In the Dark by Lila Rose (5 page)

I sighed. "What?"

"Them."

"Don't do this, Jack," I yelled.

"I have a right to," he yelled back.

"No. No you don't. You don't get a choice of who I hang out with. Come on, Jack, when was the last time you saw me with someone—anyone? I need this. I need normal."

He snorted. "You won't get it from them two."

"What does that even mean? You always say cryptic shit and never finish it. Is this one of those times, Jack, or will you finish?"

He stared at me in silence, annoying the hell out of me. My hands fisted at my sides.

"You know I'm always gone for you, right? To keep you… to keep all this running." He gestured to the whole house.

"I call bullshit. I know for a fact Dad sends you money."

"Just leave it, Leila."

Ooh,
he called me Leila. This always marked the time he'd shut down on me.

"All you need to know is I care about you. I'll have your back." He sounded weary.

Concern for him fluttered through my system, but I rolled my eyes and turned back to my cold dinner. It was always like this. He'd come home for a couple of days and say some things I didn't understand. We'd fight, we'd make up and we'd fight again. Then he would leave.

I couldn't listen to Jack on the Isaac situation because my uncle was someone who hardly cared enough to hang around. So I'd continue to be around who I wanted. Could I have said the same for Isaac? Had Jack scared him away? Or would Jeremiah have ordered Isaac to stay away from me? There was something about Jeremiah I didn't understand.

Still, it wasn't worth worrying about right then because it was time for my run. I walked to the back door and opened it.

"You running, kiddo." It was a statement, not a question. Jack knew I liked to run. It was something I did every night.

Only, he didn't know
everything
behind it.

Darkness surrounds me. Every way I turn, I see nothing but black. My heart beats hard in my chest. My hands tremble along with my legs. I want to run, to scream, but I don't.

Because I know I'm waiting.

It isn't until I see two small red dots in the distance that I relax somewhat.

"Yes," I whisper. "That's what I'm waiting for."

The dots drift closer and closer.

And in a blink of an eye, which always makes me jump, they're right in front of me, so close I can reach out and touch them… No, touch the face that belongs to those red eyes.

I want to.

I need to.

Even though a small amount of fright fills me, I still know I'm safe.

The red eyes study me.

"You're mine," the voice growls…

The house was quiet when I was driven awake from my dream the next morning. On a day my uncle was home, I would usually hear him bustling around the house or his loud snoring coming from the front bedroom. So the quiet could only mean one thing. He'd left again. I hadn't expected him to leave so soon; usually he stayed for a couple of days. At least I was able to walk around my house without getting into another argument.

I shoved the disappointment down and got ready for the day. After I showered and dressed, I walked into the kitchen and was surprised to find there was a note on the bench waiting for me.

Morning, Kiddo,

Sorry can't stay longer. Something came up. I'll be home soon though. Please be careful, and for once listen to me about your new friends.

Jack

I crumpled up the note and threw it in the bin.

When was the last time I'd listened to him?

He'd never liked me running at night. He actually never wanted me to be alone in the house while he was away. Even suggested once that one of his
girlfriends
should stay here with me. However, after I threatened to shave his eyebrows off and wash all his clothes in starch, he relented and left it alone.

I grabbed my umbrella and walked out the door. At the end of my long dirt driveway, a black Hummer waited there.

I opened the passenger door smiling to myself. "Hey. Nice ride," I said to Isaac.

"Thank you. I thought you would like a lift since it's raining," he explained as he pulled away from the curb.

"You thought right, and now that we
are
friends, you can think of yourself as my personal taxi service. Especially when you drive something this sweet. You never know, maybe if I showed up in this, people might start liking me. I might actually get asked out—"

"Why would you want that?" Isaac growled.

"Isaac, if you haven't noticed, I am a girl, and I do have needs."
Not that they'd ever be fulfilled.

"I have noticed," he whispered.

"O-o-o-kay. So tell me, how much shit did your brother give you?"

He shook his head and smiled. "What about your uncle?"

"Pfft. No one needs to worry about him. We hardly see each other. He's always out with his mates drinking, and whatever else he does."

His eyebrows furrowed. "He doesn't inform you where he's been or what he's been doing?"

"No, and really, I don't care." I shrugged.

It was easy to say I didn't care, but sometimes I wished Jack and I were closer. Then I could tell him the whole truth about myself. Still, my worry that if I did, he would leave, prevented me from opening up.

"Enough about him. I noticed you ignored my question about your brother. Out with it."

"He said nothing."

"You're lying." I pouted. Something I had never done in my whole life. "Let's get something straight here. We don't lie to each other. Well, unless it's a huge life-threatening secret. But if it's something little, you have to spill."

"I'm not sure how this friendship is going to work," he teased.

"Hey, too late to back out now." I grinned.

He chuckled. "Fair enough. Jeremiah said that it would be in my best interest to stay away from you."

I knew it.
"Why? He's worried you'd get the rep as the freak's friend?"

His jaw clenched. "I wish you would stop calling yourself that. I don't like it."

I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah, okay. I suppose."

"He doesn't care what you look like, or what your rep may be." He sighed. "Jeremiah's just being protective."

"That's nice, I guess. That he would look out for you."

"Not only me, but you as well."

Say what now?
"I don't understand," I said, and shifted in my seat to look at him, but his gaze remained on the road ahead. I knew he wasn't going to say anything more on the subject, which annoyed me. I had one person already being cryptic in my life; I didn't need another. However, I reminded myself I wasn't someone who liked to be pushed into a subject I'd prefer left alone, so who was I to do that to another.

"Who in the world is this playing? It's terrible," I asked. The music inside the car had been playing softly, but loud enough to comment on, as well as being a good conversation change.

He smiled and pulled the car into a spot in the car park both the high school and college students shared. "That would be The Smashing Pumpkins."

"And you pick on my taste in music. You have issues, Isaac Grey, and I don't think I'm going to be able to help you."

He let out a roar of laughter. "I was under the impression I was helping you."

I snorted. "You got that wrong. Are you ready?" I asked, my hand on the door handle.

"Ready for what?" He looked on with confusion.

"For the gossip, the whispers, the stares. You do know because we came together, people will think we're…
together
." It was times like these I wished I'd been able to head off to a college in a big city. A place where students could pass each other by with ease, remaining invisible if they so wished. I'd had no choice but to remain home, where it was safe and I knew the lay of the land. I just wished my town had been big enough to attract a different calibre of student. Instead, I had to put up with the ridiculous nonsense of feeling like I was still in damn high school.

He shrugged. "Let them think what they want. I don't care."

"I don't either. But don't say I didn't warn you." I got out of the car. Already, I felt multiple eyes on me. What made it worse was when Isaac came around and placed his arm around my shoulders.

I had to admit, it did fit there perfectly. Still, I had to ask, "What are you doing?"

"Giving them something more to speak about. Unless you would like me to stop? That is, if you don't want others to think that we
may
be together?"

The game could be fun, the best fun I'd had in a long time. But what could be dangerous from doing it was the way my heart already raced from just having his arm on my shoulders. The way I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tilt my head up to see if he would kiss me.

Yeah, playing the girlfriend could damage my brain and heart.

Though, I may as well enjoy it while I could. There was a chance that the game of pretend girlfriend was the only way I would ever receive the feeling and actions of anything remotely like actually having a boyfriend.

Isaac's arm slid away as we walked down the hall.

"What are you doing now?" I hissed.

"I thought you wanted me to stop?"

"No. It's all good. Let the game begin." I gave him my best smile and received one in return as he bent and kissed me on the nose, then replaced his arm to my shoulders.

Be still my beating heart.
No wait, I think my heart just stopped as soon as Isaac's sexy lips touched my nose.

Jesus. I was a dead woman, melting into a puddle of mush because that was the cutest, sweetest move I had ever seen.

Oh, God. I was going to be sick.

Damn that vulture in my stomach.

He led me to my locker—again something I never saw in other campuses from their brochures—so I could grab the books I needed for my double computer science class. I opened my locker door. Isaac stepped up behind me and placed his hands at my waist. His body was so close to mine that I felt him along my own from top to bottom.

My heart sang with joy.

Then choked on rap music because I was nervous.

I quickly grabbed my books and closed my locker, hiding my hands because they were shaking so badly. I turned in his arms and looked up into his eyes. I was surprised to see that, for once, his eyes were smiling like he was. He looked happy. I only wished it were because of me, that he really wanted to be with me, instead of pretending.

I thumped my forehead against his chest and snorted.

"Are you all right?"

I let out a huff of laughter. "Yeah, all good."

"I better head to class."

And I really shouldn't have agreed to this.

* * * *

With no classes with Isaac that day, I didn't get to see him. I wanted to, but chose not to, choosing to chicken out instead by hiding in the library at lunch, away from him and away from all the questions. Jenna and her flock asked me multiple times what was going on whenever they spotted me. By the end of the day, they gave up. Thank God, because I was about ready to kick them all on their shins, and then knee them on their noses. What was laughable was when Jenna even had some cute guy approach me to try and get any type of information. Still, I didn't budge.

After my last class, I made my way to Isaac's car where he was already inside waiting for me. The closer I got, the faster my heart beat. I opened the door to his smiling face and climbed in.

"Hey." I smiled.

"How was your day?" Isaac asked.

"Good." I shrugged as he started the car. "Lots of questions, as I'm sure you got. I didn't say anything to anyone though."

"I didn't see you at lunch."

"Sorry. I probably should have told you. I usually go to the library to see Jim. It's a nice and peaceful place."

"Are you okay, Leila?"

"For sure." I gave him my best reassuring smile. I only hoped he didn't notice it wasn't a real one. "So are you going to drive or what?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you would like to go somewhere with me? Unless your parents expect you home. Or your uncle?"

"Isaac." I sighed. "No one expects me home, so that sounds good."
A way to take my mind off things.
"Lead the way."

* * * *

We pulled up out the front of an old, run-down pub. The sign was half hanging off the top of the building. I turned my head sideways to read it. Boozers.

"I don't have an ID," I said while getting out of the car.

"You'll be fine," he assured me. He took my hand and led me to the black steel door. As soon as he opened it, a number of scents hit me: men, women, alcohol, cigarettes and sweat.

We walked down the long dark corridor. At the end, it opened up to a large, rounded room. People were everywhere. Some played pool, others danced, most drank and smoked, and from the smell of it, it wasn't just cigarettes. Isaac led me towards a booth table to the left, near the bar. He gestured for me to climb in first, so I did, and then sat closely next to me.

"I'm thinking this place is nothing like you've been to before." He smirked at my worried expression.

"You could say that. How do you know about this place?"

"One of my father's friends owns it. It's a safe place for me to come and… relax."

I couldn't help but wonder what he meant by safe.

"Would you like a drink?" he offered.

"Sure, but, ah, non-alcoholic."

"Of course." He leaned toward me. Was he about to kiss me? Only, I didn't find out because from whatever look I had on my face—which I was sure was curiosity—it stopped him short, and the smile fell from his face. "My apologies. I was getting used to pretending." I nodded at him before he left the table.

I bit my bottom lip as confusion settled in. Why would he want to kiss me when no one from school was around?

Could… no, he couldn't have
wanted
to.
Does Isaac actually like me?
I snorted. That thought was just ridiculous. Wasn't even sane. No… but… No, just no. Then I'd go and get my hopes up and like him back, make an idiot of myself if he didn't like me.