The Equinox (29 page)

“But why?” I’m about to fight back but
then I see it in Rose’s eyes—the same eyes that used magic to throw me
onto the couch when I had refused to believe that I had magic in me.

“This is not a discussion,” she answers
sternly. “You’ll forget what you saw at the energy plant, you will never go there—and
you will
never
bring this subject up
again.”

That’s the end of that conversation. Rose
practically throws me out of her office. Once again, she has bigger secrets to
keep from me; secrets that anger her beyond anything I’ve ever seen. As much as
I want to dig deeper and push Rose to tell me as I usually do, something halts
me from prying this one out of her. I’ve never seen my grandmother react so
fervidly.

Charlotte stands outside of the den, but
she doesn’t stop me as I rush out the door and straight upstairs to my room. I
engross myself in preparing for my day.

I sort through my closet longer than
normal, letting thoughts of Rose drift to the back of my mind as I choose an
ensemble for the day’s events. As soon as I spot my ice blue bikini with black
trim, I know that’s the one I’ll wear. The ice blue reminds me of Johnny’s eyes.

Giddiness overcomes me as I stand in
front of my vanity mirror. Why does Johnny make me so nervous? I place my hand
around my amethyst and take a few deep breaths before placing the stone under
my black sundress that cinches at my hips. The calming effects work best when the
stone touches my skin.

When I first moved to Apollo Beach I was
barely able to look at my reflection. I was too shy to pay that much attention
to the wallflower in the mirror. Now, I see a beautiful girl staring back at me,
and not just because of the visible transformations that took place during my Enchantment,
but because I’ve finally accepted who I am. The once apprehensive young girl has
become a fluttering self-confident butterfly. If only I was able to control my
erratic heartbeat around Johnny. He seems to be immune to my calming
powers—then again, maybe I want him to effect me in such ways.

Johnny is outside on the dock when I find
him at the marina. He’s bent over untying the knot of a thick blue rope, but he
must hear me coming because he looks up at me and smiles.

I smile back at him as I approach,
blocking the sun from my eyes.

He wears a white shirt that clings to him
just right and white shorts which show off his strong, healthy skin. His calf
muscles flex as he stands to greet me and as soon as his eyes reach mine he
appears to have a new expression on his face. Could
the
Johnny Pierce really be nervous?

“Just in time. You ready?” He places a
hand out to take mine and stiffens it so I can use it as leverage to pull me
into the boat—although I’m not sure the word
boat
does this thing any justice. Most people probably refer to it
as a yacht.

I don’t remember Johnny’s yacht looking
this big as I walked to it but now that I’m standing on the back ledge of the vessel,
I’m in awe. The two stories of gleaming white glory stands tall above the
water. I have nothing to compare it to but its tinted windows, untouched paint,
and mahogany wood trim appear brand new.

Without invitation I walk through the
main doors which brings me to a spacious living area. Large bench seats made of
striking tan-colored cushions take up an entire side of the main room. Personal
touches, most likely from his parents, sit sparingly around the room. The odd
throw blanket here, an antique clock there, a yellowing globe, and blue walls
give just enough of a stylish vibe.

Straight ahead sits a kitchen area beside
a set of stairs that lead down into a narrow hallway where one single photo
hangs on the wall. I’m amazed by how spotless the room is. It doesn’t seem
right that an eighteen year old lives here. I look over my shoulder to find
Johnny still preparing for our departure at the back of the boat.

“Help yourself to anything in the
kitchen,” he calls from outside of the boat.

I’m not about to rifle through his
cabinets and I’m too nervous to sit. I make my way back to the entrance and
lean on the frame of the door’s entrance. “Impressive.”

“It’s my home.” His tone tells me that
this explains enough, and maybe it does. If he spends all of his time here it
might as well have everything he needs.

“Do you need help?” Not that I know how
to do anything he probably needs.

Johnny stands and wipes his hands. “Nope.
Enjoy the ride. C’mon. We’re all set.”

He takes my hand as he passes me, leading
me through the living area and kitchen, until we reach a set of glass doors at
the front of the boat. Inside sits two plush leather chairs in front of the
boat’s navigation controls. An array of colorful buttons, speakers, and knobs
sit in front of us in a jumble of confusion—for me at least.

I watch in admiration as Johnny flips a
few switches and pushes just the right buttons before starting the engine. He calls
someone on the microphone and schedules our marina exit before finally idling out
of the marina. Effortless.

From this angle I begin to see a
different view of Apollo Beach as it grows smaller and smaller behind us until we’ve
exited the bay and moved into the Gulf. It’s exhilarating to know that I’m
leaving Apollo Beach with Johnny. The suspense helps too. Where is he taking
me?

The chair is comfortable, but I feel
strange sitting so far away from Johnny. When are we going to talk to each
other? We’ve crossed so many hurdles to get here, I want to be near him and I
hope that today can be a day that he opens up to me more.

Johnny’s had a much different past than
me. He had two parents and he lost them both. Other than his relationship with
Roy, he’s been mostly independent since their death—not like me. I was
never allowed to feel alone—Charlotte and Rose were right there to fill
as much of the void of my mom as possible, and although nothing can replace
her, I’m glad to have family here—even if that family can at times be tremendously
stubborn and confusing; Rose being the Queen of that.

I stand up and get as close to him as I
feel comfortable. I don’t want to distract him from whatever he’s doing, but now
that we’re surrounded by nothing but water, I feel brave. “Hi,” I say smiling
up at him.

He looks at me and smiles back causing my
pulse to quicken. “Hi.”

It’s enough for now. We crossed some
invisible threshold yesterday which was exhilarating and completely
satisfying—but now we’ve entered an entirely new level of jumbled
emotions and expectations. Perhaps this is something Johnny is used to. I would
like to think not. For me, it’s foreign territory. I should and
want
to enjoy every moment—and
even the silence. Because in this silence it’s just the two of us. He invited
me here, and that should be enough.

My eyes turn front just as the boat begins
to slow.

At some point, when the only thing
surrounding us is water, I catch sight of a dolphin jumping in and out of the
water, parallel to us. I gasp and raise my arm, extending my pointer finger to
show Johnny.

Johnny laughs in response and I realize
how young he looks when he lights up like that. Broody fits him, but happy
Johnny is much more attractive.

His hand wraps around my waist and he
pulls me in so our sides touch. Finally. If this isn’t a gesture of his
affection toward me then I don’t know what is.

I relax and rest my head on his chest while
watching the dolphin escapades beside us. Eventually it disappears into the
water and Johnny slows the yacht completely.

I lift my head from his chest and release
my arm from his waist. Looking out at the Gulf water lifts all tension that my
body had been building up until this point. I feel free; just like the moment
I’d accepted who I’d become as an Enchanter; that euphoric feeling that nothing
could touch me. I was lighter than air, just as I am today.

“Come. I want to show you something.”
There’s a smile on Johnny’s face as he pulls me toward the entrance of the
boat. We walk outside and turn left to reach a set of stairs that takes us to
the upper deck.

There’s another set of chairs and a
steering wheel at the front of the boat. Oh, I like this view of the Gulf much
better. We’re covered by a partial roof that’s just meant for the controls and
the chairs, but the breeze and fresh air is most welcome. I turn and stare out
at the gulf water as it moves against the whispering breeze. The morning sun is
just rising and there are more jumping dolphins in the distance.

I bravely turn my focus on Johnny who is
standing a foot away from me but looking in the same direction. When my arms slide
around his waist I grab his attention. His arm swings gracefully around mine
but this time he turns his face down toward me and our eyes meet.

“Thank you for bringing me out here,” I feel
shy when I say this. “I think this is just what I needed.”

He smiles back. “This is my favorite
place to be.” My heart catches in my throat as it beats like crazy as we
explore each other’s eyes. He looks away for a second, breaking the spell, to
admire the scene around us. When he looks back at me his face tells me that
he’s contemplating something.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, now worried.

He shakes his head. “Nothing.” His face
is serious, full of thought. “I really want to kiss you.”

My eyes widen. Then do it! I’m tempted to
stomp my foot and pout but I’m happy to have some restraint left.

“I just don’t want you to faint again.”

I can’t stop the laughter that comes
next. Is that what he was worried about? His kiss did literally take my breath
away, but it was my fault for not stopping when I knew he was sucking the
energy from me. I didn’t even know that was possible so obviously I wasn’t
expecting it. Now that we’re outside beneath the strong energetic rays of the
sun, I’m confident there’s nothing to worry about.

“I’m fine.” I say with eyes looking
directly into his and with a tighter hold around his waist. “I told you. I
didn’t eat much yesterday.”

“And you had a hearty breakfast this
morning, I hope?” His eyes twinkle and I know his worry is gone.

I nod, eyes wide. “The heartiest.” I
grin.

His face nears mine and my smile fades.
I’ve never wanted anyone to kiss me so badly.

Finally his lips touch mine and I’m
floating high above the Gulf. His strong arms hold me tight and I relax into
them. Now that he’s not draining my power it’s almost as if the opposite effect
is happening. I feel a buzz on my lips that reaches my head; just a light
tingling sensation. I pull away before it gets too intense. Did he feel that?

Johnny has a confused look on his face
but he shakes his head and smiles down at me. “Want to swim?”

Relieved I follow him down to the back ledge
of the boat. I wait as Johnny anchors us and as I watch him I’m fascinated by how
natural his movements are. How someone can manage a yacht like this all by
themselves is incredible. He’s clearly been doing this his whole life.

“Did you have a boat like this with your
parents?” I call to him.