The Second Sign (16 page)

Gabby took a step back and she looked beyond the
veranda out into the dark, murky lake. She saw herself running into
it, swimming until her limbs gave way and she’d sink to the bottom.
Her lungs would take in water, and she would drown.

“Gabby, don’t,” Jake said, breaking her out of her
thoughts as if he knew what she thought.

He stood so close to her she could reach out and
touch him. She didn’t though. She let out a long breath and
returned her gaze to Max.

“I’m sorry. I should shower.” She ran up the stairs
and couldn’t get in the shower fast enough to rinse away the evil
that gripped her.

Her Soul

Jake felt his flesh respond to the sizzle in the air
when Gabby entered the house. She was soaked to the bone, her hair
a matted mess, and her eyes distant and frantic. Somehow he knew
what she’d been thinking as she gazed out into the lake.
Drowning.

When she disappeared up the steps, he turned to Max.
“What was that about?” He couldn’t hide his dislike of her
dead-beat brother.

“Maybe you should come back some other time,” Max
said, his lips a thin line on his face.

Jenna stood up to leave while Jake stood his ground,
shaking his head. “I don’t think so.” He resisted the urge to bolt
upstairs alongside Gabby, snatch her into his arms, and leave this
place. Instead, he sat back down.

“Sorry, it’s just that Jake really needs to talk to
her,” Jenna began and looked lost when Jake glared at her.

“It’s quite all right,” Adler said. He had placed
the cake on the dining table and began spreading candles on it.
“She’ll be fine once she lets things settle. Come, come, I’ve made
some tea.”

Adler wasn’t what Jake expected. For some reason, he
thought of the guy like his father, rigid and professional with
suit and tie. The whole shebang. Instead, Adler wore a bright,
floral print, button shirt with green shorts and sandals. His long
hair, tied back with a leather band, framed his features. His
brown, almond-shaped eyes held Jake in place. Jake couldn’t quite
gauge Adler and it bothered him.

Jenna took his hand and almost dragged him to the
table. Jake didn’t know how he would respond to Max. This brother
he couldn’t quite place. The same age as Jake though taller with
broad shoulders and a rock-solid frame. The guy could be a
linebacker. But his facial features were soft, feminine in a way
that reflected a more serene aspect of his nature. He didn’t look
anything like Gabby. The guy had short, blonde hair and blue eyes,
where Gabby had black hair and violet eyes.

“So you guys are twins,” Jenna began, breaking the
silence.

“Yup, fraternal twins, obviously.” Max smiled. Jake
felt a warmth settle around him.

“Though I definitely think Gabby got all the good
looks,” Adler chimed in, setting down the tray with the tea set.
“Wouldn’t you agree, Jenna?”

She leaned forward to examine Max. “I don’t know.
Gabby’s really not my type.”

Max laughed.

Jake had a sudden urge to stick his finger down his
throat and vomit.

Jenna blushed, her ears turned crimson and a smile
blasted across her face.

Really, Jenna and Max? Not. Not only was she two
years older than Max, she was his sister and Jake didn’t do
double-dates. “So what do you do, Max?” Jake asked, leaning forward
and breaking the flirting.

“What do you mean?”

“Why weren’t you here last night? Gabby waited for
you.”

Adler took a loud sip of his tea.

“I had to visit a friend in upstate New York. I
didn’t know Gabby was expecting me.” Max’s voice hinted that Jake
was stepping over a boundary he shouldn’t.

Jake wanted to be upset but was assaulted by
pleasant feelings. He ignored it and went on. “You’re her only
family and you share a birthday. Why wouldn’t she expect you?”

Max flinched and Jake knew he hit a nerve. At least
the guy cared about her.

“I really appreciate you caring for my sister, but
our relationship is none of your business.”

“It doesn’t seem to be any of yours either,” Jake
retorted. Good feeling gone.

Jenna coughed out her tea. “Guys, guys, enough.” She
looked at Jake with a clear warning. “Let’s not ruin this awesome
event and Mr. Adler’s cake, okay?” She looked to Jake and then to
Max who seemed to stop breathing.

“I love cake,” Gabby said behind them, walking into
Adler’s arms. “I’m sorry about earlier. I was just shocked with
what happened to Marty and all.” Adler whispered something to her
and she met Jake’s eyes, a hint of color rising to her cheeks. She
gave Adler a kiss on the cheek and sat down across from Jake and
Jenna with Max beside her.

“I thought I was rude enough that I wouldn’t ever
see you two again,” she said, taking the knife in her hand, slicing
a piece of cake.

“No, wait.” Jenna stood up, her hands outstretched.
Everyone stopped to look at her. “We need a picture. You and Max,
so we can sing happy birthday before you cut it.”

Jake wanted to strangle himself, but he loved Jenna
more at that moment.

Gabby and Max didn’t seem to know what to do, hug
each other or start fighting.

Jenna took out her phone. “Now, just both of you.
Adler can you please light the candles?” There were two candles on
the cake, and everyone did as they were told.

Max wrapped his arms around his sister and drew her
in tight. They both beamed. Even Gabby had a spark in her eye that
lasted about two seconds while Jenna took the picture. “Now,
everyone.” She motioned for Adler and Jake.

“Nah, maybe just—” Jake began.

“Don’t be silly,” Max said. “You saved her life
today.” He pulled Jake in with surprising strength, and they all
said cheese while Jenna snapped the photo.

Jenna took a picture with Max, while Gabby took a
picture with Jake. Very awkward, but Jenna didn’t mind her part in
it at all. “I’ll email it to you,” she told Gabby who sat down and
started, again, to cut the cake.

Gabby's hands trembled a little bit, and Jake found
he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He wanted to be alone with
her, to apologize, and to tell her Alexi meant nothing to him.

“So what brings you here?” Adler asked Jenna.

“Well, we wanted to make sure Gabby was okay. Jake
was worried.”

“Jenna,” he said, feeling heat under the collar.
“I’m right here.”

“Sorry.”

“Well, come on.” Gabby stood up taking her plate,
rounded the table, and cocked her head to the direction of the
stairs. “We can talk upstairs in my room.”

Max raised a brow. Jake didn’t move, thinking it may
be a trap.

“What?” Gabby asked, a mouthful of cake seeping from
the corners of her mouth. “Max can keep Jenna company for a little
bit. Show her your wings.”

Max coughed.

“Your jets,” Gabby added with a smirk.

Max shrugged like a two-year-old.

Jake followed Gabby.

“Listen, I wanted to apologize for today,” he found
himself saying before she closed the door behind them. He was
always apologizing to Gabby.

She bit into a large piece of cake which filled her
mouth to capacity, leaving crumbs along the rim of her mouth.

Without even thinking, he lightly wiped her lips
with his thumb. “I’m sorry,” he started again, breaking away from
her lips. “I told Alexi how I feel about you.” He waited for her
reaction. To say something. She obviously liked seeing him squirm.
“I’m an idiot.”

At this, she cocked a brow.

“Yes, my point exactly,” she said, wiping her hands
on her pants. “Let’s start over. Hi, my name is Gabby.” She took
out her hand for a handshake.

Jake remembered their last handshake didn’t result
in them actually touching. He also remembered how she reacted to
him touching her hand on the bike. Her eyes were two onyx
slabs.

“We don’t have to shake,” he said.

“I want to,” she responded.

“But I don’t want to start over.”

She humphed and lowered her hand. “You are so
difficult, you know that?”

“Me? You’re the one that’s hard to get. I want to
touch you, you don’t. I do and you flinch.” He shook his head. They
were arguing again, and he still couldn’t get around the whole
touch thing. “I don’t get it.”

“You want to touch me?” Her lips curled in a
seductive grin as she stripped off her sweater revealing a very
thin cami. Her eyes were wild. She inched her fingers under the
fabric of her shirt and lifted it.

Before she could take it off, he snapped out of the
shock and grabbed her wrist hard, pulling her toward him. “What the
hell are you doing?”

“Isn’t this what you want? Will you leave me alone
if I give it to you?”

Something in the way she looked at him frightened
him. This wasn’t Gabby. She was constructing a very thick wall
against everyone around her, around him. But her eyes were what
held him. Rimmed with shadows he couldn’t understand.

“Is that what you think?” he spat out. “Is that what
you really think?”

She bit her lip.

He did want her. All of her. He could feel her under
his flesh, in his veins, in every part of his being.

“I don’t know,” she said.

He pulled away from her and ran his fingers through
his thick hair.

Stepping closer to him, she laced her hands in his
and led him back to her. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms
around his waist, and resting her head on his shoulder.

The smell of her intoxicated him. Her touch sent
ripples of desire through him. But it wasn’t the flesh he wanted,
but her soul.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

His heart rammed against his chest, and he had to
take a deep breath. He pulled away from her to look at the deep
abyss of her eyes and kissed her.

Shattered Breath

His lips were warm against hers, sending chills to
every part of Gabby’s body. His tongue danced inside her mouth. She
wanted to devour it, to devour him. She felt something inside her
meld with him, becoming one with every touch, with every shattered
breath they took between kisses. She drew him closer and felt their
bodies connect, feeling the steady thumping of his heartbeat in
sync with hers. Could this be real? Could she really want this? The
kisses became hard and desperate as if stopping meant death.

Then she jerked away from him as pain swelled up her
leg. She fell back on her bed, clutching her leg. “Take it off!
Take it off!”

Wide-eyed, Jake pulled off her boots, slid off her
socks, and pulled up her pant leg, revealing a thick, long wedge of
ink trailing up her leg. It moved and Jake's eyes looked as if they
were going to fall out their sockets. His mouth opened, about to
say something, when the door burst open.

Max burst through the door. He took one look at the
scene, Gabby in tears, Jake holding her leg and charged with his
fist raised. He hit Jake hard across the jaw, dropping him to the
floor.

“Stop it!” Gabby yelled and fell on her knees next
to him. “Max, I’m fine.”

Jake sat up, rubbing his jaw. “Do you always hit
first and ask questions later?”

Gabby could’ve crawled into the earth and died. They
both stood up, Jake in front of her, protecting her, and kept Max
from looking at her mark.

“I’m fine, Max. I stubbed my toe.” She hoped he
wouldn't argue with her. He knew her enough to know she was lying
out of her teeth.

Max looked from her to Jake and his chest seemed to
collapse. Gabby could’ve thumped her head remembering it had been
him who saved her from Pat.

“Max, I'm fine. Do you mind?” She waited for Max to
wring Jake’s neck much the same he tried to do with Pat.

Surprisingly, Max walked out, closed the door behind
him, and didn’t take Jake’s head with him.

A bruise settled on Jake's face, but he seemed not
to notice, or care. Instead, he took her leg and gasped. “What is
that?”

The marking didn't move. Maybe it had been her
imagination. Maybe he didn’t notice. It looked like a regular
tattoo. “It’s a tattoo,” she said, keeping her gaze on him. He
blinked a few times as if waiting for the thing to break through
her flesh and attack him. Gabby waited for the same thing. It
didn’t happen.

“When did you get this? It looks...different.”

“I got it a while ago, back home.”

“I didn’t notice it when we were at the beach,
swimming, or last night.”

She bit her lip. His gaze went from the tattoo to
her face and then back. “It’s still tender.” She stood up, pushing
down her pant leg. “I'm fine.”

He cocked his head, his hair falling to his eyes.
“You don't look fine. And what's up with iron fist over there?
Doesn't he ask questions first before killing someone?” He rubbed
his chin where Max hit him. “Jeez, I didn’t think your brother was
overprotective.”

“After Pat tried—” She stopped mid-sentence and
really felt like digging her grave.

“Tried?”

She didn’t know exactly why she found herself
opening up to him. She’d never told anyone. “Pat and I have a
history.”

Jake's face turned into a jumbled mess. She didn't
want to dredge up the past with him, but she couldn't lie to him
either. Not about this.

“Do you really want to hear this?” she asked, so
wanting him to say no.

Instead, he clenched his jaw and took a seat across
from her. “Yes,” he said slowly.

She took a deep breath. “Last summer, Pat invited me
to a party at his house. I should’ve known something was up, but he
was nice and so I went...” Her heart hammered against her chest,
wondering what Jake would think of her. Stupid. “I think he slipped
something in my drink because I ended up in his room. I don’t
remember how I got there. He was on me and...” She looked away from
Jake not sure if she could tell him. He didn’t move. “He tried
to...you know.” She shrugged.