Legacy of Secrets 01-Cursed Secrets (8 page)

“I assure you I am far from perfect. No saint here for sure. What do you say I get you home, hmm? You seem tired,” her shoulders slumped ever so slightly and I choked back an invitation for her to stay.

“Sure. Can I keep the tee shirt for now, though?”

“Just keep it. I have plenty of shirts. Come on, let’s go.”

Lia

I clutched the book as he helped me into the Jeep. The day had been a success for the most part. There weren’t any other episodes and he didn’t push the issue. I was relaxed around him and that was also dangerous. He was always a gentleman, but that made me want him even more. I tried telling myself it was a good thing, but I couldn’t help how attracted I was to him.

“So, what happened to your parents? I can’t imagine how anyone could blame you for it,” he glanced over.

“They were murdered. I heard someone or something come into the house. I tried waking up my father, but he was such a heavy sleeper. I ran into the closet and hid, figuring someone was robbing the house. I heard heavy breathing and scratching and my mother started screaming. She was begging it to stop and kept saying how sorry she was. I was freaking out and hid my face in the clothes so it wouldn’t hear me. Finally my mother stopped screaming and a few minutes later the closet door opened.

“I saw a huge dog or wolf and I was absolutely terrified. I didn’t know what happened, but I knew
that thing
killed them. I could smell the blood and was so scared I couldn't help the screams that escaped. I kept my eyes on it and watched as it backed away like it was confused. I stopped screaming and closed my eyes, hoping if it did kill me it wouldn’t hurt.

“I had to cover my ears when the thrashing noises started. It was like bones breaking and flesh tearing. It was so loud I started screaming again. I was afraid someone else had come into the house and the monster was killing it. It got really quiet, almost too quiet, and I opened my eyes hoping it went away.

“I saw a person standing in the doorway. It was a man. I’d never seen him before. I was so freaked I couldn’t think straight and I had no idea where the thing had gone. The man reached his hand out to me and said ‘It’s okay Lia. I’m not going to hurt you. We can leave now, just the two of us’ and I started screaming again. I startled him and watched as he turned into that thing before running out of the room. I lay in the closet, afraid that he or it would be waiting for me and cried for what felt like forever.

“The cops ended up coming to the house. They found me lying in there crying hysterically about the thing that killed them. They all thought I was in shock and making things up, but when my story didn’t change after almost six months they decided to have me committed to the mental institution. They said I was suffering from delusions as a result to the trauma and ‘probable guilt’ of my parents’ murders. They had no other suspects and their argument was that I was the only one in the house. The only flaw with their case was that I didn’t have a drop of blood on me and they had no way to prove I was anywhere near their bodies. A year or so later my grandparents decided they were fed up with everything and got me out of the loony bin, whisking me across the country,” I stared out the window and waited for his reaction.

“Wow.”

“I bet you think I’m crazy now. I was in the mental hospital you know,” I said wincing.

“No. I believe you. I don’t think you are capable of hurting people you love and I also believe there are things that exist that no one can explain. Sometimes people have a hard time admitting it, especially if they’ve never encountered anything weird. Is that when episodes started?”

“I’m not sure honestly, but I first realized it at the hospital. People would try talking to me or guards would try to take advantage of me and weird things would happen. Eventually they put me into my own room with a recreation area to keep me away from other patients. They kept me drugged most of the time and guards stopped coming to my room. They would slide my food through a slot in the door and my medication would be administered through IV when I was sleeping. I hated that place,” I hugged myself, remembering the faces of the awful people there and shuddered.

Christian gripped the steering wheel tightly. He remained silent, chewing on his thoughts. I glanced at him a few times and felt ashamed. I was sure he would drop me off and speed away, never to look back. A few tears escaped and I tried to be conspicuous at wiping them away.

“I know it was difficult for you to tell me. I wish I could take it all away and make you forget all of those horrible things. I hate how much pain you’ve been through. Promise me that if you ever find yourself in a position where you feel trapped you’ll figure out a way to contact me. I’ll do whatever I can so you won’t have to go through anything like that ever again,” he said roughly. Had the car not been moving I would have contemplated running. The look on his face terrified me.

“Okay. I’m sorry if I made you angry. I didn’t mean to…”

“It wasn’t you, Lia. Knowing that other people tried to take advantage of you makes my blood boil. I assumed that thing with Dallas was actually saving you from it and now I realize there were countless others that never crossed my mind,” he softened a bit as we came to a stop at my house. He ran his fingers over his buzzed hair and blew out a long sigh.

“Sometimes bad things happen, Christian. We can’t always control them. I couldn’t be saved back then, but you have saved me now. It wasn’t just from Dallas either. I actually feel really happy for the first time in a while. It sounds weird after only knowing you for a few days, but it’s true,” I rested my hand on his arm. He smiled tightly and nodded before slipping from his seat to help me out.

“I feel happy to. Thank you for being stronger than I am. I hate to think about anyone hurting you. I know that I’ve only known you for a few days and I can understand if
that
sounds weird,” he said slipping me easily from the seat. I smiled and inched up on my tiptoes, kissing him lightly. His grip tightened for a moment as we leaned against the car.

His kisses were more frantic than I expected and he leaned into me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt like I couldn’t get him close enough. All I could feel was the electricity of his touch and his lips as they played sparks onto my own.
Talk about fireworks!
He pulled back abruptly and stared at me. I was breathless and slightly overwhelmed, but I wanted more. I started to kiss him again but he inched away.

“I’m so sorry, Christian. God I feel like a fool. I shouldn’t have done that,” I grabbed my things and sprinted into the house. I couldn’t see his face. He said he wanted to be my friend and I ruined it. I felt horrible. I avoided Nana and Pops, going straight to my room and cried myself to sleep.

Christian

I was stunned. It was an amazing kiss. Somehow there were sparks between us that did wonderful things to me, but I was conflicted. I didn’t know whether I should still try to figure her out or let it go and see what happened between us. Part of me was afraid if I went back to Pennsylvania I would slaughter the guards who hurt her, but I knew better. It was a nice thought and I smiled
thinking of how I could do it.

Remembering how she reacted after the kiss, I sighed. She thought I was offended. I had to make up for that. I didn’t exactly know how, but if I avoided her she would think I was upset and I didn’t want her to feel that way.

I parked the Jeep at home and set out to hunt. Thoughts of her lips on mine flooded through my mind. Her body was so warm. She held me so close I felt her heart beating with anticipation. She wanted me, but she was trying to hide it. Most of the day she kept her distance, although her emotions dictated something else. Did she think she’d chase me away if I knew how she felt? She didn’t know I felt it; everything she’d been so desperate to hide. There was no chance of me going anywhere, but she refused to believe it.

I happened across some campers and waited patiently until I could get one alone. The kiss replayed in my head, enticing me, but I couldn’t go. I needed a plan before I gave in. She made me feel human again. Isn’t that what I wanted?

A woman wandered off to gather wood and I silently followed behind her. I grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth, and let my fangs pierce her neck. She pressed herself tighter to me as the venom aroused her. I grabbed her breast to release her tension and maybe some of mine as well.

She moaned softly and I felt her body convulse with pleasure. I compelled her to forget our encounter and pointed her back toward camp. She stumbled up the trail and into the tent where her lover was waiting. They began making love and my body shuddered with desire.

I wanted Lia badly. I forced myself to go home. We had biology together and if I was lucky I could convince her I wasn’t angry. That was my chance. I tossed and turned anxiously in bed waiting for the alarm to sound.

Lia

I woke up sweating. My throat was raspy from screaming and my body shook violently. My reprieve from the dream was over. I exhaled a few times to calm down and got out of bed to shower. I tried not to think about Christian. I was sure he wouldn’t want to talk to me anymore. I sobbed in the shower, mourning the loss of the happiness I felt with him. Time to retreat to the shadows again.

I was a zombie on my way to school. I’d gone through everything on auto pilot and fought the desire to run screaming as the only class I had with him neared. I spent too much time in the bathroom and ended up being late. I cursed as I raced through the halls to biology.

“Lia, thank you so much for joining us,” Mr. Applegate peered over his glasses. I flushed and scuffled past him to my usual seat on the far side of the room.

“Sorry, sir,” I mumbled. Biology was by far my worst subject and most of the time I kept my nose buried in my text to avoid answering questions I would undoubtedly get wrong.

“Today we’re doing a lab that requires everyone’s utmost attention. We’ll be dissecting frogs. I will split you off into pairs and you’ll proceed to the tables for your assignment. You will need to figure out which one of you will be dissecting and which one will be recording the data,” an audible groan rumbled throughout the class and I sank lower in my chair.

Mr. Applegate proceeded down his list of names finally coming to mine, “Lia, you and Christian are at table ten,” perfect.

Christian looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. He acted like he wasn’t fazed by the kiss, but I knew better. Looking at his lips was making it hard not to do it again. I sighed and gathered my things.

I can do this. Just act like nothing happened. Nothing other than a lab, then back to my seat. Piece of cake.
Right. The pricks of anticipation fluttered through my stomach, swallowing hard I pushed it away.

“Well, guess we better get going. You don’t want to piss him off more than you already have, hmm?” he flashed a half smile that made my pulse quicken.

“Right,” I said shyly. I did my best to avoid his gaze as we proceeded to the table where I readied my notebook. He gave me a weird look.

“What if I wanted to be the one to take notes?” he asked. Not knowing what to say, I rose and waited for him to step aside. When my chest grazed his arm, I realized just how close we were.

The sudden wave of electricity spread over me and I gripped the table. My whole body felt super charged. From the smirk on his face, I knew he knew. Instantly my mind flooded with intense images of Christian and I wrapped in each other’s arms; passion so deep and animalistic, rolling like thunder from my body as we circled around and around on a bed of deep crimson.

I stepped away and blinked furiously. The surprise on my face must have given him a glimpse into my mind. I turned bright red and he exhaled slowly when my gaze finally met his. His breath was sweet on my tongue. I wanted nothing more than to taste his lips again. To feel his breath on my neck, down my breasts and further south into places less travelled. I swallowed harshly.

“Well then, I guess I will do the dissecting. You look…unsteady,” he reached around me, pressing his body into mine. Suddenly I was glad we were at the worst table in the room. If I chose to pursue what was on my mind, no one would pay attention. For once I was glad they didn’t really see me. To me, no one else was there except for Christian.

“My reflexes are better then they seem,” I answered breathlessly. He chuckled and shook his head before pulling away.

“While that may be, I’m not the one who looks like I’m about to pass out, now do I?” he smiled again. I bit my lip, trying to hold back my desires.

“Hmm, I suppose,” I sank slowly into my seat, forcing my eyes from his face. I was embarrassed, but he didn’t seem to notice. I started biting my nails.

“That really is a terrible habit, especially since you have such pretty hands. Speaking of which are you actually going to fill out that lab sheet or am I working alone today?” he teased. My stomach fluttered and rainbows tainted my vision, holding my sanity dangerously on the edge.

“Sorry,” I mumbled. I remained silent as we worked. Daydreams of crept into my mind periodically, bringing new waves of emotion. I sighed and scribbled furiously watching Christian in my peripheral.

“I didn’t think this was a silent lab. I’ve barely gutted this little guy and you’re almost done. How is that fair?” I smiled crookedly and waved him to continue to let him catch up.