Fractured ( Fractured #1) (12 page)

Her smile
confirmed her approval. “You’ve waited a long time for a boyfriend, Mandy. I’m very happy for you, and I hope to meet him one day.”

Me, too.

Chapter
Twenty-One

The hours raced past. Before I knew it, it was three-thirty and Dillon’s bus pulled up. He ran up the walkway and tracked in some mud. I made him an after-school snack
, and he sat at the table until there was nothing left but crumbs. When I went back into the living room, Mom had disappeared. Panic raced through me as I imagined her hiding in the bathroom, guzzling straight from a bottle I didn’t know about. I checked every room, upstairs and down. Noises from the garage led me to find her searching through the boxes we had stacked against the far wall.

“There you are,” I screeched. “What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for the pictures of when you and Bryan were small.”

My shoulders lowered in relief.

She slid a decent-sized plastic bin from one of the higher shelves. I helped her carry it into the living room. Her hands were shaking more than before, but she wasn’t looking for a bottle, and I was relieved. Dillon was on the couch watching cartoons. Mom sat next to him. She flipped the cover off the bin and searched through the pile of photos. It seemed as if she was looking for a particular snapshot. A glance at several pictures proved they weren’t the memory she was looking for.

“Can I help?” I asked.

Her hazel eyes weren’t bloodshot. I was taken aback by how alert she was. She was even kind of pretty. “I’m looking for the one when you had your dance recital.” She grasped the edge of the bin to keep her hands steady. I could tell she was trying hard not to think about alcohol. “You know, the one where you danced to that old song, ‘I Wanna Be Loved By You.’ You wore that adorable ballet costume with the puffy sleeves and iridescent crown. You looked so cute in that little blue tutu, like a little princess.”

I knew the photo she meant and helped
her search. Each picture I pulled from the box prompted another memory. We got sidetracked talking about each one of them.

A knock at
the door interrupted us. I looked at my watch. It was four-thirty.

“I’ve got it,” I s
aid, motioning to her to stay where she was. She was so happy, I didn’t want to throw her off thepositive course
.
Opening the door and seeing Rob standing in the doorway under an umbrellamade me even happier than spending a normal day with my mothe
r
.

The dark clouds behind him made the blueness of his eyes seem more tranquil and deep. “Hi,” he said.

“Hi!” My excitement made my own voice sound like a small animal being squeezed into a narrow hole.

He leaned over and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips.
“I thought I’d come by to see you before I went to work.”

“Come in,” I said
, as I backed away from the door. My head floated, and my limbs were weightless.

I followed him into the living room. And then my back stiffened
, and I held my breath. I was so entranced by Rob I’d forgotten that Mom was there.

“Hey, Dillon,” Rob shouted.

Dillon turned his head and in a monotone voice acknowledged him. “Rob.”             

Mom wiggled up
out of the couch, using the armrest for leverage. “So, you’re the young man who has my daughter flying.” She held out her hand to shake his. It trembled. “I’m Dina, Mandy’s mother.” She looked and acted like a “normal” mother. Still, I held my breath. Finally, I exhaled as Rob took her hand and gave it a firm shake.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Stewart.”

Mom smiled and must have realized that I wanted to spend time with Rob. She lifted the box of photos. “Dillon, come help Mommy bring this upstairs. I want to show you some pictures of when you were a baby.” Dillon stood andfollowed my mothe
r
out of the room,while still trying to keep an eye on the televisio
n
.

“SpongeBob,” Rob laughed, pointing to the television.

“It’s Dillon’s favorite show.” I grabbed the remote and turned it off. “Can I get you something to drink?” I turned to walk into the kitchen, but he grabbed my arm, and pulled me toward him. In a quick movement I was facing him with his arms around me. Our noses almost touched. I should have been annoyed by his forcefulness, but when I looked into his eyes, I was cognizant of his thoughts. His face moved closer. I welcomed his soft, warm lips. When he pulled back, my mouth chased his. I pressed his lips with mine. He didn’t pull away.

A
quick rhythm drummed in my chest, and the more I kissed him, the more I hungered. I tensed, and then relaxed. He kissed me once more before his cheek grazed mine. He whispered into my ear. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.” My body tingled. He moved his head back to look at me and added, “I missed you.”

Coherent words wouldn’t form in my head. I was on a high in his arms
, and it didn’t help me think straight.

He got serious and leaned back. “Water is fine.” It took a moment to register what he meant. As if in a trance, I walked into the kitchen. Rob followed. I pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator and retrieved a glass from the cabinet. I didn’t say a word, not wanting to interrupt the whirlwind of emotions he had stirred inside of me.

He took the water, twisted the cap, and drank directly from the bottle. After a long draw, he said, “Thanks.” We sat at the table.

“What time do you have to be at work?”
I asked.

“Six, but I couldn’t stay away. I know I said I’d call you, but when I picked up the phone, just hearing your voice wasn’t enough. I would have come by earlier, but I had to meet with the detective who’s been investigating the fire. He had a few more questions about the things my father kept in the basement.”

“Are they any closer to figuring out what happened?” I asked.

He took another sip of water. “
They think it was a chemical reaction from the things my dad kept in such a small space.”

I looked down at my hands. “
Someone who came into my dad’s shop said the police thought it might be arson.” I didn’t want to tell him it was Jimmy who suggested it.

Rob slammed his fist on the table. The chair scraped backward when he stood up. “Who said that
?”

I looked up at him and instantly regretted my words. I reached for his hand to pull him back down into the chair. “You know what
gossip is like in small towns.”

His once smiling face morphed into
a scowl. His hands were clenched into fists on top of the table. “It was an accident. No one set fire to my house.”

It was stupid of me to say anything. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to make sure they ruled out every possible situation.
”

His eyes narrowed in disbelief. “You think I did it? You think I set fire to my own house? That I wanted my parents dead?”

“No! No! You know I’d never think anything like that. It was just stupid gossip. I know you’d never hurt anyone or anything…” My hand found the back of his hair, and I stroked it. “Your father sounds like he was very intelligent. Sometimes that fuels jealousy in others. And jealousy can cause a person to do the wrong thing.”

His face relaxed. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just… well, it’s been hard. I don’t have anyone to lean on. Eric’s been great. He’s always there to listen and my aunt and uncle are there for me, too, but they just don’t understand. I’m lost, Mandy. I don’t know whether to cry or get angry. I’m trying my best to deal with it. Then to be accused…”

“I’m sorry, Rob. I didn’t mean to—”

He ran his hand through his hair.
“No. It’s me, Mandy. I shouldn’t jump at you when I know you’re just trying to help.” The harshness in his expression diminished and a smile formed.

I changed the subject.
“Can I make you a sandwich or something?”

His smile appeared. “
No thanks. My aunt made me something before I left the house.” He stared at me as if he were memorizing the contours of my face.

“What time is your break?” A thought of racing over to the supermarket at just that time for Pop Tarts or some other ridiculous thing entered my mind.

“Well, since I’m on nights now, my break is usually at nine. I can call you, if you like.”

“Yes, I’d like that.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

The hour passed like seconds before he had to leave for work.
When I walked him to his car, I noticed the rain had stopped, but the hovering dark clouds promised more. Rob leaned against the driver’s door and pulled my hips close to his. We fit together nicely, I thought.

“Will you take the clip out of your hair?”

Without question, I did. His hand combed through my loose strawberry curls. His touch caused my blood to pulsate through my veins.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said.

My mouth dropped open, and my eyes widened. A warm surge filled my cheeks.

He was just as shocked as I was. “Don’t tell me that you haven’t heard that before?”

“Well, my parents, but they don’t count; they have to tell me I’m beautiful.”

“You’re kidding, right?” He wasn’t smiling.

I shook my head.

“Well, you are.”

I glanced at the wet ground. With a curled finger, he lifted my chin. The connection unleashed a mass of emotions. “Don’t be shy. You should feel good about who you are. You’re beautiful, and smart, and talented, a complete package.”

The heat
in my cheeks intensified. Rob closed his eyes and found my lips with his.

A s
mall alarm sounded on his watch. It ended our moment. “I have to go.” He sounded disappointed. “I’ll call you around nine, okay?”

I was transfixed on the deep blue of his eyes
, so I only managed a slight nod.

With hesitation, he got into his car and
rolled down the window. Lightning flickered across the sky. “Get inside before it rains again,” he said. “Nine o’clock,” he reminded. I nodded, and then he drove away.

Thunder rumbled through the clouds.
I knew I should have gone into the house. I stood on the street, unable to move. A warm rush protected me from the cold rain that began to fall. Drops of water hit my hair and marked my clothes. I don’t know how long I stood there, entranced by the memory of his kiss on my lips. Most of my shirt was drenched when Bryan and Jimmy pulled into the driveway.

Bryan jogged across the lawn
to the porch. “Mandy, what are you doing out here?” When I didn’t answer, he went inside. It was only when Jimmy called out to me that I realized it was raining.

“Mandy, you okay?
You’re drenched. Come inside.”

Rain splattered on my face and hands. I forced my rubbery legs to move
as I followed Jimmy into the house.

“What were you doing stand
ing in the middle of the street in the rain?” Bryan asked.

My voice sounded foreign to me. “He went to work.”

Brian and Jimmy looked at me.

Bryan’s face twisted with confusion. “Who?”

“Rob,” Mom’s voice said, as she came down the stairs. She gripped the banister to steady her hands; they were shaking a lot now. So were her legs. Both Bryan and Jimmy did a double take when they saw that Mom was upright and articulate. She handed me a towel. “Jimmy, are you staying for dinner?”

“Huh? I mean, can I?” he asked.

“Of course. You know you’re a part of this family,” Mom said, walking into the kitchen. “You never need an invitation.” The sound of pots and pans banged together.

Bryan looked at me as I used the towel to dry my dripping hair. He whispered, “What happened?” Jimmy’s attention was on me as well.

I shrugged and peeked into the kitchen. I wanted to make sure Mom was busy.
She was searching through the cabinets for the pots she wanted for dinner. With my index finger over my mouth, I indicated to Bryan and Jimmy to be quiet. “I waited for everyone to leave this morning,” I spoke above a whisper so that only they could hear. “Then I cleaned the house and got her up, dressed, and made breakfast. We watched television. Then we just started talking about stuff.”

“Stuff?” Bryan asked. On
e eyebrow dipped on his forehead. His mouth opened in disbelief.

“You know, things we did when we were kids. We watched
more television, and then she went out to the garage and brought in the bin with all the photos. She plucked out pictures and we talked about each one.” I shook my own head in astonishment. “She was so normal today, Bry. It was like old Mom was back.”

“All day?” Bryan asked.

“Not all day,” I said. “Only since eleven.”

Bryan looked at his watch. It was six o’clock.

Mom’s voice called from the other room. “Are you guys okay with spaghetti and meatballs for dinner?”

Astonished glances darted back and f
orth between the three of us. “Sure, Mom,” Bryan shouted.

“Can I help set the table, Mrs. Stewart?” Jimmy asked.

“That would be wonderful, Jimmy,” she said. Jimmy shrugged his shoulders at Bryan and walked into the kitchen.

“Bryan, will you bring some soda up from the basement refrigerator?” Mom requested. Bryan raced to the door leading downstairs.

“I’ll go to the store and get fresh Italian bread,” I volunteered.

“Absolutely,” Mom said. “I don’t want poor Jimmy to say we didn’t give him a good meal.”

Even though I couldn’t see Jimmy through the wall that separated the living room and kitchen, I heard him. “I always get a good meal here, Mrs. Stewart.”

“You are definitely the sweetest, Jimmy.”

I don’t recall climbing the stairs to my room to get my purse and my hoodie, but I must have, because I had them when I started to walk to the supermarket. On the way, I tried to remember what the alien who abducted my real mother looked like. Surely, I must have seen him enter my living room and take her.