Ink (22 page)

We ordered an entire pepperoni pizza and took our seats as we waited for the pizza to come out. Lucy smoothed her black shirt, her necklaces draped nicely across the front of her, hanging perfectly against her skin. I admired the beads and crosses and how they glinted against the lighting. And even more when she was out in the sunlight.

“
Well, I think I might have thrown the book at Lydia too,” Lucy admitted after hearing the story of how I was expelled from school. She smiled warmly, but still there was deep concern in her eyes.

“
My dad probably won’t see it that way. But there’s nothing I can do about it now. I was just so upset.” I looked down in shame. Maybe I was stupid for throwing the book at Lydia. I never lost my temper like that ever. But then again, I never had the opportunity to have to before. She just pushed something in me that no one ever pushed in my life.

“
I tell the boys this all the time that they can’t let this town get to them.” She nodded, taking a sip of her coke.

“
I really don’t know how they put up with it. Whatever you say must work.”

Lucy brushed her bangs aside. “That’s because they have to. They have no choice.” I raised an eyebrow, confused. She placed a hand on my arm. “I just mean we all know what happens when people lose their tempers. They wouldn’t want to wind up in jail… or dead.”

I nodded that I understood and poked at the ice in my cup with my straw. “I feel so bad for Slade. They are saying he was there that night.” I looked up at Lucy.

“
And yet you don’t think so. Why is that?” She leaned back in her seat.

“
It’s like I told Slade. He has been nothing but kind to me since I got here. Someone that nice could never do me any harm I don’t think,” I explained. Lucy smiled, looking pleased.

We talked for awhile about everything under the sun. It turned out Lucy really was a caring person. She was interested in everything I had to say and she enjoyed sharing her own interest with me. I found her to be great company.

I dropped the last crust on my plate, letting out a satisfied groan. “Thanks for lunch.”

Lucy smiled. “Anytime. You should come back to the bus and we could all sing some more together.”

“
Well, I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to impose,” I said, referring to Slade. I didn’t want to show up uninvited.

“
Are you kidding? I know Slade would enjoy seeing you again. He might be hard to read, but I’ve known him long enough to know when he is interested.” She gave me a wink.

“
Interested?” I pushed my hair behind my ear, feeling super nervous suddenly.

“
Slade’s a good guy. Don’t let the outward appearance deceive you. He has a kind heart. But he doesn’t show it to just anyone. The kid has been through a lot in his life,” Lucy explained easily. Unlike Slade, she wasn’t afraid to dive in a little deeper.

“
I think he is a nice guy,” I agreed, conjuring up his image in my mind. I ran my hand across the black heart he gifted me. This drew Lucy’s attention. She pulled my hand over the table to her.

“
Oh boy. Is that ink I see?” She grinned.

I blushed, giving a little nod. “I keep asking him about it, but as of right now, he has me in the dark.” Lucy gave a nod, finally shutting down just like Slade.

“
In the dark about what?” Oz asked, coming to a stop at our table. Lucy and I stared at each other as if we both were unsure what he was talking about, neither of us willing to bring it up again.

“
You’re done so early. Get everything set up?” Lucy asked, balling up her napkin. She tossed it down on her plate.

“
We all came over to get something to eat. Happened to see you living it up with Hope.” He checked his watch. “I thought you said you were coming straight home.”

“
I saw Hope at PauWau. We decided to have lunch. Slade and Kidd are here too?” Lucy asked, giving me the eye as she spoke about Slade. I scanned the area, laying eyes on everything, trying to locate him.

“
Yep, they’re over at the Taco Shack, which is where I am heading because I am not in the mood for pizza.” He gave a wave to both of us, jogging back down the boardwalk.

Lucy stood up, taking our plates to the trash. I watched, curious on what she would do or say next.

“
Well, the invitation stands. I guess I should be getting on home. Hope to see you again, Hope.” She gave a lazy wave, heading off in the other direction, past the boutiques and the Taco Shack.

I started walking down the boardwalk to go home. Dad probably had already called and realized I wasn’t home. And probably was angry with me for being so stupid.

“
Going home already?”

I turned. It was him and I was really happy to see him standing before me. He gave me a wave, holding on to a white sack of food from the Taco Shack.

“
I’ve been gone for a while,” I told him, standing where I was, a big distance in between the two of us. He wore black Dickies, a gray t-shirt, and pair of brown flip-flops making him look ultra casual.

“
Oz said you and Lucy had a lunch date. How’d that work out for ya?” he inquired, taking a few steps closer.

“
Good.”

He gave a nod and a sideways grin, looking me over. “And what the heck are you doing at
PauWau
? What’s a girl like you even setting foot in there for?”

I crossed my arms, stepping a little closer. “I had never been in there before. I was doing a little exploring.”

“
I know a lot of things you could explore.” He cracked a smile, and then became serious. “Do you know
PauWau
means Witch?”

I slowly shook my head no. I hadn’t the slightest idea. In fact, I was debating on where the origin of the word came from as I entered it. “Ooh, like cauldrons and spells and broomsticks. That’s so scary.”

Slade didn’t seem to find what I was saying at all funny, although I was only trying to kid. His expression stayed serious as he looked at me. I dropped the silliness quickly.

“
I’m sorry. I was just making a joke,” I told him, staring down at my feet.

“
I noticed that. I just didn’t find the humor in it. You’ll have to try another one on me sometime. You want to sit?” he asked, gesturing to the bench a few feet away from us. I nodded, following him over and taking a seat next to him.

“
So PauWau means witch. So what kind of store is that then?” This time I was serious. The store was a dusty flea market in my eyes.

Slade pulled out a taco, carefully unwrapping it. He took a bite, chewing quickly before he gave up an answer. “PauWau is owned by Oz’s family. They have a lot of ancient crap in there. It goes back hundreds of years. People come in there for recipes for just about everything. To get over a cold, to have their fortune read, to buy herbs. It’s really hard to name just one thing.”

I nodded. That seemed simple enough. “I was fortunate enough to have my fortune read by Circe. She told me I was in danger, which I already knew, really.” I shrugged. I wasn’t one to believe in those kinds of things. I liked to use logic to figure out my path in life.

“
She’s a powerful woman. Did you believe her?” He poked me with his elbow, popping the last bit of taco in his mouth. He swiped his hands together, getting rid of the crumbs.

“
No, that’s not anything I fall for.”

“
You don’t fall for truth, for the way of the world?” He grabbed my hand, pointing at my black heart. “You don’t think there are amazing things that happen in life, that have a crazy explanation?”

I stared at my heart. “Like my heart you mean? The one you can manipulate into anything you want?”

Slade nodded. “You don’t believe in magic either, do ya?”

I bit my lip, refusing to answer him. He seemed to think he knew what I was going to say next.

“
I know when you think of me your heart speeds up. And your hands tremble as their doing now.” He squeezed my hand. “Do you think that’s magic that I know this, or just logic?”

“
I think it’s you trying to be overly confident,” I said with a smile.

“
But what if it’s more than that? What if it’s something your brain can’t begin to imagine?” He let my hand go. I stared into his eyes trying to figure him out.

“
Well, I wouldn’t know unless you told me. Why not just tell me?”

“
Because it’s more fun this way. I don’t give it up that easily.” He pressed a finger against my bottom lip, starting my heart up.

“
Neither do I,” I said with an airy sigh as I stared at him.

“
Close your eyes,” Slade instructed. I slowly did as he asked, feeling the wind whip my hair across my face. “What do you feel right now?” he asked.

I shrugged, “Nothing.”

Slade let out a sigh. “What about now?” His voice was closer, his breath against my cheek. His hand grazing my thigh.

I sunk deeper into the moment feeling the coolness of the breeze, the ocean’s mist against my skin and how easily it settled in tiny insignificant droplets on my skin. I felt the warmth of the sun against every inch of me. And how soft and intense his fingers felt against my thigh. I felt everything, especially his lips as they pressed into mine. As his hand tangled into my hair. As his body inched closer to mine, gravitating to me. We broke apart. I was out of breath and once again bothered.

“
You always find the right time to lay a kiss on me. Do you do that on purpose to get out of talking to me?” I asked him, sweeping my fingers across his cheek, touching his lip ring, his mouth meeting up with the tips of my fingers for a few seconds.

“
No, I just really like kissing you. And you like kissing me. Any time is a great time. Especially when you let that shy smile escape. I like how it invades your eyes. They light up and it makes you look even more stunning then you already are,” he insisted.

My cheeks warmed. I looked away, flabbergasted.

“
Thanks,” I said so faintly I wasn’t even sure he heard me.

“
You don’t have to thank me. How about I walk you home, and I see you again sometime?”

I agreed, standing up. I would have a lot of spare time now that I was expelled, but I really didn’t want to dive into the topic with Slade right now.

“
Yeah, I’d like that. Maybe you could teach me how you do your magic,” I suggested, waving my wrist at him.

Slade let out a sigh. He rubbed at the back of his neck. “It’s a secret. If I told you I’d have to kill you.” I laughed at him. He laughed back. “I have other things up my sleeve.”

I raised my eyebrow. “Like what?”

Slade smiled. “I can guess what color panties you’re wearing.”

I slapped his arm playfully. “That’s not impressive. That could mean you’re just a peeping tom.”

“
They’re pink. And lacy,” he insisted with complete confidence, not even looking at me for a response.

“
Incredible, you should really take your show on the road,” I teased dryly. “And you’re wrong.” My panties weren’t pink and lacy. They were white and cotton today.

“
Well, I guess that’s just what I would prefer you wear. A guy can dream can’t he?”

We got to my house too soon as far as I was concerned. Slade opened my gate for me. I gave him a wave, heading up my porch steps. Once inside, I shut the door. Dad wasn’t home and Elliot and Easton were still in school for another fifteen minutes.

I gathered up the dirty clothes in the hallway. The idea he thought he was right about my undergarments was still eating away at me. I unbuttoned my shorts and gasped. I wasn’t wearing white panties like this morning before school. I was wearing exactly what Slade had described. I stared at my wrist.

Told you so
stared back at me.

The phone rang in my bedroom, I hurried to answer it. It probably was Dad. I gathered my wits and buttoned my shorts back up.

“
Hello.”

“
You should take a picture. I would love to see them on you,” Slade teased.

I smiled into the phone. “I would ask you how you got my number but, seeing I am wearing pink panties, I’ll just forget about that.”

“
I told you I have a lot more up my sleeve,” he said, causing my heart to pitter patter in my chest excitedly. As eerie as it was to think Slade was capable of something so odd, it was also thrilling.

And kept me longing to know more.

I
heard dad’s van rumble to a stop in our driveway. My stomach knotted up and I felt almost scared. It wasn’t that I feared him, because I didn’t. I just didn’t like to disappoint him. The look on his face when I did was too much to bear.

I hurried across the room, giving the big pot of chili one last stir. I had concocted the idea in my head that if I made him his favorite meal, he might be less harsh on me. It always worked with Mom. Whenever she knew he was going to be upset with something that she did she would make him his favorite food. And sometimes even his favorite cookies.

I sat down quickly at the table and waited. The door screeched open, keys dropped onto the counter with a loud whap, and then he shut the door. I pursed my lips.