Banished: Book 1 of The Grimm Laws (3 page)

On the night she returned home from the hospital, Sera and her father had sat side-by-side, explaining the family dynamics to her. She’d asked them to see a photo album, hoping that some scrap of memory would surface, but they’d given her some lame excuse about how the photos had been damaged a few years earlier when the basement flooded due to a busted pipe. In the end, the only photos they’d been able to produce were taken a few months before the accident. Even if she’d been able to look at photos, she doubted that she would recognize anything. Everyone around her was a stranger. Heck, she was a stranger to herself, but there was one thing she knew. Even though Sera went through the motions of pretending to care about Elle’s well-being, she obviously didn’t. If only her father were here, he would understand. “When’s my dad getting back?”

“Yes, if your father were here, he’d most assuredly take your side as he always does. Unfortunately, his flight got delayed, and he won’t be getting back from New York until late tonight.”

Elle’s stomach clutched. All week long, she’d been living for the moment when her father would return. She didn’t realize it until this moment, but she’d been counting on him being there to watch her walk across the field.

“Don’t stand there sulking like a lost puppy. It’s a pity he’ll miss homecoming, but Josselyn and I will be there.” She flashed a cool smile. “After all, we’re your family too.” Her voice ran like syrup, but unlike syrup, there was nothing sweet about it—it was all bitter.

Elle hated the smug look on her face. She was obviously thrilled that her dad wouldn’t be there to see her tonight. She swallowed back the disappointment and met Sera’s eyes full on. “While I may not be able to remember everything, I do know that my father loves me. That much I do remember.”

Sera let out a nervous chuckle before reaching up to push a loose strand of hair back into her severe bun. “Well, of course he does, dear. What a silly thing to say. Now getting back to your chores.”

“Josselyn’s chores. I did my chores.”

“Don’t you get uppity with me, young lady.”

Elle blew out a breath. Had things always been this difficult with Sera? “I’m not trying to argue with you, Sera. Why don’t you ask Josselyn? We were both standing right here when you gave us the assignments yesterday.”

“Very well, if you insist.” She craned her neck and yelled, “Joss, get in here.”

A moment later, Josselyn stepped into the room. “Yes, Mother. What is it?”

“Elle keeps insisting that I gave you the assignment to clean the bathrooms yesterday.”

Josselyn’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“You were standing right beside me when she gave you the assignment.” Elle’s face was growing hotter by the minute.

Josselyn was a picture of innocence. “No, she assigned the bathrooms to you. She told me to unload the dishwasher, take out the garbage, and dust the bookshelves. And that’s exactly what I did.”

“What!” She wanted to rip Josselyn’s head off. “How could you stand there and tell a boldfaced lie! You didn’t do all of those things. I did!”

“Elle, why are you saying all of these mean things? You weren’t feeling well, so you lay around all day yesterday.”

“I did my chores first, and you know it!” She glared at Josselyn, daring her to disagree.

Tears sprang to Josselyn’s eyes. “Look how she treats me, Mother. She’s always so mean.”

Elle saw red. “I’m being mean? You’re the one that’s standing here lying!”

“Enough!” Sera boomed. “That will be enough from you, young lady!” She pointed at Elle. “I’m going to tell you what you’re going to do. You’re going to clean all three bathrooms and mop. And you’re going to do a thorough job! Furthermore, you are to pull all of the dead flowers from the beds in the front yard. If it’s not done by the time we get back from shopping, then you won’t go to the game tonight—homecoming attendant or not! Do you understand?”

She was trapped. Trapped in her own house by this horrible woman and her lying daughter. No wonder she’d lost her memory. She’d probably chosen to block it all out because it was too terrible to contemplate.

“Answer me when I’m talking to you!” Sera demanded.

Elle looked at Josselyn who wouldn’t meet her glare. “You win. I’ll do your stupid chores.”

“Mother!” Josselyn wailed. “She’s taunting me.”

Sera placed a hand on Josselyn’s arm. “Never mind her, dear. It’s just noise.” Her eyes met Elle’s. “Insignificant and useless noise.”

“
S
tupid flowers
! Stupid yard!” Elle plunged the spade into the earth, attacking the dead flowers and yanking them out. It felt good to vent her frustration, even if it was only at the beds. The more she thought about Sera and Josselyn, the madder she got. How could her father possibly be happy with that insufferable woman? Being around Sera made her wonder what her own mother had been like. Not like that horrible woman … she hoped. After she’d cleaned the bathrooms and mopped, she called her father, but he didn’t answer, so, she left him a voice message, asking him what time his flight was getting in. Being left alone with the likes of Sera and Josselyn was a miserable experience. Josselyn kept talking about how horrible Elle had been, but seeing as how she’d just told a bold-faced lie, it was evident that she couldn’t be believed or trusted. Then another thought entered her head. A terrible thought that caused her heart to pound. A wave of dizziness enveloped her. Was it possible she was remembering things incorrectly? She swallowed hard, ignoring the way her palms had become sweaty against the spade. Mentally, she ran through the events of the past two days. She distinctly remembered doing those chores. She clutched the spade and thrust it viciously into the dirt. Again and again she attacked the dirt.
I’m not crazy! I’m not crazy!
She repeated the words over and over again in her mind, willing herself to go through the sequence of events from the past couple of days until her head ached.

She was finishing up the second flowerbed when she felt the sensation of being watched. She turned toward the house next door and saw a guy standing on the front porch, leaning against the column. Her eyes met his, and she could tell from his expression that she was supposed to know him. The fact that he was very handsome didn’t help matters. He was tall and lean with black wavy hair and eyes so intense that she could feel the heat of them from across the yard. Her heart began to pound. She couldn’t face trying to make polite conversation with him—not when her head felt like it was about to explode. She looked away, but she could still feel him standing there, staring at her.
What?
she wanted to scream. She looked at him again through narrowed eyes. This time, there was a trace of amusement on his face. She glared at him and was startled to see him chuckle. An unreasonable anger surged through her. She threw down the spade and stood, her feet squared. “What do you want?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Do you really have to ask … Elle?”

The way he spoke her name was almost a caress. The distance between them seemed to shrink, and she became aware of the way his shirt fell along his muscular chest, the strong curve of his jaw, the way his blue eyes sparked when he gave her the slightest hint of a smile. Confusion clouded over her. These feelings. Where were they coming from? She lifted her chin. “I don’t remember you,” she said with more certainty than she felt.

“Well, that’s mighty convenient.”

“What’re you talking about?”

He flashed a smile that disappeared as quickly as it had come. “I’m talking about this
supposed
memory loss thing, I’m just not buying it, that’s all.”

She clenched her fists to her side. “How dare you insinuate that I would pretend to lose …” She shook her head. “Forget it!” She started running up the front steps to her house.

“You know me, Elle,” he yelled after her. “You know me!” she heard him say again as she went inside, slamming the door behind her. For good measure, she turned and locked it.

She ran her hands through her hair and leaned against the door. He was right. She did know him. Her heated reaction to him had come from some deep basic part of her—some primal part that she could never let out. She shuddered. Where were these thoughts coming from? She shook her head.
Some primal part that she could never let out?
She really was losing it. He was some random guy—a neighbor that enjoyed getting under her skin. That was all. Even as she thought the words, she somehow knew that he was more. An image of him, leaning against the column flashed through her mind. That knowing look in his eyes. That cocky attitude. She shut her eyes, willing the image to disappear. She may’ve lost her memory, but there was something about him that scared her—scared her to the core. And somehow, in a way she couldn’t understand, she knew that she must stay away from him. She went to her room and threw herself down on the bed. A nap was what she needed—a nice long nap. Everything would look better when she woke up. She closed her eyes and drifted off. It was in that moment, right before sleep overtook her, that she remembered his name—Rushton. His name was Rushton.

E
lle sat
up in bed and rubbed her eyes. She looked out the window at the darkening sky. Her heart dropped. “Oh, my gosh,” she blustered. It was getting dark outside. She reached for her cell phone—5:45. “What the heck!” She’d set the alarm on her phone for 3:00. Had she slept through it? She pushed her hair out of her face and checked the alarm. It was turned off. She had turned it on, hadn’t she? She jumped out of bed and went to the chair to retrieve the dress. Her mind was whirling. It was almost 6:00, and she still had to shower. The school was ten minutes away, and she was supposed to be there by 6:15. Had Josselyn and Sera gotten home from their shopping trip? “This is a disaster,” she spat, mad at herself for oversleeping. “How could I be so stupid?” She willed herself to calm down. Losing it wasn’t going to help matters. She could get ready in a few minutes. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if she were a little late. The game didn’t start until 7:00, and she wouldn’t have to walk out on the field until halftime. She reached for the dress and let out a cry, not believing what her eyes were seeing. There was a dark stain splattered across the dress that started at the neckline and went halfway down the front. She touched it
.
It was sticky and brown. She raised the dress to her nose. Chocolate! It was chocolate.

Panic rose in her throat almost cutting off her breath. What was she going to do?

“Josselyn, where are you? What happened to my dress?” She ran through the house with her soiled dress across her arm, but there was no one home. Had they left already? Surely, they wouldn’t just leave her here! Angry tears welled in her eyes as she walked back to her room and threw the dress on the bed.

She picked up her phone and called Josselyn. For the first time, she was glad that Sera had insisted that she add the numbers for family members into her phone. She groaned when it went to voice mail. “Josselyn, I’m here at home. Where are you guys? There’s something … chocolate … all over my dress. I don’t know what to do … Call me!” She tried Sera’s number next.

“Hello.”

“Sera,” she breathed, relieved that she’d been able to get at least one of them on the phone.

“Yes?” came the cool reply.

“I’m here at home, and I’m not sure where you are.”

“At the game, of course.”

“You just left me here?”

There was a loud sigh. “We tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t budge. We finally had to leave without you.”

“What? How could you?” Tears spilled onto her cheeks. “H-how could you do this to me?” Her voice broke, and she couldn’t stifle the sob that was building in her throat.

“It’s obvious that you’re in no condition to go to a game,” Sera snapped. “Listen to you, you’re an emotional wreck.”

“Well, of course I’m a wreck! Someone, probably Joss, spilt chocolate down the front of my dress, and then you guys up and left me here!”

“I don’t like the tone of your voice. And I don’t appreciate you accusing Josselyn of—”

Elle let out a groan and ended the call. She threw the phone on the bed and then crouched down on the floor in a fetal position with her head buried in her knees. She let the tears flow freely until she realized her phone was ringing.

“Hello,” she sniffed.

“Elle, where are you?”

“Who is this?”

An exasperated sigh. “Really? You don’t know.”

“No … I’m sorry …”

“Oh, yeah, the head injury thing. It’s Rae, your best friend. Geez, how many times am I going to have to keep reintroducing myself!”

“Rae, I’m so glad you called.” Rae had been the one bright spot in her gray-cast life. From the moment she’d awoken from the coma, Rae had come to the hospital everyday to check on her. Even though she found her outspokenness intimidating, there was something endearing about the spiky-haired redhead. She was so real and practical. Just hearing her voice helped to restore a measure of sanity.

“Where are you? Miss Caskill’s looking all over the place for you. The woman’s gonna blow a pipe if you don’t show up soon.”

She swallowed hard. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to make it.”

“What?” Rae was yelling and there was lots of noise in the background.

Elle told her about the chocolate smeared over the dress and how Sera and Josselyn left her there.

“Okay, let me think. Can you get the chocolate out?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really know how to get stains—”

“Can you Google it?”

“Yeah, I could do that …”

“Never mind, there’s no time. Do you have another dress?”

Elle thought about the yellow dress. Her heart lifted. “Yes, I do have another dress.” She was surprised she hadn’t thought of it sooner. She stood and went to the closet, frantically searching through the clothes. “It’s not here!”

“What?”

“The dress!” She threw up her hands. “It’s not here! Josselyn must’ve taken it.”

“Well, go get it!”

“Yes, I will.”

“Okay, I’ll get someone to pick you up.”

“Can’t you come and get me?”

She let out an amused chuckle. “You really have lost your memory, Elle. I’m here at the game with the cheering squad. I can’t leave. The only reason you’re off the hook tonight is because you’re in the homecoming court. Otherwise, your butt would be here with me.”

That’s right. She was a cheerleader—the head cheerleader. It was so strange that she had no recollection of any of it. Would she remember the cheers or how to do the jumps? What if she’d not only lost her memory but her abilities as well? The thought was chilling.

“Look, you just get ready and go out on the front porch. Someone will be there in fifteen minutes to pick you up. I’ll stall Miss Caskill.”

“Okay, I’ll get ready. Rae …”

“Yes.”

“Thanks!”

“Yep, anytime.”

At least she had one person in her corner. It was comforting to know that Rae was on her side, especially considering that she couldn’t say the same for her own family. She rushed to Josselyn’s room and threw open the door. She went to the closet and began pulling out hangers, frantically searching for the dress. Then she saw it. She grabbed it and was halfway back to her room when she saw the large rip down the side. “Really?” This couldn’t be happening! The dress was fine the last time she looked at it, which was yesterday when she decided to wear the blue one instead. Had Josselyn ripped it on purpose, so she wouldn’t have anything to wear? She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The whole situation was absurd. She sat on the bed and blew out a breath, feeling the time ticking away, but unable to come up with a solution. More tears welled in her eyes, and she angrily brushed them away.

The doorbell rang. She jumped up. Rae said she was sending someone to pick her up, but it had only been five minutes … and she was supposed to meet the person on the front porch.

The doorbell rang again, followed by loud knocking. “I’m coming!” she huffed, running down the stairs. More knocking. “Geez, I’m coming!” She stomped to the front door and threw it open. Her jaw dropped. “You!” She took a step back.

There he was, the guy from next door, in the flesh—standing there, looking her over from head to toe. “Where’s your dress?”

“What?” Her heart bumped up a notch. This guy had hijacked her thoughts all afternoon, despite her best efforts to shut him out, and now he was in the house with her … alone. That he was even more good-looking up close didn’t help matters.

He motioned. “You’re not dressed. Rae called and said you needed a ride to the school. She’s all in a panic because, evidently, you’re late for your own party. When a member of the homecoming court goes missing, people start to get a little nervous.” He flashed a lopsided smile, obviously amused by his own comment.

“Rae called you to pick me up?” She let out an incredulous laugh.

His eyes narrowed a fraction. “What’s so funny?”

She rubbed her forehead. “Nothing, I just can’t believe that of all the people, she called you.”

He rolled his eyes. “I do live next door. And I was headed to the game anyway.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m tired of your silly games. First you storm off when I try to talk to you, and now you’re acting so—”

“What?” she slung back. “How am I acting, Rushton? Why don’t you tell me?”

“Like a complete lunatic!” He stopped and looked at her funny. “What did you call me?”

“I called you by your name … idiot,” she said under her breath.

“No, you called me Rushton.”

“Yes, because that’s your name.”

“My name is Rush,” he said firmly. “Rush.”

She threw her hands in the air. “Okay, Rush, or whoever you are. I appreciate you coming to get me, but as you can see, I’m not ready! In fact, I can’t get ready because my dear stepsister destroyed not one of my dresses, but two!” Her voice rose to a fevered pitch, but she was beyond the point of caring. “I’m supposed to be at the school right now, getting ready to walk out onto the field, and I don’t even have a dress to wear!”

Her outburst didn’t faze him in the slightest. He raised an eyebrow. “Are you finished?”

She wanted to claw that smug expression off his face. “Yes, I’m finished! I’m finished with this homecoming crap, my stupid family, and most of all, I’m finished with you!” Tears were burning in her eyes, and it was all she could do to hold them back. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her fall apart. She turned away from him. “You need to leave.”

He grabbed her arm. “Hey.” She tried to yank her arm out of his grasp, but he held it firm. “Elle.” She turned to look at him. His jaw was hard, but there was something akin to tenderness in his eyes. “Are you really gonna let them win?”

She shrugged. “What choice do I have?” She hated the tremor in her voice. It was easier to vent her frustration at him than it was to accept his kindness.

“You need to do this, Elle. You need to show them.”

“I don’t know,” she said hesitantly. There was a peculiar strength in his stormy-blue eyes, something raw and unconquerable that told her that this guy didn’t back down from anyone or anything. If only she could be that strong. There was something about him that made her feel stronger. Something that could almost make her believe that she could show them … almost. She looked away. “I don’t think so,” she mumbled.

He lifted his chin. “You’re going.”

For a moment, she thought her ears were deceiving her. She bristled. “What did you say to me?”

He leaned forward, close enough that she could feel his warm breath on her face. His eyes sparked in a challenge, and a ghost of a smile flittered on his lips. “You heard me, Elle.”

He was so absurdly bold and cocky, as if he could come in and order her around. A part of her wanted to sock him in the nose and the other part of her wanted … Her eyes moved to his lips and his strong jaw. She thought about how it would feel to kiss him. How it would feel to have his muscular arms wrapped around her. How it would feel to run her hands through that dark hair that was curling against his neck. Heat crept into her cheeks. Where were these thoughts coming from? Her eyes went to his, and she could tell that he was amused—almost as if he could read her thoughts. She cleared her throat and stepped back to put distance between them.

“I’m not going,” she said adamantly.

He gave her a searching look.

She jutted out her chin. “I’m not.”

He let out a breath. “Okay, if that’s the way you wanna play it.”

Her face fell, and she realized with a jolt that she’d been enjoying the verbal sparring. “Giving up so easily?” she taunted.

She could tell from the way his eyes shifted that this took him off guard, but then his expression became serious, and he looked straight at her. “Never.”

Everything around her went still. The connection between them was so strong that it nearly took her breath away. Every part of her was drawn to him in a way she didn’t understand. He was looking at her so intently that she thought she would get lost in the depth of those fathomless eyes. A sense of Déjà vu skirted across the edge of her consciousness, but it vanished before she could pinpoint it. She blinked to break the connection, and the moment passed.

She wondered if he’d felt the connection too, but his expression was too guarded to tell. His tone became light and a smile played on his lips. “I suppose I could drag you out on the field, but that wouldn’t exactly be the prettiest sight.”

She couldn’t stop the giggle that forced its way out of her throat. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Toting me over your shoulder wouldn’t be the best idea.”

There was a mischievous spark in his blue eyes. “Fun,” he murmured, “but not the most appropriate way for a homecoming attendant to take the field.”

She looked away. Things were getting way too steamy between them. She was obviously attracted to him, and there didn’t seem to be much she could do to stop herself from feeling this way.

“Well, look at the bright side.”

She cocked her head. “Huh?”

“Josselyn will be thrilled. Her evil plan worked. You’ll be a no-show, and she can go around, telling everyone how emotionally distraught and fragile you’ve become after the accident. Your stepmother will be elated because the spotlight will then be turned to Josselyn rather than you, and with any luck, they’ll let Josselyn walk out onto the field in your behalf.”

“What?” She glared at him. “You’re baiting me, aren’t you?”

He spread his hands in defeat. “I’m just telling you how it is. The ball’s in your court, Elle.”

“But I told you, both dresses are ruined. One has chocolate all over it, and the other is ripped! What am I supposed to do?”

He leaned in close and touched a strand of her hair, sending a tingle racing down her spine. He smelled of peppermint and the fresh outdoors. For a split second, she thought—
hoped
he was going to kiss her. “Since when do you need a dress to be homecoming attendant?”

Her eyes widened. “Are you suggesting that I walk out on the field in jeans?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. If you go out on that field tonight, you’ll show them all, Elle. They’ll realize they can’t beat you down.” There was a challenge in his eyes—a challenge that she wanted to reach up and meet. “Show them, Elle. Show them the girl you really are.”