Masquerade (24 page)

He slid into the vacant seat next to
me and icy droplets of water fell against my hand. “You are soaking
wet!” I exclaimed.

“
I found you something.”
He grinned.

“
You did?” I
asked.

He held out his palm and
uncurled his fingers. My bracelet was there, nestled against his
skin. I gasped and threw my arms around his neck. “You found
it!”

He laughed, his arms
clasping me tightly, his face buried in my neck.

“
It was
in the lake?”
How did he find
it?

“
I guess I got lucky.” He
said, kissing me on the nose. I laughed and scooped it out of his
hand.

“
I am so glad that you
found it, Hev.” Kimber said.

“
Thanks.”
I smiled. “Can you put it on me?” I asked
Sam
.

“
I think I better fix the
clasp first, before you wear it again.”

I felt disappointed but he
was right. I would rather not wear it than risk losing it again.
“Okay,” I agreed and handed it back to him.

“
I’ll give it back to you
tomorrow.”

I nodded. I knew it would be safe with
Sam.

“
We should be going.” Sam
said quietly to me.

I nodded, ready to
leave.

He stood, his keys
appearing in his hand, and Kimber came over to give me a hug. “I’ll
call you tomorrow.”

“
Sure. I can help you clean
up all this if you want.”

“
You’re the best friend
ever, Heven,” Kimber said, hugging me again. “And I am so, so sorry
about what happened earlier.”

“
I know. Happy birthday.” I
returned her hug.

I gave a wave to Cole as Sam’s hand
found mine. When we were around the side of the house I said, “That
was quite a night.”

He made a sound in his throat. “How
are you doing? You feeling okay?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.” I
smiled, but he didn’t smile back. “Are you okay?”

His arms surrounded me and
his chin rested on the top of my head. He was so solid and even
though he was wet, he was still incredibly warm and I couldn’t help
feeling safe, even when he acted so mysterious. When he didn’t
answer I tried to pull back, but he wouldn’t let me and finally he
spoke, his voice a mere whisper, “When you fell into the lake…I had
no idea that you couldn’t swim. I never would have let you wonder
off that far.”

“
I was hardly twenty feet
away!”

“
It was too far,” he
murmured, squeezing me tighter.

“
But you pulled me out. And
everything’s okay.”

“
Let’s try and take it easy
for a while, huh? At least until prom.”

“
Prom?” I stepped back and
looked up.

He grinned. “You are going with me
aren’t you? You didn’t agree to go with that jock, did
you?”

“
Who?” I
wondered.

His grin got bigger. “Good
answer.”

“
Oh. Brice?
Yeah
, right.” I rolled my eyes.

“
So…me and you?” he asked,
his tawny eyes turning serious.

“
Of course,” I said,
transfixed. I would go anywhere with him, even the depths of
Hell.

“
That’s my girl,” he
whispered, hooking his arm around me and settling me in the
truck.

As he walked around to the
driver’s side, I came
out of my happy fog
just long enough to see his eyes scan the trees one last time
before climbing in and locking the doors behind him.

The Hate

Rage boiled my blood, and I screamed
at the sky. I could feel droplets of spittle gathering around the
edges of my mouth as I screamed, but I didn’t care. I pretended the
moisture was blood…and it had come from Heven.

But I loved to see the
complete devastation that he felt when he saw that corpse in the
woods. He thought it was his precious little love. He’s so
pathetic, standing in the woods and mourning over a silly girl.
Love is for the weak.

The only way to make him
strong…to make him see who he truly is…is murder. The bitch must
die. Though her death will mean his suffering, it isn’t enough. I
want him to feel as much pain as possible. I want his soul
destroyed.

So before I murder her and
spread her insides out for him to see, I have a plan. I will
whisper all the lies he tells her, the secrets he keeps, in her
ear.

How satisfying it will be
when he sees her gaze of love turn to disgust. She will rip out his
heart. I will rip out hers.

Then his soul will be
mine.

The Hope

But the path of the
righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.

—
Proverbs 4:18-19

Chapter
Thirteen

Heven

A masquerade ball – the
perfect disguise. My stomach fluttered and anticipation curled
around me. I almost forgot what this feeling was like. This feeling
of
excitement
.
When was the last time I was
excited about anything?
(Besides Sam, of
course!) I couldn’t remember. I do know that it had been
Before
. Tonight was
different, though. Tonight things felt almost normal.

I turned up the volume on my stereo,
not caring a bit if Mom thought it was too loud. Tonight was my
night. I was going to enjoy it, because come midnight, I turned
back into a pumpkin. Pushing that bit of depression back into the
corner of my mind, I stepped in front of my mirror, not an ounce of
trepidation in the act. I knew what I was going to see and what I
wasn’t.

I smiled, my glossy pink
lips glistening. I looked hot. Just like
Before
. I giggled a little, almost
giddy. I took a moment to really look at myself because I hadn’t in
so very long. My long blond hair was parted down the center, with
two loose French braids woven with peacock blue satin sweeping the
hair away from my face and stopping just behind my ears. The rest
of my hair was left loose to trail down my back, and its softness
brushed against my bare shoulders. My dress was strapless, a deep,
vibrant shade of blue, fitted at the top to lightly flare out just
beneath my bust and float to the floor. At my knees the color of
the fabric began to fade, and where it skimmed the floor, it turned
silver. Around my neck hung a silver teardrop pendant, and on my
feet were strappy silver flats. No heels for me. Secretly, I liked
being short. Especially when I stood next to Sam. He towered over
me, always, unknowingly, making me feel protected. My stomach did a
little flip at the thought. I could almost die waiting to see what
he would say when he saw me tonight.

Tonight things would change for
us.

I was ready.

Ready to say the words he wanted to
hear.

The doorbell rang, and my heart fell
to my belly. He was here! I took a calming breath, not that it
helped, and looked back in the mirror once more. I did my makeup
tonight, lining my eyes in charcoal, giving them a smoky look, and
adding a silvery shadow to my lids. The rest of my face was more
natural, but it needed to be because of the mask. At first I was
thrilled to wear a mask because it was a chance to cover up my
scars, to be like everyone else for a night. It definitely hid my
scars, but it also looked dramatic, stylish and a little bit
mysterious.

“
Heven, you’re date is
here,” Mom called up the stairs.

“
Coming!” I called,
checking the mask one last time.

It was the same color blue as my
dress. It molded perfectly around the side of my face with soft
feathers tipped in silver, curling around my cheek and eye. It
managed to cover every inch of my ugliness and highlighted the blue
of my eyes and the creaminess of my skin.

Like I said, I was hot.

With a spin I grabbed my bracelet off
my dresser and left my room, practically running down the
stairs.

Sam was waiting.

When I descended the stairs a hush
fell over the room. I realize that there was only mom and Sam, but
I swear it felt like every single noise, every single movement
stopped for a few precious seconds. How could I have ever doubted
my beauty, my confidence…my self-worth?

“
Heven, honey, you look
beautiful.” My mother gasped in a hushed tone. “You’re just
stunning.”

“
Thanks, Mom,” I said, but
I didn’t look her way. I was too busy looking at Sam.

His whiskey colored eyes widened at
the sight of me and I saw him draw a breath that he never let out.
The hand to his side flexed, almost as if he ached to touch me. I
liked to imagine that he did.

The silk of my dress
brushed against my ankles as I stepped down off the last step and
Sam closed the distance between us in two great strides. But then
he stopped, not touching me the way I imagined. Instead he stared,
those honey gold eyes never leaving me.

“
You two are just gorgeous
together. Let me get a photo.” Mom ran from the room to get a
camera, but I barely noticed.

“
Hi,” I
murmured.

“
Hi,” he said, clearing
his throat. “You look…” his words fell away and I saw his Adam’s
apple bob against the collar of his shirt. “I’ve never seen anyone
so beautiful.”

“
You clean up good
yourself.” I blushed. “Is that for me?” I asked, looking down at
the clear box that held a flower.

“
Yes.” He fumbled with the
lid, having to try twice to get it open. I smiled. It was the first
time I had ever seen him fumble at anything. Usually he was so sure
of himself. Finally he lifted out a delicate flower. It was a white
lily with blue and silver ribbons. I held out my arm and he slid it
over my wrist. It was perfect.

Mom rushed back in the
room with a camera and another clear box. “Oh! I forgot,” I said,
rushing over to take the box. “Thanks, Mom.”

Mom snapped pictures as I
leaned in close to pin the boutonniere on the jacket of his tux. It
was also a white Lily with blue and silver ribbon. I couldn’t help
but breathe deeply of his deep, natural scent. I was so proud to
call him mine.

We posed for several
pictures and for once, I didn’t mind being in front of the camera.
With my head held high I smiled while Sam placed his arm around my
waist. When we were finished, Mom reminded me of my curfew, and
then Sam whisked me out the door.

It was the start of what I hoped would
be a very memorable evening.

He couldn’t keep his eyes off me. Or
his hands. It was amazing the number of ways he could find to touch
me in some small way: his palm at the small of my back, knuckles
across my cheek, and his fingers playing with the ends of my hair.
If this night was a dream, I prayed I’d never wake up. He pulled
the truck into one of the last parking spaces and shut off the
engine. His eyes were unreadable and delicious as he leaned toward
me, brushing his arm across my lap to open my door.

“
Stay put,” he whispered,
withdrawing his arm. “I’ll be right there to help you.”

And he was, placing his hands at my
waist and lifting me from the truck’s cab. “You’re so beautiful I
can barely breathe tonight.”

I didn’t respond because I
couldn’t breathe either
.
These last few weeks had been like a
fairytale.

He stood me on my feet and leaned in
close. “Your heart is racing.”

I nodded. The way he smelled, the heat
of his body…I was surrounded by him. I leaned back, mere inches, to
rest against the side of the truck, settling in.

“
Careful,” he warned,
slipping his hands between me and the truck. “Don’t want to get
that dress dirty.”

At the moment I didn’t
care.

“
Ready to go
in?”

I shook my head.

He laughed softly and dipped his head.
His lips were like they always were – warm, soft and giving. His
breath was sweet like a candy only he knew about, and his tongue
was just the right combination of rough and gentle. I moaned and
wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back, hoping that
maybe my kisses were just as sweet to him.

“
Careful,” he warned a
second time. “Kiss me like that again and your dress may not make
it.”

I blushed, secretly pleased, and
pulled back. “Can I get my bag?” I motioned at the door.

He opened the door, and I
reached in to grab my handbag. Out of it I pulled my pink
gloss
and reapplied it. He watched as if
fascinated by my movements. When I was done he asked, “Where is
your whistle? You aren’t wearing it.”