“Mm-hmm.”
“And do you mean to tell me that your heart races just a teensy bit faster when my lips are…say, right about here?” His lips were at my neck again. He was enjoying this game immensely. And me? I felt all weak and fluttery, as if I were the one with the wings and they were holding me up as the rest of me just melted away.
His mouth brushed my shoulder. “Mmm, you’re so tempting.”
“Then stay.”
“I did. The sun’s coming up.”
I looked reluctantly at the pale streak of light creeping its way across my floor.
“Explaining to your mother why I’m here would be awkward, but I have a surprise for you now and one for later.”
He could see the disappointment on my face as he pulled me to my feet. I flung my arms around his neck, as if they could stop him from leaving. It was then I noticed my clock, perfectly placed upon my once-upturned nightstand. I spun around, looking in disbelief at my room. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
“When did…?”
I turned to Garreth, searching for an answer, but he was already gone.
After checking and rechecking my appearance in the full-length mirror for any sign that would send up my mom’s red flag, I decided to just get it over with and headed downstairs. I found her busy at the kitchen sink.
“Oh, Teagan. I didn’t hear you come down.” She stuck half of her upper body into the cabinet below to get a clean garbage bag. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Sleep? When did I sleep? Oh, yeah, when Garreth magically knocked me out on our way home from…where had I been again?
“Are you all right?” She was looking at me kind of funny.
Oh, geez, here we go.
“I’m fine, Mom. Why? Don’t I look fine?”
“I guess…well…” She let it drop. “You look a little different, that’s all. Are you hungry?” My mother turned and went about stuffing the new bag into the almond-colored garbage bin and stashed it back under the sink.
That’s a relief.
I leaned over and peered into the side of the shiny stainless steel toaster as soon as her back was turned.
I looked distorted, but as far as I could tell, there was nothing too abnormal about my reflection. If she only knew what I had really been through.
“I’ll just grab some cereal,” I said, making for the stack of clean bowls in the dish drainer.
“Oh, come on. Let me make you some breakfast. Eggs sound good? How about bacon?”
My nose turned up at the word. “Uh, let’s nix the bacon.
”
“Right.” I knew she was seeing the same mental picture of the last time this kitchen produced bacon for breakfast. It wasn’t a pretty sight, seeing me faint and then splashed with soapy dishwater to bring me out of unconsciousness.
An overwhelming sense of obligation surfaced in me.
“How was the funeral?”
“It was nice, honey. Don’t feel bad that you weren’t there. I’m sure everyone knows you wanted to be and they understand.”
I felt a little better, knowing I had avenged Claire’s death, and now that Hadrian was gone, it was nice to think of finally getting some sleep around here. But, somehow, I knew he would always haunt me, even if he wouldn’t be lurking in the shadows anymore. He would haunt me with the memory of the way he had made me feel at the end, just when I was about to take his life. I closed my eyes, wishing away the thought from my mind, and strangely, a part of me didn’t want it to leave entirely. How could I have just spent time making out with my angel boyfriend and then come down here and remind myself of the fleeting moments when Hadrian had almost seduced me? What kind of person was I? I felt like the monster.
“Are you seeing Garreth today?” Mom’s face beamed with the silly “you-have-a-boyfriend” look.
“He said he has a surprise for me.” I shoved my spoon into my mouth so I wouldn’t have to answer the questions I saw in her eyes.
“Oh, that reminds me. There’s a surprise here for you too.”
She made her way to the back door. For a minute I thought she was going to ask me to take out the garbage, but instead she reached up to the hook on the wall and took down an unfamiliar key. It bounced from hand to hand as she playfully flipped it over, but I couldn’t read the look on her face. It was happy and concern all jumbled together and I was beginning to think she’d lost her mind. Then, finally, she slid the key across the table to me.
It was a car key. The black rubber end was engraved with the initials VW. My heart stopped when I recognized it. I got up from my chair and slowly walked to the window, and sure enough, parked alongside our little brick garage was Claire’s white Volkswagen Cabrio.
Before I had a chance to ask, my mom was by my side, her arm around my shoulders, and we stared at it together in silence.
“Simon’s going to graduate school in Indiana and so the Meyers have decided to put their house up for sale and go with him. I think it’s a good idea that they all start over, fresh. Looks like you’ve finally got yourself a set of wheels.”
I didn’t know what to say except, “I can’t take Claire’s car.”
“Claire’s mom says that car is as much yours as it was Claire’s. She insisted that you have it. It’s a great little car and the best part is that it’s paid off. You’ll just have to take over the insurance payments.” She plopped the key into my hand.
“Which brings me to my next surprise. There’s a part-time opening available at the library. It’s only ten hours a week but it would be enough to pay for your insurance and gas, along with some extra spending money to go out with friends.”
“What friends?” I whispered to the window.
My mother paused at my sadness. “Well, for now it’ll be savings money then. And it means you and I can spend more time together instead of you coming home to an empty house. What do you say?”
I couldn’t bring myself to destroy the hopeful look on her face.
“Maybe, Mom. Can I think about it? I mean, I guess I need a job now. I’m just not sure if I want to work at the library.”
“Sure, sweetie. Maybe you should go out and find your own thing. You could use a fresh start too.”
I instantly felt as if I had deflated her but I couldn’t promise anything right now.
She left me staring numbly through the glass. I didn’t know what to do next. Do I go get ready for school? Do I call Claire’s parents and thank them? My thoughts were answered for me.
“Go get ready now. You’ll have enough time to call the Meyers to thank them before school.”
My mom was as cool as a cucumber. I couldn’t understand how she could be so calm about me suddenly owning a car, knowing full well that I would want to drive it right away. It occurred to me that perhaps all along I was the worrywart of our family. No, she definitely had her fair share of it too. But, regardless, something in the air had made us both change, both able to let go and accept the changes we normally wouldn’t think of allowing ourselves.