Finding Obscurity (16 page)

“Earth to Lily!” Sam tugged my hair, bringing me back to the
present.

“Huh?”

Ashton squeezed my hand again. “Are you sure you want to go back
and see your adoptive family?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I think it’s time for some answers. We can’t find
out why somebody would want to kill me right now, but I think we may get some
answers there.”

“Carlotta and Jeffery are going to watch the club this weekend.
You and I can leave in the morning.”

“You aren’t going without me,” Blake grunted.

“Me either!” Sam said, raising his hand in the air like he was
trying to get the teacher’s attention.

We all swung our attention to Sam and I sighed because he was
going to either get to go, or would follow us down there, popping up
unexpectedly. “Sam, what are you going to do about your shift this weekend?”

“Taken care of. I got another bartender to cover for me, and I
will work their next holiday weekend.”

“Sam, I don’t think it’s the best idea,” Blake said, frowning at
him.

I held up a hand, interrupting Sam’s rebuttal. “He will either go
with us or will follow us there. Which do you prefer?”

Sam let out a chuckle, Ashton raised his eyebrows at me, and the
couple in front of us just stared. Blake was not happy at all about having
another person with us, but I was glad to have somebody else there as a buffer
between the two men. It was going to be uncomfortable enough with two hot guys
in the small confines of a car, fighting for my attention. It was a compliment,
sure, but I was thankful it was just for a couple of hours.

“We will stay here for the night. I already had Sam pack a bag for
Lily, so you guys need to grab an overnight bag and be ready to leave in the
morning. I’ll have one of the bouncers let you into the apartment above the
club when you’re ready.” Ashton stood, holding my hand.

Carlotta gave me a hug and I received a pat on the back from her
husband while Blake and Sam went home to pack an overnight bag. Ashton led me
up to the apartment above the club that I had been in the second night we had
met. I hadn’t realized it was a full-blown apartment with two bedrooms and two
bathrooms. I guess I never paid much attention. “Do you actually live above the
club?”

Ashton shook his head. “I do sometimes, but I have a house on the
south side of town, along with one in the Caribbean and Canada. Lately, though,
I have been staying at Revive.”

I sat on the black leather couch. “You ever going to take me to
your house?”

“Which one?” he said, sitting next to me, close enough that our
sides were touching. He wrapped an arm around my waist.

“Any of them,” I whispered.

His mouth slowly met mine, hesitantly kissing me before wrapping
his hands in my hair, deepening the kiss. My body moved closer to his and
before I knew it, I was straddling his lap and running my hands along his
six-pack abs, feeling each and every ridge of muscle. He ran his hands
underneath my shirt and against my bare back, causing me to shiver. His lips
caressed my neck, and then down to my collarbone as desire pooled deep in my
belly. I had forgotten what a hold this man had over me, and I wanted to strip
the clothes from his body and let him take me while our lips melted against
each other.

With a grunt, he picked me up like I weighed nothing and set me on
the couch beside him, giving me a light peck on the lips. “I’m going to kill
them.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but Sam skipped into the room,
whistling, with Blake shortly behind him. When Sam spotted us, he waggled his
eyebrows before winking at me, not saying a word about my swollen lips or
messed up hair, and continued into the kitchen, laying his backpack on the
counter. I wanted to kill them too, but was thankful that Ashton had the common
courtesy to stop the bump and grind before company arrived. I had a feeling
that wouldn’t have gone over too well with Blake.

“What are the sleeping arrangements?”
 
Blake asked, watching me and only me.

“Liliana will sleep in my room, and the two of you can argue over
the second bedroom and the couch.” Ashton pointed out where the spare bedroom
was and then showed us which door I would be sleeping behind. “And before you
fight me about that, Mr. Moore, I will be in the club for a while taking care
of things before we leave.”

“And when you’re done?”

“None of your concern.” Ashton leaned over and gave me kiss full
on the mouth. “I’ll be back later.”

He exited through the door after watching me for a minute, before
the door closed. Sam plopped down on the couch beside me giving Blake a pointed
look. “You two are more jealous than any woman I have ever known. Just be here
for Lily because she has clearly chosen him over you. If her heart hadn’t made
that decision already, then you know as well as I do, that she would have
chosen you.”

“You’re right.” Blake ran a hand across his face. “Lily, I’m sorry
and will try to be a better friend.”

I know Sam was looking out for me, but I still wasn’t sure what I
felt about Blake to be honest. Sure, I wanted to be with Ashton because I was
pulled to him with every part of my being, but Blake had a hold over me, too. I
knew it was best for now to pretend nothing was there until I could figure out
what to do. “Thank you, Blake. I know this has to be hard for you, but I’m glad
you can at least be my friend.”

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” he said. When Sam just watched
us, he sighed. “Alone.”

When all Sam did was give him a raised eyebrow, Blake grabbed my
hand and led me to the spare bedroom, closing the door quietly. He came up to
me slowly, wrapping his arms around me before kissing my hair. I inhaled the
clean scent of him that was mixed with earthy tones and closed my eyes,
enjoying the warmth of his arms around me. It was comforting, and I felt safe
wrapped in his arms, even with the sparks deep inside of me whenever he touched
my skin.

“Blake, I…”

“Don’t.” He pulled back a little, his gray eyes searching mine. “I
know I don’t have any rights over you, and even though you’ve chosen Ashton, I
won’t give up on you. Do you know that?”

“It isn’t fair to you.”

He gave a sad smile. “Life isn’t fair. And neither is this.” His
head swooped down and our lips met. The electric feeling between us
intensified, and for some reason I didn’t want to pull away, even though I knew
it was wrong on so many levels. The kiss was urgent and demanding, like if we
were to let go then reality would sink back in and everything would become real
again. It was nice to pretend that something could have happened between us,
and even though it was possible my heart belonged to Ashton, there was a slight
doubt about my true feelings regarding this man holding me as if the world was
going to end tomorrow. He put his hands in my hair and I barely registered my
hoop earring falling to the floor. Sam cleared his throat from the doorway and
I sprung away from Blake, guilt plastered on my face.

“Um… what were you doing?” Sam had his hands on his hips and an
eyebrow in the air.

“I… uh, well, uh…”

“Lily, I didn’t see a thing, but I hope you know how wrong that
was.”

“Sam, I know!”
What was I
thinking?
I was thinking about how great Blake’s lips felt on mine, and I
knew I was at fault for letting it get that far. “
Blake, that
cannot happen again.”

Blake smirked as he left and headed back into the living room.
“Okay. If you say so.”

“Sam, what’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing is wrong with you. You’re just confused is all, babe. It happens
to the best of us.” Sam shrugged and headed back into the living area as well.

I followed them and cursed myself for enjoying kissing Blake when
I shouldn’t have. I was falling for Ashton, I was pretty sure, so what did it
mean that I enjoyed doing that, too? I was such a horrible person. “Guys, I am
going to head to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Sam gave me a hug before digging his phone out of his pocket and
checking Facebook.

Blake beamed at me with a wink. “Sweet dreams.”

I ignored him and went into Ashton’s bedroom and drank in the cool
blue colors of the walls. A huge canvas with black splatters hung above the
large wrought iron king-sized bed. It had a thick gray down comforter with huge
pillows at the top of the bed. I went inside the adjoining bathroom, using the
large glass shower, enjoying the spicy scent of Ashton’s body wash and shampoo
before changing into my tank top and sweatpants.

I tucked myself into the sateen sheets and relaxed with a sigh at
how comfortable the bed was, making a note to ask him what type of mattress he
had. Staring at the ceiling, thoughts spiraled through my mind like a tornado,
starting with everything supernatural in my life, to the man who had trapped me
in the car today. Something wasn’t right about the whole situation, and I
wondered who in this town knew my secret besides the ones that were close to
me. I knew it couldn’t be anyone I was close to, and something told me to check
into Paige because of her strong reactions towards me as if she had a reason to
hate me. I didn’t know anything about her, and didn’t get much out of anyone
she hung out with, but I figured she was hiding something. She was the only one
who could have possibly had something to gain by losing me. The problem with
that theory was that she wasn’t really around me enough to identify who I
really was, unless she had known from the beginning. And I didn’t know if she
was a vampire, human, or who knew what else was out there.

The memory of the dream when I was trapped in the basement and the
small body lying on the floor across from me flashed through. I couldn’t place
who that may have been, except I was sure it was a female. Was I seeing myself
on the floor or somebody else? I just hoped that I wouldn’t have to find out
anytime soon, but I knew fate will play a hand eventually.

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning I woke to a warm body spooning me from behind and
an arm draped across my hip. Turning slowly to lie on my back, Ashton’s arms tightened
around me protectively, pulling me closer into his body, tangling our limbs
together. His long dark lashes were barely touching his cheeks and he looked so
peaceful in his sleep with only light breathing on my shoulder. He was the
epitome of male beauty and was in the same bed with his arms wrapped around me
like he never wanted to let go. It was almost unreal and I pushed any thoughts
of guilt from kissing Blake to the recesses of my mind; it didn’t deserve to be
in the same bed as the man who was currently wrapped up with my body. He wasn’t
wearing a shirt and I was almost tempted to look under the covers to see if he
was clothed, but instead ran a finger along his muscular stomach.

“Hi.”

I smiled at his gruff sleepy voice. “Hi.”

He leaned in and gave me a sweet kiss on the lips before snuggling
into me and running kisses down my neck and licking my ear. I moaned and leaned
into his lips while his hand edged under my tank top to play with my bare
breasts, tweaking a nipple.

“Good morning,” he said sleepily between kisses. His hand made its
way down my stomach and underneath my sweatpants.

My hips bucked when he reached the sweet spot and I couldn’t seem
to get enough oxygen in my lungs when his fingers began moving. I felt the
crackle of electricity run down my body and in my blood as the orgasm began
building. His fingers moved with a circular motion while his lips ran along my
jaw before meeting my lips again. The orgasm cracked through my body like a
whip and I groaned into his mouth while the power humming in my blood went down
to a simmer.

I smiled at him and stretched lazily. “Good morning to you, too.”

“I think I could get used to waking up with you in my arms every
day.”

There was a knock on the door before the knob jiggled. “Lily? Are
you awake?” Sam said and knocked again. Thank the Lord that Ashton locked the
door.

I started to get up, but Ashton wrapped his arms around me again.
“I wish we could spend all day in bed.”

“Me, too, but Sam won’t stop until we go out there. I know him too
well.” I sighed and gave him a quick kiss before jumping out of bed. He reached
for me and I giggled, backing out of his reach. “Maybe when we get back to
town, we can spend the whole day in bed together.”

He leaned back into the pillows with a grin. “I look forward to
it.”

Sam knocked again and I opened the door to him wagging his
eyebrows at me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

He led me into the kitchen, handing me a mug of steaming coffee.

“I love you.”

“Hey, I know how you are with coffee, and since we’re up way too
early, I didn’t want bitchy Lily with us today.”

I bumped him with my hip. “I’m not bitchy.” When his eyebrow went
up, I laughed. “Okay, okay. I can be a little grouchy in the morning if I don’t
get my caffeine.”

“’A little bitchy’ is an understatement. So, what’s the plan
today? We’re heading to your hometown, right?” I nodded, so he continued after
taking a sip of coffee. “Do you think they’ll spill the beans? Your parents, I
mean.”

“My adoptive parents,” I said, pointing a spoon at him before
stirring sugar in the mug. “I don’t know. I hope so, but I haven’t spoken to
them or been to that town in over ten years, so I’m not sure what will happen.”

“Hmm. Well, I hope they can tell you something at least.”

“Me, too, Sam, but I’m not getting my hopes up. I’m not really
looking forward to going back there, but better now than never. I’d always
wonder if I didn’t go.”

“Do you think that Ashton and Blake…” He cut off his thought when Blake
walked in the kitchen with a yawn.

He laid a kiss on my forehead before filling up his own coffee
mug. “Morning. What time are we leaving?”

“Soon, I think. I just have to shower and get dressed, then
whenever you guys are ready, we can head out.”

“Sounds good.” He looked at Sam and then around the room. “Where’s
Ashton?”

I knew he was trying to be nonchalant about his question, but I
also had a feeling he wanted to know if we had slept together. “He was in his
room waking up when Sam knocked on the door.” I left it at that because he
didn’t need to know about my wakeup call this morning.

Blake’s eyes bored into mine. “Do you want me to wake him up?”

I shook my head. “No, I think he was going to get in the shower
first and then I will get in there once he’s done.”

About that time, Ashton strode into the room wearing nothing but
pajama pants and a smile. He walked up to me and gave me a kiss, full on the
lips, before making his way to the fridge. He grabbed the orange juice
container, filling up a black mug with the Revive logo on it. He took a deep
sip before licking his lips, and entranced, I watched his tongue dart along his
top lip. “Shower is all yours.”

I started to turn around when Sam’s shocked voice stopped me in my
tracks. “What kind of orange juice is that?”

Turning on my heels to look back at the guys in my kitchen, I was
shocked when Blake let out a bark of laughter. “Don’t drink the orange juice
here. It tends to be a little on the bloody side.”

My eyebrows went up to my hairline and Ashton glanced at me
nervously before taking a sip. I knew he was waiting on me to judge him for
drinking what had to be blood in his mug, but he was a vampire after all, so I
couldn’t expect anything other than that. I was just glad he was getting it from
his fridge and not from a live source.

Sam opened the orange juice container in the fridge and took a
whiff. “Yuck! I’ll be sure not to ever spend a hangover here and accidentally
drink something I shouldn’t.”

 
“I’m going to shower. We
can leave when I’m dressed.” I went up to Ashton and gave him a light kiss to
let him know it was okay, aware Blake was eyeing us the whole time.

Showering quickly, I threw on jeans and a comfortable T-shirt
before brushing my teeth and repacking my bag. It wasn’t home anymore, but one
always thinks of the place they were raised as home, even if they never wanted
to step foot in that forsaken place again. I put on some face powder, swiped my
eyelashes with mascara, and applied some lip-gloss before throwing them in my
bag as well. I was a wreck, but at least I would be the prettiest wreck they
have ever seen.
 

The guys were ready and waiting for me when I came into the living
room with the bag on my shoulder. “You guys ready to get this over with?”

Blake gave me a worried expression. “Are you sure you want to do
this?”

“I will always wonder if I don’t. Maybe they’ll have some
answers.”

“You’re stronger than people give you credit for, Lily.” He lifted
my hand and laid something metal inside my palm before closing my fingers over
it.

I glanced down at my hand seeing the earring I was wearing last
night that must have come out during our fiery kiss. It was his way of stating
he wasn’t giving up on the possibility of what could happen.

“Lily, are you okay?” Sam frowned.

I nodded and gave the best smile I could summon while we all filed
out the door into the empty club toward the front door. Waiting for us was a
shiny black SUV at the door. The bouncer, Gary, who gave me a wide berth,
opened the door to let Sam and Blake in the back, while I got into the front
with Ashton. I put in the address of the Canton family’s home into the GPS,
buckled my seatbelt, and stared out the window, trying to calm my apprehension
as we exited onto the interstate.

An hour or so later, Blake and Sam were having a conversation
about vampires, and that the term “witch” was actually a slang word for what he
and I were. I was listening without them actually noticing, overhearing him
explain that Conjurers with several powers at once were rare, and that if I
were indeed half vampire, it was unheard of. But when Sam asked about what all
he could do with his powers, my ears perked up since Blake had never really
explained. I knew about the dream-walking, as he called it, and about the
electricity trick, but what I didn’t know was that he could actually drain
somebody of their power and use it against them. I wondered what all I would be
able to do once I got my full powers, but hell, I couldn’t even figure out how
to make sparks appear in my hand.

Ashton reached over and intertwined my fingers with his, which
made me smile. We had about a two hour drive, and I settled back, scrolling
through the list on my MP3 player. I was grateful that Ashton thought to bring
mine it along on the trip. Sam, Blake, and Ashton were arguing over the music,
so I picked “I Love It” by
Icona
Pop, smiling at
their groans of disapproval, except of course Sam, who started dancing in his
seat. I smiled and slapped a hand when Blake reached up to change it. The song
just brings up my mood, and because of where we were headed, I needed all the
upbeat music I could get. I laughed as Sam began singing along, so I joined
him.

We were pretending to hold fake microphones as we sang, causing
the other two to laugh at us. I began moving my body in the seat and I screamed
into the imaginary microphone fisted in my hand: “You’re from the seventies,
but I’m a nineties bitch!”

Sam laughed and screamed, “I love it!”

When the next song came through the speakers was a current rock
ballad, Blake sighed. “Thank God.”

“What, you don’t like my taste in music?”

“I didn’t say that. They’re just overplaying that song on the
radio.” He shrugged. “I prefer heavy metal myself.”

“It’s an ultimate song for us girls.” Sam gave me a wink. “I think
Lily needed that one to cheer her up.”

“Yes, I did.” I turned my head and watched the sign on the
interstate announcing how many miles we had to go. It wouldn’t take much longer
after we took the next exit, and butterflies were having some sort of war in my
stomach. I wasn’t sure what would be waiting for me when we showed up
unexpected to the house I was raised in.

“What was it like growing up here?” Ashton asked, squeezing my
hand, noticing my anxiety.

“It was a great place to grow up at first. Normal All-American,
blue collar, small town where everyone knows your name. My adoptive family was
okay, I guess, and I had plenty of friends that would’ve done anything for me…
until my sister died. Growing up here and being so different, well, I didn’t
realize how much of a freak I really was until the rumors starting spreading
about my visions. At first, people just thought I was little Lily, trying to
get attention, until I started telling everyone when their pet was going to
die, what would happen at school, and which parties would be busted… all of
which came true. After Sarah died and my parents blamed me for what happened,
friends I thought I knew disappeared.”

“I’m sorry you had to experience that. It was no way to grow up
and learn about how mean people are when you were so young. Maybe things have
changed and they will be happy to see you?”

“Ashton, don’t kid yourself. They blame me for the car accident
that killed their child. I’m not naïve.”

“If only they knew who you really are and could see you the way I
do, then they would know that you’re amazing. Don’t let them bring you down.
Remember to stay strong.”

I nodded and gazed out the window. The scenery began to transform
into the familiar town I had known for most of my life. In ten years the place really
hadn’t changed that much, and the downtown area was filled with people walking
to and from shops in the old brick buildings. Rick’s Pizza was still near the
railroad tracks, the jewelry store next to it, and the old family pharmacy that
had been there since my adoptive parents were little. There was a bar with
tinted windows littered with neon signs, which was a new addition, and across
the street was an empty building that was for sale. People from all walks of
life were milling around the buildings looking at the displays, and I was
curious if I would recognize anyone.

“I’m hungry,” Blake said, rubbing his belly. “Can we stop and grab
a bite to eat around this place?”

Ashton looked at me for advice and I shrugged. “The pizza place is
good, or maybe the bar back there has some sort of greasy burgers for lunch.”

“I think we should check out the bar first, and then if nothing is
good there, then we can get some pizza.” Sam yawned.

Ashton found a parking place near the railroad tracks, and once we
were all out of the car, I stretched, groaning at my cramped muscles. Part of
it was riding in the car for a couple hours, and the other part out of pure
dread being back where it all began. We made our way to the bar and I watched
nervously as people passed us, hoping that nobody knew who I was anymore. There
was an old high school teacher and a few people I remembered from church, but
nobody seemed to recognize me, so I let out a breath. Ashton’s hand was still
linked in mine as an anchor of support, while Sam and Blake flanked us as a
united front. I wasn’t sure what I was going to be walking into and was
thankful they were here for me.

The bar was your average small-town drinking hole with thick oak
tables, matching stools, and a scarred wooden bar that had seen too much
alcohol in its day. There were a few people who made it in for lunch. The crowd
scattered among the tables, and a few stragglers were at the bar. The walls
were lined with a few neon signs advertising different types of alcohol. A
jukebox, currently playing an eighties hair band song, sat to the left of the
bar. It must have arrived here shortly after I left to have allowed enough
alcohol and cigarette smoke to soak into the wood tables and bar.