The Sunshine Chronicles: Forgotten Flare, page 14
As Jordin promised, Chitty was in the parking lot with the key above the tire. She and Chief Bass had made sure it got here so I could do what I needed without asking Kaleb to take me. I still wasn’t ready for him to know.
I slammed the door to my car harder than necessary and jammed the key into the ignition, only to have Chitty choke when I turned the key. That straw broke the dam.
The box I’d been holding closed within me burst open, and the emotions poured out of me. I couldn’t stop the flow. I screamed into the empty void of my car, not caring if anyone was around to hear me. I punched the steering wheel several times before feeling hot tears spill down my face.
Kyler overhearing what I said sealed the fate of our back-and-forth. It was no longer fun and games, as it started. I had no doubt he would do anything to tear me down now, starting with using that nickname whenever he wanted, as often as he wanted. There’s nothing I could do to stop him.
I’ll see you later, Sunshine.
Those were the last words my dad ever spoke to me, which is why they hurt so much. Hearing someone else call me that was jarring enough, but Kyler’s use of it was more of a taunt than anything. It hurt to hear it used that way.
My overflow of emotions brought the memory of my dad’s accident crashing down on me.
Kaleb was driving Mitch and me home after picking him up from practice. The traffic was stopped on the two-lane highway. After sitting for a few minutes, several people in front of us got out of their parked cars to investigate.
Mitch pointed ahead, seeing smoke trail up into the sky. We all got out of the car and walked toward the accident. We reached a point where we could see a vehicle had crashed into a tree, flames climbing up the tree and spreading to the grass surrounding it.
The fire should have been our warning to stay back, but Mitch and I continued to creep forward, even as Kaleb tried to drag us back to his car. We felt pulled to the fire. As we got closer, I knew why. As soon as I recognized the car, I started running, screaming. The highway was blocked by several fire trucks, an ambulance, and police cars. I headed straight for the ambulance, Mitch hot on my heels.
A scream that wasn’t my own pierced the sky, making me stop.
It hadn’t come from the ambulance.
Everything around me faded away.
The sounds.
The people.
The fire.
My focus narrowed in on the car.
Panic crept up in me as I shifted my sprint toward the car.
Toward the scream coming from inside.
Someone grabbed me around the waist from behind, pulling me back against their chest before I made it anywhere near the car. My dad was screaming for help as fire licked toward the sky. The first responders were all just standing there. Watching. Faces somber. Doing nothing as the flames took his life away.
The officer who’d grabbed me had to adjust his grip because I started fighting him, trying to pry his hands off me. “That’s my dad!!” I screamed at the officer. “That’s my dad! He’s still alive! Get him out of there!” I directed the last scream at the firefighters whose attention I’d finally grabbed. They didn’t move, though. Their sad eyes just fell to the ground. But I couldn’t accept that. I wouldn’t. “What are you doing?! He needs help! Can’t you see that? HELP HIM!”
The officer had a good grip on me now, pinning my arms to my chest from behind, and his mouth was next to my ear. He whispered, “There’s nothing we can do.” The words were like a gut punch. “The steering wheel trapped him against his seat. We can’t get him out. It’s too dangerous. The car could explode with any movement.” My body had lost its fight. I stopped struggling in his grip. He released me slowly, ensuring I could support myself, as sobs were making my entire body shake.
The sounds around me returned, and I heard Mitchell yelling behind me as my knees gave out. Strong arms caught me. Kaleb lowered us to the ground, my eyes finding Mitch. The firefighter holding him back released him when he’d stopped struggling, and Mitch rushed to where I collapsed on the ground with Kaleb, tears streaming down both of our faces.
We shouldn’t have stayed. Kaleb begged us to get up and get back to the car, but we couldn’t. We held each other until the screams stopped.
We listened to our dad die.
His screams of pain and anguish echoed in my mind for days after his death. It took me weeks to recover. I pushed all my emotions deep down inside that box, fighting against them anytime they tried to break out and resurface. The first few days, I couldn’t even get out of bed. Kaleb was there those mornings, like he knew which ones I would wake up and be unable to function. He tried coaxing me to sit up, drink water, and eat something. Sometimes, it worked; others, it didn’t, and he would sit on the floor next to the bed and talk to me until the feelings passed, and I would finally sit up. I couldn’t remember feeling that way when Bell died, but I was also heavily medicated then.
Jordin had disappeared. Again. I didn’t know if it was to her room or to work, but I didn’t see her for several days. When I did, she ignored me, staring at nothing and talking to no one. Mitch and I had to be there for each other because she never was.
I never truly acknowledged the emotions after he died. There were nights I’d wake up from night terrors, screaming, but muffled my cries so Mitch and Jordin wouldn’t hear. I cried myself to sleep almost every night for weeks.
It was the most devastating time of my life.
As the waves of the emotional dam subsided, I took some staggering breaths, trying to compose myself in the parking lot. I carefully pushed all the emotions back into the box. I gently caressed my steering wheel to apologize to Chitty for taking it out on him, and then I turned the key. He purred to life, and I wiped my tears away.
With the crying out of the way, I zoned in on the anger I’d been holding onto and hoped my instructor would let me go to town during training.
XII
Overwhelmed
Sweat dripped down my nose onto the mat. I stayed there for a minute, trying to catch my breath. As suspected, Mr. Hood didn’t take it easy on me, but I’d asked him not to. He reached down his hand to help me up. I gladly took it after he just made me do ten-minute solo drills.
He bid me goodbye, and I headed to my car, texting Kaleb that I’d meet him at his house. I needed a shower before we did anything else today. I stretched my sore muscles, finding the skin around my shoulder tight from the deep scratch. But when I checked it before my session, it seemed to have healed most of the way. The bruises were a bit tender, but I barely felt the injuries as I went through the motions of the lesson. The release of the emotions I had in my car earlier had helped, but with Mr. Hood’s encouragement, I honed in on the anger and released it as I moved. He told me it was the best I’d performed in a while, and whatever I used as my motivation was working.
When I stepped into the parking lot, a loud car engine revved nearby, the tires squealing as it sped out of the parking lot next door. When I turned toward the noise to see who felt the need to be so obnoxious, the car was already gone and disappeared behind the buildings down the street. I could still hear the engine growl as it faded into the distance. I shook my head, muttering to myself.
I turned back to my car and froze.
A figure stood just beyond it. In a dark hoodie.
My blood ran cold despite the rigorous training I’d just finished.
They stood, unmoving, on the sidewalk. Staring in my direction. I didn’t take my eyes off them. My car was equidistant from either of us.
My body was tired, but my mind was clear. I’d been trained well and knew how to defend myself if it came to that. If that was the same person from the mall—
I moved toward my car, covering the distance quickly. The figure hesitated. They weren’t expecting me to walk toward them, but when they realized I was heading to the car, they started walking, too. I got there first, unlocking just my door and throwing myself in. There was traffic on the main road, so I wasn’t sure what this person thought they would do if they reached me.
The figure was fifteen feet from my car when I locked my door. I gave Chitty a strong word of encouragement, hoping he would start on the first try. I turned the key. They were ten feet away. Chitty purred to life. Five feet. I jammed the car into drive and hit the gas.
Their fingers grazed the handle, but I peeled out of the parking lot and into traffic before they could grip it.
In the rearview mirror, I saw the figure standing in the parking lot, watching as I drove away. Someone beside me laid on their horn, and I swerved back into my lane. When I checked the mirror again, they were gone.
I sank into the driver's seat with a deep breath. My heartbeat was erratic in my ears, but I escaped. From whoever that stalker was.
Accepting something was happening in my life and confirming it were two completely different things. The adrenaline coursing through me was something I’d never felt before. Thinking back, maybe I should have done something else. Shouted at them. Asked what they wanted. Why were they following me? But it probably wouldn’t have done anything. They would have ignored the questions, and my momentary distraction would have led to them catching me.
Obviously, I would have fought back, but getting away felt more important than figuring out who they were. While some would consider it brave to stand up to your stalker alone, others might think it foolish. It was better to wait until someone was with me to help.
Mentally adding that incident to the list of things to tell everyone, I accepted that this evening might go from info dumping to making a plan. The four of us were notorious for being ridiculous, but I knew they would want to help me figure everything out. And make a plan to corner the person following me. Knowing that about them was comforting, but this whole situation was getting a little dangerous.
The idea to tell Chief popped into my head, but I quickly squashed it. I knew he’d bring Jordin into this, and she’d never let me leave the house again.
The drive to Kaleb’s calmed me down, helping me focus on what I had to do. Halfway there, the silence became overwhelming, so I blasted some old-school Jonas Brothers to bring me out of my funk.
Kaleb wasn’t home when I arrived, so I let myself in with the key under the small potted tree out front. After a quick shower, I wiped the mirror off to investigate my scars and bruises again. My jaw dropped at my reflection.
The scratches were gone. Healed. Faint white scars replaced them. The big one on my shoulder was pink, the flesh of newly healed skin. The bruises had turned a greenish yellow and weren’t tender at all. There was no way I should have healed that quickly… right?
The only thing that was still obvious was the handprint. It had faded along the edges, but as I ran my finger along the slightly darker skin, I noticed it wasn’t tender anymore. Sensitive, yes, but that could have been because of where it was.
The fact that I was about to tell my friends about this… It wasn’t going to be easy. Who knew how they would react? I already thought it was ridiculous. They’d likely feel the same. Worse, they’d see the mark and confront Kyler about it, which is the furthest thing from what I wanted. I didn’t want anything to do with him. If I never had to see him again, I would thank whatever higher being I needed to because it would be the best thing that’s happened this week.
A car door slammed outside. Kaleb. I threw on my clothes, ignoring the questions that were building up in my head, and went downstairs.
When I rounded the corner into the kitchen, he had just set his backpack down. He crossed his arms like an upset parent and said, “Where were you?”
The tone gave me chills. Shit. I forgot to text him. “Oh— There was something I had to do.” Omitting the truth was easy. I wasn’t sure why I didn’t just tell him about my training, but this was one thing I just wanted to keep to myself. The look on his face told me he knew I wasn’t telling him something.
“Something you had to do?” His voice was louder this time, and his eyebrows raised. “Rayleigh, I’m supposed to be looking after you!” He threw his arm out in a gesture like I’d run in that direction. “You can’t just disappear like that.” The worry that laced his words had guilt rising in my stomach.
“I didn’t think you’d care…” I mumbled. By the look in his eyes, I could see that my words struck a nerve. Putting myself in his shoes momentarily, I thought about how I would feel if the roles were reversed and knew he was right. I should have texted him. I’d been too distracted by what happened with Kyler. It didn’t matter that I meant to. I hadn’t. “You’re right.” I dropped my shoulders in defeat and gave him my sincere puppy dog eyes. “I forgot to text you, but that’s no excuse. I’m sorry.”
His gaze softened, and he dropped his arms to his side, closing the distance between us. He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and tilted my chin to meet his gaze. “Just try to remember that people are worried about you. I’m worried about you.” At this distance, his eyes sparkled as he searched mine. For what, I didn’t know. “Don’t tell yourself that no one cares. You have no idea just how much so many people do. How much I do.”
I stared at him, his finger still holding my chin, and something went taut between us. I knew he was waiting for me to acknowledge his words with my own, but I could only nod. His finger dropped from my chin, and I stepped back, clearing my throat from the emotions he stirred, before changing the subject. “Ken and Leigh are coming over for dinner.” If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. He just stepped back to lean against the counter and crossed his arms, waiting for me to go on. “I have something I need to tell you guys. It’ll be better to do it all at once.” He blinked. “I’ll tell you what they already know on the way to the store.”
He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head as if clearing his mind of whatever he’d imagined I had to tell him. “On our way where?”
“The store,” I said pointedly. He blinked at me again. “Gah, Kaleb! Groceries. Remember?”
He threw his head back in exaggerated realization, “Ah, right. Grocery store.” He grabbed the car keys and swept his hand in front of him toward the front door. “After you.”
I squinted at him, “What store did you think I meant?”
He sighed loudly behind me, “Honestly, no idea. I was lost in thought.” We walked out the door, and he locked it behind us.
“Are you sure that lady wasn’t just ignoring you?” Kaleb asked after I told him about the mall.
“Yes! Both Ken and I tried to get her attention. We shook her arm, Kaleb. She didn’t even try to yank it away from us.” This was one of the many things I’d thought through because it was possible, but how could she ignore someone grabbing her?
“And you’re sure that you looked everywhere for Leighton?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes! We both shouted her name. She wasn’t there. But then, when I closed my eyes for a second, she suddenly appeared, and the lady could magically see us again as I knocked the rack over.”
He nodded, contemplating everything I said. He was skeptical, which was understandable. “And this guy in the hoodie.” He pursed his lips. “You’re sure it wasn’t just a mannequin?”
That question made me pause for a moment. Only a moment, though. “I’m sure. Because I saw him again under the stairs in the food court.” Kaleb shook his head slowly, clearly having trouble believing me. “All of this happened around the same time Mitch got hit.” I reminded him. Where I thought my emotions would come up again, I found the strength and determination to puzzle this out. “You heard what he said in the voicemail. He felt like he was being followed.” I almost told him about the incident after my training but stopped myself. I only wanted to say it once. It could wait.
Kaleb was silent. Processing. He took a deep breath and let it out extra slowly. “Yep. Something’s definitely happening.”
I stared at him. Dumbfounded. After everything I just told him— “Wow.”
“What?”
“That’s all you have to say?”
His voice went high on the defense, “What am I supposed to say? ‘It looks like we’ve got ourselves a mystery! Let me get Scooby and the gang!’” I knew he was trying to be funny, to bring me back from the cliff I was on, but I was already wobbling precariously on the edge.
“I don’t know! Maybe just tell me I’m not crazy! That you’ll help me figure it out!” I surprised myself with my raised voice.
His teasing eyes softened, and he reached for my hand in my lap. “Of course, I don’t think you’re crazy, Ray.” He rubbed his thumb along my knuckles, calming me enough to take a deep breath. “You know I’ll do what I can to help, but it’s a lot to take in. You’re not crazy, but the situation is.”
He was right. It was crazy. He still didn’t know just how crazy it was, though. Who knew what he would—or wouldn’t—say when he found out about Kyler? “Yeah, I know.” I gently pulled my hand from his grasp and placed both of mine under my thighs, telling myself it was because of the nerves. Not because holding his hand was making me feel things.
He brought his hand back to the steering wheel, and I couldn’t help but notice he seemed a little hurt by my actions. But I didn’t want to explore anything between us until I knew what was happening to me. There’s no reason to possibly put him in danger, too, right? Although, if I was honest with myself, he was probably already at risk. The people I cared about always ended up hurt. Or dead.
Perhaps I should stop caring so much. Stop loving people. That way, no one could get hurt, including me.
But I knew that wasn’t the solution. There’s no telling the answer yet, but it’s not that. If anything, I needed those closest to me to help me get through this. The people I cared about, they cared about me, too. That’s why I was going to tell them everything. Even the things that seemed so strange they couldn’t be possible. Like someone leaving a permanent handprint on me when they tried to stop me from face-planting. Just thinking about saying that out loud made my stomach churn. But I knew if I were to trust them to help me figure this out, they would need all the details. Of course, they already knew he saved me. They’d all seen that.
