Pure Illusion (32 page)

Did
he wear that for Tyler?

Hunter
kisses Candy on the cheek and the two of them make their way to a table. I
suppress the compelling urge to fly to him if I could.

“Hey,
you’re Isabel, right?”

I’m
startled when a young girl in a peach-colored gown and a glittering headband
that tames lots and lots of dark curls, flops down in the chair beside me.

“Umm, yeah.”

“Oh,
right…I’m sorry. You probably have no idea who I am, or what you saved me from.
I’m Apple Baker. You saved from my sleazy ex back at Rex’s birthday party.
Derrick told me everything. I just wanted to say thank you.”

“You’re
welcome, Apple.” I smile at her, my eyes thoroughly moving over her face. Her
last name is Baker. Is she Sally’s little sister? Apple looks nothing like
Sally or her parents. “Are you Sally’s sister?”

She
nods energetically, her beautiful curls bouncing all over the place. “Yeah, but
I’m adopted from Brazil. Mama said the Lord gave her a calling and she knew she
should adopt since she can’t physically have any more kids. I have two more
little brothers. Let’s see…There’s Johnny, who’s ten and Christen, who’s four.
Mom and Dad adopted Johnny from Egypt. They adopted Christen from India. We
have our own little United Nations.” She beams at me.

“That’s
really cool, Apple. I bet
it’s
fun to have such a big
family.”

She
nods again. “Yeah, but Sally blows me off like any other big sister would. The
boys aren’t much fun because, well, they’re boys. Mama overwhelms herself with
planning events and Daddy…Daddy is the most tranquil one. We do yoga early in
the mornings and drink green tea and shots of wheatgrass together. That stuff
in so gross, though.” She leans in and lowers her animated voice to a whisper.
“I get the bubble-guts every time. Daddy says it’s suppose to clean you right out.”

I
toss my head back and I’m helpless from the loud giggling erupting from me.
Apple playfully slaps my arm, possibly offended. I laugh so hard my stomach
muscles cramp. “I’m sorry, Apple, but you are just so silly in the funniest
way.” I wipe the tears from my eyes and relieved that she appears amused, too.
“I’m glad to see you like this, Apple. Back at the party you didn’t look so
good.”

She
sighs, fluffing out her gown with her white-gloved fingers. “It’s hard for me
to fit in, Isabel,” Apple whispers like a soft confession. “All I want is to
belong. The kids at school…they can be cruel. Everything has gotten worse. The
nerds bully the band geeks now. I just thought maybe the drunken slash
whoreish
clique was mine.”

“Apple,”
I place my hand over hers, “the best part of being special is that you don’t
have to fit in. Just be you. I’m sure everyone will come flocking then. How old
are you anyway?”

“Sixteen.”

“Much too young to care about what other
people think.
I want you to look at like this: as long as you’re true and honest to yourself,
it’s none of your business what other people think of you.”

She
grips my hand. “You’re awesome.”

“You’re
better,” I smile.

“Tyler
was lucky. I wish you were my older sister.”

A
sharp pain stabs me in the heart. “You’d be a great little sister. Sally is
very lucky, too.”

She
flicks a fat tear from her thick lashes. “Can I have your number…just in case I
need to talk to someone?”

I
nod and we exchange numbers. Derrick appears from the crowd, placing a
protective hand on the back of Apple’s chair. His tux is black but his tie is
peach-colored like Apple’s dress. “Apple, what have you gotten yourself into
now?”

She
tips her head up, fondly smiling at him.
“Nothing,
Grumpy-frumpy.
I was just thanking Isabel. She’s super cool.” Apple’s
eyes shift to mine. “Derrick agreed to take me to the ball because I was
persistent. I didn’t stop asking him. But he won’t kiss me because he says I’m
just a
baby
. He’s only eighteen, though. But I’m hoping when I turn
eighteen, Derrick will still want to kiss me…and
want
me. I’m saving
myself for him.”

Derricks
eyes widen, his white teeth sinks into his full bottom lip. He’s either
stifling a smile or laughter, maybe both. He clamps a hand over Apple’s mouth,
urging her up. He gives my sympathized look. “This one never stops talking. I’m
glad to see you airborne, Isabel.” Without another word they trail off to the
dance floor.

Last
time I saw Derrick he said I needed to get my broken wings fixed.

Am
I fixed now?

Max
finally arrives with a platter of fruit and a glass of wine. “Sorry. I got held
up.”

“No,
it’s fine.”

He
glances at Derrick and Apple. “Making friends with the youth I see.”

I
nod, sipping on the rich liquid. Max tosses a few grapes in his mouth. I note
he doesn’t have a glass of anything. “You’re not drinking?”

“Not
while driving.”

“Are
you always this…good?”

He
cocks his head to the side, expression curious. “It depends on what your
definition of
good
is.”

“I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean it like that…You just seem to do the right thing all the
time.”

His
violet eyes twinkle with amusement. “Is that such a bad thing?”

Conflicted
about how to respond, I take big gulps of the red stuff, hoping to get at least
tipsy. I don’t want to be responsible of what spews out of my mouth anymore.
“You’re so beautiful, Max-pie.”

A
huge grin takes over his handsome face. “Flatter me when all else fails.” He
gives me a critical once-over that makes my heartbeat stutter in my chest. “I
like it.”

I
take more sips of wine. Max’s gaze zeros in on my left hand and he frowns.
“What’s wrong?”

He
motions to my hand. I hold my palm out to him but he flips it over and traces a
purplish stripe around my wrist. “How’d you get that bruise?”

I
try to yank my hand free but Max’s grasp grows tighter. He looks at me
expectedly. I can never lie to him. “Hunter and I were just fooling around.
It’s nothing.”

He
holds my gaze as he lifts my wrist to his mouth and kisses the discoloration. I
gasp, attempting to pull away. Max gives my wrist a soft squeeze. “It’s
everything, Isabel. I don’t understand why you let him hurt you. I just want
you to open yourself up and learn how to receive new things. Love doesn’t need
to hurt all the time. When you know better, you do better. Allow yourself that
pleasure.”

He
releases my wrist right before I yank it from him. Fury is suddenly spreading
through my veins, causing me to be edgy and pissed off. “What are you saying,
Max? That I don’t know any better? That I’m ridiculously silly? I’m not. What
you said was-was senseless. You’re acting foolish. That’s just plain stupid,
you’re being very juvenile. Immaturity doesn’t look good on you.”

Max
simply shrugs, tossing grapes in his mouth like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
He leans in close to seductively whisper in my ear, “Why are you so angry at me
right now. If I let you have your way with me and jack me off under the table
will that calm your temper? I think it worked before.” I know he’s teasing or
maybe even trying to insult me, but his coarse words have an entirely different
effect on me.

I
grip his thigh and whimper, “Max.”

“Just
because things aren’t going as you planned you can’t abuse me. I’m not going to
be your punching bag. You’re in the wrong here. I think you should apologize.”

I
swallow loudly. It’s apparently clear that Max is not going to let me walk all
over him. I guess being a good guy doesn’t translate into being a weak man.
“God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Max.
Hey, Isabel,” Rex greets.

Max
and I immediately straighten our pose. Rex and Taylor sit at our table in the
chairs across from us. Taylor wears a stunning vibrant silver gown that matches
Rex’s tie. Her usually wild hair is straight as corn silk and she has a huge
floral hologram hairpin with all the hues of the rainbow that beautifully tucks
her silky hair up on the left side.

Did
she wear that to symbolize Tyler?

 Rex’s
curly hair is in its natural state. Though he is Max’s brother, they oddly
don’t look very much alike. There’s a deep contrast between the two. Max’s hair
is jet-black. Rex’s hair is a lighter ash brown. Max’s eyes are
lavender-colored. Rex has brilliant blue eyes. Max’s facial features are
sharper and more intense.

Rex
reminds me of someone…

“Hey, Rex.
Taylor, you
look beautiful,” I whisper.

She
gives me a tight closed-mouth smile. “Thank you.”

“I
thought you weren’t coming tonight,” Max grumbles.

Rex
leans back into his seat and shrugs nonchalantly. “I changed my mind. Besides,
Taylor really wanted to come.”

Max’s
face contorts with anger. “But we made a deal.”

Rex
eyes his brother. “The deal is off.”

Max’s
gaze narrows into tiny slits. “Does Dad know?”

“Fuck
Dad,” Rex scoffs.

I
watch as Max’s jaw tick.
What are they arguing you about?

“So, Isabel.
How’s your night
going?” Taylor asks, cutting right through the tension.

“Okay,
I guess. I’m just ready for the entire thing to be over with, honestly.”

She
nods, aimlessly glancing around. “I think everyone needs a green frog. My
grandpa believes they bring luck.” She pauses and flips her left wrist over. A
tiny green frog is tattooed on the edge of her skin there. “This little guy
always brings me luck all the time. What do you think of
green
frogs
,
Isabel?”

What?

Green frogs?

Then
it hits me like a brick to the face: Taylor is GreenFrog.

“I
have to use the restroom. Do you think you could come with me, Isabel?”

Unable
to reply, I nod and follow Taylor. She leads me out of the banquet room and
through a maze of tight corners and hallways until we reach a big wooden door
labeled with a golden plate in the center that reads
STORAGE ROOM
—
EMPLOYEES ONLY.

She
takes some kind of cardkey from her silver rainbow clutch and swipes it in
front of the scanner. The door immediately unlocks and she pushes on the latch.
She opens the door and pauses to look at a bewildered me. “Well, are you
coming?”

I
inhale deeply, following Taylor into the dark room. She closes the door and it
locks automatically. She yanks a chain, a single bulb dangling above flickers
to life. Boxes with equipment poking out sit atop shelves and housekeeping
supplies surround us. “What’s going on? How did you get that key?”

“My
grandpa works here. It’s his name badge; since his profession is housekeeping it
unlocks all the doors. Isabel, I need you to focus on what I’m saying. I am
Green Frog. I have some very important information. Your mom…your mom is my
aunt. She has a sister, Lily Stewart. Lily Stewart is my mother—“

Every
wisp of oxygen leaves my lungs. “
What
? Where is she? Why didn’t you tell
me?”

“I
couldn’t just come out and tell you—” she lowers her voice “—people are
watching. They’re watching all the time.”

“Where
is she? Can I talk to her?”

“You
can’t.”

My
brows furrow. “What?
Why not?”

“She’s
missing, Isabel.”

“
What?!
”

“It’s
a long story, but I’m going to find her. I’m really close to finding her.” She
digs in her glittery clutch. “Here, I have a picture of her, though.” She hands
me a laminated photo, but it’s a photo that I’ve already seen: a picture of my
mom happily sitting on Caleb’s lap.

“I
don’t understand. This is my mom.”

“No,
that’s my mom—your mom’s twin sister.”

The
room violently spins and my legs give way. Before I collapse, Taylor catches
me.
“Oh my God, Isabel.
Are you okay? You look sick.”

I
shut my eyes, my heartbeat is thundering in my throat.

I
have an aunt, who is my mother’s twin sister.

I
have a little sister, who is also Tyler’s twin sister.

She
lowers me to the cool tile floor. “Stay here. I’m going to get help.” The door
unlocks and she’s gone.

Taylor
returns with Hunter. I close my eyes after one glance at him. Their voices
sound so far away. I can’t distinguish them clearly.

“…she
left two letters. I don’t think Isabel is strong enough to read them.”

“Give
them to me. I’ll give them to her when she’s ready.”

There’s
brief ruffling sound. “Rex told me that Max has the tape. What are you going to
do?”