Into the Fire (5 page)

“That’s fine.” Am I supposed to tip her? Dad didn’t even mention he was hiring anyone. Not that I’m surprised. We’ve always had help. “Um, are you finished for the day or do you have more to do?”

“I still have some cleaning to do, if that’s okay with you. I don’t want to get in your way now that you’re home.”

Impossible. I have nothing to do. “No problem. I’m just going to change and relax for a bit.”

She nods. “I’ll get back to work, then.”

“Oh, wait. Have you seen the phone?”

She points to the end table. How did I miss that?

I dial Dad’s cell. “Hey, do you know if my dad hired a cook, too? I’m starving.”

She shakes her head and walks out of the room.

“Simon Schmidt,” Dad answers, clearly not recognizing the number on his caller ID, which is exactly why I’m using the house phone instead of my cell. My cell, he’d ignore.

“I want to spend the summer in New York. I can stay with Anton or even Aunt Becky.” No sense wasting time on a greeting.

“Logan, we just got here. You can’t go running back to New York already.”

“I can’t survive in a town like this.”

“It’s only noon.”

“That’s my point! I don’t fit in here.”

“Logan, I don’t have time for this. I have a lot to do to get the office ready to open next week. I hired a cleaning lady so you didn’t have to unpack. You should be thankful for that. As for the rest, you’ll figure it out.”

“But, Dad—”

“I’ve got to go. See if the cleaning lady is willing to cook, too. Tell her I’ll pay her double.” He hangs up without even letting me finish.

I slam the phone down on the coffee table and sink into the couch. Squeezing my hair in my fists, I yell so loud the dog next door starts barking a high-pitched yap. Yeah, that’s going to be so much fun to listen to every day.

“Everything okay?” Linette asks.

I let go of my hair and stare at her. “Yeah, I scream when I’m happy.” Idiot. Where did Dad find her?

“I was only trying to see if there was something I could do to help.”

Damn it! “Wait.” I sigh. “Look, I’m starving. It’s making me edgy.”

“I guess I could make you something. Do you have any food in the fridge?”

“Not exactly.” Dad didn’t think to buy food before he left me stranded here. “But speaking of food, my dad wanted me to ask if you’d cook for us, too. He said he’d pay you double.”

She nods. “Okay. Give me thirty minutes. I’ll run to the grocery store and be right back. Do you have money on you, or should I leave the bill for your father?”

I always have money on me, but why should I pay for this? “Leave the bill for my dad. I’m sure he’ll throw in gas money, too.” Her eyes light up at that.

After she leaves, I have no idea what to do. I go to my room and find all my stuff unpacked. My clothes are hung. My bed is made. I’m too amped up to nap. I could go back to the café, but Linette’s coming home with food for me. I go in the bathroom and run my hand under cold water. The burn isn’t bad. No blistering. I flop down on my bed and dial Anton.

“Twice in one day. Things must really suck there.”

“Man, you have no idea.”

“What happened? You get shot down already?”

Does what Cara did qualify as being shot down? “I met this girl at the waterfalls.”

“Tiny bikini?”

“Is there any other kind?” We laugh, and it feels good. Almost like I’m back home and Anton is only a few blocks away.

“So…details.”

“She’s got this crazy blond hair. Long with red streaks.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get to the good stuff.”

“Nice body. Not as many curves as I’m used to, but she’s in great shape. She’s a swimmer, I guess.”

“And how did she diss you?”

“Who said she did?” Is it that obvious?

“You’re on the phone with me instead of hanging with her.”

Good point. “She wouldn’t go swimming with me.”

“What did you do to scare her off?”

“Nothing. We talked. She was fine. Then I stripped down to my boxers to go for a swim—”

Anton busts out laughing. “Bro, you scared her off with your half-naked body!”

“Screw you. That’s not what happened.” Was it? I stand up and look in the mirror, raising my shirt to check out my abs.

“Admiring your reflection?” Anton knows me too well.

“I don’t get it. I’m in great shape.”

“Country girls. They’re just not the same as city girls. You probably freaked her out.”

“Everyone here knows everyone else. It’s like I walked into an old TV sitcom or something.” I look down at my hand again. “Hey, she burned me.”

“Yeah, I know. Left you stranded in nothing but your boxers.” He laughs again.

“No, I mean she actually burned me.”

“What did she do, pull a lighter on you or something?”

“She touched me. She dropped her phone, and I tried to pick it up for her.”

“Because you’re such a gentleman?”

“Shut up. Anyway, our hands touched and all of a sudden my palm got really hot. Kind of like I was touching a hot burner on the stove.”

“So, she’s so hot she burns you with her touch?” Anton laughs. “Man, the country air is messing with you. Too much oxygen to your brain or something.”

“Maybe.” Could I have imagined it? I study my hand. No blisters, but my palm is definitely red.

“I think you have a thing for this girl.”

“For Cara?”

“You even remember her name. You’ve got it bad.”

Do I? “She’s hot. I’ll give her that. But she’s a small-town girl.”

“Yeah, and whether you like it or not, you’re a small-town guy now. Later.” Anton hangs up.

I toss the phone on the bed. Small-town guy? No. Not me. Not ever.

Cara

This is bad, really bad. I burned him. My God, what if he tells people? What if the rumors start? We’ll have to move again. Our lives in Ashlan Falls will be over. This is the first place I’ve felt safe in a long time. We have others like us here: Monique, Mr. Baker, Linette, even Officer Monroe—Garret. Being in the same town as Garret is like extra protection from Hunters. He knows what to look for, and he carries a gun. I may have just ruined all of that for us.

I speed home, knowing I have to tell Mom. She’s going to be pissed, but this is too huge to keep to myself. As soon as I’m in the driveway, I cut the engine and run for the front door. I’m greeted by Mom’s angry stare.

Her cell is to her ear. “Never mind. I’m coming in now.” She hangs up, her eyes burning into mine. “Where have you been?”

“I’m sorry I was gone for so long. I needed to clear my head.”

“Monique called half an hour ago and said you’d left the café and were on your way home.”

I should’ve known Monique would call Mom. “I went to meet Rachel when school got out. We had plans. I couldn’t just cancel. I told her I had to take care of Jeremy.”

“You could’ve texted her.”

“You know Rachel. She would’ve tried to stop by.”

“I had to call out of work this morning to watch Jeremy.”

“Watch him? You said he was fine.”

“He is. He’s doing really well, but someone has to teach him what he needs to know about his former life. He’s working off of virtually no memories. You can’t expect him to do this on his own.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know he’d need someone to stay with him.” I put my car keys on the counter and sit down at the center island.

“Well, now you can help him so I can get to work. He’s asleep now, but he’ll probably wake up soon.” She sighs, and her voice softens. “As hard as it is for us to watch him go through this, it’s ten times harder on him.” She waits for me to nod before she grabs her purse off the counter and rushes out the door.

Jeremy’s asleep. That’s good. I have to work up the courage to face him again. I get up and start making a turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich, Jeremy’s favorite. He’ll probably be hungry when he wakes up. As if on cue, the basement door opens and Jeremy steps into the kitchen.

“Hey,” I say, placing a sandwich on the island. “Thought you might be hungry.”

“Thanks.” He sits down as I put the cold cuts away.

“How’s your sandwich?”

“Better now.” I look back to see the Swiss cheese is on the plate.

“You don’t like the cheese?”

He shrugs. “Not really.” He brings the sandwich to his mouth again but stops. “Why? Is that wrong?”

“Um, Swiss cheese is sort of your favorite. Or it was.” His face falls. “But it’s no big deal. People’s tastes change all the time.” He opens his sandwich and places the cheese back on top of the turkey. “Jeremy, you don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do. I have to do everything the way I used to. If I don’t—”

“Do you remember about Hunters?” That must be why he’s worried.

“Yeah. I think it’s sort of a survival thing. That stuff just carries over.” He bites the sandwich, cringing at the taste. “Why Swiss? It’s so strong.”

I smile, remembering seven-year-old Jeremy. “You liked it because of the holes. You wore it on your fingers. Mom told you cheese was food, not a toy, so you pretended you liked it. After a while, you weren’t pretending anymore.” A tear falls from my eye, and I quickly wipe it away, not wanting Jeremy to see.

“What other weird things did I do as a kid?” He takes another bite.

“You weren’t all that weird. More sweet. You’ve always been such a great brother. That’s why we have the same friends—because you and I aren’t just siblings. We’re friends.” I need him to know that.

Jeremy closes his eyes and wrinkles his forehead. “Rachel and Nick—they’re our friends. And then there’s the tall blond guy.”

“Ro—”

“Don’t tell me!” Jeremy opens his eyes and slams his sandwich on the plate. “I know this. I’ve been studying that damn memory book all morning. Rob, he plays basketball.”

“Yeah.” I try not to back away or show how scared I am of this change, this anger. “Look, Jer, you can’t expect yourself to learn everything in one morning.”

“The longer this takes me, the longer I have to play recluse. I’m already going crazy sitting in this house. Mom is being so helpful I want to scream. If she tells me one more time how ‘beautifully’ I’m doing, I’m going to flip.”

“That’s just Mom trying to help. She can be overbearing, but she means well. I think she’s so used to healing people at the hospital that she doesn’t know how to handle situations where her Phoenix powers don’t help.”

“Can you talk to her, please? Get her to back off?”

“I’ll try, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. You’re her baby, and you’re the first one she’s had to help through this.”

He looks at me and squints. His hand reaches for mine, barely resting on top of it, like a feather. He’s trying to feel. “I’m sorry if this is hard on you because I went first.”

I shake my head. “Don’t sweat it. I knew it was going to happen. Male Phoenixes are reborn at sixteen. I can’t change that. It’s silly to even think about it.” But I am. I’m the big sister.
I’m
supposed to go through the life-changing events first and then help him through them. This is all backwards.

He takes his hand back and we stare at each other, neither knowing what to say. I need air. I need to take a walk and get some distance. “You think you’ll be okay if I—?” How do I politely ask to get away from him?

“Go. I’ll be fine. I have studying to do anyway.”

I feel awful, but I can only handle Jeremy in small doses right now. If I fall apart in front of him, it will only frustrate him more. “Thanks. I won’t be long.” I grab my car keys and head out. I don’t even have the door closed when Nick walks up the front steps.

“Hey.” He smiles at me.

Crap. He can’t be here. “What’s up? I was just on my way out.” I try to shut the door, but he peeks around me.

“Jeremy home? We were supposed to check out that new underground band on YouTube. He said they’re awesome, but I had trouble finding the link. He was going to download some of their stuff for me.”

“He’s still sick. He’ll have to show you another time.”

“I know he’s got mono, but he was supposed to burn a disc for me. Do you know if he got around to it? I figured he might get bored spending all that time in bed, you know? I would.”

“He didn’t mention it. He’s been sleeping a lot lately.”

“Did you forget something?” Jeremy walks into the living room.

“No. I’m going. Sorry to make you get up.” I hope Jeremy will take the hint and walk away.

“Hey, man.” Nick waves. “You don’t look that bad at all. Feeling better?”

I put my hand on Nick’s chest to stop him from going inside. “It comes and goes. Sometimes he’s too weak to get out of bed and other times he looks perfectly normal. He’s highly contagious though, so you better not come inside.” I look back over my shoulder. “Get back in bed, Jer. You don’t want to collapse on the kitchen floor because you’re overdoing it.”

“Right.” He nods and points toward his room. Man, he’s a sucky actor. I shut the door behind me.

“If he’s so sick, why are you leaving?” Nick asks.

Great question. “I have to go pick up his prescription.”

“A prescription for mono? I thought you stayed in bed until it passed.”

“His fever’s been really high. He has a very severe case, so his doctor prescribed a steroid.” Thank God Mom’s a nurse and I know all this off the top of my head.

“I can pick it up if you want…since I don’t have anything else to do now.”

“I don’t want to bore you with a trip to the drugstore. Besides, I already called it in. It will take me five minutes, tops. Just run in, pay, and run out.” I’m babbling like an idiot.

“I really don’t mind.”

“That’s sweet, but to be honest, I need the break. He’s been a little delirious from the fever, and it’s like talking to a wall sometimes. He doesn’t comprehend most of what I say.”

“Sounds serious. I’m not sure you should leave him alone. Why don’t I stay with him while you get the prescription?”

How the hell am I supposed to get out of this? Nick is too nice. He wants to help and clearly isn’t going to take no for an answer. “He’s contagious. I can’t let you go in there.”

“I’ve already had mono. It’s not one of those things you get more than once in your life.”