The Light of Asteria (3 page)

“Can I call you Lexi?” He appraised my form
and smirked. I realized the map was in the Jeep, but I kept
searching, needing a diversion.

“Sure.” …
C
an I call you
Jerk?

Having nowhere else to look, I turned back to
the slouchy neighbor. He seemed to take this as a sign of
encouragement. I grimaced.

“Hey Lexi, I lost my number—can I have
yours?” he asked, moving into the hall.

I really looked at him. A rounded slice of
his hairy, white belly peeked through his gamer shirt and
mismatched sleep pants. His open, ratty robe, which had stains from
who-knows-what, luckily covered the rest of his frame. Greasy,
brown, bed-head, and an unshaven face perfectly finished the
ensemble. His eyes glinted with self-confidence causing fresh fury
to blaze through me.

“Sure,” I scoffed, giving him the number to
the sex addiction hot line. Kate made us memorize it for
opportunities such as this. If he were intelligent at all, he would
have already tried this on her, in which case he had this
number.

Lest he make that connection, I decided I
might be better off trying to find the bookstore on my own. Veering
left of the lawn, I suddenly stopped—a middle-aged man with dark
sunglasses stood beneath the old dogwood tree. My heart sang with a
memory I wasn’t sure existed. The sun escaped an arbitrary cloud,
and I stopped and faced its rays. Familiar warmth enveloped my
heart.

“Excuse me.”

I froze and held my breath. Maybe it wasn’t
him; maybe he was talking to someone else. A small tap on my
shoulder startled me.

“Excuse me,” he murmured again through a
smile. The urge to run was strong, but I fought it down....
Good
grief Noh, get it together
.

Edna preached it was rude not to look at
someone while they were speaking. I kept my gaze down. Alarm ran
through me as I suddenly remembered that the last time I was this
close to him, I felt like I was on fire.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to apologize
for bumping into you yesterday,” he explained.

“That’s all right, it was my fault. I wasn’t
watching where I was going.” Sudden images of light, heat, and wind
whipped in my mind. Distress whispered through me.

“I am Gavin Frey, and might I enquire your
name?” My pulse started to race and my concentration scattered to
the four winds.

“Nora Johnson.”

He startled, and I finally gave up avoiding
those eyes; it really was rude. The most inquisitive expression
adorned his face. I took in air through my nose as slowly as
possible trying to contain the sheer raw attraction running through
me. The hair on my body stood on end with its force, and I honestly
was breathless.

Fearing I may never see him again, I took
inventory of his handsome features. His strong chin and chiseled
jaw led to the most unusual ears. They were ordinary in every way,
except the tops of them rose in the most graceful arch. His nose
was perfectly straight and slightly pointed at the end. It was odd
that he didn’t seem to have a shadow of a beard. I marveled at his
broad shoulders, but held my thoughts ... I couldn’t allow myself
to get carried away.

“Nora … what a unique name.” His eyes
twinkled, and I blushed, suddenly realizing I was gawking at
him.

“That name … has been in my family for
generations.”

Gavin’s eyes narrowed. I stood on my tiptoes
searching past his shoulder.

“Are you looking for someone?”

“My friends were headed to the bookstore.” I
put my feet back down on the ground and concentrated on the simple
act of standing.

“I believe you’re going the wrong way. May I
walk with you?”

“Sure.”

He started forward with the older man falling
in step behind. I could feel his stare boring into me; my stomach
flipped. I glanced back—the man veered off in a different
direction.

“Do you live on campus, Nora?” Gavin asked as
we casually walked side by side.

“No, I’m just visiting friends.” Trying to
get it together, I hurried over my words, as always. “I live on a
small farm, just past Lake Junaluska.”

“Is it a working farm?” It pleased me that he
seemed genuinely interested. He smirked but kept his eyes
forward.

“In a way. We have a few chickens for eggs
and a cow that we milk. We grow our own veggies in the summer, and
Edna has a mean strawberry patch in the spring. She can grow the
sweetest berries in North Carolina,” I proudly rambled. We were
always up to our eyeballs in strawberries. Edna blamed it on good
fertilizer; I blamed it on her green thumb.

“Edna is your mom,” he stated. I found it odd
he would make that connection as I never distinguished her as
such.

“Yes, she’s the best,” I said unintentionally
petulant. People always viewed you differently when you used the
word “foster”. They either were scared you were a social reprobate,
or they smothered you with disgusting pity. That was an emotion
that should have never been created. Pity was strong and could
break the backs of people fighting for survival and respect. I
couldn’t stand pity.

Gavin raised an eyebrow and I was immediately
paranoid. Raw emotions continued to course, and I was having
difficulty handling them. We sidestepped the fraternities playing
Frisbee. My mouth went dry as my mind whirred ... I needed to find
a way to broach the subject … how to ask without sounding
crazy.

“Do you know what happened yesterday? … When
I ran into you, it seemed like …” my voice trailed away.

“Yes? …” He searched my face, and I looked
down.

“Never mind …” Tears filled my eyes as
disappointment ran through me. I hoped he might have some answers.
Suddenly the idea of insanity didn’t seem too far-fetched.

“Where do you live?” I asked, changing the
subject.

“A little south of here.” As he spoke, a
feeling of homesickness and disappointment came over me. His
wistful expression caused my heart to skip a beat.

“You miss home, don’t you?” Compassion and
empathy softened my voice, and I yearned to comfort him, to
understand. He stopped and eagerly took in a breath as if he were
discovering the most delicious scent. We stood there for a moment,
a smile hinted at his full lips, and then we started forward
again.

“More than you know … but it would do more
harm than good if I went back at the moment.” His words seem to be
trying to convince himself and not meant for me. Our steps slowed
as we crossed the street, stopping in front of the student center.
He placed his hand on my shoulder, and I bit my lower lip, trying
not to think about the feelings racing through me. His emerald eyes
seemed almost liquid.

“I know you don’t underst —”

“Nora? What are you doing here?” Holly
bounded out of the bookstore.

Gavin sighed and let go.

“Didn’t you have to work at the hardware
store today?” her bright voice sang as she hugged me.

“Nope, my schedule changed to just Tuesday,
Thursday, and Saturday … Mr. Vernor’s contribution to furthering my
education.”

“Hey, Nora.” Kate was a few paces behind Hol
and had finally caught up.

“Kate, I’m so glad to see you.”

They both ogled at the attractive creature
waiting beside me.

“Kate, Hol, this is Gavin Frey. I practically
ran him over yesterday trying to get to the Jeep,” I said
awkwardly.

Gavin bowed. “Ladies.”

Holly lit up. I knew that look. Men couldn’t
resist it … my heart lurched. She was stunning, rich, and only a
few inches shorter than he was; they looked great together. A tinge
of anger speared the pit of my stomach.

“Nora.” Gavin practically growled … or maybe
he cleared his throat, I couldn’t be sure.

“Yes,” my insides churned with conflict. He
sighed; a smile resignedly curved on his full lips.

“I look forward to running into you again.
Ladies, it was a pleasure.”

“If you’re ever near Lake Junaluska, I’m sure
I’ll see you then,” I said, wishing it were true. Really, what was
I thinking?

Gavin walked across the street. The man with
the black hair joined him, and they slipped out of sight behind the
warehouse on the corner.

“I wonder if he’s related to Brian.” Holly’s
voice rang with real curiosity as she tried to network. Kate rolled
her eyes.

“That’s Brian Gray, not Brian Frey.”

“Gray, Frey … what’s the difference, they’re
both gorgeous.” Holly laughed.

As we walked away, my pulse finally slowed. I
realized it had been racing this whole time.

I didn’t start for home until after three.
The traffic thinned, and I headed out of town. My thoughts were
obsessed. I’d never known a Gavin; his perfect face played in my
memory. Holly obviously seemed interested. She couldn’t take her
eyes off of him. If they started dating, I’d just have to get over
it.

I made my way onto the parkway and up the
steep grade, pulling past the visitor’s center. Trees surrounded
the divided highway like a lush, living tunnel. A gray streak
flashed across the road. Automatically jerking the wheel to the
left, the Jeep jolted and I lost control for a moment. Tire’s
screeched as I whipped the wheel back to the right, preventing the
Jeep from flipping. I pulled to the side.

When my heart finally stopped trying to fight
its way out of my chest, I jumped out to make sure I hadn’t hit
anything. My senses heightened; a plume of black feathers shook
several yards away, just behind a clump of bushes. Painted buntings
swooped from the canopy, deer charged across the road, and the
underbrush stirred as the strange creature darted into the forest.
A small spike of fear stabbed the pit of my stomach. A black SUV
slowly passed by, but dark tinted windows made it impossible to see
who was inside. I smiled and waved at the Good Samaritan that I was
all right. Jumping back in the Jeep, I headed home.

“Ed, I’m back.” I called, running up the
stairs to put my backpack away.

“Ed?” Her door was open, and she lay across
her bed with her great-grandmother’s quilt wrapped around her.

Sneaking back downstairs, I started on
dinner. Eggplant Parmesan seemed in order. I flipped on the old
radio that stood at the counter’s edge. Edna’s favorite country
music blared. Normally the sounds of steel guitars and fiddles
didn’t bother me, but today I couldn’t stand it. Flipping through
several stations, the dial finally found a renaissance marathon.
The aroma of oregano filled the house.

“Evenin’, sleepy head,” I smiled as Edna
shuffled to the kitchen. Harp and psaltery music played in the
background.

“What in the name of Sam Hill are you
listening to?”

“I’m trying to expand my mind,” I grinned.
She shook her head and set the table. I told her about almost
flipping the Jeep.

“It was probably one of those cranes from the
coast.”

That did make sense; although the creature
seemed taller, and I didn’t notice wings.

Edna finally brought up the upcoming fall
festival. I nodded at the right times, not really paying attention.
My mind’s eye still fixed on emeralds and blinding white
lights.

“Nora … are you in there?” She waved her hand
in front of my face, and I stirred.

“Sorry Ed. I guess I’m a little tired.” I
blushed and started towards the sink, needing a diversion from
those sharp eyes.

“So, did you get everything squared away at
HCC?” she asked, turning the music down. Edna refused to get a
dishwasher stating she already had one from the Nora Johnson
Company.

“Yep.” I felt her gaze as I put the first
plate in the drainer.

“Did it take you all day to get things
squared away?”

I sighed in defeat. I wouldn’t lie to her,
but I didn’t need a lecture either. “Nope ... it didn’t take as
long as I thought, and so I went to see Hol and Kate again.” My
eyes stayed glued on Avery through the window. The forks clanked to
the bottom of the sink.

“Remember, Sunny, God doesn’t close a door
without opening a window first.” She patted my hand and walked out
to the porch.

The weekend was uneventful, but the buntings
had taken a liking to the barn. Edna and I spent Saturday watching
them build their nests in the rafters of the old hayloft. I talked
to Hol and Kate after church. They went to the mixer Saturday
night. True to form, Kate had to help Holly home; she was a bit of
a partier in high school.

“So … did you see Gavin?” I couldn’t help but
ask Kate.

“Holly’s been searching for him since you
introduced them, but he hasn’t been anywhere. He would be an
upperclassman, right?” Kate said knowingly. I was sure she could
feel my blush over the phone.

“I guess so … listen, take care of Hol and
don’t let her do anything too stupid, all right?”

“When can you come up? I miss you.”

“Well, how about after work the last Saturday
of the month.” I didn’t get paid until then; surely Edna wouldn’t
mind.

“That would be wonderful.” Kate said
quietly.

“Talk to you soon, and take care, you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter
3—Vernor’s

The first two weeks of community college
brought little in the way of education, but dozens of lavender
blooms now tickled the bottom of my windowsill. Edna had taken some
of the bulbs as starters and given them to her Sunday school. The
vibrant painted buntings seemed to be a new addition to the woods
surrounding our home. They flitted so close I could practically
touch them. All radio stations in the house pointed to the
classics. Edna finally stopped complaining, viewing the new music
as an adventure. Our ridge became popular with the mountain’s
wildlife, and I often would catch animals watching me in the early
morning light as I tended to Avery. I could no longer stomach the
thought of meat, and so vegetarian fare had taken over my diet.
Edna wanted me to visit the doctor, fearing a new allergy, but I
refused, reminding her of one of her favorite philosophies … life’s
about change. Dreams of blinding lights, green eyes, and beautiful
waterfalls overtook my nights, leaving me restless in the morning.
Even though it had been two weeks, my mind stayed forever focused
on Gavin. As I drove to the hardware store, I knew I needed to
convince myself that I would never see him again or I might just go
crazy.