When Sparks Fly (18 page)

“Kane. What do I owe the pleasure of this morning wake up call?” He listens and I try to hide my interest. “That’s great, man. Congratulations!”

What’s great?

Congratulations for what?

Shit!

Thankfully, Avery walks into the living room and distracts me from my urge to plop my ear on the other side of the phone so I can hear Kane’s voice.

She asks, “Did y’all make coffee?” Oblivious to my inner turmoil.

I follow her into the kitchen and hop up on the counter while she pours her a mug of coffee. “Did you know?” I ask.

She quickly glances at me. “Know what?”

I pull my knees up and tuck my head onto them. “About the wedding.”

Avery turns completely to face me and frowns. “I did.”

“Because he invited you?”

She nods, “Because he invited us, Angel.”

My legs drop. “Us? As in you and
me?”
I point between us because that’s crazy. “Or us as in you and a date?”

“Us, Angel. He invited us, Angel and Avery Solis. I was working up a way to tell you about it or ask if you wanted to go.”

I hop off the counter and peak around it to Jeremy engrossed in his conversation with Kane. “Wait! That doesn’t make sense. Why would he invite me of all people to his wedding?”

She laughs and bends into the fridge for a yogurt. “Because of Tenley.”

“His fiancé wants me there? For what reason, to rub it in my face that she has the life I could have had?” Avery rolls her eyes and it pisses me off. “I’m being for real here. Why would they want me there?”

She walks to the table and I follow her, sitting in the seat across from her. “You act like the entire town has put a sign on your head that says cheater. You’re their friend, Avery, Tenley’s friend and she wants you at her wedding.”

“And Ezra? Does Ezra want me at the wedding?”

She laughs like this is all ludicrous. “Ezra forgave you a long time ago, Angel. It’s you that can’t let it go. Yes, Ezra wants you there. They both do.”

“It’s weird. Gah! Why does Tenley have to be so nice? It makes it really difficult for me to hate her and I really want to hate her, Avery.”

She gives me a pointed look. “Think about that for a second, Angel. Why do you want to hate her? She’s been super sweet to you, careful about each and every move she’s made with Ezra out of friendship. But you want to hate her? How come?”

I dither in my thoughts, rolling around my reasons and when I come up with one, I realize that it has nothing to do with Tenley at all. She is a lovely person and kind to a fault.

“Because I’m jealous of what she has.” I pull my legs up and hide them to my chest as a chill washes over me.

“With Ezra?” Avery asks, her nose all scrunched real cute.

“No. God, no. Just in general.” I sigh, “Love. I watch them sometimes when they’re together. He looks at her like he thinks she’s the most precious thing ever to exist and she laughs at all of his stupid jokes, which aren’t really that funny, but to her they are hilarious. They hold hands and touch. They smile all the time and it’s disgusting how in love they are. I knew this day would come, him proposing to her. I shouldn’t be surprised. I’m just envious. You know?”

“You want to be in love?”

I blink up at her, the tears stinging my eyes, but she knows the truth. “I am in love, but it doesn’t matter because I’ll never be the precious thing that holds his attention and we won’t hold hands or touch. We won’t smile in complete blissed out happiness, not together anyway.”

“Oh, Angel,” she whispers.

I swipe the tear that escapes, hoping she doesn’t see it. It’s been a month since Kane came into town with a very beautiful blonde on his arm, sending me spiraling again. I think I knew that’d he show up for the benefit, he is after all a donating benefactor. I wasn’t, however, expecting to be gut punched when he walked in with her. We didn’t speak. Though, he had many conversations with my friends. I think that hurt the most—having him so close, yet so far away. I’ve spent the past month doing everything I can to not remember how gorgeous he looked in his suit and tie, but it was impossible when just the scent of him when he walked near me had permeated itself in my senses like a torture device.

Four weeks in misery because I keep thinking that I should have said this or done that. The “what if’s” of my entire life with Kane are driving me insane. The insanity is my enemy and the reason that for twenty-eight days I’ve been fucking away the pain of loneliness and finding pleasure in the lie I’ve blanketed around the two of us.

I swallow hard. “It’s been a month and I can still feel the shock in my chest from seeing him…with her.” My eyes were shut, but now I’m locked in my sister’s soft gaze. “She looked like Barbie you know? All long legs, pouty lips and perfect boobs. Now, her… I can hate and I do.”

“She was annoying as fuck. That much is true.” We both laugh because God, she was. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard and every other word was… like. “Like, we did this. Like, I went there. Like, we know so and so and they’re so famous. Like, this dress is custom made for me by my designer. Like, thank you, my hair is my prized possession. Like, like, like.”

I wanted to shout, “Like, can you shut the fuck up and get off my man because, like, you are all wrong for him.”

Avery’s voice drops low like she has a secret. “Did you notice though that he didn’t look at her with stars in his eyes? If anything he looked at her the way the rest of us did, with exasperation.”

I think on it. “Truthfully, I tried not to look at him. At all actually.”

“That’s a shame because had you done so, then you would have caught him looking directly at you.”

I can’t explain the jolt of electricity in my chest from hearing that, but it’s there. That little flicker of something that makes my pulse race. “He was?”

She nods her head with a grin in place. “Think about it. He didn’t bring Barbie because he was into her. I think she was his decoy date.”

I tilt my head. “What?”

“He knew you would be at the benefit, Angel. What if the roles were reversed and you were there with Ken and he had no one on his arm? That would suck, right?”

I didn’t have Ken on my arm. I had no one. I haven’t let anyone near my heart in two years. “So you think he brought Barbie just in case I had a date.”

“Yes, I do. She’s not his type. I people watch, Angel and I happen to find him fascinating, so I watched Kane most of the night.”

I snort, “You find him fascinating?”

“Yes, don’t you? His mind is a strange, wonderful place. He people watches more than I do and you can almost see the minute he disappears into his head—scheming, plotting and writing scenes. But that night, he didn’t people watch.”

“He didn’t?” I ask almost breathless.

“No, he had a singular interest and that was you. He watched you. I’m sure the scenes he wrote with you in mind are…”

“Stop!” I stand from the table and begin to feel antsy.

“He stared at you the entire night, Angel. He talks about you to Jeremy.”

“Talks about me how?” I turn and look at her.

She shrugs. “Out of curiosity, I guess. I don’t know. Look, I’m just saying his actions aren’t that of a person that has forgotten you.”

“Um…he didn’t even talk to me that night. Besides, he’s still in California and I’m still here, stuck in this small town. That’s one hell of an action, don’t you think?”

She sighs, “You do know the road goes both ways, Angel. You didn’t talk to him, either. As far as California goes, you could always go to him. Shit! Nothing is keeping you here.”

I’ve thought about it a thousand times. “He’s never asked me to do that, Avery. If he had wanted me there with him then he would have said so. That was never on the table.”

“So be the one that sets the table for a change. You want a life with Kane, make it happen.”

I am, but not as Angel Solis. The mind of the broken hearted is a dangerous place. It fractures, splinters into realms of insanity that are hard to break free of. Especially once the lie you’ve tangled around yourself keeps you warm at night and less lonely.

Suddenly, Avery squeals. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. It came,” she says, standing from the table and walking over to the shelf where we store our mail and bills. In her hand is a package that I know all too well. It’s an addiction.

“His book came.” She sighs dreamily as I tear open the package from K. West.

Kane’s new adventures in writing have become my obsession. I pull the book free of the package and gasp at the image on the cover—two hands almost touching. They are either coming together or pulling apart. I’m not sure, but it’s absolutely beautiful. A black feather is falling into dark water on the bottom. Goosebumps prickle my skin.

“Have you read this one?” she asks.

I look up at her with hollow eyes. “Yes, I still have a book hangover,” and I do.

I open the book and touch his signature.
May your wings always set you free, Angel. Never stop flying. K. West
and then I turn the page to find the quote and the dedication. He leaves one in every book, right in the front. And this one leaves me breathless.
Caught in a cage of memories, flightless with clipped wings. Unable to soar with beautiful colors, glued to the earth without a lover. Inspiration from the whispers of the fallen, this is for my Raven.

“Oh, my God. He dedicated this book to her.”

“To who?” Avery asks, reaching for the book.

“Raven.” Me, but he doesn’t know it’s me, and neither does she.

“Who’s that?”

My eyes meet hers, and she studies all of me. I’m terrified.

“I need to go.”

I leave the kitchen with his book clutched to my chest, until I toss it on my bed like it’s on fire and begin pacing my room. My heart is racing and nervous energy is coursing through my veins.

“Hold on a sec, Kane,” I hear Jeremy say and then Avery begins telling him about the book and about my reaction to it. They’ll want to know why and they’ll ask me who Raven is. I can’t explain it. I just can’t. I shut my door, lock it and sit down with my laptop, signing into Raven’s Facebook page, going straight to his page. K. West.

I read his status update and smile, but just as quickly my stomach free falls.
Today has been a day of surprises. Woke up to find out Beautiful Hell is still sitting pretty at the box office and Fallen Angel just became a New York Times Bestseller. Readers, fellow movie goers…YOU ARE EVERYTHING! Thank you. Another surprise, but this is for the readers down in my home state of Florida. I just found out that I will be flirty and dirty on the beach this Fourth of July. I’m excited to announce that I’ll be signing at the Flirty Fourth. Hope to see you there. I love meeting new readers and catching up with old friends. Raven Elise, will we be meeting at this one? Finally! I keep waiting.

Oh, God! Why would he say that? Unless… he knows… that can’t be. Has he been playing this game right along with me this entire time? Well, fuck!

‡
Chapter Two

Kane

“Dude, what did you write in your book?” Jeremy asks.

“What? Why?” My stomach clenches.

“I don’t know. Angel got your book in the mail today and Avery said she looked like she’d seen a ghost when she read the inscription then got all freaked out because of your dedication quote. She’s locked in her room now. Who’s Raven?” he asks.

I sit back in my chair and heave a sigh. I suspected that maybe she was, but I wasn’t certain. So, I threw out some bait. However, if she’s freaking out then maybe my suspicions are correct. I lean forward at my desk, minimize the story I was working on and open Facebook. Raven liked my status, which tells me she read her tag and the question I left dangling. No reply just yet.

The book world is a crazy place. Strangers live in your mind and embed their selves into your life until you believe you know them personally.

Raven was one of those. She was my first real reader, the first one to contact me and tell me that she loved my work, the first one to jump at the opportunity to become a beta reader for future manuscripts. I found myself messaging her, which in turn became a few conversations. Eventually a friendship was built and now we message daily. She was the first one to try and get to know K. West the person, not just the author. She’s a friend and I look forward to our conversations each evening. I feel comfort in our messaging one another, our banter always so easy. She seems to understand me like she really knows me. I feel like I really know her.