The Grace In Darkness (13 page)

However, when our week was up, I seemed to be stuck with
Makayla, and that was just fine with me. She said she didn
’
t know what it was about me, but I wasn
’
t like the rest of the yuppie rich kids around here. I didn
’
t tell her at the time it was because I wasn
’
t, and now I didn
’
t need to.

“
So if I could read your file, what would it tell me?
”

I realized that I didn
’
t know much about Makayla
’
s background. She never talked about her family or if she had a big one. I didn
’
t even know how she ended up at Madison Academy. She was my age, so she was also considered a student here too.

“
If I told you, I
’
d have to kill you, and I don
’
t want to go through that again.
”

“
Is it bad that you don
’
t even say things that scare me anymore?
”

“
Hey, Mak. Araya.
”

There was his warm voice again, and it seemed low and intimate when he said my name. I blushed and stared down into my plate, feeling
Mak
’
s eyes on me. I wanted to dissolve into the floor right about then.

“
Got you something, Araya,
”
Pierce said, placing something on my tray. I could smell the gooey sweetness and almost licked my lips. Then I frowned.

“
How did you get this? There was no more up there when Mak and I went through the line.
”

“
I have my ways. Plus, I know it
’
s your favorite. Enjoy.
”

He walked away before I could say anything and I knew I had a lot of explaining to do. My chair was yanked roughly in
Mak
’
s direction, and I nearly fell out of it.

“
A little warning for the blind girl next time, please.
”

“
Quit it and spill it, Araya Noelle!
”
I groaned.
“
Stop stalling. What. The. Hell. Was. That? Pierce Montgomery was just flirting with you!
”

“
He wasn
’
t flirting. You know Pierce. He
’
s always nice.
”

“
Oh my God! Something happened between the two of you! I can see it all over your face. Did he kiss you?
”

“
Shh!
”
I hissed.
“
No, he didn
’
t kiss me!
”

“
What happened? Why are you torturing your best friend? I can
’
t believe I wasn
’
t the first to know-
”
She stopped suddenly, and it gave me a chance to slow my dizziness.
“
You told
her,
didn
’
t you?
”

“
Who?
”

“
You know who! The wench!
”
I could hear the narrowing in her voice.

The
wench
she referred to was Dr. Rise. Makayla didn
’
t know why, but she swore Dr. Rise wasn
’
t a nice person. Actually, she put it a lot differently than that. It was a feeling she had and she said she could always trust her gut.

“
No, I didn
’
t tell Dr. Rise. There
’
s nothing to tell.
”

“
Yes, there is. If you don
’
t tell me, I
’
ll ask him myself.
”

Her hands moved to the edge of the table and I heard her chair skid against the floor.
Makayla wasn
’
t one to bluff. I grabbed at her wrist.

“
Okay! It was the other night after rehearsal. He walked me outside and he asked me out.
”

“
Are you serious right now?
”

“
What?
”

“
You can go on and on in full-blown details on how dancing makes you feel, but
this
you
’
re vague on?
”

“
I don
’
t know what you want me to say! That
’
s all that happened.
”

“
What did he say? What did
you
say? I
’
m dying here!
”

“
Okay, but you have to swear you won
’
t freak out. AND...
”
I said, raising my voice as I heard her start to protest,
“
and you won
’
t interrupt me until I
’
m finished.
”

“
Fine,
”
she grumbled and her head dropped against the desk in a full-on pout.

I could feel my face heating up.
“
He said... he said he wanted to take me out even if that meant having you there too. I told him I wasn
’
t ready to date yet.
”
She let out a loud dramatic whimper but didn
’
t add to it.
“
He made me promise when I
was
ready, he would be the first to know, and then he walked me back to our room.
”

She waited a few seconds before she mumbled into the table.
“
Are you finished? Can I talk now?
”

“
If you must.
”

“
Are you crazy?
”
she asked, popping up from the table.
“
Pierce is a great guy! What
’
s stopping you? Ryland?
”

“
No. Yes. I love him, Mak. I only left him because I didn
’
t want to ruin his life. I would have if I stayed. I just wish I knew if he still feels the same way about me.
”

“
Would it change anything if he did? Would you leave Madison to be with him?
”

“
I... I don
’
t know.
”

“
If I tell you something, do you promise not to get mad at me?
”

My curiosity was piqued.
“
Okay, I promise. What?
”

“
He was here… Ryland.
”

I frowned.
“
What do you mean he was here? When? How?
”

“
It was a few months after you started. He was in the hall, looking for you. I found him. Mind you, I didn
’
t know who he was at the time, but I brought him to you. You were dancing and he looked... he looked like a guy still in love with you.
”

I was shocked. Stunned. I didn
’
t know what to say as my mind spun. Ryland had been
here?
Looking for me? Why hadn
’
t he said anything? Why hadn
’
t he tried to talk to me? If he was still in love with me like Makayla said, why had he left me here?

“
I didn
’
t know... I wish I had known.
”

“
I
’
m just saying maybe you shouldn
’
t be so quick to assume it
’
s over between the two of you.
”

“
But he didn
’
t try to talk to me... Why?
”

“
Maybe you should ask him.
”

She was right. Maybe I should.

“
H
ave we talked about the possibility of regaining your sight, Araya?
”
Dr. Peterson asked, shining his little flashlight from one eye to the other. I pulled back. His sudden question held my complete attention.

“
What?
”

The light was gone with a click and his clothes rustled as he walked away from me. My air went with him. I waited for him to respond, but he was busy flipping through papers. I wanted to scream at him, but I didn
’
t want to give him a heart attack before he had a chance to tell me.

“
It says here in your chart that your last physician talked to you and your aunt about the full extent of your condition, but I don
’
t think we
’
ve discussed it yet.

Nina.
Somehow I managed to be surprised. What else had she kept from me?

“
No, we haven
’
t. Is that a possibility? Regaining my sight?

“
I can
’
t guarantee you
’
ll ever regain your sight one hundred percent, but the tests we ran on you your first week here show some slight improvement since the accident. It is a possibility your vision could become a little clearer. You may even start to see some color. I don
’
t want you to get your hopes up, though.
”
He was quick to cover his tracks.
“
The progress was minimal and probably not even noticeable to you.
”

I swallowed hard.
“
The accident... was so long ago. I was so overwhelmed by everything that happened. Could you remind me of what my condition is exactly?
”

“
Of course.
”
He cleared his throat.
“
In your case, where the infection obstructed your eyes, they weren
’
t able to do anything on their end. However, eyes are very resilient, and they had high hopes that yours would repair themselves in the long run. It looks like they might have been right. But like I said, there is no way to know how much repair your eyes will achieve.
”

“
So there is a possibility I could see again?
”

“
I don
’
t want you to get your hopes up, Araya.
”

“
But that
’
s what you
’
re telling me, right?
”

“
Yes. That
’
s what I am telling you.
”

“
J
ack and Coke,
”
I told the bartender, leaning against the counter and waiting.

“
Right away, Mr. Dare,
”
he said and started fixing my drink.

I frowned and he laughed.
“
Don
’
t look so surprised. We
’
re required to know the big guys
’
names,
”
he said, finishing off my drink and passing it to me.

I nodded and brought it to my lips.
“
I
’
m not one of the big guys.
”

“
If you say so, Mr.
Dare
. Enjoy.
”

He was already helping the person next to me and I picked up my drink, moving farther into the banquet room. I hadn
’
t been here five minutes and I was already bored out of my damn mind. I took another drink and thanked God there was alcohol here. If that bartender thought he knew me now, we
’
d be real close by the end of the night.

I found an empty table and placed my drink on it. I stretched my neck, using my fingers to loosen my collar. I couldn
’
t remember the last time I had to wear a tuxedo, but this one felt like a damn noose around my neck.

I surveyed the room. It looked like Christmas had thrown up. Red and green everything smothered the decor. Christmas trees were expensively decorated in every corner with one huge one as the main focus. Enough twinkling lights to give someone a seizure were strung up all around.

Everyone here was one of J.D.
’
s stuffy, boring business acquaintances. I had no interest in spending the rest of my night with these people, and I planned on ducking out as soon as I could.

“
You sure are looking sexy in that tux, Ryland Dare,
”
a cool voice purred behind me.

Fuck me.

I turned to find Roxy McCain behind me. I hadn
’
t seen her since Coraline threw that ridiculous party to pimp me out. It was also the first time I
’
d asked Araya out. I hadn
’
t cared to see Roxy again and nothing had changed since then.

“
You bad boy, you never called me.
”
She pouted, walking past me while brushing up against me at the same time.

“
I didn
’
t have your number.
”
I took another drink, paying zero attention to her.

“
You could have gotten it from your mother.
”

“
Well, now that would have been putting in more effort than I was willing to.
”

“
That
’
s not very nice, Ryland.
”
I felt her finger trailing down the front of my chest.

I looked down at her hot-pink fingernail and then at her.

“
I
’
m not very nice.
”

“
I like that you
’
re not nice. It
’
s no fun when it
’
s easy.
”

I took another drink and averted my attention. She wasn
’
t getting the hint. The ice clattered together as I finished off the drink. Apparently I was going to be visiting the bar again
real
soon.

“
Your drink is empty,
”
she said, glancing down at my glass.

She took a step closer, trapping her hand between our bodies. It didn
’
t deter her movements like I thought it was going to. It just shielded them from prying eyes. I made a startled sound and my body jerked in surprise as her hand brushed against the front of my pants once and then twice. She mistook my reaction for one of interest and she pushed herself closer against me.

I grabbed her wrist from between our bodies and pulled it up roughly. Her eyes grew wide with stunned shock and then narrowed angrily.

“
What the hell is wrong with you?
”
she hissed.
“
I
’
ve done everything but gotten on my knees and begged.
”

“
It was only a matter of time.
”

She did a complete three-sixty, her lips parted, and she made her breath soft and panty.

“
I
’
ll get on my knees if that
’
s what you really want.
”
She lifted up on her tiptoes and her lips moved toward mine, but I turned my head before she could touch me.

“
I
’
m not interested, Roxy. I like my women less... desperate.
”

“
Ugh!
”
she growled, pulling her wrist free and pushing against my chest. I didn
’
t budge, but she took a step back.
“
You didn
’
t seem to mind desperation on
her
!
”

I glared at her.
“
Watch it, Roxy. I
’
m not in the mood.
”

“
Boohoo, Ryland. Is the truth too hard to handle? She was desperate and pathetic! Everyone could see it.
”
She smirked.
“
Well, everyone but her.
”

I took a step toward her and a flash of fear paled her skin. My fingers nearly strangled the expensive crystal in my hand, threatening to crush it. I was raised to never hit a woman and I wasn
’
t about to change that for someone like Roxy. She wasn
’
t worth it.

“
That
’
s real rich coming from someone who just offered to get down on her knees for some affection. Invest in a therapist, Roxy.
”
I set down my empty drink and moved to walk around her.
“
And maybe some self-esteem.
”

“
You
’
re an asshole, Ryland Dare.
”

“
I never claimed to be anything else.
”
I walked away from her as she stood there muttering something under her breath

I found my way back to the bar, and the bartender placed another Jack and Coke in front of me before I could order. I had a feeling we were going to be best friends by the end of the night. I thanked him, took a sip, and turned to go find a better hiding place.

Fuck me... again.

“
Take it easy, Ryland. I need you to
not
be a drunken idiot by the end of the night.
”
Then J.D. told the bartender,
“
Scotch. Dry.
”

“
Right away, Mr. Dare.
”

This night was just getting better and better.

“
I don
’
t need a babysitter,
”
I snapped and took another drink.

“
Your actions continue to prove otherwise.
”

“
As always, it
’
s been a real pleasure conversing with you,
Father.”

“
Where do you think you
’
re going?
”

“
Anywhere but here.
”

“
Wrong.
”

I turned toward him and he snatched his drink from the bartender without so much as a thank you.

“
What do you mean wrong? I
’
m here, aren
’
t I? I
’
m not going to follow you around like an obedient dog.
”

“
You
’
ll do whatever I damn well tell you to do!
”
J.D. spat.

Before I could tell him he could go to hell, Coraline joined us with another couple.

“
There you two are!
”

She caught the looks on both J.D.
’
s and my face and laughed nervously.

“
We
’
ve been looking for you. Ryland, honey, this is Mr. and Mrs. Mark Vincent. This is my son, Ryland.
”

“
It
’
s nice to meet you, Ryland,
”
Mark said, shaking my hand.

“
You too, sir. This is quite the event,
”
I said, lifting my glass in the air.

“
Yes, it is, isn
’
t it? We
’
re very proud of this organization and everything it represents. We
’
re especially proud of this year
’
s beneficiary. It
’
s a great learning program.
”

I just nodded. I had absolutely no idea what the hell he was talking about.

“
We also have a big surprise for all of our guests. Unfortunately, our live musician got stuck in some traffic so we
’
re going to resort to the AV equipment.
”

“
Oh, no!
”
Coraline said, looking at me. I didn
’
t like the gleam in her eyes.
“
Isn
’
t that a coincidence? I was just telling Julie what an amazing piano player you are, Ryland,
”
she said, trying to fill the silence.

“
Yes. Your mother has been gushing over your many accomplishments, Ryland,
”
Julie said.
“
It sounds like she
’
s your biggest fan.
”

I was in the process of taking a drink and I nearly choked on the smooth liquor. Coraline glared and me.

“
Oh my. Are you okay?
”
Julie asked.

“
I
’
m sorry. I just thought I heard bu—
”

“
I
’
m sure if it was all right with you, Mark, Ryland would be happy to play tonight during the presentation,
”
J.D. offered.

I turned to glare at J.D. now.
“
I don
’
t think they want me to.
”

“
Nonsense! We
’
d be delighted,
”
Mark said.

“
All right,
”
I said.

“
Great! It
’
s settled, then. I
’
ll meet you at the back of the stage in about twenty minutes.
”

“
Great,
”
I told him, lifting my drink in a salute.

“
If you ladies don
’
t mind, I have some business to discuss with J.D.
”

Mark kissed his adoring wife on her temple and she smiled and patted his arm. He stood there waiting for J.D. to follow him. Coraline touched J.D.
’
s arm and lifted her smiling face toward him, waiting for him to show the same kind of affection. He finished off his drink and then handed her his glass before walking around her without another word.