Ghosts of Coronado Bay (7 page)

When she saw Blake sitting on her front porch, a wave of guilt washed over Maya. How could she think about hurting him? He already looked like a scared puppy, hiding in the corner, afraid someone might kick him.

“Hi, Blake.” She put extra sunshine into her greeting, and he rewarded her with a smile.

“Hello, Maya. I got here early. I hope that’s all right. I didn’t really have anywhere else to go.”

“No, that’s fine.” Maya rummaged through her pockets until she located her house keys. She found it really didn’t bother her, either. Yet, if Stuart had done something like that while they were dating, she’d have bitched him out, told him how creepy it was.

Is that because Blake is dead and no one could see him there anyhow? Or because he’s a decent guy, and Stuart was kind of a creep?

“Is this a good time to talk? I really need to tell you what’s going on. You could be in--”

“So, this is the guy you dumped me for?”

Crap. Not now. Wondering if thinking about Stuart acted like a spell and called him to her, she turned to face her ex-boyfriend, feeling her face already drawing into a frown.

“What, you’re spying on me now, Stuart? Why don’t you just get a life and stay out of mine?” She walked across the porch and stood at the top step, staring down at him. A cold presence against her back told her Blake was standing close to her.

Stuart Newman’s square face turned red as he approached the stairs. “Don’t tell me what to do. You’ve got some nerve after you lied right to my face about seeing someone else.”

“I never lied to you.” She had to bite down on her lip to keep the rest of her sentence to herself. At least not about the dating part.

“I call bull on that.” He pointed past her. “And there’s the proof, just like Mary Ellen told me.”

“Oh, so now you believe the Wicked Slut of the West instead of me? You’re getting more whacked by the day. Just go home and leave us alone.”

Stuart came up the steps until he was only inches from her. “Oh, I’ll leave you alone. Soon as I teach your little friend here that it ain’t okay to steal someone’s girlfriend.”

Before Maya knew what had happened, Stuart pushed her to the side and charged Blake, his right hand already formed into a fist and swinging.

Blake just stood still, a blank expression on his face, as if resigned to his fate.

Maya watched with sick fascination as Stuart’s fist passed right through Blake and kept going. Thrown off balance by finding only air where he expected solid matter, Stuart’s body followed his hand, falling forward and hitting the railing with his waist. With a surprised grunt, he flipped over the railing, looking very much like the football players he tackled so well for the Coronado Bay Pirates each Saturday.

He landed hard, his head striking one of Emily Blair’s garden statues with a sound like someone dropping a melon on the sidewalk.

To Maya, it seemed as if the world stopped. Nothing moved. The only thing she heard was a buzzing in her ears. Even the air paused, like an invisible animal ready to pounce.

Then, her lungs heaved in a deep breath, and the world turned back on.

“Oh, crap.” She ran down the steps. Stuart lay atop her mother’s azaleas, his head next to a cement mushroom, his eyes closed. She slid her hand under his head. A sizeable lump was already forming, but her hand came back free of blood.

“He’s okay, I think. Just stunned. But I better call a doctor.”

For someone who had no actual blood, Blake looked paler than normal. “Maya, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. Let me help you.”

She shook her head. “It’s not your fault. He’s an asshole. That’s why I dumped him. But it’ll be better if you’re not here when he wakes up. Hopefully he won’t remember what happened.”

“But--”

“I’m sorry, Blake. I know you want to talk. I wanna talk, too. But I have to go call an ambulance, so you’ve gotta get out of here. I promise, we’ll sit down and talk about whatever you want.”

“Tomorrow?”

“No. Tomorrow I’ve got karate class after school and...and then a study group,” she finished, hating the guilt demon squirming inside her, hating herself for lying to him. Why couldn’t she just be like Lucy and cheat without a conscience? “But definitely Tuesday. Tuesday for sure. Now go.” She pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911.

Stuart moaned and moved his head.

“Hurry. He’s waking up.”

When Blake didn’t answer, Maya glanced up and saw he’d already left.

It never occurred to her he might still be close by.

Blake watched from behind the neighbor’s house as the white vehicle with the flashing lights pulled into Maya’s property. He’d recognized the word ambulance when she’d said it, but the screaming vehicle that arrived had nothing in common with the ambulances of his time other than the color. Two men in white uniforms examined the boy Maya called Stuart, placed him on a rolling table, and then slid him into the vehicle. Maya and one of the men, who Blake assumed was a doctor of some kind, got in the back with Stuart and shut the doors. The other doctor drove the vehicle away.

Once Maya was gone, Blake stepped out into the open, knowing he couldn’t be seen by anyone else.

What do I do now? Sooner or later Gavin or his men will find Maya again. And whatever they do to her, it will be bad. Very bad.

He had to find a way to get her to listen to him. But it seemed fate had something else in mind and was taking personal pleasure in throwing obstacles in his way. And, Maya’s personality didn’t help. Unlike the demure, sedentary girls of his time, she never sat still for a moment. She also talked more - much more - than the girls he’d known when alive, making it hard to even start the conversation he needed so badly to finish.

None of that matters. I’ve got to find a way. If anything happens to her, it will be my fault.

Frustration boiled over. He kicked out at a nearby lawn chair, which remained perfectly stable as his foot passed through. “Damn!”

Next to him, sparks burst from an electrical socket on the outside of the house.

Blake’s anger drained away as he stared at the smoking outlet. Did I do that?

He’d previously thought only Gavin could affect the physical world, that it was somehow related to his use of magic when alive. What if it’s something all ghosts can do? Something I could do again?

And if he could do it again, could he learn to control it the way Gavin did?

More importantly, would it be enough to stop Gavin and his plans?

*  *  *

Maya lay in bed, her cell phone cradled against one ear, only half-concentrating on her conversation with Lucy. Her body and head were at war, and it was distracting her to no end. All her body wanted to do was go to sleep, but her brain resisted. It was in hyper drive, unable to slow down after everything that had happened.

“So, what did they say at the hospital?”

“What?” Maya tried to focus on Lucy’s words. It sounded as if she were eating popcorn, which made the whole listening thing doubly difficult. “Oh. He’s fine. No concussion. But he can’t play football for three days.”

Lucy laughed. “I’ll bet that went over real well.”

“Yeah, he’s even more pissed at me now. I’m telling you, he scared the crap out of me. I’ve never seen him so mad.”

“Forget about him. Tell me more about this Gavin guy. He sounds like a drop-dead hottie.”

“He is.” Just thinking about Gavin brought his image into Maya’s head, his dark eyes burning with so much intensity he seemed to be looking right through her and into another dimension.

“So, spill already. What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know. It’s like I’m living in a tornado. I thought my life would be so simple after I dumped Stuart. Now I’ve got two new guys asking me out and a psycho ex-boyfriend stalking me.”

Lucy made a noise that was supposed to be a violin playing sad music, but which came out as a sort of spitting sound. Maya pictured pieces of popcorn hitting the phone. Lucy was many things, but demure would never be one of them. “Oh, poor baby. Boo hoo. So many men she doesn’t know what to do. It’s simple, sweetie. You see both of them. You’re sixteen, you don’t need to be tied to one guy. You’ve been there, done that. Now’s the time to live a little.”

“I’m not like you, Lucy. I can’t bounce between guys.”

“And, you don’t bounce on them, either,” Lucy said, not the least offended by Maya’s comment. “That’s even worse. You need to lighten up, girl. The way I see it, you’ve only got one real problem here.”

“One? I can think of a dozen. Which one are you talking about?”

“Who you gonna ask to the dance, Blake or Gavin?”

Long after she hung up with Lucy, Maya still couldn’t answer that question.

On Monday, Lucy refused to drop the subject of Maya and her romantic problems. Since Maya couldn’t get her relationship issues, or lack of them, out of her head anyhow, Lucy’s one-track mind didn’t get on her nerves as much as it normally might have.

“The worst part is, I can’t get in touch with either of them,” Maya said, as she and Lucy sat down to eat lunch. Monday meant meatloaf with instant mashed potatoes, so they’d both opted for salads.

“Why not?”

“Blake doesn’t have a cell phone, and I...I can’t call him at his house. And I forgot to get Gavin’s number, or give him mine. It’s like I turn into a complete dork around both of them.”

“Practice makes perfect,” Lucy mumbled around a mouthful of salad. After swallowing, she continued. “It’s like learning to drive a car. You’ve got to remember to look in the mirror, use the blinkers, and work the pedals. But pretty soon you’ve got that baby rockin’ and rollin’ like a superstar.”

“Are you talking about cars or sex?”

Lucy raised one eyebrow. “Dude. If I were talking about sex, I’d use better metaphors than blinkers and pedals. Nastier, too. It doesn’t matter anyhow. You don’t have to worry about either one of them. You’ll see them sooner or later, and my guess is sooner.”

Maya frowned. “How do you know that?”

“Because, silly, they both know where you work, and Blake knows where you live. You just better hope they don’t show up at the same time!”

Until then, the possibility hadn’t even occurred to her. But once in her head, it refused to go away.

For the rest of the afternoon, Maya kept her mental fingers crossed.

*  *  *

“Focus, Maya!”

Maya clenched her teeth and nodded at Master Spiegel. As much as she wanted to tell him to stop picking on her, she knew she wasn’t bringing her A-game to the mat, as her father liked to say. The praise Spiegel had given her for successfully defending herself had rapidly devolved into, first, annoyance, and then barely-hidden frustration as she constantly missed her marks and was late blocking strikes from her opponents. The sting of being hit on the face and chest only compounded her aggravation further.

So, it was a relief to both of them when the class ended, and she was able to head to the locker room to change.

“Maya.”

She stopped when Spiegel called her name, too embarrassed with her performance to even turn and look at her instructor.

“It’s obvious something’s on your mind. My suggestion is to go home and do some intense meditation. Clear your head and, then, you’ll be able to think about whatever’s troubling you without your emotions getting in the way.”

Keeping her back to him, she nodded again. “Yes, Master Spiegel.”

Like that’s gonna help. My emotions are what’s troubling me. As in, I’m attracted to two guys, and I have no freakin’ idea what’s the right thing to do.

In the locker room, she changed back into her street clothes, wishing for the millionth time the dojo had showers. She hated putting on clean clothes after sweating like a pig for forty-five minutes. She always made sure to go right home after her class, not even stopping for a soda anywhere. It was tough enough as a girl in a small town to compete with people like Mary Ellen Gordon, who somehow always looked picture-perfect, even after gym class. She had no desire to get spotted walking through town looking - and smelling - like she’d just run a marathon.

So she was relieved when she got home without seeing anyone she knew. Looking forward to a long, cool shower followed by a giant glass of ice tea, Maya was digging through her purse for her keys as she approached the porch, and never noticed the figure standing there until he spoke.

“Hello, Maya.”

Maya’s heart did a fast dance, and she dropped her keys as she looked up.

Gavin! But how did he know where I lived?

Her brain answered even as her mouth managed to stammer out a weak hello.

Hello, brain dead much? All he had to do was look up the address in the phone book.

The idea that he might have followed her never even crossed her mind.

“I hope it’s all right that I waited for you here. No one answered when I knocked.”

“Um, yeah, it’s cool.” Startled and mortified and slightly turned on all at once, Maya bent down and grabbed her keys, her eyes never leaving Gavin. He looked dangerously out of place on her porch, in his black pants, frilly white shirt, thigh-length black coat, and tall black leather boots. With his pale complexion and raven hair, he had an almost Goth look that went enticingly well with his ‘I-don’t-give-a-damn’ attitude. Even from ten feet away, he caused funny feelings in her stomach, what Grandma Crompton always called butterflies.

She wondered how he could look so cool, not a single hair out of place or a drop of sweat on him, dressed in such heavy clothes, while she felt like a potato roasting in the oven, thanks to the overly-warm afternoon.

That reminded her of her own sweaty, sticky body. Oh, God, I probably smell like old gym socks. I wonder if I can get past him fast enough so that I don’t repulse him too much.

Keeping her arms tight against her sides, Maya hugged the railing and post as she edged by Gavin, who just stood there, not moving closer - thank God! - but not giving an inch, either. One corner of his mouth tipped up in a slightly sardonic fashion, as if he were aware of her discomfort and considered it humorous.

Maya unlocked the door and stepped inside, immensely grateful for the cool air conditioning washing over her body and drying the perspiration. “C’mon in,” she said, giving him a wave, and then found he was already inside, his crow eyes flitting back and forth, taking in every detail of the living room.

Although all she wanted to do was run upstairs and get in the shower, Maya forced herself to play the good hostess. “Do you want something to eat or drink? We’ve got ice tea, soda, water, and I know there’s chips and crackers. Maybe cookies, too. My parents are always bringing the leftover desserts home from the diner.”

Gavin turned his eyes to her and shook his head. “You’re all I need right now.”

Maya’s stomach did a double flip and her mouth opened, but no words came out. How did someone respond to that? She knew what Lucy would do - strip off her top and jump into the guy’s arms. But as much as her whole body screamed at her to do just that, her brain shouted no, and kept her frozen in place, watching as Gavin slowly walked through the room, brushing his fingers across different things. When he reached the digital picture frame on the end table, he stopped and stared at it for at least a minute before continuing his erratic circuit of the room, gradually moving back towards her.

Maya managed to find her tongue as Gavin stopped less than a hand’s width away from her. A shiver ran across her body, and she wondered why the air conditioning was set so cold. “Um, I guess if you don’t want anything you can watch TV down here while I go shower, and then we can--”

She stopped when Gavin pressed a chilly finger against her lips - Geez, he’s freezing, too. I gotta turn the AC down - and gave her another of his sexy smiles.

“Hush. This is not the time to talk.” He removed his finger and replaced it with his own lips, pushing them against hers while at the same time gripping her with one strong hand and pulling her close to him.

All thoughts of telling him ‘no’ crumbled to dust, and she gave in to the kiss, wrapping her arms around his waist and eagerly meeting his exploring tongue with hers.

What are you doing? her mind screamed, while another part, the lonely, sad-for-too-long part, shouted back, Shut up! It’s about time we enjoyed ourselves.

All too soon, Gavin broke the kiss and leaned back just far enough so that they could look at each other. “Show me your room. Now.”

Don’t do it! For a moment, Maya hesitated. Bringing Gavin to her room was probably the worst thing she could do. She had a feeling her willpower might not be strong enough to keep her from going all the way if he guided her in that direction. Which he certainly seemed ready to do. And while her body cried out to give in, she didn’t want to make a mistake and lose her virginity to someone who might not be around for very long.

Yet she found herself nodding, taking him by the hand, and leading him up the stairs, her body winning the perpetual struggle against her brain for once.

It’ll be okay, she told herself. I’ll just make sure we don’t go too far. After all, it’s not like you’ve never been with a guy before. Just know your limits, and make him respect them.

She repeated the mantra in her head as they entered her room and she shut the door. However, the moment the lock clicked, Gavin took control and pulled her to the bed, sitting them both down. He leaned into her and kissed her again, harder this time, almost painfully. His fingers dug into her arms, and she hoped there wouldn’t be bruises later. His tongue danced with hers, and she found herself amazed that she’d ever thought Stuart or any of the other boys she’d dated were good kissers. Gavin brought passion and energy to each tiny movement, and she couldn’t help but respond in the same fashion.

He pushed her back against the pillows, while at the same time one of his hands slid from her arm to her chest. She felt her whole body respond in ways that she’d never known before.

Had he continued to take his time, things might have been different. But without warning, he sat up and grabbed the waistband of her shorts, pulling them down to her knees in one swift motion.

That broke the spell.

“Stop it!” Maya clamped her legs together and pulled her knees up, blocking him from reaching for her underwear.

“You don’t want me to stop, Maya,” he said, forcing his hand between her legs.

“Wanna bet?” She kicked out with both feet, knocking him onto the floor.

He got to his knees and placed his hands on the bed, looking like a lion ready to pounce. Maya yanked her shorts up and pushed herself as far from him as she could get, until her back pressed against the headboard. She reached towards her nightstand then cursed her own stupidity for leaving her purse, with her cell phone in it, downstairs.

“I think you need to get the hell out of here,” she said, fear doing an excellent job of dampening her libido.

He smiled, and Maya was surprised to see there was no anger in his expression, only amusement. “I’m sorry, I thought you were ready to experience true pleasure. In the future, I’ll be sure to...control...my advances. I’ll see you again, Maya. Very soon. Perhaps then you’ll be more receptive.”

Gavin stood up, and Maya wrapped her arms around her legs, afraid he might make another attempt. Instead, he opened the door, nodded to her, and walked out of the room.

Even through her anger and worry, Maya’s body betrayed her with a pleasure-filled shiver at the thought of seeing Gavin again, of feeling his lips against hers.

“Great. You’re getting hot and bothered by a psycho. If date rape was all you wanted, you could have stayed with Stuart.” The sound of her voice quelled her anxiety. So a guy tried to go further than she’d wanted. What girl hadn’t experienced that before? At least she had a good story to tell Lucy. Too bad she wouldn’t be home from work for another couple of hours.

That leaves me with nothing but homework.

She got up from the bed and was ready to go downstairs to get something to eat when she realized something was wrong.

I never heard the front door close.

Suddenly her fear rushed back in full force. What if Gavin wasn’t just another horny teenager who let his hormones get the better of him? Sure, he’d eventually stopped his advances. He had, in fact, done nothing worse than what dozens of guys in her class probably tried every Saturday night after a few beers.

But what if it were an act? What if he was waiting for her downstairs right now, planning something a lot worse for her than an unwanted feel? Thoughts of sexual assault, of all the news stories about girls disappearing, swirled through her head, and her legs threatened to buckle. Using the bed for support, she moved across the room to her window. Parting the curtains just enough to peer through, she looked down at her front yard.

Gavin stood in the center of her driveway, staring up at her, as if he’d known all along that his silence would terrify her into looking for him. And although she’d thought herself hidden, he raised one hand in a mocking salute. Maya let the curtain fall back in place, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d gotten to her. She counted to ten before looking once more.

This time the driveway was empty.

“Damn him!” She kicked a shoebox across the room. She didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or laugh.

No, Gavin probably wasn’t a rapist, but he sure was an asshole. He had to know that he’d scared her, and still he’d gone and purposely done something to piss her off. Again. Twice in five minutes. Even Stuart hadn’t managed that.

Wait until Lucy hears about this.

Maya went downstairs, but before grabbing her phone she circled through the house and made sure all the doors and windows were locked. Only then did she relax enough to get a snack and return to her room.

Even so, she found herself unable to concentrate on her homework. Time dragged on in slow motion until it was time to call Lucy.

“Hey, chica, what’s up?”

Just hearing her friend’s voice made Maya feel better. “Um, I was wondering if you could come over for a while. Gavin was here earlier, and he turned out to be a Class-A douche. I need someone to eat junk food with me and tell me I’m not being paranoid.”

“I’ll be there faster than you can say ‘Doritos.’”

“Make it faster.”

Maya hit the ‘end’ button and sighed.

Ten minutes never seemed so long.

*  *  *

Gavin strode into the long exhibit room with a swagger, a self-satisfied smile on his aristocratic face.

Blake immediately knew something was wrong. Anything that pleased Gavin had to mean bad news for someone else. Possibly the whole town.