Heroes of Falledge Book One: Black Hellebore (7 page)

That could never happen again.

Chapter Nine

Julianna didn't call out to him, didn't stop him from leaving. How could he have kissed her?

No. He hadn't kissed
her.
He had kissed Justina.

She felt used, and wounded. The one time Mark had kissed her, she hadn't felt much. But when Nick had...

She brought her fingers to her lips, traced them, reliving the sensation of his lips against hers. It had been so full of life and passion. She had long envied the connection her sister and Nick had, wanted to feel that for herself with someone who loved her as deeply and purely as Nick had Justina.

To have a taste of it was cruel when her love life had been devoid of any true candidates in a long, long time.

Whirling around, she dusted her hands. She would not fall into despair again. She had too much work to do.

Her lips twisted into a scowl. Her solution to everything: run away and bury her nose into her work. Not a glamorous life. Not a happy one either.

Instead of grabbing her keys and purse and heading to the station, she entered her bedroom and opened her closest. Beneath her perfectly hung shirts, behind her lined up shoes, rested a small box. She dug it out and placed it on her bed. With a heavy sigh and closed eyes, she opened it. Everything inside was just as she had last placed it: some pictures on top, Justina's favorite earring -- the match never had been found -- a few letters, and Justina's diary.

Her sister had kept hundreds of diaries, starting since she turned eight. This particular one was her last one.

Julianna lay down on her bed, her legs dangling over the side. She flipped it open to a random entry:

Nick and I skipped school today. Mom and Dad would be so pissed! I can't help I'm not the responsible one. Everything Julianna does is perfect in their eyes. But that's okay, I don't mind. She can have her books, I'll have my fun.

Julianna winced. She had exchanged her books for work. Nothing much had changed otherwise.

What would Justina be doing right this second if she hadn't died? Probably skydiving with Nick.

The idea of her sister squealing with delight, her body wrapped around Nick's as they jumped out of a plane made her stomach churn.

Not wishing to dwell on that, or her curious feelings, she turned the pages.

I can't wait to grow up! I never feel more alive than when I'm doing something fun and reckless with Nick. He's the reason my heart beats. If anything ever happened to him, I would just die. I completely understand why Romeo and Juliet killed themselves. I don't think it's a tragedy. It's romantic. They had no life beyond each other. Why live when the other isn't? But I can't tell anyone this. They just don't understand. If they had love, true love, real love, not that Hollywood crap version of love, then they would get it, too.

Julianna closed the diary. Her stomach twisted into knots. Could Nick have had anything to do with Justina's death? Inadvertently?

*****

With each step Nicholas took, he expected her to call out after him, to demand answers to her questions. After all, it was her job to learn what had happened. She could get in a lot of trouble if it ever came out that she had let him get away when he was the only witness to the lab event, as he was beginning to think of it. It sounded much better than robber-guy-covered-in-goo event.

He hopped onto his bike and groaned. It still needed gas.

No, it didn't.

The tank was full.

He had been about to put his helmet on, but he stopped, frozen. His gaze flew to the front window. Julianna stood within view with a faint smile on her face. She also looked befuddled, as if she didn't know what had come over her. Or him. He had been the one to initiate the kiss. She probably thought he had been kissing Justina. At first, he had been, but then he knew who he was kissing, and he kept on kissing her...

What a fool he was.

With a groan, he started his bike and hightailed it out of there. He had long overstayed his welcome in Falledge. It was well past time he left.

He zoomed along the roads, taking the turns sharper than was smart. The wind whipped at him, billowing his coat behind him like a cape. The needle on the speedometer kept climbing until he abruptly slammed on the brake.

The laboratory.

It was gone.

Not a trace of it remained -- not a brick or beam or anything. It was as if it had never been there.

How in the heck could that have happened?

Only a large patch of dirt remained where the laboratory had sat. Not a blade of grass in sight. Something white caught Nicholas's eye, and he glanced over at the building he had jumped to. A white figure lurked nearby. At least he thought he saw someone or something, but when he blinked, it vanished.

Too many weird things were going on lately. Too many questions. Zero answers. Even though he figured she already knew about the lab, and that she had no answers either, Nicholas turned around and headed back into Falledge. He was beginning to hate this town even more, a feat he never would have thought possible.

By now, the sun was beginning to set. Already Falledge was like a ghost town. Most of the shops closed, and no one strolled on the sidewalks. It was quiet. Eerily quiet.

A scream pierced the silence. Nicholas jerked his bike to a halt again. He was ruining the brakes, but he didn't care. He closed his eyes so he could concentrate on his hearing.

Another scream.

There, down the alley.

He jumped off his bike and headed toward the distressed female. The scent of something foul filled his nose -- moldy milk, three-day-old meat, dirty diapers. He passed the closed dumpster and reached the next street in time to see a guy break the strap of Ginny's purse and run away.

Damn robber. Couldn't have picked a sweeter old lady to steal from. Seriously -- who in this town didn't know Ginny?

Rage filled him, and he tore after the guy. He was at his side a moment later. The robber glanced over, and his expression changed from one of elation to shock, then anger.

The thief continued to run. Nicholas grabbed his shirt and yanked him backward. The guy shrieked, his head whipping forward as he flew back.

"Drop it," Nicholas growled.

"E-easy, man, I was just--"

"I said, drop it."

The guy dropped the purse onto the ground. Some of the contents spilled out.

"Pick them up."

The robber shook his head, some arrogance creeping back into his features. "I ain't gonna--"

"Unless you want me to beat you into a bloody pulp..." His right hand fisted around the guy's shirt, Nicholas lifted him several inches above the ground.

His face blanched. "F-fine, whatever you say."

Nicholas released his hold. The robber dropped like a stone and landed on his back. He shoved most of the stuff back in, then stumbled away so fast he crawled at first before managing to get to his feet.

Nicholas wanted to chase the guy down and beat him up, or at the very least turn him over to Julianna, but a blinding white light stole his attention away. When he blinked and regained his sight, the guy was gone.

Ginny approached and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Nick."

Nicholas patted her frail fingers before bending down and handing her the purse. "I'm sorry that bastard--"

"Don't worry about it." Despite her brave words, her voice cracked, and Nicholas knew there was no way he could leave town tonight.

"I know how you can repay me." He held out his arm.

She hesitated before wrapping hers around it so she could hold her ruined purse with both hands. "How?"

They started to walk at a slow pace. She leaned heavily against him, her feet shuffling, and it pained him to realize the thief had managed to steal something after all -- Ginny's peace of mind.

"A place to crash for the night."

"And a meal too, I reckon?"

He grinned. That sounded more like the Ginny he knew and loved. "Of course. Something meaty. And a salad, too."

She cocked her head. "Didn't take you for liking rabbit food."

Nicholas wasn't entirely sure why he had insisted on salad. He preferred meat and potatoes. Of course, he wasn't a picky eater and often had to make do with little or less than desirable food options. When the choice was something barely edible versus going hungry, he'd eat just about anything.

He guided them back to his bike, and he walked both it and her back to her house. They entered her small home.

"Go on upstairs and get yourself one of Sean's shirts. You need a shirt. And then you rest." She nodded to the couch. "I'll start dinner."

He found a black shirt. It fit better than most of his clothes. Although he wasn't the least bit tired, Nicholas returned downstairs and sprawled out on the couch. More than anything, he wanted to see Justina, but his guilt over kissing Julianna prevented him from dreaming.

Chapter Ten

The scent of food woke him. From the twilight coming through the front window, he realized he hadn't slept long. A large spread of meat and vegetables, and a salad, graced the table, one plate already filled with food. The other place held a piece of paper:
Nick, eat up. I'll be back soon. –Ginny

Yeah, okay, like he was going to let her walk anywhere by herself after what had just happened. Shaking his head at her brazenness, he hurried out the front door. Taking a deep breath, he could almost swear he smelled her lilac scent to the east. With hardly any effort, he found himself running past houses and buildings, and Ginny, too. He had to back up a few blocks to be by her side.

She blinked at him and laughed. "My hero."

Nicholas bowed, staring at the broken cement longer than necessary to ensure his features did not reveal his fright. He wasn't sure what was happening to him, why he was so unbelievably fast, why his senses seemed heightened. When he was certain he was in control, he straightened and smiled. "Just doing my job. Where are we off to?"

"While you were sleeping, I called the police to report the crime. It's just as well that you're here because we'll both have to file a report."

He gulped. Wonderful. That meant Julianna.

He fell into step beside her. Had to consciously slow down his strides so he could walk with her.

"Why do you look like your pet died? Don't you like Julianna?"

The woman was too shrew for her own good. "Don't meddle," he growled.

"I told you to eat first. I take it you didn't. All men are cranky when they're hungry." She tsked.

"And all women are interfering, troublesome gossips who have nothing better to do than--"

"Watch it, young man, or I'll turn you out on the street." They stopped for traffic, and she stared at him. "You kept saying her name as you slept."

"Justina," he murmured.

"No. Julianna."

Nicholas coughed in a vain attempt to loosen the sudden tightness in his chest.

"Fine. If you don't want to talk about it, we won't." They walked in silence for a few more blocks until she added, "I'm glad you found me. I was ready to turn around and come back home to wake you."

Ginny was a proud woman. For her to admit this said volumes, but if she thought her sharing would get him to as well, she wasn't as smart as she liked to think. He nodded in response but said nothing.

A minute later, they climbed the steps to the small station. He held the door open for her.

Julianna was the only one there. She jumped up from her desk and quickly ushered Ginny into a back room, not bothering to spare a glance his way. Which suited Nicholas just fine.

He sat down in her chair since it looked slightly more comfortable than the ones provided for guests. Closing his eyes, he willed himself to sleep, to see Justina.

There she was, tapping her foot, her arms crossed, her eyes glowing. "Well?"

"Well what?" Nick laughed. She often expected him to know exactly what she was thinking. Most of the time he did, but all day today, she had been a little off. Laughing too loudly. Staring at him, then looking away. Acting sillier than normal. Today, he couldn't figure her out.

She stuck out her lower lip. She was beautiful when pouting. They had been friends for a year now, and Nick wanted them to be more than that so badly, but he wasn't willing to risk their friendship. She had to be a part of his life, even if it wasn't in the role he most wanted her to be in.

"I... I thought... maybe..."

She was at a loss for words. Justina. The girl who could talk all day and never get a dry throat or run out of words. She could talk endlessly about anything. No one knew this better than Nick. Okay, maybe Julianna did, but they lived together, so she didn't count.

"Just spill it," he said.

Justina stared at her shoes.

Heels. He couldn't believe it. She was actually wearing heels. He never saw her wear heels before. Always her ratty pair of sneakers. "Heels were for girls who wanted to pretend they were women," she always said. "I don't want to grow up. I just want to be me."

What the heck was going on?

Maybe... just maybe... Maybe Ginny was right and he should just come out and ask her.

But if she said no, it would humiliate him. If it destroyed their friendship, he'd never forgive himself.

His hands sweated, and he rubbed them on his jeans. Before he could debate whether or not this was a good idea, he blurted, "Will you go to the dance with me?"

Too terrified to look at her, he stared at her heels, which jumped off the floor one, two, three times. "Yes!" she squealed, and threw herself into his arms.

"Oof," he breathed. He wrapped his arms around her and whirled her in a circle. She threw back her head and giggled.

When he opened his eyes, he still heard her giggles in his ears. Only it was Julianna. She walked toward him, Ginny beside her. When Julianna's gaze fell on him, her laughter died, and her lips pinched.