MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) (7 page)

Arriving at Willow Creek, I
park next to Eric’s red Charger. It's pure muscle from the seventies and built
like him. I find Alice standing with Eric close to the starting line. She does
a double take upon noticing me. “Whoa, Ivy! You look hot!” Alice admires.

Eric turns to see me, and
his eyes widen. “Jack’s gonna flip shit if he sees you here like that,” he
warns.

“So. It’s kind of the
point. I need him to lose,” I declare with an impassive shrug.

“What?” they ask in unison
with quizzical expressions.

“We made a deal. If he
loses, I get to drive his car for a week.” I give them a devious smile. “He’s
gonna regret it.” I laugh.

Eric's flabbergasted. “He
said if he loses, you get to drive his car for a week?” I nod my head. “And
what if he wins? Because you know he will.” I dig my toe in the ground and push
my hands into my back pockets without looking or answering him.

“What did you do, Ivy? What
happens if he wins?” Alice pushes my shoulders throwing me off balance.

“Hey!” I shove her hands
off of me and back up a step. She's stronger than she looks. “It’s not that big
of a deal. If he loses, I get to drive his car for a week, and he has to stop
sleeping around.” I continue with haste, avoiding their interrogation. “If he
wins, I have to go stay with him for a month, and stop smoking pot.” I wince at
my statement. Eric's laugh booms as Alice gapes at me. “It’ll be fine.” I
assure her.

“Yeah, right. Well, better
get ready. He’s pulling up now.” She points behind me, and I see Jack park his
car at the line. He gets out of his car and shakes hands with the flagman who
handles the money. As he spots me with our friends, his eyes widen, then furrow
together. His stride is purposeful as he marches towards me.

Yup. Perfect outfit for the
occasion, if I do say so myself.
I'm wearing my black
leather pants with a hot rod red, belly shirt that has a deep ‘V’ cut, and my
black Doc Martin boots. I curled my hair before brushing it out to give it body
with natural looking waves, and refreshed my makeup with black eye shadow and
red lipstick to match my halter. I ignore his anger as he approaches and hug
him around the neck. “Hey! Are you ready to lose?” I chide, smiling wide.

His husky tone sends
butterflies swarming in my core
as his breath caresses my neck and his chest rumbles
. “I know what you’re doing. It’s not going to work,
Sunshine.” He tries to calm himself and gives me a charming smile when I pull
back from our embrace.

I giggle. “I have no idea
what you’re talking about.”

“Uh-huh. I’ve got to get
ready. Are
you
ready to lose?” he counters.

“We’ll see,” I tell him
with a playful push, and he jogs back to his car. I spot the flagman talking to
a group of guys exchanging money, and his hood falls back to reveal his face.
It’s
Trey!
“Hey, guys. I’ll be right back,” I mumble to Alice and Eric over my
shoulder. I bustle over to meet Trey and hold out a thousand dollars to him.
“Put me in for a ‘K’ on Jack.”

“Whoa, Ivy. That’s a lot of
money. Are you sure you’re feeling ok?” his wolfish countenance sours my mood,
but I push past it.

“I’m sure. I’ve got money.
I’m not worried.” I give him a coy smile.
I might as well get something out
of it if I lose.
Trey takes the money out of my hand, and I step closer to
him. Our faces are an inch apart. I know Jack's watching me, and I need to
throw him off of his game. "So what happened earlier?"

He shakes his head in
disbelief. "Sorry
,
I had to cancel. My
boss had some questions about my shift and made me go in to talk to him. You're
still coming to the party tomorrow though, right?"

"Yeah. I'll be
there." I lean in and kiss him on the cheek—more to get back at Jack than
to lead Trey on. Goosebumps cover my body in an instant as a surge of energy
flows between us with a buzzing vibration. My chest tightens, and I feel faint.
Am I getting low blood sugar or what?
My hands clutch at Trey’s hoodie
to keep me upright, and I have to fight for breath when I pull away. I give him
a flirtatious smile. “See you tomorrow.”

“Most definitely.” He's
stunned at my approach, but it had the effect I wanted on Jack.

I glance over at Jack's car
and wave my fingers. He's seething and has never looked as pissed off before.
His hands grip the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turn white. He revs his
engine in anger, and I imagine he's going to blow a gasket. He looks away from
me to refocus on the straight-a-way ahead of him, and Trey jogs between the
cars to start them off, pointing at Jack first. Jack doesn’t respond with a
head nod as usual. Instead, he revs his engine again to signal he's ready. Trey
points to a decked out, white BMW and nods back to the eager driver. He lifts
his hands in the air to pause for a few grueling seconds. As his hands come
down, to my surprise, Jack's primed and ready.

Jack takes off faster than
the previous race I watched him win.
Damn.
The race doesn’t last but a
few seconds. The BMW never had a chance. It was at least five yards behind
Jack. At the finish line, Jack never stops driving. He drifts a hundred and
eighty degrees and races back to the starting line, sliding to a stop in front
of me. He jumps out of his car, leaving his door wide open, storms around the
front of the Skyline, and grabs my arm firmly. His face is close to my own, and
I feel his breath kiss my lips. It scares the crap out of me, but I refuse to
show him any weakness.

“Get in the car,” he growls
through gritted teeth. I let him put me in the passenger seat and buckle up as
he slams the door. He drops into the driver's seat and peals out of Willow
Creek.

Jack pushes the pedal to
the floor as we hit the highway. It's deathly silent for fifteen minutes with
only the strident sound of the Skyline’s roar, and I fear I've ruined our
relationship. “Jack.” He doesn’t respond. “Jack. Please slow down,” I plead. He
doesn’t speak, but he slows down and turns onto a dirt road I hadn't noticed.
He navigates the uphill dirt road like a professional that most people would
have bottomed out on. Slowing down again, we come to a peak of a mountain.

It's
a cliff overlooking downtown Red Meadow. Jack gets out of the car, lighting a
cigarette as he reaches the cliff's edge. I wait for him to take a few drags,
then get out of the car to smoke as well. Leaning against the passenger door, I
take a long drag of my cigarette and take in the view.
I know he's irked at
me for dressing like this, but I didn’t know kissing Trey would set him off
like this. I only thought it would throw him off his game. I wasn’t clear on
how he felt about me. I guess I had to test him to know for sure... Well, Ivy.
Your plan worked really well, didn’t it?
I flick my cigarette and pace to
the edge of the cliff to stand next to Jack with my arms crossed tight over my
chest. “Jack.” He doesn’t look at me. “I’m sorry, Jack.”

He lets out a long breath
and turns towards me. Under the shadow of the brim of his hat, I have a hard
time discerning his expression. His voice is soft, “No. I’m sorry, Ivy. I
overreacted.”

I don't understand why he's
apologizing when I'm the one who should be groveling. “It’s my fault. I thought
if I could distract you that you would stall at the line. When you said it
wasn’t going to work, I panicked. I thought if I could distract you with Trey I
could win our bet.”

“I told you, Ivy. I don’t
lose. And, yes, you did a fucking good job of pissing me off by kissing Trey,
but I have no room to judge. We’re just friends, right?” Guilt pours over me
with his woeful tone, and I nod my head, finding myself hopeful for more than
friendship between us. “He’s not who you think he is though. You can do better
than that,” Jack adds with a tilted grin.

“Thanks, Jack. And for what
it’s worth, I’m sorry.” Jack places his hands on the sides of my face,
regarding me affectionately before he places a kiss on my forehead with his
soft warm lips. Longing for him to kiss me, I grasp his wrists to keep his
hands on my face as he tries to pull away. We speak through our gaze before I
pull his hands down to lead him back to the car. I parade backwards and give
him a coy smile, “Come on. I’ve got some packing to do.” All anger is wiped
from his face and replaced with egotistical pride.

Alice meets me in the foyer
as I come through the door with Jack. “Are you ok?” she questions, worry
creasing her forehead.

I smile at her with
reassurance. “Yeah. I’m good. I’ve got to pack though,” I explain and look over
my shoulder to Jack. He's got that shit-eating grin plastered across his face
again
—beautifully
irritating.

“Oh. Are you sure?” she
eyes Jack as if he's dangerous.

“It
’
s fine, Alice. I’m a big girl. You can go to bed now.
I’ll be at practice tomorrow, I promise.”
Momma bird's scared for me.
I
smile at her again, and she nods to me with acceptance. I close my bedroom door
to pack and hear angry mumbling from Alice as she lays into Jack about taking
care of me. My chest lifts in adoration of her protective instincts.

I emerge from my room with
my bags and guitar, noting Alice has retreated to her bedroom. “Help me load my
car?” I request. He obliges and carries everything out to my car to load it into
the trunk. I close the trunk, taking into account I've never been to Jack’s
house. “I’ll follow you?” I suggest.

“If you can keep up,” he
challenges with his famous cheeky grin.

“Oh, you're on!” We race to
our driver seats and rip the engines in unison. I follow Jack close until we
get to the highway. He cuts over into the right lane and slows down to drive
parallel to me. I look over at his mischievous grin as he swirls his index
finger in the air to signal he wants to race. I rocket ahead of him, cutting
him off before he can gain the lead again. After fifteen miles of staying in
front of Jack, he swerves into the opposite lane to drive parallel to me again.
I wiggle my eyebrows at him and let him pass to lead the rest of the way.

Jack turns down a winding
dirt road, and I slow down with careful steering. I'm unfamiliar with the
untamed road and don't want to bottom out. Maneuvering around random pot holes
for what I imagine to be ten minutes, Jack pulls in front of a ten foot tall
iron gate that takes my breath away. The intricate design of filigree vines are
gorgeous.
Where are we? Is this his house?
Jack leans out of his window
and taps a code into a silver security box. The gates open without a sound, and
he creeps forward as I follow him onto a blacktop driveway. I'm so focused on
following Jack, it takes me a moment to realize my surroundings.

Jack rounds a cul-de-sac as
a huge estate comes up in front of me.
Oh, wow!
I park next to Jack, and
I can’t take my eyes off of the mansion beside me. The Tudor style country
house glows in the night with spotlights on its exterior red brick. The bricks
are irregularly framed with timber, and groups of tall narrow windows line the
second and third story. It's fairytale vines of ivy stretch up the frame of the
house in a welcoming way.

Jack knocks on my window,
startling me, and I roll it down with wide eyes, afraid to enter the estate.
Jack gives me an unsure smile. “Are you getting out, Sunshine?" he
inquires and opens my door before I can respond. He holds out his hand to help
me exit
—
ever the gentleman.

“Jack.” I whisper,
releasing a heavy breath as I blink at the estate over my shoulder and back to
him. “Tell me this isn't your house.”

Jack shrugs, “This isn't my
house.” His tone is inscrutable. “It’s my mother’s.”

What?
“You live with your mother?”

“Yeah. It’s complicated,
and I’m all she’s got to take care of the grounds right now,” he clarifies, but
it doesn't ease the discomfort I feel about staying with him.

“Are you sure she’s ok with
me being here?” I urge.

“It’s fine. I swear."
He points to the top right corner of the estate, "Your room will be next
to mine on the third floor over there. Pop the trunk, and I’ll show you up.” I
chuckle once with discomfort as I bend down to lift the trunk release. Jack
retrieves my bags, and I pull out my guitar from the back seat. He leads the
way to the tall wooden door and opens it for me to follow him inside.

The foyer is lit in a dim
glow, and I focus on a winding staircase before us as my pupils adjust to the
darkness. I'm in awe as I follow him to the second floor which houses a long
corridor lined with closed doors to other rooms. Jack continues to the third
floor and down another corridor. The third floor has fewer doors along the dark
red carpeted hallway. He enters the third and last doorway on our right, and I
follow him inside as he turns the lights on to reveal a dark, cherry wood,
four-post bed extending from the left wall. Across from the entrance is a set
of floor to ceiling French doors with twelve square windows in each, leading to
a balcony overlooking the
side
of the estate. Two
large, wooden doors symmetrically frame a fireplace across from the king size
bed, partitioned by two black, high back, velvet chairs with a square table
between them.

It feels wrong to be in a
room of this stature as I've never been acquainted to such luxuries. It mimics
sixteenth century royalty and smells of pine wood, giving it a rustic ambience.
Jack opens the door to the right of the hearth, exposing a walk-in closet the
size of my bedroom at home. “This is the closet. There are a few things already
in here from when my cousin Jamie stayed with us last summer. Feel free to use
anything you want.” He sets my bag
s
in the closet and
continues to the opposite door, illuminating the space beyond. “This is your
private bathroom. Again, feel free to use anything that's already in here.” I
follow him inside, witnessing a gorgeous claw-foot bath tub along the wall, and
a three sided recessed shower without a curtain. The floor of the shower is
concave so the water doesn’t flood the room, and instead of a showerhead, there
are three discreet jets set into the ceiling.

“Wow, Jack,” I whisper.
“This place is amazing. I don’t want to touch anything!” I laugh in wonderment.
“I can’t believe you live here.”

Jack smiles at my
astonishment. “Well, I’ll let you get some rest. You only have a few hours till
your practice tomorrow. I’ll be right across the hall if you need anything.”

I nod my head, and he makes
his way to the exit of the bedroom. I stop him before he can close the door,
“Jack?” He turns to look at me. I run and jump into his arms, wrapping my arms
around his neck to hug him. Jack hesitates in surprise, then embraces me around
my waist. His muscles are tense with their firm hold, and I imagine he's
restraining from crushing me beneath his massive arms. “Thank you. This is
amazing. I’ve never stayed in a place this nice.” My chest tightens as if it’ll
explode with joy.

Letting me slide back down
to the ground, he places both of his hands on the sides of my face to look me
in the eyes. “It’s no problem, Sunshine. Now get some rest, and when you get
back tomorrow I’ll give you a tour.” He kisses me on the forehead and turns to
leave again. “Goodnight, Sunshine.”

“Goodnight, Jack.”

I find my bags in the
walk-in closet and dig out my trusty, oversized Def Leopard shirt and my cotton
shorts to change. Once I'm in comfortable clothes, I realize how exhausted I
am, but I'm curious to see the balcony. Roaming to the French doors, I pull
them open to find a half, stone wall lining the three sides of the open
terrace. Stepping past the patio table and chairs to the edge of the balcony, I
place my hands on the ledge to lean forward and gaze into the sky. It's bright
with countless numbers of stars I didn’t know were there before. The celestial
sky above is breathtaking, and I release a breath I wasn’t aware of holding.
I
can’t believe this place. It’s beyond… too much.
I'm at a loss for words. I
come back inside, close the balcony behind me, and shut off the lights. Feeling
exhaustion clouding my mind, I cross over to the bed and slip between the
softest sheets I've ever slept in.

I lie in the dark for what
seems to be hours, tossing and turning to get comfortable, but I can’t shut my
mind off. I'm in a foreign place I don’t belong, and my nerves are getting the
best of me. Flashes of my nightmares keep me from complete relaxation as I
never know when
‘
the darkness
’
will enter my
dreams. I sit up and turn on a table lamp beside the bed. I pull the covers
back and tiptoe to the door of my new room. Turning the knob without a sound, I
peek into the hall. It's dark and barren. I close the door behind me. A whisper
of air breathes between the wooden door and the frame, sealing in graceful
gentleness. I tiptoe across the hall to Jack’s door and sneak inside trying not
to wake him.

His room is dark, but I can
see it has the same layout as the one he placed me in. I start to tiptoe toward
his bed and freeze as he begins to stir. I hold my breath as he props himself
on his elbows. He doesn’t have a shirt on, and his impeccable torso peeks out
from the sheets. “Ivy?”

“Hey,” I whisper.

His tone is gruff from
sleep. “You ok?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Jack
doesn’t respond and waits for me to continue. “Can I stay in here with you?” I
think I may be able to sleep better if he's close to me. I need something
familiar, and Jack has a calming effect on me.

“Sure. Climb in,” He pulls
the covers back for me to slide in beside him. Awkward at first, he places his
arm behind me, waiting for me to lay down. “Come on. I don’t bite.” He grins at
me, and I smile back, lying into the crevasse between his arm and his bare
chest before I wrap an arm around his waist, settling in. The butterflies in my
stomach swarm in a frenzy. His body's warm and makes me feel safe, but I can’t
close my eyes, scared of the things that go bump in the night within my dreams.
Jack brushes his fingertips up and down my arm—their faint warmth soothes the
tense muscles in my body and turn them to liquid—until I fall asleep in the
comfort of his closeness.

I awake the next morning,
reaching out to Jack’s side of the bed to notice it's coldness. I sit up to
look for a clock and find one above Jack's fireplace reading ten-fifteen.
I
guess I got a few hours of sleep.
I don’t know where Jack’
s
run off to, but I need a shower. I go back to my room
and amble over to the far side to enter the extravagant bathroom.

Tiptoeing across the cold
tile floor to the shower, I pull the lever from the wall and turn it to adjust
the heat of the water. It's unlike any shower I’
ve
used before. The
spouts streaming from the ceiling are a torrential downpour. I strip my clothes
off, letting them drop to the floor and step into the water, reveling in the
feel of the steam from the emulated rain water. I wet my hair and attempt to
wake up. When I'm finished, I wrap myself in a fluffy towel and brush my teeth.

I leave the bathroom and
observe the open French doors to the balcony. I trail outside to find a plate
of blueberry waffles, syrup, strawberries, a glass of orange juice, and a cup
of coffee
.
Did Jack make this
for me?
Wow. Is it weird I feel like
Pretty Woman
right now?
I get
dressed and return to the balcony to enjoy my breakfast. When I finish eating,
I grab a sheet of paper from my backpack and write a note to Jack to leave
outside his bedroom door.

Jack,

Thank you for breakfast. I
had to go to practice, but I’ll text you when I’m on my way back to get the
code for the gate. I look forward to the tour you promised me. -Ivy

It takes some navigating to
find the front door, but I never run into Jack. I drive with caution to the
front gates. The land around the estate seems to go on forever, and the open
fields have
two
beautiful horses grazing in the distance
—one black and one
white.
The gates have been left open for me, so I
drive through them and down the dirt road leading back into town.

I arrive at Becky’s house
within thirty minutes and sigh at the realization I'm the last to arrive. E
veryone's
here already. I don't think I've ever made it to practice on time.
I wander
to the back of her house where she has a separate guest house made into our
studio. “Hey!” They sing in unison as I enter.

“Hey, guys.” I'm well aware
of their judging eyes.

Alice
speaks
first, “So?”

I know what she's asking,
but I feign ignorance, “So? What?”

“You know what, Ivy! How
was Jack’s?” she wiggles her eyebrows.

“Um… unexpected.” I don’t
know how to describe my night with him, wrapped in his warm embrace.

“Did you…,” she leads on.

“Oh! No!” I laugh. “We’re
still just friends, and I plan to keep it that way,” I tell her, but the truth
is, I don’t know what I want anymore. Jack's charming and caring. Yet, I'm
afraid to let him in more than I already have. I long for it, but fear the
inevitability of getting hurt again.

“Ugh! Why don’t you just
hook up, and get it over with already?” Becky shouts
from behind her
drum set
. She may come across as brash to people who
don't know her, but I have an appreciation for it.