The hardest part was knowing how easily I could end the separation. All I had to do was go back to Energo, and I would be in Calvin’s arms in a few hours. I dreamed about it all the time. Sometimes the dreams were so real, I’d wake up and cry after discovering he wasn’t there. Of course, it really wouldn’t have been that easy. Taking that one step through the wrought iron gate meant turning on my family and probably my only chance of saving my mother. I couldn’t do it. Besides, even if I tried, someone would stop me before I could step through.
I hadn’t been walking long when the roar of James’s car announced his approach. “Need a lift?”
“What are you doing here?” I asked, even though I wasn’t remotely surprised to see him. He always seemed to be around. As one of my Guardians, his job was to protect me, but James took his job very seriously. Between sharing all our classes, the countless afternoons we spent together while Henry and Monty were at practice, and the frequent social outings we attended, it sometimes seemed as though James and I were never apart. I didn’t really know how I felt about that. He could be incredibly annoying, but he also did a great job of keeping my mind off of Calvin.
James gave me his usual sarcastic smirk. “I’m only doing my job. It’s getting dark; you probably shouldn’t be walking home alone.” Listening to James talk about the dangers of walking home alone at night reminded me of the time he’d walked me home from a party our sophomore year. That was the night I first entered Energo and changed my life forever. That was the night I met Calvin. I closed my eyes momentarily, trying to push away the thoughts of Calvin before I got upset. I opened the passenger door and slid in, enjoying the warmth of the car. Even in Charleston, December could be cold. James pulled away from the curb as soon as I finished buckling my seatbelt. Even though I would never willingly admit it to James, driving around in an Aston Martin was pretty cool.
“How was your coffee date?”
“I had fun hanging out with Liam,” I snapped. I was overwhelmed enough with my feelings for Calvin, I didn’t need James trying to make me feel guilty about spending time with Liam.
James laughed. “Okay, fine. I already know you were only there to fuel your coffee addiction. It isn’t healthy, you know.”
“I’m not addicted to coffee.” I wasn’t about to admit my weakness to James.
Thankfully, we passed the rest of the two-minute drive in silence. James parked the car in my driveway. “I have another birthday gift for you.” His eyes danced with excitement as he ran his hands through his dirty blond hair. He had let his hair grow out, and he seemed more comfortable. I think he enjoyed no longer having to pretend to be someone else.
“Another?” Turning toward him, I let the door I had just pushed open close again. Over the past few weeks, James had given me a bunch of gifts. He handed me an envelope. I opened it slowly, not sure what to expect. “Wow, seriously?” I eyed the two tickets. “You got Kiev tickets? But wait…” My excitement waned as I realized the tickets were for a small venue I had never been to because it was strictly eighteen and up.
“What?” James asked with the barest hint of a smile.
“I can’t get in there. I’m underage, and unlike you, I don’t have a fake ID.”
“You don’t?” James grinned as he slid something into my palm.
I looked down to see a South Carolina driver’s license with someone else’s name. “You got me a fake ID?” I wasn’t really surprised. James might take his role of Guardian seriously, but he never really understood or cared about a lot of the laws in my world.
“Of course I did. It wasn’t exactly difficult. So we should be all set for Friday night. In case you were wondering, the second ticket is for me.”
“Yeah, I figured that much. But James, do you realize how much trouble I’ll get in if I get caught?”
“Well, then, it’s a good thing you won’t be getting caught.”
Chapter Two
Kevin
If Marcus didn’t get off my back soon, he was a dead man. I would have thought that between basketball and class, my lack of dating wouldn’t matter much to my teammate and roommate, but he wouldn’t give it a rest. Marcus didn’t have a girlfriend or anything, but as he liked to remind me, he at least played the field. I didn’t want to play the field anymore.
Marcus shut his mouth long enough for us to order food. After a tedious Thursday night of study hall with the rest of the freshman on the team, we’d decided to run off campus to grab dinner before heading back to the dorm.
“Can I have extra hot peppers?” I asked the girl making my burrito. That was the most exciting decision I made all day. I loved playing ball, but the constant practices and control over every aspect of my life got old sometimes.
“Sure, of course.” The girl seemed flustered and avoided eye contact.
“Thanks.” Grabbing my food, I waited for her to ring up my order.
“You’re welcome.” She peeked up and gave me a shy smile. I could tell it took a lot of effort.
Even after a few months at Carolina, I still wasn’t used to the way people treated us like celebrities. Of course, even if they didn’t recognize us, we would probably still attract attention. Standing a good six inches taller than my six-foot-four, Marcus was a hard guy to miss.
“Come on, man.” Marcus wasn’t good at hiding his impatience.
We ate dinner quickly before heading back outside. As we walked down Franklin Street, past the souvenir shops, coffee houses, restaurants, and bars, we passed another student stumbling down the street. Two of his friends tried to steady him, but he laughed so hard they had trouble keeping him upright. Watching the spectacle reminded me of how different my Thursday nights were from other students. Once we were out of earshot, Marcus moved the conversation onto the other topic that was putting his wellbeing at risk—my sister. “So are you excited that your family is coming to watch the game on Saturday?”
I looked over at Marcus, already aware of where the conversation was going. “Yeah, of course, it kind of makes up for not seeing them on Thanksgiving.” I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, even though I was pretty sure he was trying to bait me.
“Don’t forget to introduce me to your sister.” Marcus stepped out of my reach before I could hit him. He was kidding, but past experience made me especially overprotective of Charlotte. I think most brothers would feel the same way if their sister had been kidnapped, and then practically married to one of her abductors—not exactly a dream situation.