Eternal

22 ~ Gross Misinterpretation

McKenna, I want you to pair up with Smith for this exercise.” Coach Gibson tipped his head toward the piste. “Demonstrate correct form for the rest of the class, why don’t you.”

Dutifully, I took my place opposite my opponent. I didn’t see much point, really. Fencing was a winter sport; we were done for the year. For us seniors, our high school fencing careers were over. You’d think Coach would let us sit back and take it easy—that he’d focus on the underclassmen instead.

Apparently not.

He gave the signal, and Suzanne and I began the exercise. There were no sounds save that of our shoes squeaking against the mat, of the clanging of our foils as they met.

Once we finished demonstrating, I pulled off my mask and wiped the sweat from the sides of my face as the rest of the class took up their foils.

Suzanne set her own mask on the floor and then laid a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, I’m really sorry about Kate. I would have gone to the funeral, but we were in California. I just . . . well, I wanted you to know. That’s all,” she finished lamely.

“Thanks,” I said, my voice thick. Why did she have to bring this up? Why now?

“God, I feel so bad every time I see Jack Delafield,” she continued on, oblivious to my discomfort. “He’s such a mess. I can’t believe he’s back at school. I mean, I heard they’d just gotten back together and all. And then for something like this to happen?” She shook her head. “Did she really get attacked outside your birthday party? I mean, I don’t want to pry or anything, but that’s the rumor.”

“I—uh—yeah.” I couldn’t speak. Could barely breathe. I had to get out of there. Now. “I’ve got to . . . I mean, will you tell Coach that I had to leave early? Meeting with my GC. I forgot.”

Suzanne’s eyes widened. “Oh. Okay. I didn’t upset you or anything, did I?”

I just shook my head, then busied myself collecting my gear. As the rest of class continued the exercise, I made my way over to the cubbies and grabbed my bag.

I heard Coach Gibson call out my name just as the door slammed shut behind me. I hurried down the stairs with no idea where I was going. It didn’t matter, not really. I just needed air.

Afraid that the coach might send someone after me, I picked up my pace, jogging away from the building at a brisk clip, my bag banging against my side.

The chapel, I decided. Of course—no one would bother me there. I quickened my pace as my destination came into view above the treetops. A couple of minutes later, I hurried inside and made my way through the vestibule and down the aisle, toward the rear-most pews.

Panting, I slid into a seat. I’d only just caught my breath when the door banged open behind me. I turned, startled to find Tyler there, making his way toward me. “Hey, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I answered. “Needed some air, that’s all.”

He moved closer, leaning against the edge of the pew now. “Well, something must’ve happened in there to make you run out the way you did. What’s going on, Violet?”

“It’s just . . . something that Suzanne said.” I took a deep, calming breath. “I think she was just trying to be nice. You know, about Kate.”

“Ah, I see.” He slid onto the pew, scooting in beside me. “The old ‘I’ll pretend to be comforting when I’m really just digging for details’ kinda thing?”

“Yeah. Pretty much. I just—I don’t want to talk about it. Not to anyone who wasn’t her friend, who wasn’t there that night. I know that’s probably weird.”

He reached for my hand. “Nah, not weird at all.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing back tears. “I can’t help but think about that night—replay it over and over in my head. I barely even talked to her. She was busy with Jack, and I . . .” I trailed off, shaking my head. “I’m trying to remember the last thing I said to her. It was something like ‘wait here—don’t go outside.’ If I had known those would be the last words I’d say to her—”

“Don’t,” Tyler said, squeezing my hand. “Just don’t, okay? You’re going to drive yourself nuts. There was no way you could have known. No way you could have prevented it.”

“I should have known. If I hadn’t been so distracted—”

“It was your fucking birthday, Violet. Look, I know you feel responsible. I get that. Trust me. I’ve played a few rounds of ‘what if’ in my head too. What if I’d fought a little harder for her; what if she’d been with me that night instead of Jack.” He brushed his thumb over my knuckles, his head bowed over our joined hands. “I realize I didn’t know her as long as you did—as long as the rest of you did. But I liked Kate, Violet. Really liked her.” He lifted his gaze to meet mine, and I was shocked to see that his clear green eyes were glistening with tears.

“I know you did,” I said, even though I hadn’t realized how much until that very moment. “I’m sorry. I was being selfish. I didn’t even think about you—about what you might be going through.”

“She was fun. Uncomplicated.” A single tear rolled down his cheek. “I miss her.”

I did the only thing I could think to do then—I gathered him in my arms, allowing him to press his face against my breastbone as I stroked his hair. “I miss her too,” I said. Soon his tears had dampened the front of my shirt, but I didn’t care. He needed this. We needed it. I was clinging to him desperately, holding on to the one person whose guilt might just match my own, who understood that tangled mess of emotions swirling inside me whenever I thought of Kate.

Several minutes passed in silence as we sat there holding each other, sharing our grief. Outside, the bells pealed to signal the end of sixth period. A crow cawed loudly—once, twice. Somehow, we didn’t hear the door to the chapel open. We missed the approaching footsteps.

“Violet?”

I shoved Tyler away with a gasp, stunned to see Aidan standing there at the end of the aisle, just outside the vestibule.

Watching us.

The pain etched into his features was undeniable as his expression shifted from disbelief to anger in a heartbeat.

I realized then that pushing Tyler away had been a bad move on my part. It made me look guilty, like I’d been caught doing something that I shouldn’t. Crap.

“Listen, man,” Tyler said, turning toward Aidan with a grimace. “This is not what it looks like.”

“Oh, yeah?” Aidan said, his voice so level and cool that my blood turned to ice in my veins. “Because it looked like you two were all over each other.”

Tyler held up two hands in surrender. “Seriously, dude, don’t be mad at her. She was just comforting me.”

“Shut up, Bennett,” Aidan said. His eyes were beginning to go vampiric, rimmed in red now. I was afraid to look at his incisors. This was a very bad combination, a dangerous one—jealous teenage boy plus overprotective vampire. I needed to neutralize the situation, but how?

“It was all me, man,” Tyler pressed on foolishly. “I came after her, just to make sure she was okay, and then I started bawling like a pussy. She was just being nice.”

“Oh, I have no doubt that you were just waiting for an opportunity to make your move,” Aidan said with a shrug. “I’ve always suspected you have a thing for her.”

Tyler rose and slipped into the aisle facing Aidan. “Why don’t we talk about this later, after you’ve had a chance to calm down? I don’t like the way your eyes look right now. Violet, maybe you should get out of here.”

Did he think he was protecting me? From Aidan? He was the one who was going to need protection—any minute now if he didn’t shut up.

“You’re making it worse, Ty,” I managed to say. “Just go, okay?”

“I’m not leaving you here with him.” Tyler swept an arm in Aidan’s direction. “He may be your boyfriend, but dude’s a vampire. An angry one,” he added under his breath.

In the blink of an eye, Aidan had him by the throat, pressed up against the chapel’s wall ten yards from where they’d been standing just a second before.

I was on my feet in an instant, because this . . . this was not going to be a fair fight. “Let him go, Aidan!”

He ignored me. Tyler was gasping for breath now, his eyes beginning to bulge. He was no match for Aidan’s superhuman strength; no mortal was.

Fear racing through my veins, I reached for Aidan’s shoulder. “Let him go!” I repeated. “He was telling you the truth—we weren’t doing anything.”

Aidan just ignored me, squeezing tighter instead. Tyler’s face was ashen now.

In full panic mode, I began to tug at Aidan’s arm, forcing him to turn and look at me. His terrifying red gaze met my steady, pleading one. “You’re going to kill him,” I said forcefully.

Inexplicably, he cried out in pain, releasing Tyler and cradling the hand that had been around Tyler’s throat.

Tyler slumped to the ground in a heap.

“What did you do?” Aidan gasped, flexing his hand.

I could only gape at the sight, barely able to believe it. Aidan’s hand was somehow misshapen, his fingers curled and bent at impossible angles. Yet, as I watched wide-eyed, his hand began to morph back to normal in a matter of seconds—just like that.

“Molecules,” Tyler choked out, propped up on one elbow now. “I moved ’em around. You know, when you lost your focus.”

“You can do that?” I asked breathlessly, my gaze shifting from Aidan’s hand to Tyler and back again. “Holy hell!” Maybe it would have been a fair fight, after all.

And that’s when Aidan leaned down and punched him, right in the face.

Tyler’s face was a mess—he’d refused to go to Nurse Campbell for treatment—and Aidan wasn’t speaking to me. Which made art history class the next day so much fun. They sat on either side of me now, bristling, while the gossip raged on around us.

I tried to imagine how I’d feel if I caught Aidan with his arms around another girl—if he’d shoved her away guiltily the second I stepped into the room and then claimed that he’d only been comforting her. Just thinking about it made me feel sick—made my head pound, my stomach lurch queasily.

I glanced over at Aidan’s stony face, wondering if he was actually paying attention to what Dr. Andrulis was saying. His expression was entirely unreadable. If he noticed me watching him, he gave no indication of it.

I let out a frustrated sigh. Enough was enough. It was time for a little telepathic chat.

Can we please talk after sixth period?

He didn’t move a muscle. There’s nothing to talk about.

C’mon, Aidan. You know he’s just my friend.

He remained as still as a statue, staring straight ahead. Seriously, Vi? You two were all over each other, for God’s sake.

This wasn’t going well. Your room, then. Right after class.

The silence in my head was deafening.

“Hey,” Tyler whispered on my other side. “Violet?”

Irritated, I snapped my head toward him. “What?”

He held out my pen. “You dropped it.”

I snatched it from him with a scowl, reminding myself that he had no idea that he’d interrupted a conversation. “Thanks,” I whispered, trying to shake off the hostile vibes radiating from Aidan’s direction.

The next fifteen minutes were pure agony. I almost wept with relief when the bells began to ring.

“Should I wait for you?” Tyler asked, looking uncomfortable. “You know, to walk over to fencing together?”

I busied myself with my bag, unable to look at his swollen, discolored face without feeling guilty all over again. “No. Go on without me. Actually, would you mind telling Coach that I’m not feeling well? I might walk over to the infirmary.” It was only a half lie, since my head was pounding and I was out of Advil.

“Sure,” he said. “Okay, um . . . later.”

Aidan had started toward the door without me. I actually had to grab my bag and sprint toward him, catching up with him just as he stepped out into the hallway.

And then Jenna stepped into our path. “If it isn’t the little lovebirds,” she said, her voice dripping with venom.

“What do you want, Jenna?” Aidan asked, sounding bored.

“A run tonight, if you don’t mind. It’s a full moon.”

“Is it? I hadn’t noticed.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Just be there. You wouldn’t want me to go all wolf without a babysitter now, would you?” Her gaze slid over to me. “If you can manage to separate yourself from your little pet long enough, that is.”

“Whatever. You know there’s an entire security force out there watching the woods at night, right?”

“Yeah, and you better tell them to keep their distance, or else I won’t be responsible for any damage I do. I’ll see you tonight. Usual time and place.” With that, she turned and flounced off.