SilverMoonLight (SilverMoonSaga Book 1) (22 page)

Where
was Calum? I lay on his bed, covered in his warm quilt. This afternoon was the
first time we had seen each other for the last few days, and now it seemed I
had gone and fallen asleep. Every moment with him was precious, but the dark,
rainy fall weather had made me sleepy. What was going on outside? I jumped as I
recognized Dr. Erickson’s voice. Why was he home? Sophie hadn’t expected him
back from Glasgow until later in the evening. He visited the university now and
then as a guest lecturer on Scottish mythology. Did he know I was here? Were
they talking about me?

They
were arguing, that much was clear. Dr. Erickson sounded furious, and Calum was
trying to placate him.

»You
have to end it, and immediately,« I heard Dr. Erickson say. »I won’t allow it.
Either you tell her or I’ll go to her uncle. That’s my last word.«

A
cold hand gripped my heart.

I
couldn’t make out Calum’s answer because he spoke too softly. Then he came in
and sat down gently on the edge of the bed.

»Emma,«
he whispered tenderly, touching my shoulder. »You have to wake up.«

I
slowly opened my eyes. His appearance shocked me: His skin was pale, shimmering
in the darkness, and his eyes were intensely bright, just as always when he got
angry.

»You
have to go home; it’s getting late.«

I
sat up slowly, and was about to reach for his hand when he stood up and turned
his back to me.

»I’ll
wait for you downstairs.«

With
those words, he was gone. I hastily pulled on my jacket and followed him down
the steps. The sound of clinking crockery was coming from the kitchen.

»I
want to say goodbye to Sophie,« I said, but Calum shook his head.

»It’s
better if we just go.«

We
walked off alongside each other, an unfamiliar distance between us.

Once
Amelie saw us walking towards her, she looked stunned. Normally, Calum and I
never went outside together in public; there was too much of a risk that Ethan
would find out. But in this weather, and at this hour, we were unlikely to meet
another soul.

He
stroked my cheek gently as we said goodbye. I guessed his touch more than I
felt it. Then he turned around, and in no time at all, vanished into the
falling darkness.

Amelie
and I walked home, silently at first.

»Is
everything okay?« she piped up.

I
shrugged.

»It’s
not easy for you guys, is it? You always have to hide yourselves away in the
house.«

I
burrowed my hands down deeper into my pockets and tried to hide my face behind
my collar. It was of little help against the biting wind.

»We
should take a break from the library ruse for a while. I think Dad’s getting
suspicious. He might end up going there to check whether we’re telling the
truth.«

I
nodded. She was probably right. It must look strange that we hardly ever spent
an afternoon at home.

My
heart contracted painfully at the thought of having to spend more afternoons
without Calum.

»We
could get some people together to go to the movies. Aidan could ask Calum. What
do you think?«

»That’s
a good idea.« Amelie gave a triumphant smile.

As
was typical of Amelie, she put her plan into action the very next day. We
stayed home the whole afternoon and played Monopoly with Amber and Hannah. It
wasn’t my favorite game by any means, but I was outvoted. Ethan sat on the sofa
reading the newspaper. Now and then he joined in to help Amber or Hannah, but
it wasn’t really necessary—they were already beating me hands down. Amelie won,
and I couldn’t help but think she had cheated somehow.

At
dinner, she launched into the attack.

»Dad,
we were thinking of going to the movies on Friday with a few people. Would that
be okay with you both?« She turned to Bree.

Bree
nodded in agreement.

»Is
something good on?«

»I
don’t know yet, I wanted to ask if it was okay first.«

Ethan
gave Amelie a suspicious look. He knew his daughter too well, and when she
asked for something in this sugary sweet tone there was usually something else
behind it.

»Who’s
going?« he asked, still cutting his cutlet.

»I
think Jamie, Marc, Bryan, Aidan. We’ll ask around tomorrow to see who fancies
it.« She looked at him expectantly.

»You’ll
be back by eleven at the latest,« he grumbled.

»Come
on, Dad,« protested Amelie. »We’re not babies anymore. We can go to the pub
afterwards, can’t we?«

»Will
you go too, Peter?«

Now
Bree interrupted. »They really don’t need a chaperone anymore, Ethan.«

And
with that, it was all agreed, much more easily than expected.

On
Friday evening we got ready to head off to the movie theatre.

»Peter,
are you coming after all?« I asked, as he came over to join us.

»No,
I’m meeting a few friends in the pub. Emma, Amelie told me that Calum’s going
too.«

I
looked at him.

»Be
careful, okay?« he added imploringly. »I’ve never seen Dad as angry as he was
that evening.«

There
was no need to explain; I knew exactly which evening he meant.

»He’s
serious, you know—he’s capable of sending you back. I don’t know what happened,
and I like Calum. But Dad seems to know something about him...and it’s clearly
not something good.«

I
gave him a hug; it made me feel bad to keep secrets from him. »Thank you,« I
whispered into his ear.

»Nothing
to thank me for.« He gave me a kiss on the cheek. »Just take care of yourself,
okay? Promise me you won’t do anything rash. And if you need advice, I’m always
here for you.« His voice sounded raw with worry.

We
all met in the village to drive to the movie theatre, dividing ourselves
between three cars. Calum sat next to me on the back seat of Peter’s, but
Valerie had gotten in next to us too. I cursed inwardly. To be so close to him
and yet have to act as if I didn’t care was much more than my amateur acting
talents could cope with. Peter was clearly very amused by the situation and
kept grinning at me in the rearview mirror. Suddenly, I felt Calum take my hand
in his and start to stroke it. Luckily it was so dark in the car that Valerie
wouldn’t notice my cheeks glowing.

Calum
didn’t let my hand go again until we arrived at the movies. Peter headed off to
meet his friends, arranging to meet us back at the car just before eleven.

The
movie theatre was packed, so we weren’t all able to sit together. In her usual
authoritative fashion, Amelie managed to maneuver the four of us into the back
row. Valerie sat farther forward with Bryan, Jamie and a few of the others. So
for the duration of the film, I was able to snuggle undisturbed with Calum as
if we were just a normal couple. He put his arm around me and was kissing and
caressing me so unrelentingly that I barely followed any of the film. But I
didn’t care. I loved him so much and I needed him close to me.

Much
too soon, the movie came to an end and we got up to leave. »Let’s go for a
drink,« suggested Aidan once we were all back outside. »It’s not even ten yet,
we have time.«

There
was good music playing in the pub, and couples were pressed against one another
on the dance floor. We went to the bar and I ordered a hot punch without
alcohol in an attempt to warm myself up, as did the others. I thought back
wistfully to that other night here in the pub. Calum must have read my
thoughts, for he was looking at me from the other side of the bar. Could we
risk it, here in front of the others? I bit my lips and hastily drank down some
of the hot punch, which had a strong hint of rum. I was confused. But then I
saw Aidan, who poured something from a little bottle in our cups.

The
alcohol emboldened me. Who would tell Ethan? I looked at Calum pleadingly. He
came over to me, pulled me onto the dance floor and held me in his arms. Out of
the corner of my eye, I saw Valerie’s jaw drop and Amelie shake her head in
worried disapproval.

»We’re
being very, very careless,« Calum murmured tenderly into my ear.

»I
don’t care,« I answered back softly, my body vibrating with unexpected
intensity in his presence.

»You’re
drunk.«

My
all-too-clear body language made his eyes twinkle.

»You
can’t get drunk from half a glass of hot punch,« I protested weakly, knowing
that he was right. »You intoxicate me,« I said in my defense.

»I’m
glad to hear it.« He pulled me closer to him and hummed the melody of the song
that was playing into my ear. I closed my eyes, and...

Someone
tore me from Calum’s arms. Shocked, I stared into Ethan’s angry, glinting eyes.
He didn’t say a word, pulling me out of the pub with him. Through my daze, I
saw Valerie’s triumphant smile.

It
was only in Ethan’s car that I began to regain my senses. I sat in the passenger
seat and waited for his fit of rage. But it didn’t come. I stared at him,
confused. He looked much older than he used to.

»What
am I supposed to do with you, Emma? I forbade you from seeing him anymore. I
don’t understand how Amelie and Peter could go behind my back like this.«

»How
did you know?« It was the first question that occurred to me.

»Let’s
just say I know my daughter pretty well. But the fact that Peter would be in on
it too...«He shook his head. »Dr. Erickson phoned me, but he only confirmed my
suspicions. I’ve suspected for a long time that you were meeting up secretly.«

»Ethan,
I’m sorry if I’m causing you trouble. But...I love Calum. I need him. Can’t you
understand that?«

He
gave me a penetrating stare.

»You’re
so similar to your mother, just as stubborn as she. But you don’t know what
you’re letting yourself in for. It’s dangerous.«

»Ethan,
I know. I know what he is.«

The
brakes screeched as he swerved to the side of the road.

»He
told you?« He stared at me in shock.

All
I could do was nod.

He
ran his fingers nervously through his hair. »Well, that changes things.«

What
would it change?

He
started the engine and drove home without another word.

Bree
looked at us as we walked into the kitchen.

»Where
are Peter and Amelie?« she asked.

»They’re
on their way,« answered Ethan, before disappearing into their bedroom.

Bree
looked at me questioningly, but I didn’t have any answers for her. I went off
to my bedroom, locking my door from the inside for once. I didn’t need any
inquisitions from Amelie tonight.

Later,
I heard shouting coming from the kitchen. Amelie and Ethan were yelling at each
other, while it sounded like Peter was trying in vain to calm them down. I
pulled the pillow over my head to muffle the noise.

Over
the next few days, Ethan guarded me so closely I felt like I was in prison.
He’d had another fight with Peter and Amelie. Bree had burst into tears. And
all because of me. I felt terrible; before I got here, they had been a happy
family.

Chapter Fifteen

The
next few days passed so slowly I felt like I was wading through thick tar.
Ethan wouldn’t let me go to school, and had told the office I was sick. I spent
hours on end sitting in front of the open fire, staring into the flames.

What
could I do? I missed Calum more with every second that passed, and I would have
run straight out of the house to him if Bree hadn’t looked so sad after the
fight with Ethan. I didn’t want to do that to her, not after she had stood up
for me. We spoke very little as we spent the seemingly endless days at home
together. I didn’t know how much Bree knew, and she had stopped asking me about
it.

The
wind raged outside. It thundered, rained, and hailed, and got colder by the
day. I asked Peter if Calum had been at school, but he only shook his head
regretfully.

»I’m
sorry, Emma, he won’t answer his mobile. I can drop by his place tomorrow and
see how he’s doing, if you like.«

I
nodded, downcast. »Tell him how much I miss him, okay? Can you do that for me?«

Without
answering, he put his arms around me and gave me a hug.

»Anything
you want,« he said.

His
warm, dark brown eyes stared at me searchingly, but to my relief he didn’t ask
any questions.

The
next day, I waited impatiently for him to get back from school. I stood in the
kitchen and watched as he approached the house. When he saw me, he just shook
his head regretfully and pulled me upstairs into my room.