Banished: Book 1 of The Grimm Laws (9 page)

J
ust as she had feared
, her day went from bad to worse. Cheerleading practice was a complete disaster, much to Lynessa’s delight. Elle couldn’t remember the first thing about cheering, or jumping, or turning flips, or building pyramids, or anything else that went along with that ridiculous sport. It was all a gigantic blank. She’d hoped that some of it would come back to her, but it hadn’t. Left with no other option, she’d been forced to turn the practice over to Lynessa and Brooke who were all too happy to take over. Edward avoided her like the plague, which was a feat considering that they shared a locker and were forced to interact with each other in order to get their books between classes. Rae kept reassuring her that everything would return to normal soon, but Elle could see the doubt in her eyes. It was a lost cause. She hated her life! Hated school! Hated cheerleading! But most of all, she hated the woman standing in front of her—Sera! The woman was impossible!

The minute she walked through the door, Sera had started yapping. In fact, the woman hounded her so much that she was starting to tune her out.

Sera got up in her face. “Don’t you act like you didn’t hear what I just said!”

“What?” Had Sera been jabbering the entire time she’d been lost in thought? Elle looked at Sera and tried to concentrate on what she was saying, despite the fact that her head was starting to pound.

“You are going to have to get a job.” Sera perched a hand on her bony hip. “I’ll not have you lounging around this house, doing nothing! You will earn your keep!”

Earn her keep? The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. “Between school, cheerleading practice, and homework, how am I supposed to find time to work?” She looked to her dad for help, but he was sitting in his recliner, glued to some documentary on the Discovery Channel. “Dad!” she exclaimed, “I don’t have time to get a job.”

It took some effort, but he managed to tear himself away from the documentary long enough to respond. “Now, honey,” he began. “A job’s not so bad. It’ll teach you how to be responsible.”

“That’s right,” Sera piped in. “A bit of responsibility is what you need.”

Her whole family was crazy. “I have cheerleading practice after school four days a week. It doesn’t get over until 5:30 p.m. How do you propose that I fit a job into that schedule?”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Sera said crisply. “If you have to give up cheerleading then so be it.”

Yes, Sera would love that. It was probably what she was hoping for. Elle looked over at Josselyn who was looking all too happy about the job thing. Her eyes narrowed. “What about her? Does she have to get a job too?”

“Josselyn is my assistant,” Sera countered, lifting her chin. “She follows up with my real estate appointments, picks up the dry cleaning, and does myriads of other things that I don’t have time to do.”

Elle rolled her eyes. “Sure she does.”

“Don’t you dare talk back to me, young lady,” Sera seethed. She looked at Elle’s dad. “Malcolm, did you hear what your daughter just said to me?”

Red blotches started climbing his neck, and he looked like he’d like to be anywhere but in the middle of an argument between Sera and Elle. He pulled at his collar. “Now, Elle, don’t be rude to Sera.”

Elle put on her best innocent face. “But Dad, I wasn’t being rude. I was just saying that I’m sure Josselyn does all of those things for Sera.”

He looked relieved. “Oh … well … then …” He gave Sera a pleading look.

Sera’s face went dark, and she shot a death glare at Malcolm. “Useless,” she muttered under her breath. “As I was saying about the job, I spoke to Lynn Mitchell down the street. She’s looking for a babysitter for her twins, and she needs someone to clean the house. I told her that—”

The doorbell rang.

Elle jumped up, glad to have an excuse to end the conversation. “I’ll get it,” she chimed unnecessarily, throwing open the door. There was no one there. She looked down and saw a box wrapped in metallic gold with an envelope resting on top.
Elle
was scrawled across the envelope in fancy script.

“What is that?” Josselyn craned her neck to see.

Elle looked at the box and envelope in her hands. “I’m not sure.”

Sera reached for the box. “Give me that!”

Begrudgingly, Elle handed her the box but held onto the envelope. “It’s addressed to me.”

Sera frowned and sat down on the couch where she proceeded to rip the paper unceremoniously from the box. She lifted the lid and looked inside. “What the—” She looked accusingly at Elle. “Is this some kind of joke?”

Elle’s eyebrows shot up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What is it?”

She held the box up for them to see. “It’s empty. Why would someone give us an empty box?” She motioned. “Open the envelope.”

Elle slid her finger along the top edge. There was a single piece of paper inside. She scanned it and couldn’t stop the ghost of a smile from forming on her lips.

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Sera spat. “Read it!”

“What?” Sera’s face wrinkled into itself, and she looked like she could spit nails. “How did she?” she sputtered. “How dare that woman interfere with our lives!”

“I think it’s wonderful.” Later Elle would wonder how the box and envelope suddenly appeared on the doorstep at the very instant she needed them most, but here and now, it was a delicious victory. One that she would relish with pleasure. She flashed a smile at Sera. “You told me to get a job, and now I have one.” She shrugged. “Problem solved.”

Sera came off the couch. “I’ll not allow you to work for that coot!”

All of Elle’s hopes dashed to the floor.

“Now wait just a minute, Sera,” Malcolm said, his voice growing stern. “I’ll not have you talking that way about my sister.”

If a bolt of lightning had suddenly split the house, Sera wouldn’t have been more surprised. Malcolm had stood up to her. Wow! Her dad did have a backbone after all. Elle was impressed.

“The woman’s crazy!” Sera fumed. “Look, she sent us an empty box.” She shoved the box at Malcolm.

He looked inside and chuckled. “She is eccentric, I’ll give her that.” There was something akin to admiration in his voice.

Elle’s eyes met her dad’s, and for the first time since the accident, she felt a kinship with him. “I like her,” she insisted.

He gave her an appraising look. “Well, she certainly seems to like you too.” He clapped his hands. “Good, then it’s all settled. You’ll start to work there tomorrow.”

Sera’s jaw started working. “But—”

He held up a finger. “You said she needed a job, and now she has one. You should be pleased, Sera.” There was an edge to his voice—a dangerous edge that suggested that Sera would do well to hold her tongue.

She clamped her thin lips shut, her eyes smoldering.

Josselyn made a face. “But what about me? I want to work at The Chocolate Fountain too.”

“You already have a job. You’re Sera’s assistant, remember?” Elle didn’t bother hiding the triumphant look in her eyes.

“But that’s not fair!” Josselyn looked at Sera. “Mother! Tell her!”

Sera’s face puckered like she’d bitten into something rotten. “You don’t want to work for that woman, Joss. You work for me. I need your help.”

“I hate working for you! It’s boring!” Her lips turned down into a pout. “I want to work at The Chocolate Fountain!”

Sera looked at Malcolm for help, but he only shrugged.

“Please,” Josselyn implored.

Sera’s resolve seemed to give way. “Fine,” she said under her breath. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave Malcolm a pointed look. “I think it’s only fair that you ask Adele to hire both of the girls.”

Elle couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. First Sera was calling Adele a coot and now she wanted her to hire Josselyn. Malcolm and Sera started arguing back and forth. Elle was about to jump into the conversation but stopped short when she saw the words. She looked at the paper in her hands and then did a double-take, not believing what was happening. Words were forming on the bottom of the page. It was like someone was writing with an invisible pen. “There’s more to the letter,” she said, her voice tinged with awe.

Everyone stopped.

Elle waited until the first sentence had been formed.

Regrettably, I only have need of one person and that’s you, Elle darling.

“You’re lying! It doesn’t say that,” Josselyn said.

“Oh, yes it does. Wait! There’s more!” Elle’s eyes grew big and she chuckled. “Never mind, I don’t think you want to hear the rest of it.”

“Don’t get smart, of course we want to hear the rest of it,” Sera snapped. “Read it, now!”

Elle shrugged. “Okay, if you insist.”

Tell that bag of brittle bones my brother calls a wife that I’ll not have her daughter, that cow, in my shop, eating up all the profits.

It was all Elle could do to keep a straight face.

“What!” Sera jumped up and grabbed the paper out of Elle’s hands. There was a crazed look in her eyes. She let out a string of curses. “How dare she!” She spun around and thrust the paper at Malcolm. “Your sister is a terrible person! Do something!”

A look of horror twisted over Josselyn’s face. “How could she say such a mean thing?” She burst into tears and ran out of the room.

Sera shot Malcolm a withering look. “Now, honey, don’t pay any attention to that old bag,” she said, going after Josselyn.

This left Elle and Malcolm in the room, looking at each other. Then Malcolm’s lower lip quivered, and his shoulders started to shake. Tears were flowing down his face, and he was holding his hand to his mouth. At first, Elle thought he was crying, but then she realized he was laughing. Soon Elle was laughing too. A dam broke loose inside of her, releasing all of the pent-up emotions she’d experienced over the past few days. Her laughter bubbled up and consumed her. She laughed so hard that her stomach hurt. Finally, when the laughter died down, Malcolm lifted his glasses and wiped at the tears. “Well, I’ve got to hand it to your Aunt Adele. She certainly knows how to clear a room,” he said, his eyes twinkling. He handed Elle the empty box. “Okay, I think we’ve had enough fun for one night.” He stood, and the heaviness of his situation seemed to descend upon his shoulders as he glanced toward the doorway through which Sera had gone. “Time to go and ease the ruffled feathers,” he said speaking mostly to himself. He flipped off the TV and began straightening the pillows on the couch. “Goodnight, Elle.”

“Goodnight, Dad.” She felt a smidgen of sympathy for this bookish man that had somehow ended up in Sera’s clutches. It had taken a great effort on his part to stand up to her, but he’d done it. He’d done it for
her
, and that counted for something. She watched him walk out of the room, clutching a James Patterson novel under his arm. “Dad,” she called after him.

He turned.

She gave him a tentative smile. “Thanks.”

His eyes softened and he looked as though he might say something, but merely nodded before turning and leaving the room. She shook her head and chuckled, reliving the moment when she’d read that sentence about Josselyn. The words on the page. Had they been there all along? She looked down at the empty box and gasped. It was suddenly full of the most exquisite truffles she’d ever seen. Half of the box was filled with white chocolate truffles and the other half milk chocolate. There was a small card tucked in the side. She pulled it out.

E
lle chewed
on her pencil while reading the algebra problem again for the umpteenth time. It might as well have been Greek. She blew out a breath. Her phone buzzed, and she reached for it. It was a text from Rae.

Hey, there’s something I need to show u after practice 2 mro.

Elle responded back.
Sorry, no can do. I have a new job at The Chocolate Fountain starting 2 mro.

???
Was Rae’s reply. She could imagine Rae, furiously pounding on the keypad on her phone.

She typed back one word that explained it all.
Sera

Great!
Rae typed back.
We’ll work around it. CU 2 mro.

K.
Elle responded.

She put down the phone and tried to concentrate on the math homework once more, but it was no use. Her mind kept going back to the words that appeared, as if by magic, on the page and the empty box that was suddenly filled with chocolate. She glanced at the box of chocolate resting on the dresser. It looked so delectable that she was tempted to dig into it, but the instructions had been so specific—only eat one before bedtime. She frowned. Adele was so eccentric. Still, she liked her. Elle smiled. She certainly knew how to keep Sera and Josselyn in check.

She pulled at the long-sleeved shirt she was wearing. The room felt stuffy and hot, and she was restless. She went to the window and unlocked it. With a little effort, she was able to lift it. The cool air that splashed against her face was refreshing. She looked up at the velvety sky and twinkling stars before leaning out the window and looking down. The roofline for the first story jutted out about two feet below the window. Before she could talk herself out of it, she grabbed the box of chocolate and climbed through the window and onto the roof. She sat down and scooted so that her back was resting against the side of the house with the box of chocolate beside her. There was something calming about being out here, up above the world. It gave her a chance to think clearly. In the open sky, her problems seemed less threatening. She looked up, recognizing at once the big dipper. Her practiced eyes trailed up from the corner of the cup until she found Polaris, the North Star. Ruefully, she shook her head. How could she remember how to find the North Star and yet not be able to remember anything about her life?

“Still searching the stars, I see.”

She jumped, feeling as though her heart had dropped to her knees. She looked up to see Rush walking along the roof. He motioned. “Do you mind if I join you?” She was so startled to see him that she was at a loss for words. Numbly, she shook her head. She wasn’t prepared for the tremor of excitement that ran over her as they sat there, looking at the stars. The silence grew large between them, and she became keenly aware of his nearness. Her heart sped up as she stole a glance at him. The moonlight shone against his chiseled profile. Gosh! He was handsome! More handsome than any guy had a right to be.

Finally, she could bear the silence no longer. “How did you know I was up here?”

“I was wondering how long it would take for you to remember our spot.”

“Our spot?” She looked at him and saw the implication in his eyes. “The two of us have been out here before?” She felt hot despite the cold.

A slow smile stole across his features. “Yeah.”

“Did we used to come out here and talk?”

“Yeah, we talked … ” His eyes moved to her lips. “Among other things.”

“Oh.” She looked away. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she felt like she would have an out-of-body experience.

He let out a low chuckle that sent shivers trickling down her spine. “I know it’s dark out here, but if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re blushing.”

“I am not,” she countered.

“You are.”

He sounded amused … pleased. She smirked. “Don’t flatter yourself.” She used the same phrase that he’d used on her earlier in the day.

He laughed. “Fair enough.” He shifted around until he got comfortable. “What’re you looking for tonight?”

“What?”

He pointed. “The stars.”

She looked at him in amazement. “How did you know?”

His expression became serious. “Because I know you, Elle.”

The sincerity of his words cut through her defenses and encircled her heart. Why was it that things always heated up between them so quickly? He was so close, and they were alone. She glanced at his wavy hair and how it curled on his neck. Her fingers itched to touch it. Things could get out of control fast. She scrambled for something to say—something that would quell this all-consuming attraction that she felt whenever he was near. She cleared her throat. “Do you know anything about the Big Dipper?”

“A little.” He gave her a quirky smile. “The Big Dipper is a part of a larger constellation known as Ursa Major.”

“The Great Bear,” she inserted.

He nodded. “Exactly.” Then he went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “The body and tail of the bear make up The Big Dipper. According to Greek Mythology, the mighty Zeus became enamored with Callisto, a nymph known for her remarkable beauty … not unlike someone else I know.” His eyes lingered on hers, and she felt the familiar heat fan her cheeks. Handsome and charming! A dangerous combination. “Anyway, as I was saying, Zeus and Callisto had a child named Arcas. When Zeus’s wife, Hera, learned of his infidelity, she became insanely jealous of Callisto and turned her into a bear.”

“Ooh, how dreadful,” she cooed.

He ignored her sarcasm and continued with the story. “Arcas grew up to be a mighty hunter. While hunting in the forest one day, he came across Callisto who heard her son’s voice and rushed out to greet him. Arcas, not realizing that his mother was the bear, almost killed her. To protect Callisto, Zeus intervened, turning them both into bears and flinging them into the sky. Callisto is The Great Bear known as Ursa Major, and Arcas is The Lesser Bear known as Ursa Minor.”

“Wow! Impressive.” She smiled. “You really know your Greek Mythology.”

He shrugged. “What can I say? My mother’s an English teacher.”

She made a face. “Really?”

“Yep! You should hear me quoting Shakespeare.” He made an exaggerated motion of clearing his throat and lifted his face to the sky, his arms outstretched.

“From Romeo and Juliet,” he said giving her a slight flourish with his hand.

She began clapping. “Bravo!” Underneath the tough-guy facade was a much more complicated and refined individual than she’d realized. It lay on her tongue to ask him why everyone kept calling him a druggie, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice the words. “Remind me to ask you for help the next time I have to write a paper.”

He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

She swallowed hard, not sure how to broach the next topic. “Tell me about us,” she blurted before she could talk herself out of it.

He looked surprised. “You and me?”

She nodded.

He took a deep breath. “We met in the summer when I first moved to Tower Heights.”

“So you’ve only been here for a few months?”

“Yeah, things weren’t so good for my mom and me before, so we decided to move here to start fresh.” His voice trailed off, and he seemed to get lost in thought.

So, he had a past—a past he didn’t feel comfortable talking about. Even though she was itching to know the details, she didn’t press him. He seemed to sense that she was giving him his space and started again.

“The first day we met … well, let’s just say that things hadn’t gone too well. I was on the team and—”

“Team? What team?”

“The football team.”

“You play football?”

“
Played
football,” he corrected, “not anymore.”

“But what happened?”

His jaw tightened, and she could tell he was trying to decide if he wanted to tell her.

“What happened?” she prodded.

“I misjudged the character of one of the players.”

She tried to make sense of what he was saying. “Which player? How?”

He hugged his arms. “People aren’t always what they seem. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Anyway, I was accused of something I didn’t do, so I quit the team.”

“What were you accused of?” She kept her tone conversational in the hopes that it would prompt him to talk. All the while she was wondering if this is where the drugs came into play. Had he been doing drugs? Was this explanation his way of covering it up? She pushed aside the incriminating thoughts. He deserved a chance to be heard.

“It doesn’t matter. Anyway, I was in the garage, taking out my frustrations on a punching bag.” He gave her a crooked smile that sent her heart to flipping. “And there you were, leaning against the garage door in a sundress and red heels.”

Her eyes widened. Had she really been bold enough to show up at some stranger’s garage door? That didn’t sound like her, although she’d seen those red heels in her closet, along with a red sundress that had splotches of blue flowers on it.

“You brought me up here to your spot. We started talking about the stars … the meaning of the universe … life in general …” He flashed a teasing smile. “That’s where it all began.”

Began … what began? She had to know. “When did we start …” Her heart pounded. “I mean when did we?” The words came out in a jumble. Blast it! She couldn’t get the words to come out right. Then she saw the flicker of amusement in his eyes. She reached out and shoved him. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

He turned toward her, closing the distance between them. His eyes looked midnight blue in the near darkness, but she saw in them that same fierce determination that she’d sensed around him earlier. That unconquerable confidence that willed her to acknowledge him. There was a thin layer of stubble running along his jaw. Her eyes went to his lips, and she remembered how it had felt when he kissed her on the field. He caressed the curve of her cheek with his finger. Her breath caught. “Is there something going on between us?” he asked, his voice going husky. The question hung in the balance, and she didn’t know how to answer it, but resisting him was becoming harder and harder. It was like she was teetering on the edge of a black hole, and despite her better judgment, he was sucking her in—heart, body, and soul. He touched a strand of her hair. Every inch of her yearned to kiss him. She closed her eyes and parted her lips, waiting for his lips to take hers, but nothing happened. She opened her eyes, confused. Had she misread the signals? He was still a breath away, watching her intently. There was a trace of amusement on his face. Humiliation burned through her veins. He was toying with her. She tried to back away, but he caught her by the wrist. “Is there something between us? I want to hear you say it.” His voice was urgent, demanding.

“Let go of me!” she uttered through gritted teeth.

He held on tighter. “I won’t be Edward’s stand-in!” His voice grew hard. “If there’s something between us then I want it out in the open—for everyone to see. I won’t keep slinking around on rooftops, Elle.”

“Is that what you think this is?” A hot anger coursed through her veins. “I didn’t ask you to come out here tonight! I didn’t ask you to escort me out on the field, and I sure as heck didn’t ask you to kiss me!”

He let go of her arm. “No, of course you didn’t,” he said bitterly. “You never do.”

They sat there glaring at each other until he backed up like he was going to leave. A clutch of fear tugged at her, and she realized something in that moment that startled her. She didn’t want him to leave, not like this. “Look, I don’t know what happened between us before the accident. I don’t know what I did to you, but whatever it was, I can’t remember.” Her voice broke. “I don’t remember anything.” She hated the way her eyes were filling with tears. She blinked to keep them at bay. “To hear people tell it, I did a lot of horrible things before the accident, so whatever I did to you … I’m sorry.”

He raked his hands through his hair, and she could tell he was trying to decide whether to stay or go. Finally, he let out a groan. “You’ve got to be the most infuriating woman on the planet!” He cocked his head. “How did a nice guy like me get tangled up with a girl like you?”

She started to spout off a retort until she saw the smile playing on his lips. She gave him a reluctant smile and arched her eyebrow. “A nice guy like you, huh? That remains to be seen.”

He laughed. They sat silently for a few minutes, looking at the stars. He nudged her. “So, where do we go from here?”

She let out a breath. “I don’t know, but I’m willing to take things one step at a time and see where it goes …” she stole a glance at him “ … if you are.”

He turned to look at her. “You know, I think that’s the most honest thing I’ve heard you say.”

She chuckled and held out her hand. “Friends?”

When he reached for her hand, a whisper went through her—a whisper of something old and lasting, something that had been there before, something that couldn’t be erased by time or space. He seemed to feel it too. He gave her a quizzical look. “I don’t know what we are, but
friends
doesn’t quite fit the bill.”

He leaned in, and she half expected him to kiss her this time. Instead, his mouth lingered near her ear. His warm breath sent a tantalizing tingle over her. “Sleep well,” he whispered.

He stood, and all the while his eyes never left hers. A part of her wanted to grab hold of his shirt and put her lips to his so she could satisfy this incredible longing that was building inside of her. Instead, she reached for the box of chocolate and stood. If she couldn’t have Rush, she’d settle for a piece of chocolate. She reached for a white chocolate truffle and handed it to him. “Here, we’ll seal the deal with this.”

He looked down. “What’s that?”

“Chocolate.”

He shook his head and laughed. “Well, life with you is never boring, I’ll give you that, Elle.” He took the truffle. “Okay, we’ll start fresh beginning now. Let this white piece of chocolate … this sugary concoction … this …” he floundered, searching for the right word.