When Lightning Strikes (Lightning Series Book 1) (24 page)

Walking home, Julie decided to ask Kara. “Don’t you find it odd that people outside the island seem different?”

Kara stopped walking, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” she tried to figure out a way to describe it. “They wear less formal stuff, like jeans and t–shirts and stuff?”

Her friend shrugged and started walking towards their neighborhood. Julie glanced behind her, she felt like someone was watching her again. Her spine tingled. Was it Rory? She afraid to ask. Would it be worse if he thought she was crazy for asking or if he said yes?

“I suppose, but I always thought that it was wealthy here or something so people dressed to impress each other.”

“Yeah, but what about the two schools?”

“What you mean?”

“Well, I have friends that go to different schools in Atlanta. It’s normal to stay friends with people. Also, none of the kids here drive. Isn’t that odd? I mean everyone here has money. So why are none of the kids driving? Why was it such a big deal for me and Jamie to get freaking mopeds? I mean, they only go 20 miles per hour.”

Julie stopped. Kara was standing still now, a few feet back. She stared intently at a bush full of yellow roses.

She had gone too far and spaced Kara out.

Julie hated when it happened. How much did it mess with your mind? Did it hurt someone permanently if they did it too much? She hadn’t spaced out in weeks. Not since she figured out the dancing trick. She could teach Kara, but how to begin…

Three days passed. Being with Kara constantly prevented her from seeing Rory. It was becoming physically painful. Her body no longer tingled with longing—it ached. Dancing didn’t relieve the sensation as much as normal either. She imagined that Rory was getting frustrated too. Her shoulders were tight from being tense. She almost always felt like someone was watching her now.

But what could she do? Kara didn’t know about Rory, so of course they spent all their time together. She could tell her. But if she believed her, she might tell Andromeda and Lir or something. Everything was still so new, and she wanted to keep other people out of it.

When she got up to her room, she wasn’t surprised to find another flower waiting on her pillow. It was getting harder to hide them in her trash can. There was also a note this time.

Jules, meet me here tomorrow. Make some kind of excuse to Kara and your family. I miss you. Be there at 0900. I will be waiting.

She unfolded another piece of paper. There were directions to a street in the town.

He thought he could order her to come. She crumpled up the paper but then smoothed it out. She wanted to see him too, and she would find a way.

♦

Chapter 17: Getaway

≺≻

“I
told Kara I was sick. Can you back me up if she asks?”

“Sure, honey. Is there anything wrong? Did you guys get in a fight or something?” Andromeda whirled around, sloshing a bit of the bowl she was stirring onto the floor. She didn’t seem to notice. Her hair stood up a bit on one side.

“No, I want to be alone today. I’m going to the other side of the island to read. I feel restless or something, and I like Kara, but she isn’t Mandy or Darcy.”

“Okay.” The worry line appeared between her eyes.

“I’m fine. I just want some time alone. Kara and I have spent every minute together for the last three days. I need a break. She is the sweetest person in the world, but it wears on you after a while.”

“All right, but why don’t you tell her?”

“I don’t want to hurt her feelings. She’s my only friend here now.” Julie stared at her mom longer. “Speaking of which…why haven’t you been helping Ariel out more? I thought you were doing that for a while.”

She turned away. “I was, and it was great, but I realized that I might be scaring off some of her customers. Ariel said she didn’t care, but I don’t want to hurt her business.”

“Why would you scare off customers? Were you yelling at people or something?”

Andromeda laughed bitterly. “No. It’s…with my history with Muriel. I told you she has a lot of friends around here. It can’t look like Ariel is siding with me without her losing business.”

“Why should anyone care about that now? It’s been years, and Marian seems happy.”

Was this a problem for Rory and her? Was it the reason he didn’t want anyone to know about them?

Andromeda shrugged. “Family means a lot around here. Have fun today. I’ll call Kara’s mom for you and let her know you’re sick.”

Julie swallowed down her guilt at lying to her and Kara. She lied easily now. Apparently that’s what you did on this island.

At least Rory admitted there was something going on, even if he wouldn’t tell her what. It was more than her own family would do for her.

She left the house earlier than she needed to. It was only eight. But she didn’t want to risk Kara walking around and seeing her out after she said she was sick. She followed the directions, finally turning down an alleyway behind some stores. She didn’t like alleyways, but she saw Rory there, standing next to a black Mercedes and grinning at her.

“I hoped you would get here early. Plus, I didn’t want you waiting around here alone. I know you don’t like alleys.”

“Thanks.” She hesitated on her moped, staring at him. It had only been three days since she’d seen him, but it felt like a lot longer. She still didn’t want to make the first move.

He took her hand and tugged her toward the car. It felt like she was on fire where he touched her, and it was all she could manage to stop herself from jumping him. He pulled her into the car, and she happily fell onto his lap. He managed to close the door as they started to kiss. After a few minutes, he broke off.

“I missed you, but I don’t want to spend all day making out in the back of the car. I have a surprise.”

“What is it?”

He drew circles in the palm of her hand, and she leaned over to snuggle up next to him. “Though this isn’t so bad.”

Julie swatted at him.

“You have to promise to do what I ask the whole day.”

“Why?”

He kissed her again for a few minutes.

“Okay.” At this point she would probably do anything he asked her to. She’d missed these feelings so much.

“Here, get under this blanket, and lie down in the backseat. Don’t move.”

“What?”

Rory put a fingertip to her lips. “You promised, and I can’t tell you.”

“Fine.” Julie covered herself with the blanket. He closed the door and got into the front seat. She couldn’t believe that she was doing this. He could drive off with her anywhere, lock her in a room or something, and no one would find her. Why did that not seem so unrealistic if he was desperate enough? She shivered. Yet, she would still go with him.

If he’d wanted to hurt her, he could have done it ages ago.

“So you can drive? Is this your car?”

“I can drive, but I’m not allowed to have a car of my own yet. My dad let me have his today since I promised I would be careful. I’m eighteen so he’s letting me bend the rules a little.”

“What rules? Why eighteen? I keep hearing people talk about that. Why does that matter? Can’t you drive at sixteen like everywhere else? I never understand why my parents won’t let me drive, but all my friends at home do.”

“Jules, you know I can’t talk to you about that.”

She grumbled. As the car started up, she sat up again, the blanket slipping off.

“I can’t take you anywhere unless you hide back there.”

“What about my moped?”

“What about it?”

“What if someone steals it?”

Rory snorted. “No one will steal your moped here. You could leave the keys in the ignition outside a store, and it would still be there when you get back. There is no crime here. Now lie down.”

He seemed so sure that she laid back down and covered herself again. He leaned over the front seat and tucked the blanket in around her carefully.

“Don’t move.”

Julie could sort of make him out through the blanket. Did she trust him this much? Was she losing her mind over him?

She sighed. Her mind was already lost. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise. But it’s off the island, so I don’t want anyone to see you going with me. There’s nowhere here we can be that someone else doesn’t already know about.”

That sounds ominous.
Her stomach clenched.

“Um, are you kidnapping me or something?”

“Yes.” He laughed. “But, I’ll get you back here before evening. It’s somewhere we can go and not worry about anyone.”

Julie relaxed. This was a date. He wasn’t hauling her off somewhere forever. She was fairly sure, anyway.

“Why is that a problem?”

“Hush. You already know our families don’t get along, but there’s more. I can’t explain all of it. We’re getting to the bridge.”

Julie felt a bump as the road connected with the bridge. She held her breath, waiting for something to happen. Another bump went by as one slab of concrete connected with another, then another, and another. She felt the bridge rise and fall and started to get up.

“Don’t. Get down.” He hissed. He sounded scared.

There were guards on the other side too.

She fell back, but she kept the blanket off her face so she could watch him drive. He smiled slightly as he met her eyes in the rear view mirror. She was suddenly glad she didn’t drive over the bridge that one morning. Something was waiting on the other side.

“You know this is really weird, Rory. I know you can’t tell me anything, but how stupid would I have to be to not know that there is something weird? I mean, seriously.”

“I know, but you didn’t grown up here. It’s different for you. It’s easier to miss the weirdness when it’s normal, when it’s the only thing you know. Atlanta sounds weird to me. Wonderful, but weird.”

Kara. The others. Was that why they didn’t question things? All this was normal for them.

“Why don’t you want anyone to know about us?”

He looked away, focusing on the road. His eyes were shadowed from her.

“It may cause problems. Our families have a past.”

“You mean your mom and my dad?”

Rory looked back at her in the mirror, eyes wide.

“She told you?”

“Yeah, your mom was supposed to marry my dad until she got in the middle.”

His posture relaxed. “Yeah. This is awkward enough without all that mixed in.”

That was the understatement of the century.

He looked her in the eye. “There’s more. I want to tell you everything, but I can’t.”

Julie stayed silent, watching him in the mirror. He had a square jaw, and she was starting to love to poke at him whenever it set at a stubborn angle. He drove for a few miles beyond the bridge before letting her sit up. He didn’t pull over, though, to let her sit in the front with him.

“Where are we anyway? What state?”

“You don’t know?”

“No. I was afraid to ask. I’m not sure who I can trust. I thought it might give something away that the memory thing isn’t working on me.”

His eyes met hers for a few seconds. They were wide and unreadable.

She shouldn’t have let all of that slip.

“You figured that out on your own? You are controlling it?”

“Yeah. Don’t tell anyone though, please. I don’t want someone to try something else if they suspect I know something is up.”

“But, Julie, it might mean…it might change things.” He started his face glowing with…hope?

“No!” She held up a hand. “I’m trusting you, Rory. Please don’t tell anyone. Please don’t give me away.”

He stared into her eyes. “Fine. I won’t say anything since you don’t want me to. But I think you should tell your parents.”

“I’ll think about it. I want my parents to tell me. I know that sounds stupid. But this whole time they’ve been lying to me about something. I don’t know what exactly, but something. They may have been lying to me my whole life, but I need them to admit it.” Her voice broke, and she wiped away angry tears.

“Jules—”

“Honestly, I want to escape with you today and not think about any of it. It was close to driving me nuts for a while there. Can we have fun today and forget about the island?”

Rory stared at her, and his frown turned to a grin. “I can agree to that.”

This was one of the main reasons she didn’t confront them. They had broken her trust. She needed them to make the first move so she could trust them again.

“So where are we anyway?”

“South Carolina. We live on a large island off the coast in South Carolina.”

“I didn’t think there were that many islands this big here. What’s it called? Maybe I know it.”

“No, it isn’t on maps.”

She snorted. “Um, how can it not be on maps?”

“I can’t tell you.”

Julie waved her hand in the air. Yada yada yada. “So what is it called?”

“Seelie Isle.”

“What does that mean?”

He quirked an eyebrow at her in the rearview mirror.

“Right, you can’t tell me. Will there ever be a time you can?”

“Yup. Just not now.”

Rory smirked as she let out a groan of frustration.

“All right, here we are.”

She looked around. There were boats lined up along several wooden docks. “This is a marina.”

“Good, you could figure that one out.”

Julie punched him lightly on the arm. She liked him like this. He seemed freer or something. Being on the island made him more tense too.

The parking lot had a ramp that led down to the dock that had many boats lined up in separate slips. Rory got out of the car, and she followed him before he could open her door. He grabbed a cooler and duffle bag from the trunk and turned to the boat ramp. His feet made a crunching sound as he made his way across the gravel.

“This is where my father keeps his boat. There are no docks on the island.” He pointed at one of the smaller sailboats.

“Yeah, wouldn’t want more than one escape route.”

“What was that?”

“I can’t tell you. It’s against the rules.” She grinned at him.

He quirked an eyebrow and held a hand out to help her down. Julie stood in the middle of the boat, wringing her hands. She didn’t know a lot about boats. A large mast stood tall and naked above the boat, the white sail firmly tied down to the long pole.