Twisted Minds (13 page)

“So, what about you? What made you pick the major you’re doing?”

From conversations I’d had with Finn, I knew Kira was going to study Anthropology and Classical Civilization at New York City, ultimately bringing her closer to her brother—and me.

Kira’s eyes turned bright as she spoke, as though I had brought up a topic she loved to talk about. “I think human behavior is fascinating, especially when you look at it over the course of centuries.”

“You’re a history buff,” I stated, recalling the thick history book she’d been reading on her bed.

“Yes,” she agreed with a nod. “I was trying to find a course that covered all the things I was interested in, and Anthropology and Classical Civilization covered human behavior as well as history and culture.”

“Do you have any other plans once you’re in the city, besides college?”

“I’m not really sure.” Kira shrugged, a thoughtful frown coloring her face. “I kind of just want to explore the city as much as possible. Visit museums and art galleries. Learn about the culture of the city. I’m pretty sure I’ll feel extremely lost at first.”

“Well, if you ever need a friend, I’ll come find you.”

Even though I was being sincere, I wasn’t sure what had prompted me to say those words. Kira seemed just as surprised as I felt, and we both studied each other as the candelabra cast dancing light across the table.

I was starting to think that Neil dude was purposely interrupting our conversation, because he popped up right then holding another bottle of wine.

“Here is the wine to accompany your second course, another Great Lakes classic, a cabernet sauvignon called
Shadows
. You will find
Shadows
is rich and full bodied, with distinct flavors of cherry, oak, and vanilla. It is the perfect accompaniment to your second course of a smoked onion and gruyere cheese tart.”

Once again, a server appeared and placed a small plate in front of each of us. Unable to resist the smells of smoked onion and cheese, we both dug into the tart. The remainder of our conversation was light, mainly drifting between NYU and the city, as we ate and indulged in some incredible wine.

The night continued well. An acoustic set performed in between our second and third courses. The food was delicious, each meal paired well with its chosen wine. We had a third course of filet mignon with Blaufrankisch, and by the end of our fourth course, which was a white chocolate and raspberry mousse tart with a chocolate crust, we were feeling pretty tipsy.

As we finished up our glasses of Riesling, called
Dawn
, my heart was spinning a little as I studied Kira. Maybe it was the wine, but to me she looked like a vision with her flowing, long hair.

Kira’s mouth was slightly parted, as though there was something she wanted to say. Her full lips were once again coated in the shiny, pink stuff she liked to wear, and not for the last time did I think about kissing them.

But whatever thought was on her mind, or mine, was never voiced. We both gave each other small smiles and finished up our wine, hiding behind the long-stemmed glasses.

Fifteen

In Moonlight

My head was buzzing as we walked outside in the clean air.

The warm night wrapped around us like a hug. The temperature felt pleasant against my skin as Kira nodded toward the garden situated behind the estate.

“Let me walk you through it.”

As most of the wine connoisseurs headed back to their respective vehicles, Kira and I took the winding path to the garden. We weren’t the only ones with the same idea—a few other couples were also strolling around the large area, taking in the sights by moonlight.

A large gazebo was positioned in the center of the garden, but what struck me the most was the wafting aroma of the clustered lilacs that grew in perfectly lined shrubs surrounding it. Mingling with the warm air, a sweet, fruit lingered around us; something I had never experienced before.

Kira must have seen the awestruck expression on my face, because she chuckled a little and directed me towards one of the bushes. “The leaves grow in perfect hearts.” Her tone was dreamy as she spoke. “A fitting gift for Valentine’s Day.”

As my eyes looked beyond the violet lilacs, I noticed what she had pointed out—the leaves really were in perfectly heart-shaped. Incredible.

We moved away from the shrub, walking past the gazebo that was already occupied by a kissing couple. Our shoes treaded across the soft lawn, moving in the direction of the large pond. A wooden bench came into view, illuminated by spike lights, and Kira led the way to it wordlessly.

We both sat down and I took the opportunity to stare out across the peaceful pond. A raft of ducks appeared to be sleeping by some reeds, almost motionless as they floated on the surface.

The fresh air was clearing my head a little, helping the intoxication dissipate, but it didn’t stop me from admiring Kira. There hadn’t been a moment recently where I hadn’t admired her, but could you blame me? She was something incredible, but very soon I would be gone from here, back to the city where I belonged. There was a good chance I would never see her in the city again.

“Tell me something,” Kira said, breaking the serenity of the garden. “Why do you seem to hate Cass so much? She doesn’t seem to hate you.”

Kira had steered the conversation in a direction that was entirely unsettling. It seemed as though Cass had immersed herself in all areas of my life, regardless how hard I tried to shake her from it.

“I have my reasons,” I answered somewhat unsatisfactorily. “Maybe it’s best if you ask your brother why.”

She toyed with a blonde curl, wrapping it around her slim finger. “I have, but he’s just as ambiguous about it as you are.”

I remained silent. I didn’t agree with Finn and Cass being together, but I wasn’t about to break Finn’s trust and tell his sister the truth about Cass, even though I was intoxicated and his sister was hot as hell.

“Fine, keep your secrets,” Kira said, sounding huffy when she could tell I wasn’t going to give her an explanation. “I don’t get why you can’t just get along with her. She’s the love of Finn’s life.”

“That doesn’t mean he has to be with her, though,” I commented lightly.

From the disbelief on Kira’s face, it was like I had said something appalling. “Have you
ever
been in love, Nate?”

I stared at her, recalling the feeling of lightness that always swept through my body whenever I was around her. “No.” My tone was firm, though my mind was unsure.

“Wow,” she breathed, her eyes wandering over my face. “You’re twenty-two and you’ve never been in love.” I didn’t get why this was such a big deal. “Have you ever loved anyone, apart from yourself?”

“I don’t know.” And that was my honest answer. I really didn’t know.

“Is it because of your parents?” The way Kira asked me didn’t make me feel as though she was prying; there was genuine concern in her tone that made me answer.

“Maybe.”

What she did next was entirely unexpected—she reached over and squeezed my hand. I stared down at her fingers in surprise, entranced by the way they interlocked with mine. Something about that simple gesture made the sourness fade from my body.

My gaze lifted to her delicate features, to those dazzling eyes, to her lips. She was studying me with an intensity that left me feeling almost helpless to the emotions rushing through my chest.

In the garden dipped in moonlight, every inch of me wanted to lean over and kiss Kira. But I couldn’t let myself do it. Not twice within twenty-four hours.

Instead, I cleared my throat and rose to my feet, bringing an end to the feeling growing between us. “We should head back to your house.”

“Um, okay.”

She seemed confused as she followed suit, but didn’t argue. I led the way through the scented lilacs back to the car. In some effort to be chivalrous, I opened up the door for her and shut it once she climbed in.

The drive back to her house seemed longer than usual, carried by our silence. The buzzing in my chest made me focus extra hard on the road in front of me. I shouldn’t have been driving after all that wine. Stupid move on my part.

When we arrived back at the house, my head was still buzzing, like there was a fly trapped inside it. My mouth was dry from all the wine I’d had, and there was a strange feeling in my chest—not one of constriction like I often felt, but one of fluidity and weightlessness.

It wasn’t happiness. It was something more.

Everyone was hanging around in the living room, watching TV. Finn seemed in better spirits, and gave me a two-finger salute when he caught sight of us. Cass’ head was resting on his shoulder, her legs stretched out along the couch as her eyes sparkled.

Ugh. She was still here, like a parasite that just wouldn’t go away.

“Well, what did ya think?” Joe asked, his tone earnest. “Was the wine great or was it great?”

Trying not to lose my mind at the sight of Finn and Cass shamelessly snuggled together, I focused on answering Joe. “It was great. The food was pretty top notch, too.”

“Kira?” Theresa prompted. “Did you have a nice night?”

“Yes, it was their best one yet.” Despite her response, she seemed troubled. “I’m going to call Amy and see if she’s feeling better.”

“Sure, honey.” Theresa turned back on me. “What did you think of the vineyards, Nathaniel? Beautiful, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, it was pretty cool.” My eyes followed Kira in that hot, little dress as she walked up the stairs.

“Did you get a chance to walk around the garden?” Joe asked, drawing my attention back to him. “It’s great this time of year, what with all the lilacs growing.”

Parents who actually showed an interest in what I’d done—it was pretty fucking nice, but also unfamiliar to me. I wasn’t used to all the questions, only parents who liked to talk about their own lives.

“The lilacs were nice,” I said, then added. “The leaves are perfectly heart-shaped.”

Finn shot me a ‘wtf’ look, and I realized he was wondering where my rather insightful comment had come from. Kira’s words had stuck with me. Everything about her had stuck with me.

“That’s right, they are,” Theresa said, her face glowing as though I had said something that made her proud. I didn’t know why that was something to be proud about; I sounded like a sensitive prick.

“I’ll be right back.” I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with myself. “I’m gonna get out of these clothes.”

The cotton dress shirt I was wearing suddenly felt stifling. Theresa gave me a nod, and they all returned their attention back onto the TV as I headed up the stairs, wondering what the fuck was wrong with me.

Was I getting weak? I wasn’t the same guy who’d walked into this house. Now I was thinking about heart-shaped leaves, and love, and kissing Kira. What the fuck.

Just as I neared my room, I heard Kira say my name, and froze. Her door was slightly ajar and I could see her on her bed, lying on her stomach as she held her phone to her ear.

“Nate’s not exactly what I thought he was going to be,” she was saying.

She paused, listening to whoever was on the other end of the line—I assumed it was Amy. It was probably some breach of ethics to stand outside someone’s door and listen to their phone conversation, but I didn’t really have any ethics, so I listened anyway.

I was never one to care what people thought of me, but for some reason it mattered when it came to her.

“Well, he’s entirely obnoxious and most of the time I just want to pummel him.” She hesitated, lowering her tone as though she wasn’t quite sure she should be saying the next part out loud. “But he stood up for me when Greg was a jerk, and when we’re together, I feel something.”

My heart did a backflip in response. I wasn’t the only one who felt this way—she felt it too, whatever the fuck it was.

“I don’t know, Amy,” Kira was saying, her tone strained. “I don’t want to feel this way, but it’s exactly how I feel.”

“Well, aren’t you just the little Peeping Tom?” Cass whispered into my ear.

I jumped away from her, turning around to find her studying me in amusement. She was a sneaky bitch; I hadn’t even heard her creeping up the hallway behind me. Okay, so I had been a creep and spied on Kira many times, including now, but there was always something sinister about Cass’ intentions. I—well I was just a horny guy.

“Fuck off,” was the first thing that came out of my mouth.

A sneer curled her mouth. “There’s no need to be so rude, James. Especially now that it looks like you and I will be around each other a lot more again. Just like old times.”

My heart thumped in my chest, and a terrible feeling sank into it. I peered in through the gap into Kira’s room and saw she was still on the phone, oblivious to our presence.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I kept my voice low.

“Oh, nothing,” she said softly. “Just, Finn and I have been talking a lot about old times and how special it is that his return home brought us back together. We figured it might be nice if I returned to the city with him, just like before.”

Her grey eyes were glittering, as though she had somehow won an arduous battle. There was absolutely no way I would let their relationship progress to that stage. Finn had to be smarter than that. He had to know that there was someone out there for him; it just wasn’t Cass.

“Over my dead body,” I spat.

This seemed to please her even more, and she took a step closer to me. “Once I’m done, it won’t matter if you’re dead or alive.”

A snarl echoed inside of me. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“Oh, nothing.” She smiled a smile that made me incredibly sick. Her eyes flickered in Kira’s direction. “How is your pathetic ploy to screw her going? Failing as usual?”

There had been several times—fine, multiple times—in my life when I’d been vulgar and crude, but Cass’ words seemed especially nasty. That protective instinct I felt for Kira beat inside my chest, calling me to action.

“Maybe failure is my victory,” I said, almost to myself.

Cass’ eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

I had to admit, I was a little surprised at myself too. There weren’t many examples of my poignancy or thoughtfulness, but this was one of those rare times. When I thought about Kira, I still thought about doing dirty things to her, but it was more than that. I just didn’t know how to explain it. And Cass was definitely the last person I was going to pour my feelings to.

“Nate?” she prompted, when I didn’t respond. This time I saw the depth of confusion on her face. She had always assumed she had me figured out, but right now she couldn’t understand what was going on with me.

“Bye, Felicia.” I took the opportunity to curl my mouth into a smile and walk into my room.

Stumping her, even momentarily, was a win for me.