The Stand Page 13

  “I don’t believe you. That’s—” He broke off when she slid him inside of her, her hips to his, heat against heat.

  “Maybe less talking,” she murmured, beginning to rock against him.

  He grunted an agreement, hands cupping her breasts as she moved forward and back. His eyes shut, and she closed her own, letting sensation overpower her. Her ankle would be killing her after this, but right now she didn’t care. Right now, she only wanted to feel what it was like to have someone want her fully and without condition. Even if she knew there would be consequences later.

  There always were.

  In another moment, his whole body tightened. He drew her down for one last kiss as the world exploded around them, his arms clenching around her back and holding her close. Her body shook against his as the last of the pleasure faded into a dull haze of comfort.

  And then she rested against his chest, content enough to believe that in this moment, she could truly trust Nathan. She could be happy.

  ~ ~ ~

  She must have drifted, because when she woke, Nathan had pulled a blanket over the top of them and dimmed the lamp light.

  “How late,” she murmured, then cleared her throat. “What time is it?”

  Nathan checked his watch. “After midnight.”

  “Shit.” She tried to push herself off Nathan’s chest, but he clasped his arms around her.

  “What?”

  “If I don’t get home soon, Kara will be worried.”

  “We can call her. Let her know you’re not coming back tonight.”

  She arched her brow at him, torn between amusement and exasperation. “I never said I was staying.”

  He wound a short lock of her hair around his finger. “Stay. I’ll make you breakfast in the morning.”

  She blinked at him, the words not registering in her brain. He wanted to make her breakfast? That probably wouldn’t be a good idea. Not when part of her was already starting to wonder if they’d made a mistake.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why?”

  She blew out a breath, and struggled into a sitting position, trying to think of a way to explain this to him. A way to make him understand. But all she could come up with was, “I need to figure out what to do about Lewis.”

  She reached for her shirt and pulled it back on, then frowned when she spotted her jeans further away on the floor.

  Nathan shifted to a sitting position. “Hold on a minute.”

  “Why are we talking about Lewis?”

  Her mouth pulled tight. She looked at her jeans instead of him, trying to figure out another way to get them besides putting weight on her foot. “I think maybe…if I would have talked to him in the first place, he might have just left.”

  “You don’t know that.” When she still didn’t look up, he reached out and tilted her chin with his hand, keeping it gentle. “Grace, listen. You talked to Riley, told him what was going on. At this point that’s what you needed to do–”

  “No, what I need to do is find Lewis and tell him to leave my friends alone.” She frowned when he pulled away. “I don’t have time to deal with him right now. Not with the youth center. And the star–”

  “Ah.”

  She turned suspicious eyes on him. “What?”

  Nathan stood, retrieving his clothes and passing her the pair of jeans. Rain pattered on the rooftop and window behind him. “I think I have a better idea of why Riley was so upset.”

  “He told you he was upset?”

  “He told me he was worried about you. Told me you were angry with him. I could see he was upset. I could see he was wondering, as I am now, why you feel compelled to confront this man–”

  “Because he won’t go away. Because he bothered Maddy.”

  “Yes,” Nathan said with an easy nod. “All good reasons we should be careful. All good reasons it’s beneficial for us to be on the same page. Not a good reason for you to try to handle this on your own.”

  Grace struggled into her jeans and searched for her shoes. “Of course you’re on Riley’s side.”

  “What if he’s on my side?”

  Her gaze swept the floor in front of the couch, irritation flickering. She was right, this had been a terrible idea. Now they were fighting. Like usual. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean,” Nathan said calmly, reaching for a sneaker that had snuck halfway under the couch, “I’ve felt like this since the first time we saw Lewis. The fact that Riley knows now and agrees you need to be careful only backs up my feelings.”

  He held the sneaker in her direction and she snatched it from his grasp.

  “It just shows that you guys don’t know what I’m dealing with,” she mumbled, giving her laces a hasty jerk when they wouldn’t come untied. She fumbled with them another moment, then paused and closed her eyes briefly.

  Nathan plucked the sneaker from her lap and worked at the knot she’d created. Part of her softened, seeing him intent on helping her. Trying to see this all from his side. But it shouldn’t be so hard to have a simple conversation.

  He loosened the laces, passed the shoe back and reached for her other one.

  “Thank you,” she murmured.

  When she pushed herself into a standing position, pain billowed into one giant ache. Grace forced down the whimper of discomfort that sprung to her lips. She just needed to get home and get to bed. She could do some more planning there with her notebook before she went to sleep. Or figure out where she’d slipped tonight. Why she hadn’t stopped herself before things had gotten more serious between her and Nathan tonight?

  He continued to sit on the couch, legs stretched out in a comfortable position across a neutral rug.

  “If you don’t want to take me home,” Grace told him quietly, “I can call Riley.”

  “I told him I’d take you home.”

  She waited for him to stand, to do anything that indicated he planned on leaving. But he only continued to sit. “Could you take me home, then?”

  “I promise I’ll take you home soon. Can you just sit down a minute?”

  She sighed and gave him the first excuse that entered her mind. “I’m tired, Nathan.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if you got home and pulled out that binder so you could do more work on the youth center.”

  Grace ground her teeth together, annoyed that he could read her so well.

  He gestured to the couch. “Just a minute, please?”

  Grace plopped down unceremoniously.

  “I want you to know where I’m coming from.”

  “Probably the same place Riley’s coming from.”

  “Do you believe that, though?”

  She fought for patience. “I understand the whole protective older brother bit. And I’d say you guys are pretty much on the same page there.”

  He didn’t answer, and when she glanced over, she spotted the clear fight for patience on his face. All right, referring to him as an older brother figure probably hadn’t been a good idea.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, voice softer now. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I certainly hope not. Not after what just happened here.”

  They’d had sex. Worse, she’d practically initiated it, for reasons she was too embarrassed to name right now.

  “I shouldn’t have done that,” she began. “I didn’t–”

  “You’re not seriously going to tell me we just made a mistake here.”

  Her mouth opened, surprised at the veiled anger in his voice. She barely ever heard him lose his temper, but he seemed dangerously close right now.

  “I don’t think it was a mistake. Just that…maybe we got carried away.”

  “I don’t regret it.”

  “Me either.” Graces stood again, trying to end the conversation. This was getting way too complicated. “I need to go.”

  He sighed. “And Lewis?”

  “I know you guys are worried, but that’s how it is right now. I have to deal wit
h the star.”

  “Not alone you don’t.” Before she could answer, he stood swiftly and held out a hand. “Ready to go?”

  Grace swallowed the sudden taste of disappointment and nodded. She slipped her hand into his and let him help her to the front of the house. He retrieved her sweater from a closet off the entryway and she only murmured a quiet thanks when he helped her into it.

  She waited at the door while he gathered his keys and slipped into a jacket of his own.

  Outside, the stars were obscured by slow-moving clouds. Rain pattered down on their heads. Again, Nathan waited for her to get in on her side and she tried to shuffle in quickly without jarring her ankle.

  “Are you sure you shouldn’t still be using your crutches?” he asked once he’d secured his seatbelt.

  “Have you ever used crutches before?”

  Nathan started the car and nodded.

  “Really?”

  “I was sixteen. Skiing accident.”

  Grace looked over at him. “Seriously?”

  He shrugged. “I was visiting a friend in Colorado for winter break.”

  “You’re really serious.”

  He cast amused eyes in her direction, and part of her relaxed. Hopefully she hadn’t offended him too badly before. “I told you I was.”

  Grace pursed her lips and watched the rain slide down the windshield. “Did you use your crutches as long as you were supposed to?”

  “I was a sixteen-year-old boy. Of course not. But I used them a lot longer than you did. And, if I recall correctly, even for a teenager, I was a lot less stubborn about it.”

  She tucked her hands into her sleeves and looked to the window. He had her there. And it wasn’t a good feeling.

  “Grace,” Nathan said, voice barely rising above the clatter of rain. He reached out for her arm. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”

  She gave a small shrug but wouldn’t meet his eyes. “No, you’re right.”

  Like usual. He saw too much and made her feel too much. Sleeping with him had been a terrible idea, because she already wanted to be in his arms again, and that thought was too terrifying to consider.

  “Grace–”

  “It’s okay.” This time she looked over and forced a smile. “Really.”

  Grace kept her attention out the window the rest of the way home. She politely thanked him for the ride at the door to the guesthouse and hobbled inside. Without even a glance at her big, black binder, Grace went to her room, shut the door and got ready for bed.

  Chapter 17

  Kara drove to the mailbox, letting out a little yelp of joy when she found a rectangular box from her editor. All she had to do was finalize this last set of proofs and Wishing Star was complete.

  She set the package gently in the passenger’s seat of her car and pressed on the gas again. Then, because excitement to open the box consumed her, she crawled to a stop just past the gravel driveway and scooped it up again.

  She peeled at the cardboard edges, then slid the pages out carefully, still thrilled by seeing words she’d written in print. She flipped back the first cover with the title and her name. And froze.

  A trio of phrases repeated over and over the length of the page.

  You’re going to fail, you’re going to lose, leave before someone gets hurt.

  She reeled back in her seat, nearly dropping the stack of paper. She pulled in a sharp breath. The edges of the sheets cut into her fingers. Every page, one after the next, said the same thing. You’re going to fail, you’re going to lose, leave before someone gets hurt.

  Kara dropped the stack on top of the box in the passenger seat and grabbed the wheel, tightening her hands to keep them from shaking. She felt a tremor all the way through her body but fought the urge to throw the pages out the window.

  Instead, she swallowed hard and pressed her foot on the gas again. She thought in silence the entire way to Riley’s house. No radio, no fingers tapping against the wheel in rhythm to her humming. You’re going to fail, you’re going to lose, leave before someone gets hurt.

  Relief washed over her in one giant wave when she turned, circled around the wide cul-de-sac, and saw Elliot’s car already there. He sat with Grace on the front porch they’d all helped build together last fall. Before she’d had to find her piece of the star.

  She pulled to a hasty stop and got out quickly. Elliot jogged down the steps to meet her.

  “Thought you weren’t coming,” he said with a smile.

  “I got the last edit of my book in the mail.” She looked inside the car. “It’s on the seat.”

  He raised his brows and peeked inside. “Really? Are you going to let me read it now?”

  “Look at it,” she said.

  He touched her cheek, keeping his eyes focused on hers. “What’s wrong?”

  “Please, Elliot, just look at the first page. See what it says.”

  Kara braced herself against the front of the car as he opened the door. She closed her eyes and heard the flutter of pages, his voice, low and steady.

  “‘Sunlight slanted through the wide blinds of Alexandria’s beachfront condo…’”

  Her eyes popped open. She pressed her hands over her heart. “Okay. It’s okay.”

  He returned the book to the seat and shut the door. When he stepped in front of her, she let him draw her close and she held on tight, turning her face into his neck.

  “Kara?”

  “It said something else,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “When I looked at it in the car, it said something else.”

  “What?”

  “‘You’re going to lose, you’re going to fail’”–her voice hitched on the last words–“‘leave now before someone gets hurt.’”

  His arms tightened around her. She looked up to see Grace hobble down the porch steps, concern written on her face.

  “What happened, Kara?”

  Elliot pulled back slightly, keeping one arm snug around her waist. “She saw something else to do with the star.”

  “Just pages. My book,” Kara pointed to the seat in the car. “When I looked at the pages, they all said the same thing.”

  Elliot relayed the words to Grace and a crease formed on her forehead. “Why?”

  “I want to know that, too,” Elliot said, turning his gray-blue eyes in her direction. “You already found your piece of the star.”

  Kara nodded slowly. “But the star isn’t complete yet. And even though Grace’s piece is left, we’re still all in this together.”

  “I’m sorry, Kara.”

  “It’s not your fault. And it doesn’t matter, I’m not leaving.”

  “No,” Elliot agreed, “but it does change things.”

  “Everyone still needs to be careful.” Grace turned toward the house. “Come on, Nathan’s on his way and Maddy and Riley are already inside.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Nathan was the last to arrive. When he entered the house, he kept his face neutral. He’d only seen Grace in passing since their conversation in his house. Since she’d talked about him being an older brother type.

  The words had been a slap in his face. Worse because they’d just been intimate. Because she’d opened up to him in ways he never thought she would. And now, she was avoiding him.

  “Nathan.” Maddy waved him in.

  He met Grace’s raised eyes for a brief moment before she lowered them to the glass she held. Maddy sat on the floor at the coffee table next to Riley, and Kara and Elliot were across the sofa on two identical chairs. The only space open was next to Grace on the couch. She seemed to recognize this and moved over so her arm rested against the cushion on the edge.

  “You missed all the fun,” Kara told him from across the room.

  Elliot looked to her with raised brows, catching her hand in his. Nathan noticed the exchange of glances as he drew his ankle over the opposite knee.

  “I don’t really think that’s funny,” Grace said softly.

  Nathan looked over, but she would
n’t meet his gaze. “What happened?”

  “Something else with the star,” Maddy informed him.

  He looked to Grace again.

  “Not me,” she said. “Kara.”

  They filled him in quickly. Nathan nodded, not altogether surprised. “It makes sense.”

  “How’s that?” Elliot asked, still keeping a tight hold on Kara’s hand.

  “Because they’re all still involved. Even when the last piece of the star is found, there might be more–”

  “Wait.” Riley held up a hand. “What do you mean there’s going to be more after the star is found? I thought that finding the last piece of the star was the end of it.”

  “I don’t know what ‘the end of it’ is going to look like but I’m beginning to doubt that reuniting three pieces of a metal star is the ultimate solution.”

  “Beginning to think,” Grace said from beside him. “Sounds to me like you’ve pretty much decided already.”

  He leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. “You’re right. I’ve pretty much decided.”

  “I agree,” Maddy said, propping her arms on the coffee table. “I think it’s going to take more than just finding the star. Our words and wishes, our beliefs are what started this all in the first place.” She glanced at Riley. “Finding the pieces of the star is…recognizing why we made those wishes in the first place. But it doesn’t take care of the fact we invited this kind of evil into our lives to begin with.”

  “I thought we were here to deal with Lewis,” Grace reminded them.

  Riley shifted and got to his feet. “I’m going to order something for dinner. This could take a while.”

  “I don’t see why it has to,” she said, pulling her feet up onto the couch, careful not to touch Nathan. “I doubt it’ll be hard to find him since he’s been hanging out by Serendipity a lot.”

  Maddy nodded. “He was there today.”

  Riley looked down and frowned. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “He didn’t do anything, just stood across the street.”

  “Maddy,” Elliot began, but she stood.

  “I can just make something for dinner.” She turned toward the kitchen. “How about spaghetti?”

  Riley stepped smoothly in her path but met Nathan’s eyes first, then Elliot’s. “Seems to me we need to have a nice little talk about our game plan.”