Uncle Henry shrugs.
“Well,” I say, “whoever this woman is knows where we lived. Alyssa said a young woman in her early twenties went looking for my dad at our old building Wednesday morning. The strange thing is that she was dressed as a nun and called herself Angelina.”
Uncle Henry’s emotions shift to panic. He tries to keep it covered, but between the wine and the force of his feelings, he isn’t able to.
“Did Alyssa see this woman?” Dad asks.
“Yes, and she gave her our home phone number.”
“What?” Uncle Henry is on his feet, distressed. I feel fear, anger, and complete desperation. He is so vulnerable he doesn’t even bother to stay subtle.
“You need to change your home phone as soon as possible, Nick. If she got a hold of that number, she has your address.”
“I’ll call the company first thing in the morning,” Dad says, and he doesn’t seem as worried as Uncle Henry.
“Not tomorrow, Nick—do it now! If this woman is a reporter, you don’t want her to find you.”
“All right! I’ll call now, but it’s not like this lady can prove anything.” Dad gets up, retrieves his cell from his pocket, and heads into the living room.
I wait until he is gone and then turn on Henry, watching him carefully. “Uncle, what aren’t you telling us?”
“Livia, have you noticed anyone hovering around the house?” He asks, as if I never even spoke. “Or did anyone call here looking for your father?”
“No, nobody.”
“Have you come across anyone who seemed strange? Someone whose emotions you can’t comprehend?” Fear is pouring from Uncle Henry’s body.
I did come across that person in the airplane. Someone was hollow, empty of feeling. But, I can’t tell my uncle that. He doesn’t know I was in a plane.
“Ms. Johnson, my Literature teacher—she is pretty strange. She shields her emotions, and she is even better at it than you.” I watch as Uncle Henry rubs his face and sighs. He definitely knows something I don’t, or why else would he ask me these questions? “But how would you know to ask me that in the first place?”
“That’s a good question.”
“Then I deserve a good answer.” I lock my eyes on his, trying to read what’s behind them. I sense that his concerns are overwhelming him. His mind is trying to find the best excuse he can give me. “Don’t lie to me, Uncle. You know I can tell.”
“I don’t want to lie to you, but I don’t have the answer you want. What I know will only puzzle you even more.”
“Are you kidding me?” I ask in disbelief. “You’re acting like I’m in danger—you fear for me and you won’t tell me why?”
“Sister Angelina told me that the lady went looking for you at the convent, and she wasn’t alone. They demanded answers from her and she was afraid.”
“Why are people looking for me? Could they be my biological parents?”
“They were too young to be your parents. The only thing I can guess is that they know about your adoption, or…”
“They know about my abilities?”
I can sense my uncle measuring his words. “No, I don’t see how that’s possible,” he says, but I know he knows more than what he’s telling me.
“So I shouldn’t worry?”
Uncle Henry nods. His mind is wandering, and whatever he is keeping from me, he’s keeping from my parents, too. I want to know what it is, but I won’t be getting anything from him tonight. There are only secrets and more secrets, and I don’t understand why—he’s always been my ally.
“Livia, just remember to keep your abilities hidden at all times. That’s what worries me.”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” I say. He nods, but says no more.
I give him a hug goodnight and, as his arms go across my back, I’m dragged into his mind. There is nothing but fire and the sensation of air rushing out of my lungs, and I can’t breathe. Smoke smothers the room and I’m searching for an exit; I find a door and kick it open, and I’m back in the living room and falling through my uncle’s grip.
I hit the floor gasping for air, and when I open my eyes, Dad and Uncle Henry are pounding on my back and calling my name. I manage to pull myself up with my dad’s help.
“What happened?” he asks.
“I don’t know. I couldn’t breathe.” I look at my uncle, who’s staring at me in shock. That was his memory, and whatever it was about, it felt like something awful was about to happen.
“Are you okay now?” my uncle asks, and I nod.
“Yeah, I just need to go lie down. I’m tired.”
“Are you sure?” Dad touches my neck to check my pulse, and I smile at them, just to reassure that everything is fine. “Okay,” he sighs. “Call us if you need anything.”
Reluctantly, Dad lets me go and I tell him goodnight, though it will be many hours until I am able to sleep.
* * *
I wake up at 8:30 a.m. to the sun shining though my curtains. It’s about time for a sunny day. I get out of bed, eager to see a blue morning. I open my curtains to let the sunlight in, and I spot Adam down in the yard, walking into the barn. The sight of him is enough to make my heart race.
I throw on jeans shorts, a plain red t-shirt, and tie my Chucks on. I walk downstairs and I instantly smell fresh brewed coffee. I pour two cups and slip outside, where Uncle Henry is just leaving the barn.
“Hey kiddo!” He waves me over. “Good morning! It’s a nice blue sky today.” Well, he’s feeling peachy this morning. I wonder what has changed since last night and if he thinks I’ll let him off the hook that easy. He’s playing a game, but for now, I’ll pretend I don’t notice. If I hang around him long enough, I might be able to figure out what he’s hiding from me, and what that memory last night has to do with me. I didn’t see him in it but it sure felt like we were both there.
“Yeah, finally. Did you meet Adam?”
“Yes I did.” He looks back to the barn. “He seems to know a lot about horses.” He is smiling, but I see there is something more behind his eyes.
“Yeah, he loves horses.”
Silence hangs between us for a moment before he turns back around. “Well, the horses are running out of food, so I asked Adam to come with me to get some, since I’m not sure where the best place for that is.”
“I’ll come with you, too!” I say. We agree to meet at the garage in ten minutes. I tug open the barn door and Adam is standing with Aphrodite outside of her stall, combing the knots out of her mane.
“Hey, you brought me coffee?” He accepts the mug with a trace of his cocky smile. I can’t imagine how I ever thought it was serious—he only acts arrogant as a kind of joke.
“I see you met my Uncle.”
“Um, yeah, I sure did.” He takes a sip of the coffee and frowns.
“What that’s supposed to mean? Was he rude to you?”
“No! He is nice, but he asked me tons of questions about me and my family.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, mulling this over in my head. “He’s been acting strange.”
I walk up to Aphrodite and pet her. I wish I could take her out, but Adam would never agree; he doesn’t know that I can’t really get hurt anymore. I look at him and he’s looking back at me.
“You’re ready to ride her again, aren’t you?” He asks without a smile. His eyes are almost accusing.
“Yes, I am. I’m not going to let that accident scare me away from her.”
“She isn’t ready.” He takes Aphrodite’s reins to walk her outside.
“Wait,” I say, holding his arm. He stops but he doesn’t look at me. “What is it?” He turns to face me now, and his expression hard to read.
“The accident wasn’t meant to scare you..” He exhales heavily and shuts his eyes. “I don’t want you to be scared, but I don’t want you getting hurt again.”
He approaches and wraps his arms around my waist. He looks right into my eyes and I hold his gaze. His eyes so penetrating that I feel the urge look down, but if anyone could see my soul, I’d want it to be him. I trace my hand through his hair down to his neck, pulling his face closer to mine, and I kiss him good morning.
I drive Livia and her uncle to the store to get some horse food and vitamins, but we end up staying longer—her uncle wants to look around at all the tack and feed that I guess you can’t buy in New York City. Livia walks up to the dog toys aisle and I follow her. She wants to get Bento some toys and it gives us something to do while waiting for her uncle. After she gathers a bagful, we head to the cashier, where I see her uncle paying for the food and vitamins.
“Do you think this bone is too small for Bento?” Livia asks, pulling a shrink-wrapped pork shank out of her bag. I turn, but my eyes slide past her and out the window. Standing next to my Jeep in the parking lot, his head covered with the black hoodie he’s wearing, is Stevens.
“Adam? Adam!” Livia turns me around to look at her.
“What?”
“Are you even listening to me?”
“I think he’ll like anything.”
I turn to see if Stevens is still there, and not only is he, but he’s talking to Livia’s uncle, who has exited the store and keeps glancing back our way in distress.
“Does my uncle know that guy?” asks Livia. She looks worried and starts out of the building.
“Livia, wait up!” I call out. She turns to look at me. “You haven’t paid yet!”
“Oh!” To my relief, she walks back inside to the cashier. I take one look outside and Stevens is gone. Livia’s uncle is leaning against my truck, his hand pressed to his temple.
After Bento’s toys are paid for, we make our way outside. “Uncle? Who was that?” Livia asks as we approach him.
“Oh, I don’t know who he is. He was just asking me for directions.” Livia stares at her uncle with doubt. “Have any of you seen him around before?”
I contemplate telling him the truth, but for some reason I don’t feel like I should. “No, must be a tourist.” I open the Jeep’s door. As I get in, I see a note on my seat. It’s from Stevens; he must have slid it through my cracked-open window. I put it in my pocket before Livia or her uncle notices it.
I keep replaying the scene from just a minute ago in my head, and I could swear Livia’s uncle was having an argument with Stevens. Livia must feel the same way, because she stares out the window on the way back and ignores her uncle’s small talk.
When we get to Livia’s house, I tell her I have to go home and study. I need some time alone to think, and I can’t concentrate around her.
“Will I see you later?” she asks.
“How about we go watch the sunset at Fort Casey?”
“Sounds great!”
She kisses me goodbye.
* * *
I’ve been at the lake since I left Livia’s house, debating whether I should look for Stevens. The note he left in the Jeep has an address where I can find him. I have to talk to him and see what he knows about me. It’s not an easy decision, because in truth, I’m afraid of what I might find out. But the more I think about it, I know I have to try. I can’t keep avoiding the truth forever.
The sun is starting to descend but the temperature is only getting hotter. My shirt is damp and stuck to my body. I get up to head home, but hear footsteps coming from the woods.
I turn around slowly to look for the source of the noise, but I don’t hear it anymore. There was someone there, though; the footsteps in the leaves were loud and clear. I walk towards the trees, but no one is there. I wait—nothing! Maybe it was a rabbit, but I could swear it sounded human.
I text Livia as I get home to say I’m picking her up in about an hour. I walk in the living room and my family is gathered, watching a movie. I panic and think of sneaking back out, but Mom sees me first.
“Adam! Where have you been? I tried to call you, but you never answer your phone.”
“Sorry, Mom,” I say, having no choice now but to enter the room and talk to everyone. “I was at the lake—no phone service.” I sit down next to Amanda, who completely ignores my presence.
“Who was there with you?”
“Nobody.”
“Well next time, let me know where you are so I don’t worry myself for no reason.”
I nod. Mom has not been happy with me since she caught me lying about staying the night over at Livia’s. I ended up telling her the truth, kind of. I told her Livia didn’t want to be alone at her house and I slept in the guest room. She didn’t really believe the guest room part, but she pretended to.
“Well, I’m heading out again,” I say, getting up from the couch.
“Where are you going?” Mom asks.
“I’m taking Livia to Fort Casey.”
“Are you two dating?” Kevin asks. “She’s hot!”
“Kevin!” Mom scolds, but glances my way. “Well, are you?” she asks, smiling at me all of a sudden.
“Yes, we are.”
“Yeah, for another week or so. That’s what Adam does, Mom—tosses girls away when he gets tired of them,” Kevin says, mocking me.
“Don’t worry about my love life, Mom,” I state before leaving them. “And Kevin, mind your own business, will you?”
I take a shower, change my clothes, and get in the Jeep to pick up Livia. Butterflies fill my stomach as I pull into her driveway. I think of what my brother said, and he is wrong. I don’t push girls away. They simply demand more of me than I’m willing to share. But I never felt about them the way I feel about Livia.
I check myself in the rearview mirror, and my stomach turns in anxiety, even though I have no idea why I’m nervous about this.
Before I can ring the doorbell, Livia opens the door. “All right, Mom, I won’t be home late!” she calls, stepping out of the house and shutting the door behind us. She’s wearing a bright blue shirt that brings out her eyes.
“You look good!” I say.
“Thank you.” She smiles at me.
We get in the Jeep and head to Fort Casey, about a twenty minute drive. Livia is quiet for most of the way, holding my hand and staring out of the window.
“What’s on your mind?” I ask. “You’re distant.”
“Nothing in particular,” she answers. “I’m just thinking about school and my grandma.”
I know there’s more that she’s not telling me. All of her secrecy is starting to get under my skin. I want to open up to her, to tell her about what’s going on in my life, but I can’t confide in her when she keeps herself so distant.