Deceptions (The Mystical Encounter Series Book 2) Read online

  As we turned the corner back toward home, I nodded in agreement. Barry grabbed a hold of my hand again and my cheeks warmed at the reminder of wanting to kiss him. I looked away, suddenly finding the scattered purple crocuses interesting. We strolled beside each other, each lost to our own thoughts, with Barry oblivious to my embarrassment.

  The sound of a diesel motor startled me as a pickup truck roared to life. I glanced up, noticing my house not too far away. Time was up. I huffed out a breath. I needed to make the call to Tanner now. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to make the call, I was just having difficulty figuring out the best way to inform him.

  How do I start that conversation?

  With my free hand, I pulled the phone from my pocket and stared at the screen. I was stalling. I knew this. But there wasn’t any choice in the matter, I needed to call. Taking a deep breath, I released Barry’s hand and glanced over at him. His mouth drew into an encouraging half–smile. The corners of my mouth lifted slightly in response as my heart swelled from his concern. I scrolled through my short list of contacts and tapped Tanner’s name. I’ll just wing it.

  “Tanner,” the detective answered sternly.

  “Detective, it’s Heather.” I cringed at the shakiness in my voice.

  “Yes, Heather. What can I do for you?” he asked in a much more pleasant tone.

  When he addressed me, his demeanor always changed. He was such a serious guy, but likable.

  “Um…‌I’m not sure if it’s important, but I need to tell you about something that happened at the ceremony earlier today.”

  “Okay.” He drew out. “What happened exactly?”

  “After the dedication, the mayor came up beside us to offer his congratulations. He placed his hand on my back, and I saw something…‌concerning.” I paused as a sharp intake of air resonated through the phone. He remained silent, so I explained my vision.

  “Who else knows about this?” Tanner asked, interrupting before I finished.

  “Just Barry.”

  My gaze shifted to Barry. His eyebrows rose at the mention of his name. During my conversation with Tanner, Barry’s stare never strayed. With a quick shrug, I looked down to concentrate on what the detective said.

  “Good. Keep it that way. Listen, I don’t want to discuss this matter over the phone. Unfortunately, I’m getting ready to leave town and won’t be back until Monday afternoon.” After releasing an aggravated sigh, Tanner said, “I guess we’ll have to wait until then. Hmm…‌I’d rather you didn’t come by the station. Would it be all right to meet at your house after you arrive home from school on Monday?”

  “Yes, that’d be great,” I answered.

  We ended our conversation, and I blew out a puff of air. I hated having to wait until Monday to tell Tanner about the entire vision, but I had no choice since he was leaving. But his coming to the house posed another problem‌—‌the chances of Mom learning about the vision significantly increased. I was still hoping to keep this hidden from her.

  Big eyes stared back at me as my focus shifted toward Barry. With a grimacing smile, I filled him in about Tanner leaving town and having to wait.

  “I guess there isn’t anything else to do.” Barry shrugged.

  “No, there’s not. Oh, and Tanner says we’re not supposed to tell anyone.” I sighed. “Another secret.” Why was it that just when life began to settle and flow smoothly, a kink developed? How on earth would I last through school?

  ~2~

  Disconcertment

  My gaze drifted toward the clock. Six. More. Minutes. I needed to focus, but as Mrs. Pickard reviewed the last section of the study guides, my thoughts strayed toward Tanner. This lack of concentration made school difficult and reinforced how much this ordeal needed to be over. I yawned, trying to conceal it with my papers. Sleep evaded me last night, worrying about that stupid vision. Perhaps talking with the detective would take the worry about what I saw and make it go away. Then the episode would be done. When the bell buzzed, my head popped up and I glanced at the clock. My body relaxed and I smiled. Yes! Free at last!

  While gathering books from my locker, I crimped my lips together. The cheerful sounds from the students’ voices resonated along the walls. How annoying. I wanted to yell “Shut up” as I jammed my belongings into my bag, all happy thoughts about leaving school gone from my mind. Even after embracing my ability, my peers' happy–go–lucky lives got to me at times. A small part of me still yearned for the carefree life others took for advantage and assumed would never change‌—‌no matter how much I wanted it to.

  “You ready?”

  Barry’s cheerful voice broke through my self–imposed pity party. After slamming the door, he slipped his arm around my shoulders. Contentment trumped any lingering annoyances as I reveled in the joy of having him draped around me. Being tucked beside him just felt right.

  “You have no idea.” I huffed.

  The endless chatter wafting through the halls became deafeningly loud the farther we walked. With spring break starting next week, people were louder than normal. Who could blame the student body for being excited and boisterous? Time off from reality was long overdue. If the load of homework assignments were any indication, it promised to be a long, hard week before we were let free for spring break. Crammed tight with tests this week, I concluded they were the teachers' punishment for having a vacation.

  The heavy glass doors shut behind us with a thud as we exited. Not much longer now until we were home. A gust of cool air caused me to shiver, and I snuggled as close to Barry as my book bag allowed.

  “Hey, guys.” Nicole’s voice hollered from behind us.

  We whipped our heads around and noticed Nicole trying to catch up to us. Barry steered us toward the hideous brick wall to wait for her. After leaning against the bricks, he removed his arm and draped them across his chest. The sudden loss of warmth brought a surge of emptiness. I cringed. Was I becoming too dependent? To enjoy his touch was one thing, but to feel empty? Come on.

  “The big talk around school is that everyone’s going to The Gamer on Friday night. What do you say? You guys in?” Nicole asked at a shrill pitch. Her widened eyes stared at us while her body shifted from side to side.

  My lips pressed into a taut smile. The Gamer? The idea was crazy. Not how I envisioned spending my break. I shifted my weight, unsure how to respond. Me hanging at the local hot spot with the popular crowd? That would mean hanging around other people. Lots of people. Puh–leeze. My stomach felt queasy at the thought. It would be super crowded and I usually avoided places like that. So was I going?

  That would be a big fat…‌maybe.

  Barry’s eyes darted between Nicole’s and mine. Maybe he sensed my reluctance from my body language because he said, “I…‌I don’t know, Nicole. We’ll have to think it over.”

  The brightness in Nicole’s eyes dulled as her face hardened into a scowl. “Come on, you guys never go anywhere,” she cajoled. Her hands moved to her hips and she gave Barry a pleading look. When he still didn’t say anything, she shifted her gaze toward me and frowned. “Fine.” She sighed exasperatedly. “There’s plenty of time left to decide, I suppose. It’s just…‌it would be good for all of us to hang around each other for a change. We haven’t had fun together in a long time.”

  I leaned in to hug her, suppressing an eye–roll and smirked. Leave it to Nicole to shame me into going. “Thanks Nicole, my anxiety level needed to be raised. It’s been dull around here.” I lied with a twinge of guilt.

  A slight shift of my body and adjustment of my bag jarred Barry into moving forward. Nicole complained about the unfairness of the teachers the entire time we walked toward the parking lot. I remained quiet, trying to listen, but her nonstop ranting did little to calm my nerves. My stomach tightened even more. The talk about going out Friday and the impending conversation with Tanner weighed heavily on me. I sighed and quickened my pace when Barry’s car came into view. I just needed to get home. I looked forward to having th
e discussion with Tanner over with.

  After we parted ways with Nicole, Barry opened the door for me and I slipped into the passenger seat. I tried making eye contact, but his gaze drifted around the car, landing everywhere but on me. Well, that’s strange. His mouth drew tight as he walked around the car with a fixed, blank stare. What was he thinking?

  Barry slid into the driver’s seat and frowned before turning toward me. His jaw ticked while he ran his left hand through his hair, a nervous habit of his. After releasing a slow breath, he muttered, “You know, you’d have a good time going out Friday night.”

  “To The Gamer?” I shrieked, too high–pitched even for my own ears.

  “Well…‌yeah. That place is pretty sweet. If you gave it a chance, I think you’d like it.” He grunted and shifted back around, staring blankly out the windshield.

  Was he too frustrated to look at me?

  “Look,” he continued. “I admit it’s not your thing, and I get that. But once in a while, it would be nice to do something with our friends.”

  A peculiar sensation crossed through my stomach. It was reminiscent of that day in the park when I had contemplated Barry breaking–up with me. I didn’t like that feeling then, and I didn’t particularly like it now. Perhaps I had been too selfish with him. Nicole was the only person we ever hung out with, and even that had only happened a few times. Until now, Barry had never expressed any desire to do anything different. Had I been so self–centered that I overlooked the signs of him wanting us to be more social? It was never my intention to hold him back from what he wanted.

  “Barry, if you want to go to The Gamer on Friday, please don’t let me stop you,” I said quietly. “You’re free to do whatever you want.”

  “No, that’s not what I…‌I want us to go together,” he said, slapping his hand against the steering wheel. Cringing at his temper, I shrunk in my seat. He turned toward me, and exhaled. His facial features softened and he tried to backtrack. “Hey…‌we’ll discuss it later, okay? It’s not a big deal,” he said soothingly. Barry half–smiled at the obvious lie and added, “I just thought you might be getting bored with having only me around.”

  Speechless, my lips flattened at his half–hearted attempt at a joke. Barry threw the gearshift into reverse and concentrated on driving while I stared silently out my window. I couldn’t fake any enthusiasm, and the silence between us increased in awkwardness the longer we remained silent. He fiddled with the radio, balanced the bass, and adjusted the visor. My throat clenched; the discord between us felt suffocating.

  This argument could be resolved easily if I would just agree to go to The Gamer. The tension would dissipate as hastily as it had come, but I was too stubborn to concede. My mouth opened, but quickly snapped shut again. I balled my hand into a fist and placed it under my chin while I stared out the window and watched the houses whiz by. I really didn’t want to go Friday, so I wasn’t relenting. But Barry’s continued muteness tightened the already nauseated knot in my stomach.

  I inhaled deep when his grandma’s house came into sight. Now wasn’t the time to ponder over possible problems. The real one lurked in the not so distant future and needed to be dealt with first.

  He parked the car in his grandma’s driveway. I glanced over toward home and sighed. Finally a break! I stepped out of the car, relieved that the driveway was vacant. Mom wasn’t home. She must have picked up an extra shift. I normally hated that she pushed herself too much, but tonight her ambition worked in my favor.

  Before cutting across the yard to walk home, Barry walked up beside me and grabbed a hold of my hand. Comfort swelled in my chest from his touch.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to push, and I shouldn’t have gotten mad.”

  I looked up at him and forced a smile. I needed to trust him more. Insecurities clouded my judgment‌—‌afraid I had made him mad‌—‌I foolishly pondered whether he’d come with me to speak with Tanner or not. I should’ve known better. There wasn’t any way he’d let me do this on my own‌—‌even if he was upset.

  “It’s okay.” I paused and shook my head. “I’ll think about going to The Gamer on Friday.” It took a lot for me to say that, but the wide smile on his face made my personal anguish worth it. With a sigh, I released his hand to unlock my door.

  I snuggled against Barry on the couch, nervously tapping my foot. When was the detective coming? The slight pressure from Barry’s hand on top of my thigh, stilled my leg, but it didn’t ease my restlessness. The familiar hum of a familiar Ford Interceptor motor became louder as Detective Tanner pulled into the driveway. I glanced out the picture window and gulped. I’d recognize that car anywhere. The memory of chasing Mr. Barton, Johnny’s killer, caused me to shudder. Barry squeezed tighter.

  “It’ll be all right,” he said, leaning down to kiss the top of my head.

  I shut my eyes and tried to erase that thought, but immediately opened them again. The rapping of the doorknocker jarred me back to the present. My gaze shifted to Barry. With his encouraging nod, I stood to answer the door.

  The door had barely swung open before Detective Tanner peppered me with questions. “Heather, tell me what’s concerning you. Just start at the beginning,” he said as he walked across the threshold.

  Hi detective…‌glad to see you, too. I chuckled inwardly and moved out of his way. Tanner was definitely one to get straight to the point; apparently he didn’t waste time with greetings or chit–chat. I shut the door and filled him on the beginning of the vision as we walked toward the living room.

  As we entered, I noticed Barry had moved to the recliner. Hunched over, he tried to act low–key, but he kept fidgeting while running his hand through his hair. The corners of my mouth rose slightly as Tanner and I sat on the couch. Barry was here for one reason and one reason only‌—‌to give me moral support. But that didn’t mean he was comfortable.

  I hesitated for a second and then continued on with my explanation of the vision. The more I divulged into what I had seen, the further Tanner’s brows furrowed. When I gave specifics about the envelope exchange between the two, his worry lines deepened. Could they get stuck that way? His concern proved how important my information was and reaffirmed my decision to tell him.

  “Okay, I will check into this and see what I can do. In the meantime, I don’t want you to mention this to anybody,” he demanded, glancing between Barry and me. “The less people who know you’re involved, the better. In fact, I don’t want anyone knowing you’re involved, it could potentially place you in danger.” He stood, nodded, and walked to the door. At the entryway, he turned back to face us. “If anything comes up, I’ll get a hold of you.” Without another word, he left, leaving us standing dumbfounded.

  Still shocked by his hasty departure, I asked, “What now?”

  With a shrug, Barry ran his fingers through his hair again and rested them on the back of his neck. “I guess we do nothing and hold off until he calls us. Let’s just get through this week of school and see what happens.”

  I nodded. The seriousness clouding his eyes was inescapable, and the pang in my stomach returned. I mistakenly thought worrying about the vision would end.

  ~3~

  Concede

  “I can’t believe I’m going through with this,” I mumbled, applying mascara.

  After replacing the wand back in its container, I glanced into the mirror. My hair cascaded around my shoulders in long, loose curls. I liked it.

  My brain needed to decompress after that grueling week of tests, but it was hard adjusting to the slower pace. I was still too antsy. School let out three hours ago, and my tense muscles were beyond ready for relaxation. So, how was I planning to chill out? By going to The Gamer, surrounded by a herd of friends. A small groan escaped while I tidied the bathroom. This promised a horrible beginning to my week–long break, but being coerced into going didn’t leave me much choice.

  I shook my head and went over to my closet in search of my black boots. A
t least I’ll spend time with Barry. I missed him. Outside of school lunches and car rides this week, we hadn’t spent any time together. And we were always together. This was the first time we had put any distance between us since we started dating. On Monday, after Tanner left, we had decided to study individually because our joint study sessions have been a little…‌distracting. I leaned forward, crawled over a pile of dirty clothes, and dragged out my boots. Ah, perfect. This school week had been too important, so Barry and I shifted our focus toward homework. That sucked. Driving home from school was when we actually talked. Other than that, our time was limited. Well, except for Wednesday. A Cheshire grin spread across my face as I slid the boots on. Yeah, Wednesday, I actually had witnessed Barry’s powers of persuasion.

  I made my way into the living room to wait for Barry and peeked at the clock. Fifteen more minutes before he arrived. My leg bounced up and down as I searched around the room for something to do. Zilch. Nada. In a cleaning frenzy, I’d straightened the house after coming home from school to relieve the built–up tension. There wasn’t a throw pillow unturned or magazine out of place. Why did I agree to go out with them tonight? Oh, yeah. Barry…‌

  Each day after dropping me off, he walked me to my door, gave me a kiss, and left. But when he asked to come inside on Wednesday, my pulse thumped. I knew he would ask about going to The Gamer. I’d spent the first part of the week dodging that dreaded conversation. Without wanting to rehash our earlier disagreement, I steered our conversations away from the topic of spring break, clinging to the hope that he had forgotten. Guess he hadn’t.

  My head shook as I remembered him grabbing my hand, dragging me to the couch, and pulling me on top of him. My mouth opened in protest, but his lips landed gently on mine, silencing me with light kisses. Tingles shot down my back as his hand cradled my head, warming me with his deepening kiss. After a few moments, he paused. He examined my face, and my lips parted from the intensity of his stare. He shifted his gaze downward as he ran his thumb along the contour of my jaw, sending shivers through my body. My eyes closed, it felt so good.