The Lie (The Skyy Huntington Series) (4 page)

“Hey girl! You busy tonight? I am thinking about coming down to see you, bored as hell here in the city.” Cate still lived back in Boston, which was only a short drive away. We hadn’t seen each other in about two months, and I was happy to hear her voice.

“Actually, Christian and I are in a cab heading to a new pub in downtown Salem right now, you should come on down. I can give you the address.”

“Sure, just text it to me, and I will head over there. Probably take me about thirty minutes or so.”

“Alright, see you soon, can’t wait!” I hung up the phone. Cate and I were always very close growing up, she was like a sister to me, though we were both the same age. She was as close as it got to a best girlfriend for me. I didn’t have many close friends besides her and Christian, just many acquaintances and a lot of bitter taste in my mouth from people who had done me wrong in the past.

An hour later we were inside the pub with a couple of tables pulled together for all of us. It was small enough to be quaint, yet big enough to not feel claustrophobic. There were two side rooms that had enough space for dancing, with booths lining the walls and dim lighting with a candle placed on each table. Cate and John had hit it off very well much to my amazement, and were deep in conversation. While Christian claimed he was a “good guy” I was hoping he wasn’t the “ladies man” I had him pegged for. If he tried anything funny with Cate I’d be really pissed.

Some music finally kicked on in one of the side rooms. Cate smiled and jumped around in her seat, “Oh! Oh, oh! I love this song!” I knew she was about to ask me to go dance with her, it was obvious that she was already tipsy off her one pint of beer. But before she got the words out of her mouth, John stood up.

“Let's go dance?” he asked her shyly. I had never seen him act so gentlemanly before. Cate nodded eagerly and followed John onto the dance floor which was slowly filling up with patrons from the pub. They actually looked kind of cute together, she was small and petite with light blonde hair, pretty blue eyes, and pale skin. She always reminded me of a little pixie when we were growing up together.

I’d gotten all dressed up to go out, and decided I was going to make the best of it. I tapped Christian on the shoulder, “You want anything from the bar? I am going to get a shot.”

“I can go grab it, what do you want? Jager?” he asked as he stood up.

I shook my head, “No no, I’ve got it, sit down,” I said in return.

“Ok then, I’ll take whatever you’re having, grab another pitcher while you’re up there too,” he said as he handed me some money. I nodded and stood up, making my way past the people up to the bar. The bartender looked at me for a moment, turned around to reach for something, and then handed it to me.

“A gentleman asked me to give this to you, specifically. Said it was private and important.” My hands were shaking as I took the envelope he was holding out over the bar. Trying not to look too shaken up, I thanked him, and placed my order. I stuck the envelope into my small handbag as I carried the shots and pitcher of beer back to the tables.

Placing them down, I quickly told Christian, “I’ve got to go to the ladies room, don’t do your shot until I get back!” and I darted back into the crowd towards the restroom. Once inside a stall, I ripped the top of the envelope open. The familiar calligraphy wrote:
You look so beautiful tonight. I wish I could ask you for a dance.

My knees felt weak. It was here, watching me again. It was probably watching me right now for all I knew. I reread it in my mind ‘You look so beautiful tonight. I wish I could ask you for a dance.’ it had to be a male. Whatever it was must be a male. What I saw that night from my car as it placed me in there looked to be a male entity. The bathroom door opened and a trio of loud, drunk girls barreled in. Slipping the letter into my handbag again, I opened the stall door, rushing out of the bathroom back into the sea of people at the pub. Wondering if he was there, watching my every move.

Christian was smiling as I approached the table, and stood up to greet me again. “You ready to down these?” he asked as he handed me my shot, which I had totally forgotten about. Putting on a fake smile, I took the shot from his hand.

“Ready, steady, go!” I called out downing my shot. I was getting too old for this.

Forty-five minutes and three shots later I was on the dance floor beside Cate and John, dancing with Christian. The letter in my handbag was a foggy memory at this point. We stayed at the pub until closing, and after that we headed to a twenty-four hour diner for some food. It was great to see Cate again, and she seemed very interested in John. We hugged goodbye, with plans to see each other next weekend in Boston, as Christian and I hopped into the cab for the ride home.

I was feeling good. Glad that I had bought the new boots and skirt, and glad that I went out two nights in a row. “I can’t believe John and Cate got along so well,” Christian commented.

“You’re not the only one. Ugh, I know he is your friend but Cate is a good girl…”

“I know, I’ve known her as long as I have known you Skyy. And I have known John since I was a little boy. He talks the big talk, but he just wants someone to love and take care of deep down inside. He isn’t a bad guy, I promise. I wouldn’t see Cate walk into that, you know that,” he replied sincerely.

“I had a good time though, it’s been too long since Cate and I saw each other. I’m going to Boston next weekend to see her.” The cabbie took a sharp turn which sent me flying over to Christian’s side of the car.

He placed his arm around me protectively. And kept it there. “That’s good, you two should see each other more often. I know she loves you, I just think it’s hard for her to come by your grandpa’s house.” He had a point. Cate didn’t take his death too well, she was very upset for a while and had been on anti-depressants since then. Realizing his arm was still around my shoulder, I didn’t mind. Having his arm around me felt good, and safe.

“I know, we were both close to him. Some days it’s hard for me to even come to terms that he is gone. But being in the cottage, and visiting his grave helps me, it makes me feel like he is still here with me somehow.” Sighing, I put my head on Christian’s chest. He ran his fingers softly on the top of my hair. I closed my eyes for what seemed to be a brief moment and next thing I knew we were pulling up at my house.

I didn’t know if I wanted Christian to stay another night or take that cab back home. I knew I had been spending way too much time alone lately, and having his company wasn’t a bad thing. I wondered if my pen pal was watching us as we walked up to the front door. I could worry about that tomorrow, and I’d be going back to that pub to talk to the bartender who he had given the note to as well. For tonight, I decided I would just enjoy Christian’s company.

It seemed like déjà vu about fifteen minutes later, as I was in my bathroom swaying while washing my face. It wasn’t very often that I went out anymore, and even rarer that I drank. These last two nights were kicking my butt. I dried my face off and walked into my dimly lit bedroom. Before I could sit on the edge of my bed and put some socks on my freezing feet, Christian took me by my waist again and spun me around.

“I’m good now, just gonna sit down on the bed, I’m not going to fall,” I assured him. He was staring at me again, intensely, like he was this morning at breakfast. My heart started beating a little faster as he ran his hand softly up my arm to touch my face. I tried my best to focus, to change the subject, to think of anything but how great he looked and felt right now.

“Feel free to grab a blanket out of the closet before you head downstairs, it’s pretty chilly in here tonight and…” I was cut off suddenly and most unexpectedly. Christian, my super shy, never make a first move Christian, was kissing me. His lips were so soft and perfect, and I lost myself in the moment, kissing him back passionately. A moment or two passed before I pushed him away, shaking my head.

“Please, Christian, please don’t do this, I don’t want to ruin us,” I pleaded. His big hands were cupping my face softly. I heard him sigh.

“Skyy, I’ve been waiting since ninth grade to get the balls to do that. I don’t want to ruin us; I want to make us better. I want there to be an 'us'. I care about you more than anything in the world,” he whispered.

“Christian, I don’t want to lose you. If we don’t work out, things would never be the same again. I’ve had a crush on you since the first day I met you, I never thought you felt the same until college, and by then we were just too close.” I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, damn.

“Skyy, how could we not work out?! We’re perfect for each other, you know we are!” he exclaimed. He bent down to kiss me again, and I gave in to him again. He shifted me back slowly onto my bed, and I didn’t fight him. I laid back while he continued to kiss me deeper and deeper. He might have been right about us, but I wasn’t willing to give it all up in one night while we had both been drinking.

I gently pushed him off me and sat up. “Christian, I’m not saying I haven’t wanted this. I have…for so long. But just give me some time, let's see how it goes ok? And hooking up while we’re both drunk isn’t the best idea either of us have ever had.” He nodded and sat up as well.

“Alright, anything you want, however you want it to be I’ll accept it.”

Reaching over, I gave him a hug. As we just sat in silence hugging, I thought about how crazy the last week of my life had been. Just like that it had changed. I had a supernatural pen pal, and I had just made out with the guy of my dreams. I needed to sleep this one off I decided.

“If you want to sleep in here tonight you can, I wouldn’t mind. No funny business though, ok?” I said to Christian. I saw his smile light up even in the dim light coming from my butterfly lights on my headboard.

“Sure, let me go grab my pillow from downstairs.”

We fell asleep together, my head resting on his chest. I woke up the next morning in the same position, and could hear his heart beating softly as he slept. My neck was really sore too. I’d have to take a hot shower to loosen up. My moving woke him up I guess, and as I was getting out of bed he reached over and touched my back. “I always wanted to wake up in the morning next to you,” he said, smiling at me. My stomach got some butterflies as he said it. I decided it was better to go take a hot shower and calm down rather than get back into bed with him. I wasn’t sure how I felt about last night yet, and didn’t want to encourage anything else until I got my head on straight.

Christian took a shower while I cooked us up some breakfast, more eggs and bacon. He sat down at the table, and I could tell he was not sure how to approach me. I decided to take the “nothing ever happened” tactic, and acted like normal, making casual conversation as we ate.

“I was thinking maybe we could go to a movie today?” he asked me. I sighed in my head, and obviously out loud too, after I saw the look on Christian’s face.

“Sorry, I’m just really tired and need to get some things done around the house today. Maybe another time?”

“I can help you out here if you like?” he offered. Great.

“Nah it’s ok, but thanks though. I think I just want to make an early night of it tonight. I have some laundry and cleaning that needs to get done, nothing I can’t handle on my own.” I looked over at Christian’s disappointed face, and he absently played with what was left of his breakfast on his plate with his fork.

“Things are going to be weird now, aren’t they?” he asked quietly.

“No, no I promise, no. I just need some space Christian, I need to clear my head.” Things were already weird, I thought to myself. This was exactly what I didn’t want.

He got up from the kitchen table and took his plate to the sink and rinsed it off. “Ok, I get the hint. I’ll take off, and get out of your hair.” He didn’t look back at me as he went over to the couch to put his shoes on. “I’m gonna walk down to the gas station, get some coffee, and call a cab from there. Give me a shout later if you want.” He walked over to me, and kissed my forehead before he started for the front door.

I started to open my mouth to offer him a ride home, but he was out the door so fast I didn’t even have time. Wonderful. I was so worried about things being weird between us, but I was the one who had made them weird. There was no reason why I shouldn’t be with Christian. He obviously cared about me, and I knew he would treat me like a princess. What was I so scared of?

I didn’t mope around too long. Putting some laundry in to wash, I then made my way upstairs to my computer. I had two letters from my pen pal, and wanted to write out a reply. I had so many questions, I didn’t know where to start. First I started by looking up the address of the pub we went to last night. I planned on asking that bartender some questions. Once I had the address written down, I grabbed a piece of stationary and my pen.

While I must say that you pique my interest, it is a little bit scary to think that you might always be watching me. What are you? Are you human? A ghost, poltergeist, incubus? Should I be afraid of you? You seem to know a lot about me, and I know nothing about you.

If you’re going to continue to follow me or watch over me, at least tell me what I can expect. I have not spoken a word of this to anyone, and I don’t plan to.

What happened to those men in the cemetery that night? I saw two of them walking along the road some time after, but what happened to the third man that you assaulted?

I know this is probably more questions than you’re willing to answer but you can’t blame me for trying. I’ll be waiting anxiously for your reply.

Skyy

I folded the letter up, grabbed an envelope and sealed it up. I walked downstairs and put it outside in its usual pick up spot. It was only 4 p.m., and I still had laundry to finish before heading down to the pub to speak to the bartender.

Three hours later I was on my way to downtown Salem. The note was still on the front porch untouched. I wondered if this thing could only come out at night or in the dark. Maybe it was a vampire. That would make sense, if you followed all the hype and fiction based on vampires. I drove around the block a few times looking for a place to parallel park to no avail, so I parked in the lot and walked across the street to the newly opened pub.