The Light and Fallen (12 page)

The light turned green and Lucian looked away
as he hit the gas, but he continued holding onto her hand. It was a
short drive to the school, and they could hear music throbbing from
the gym as soon as he turned into the parking lot.

"So this is Homecoming?" he asked. They drove
slowly past three girls in skintight, glittering dresses and a few
couples threading their way through the parked cars.

"Yes," Samara answered. "And I hope you're
ready, because we're going to have the whole experience. We're
going to dance, and drink watered down punch, and take pictures in
front of a cheesy background. We are doing everything!"

Although it was still early, the parking lot
was almost full. Lucian pulled into one of the parking spaces
farthest away from the gym doors and looked at Samara
uncertainly.

"Having doubts?" she teased.

"Maybe." Lucian peered out the window as two
whooping football players ran past. "I was expecting something a
little more romantic."

"I tried to tell you!" Samara unbuckled her
seatbelt and threw open the passenger door. She dangled her feet
out the side of the truck and dropped gingerly to the ground. "This
is a critical element of the high school experience. You want to
have the whole experience, so let's make the most of it."

They walked arm in arm past boisterous groups
of students to the gym doors. Coach Dobbs was sitting behind a
battered folding table just inside the door. Lucian passed him
their tickets, then put his arm around Samara's waist and guided
her through the crowded foyer.

As they squeezed into the gym, a wall of
sound smacked him in the face. Loud dance music was blaring from
speakers on stands in each corner of the room, there were flashing
strobe lights on the stage, and a multicolored disco ball spun from
the ceiling. The bleachers had been folded against the wall to
create more floor space, but even with the extra room, the gym was
packed.

Samara tugged on Lucian's elbow, and he
followed her as she edged away from the doors. She pushed her way
past a cluster of gyrating couples and found an empty space beside
one of the speakers.

"What do you think?" she shouted.

"What?" Lucian leaned down and put his ear
next to her mouth.

"I SAID," she shouted directly into his ear,
"WHAT DO YOU THINK?"

He looked across the gym. Groups of students
were milling around the edges of the room, and a few disinterested
chaperones stood with their arms crossed beside the punch bowl.
Center court was covered with students shaking their arms and legs
at one another and bobbing up and down.

"What are they doing?"

Samara pressed her lips together and he could
tell she was trying not to laugh. "They're dancing."

He pointed to a girl who had hiked up her
dress and was twisting her hips in circles. "That's dancing?"

Samara surrendered to her giggles and turned
her back to the dance floor. "I've been wondering if you knew what
you were getting into," she said. "Do you even know how to
dance?"

"Yes!" Lucian said indignantly. "Duncan
taught me!"

"Who?"

"Duncan!" Lucian spluttered. "My guardian.
And it did
not
look like that!" He looked back out onto the
floor; the girl had turned her back to her date and was rubbing her
shoulders into his chest.

Before he could decide if he wanted to risk
asking Samara to dance, Carin dashed up to them, dragging her date
behind her, and flung her arms around Samara's shoulders. "You're
here!" she shrieked. "You look so beautiful!"

She stuck her hand out to Lucian and shook it
frenetically. "Hi, I'm Carin. I know who you are, you're Lucian!
But we haven't actually ever met." Without waiting for a response
from either of them, she grabbed the sleeve of the boy standing
behind her and jerked him forward. "This is Ronnie!" she
announced.

Ronnie staggered forward and caught himself
against the wall. "Hi," he mumbled.

"He's a little shy," Carin whispered loudly.
She wound both of her arms tightly around Ronnie's right bicep and
threw her weight against his arm. He lurched to the side and
struggled to keep from falling over.

Samara looked at Carin suspiciously. "Are you
ok?" she asked. "You seem kind of wound up."

"I'm fine," Carin said. She twirled her hands
in the air and brushed Samara off. "I was just so excited yesterday
that I couldn't sleep, and then this afternoon when I was getting
ready I realized I was really tired, so I drank three energy
drinks. But I'm not tired anymore!"

Samara shot a sympathetic look at Ronnie who
was standing in the corner shifting from foot to foot
uncomfortably. "Let's do something calm," she said. "Like take
pictures."

"Let's get some punch!" Carin cried.

"No!" Samara grabbed her arm. "You know the
teachers have to stand over there because someone spit in it last
year."

She shot a look at Ronnie and mouthed "no
sugar" over the top of Carin's head. "Maybe Ronnie will just bring
you a nice glass of water."

"Yeah, sure." Ronnie turned and fled off.

Samara turned Carin. "You have to calm down!"
she exclaimed. "Your date literally ran away."

"I know," Carin groaned. "It's horrible!" She
dropped her head into her hands.

Ronnie wove his way back toward them with a
plastic cup in his hand, and the four of them joined the line to
get their picture taken aboard a replica of the half-sunken
Titanic.

"I don't know about this theme," Samara said.
"It seems a little unfortunate." She blinked as the camera flashed
in front of them. She could overhear Carin telling Ronnie to hang
over the side of the boat like he was falling into the water, and
she leaned her head against Lucian's shoulder. "Do you feel like
you missed out, being home schooled and not getting to come to more
of these?"

"Not at all." Lucian ducked his mouth close
to her ear, and his breath tickled her neck. "There's nothing here
that I want but you." He wrapped his arms around her waist and she
snuggled into his chest.

Finally, they reached the front of the line.
Samara sighed as she watched Carin lunge at Ronnie enthusiastically
and knock him overboard. "Energy drinks should be banned for some
people," she whispered.

After they took their own photo, they circled
the room to the punch bowl. The gym was even more crowded. It
seemed like every person that had been in the parking lot had come
inside, and even though it was a cool night, the room was stifling.
The dim lights enhanced the claustrophobic effect, and Lucian
leaned close to Samara. "You were right," he said. "The punch is
watered down."

They stood together and looked onto the dance
floor, now teeming with students. "I guess all that's left," Lucian
said, "is to dance."

He looked over at Samara and saw her trying
to hide a small grin. "What's so funny?"

"You haven't had enough yet?" she asked. "I
think you've gotten pretty much the whole experience. Minus the
bumping and grinding." She pointed to a blonde that had her entire
torso pressed against her date.

Lucian watched the blonde's gyrations and
raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure you don't want to dance? This is
your last Homecoming; I don't want to let you down."

She twined her fingers through his and looked
up into his eyes. "I only came for you," she said. "Not the punch,
not the Titanic, not Carin. Only you."

She gasped as a football player thundered
past her and pushed her off balance. She fell against Lucian, and
his strong arms encircled her and held her up. "We don't belong
here," she said.

Lucian nodded in agreement. He spun her
around in front of him, but kept his arms around her shoulders as a
buffer as they pushed toward the exit. When they stepped outside
cool, crisp air rushed over her skin. She bent over and rested her
hands on her knees and drew in deep breaths of air.

He rubbed her shoulders. "Better?"

She looked up into his twinkling eyes. The
night was dark, but he was illuminated by slivers of light escaping
the gym. She felt sweaty and hot, but he looked radiant. She
slipped her hand into his and felt a thrill. Always, when he
touched her, a blast of heat took her breath away.

"Much better," she whispered.

He leaned down, and her eyes fluttered
closed. Waiting for a kiss. He cupped her face in one hand and his
thumb brushed her eyelids, her cheeks, her lips. Then he groaned
and tugged her fingers gently. "Let's go."

The parking lot was nearly empty. They had
almost reached the truck when Jack and Amber passed them. Amber was
adjusting her dress as she walked, tugging it down over her thighs
and straightening her neckline. She flushed when she saw Samara and
stared down at the toes of her high heeled shoes.

"Leaving so soon?" Jack drawled. He stopped
in front of them, and Samara could feel his eyes on her face. "Such
a shame. You make such a lovely couple."

He reached out to shake Samara's hand and
squeezed it for several seconds too long. "For some reason," he
said, "I thought you weren't going to be here."

Lucian angled himself in front of Samara
slightly, and Jack dropped her hand. He stepped closer, until he
and Lucian were almost toe to toe. "I know who you are," he said.
"You can't hide from me."

He shot a withering glance at Samara. For a
second his eyes narrowed and his lip curled and she felt afraid,
but the look disappeared so quickly she must've imagined it. He
grabbed Amber's hand. "Come on," he said. Amber glanced over her
shoulder as they walked away, and then they both disappeared into
the shadows of the parking lot.

They were both quiet as they walked to the
truck and climbed in. "Why did he think you weren't coming?" Lucian
asked.

"He asked me to go." She blushed as she said
the words and looked down at her hands. "I told him I didn't like
dances."

"Really." Lucian sounded intrigued. "When was
this?"

"Um…," Samara bit her lip. "I think it was
about two weeks ago. I feel bad showing up after I said I wasn't
going at all, especially since he's your stepbrother."

"I said he's
like
my stepbrother. It's
not exactly the same." Lucian turned in his seat and looked
straight into her eyes. "He's not a nice person. You know that,
right?"

"It doesn't matter," she said. "I didn't want
to go with him." She reached out and rested her palm against his
cheek. "I don't to go anywhere with anyone but you."

Lucian smiled, and she felt like she was
drowning again. There wasn't enough air in truck to fill her
lungs.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked.

She shook her head. There were no words she
could say that would express just how badly she wanted to stay with
him. He lifted her arm and kissed the inside of her wrist. When he
pressed his lips against her veins, she wondered if he could feel
the hot pounding of her blood. "Then we won't."

Lucian pulled out of the parking lot and
turned the truck toward the outskirts of Wimberley. The highway
slipped by as he drove through town, and after several miles he
slowed down and turned off onto a side road that led to the top of
Eagles Bluff. He drove slowly up the narrow road. It was unlit, and
gravel crunched beneath the tires as they drove higher.

He and Samara rode in silence. Her hand
rested on the seat beside her, and he covered it with his. The air
between them felt heavy and bittersweet, laden with things said and
unsaid. He knew they had crossed into dangerous territory, and a
battle was raging inside. He should turn the car around and take
Samara home before she got hurt. He had already crossed too many
lines.

He knew what he should do, but it was too
late. He was already past the point of no return. He was already in
love with her.

They reached Aerie Overlook at the top of the
bluff. The parking lot was deserted, and the sky in front of them
looked endless, its deep, velvety darkness studded with stars.
Lucian cracked the windows of the truck and turned off the engine.
Without the sounds of the radio and the low rumble of the truck, a
deep stillness rolled in.

"It's so peaceful," Samara said. She lay her
head back against the headrest and looked out over Wimberley. The
lights twinkled below them like handfuls of stars, fallen from the
sky but still burning. "Like being caught between Heaven and
Earth."

She turned her head so she could see Lucian's
face. "It's hard to believe we were just at the dance. It seems so
far away."

Her voice wrapped around him in the darkness.
The dim light of the dashboard clock illuminated her face and made
her look softer, almost ethereal. "Yes," he agreed quietly. "It
feels like we left a lot of things behind."

He ran the back of his hand along her arm as
she looked into the sky. "I've seen a lot of things," he said, "but
this is the most beautiful." His eyes traced the gentle curve of
her jaw, and he brushed a tendril of hair behind her ear. "So very
beautiful."

Impulsively he opened his door and jumped
out. He ran around to Samara's side of the truck and pulled her
door open.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Dance with me." He reached down and slipped
off her heels, then held out his hands.

"You're crazy," she laughed. "We don't have
any music!"

"We don't need music," he said. "I learned
how to dance for you, and that's an experience I don't want to
miss." He beckoned to Samara, and she took his hand and slid out of
the truck in her bare feet. The tail of her dress brushed the
asphalt as he led her a few steps away.

"Tell me if I do this right," he said. He
rested one hand on her shoulder and slid the other around her
waist. She felt small, fragile in his arms, and the desire to
protect her swept through him. Her arms wrapped around him and she
stepped closer until they were only inches apart. A soft breeze
curled around them and sent leaves swirling over the surface of the
parking lot. "Listen," he said. "The wind is singing."