Games of Fire (47 page)

Jackie blinked those eyes of hers and Sophie couldn’t help wondering just what went on behind them. Jackie had always struck her as a soft, quiet woman, almost delicate in her appearance. She was always so nice. But not at that moment. There was something else there now, something wary behind her stare, something guarded and angry. There was a warning in the watchful way she studied Sophie.

“They are upset,” Jackie said evenly. “You know how dangerous it is for you to be running off right now.
Your parents have gone through a great deal of trouble to keep you safe. Running off is probably not the best way to thank them.”

Sophie looked down at her barely touched drink
, shame coloring her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to … I just needed some space and room to think. I was so angry with everything they were saying and with everything that’s been happening, I just … ”

Jackie nodded
, but her eyes were fixed on the game again. “They’re looking for you. Everyone.”

It was an effort not to wince. “How did you find me?”

There was a mysterious glint in Jackie’s smile when her eyes moved back to Sophie. “I asked the front desk. The clerk there saw you come this way.”

“Oh.” Sophie glanced back towards the doors. “Is Spencer—”

“Yes, he’s looking as well.” Long, pale fingertips lightly dusted the area in front of Jackie. “He’s very worried.”

Sophie
got to her feet. “I should get back.”

With the reflexes of a snake, Jackie grabbed her wrist, restraining her with far too much ease. “Stay a moment. I want to talk with you.”

“But—”

“
Stay.” The look in Jackie’s eyes was bright now, almost unnaturally calm. It was more that look than the iron grip around her wrist that propelled Sophie back into her seat. Once she was seated, Jackie relinquished her hold, letting her small hands slip under the table into her lap. Her eyes narrowed with a sort of interest as she observed Sophie with a tilt of her head. “Why are you more concerned about Spencer worrying than your parents?”

Sophie started, not having noticed. “I
wasn’t. I mean … ” She scratched the back of her head. “I don’t want anyone to worry about me.”

“You know I like you, Sophia,” she began in that tone adults used just before they launched into a very long winded speech about being a better person. Sophie braced herself for it. “I think you’re such a wonderful girl, but I don’t like this business
with you and Spencer.”

That was not what she’d expected and for a moment had no words to describe the hurt and anger that flared up inside her. “But back in your kitchen, when we were looking at pictures, you said—”

Jackie nodded sadly. “And I meant it. I wish Spencer had met you years ago. You would have been much better than Aimee, but Spencer has gone through a lot in the last few years. He’s suffered in so many ways. He’s been hurt and rejected and he’s not ready for this level of relationship.”

Sophie frowned. “
I don’t understand.”

“The intensity,” Jackie said. “You’re both so intense! It’s not healthy for either of you.”
Jackie seemed to pause as if trying to hand pick the most appropriate words. When she spoke, her voice was even, like a teacher giving an important lesson. “I know my son. I know his faults and his strengths. But I don’t know this person he’s become since he’s met you. I’ve never seen him so … protective, so … ” She held up her fists, the knuckles on each one blazing white as she struggled for the right description. “Like he wants to pull you into him and never let you go. I don’t think I would be half as concerned by this if you were both older, wiser, but you’re both still just children. This obsession is not healthy.”

“It’s not an obsession,”
Sophie whispered in a voice so low, it was almost crushed by the roaring crowd across the room. “I care about him.”

Jackie touched her arm lightly and it took all of Sophie’s strength not to jerk away. “I know you do! I’m not arguing that. I just think you both need to take a step back. No relationship can survive on fire alone. It takes work and commitment and trust.
” Do you trust him?”

Sophie
shook her head. “I don’t know what you and my parents want from us. We’re not doing anything any normal couple our age isn’t doing. We’re careful. We haven’t done anything.”

“We want you to cool things down,” Jackie said
gently.

Her chuckle was weak as she splayed her hands on the table. “I don’t know how!” She exhaled. “
I know what we did last night was wrong. We shouldn’t have done what we did. I’m sorry about that. We didn’t mean to hurt anyone, but that’s just it. We don’t want to hurt anyone. I know I would never hurt him. You have to believe that.”

Something shifted over Jackie’s blue eyes, it was quick, but Sophie almost believed she was making progress.
“I know you don’t want to hurt him, Sophia. But you can’t promise that. You’re still so young. You have your whole life to go out there and explore and meet other boys. You don’t need to throw everything into one relationship. That’s what I did and look at me. I got pregnant before I was out of high school with a guy that never loved me, who cheated on me constantly. Do you want that for yourself?”

Sophie didn’t know how to respond to that for several minutes. She stared at the woman, overwhelmed by the fury and sorrow whipping through her. “You think Spencer would cheat on me? Or that he would never love me?”

Jackie shook her head. “Spencer is crazy about you, Sophie. I’ve seen him with Aimee, but it was nothing like this. When Spencer loves, he loves with everything in him, body, mind … soul! He opens everything up to be broken. I can’t watch him go through that again”

Sophie gritted her teeth. “You think I’m the one who will cheat on him.”

“I think you’re young,” was her response. “You can’t possibly know what you want this early in the game.”

Gingerly, afraid any quick movements may force her to snap, Sophie rose to her feet. She stared down at the woman watching her with pleading eyes and felt a jolt of
pity. “I can’t say we’re going to be together forever. I can’t tell you that we’re going to grow up, go to college together, get married and have babies. I want those things. I know I’ll fight for those things. But I have him now and I’m not going anywhere.”

She headed for the door, wishing she had more anger in her. The only thing she could feel was the weary exhaustion crippling her senses. The ruckus in the background wasn’t helping. She wondered how much longer they were going to go at it before calling it quits. Her throbbing skull wished it was sooner rather than later.

“Sophie!”

Her head came up a second too late. She was grabbed and jerked into a familiar chest. Strong arms enclosed her, keeping her there. Sophie sighed, closing her eyes and nuzzling her favorite spot beneath his chin.

“Why did you take off?” he demanded, gripping her tight.

“I needed some time to think,” she answered, knowing it wasn’t a good one, but sticking to it. “I’m just so tired
of everything, Spencer.”

She felt him press his face into the hair at the top of her head and inhale. “Me too, baby.” He kissed the spot, then rested his chin there. “Mom?” He drew back an inch, keeping a tight hold on Sophie. “How did you get here?”

Sophie kept her face buried in his collarbone, not caring what the woman had to say as she let herself be lulled by the steady patter of Spencer’s heart. It was so beautiful, an orchestra of all the very best musicians, all serenading her. She would have happily stayed in that place, in that moment forever. But she was torn away by a crash as pool sticks were tossed recklessly onto the tables. Her entire body jerked in fright and she wondered if she’d dozed off standing up.

Spencer’s hands rubbed her back in slow easy circles as he spoke quietly to his mother. It took her a moment to realize the low rumbling in his chest was harsh, angry sounds, not the soft hum he normally had. It made her focus on the conversation being had around her.

“That’s not your choice to make!” Spencer was saying when the world shrieked back to life around her.

“I’m your mother! It’s my job to take care of you.”

“Sophie isn’t Aimee. It took me a long time to realize that, too, but she’s different. I told you all this already!”

“Please see this from my point of view
, Spencer!” Jackie urged. “You’re only seventeen! You have your entire life ahead of you.”

“So why can’t my life include Sophie? We’re not going to get married tomorrow
.”

“I’m not the bad guy here, Spence. I’m trying to protect you. You just ended a horrible relationship. Are you ready for another one
so soon?”

Every muscle surrounding Sophie went
rigid. “That was two years ago! I’m moving on, Mom. I can’t … I know Dad hurt you, but I can’t go on thinking every relationship I’m going to have is going to be like it was with Aimee. I care about Sophie. I trust her.”

It was strange being talked about like she wasn’t there. Maybe she really had fallen asleep and they assumed she still was.

She shook herself back to reality and dislodged from Spencer. “I should find my parents.”

“I’ll walk you.”

She shook her head. “Talk with your mom. I’ll see you back at the room.” She hurried off before Spencer could stop her.

She wasn’t trying to get away from him, she told herself, but it was hard to think when he was so close, disrupting her concentration. A few minutes of alone time to digest his mother’s words needed to be done with her alone. Were things intense between her and Spencer? Sure. She couldn’t deny that. They’d only just started this dance, even though the fire had been there long before. And they weren’t really any different from any other couple. She was almost sure of it. Wasn’t there always that honeymoon phase where everything
was extra hot and wonderful? She sighed. There was no beating this argument. Their age was against them and the only way to change anyone’s mind was if they just rode it out. Eventually their parents would get used to the idea and hopefully back off.

In the meantime, they had bigger things to worry about, like a homicidal maniac leaving dead animals on doorsteps, breaking windows and setting garages on fire. In her opinion, everyone needed to focus more on that than her relationship with Spencer, as fascinating as it was.

“Sophie!” She turned just as Spencer jogged up to her, platinum wisps fluttering over his brow. “What did she say to you?”

Sophie shook her head. “Let’s not go into that, okay? It was probably the same thing she said to you and the same thing my parents said to me.” She took his hand. “I won’t listen if you don’t.”

A smile crinkled the left corner of his mouth. He brought her knuckles to his lips. “Deal.”

Behind him, the pool
-playing crowd ambled out of the rec. room, stampeding around them like a sweaty herd of cattle. Spencer nudged Sophie out of the way, putting himself between the grunting and grumbling men and her. Sophie watched them shuffle by with a slight interest. The game had clearly not gone well judging from several scowling faces. But it was one face that caught her attention more than the others.

The man was in his thirties, tall and built like a house. His hair was thick and wavy and glinted with a hint of blue amongst the ebony strands. His square face was flushed, with anger or alcohol, it was hard to tell, but it was the three jagged scars running lengthwise on his face that had all the blood in Sophie’s body rushing to her feet.

“Spencer … !” Her nails sunk into the taut muscles of his biceps. “I know who it is!”

There was a whole science behind telling her parents. She hadn’t realized when dragging Spencer upstairs just how much she would have to explain and how much more trouble she would wind up getting into when the truth finally hit the fan. Aside from getting caught in a boy’s bed—twice—and talking back and now sneaking out of the house to go to a party, Sophie was promised eternal grounding right after the police were phoned, statements were taken and names were written down. Sophie did her best to keep Lauren and Jessie’s names out of the mess. She accidently, on purpose, forgot to mention them, hoping that if they were ever mentioned by anyone else as having been at the party, she could claim
ignorance lapse in memory. If not, no point dragging them down with her.

Spencer stayed with her throughout the entire ordeal, holding tight to her hand while she recounted everything that happened that night. His thumb moved gently over her knuckles in a comforting gesture.

Afterwards, she texted Lauren and gave them a heads up. She asked Lauren to alert Roy in case the police showed up at his doorstep with his parents present. Lauren gave a halfhearted reply, which reminded Sophie that she’d been meaning to corner her friend about Roy. She made a mental note to do it as soon as the people responsible for burning her home were caught and she was allowed to go to school again, because that was the first thing her parents said the moment she told them, right after the screaming and shouting. No school until it was all cleared up. Most kids would have loved that, but the pale hotel walls were beginning to feel like a prison cell, not just for her. If her father paced the floor any more, there would forever be a rut in the rug.