everything else in my life had been out of control since my mom died, but in this one way at least, I’d made a decision. I might not have had a choice, fate might have dragged me back had I run in the other direction … but I’d wrested a little control back by deciding to face whatever came my way on my feet. My hold on the reins might have been tenuous, but when life stopped making sense, stopped being logical, you took what you could get.

At noon, I emerged from my room with a spring in my step that I figured Dad would notice as soon as he saw me. I hadn’t thought much about what I’d tell him, but I did know I wouldn’t hide my relationship with Dace from him. Dace and I were both adults. The only responsible thing for us to do was to tell Dad we were dating, but I didn’t want to tell him right away, either. I needed to let our decision settle a little more first.

Regardless of whether we talked about Dace or not, I would spend the day with Dad. We’d spent very little actual time together since I’d arrived, and I felt guilty about it. I may have lost my mom, but he’d lost a great friend. We’d spent even less time actually talking. For so long, I’d been afraid to talk to him, or anyone, afraid to let them see me cry, or to add to his already heavy burden.

Opening up to Dad and talking about Mom and my worries over starting a new semester at a new college didn’t seem like such a “must not do” any longer. In fact, talking to him felt the opposite. As if it were something I most definitely
should
do. I was supposed to hurt, Dace had said. I think maybe I’d needed to hear that; I’d needed someone to say I could cry and scream and break down and be afraid. I’d held it together for so long already. I’d needed someone to tell me to stop trying so hard, and grieve.

I found Dad in the kitchen, humming along to the Indiana Jones theme rumbling from the little television set in front of him. Aluminum foil covered half of the cabinet between the sink and the stove, with bottles of spices lining the cabinet in neat little rows. A giant roast sat on top of the foil, and enough vegetables to feed a small army were peeled and sitting in bowls to one side.

“Morning,” I greeted him with a smile.

“Morning, hon,” he said, still humming. “Did you have a good time last night?”

“I did,” I replied honestly. I had a great time up until the incident with Ronan and the confusion that came afterward, and not even that ruined my night completely. “Did you guys accomplish much with the renovations?”

Dad snorted before grabbing the bowl of potatoes and turning it upside down on the foil beside the roast. “A pipe burst, and we spent half the day trying to get it fixed. I offered to call a plumber, but Melinda wouldn’t hear of it. She decided we could fix it ourselves and that’s all that would do. You know how she is.”

I smiled. Despite Melinda’s complete ineptitude with a tool of any sort, she was a petite little battle-axe of a woman who hadn’t met a task she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do. And she did them with so much energy and determination she was more than a little intimidating.

“You got it fixed though?” I opened the fridge then grabbed the pitcher of tea.

Dad nodded and started slicing potatoes. “Took us forever, but they’re fixed, and the natural order of things has been restored. Hall-e-lu-jah.”

I laughed at the way he drew out the word, and poured my tea. “Want some?” I held up the pitcher.

“Got some,” he said, nodding toward the glass sitting on the stove. “Do you have plans tonight?”

“No. I figured I’d hang around here today and catch up with you if you’re going to be home.”

“Good deal. Do you mind company this evening?”

”Company?” I put the pitcher back in the fridge, looking at him over my shoulder. “I don’t mind. Who’s coming?”

”Another professor. I thought I’d have him take a look at the manuscript and see what he thinks.” Dad finished cutting the potatoes then swept them back into the bowl. He hesitated. “I also thought I’d invite Dace as well since he’s the mind behind the madness as it were.”

My heart rate sped up. I hadn’t expected to see Dace today, but I wouldn’t complain. “Um … sounds good,” I answered, nonchalant as possible. “Who’s the other professor?”

“Thomas Edwards. He teaches English and Lit, but he’s great with the mythology stuff, too. You don’t mind?” He scrutinized my expression, seemingly searching for some doubt.

I smiled, trying to reassure him. “I don’t mind. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
And to seeing Dace
, I added silently. “What time are they coming?”

“Eh … Edwards usually pops in around seven or so. His wife writes romance and has a group over every other Sunday to chat men and mystery.” Dad chuckled and rolled his eyes dramatically. “We men prefer not to be there for those discussions, you know.”

“I can’t imagine why not,” I teased.

“No clue.” He grinned. “I haven’t invited Dace yet. I wanted to check with you first.” The question in his voice was evident, though I didn’t quite know what he was trying to ask.

I decided right then and there to tell him the truth instead of trying to guess. “I actually spent some time with Dace last night. He’s great, Dad. We decided to go out in a few days.” I looked him in the eye and smiled.

He examined my face for a minute, sighed, and then nodded. “I guess I don’t need to tell you to be careful again, do I?”

“No.” I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I don’t think you do. But I do appreciate the thought.”

And that easily, Dad knew about Dace. No long, drawn-out conversations. No endless supply of questions. Just instant acceptance.

Chapter Eleven

B
y six, we’d cleaned, cooked, and chatted the day away. We didn’t talk about much of importance, choosing instead to keep our conversation light and easy. When I headed upstairs to get ready for the evening, I practically skipped, feeling lighter than I had in ages.

I showered and changed, looking forward to seeing Dace, and to meeting Professor Edwards. Dad talked a little about him over lunch, and he sounded like the kind of professor I always loved. The kind of endearing type who fumbled on occasion, but still challenged you to learn.

The doorbell rang while I applied a little blush to my cheeks. I looked more like my old self than I had in weeks. A bit of the sparkle had returned to my eyes. And with the blush, my skin looked less washed out and sallow. I needed to add a few more pounds to my frame and do something with my hair, but I’d take the minor improvements and be happy with that for the night.

I finished up, checked my reflection one final time, and then hurried out of the room, smiling to myself.

Dad met me on the stairs.

My smile fell at the half worried, half preoccupied furrow in his brow.

“Chelle Michaelson is here, Arionna,” he said without preamble, lifting his gaze to mine. “You haven’t heard from her sister, Dani, have you?”

“I haven’t heard from either of her sisters. Why?”

His shoulders slumped. “Chelle says Dani never made it home last night. She’s pretty worried.” He jerked his chin toward the kitchen. “I sent her in there to wait for you. I think she hoped you might know something.”

“Oh.” I looked toward the kitchen, frowning. I hadn’t seen Dani since before the entire showdown with Ronan. Beth or Mandy either, for that matter. “I’ll go talk to her.” I bounded down the stairs, past Dad.

He reached out and put a hand on my arm, halting me.

“Arionna … ?”

I turned toward him, fear creeping in and replacing the butterflies tumbling through my stomach. I knew that tone. And it never, ever boded well.

“I didn’t tell her, but they found a body in the woods out by Jack Carrington’s place about an hour ago. Female. Young. Beat up pretty badly.” He shook his head, his brown eyes clouded with pity. “Melinda called about it a few minutes ago.”

My breath seized in my throat. “You think it’s … ?” I looked toward the kitchen, unable to finish the thought, let alone say it aloud.

“No one has been reported missing that I know of … I don’t know. Maybe.” He shifted, his gaze sliding away from mine.

Dad sucked at lying. He might not have known for certain if Dani had been killed, but he wasn’t expecting the victim to be anyone other than her. The deep furrow in his brow and the way he shifted from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable, left no doubts.

My heart began to splinter along already jagged cracks.

“I’m heading over there now. Stay with her until we know one way or another, okay?” He gave me a quick, tight hug, squeezing me as if doing so relieved him. “You might want to get her other sister over here, too. The Michaelsons are out of town this week. The girls don’t have any other family in the area.”

I nodded once and took a deep breath. I felt numb from head to toe, my mind stuck somewhere between Dani’s name and the possibility that she was lying out there somewhere, dead. Nineteen, like me … far too young.

“I’ll be back soon.” He headed down the last couple stairs then grabbed his coat from the tree. He looked over his shoulder at me, giving me a grim smile. “Love you.”

I stood there for a moment after he’d gone out, praying that the victim wasn’t Dani. I didn’t know her well, but I liked her. No one deserved to die, especially not someone like her. She was so full of life. Like Mom.

What were Chelle and Beth going to do?

How were they going to deal with this if Dad’s fears were confirmed?

Dace.

I think maybe he’d been waiting for me because he leapt to attention in my mind as soon as I thought his name.

You know.
Those two words weren’t a question.

Is it her? Is it Dani?
I asked, crossing my fingers and praying he told me no.

Where’s Chelle?
His worry rippled through me alongside his question, and I knew.

Sweet, vivacious Dani … dead.

I sank down on the step, put my hands on my knees and took a deep breath, my still careening world crashing down around me all over again. Dace’s sorrow stung me like little rubber bands snapping against my skin. Anger and revulsion seethed beneath his grief, tightly contained, but leaking out around the edges. My own anger rose to match his, and I squeezed my eyes closed, taking deep breaths, trying to calm down before a repeat of last night’s emotional overload knocked me unconscious again.

Is Chelle with you, Arionna?
His question came slowly, carefully, as if to calm me.

Yes.
How was I supposed to hold myself together to be there for Chelle? Mom, Dani … both losses blended until I felt like I truly was going to crack apart. I took another deep breath, spots swimming before my eyes.

Arionna?
Dace’s concern whispered through me with my name. Somehow he made me feel as if he was right there, wrapping his arms around me like he had last night. Calming thoughts lapped like gentle waves against my raw emotions.

I continued to breathe for a few minutes.

Dace waited patiently, holding me together.

I’m okay,
I let him know when the desire to pass out diminished.

His relief was a soft breeze behind my eyes.
I’m coming, Arionna. Tell Chelle to call Beth and Mandy, and her boyfriend, Gage. Lie to her if you have to, but don’t let her leave, and don’t let her find out until Gage gets there. I’ll be there soon, love.