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“What the hell happened in here?” James asked me. “We were gone two seconds and you get into a fight Elliott? Why didn’t you wait for us?” He joked.
“Ha, ha,” I sighed, out of breath, trying to stand up straight.
“You’re bleeding,” Matthew said. “Come on.” He grabbed my arm. “I’ll help you to the bathroom. Get you cleaned up.”
“No. No, thanks,” I insisted. “I need to take Jules home.”
“It’s okay Elliott,” she said, unable to disguise the terror in her voice. “I’m fine, really. Let’s just clean off the blood and see what damage there is.”
Her hand shook when she brought it to my face and tenderly brushed a lock of hair stuck to a bloody cheek.
“It’s but a flesh wound,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s okay,” I said, turning to Matthew. “Thank you but I would prefer it if we just left. Thanks for helping me out man.” I turned to James, “Thanks.”
They both nodded and helped me to my truck. Jules ordered me into the passenger seat, refusing to let me drive. I complied only because I knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
The drive home was exceedingly quiet. I wanted to touch her so I could see what she was feeling but was afraid of what I’d find out. The expression on her face was like nothing I’d ever seen before. At times, I thought she looked angry but she also looked to be on the verge of tears. She was trying to be brave.
We arrived at her parents’ house just after one-thirty in the morning but they weren’t home.
“Where are your parental units?” I asked.
She helped me inside and took me to the over sized bathroom attached to her bedroom.
“They’re in New York City for the weekend. It’s their anniversary.”
She signaled that she wanted me to sit on top of the counter so she could tend to me and I obeyed.
o;That’s exactly why,” I winked.
We rounded a bend of drive and skirted a thick grove of trees before coming upon the little house on top of Bramwell Lake. The windows were well lit, a stark contrast against the dark forest. Also, the Tanen’s cabin was the only one for miles.
Jules ducked her head close to the windshield for a better view and let out a low whistle.“Kids are spilling out of every crevice imaginable. Do Matthew’s parents really go for this?”
“Yeah, I get the impression that they love it. They’ll be by in about an hour to check on things and to ‘make sure’ there’s no alcohol but the team knows their drill and usually wait until they’re gone to bring out the illegal stuff anyway. I know they just turn a blind eye on it, probably thinking that kids will be kids and all that or maybe it’s an ‘out of sight out of mind’ kind of thing.”
“On a scale of one to ten, be honest with me Gray, how scared should I be?” She asked, one eyebrow raised.
“Ummmm, about a fifteen.”
She laughed nervously.
I parked on the grass close to the lake’s shore. I strolled in front of the truck, opened her door for her and took her hand. Our shared current, second nature to us now, permeated through our bodies and lit little labyrinths of light out from the soles of our feet, calming us. She tried to walk toward the house but I wouldn’t let her break the hold I had on her hand.
“Look at the water Jules.”
She stood by my side and gazed out over the mirrored lake.
“Very beautiful. Peaceful. Not a breeze in sight.”
“I’ve never seen it stilled like this.”
“A bit eerie. The calm before a storm?” she asked, scooting her body closer to mine.
“You’re just being paranoid Jules. Come on,” I dragged her behind me up the deck. The wood clamored beneath our boots.
I opened the door to a living room so full of kids there was barely enough room to walk. Jules’ heart immediately tensed up when she saw Taylor and I felt just how nervous the girl made her. The music was so loud I could barely hear anyone around us.
I leaned in close to Jules’ ear, “Stay close. If we get separated meet me outside on the deck.”
