Chapter 3

 

Mortified, I blinked and tried not to focus on his strong, thudding heartbeat. “Pardon?!” Was I that transparent with my… my… jealousy at Rylee? I wished the ground would open and swallow me up. Could this be any more freakin’ embarrassing? I rubbed my forehead with my free hand. “Everything’s loud and distracting. It’s impossible to tune stuff out. I can’t concentrate,” I lied. More like a white lie, as it was true, but my weird actions weren’t based on my ears. My lack of concentration had more to do with his proximity.

Kieran quickly let go of my arm, as if he hadn’t realized he’d even been squeezing it. His heart rate stuttered at a crazy pace. “Sorry. I just thought… you…” He blew a short breath out. “I got pretty carried away with designing the stuff in here and…” He stopped talking and smiled, his face brightening. “Doesn’t matter. I’m sorry you’re having a hard time.”

“Me too.” My face burned. “I’m sure it’s going to get better.”

Rylee walked over with Seth not far behind. “We’re done. I’m ready to head home. Heidi said we have a test in bio tomorrow and I’m totally screwed.”

Seth stood, intently staring at his arms as he flexed them.

When he began poking at his chest, I scratched my head. “What are you doing?”

He didn’t answer immediately, instead he pulled his shirt off and flexed his chest, his stomach, and turned around to show us his back.

Rylee rolled his eyes. “We all know how built you are, Seth. We don’t need the show.”

Heidi and Brent stopped moving the crates and boxes and stared at Seth.

“Can’t you see it?” Seth raised his arms and with tightened fists he pulled his elbows toward his body. His stomach rippled like there were ten or twelve abs, plus all the clefts and dips at the sides. “We’ve barely done any training and I’m getting stronger. It’s the same for you guys, too.”

Rylee laughed. “Whatever. Brent’s not even close to your size.”

Seth’s face didn’t change its expression. “I’m serious. I saw it on Zoe last night going down the water tower. Her shirt was blowing and her abs are tight.” He swatted Kieran’s shoulder. “Tell me you didn’t see it.”

Kieran grinned. “I didn’t see her abs before last night so I’ve got nothing to compare to.”

I ran my hand over my stomach. “It’s no different.”

“Impressive then.” Kieran’s grin grew into a smile.

I blushed. One point for me.

“Take your shirt off, Zoe.” Seth waved Brent and Heidi over.

“I’m not taking my shirt off!” If he asked Rylee, I’d kill him.

“I don’t need to see your tiny titties. I want to see your abs.”

My cheeks burned hotter. I was going to kill him.

“Fine, whatever.” Seth shook his head. “Women,” he said to Kieran before turning back to me. “Just check the mirror when you shower later. All of you look. You’ll see I’m right. It’s like we’ve been training for months.”

“If I promise to look later, can we go home now?” Heidi walked over and stretched. “I’m sore and hungry.”

Nobody argued, not even Seth. “Fine. Let’s train again tomorrow.”

“Zoe, can I get a ride back with you?” Rylee grabbed her backpack by the door and slung it over her shoulder.

“Sure.” I suddenly grew giddy. Apparently Kieran hadn’t offered to drive her home. “You get shotgun.”

 

 

We began training every day, spending early mornings in the gym and then trying stuff outside in the afternoon. After a week, I still had a hard time adjusting to my keen sense of hearing. Sounds and resonating reactions like the one from the metal pole were fascinating to try and figure out. The others had the same thing with their senses. Seth had also been right about our physical appearances. All of us were getting stronger. Even Kieran joked that all the equipment moving and setting up was giving him a weight workout.

It wasn’t all easy. Muscles I never knew existed screamed in protest. Tendons and ligaments felt like someone had taken a microscopic pair of scissors and cut tiny strands in all of them. Everything ached… and everything healed faster than normal, but it still hurt. The biggest problem was trying to sleep with the world’s biggest speakers. They gave me no rest, or the much-needed sleep my body was begging for.

“Did you finish your homework last night?” Mom stopped me in the hall as I came out of the bathroom.

Moms know stuff, like some inner radar, and even though she didn’t know what had happened the night of the storm, or what we were doing, she knew something was up.

“It’s done.” I’d gotten up early to have a very hot bath and still felt achy. We’d all agreed to having a morning off. I stood in the middle of the hallway, a towel wrapped around my body and one around my head. I didn’t mean to sound snappy; I just wanted to go to my room. Peace and quiet didn’t exist in my world anymore.

“What’s going on?” Lines appeared on her forehead. “I hope all this exercise isn’t for some boy. Are you eating enough?” She leaned against the wall, flicking the hall light on with her shoulder. “You’re not turning anorexic, are you?”

I groaned. “Gimme a break. I’m not –”

“You’re getting awfully skinny.”

“Muscle weighs more than fat, Mom. It takes less space on my body. I’m trying to get lean.” Great. Now I sounded like a smart-ass to my own mother! I ran a hand across the towel over my stomach. The mirror had given me a good glimpse of the six-pack showing up on my tummy, with all those little muscles on the sides by my ribs that I’d only seen on guys. Kieran had mentioned core balance might help settle my ears so I’d been trying to do anything that involved ab strength and balance.

“I don’t need the attitude.” She sighed and dropped her voice. “I’m not trying to nag you.”

My shoulders dropped. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“Sweetie, you know I worry simply because I love you. One day you’ll be a mother and you’ll understand why we act so overly concerned.”

She wasn’t being preachy. She meant what she said. Which made me feel like more of a jerk. “I love you, too. I’m just tired. I haven’t been sleeping so great lately.”

“Has this been since school started?” I couldn’t lie, not to my mom. When I nodded, she added, “Maybe something weird happened that night, down in the mine.” She headed into the kitchen. “Your father said he ran blood work on you. I’m going to call him. The results should’ve been in by now.”

“He’d have called us if something was off.” Flippin’ brilliant. Now I’d have Dad all paranoid too. The beeps from the numbers being pressed into the phone was my mom’s reply. I trudged to my room, stuck my iPod into the docking station, and flipped it on. Even with the volume set at one, it screamed in my ears. Dropping the towel wrapped around my hair, I paused in the middle of the room. A small urrr sound pulsed steadily in the room, about every ten seconds. One hand scrunching my hair and the other on my hip, I tried to figure out where the sound originated.

“Found you!” The noise came from the red light flashing on my blackberry resting on my desk. I had a message.

Two, actually. Hitting the button, I scrolled down to see what I’d missed during my soak in the tub. Rylee cc’ed everyone to remind us we weren’t changing the gym around this morning. The second message came from a new email address: themightyscot@...

My chest constricted. I set the phone down and threw on a tank top. I paced the room, hyped up for no apparent reason. Pulling a pair of jeans on, I told myself to relax.

Taking the phone to the bed, I sat down on the edge and hit the read button.

COOL TRAINING LAST NIGHT. WANT 2 GRAB SOMETHING TO EAT AFTER SCHOOL 2-DAY? BEFORE WE HEAD BACK TO BOOT CAMP BASE. K—

I jumped off the bed and ran as hard as I could on the spot. I’d have screamed “ahheee,” but didn’t want my mom to barge in. Tired? Who’s tired?

I needed a super-cool reply.

FOOD SOUNDS AWESOME. WE MIGHT HAVE TO BRING SNACKS BACK FOR SETH AND BRENT. IF THEY SMELL FOOD ON ME, THEY’LL CHEW ME OUT FOR NOT SHARING  BCB (BOOT CAMP BASE) – PERFECT NAME BTW… Zzzz

I ran by to my closet. What the heck should I wear today?

 

Kieran stood leaning against my locker after the last buzzer. The blue from the old lockers made his eyes appear even brighter. Dark hair, grey polo, and jeans with a slight tear in the knee, could he get any hotter? He seemed oblivious to the girls walking by him, saying hi and giggling when he nodded in their directions. Squaring my shoulders, I tucked a chunky strand of hair behind my ear and made my way over.

“Hu-llo, Zoezey.”

That accent’s going to be the death of me. I loved the way he used my dad’s nickname. Nobody else used it, but from him it sounded… good. I fumbled with my locker combination.

It was impossible to miss what the girls around me where whispering.

What’s the new guy doing with her?

Does Rylee know she’s got some competition?

Don’t worry, he’s probably kissing up to get calculus answers.

It took everything inside me not to turn around and say I could hear them. I knew I stood no chance against Rylee. If Kieran liked her, I knew what would happen. And that’d be okay. I’d be alright with it. I scoffed. Really? I don’t think so!

“Let’s get out of here,” Kieran said, picking up my backpack off the floor and slipping it over his shoulder. We passed Brent and Seth on our way out.

Brent glanced back and forth between Kieran and me, his mouth hanging slightly open. “Y-You heading to the gym already?”

“Shortly,” Kieran said. “Just popping out to get some tea.”

Seth snorted. “Tea? Like a cup of it?”

Kieran’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t smile.

Brent elbowed Seth and said, “He means they’re grabbing dinner.”

Seth’s lips made a circle shape. “Whatever.” He made a smooching face behind Kieran’s back at me, then dashed to Brent’s car before I could throw something at him.

“See you in a bit.” Brent’s gaze lingered on me. Doing a half turn, he turned back and said, “I meant to ask you, I wrote a new tune and need your opinion. Want to stop by later and let me know what you think?”

I felt Kieran stiffen beside me and his breath sucked in sharply. “I’d love to, but I can’t tonight. I should head home after the gym. My mom’s getting paranoid.” I hated the disappointment in his eyes. We’d always hung out. “Why don’t I come by on Saturday?”

“Perfect.” Brent smiled, running his thumbs along his finger pads. I’d noticed he fidgeted with his fingers a lot now. It had to have something to do with his ability to see things through them.

“Cheers, mate,” Kieran said as we headed toward the Bug. “Hey, would you mind if I tried driving?” He flashed me a smile that looked half embarrassed. “I ’aven’t driven a car since coming over. Only me bike. Yers is… well, it’s small and safe…”

I grinned and tossed him the keys. “And not shiny and new.”

He opened the driver’s side door as I jumped into the passenger seat.

“Don’t you think to lock yer doors?” he asked.

“Have you seen the outside of this thing? Anyone desperate enough to try and steal the change out of my cup holder deserves to have it.”

I giggled when he forced himself into the driver’s seat. As he sat, his knees pressed between the steering wheel and the dashboard. He tried reaching between his legs to get the handle on the bottom of the seat to slide it back. His elbow got wedged against the wheel. He looked at me and grinned. “It seems I’m in a bit of a pickle.”

“Pretzel, definitely not a pickle.” I laughed. “Need some help?”

“Not quite as flattering as I pictured this would go.” He shook his head, but chuckled.

I leaned forward, inhaling husky male cologne which made me instinctively close my eyes. My hearing perked up a notch, noticing the quickening on Kieran’s heartbeat, which sent mine in a frenzy of its own. Holding my breath I reached down, letting my arms and ribs brush against his hard leg. The tips of my fingers felt the cool plastic of the release button, and gave it a gentle tug. Except the pressure of Kieran’s knees against the dashboard and steering wheel sent the seat flying backwards.

I lost my balance and went flying with him. My head landed on his lap. Smooth move, Zoe. Head right between his legs. Face burning, I used his knee to prop myself up. My head ended up inches away from his. For the weirdest moment, nothing made a sound, like we were frozen in time. I could see little flecks of aqua green inside his blue eyes. From this close, they were breathtaking.

He smiled, and as I inhaled slowly, a peppermint scent drifted by. I held my breath, unable to breathe. Noise filtered back into my ears and crashed against the inside my head. I dropped my gaze from his eyes to his mouth and impulsively I pressed my lips together. His smile faded and he swallowed hard.

A horn honked somewhere and I jumped. The moment was over. I inhaled and disappointment filled my lungs as I sat back against my seat. Stupid sonar hearing.

“Th-Thanks,” Kieran said and cleared his throat. Popping the clutch, he turned the key and revved the engine once it started. For a guy who’d never driven a car on the right side of the road, he had no problem. The Bug never purred this nicely when I drove. I sighed. Guess she liked him too.

“Crap!” Kieran muttered.

“Something wrong?”

“Yeah. Well, not really.” He paused, then forced air through his nostrils. “Do you mind if we swing by my place for a moment?” His fingers tapped against the steering wheel. “I forgot my wallet.”

“I can pay.”

“Uh-uh. I’ll just run in and grab it. Won’t take a sec. My dad’s working, so no one’s home.”

“Sure.” I relaxed a bit more. He’s kinda nervous too.

We drove in silence and I stared out the window, blinking when we pulled into his driveway. Small, old windows, and made of wood, his place looked more like a cabin than a house. The gravel driveway seemed to have more weeds than pebble on it. I caught sight of the back end of his motorbike sticking partly out behind a rickety old shed.

“I know. It’s a crap-hole.” Kieran parked the Bug.

“I never said…” My voice trailed off. “It’s… it’s not so bad.”

“Sure, maybe a hundred years ago. I’ll be right back.” He was out of the Bug before I could respond.

I settled against the seat to wait. The overgrown grass made me think of my dad’s place and how he took such pride in keeping the lawns immaculate, his and my mom’s.

Just as Kieran unlocked the front door, I heard noise from inside. Glass clinking against a glass, the sound of ice cubes cracking as warm liquid tried to break them. Heavy, slurred breathing and someone stumbling from the rear of the house toward the front, banging into furniture, and something being knocked over.

“Someone’s broke in,” I whispered. My hand grabbed my seatbelt and I unclicked it as my other hand reached for the door handle. I jumped out of the car to warn Kieran.

I didn’t need to.

Kieran’s body went rigid. “Insolent bastard. I let me guard down for one moment…” He swore under his breath but I heard him clearly. He huffed, then turned to me. “I’ll only be a moment.” He stepped inside.

Even if I tried, I couldn’t have missed the conversion inside the house.

“Yer ’ome!” A male voice shouted in an accent stronger than Kieran’s. It sounded like an accusation.

“Iye. So arr you.” Kieran’s accent thickened to match.

Hearing the tension in the air, I slowly made my way toward the house. I didn’t really want to go inside but wasn’t about to leave Kieran on his own. He hadn’t been doing any of the training, nor did he have a hidden talent.

I peered inside the front window.

The entrance had an old, built-in, half bookcase which overlooked into a living room with worn furniture, walls in dire need of paint, a coffee table with three legs – a stack of books as the fourth leg – and an old, rabbit-ear TV. Amidst the mess, an older, bigger, and slightly dirtier version of Kieran was sprawled on the couch, drink in hand. Struggling, he got to his feet, spilling amber liquid over his hand and onto the floor. He didn’t seem to notice.

“Miss work agin, Da’? Or you get fired?” Kieran accused.

“Shut up, boy.” His father’s voice shook with anger. “You tryin’ to pick er fight?” He brought his arm toward Kieran, showing the backside of his hand. “I’ll knock you on yer arse, again.”

No wonder he didn’t want to come by here or have me come inside. My hearing ability would be useless in protecting Kieran, but maybe if I walked in the house, his dad would put on a show and act polite. I swallowed hard and raced up the steps before I lost my nerve. I flinched when the wooden screen door slammed behind me.

Kieran glanced at me but did not move. “I left me wallet. We’ll be outta here in a sec.”

I panicked. Should I have waited outside? My eyes darted from him over to his dad and then they automatically flew to the front door.

“Who’z this?” His dad’s tone changed instantly to a freaky-friendly one, and he dropped his raised hand. “You bringing a cute lass to the ’ouse?” He set the drink down and stumbled toward me. “Welcome … Wha’z yer name, sweetie?”

“Her name’s Zoe,” Kieran snapped. “And we’re in a rush. I’ll introduce you to her another time… when you’re… feeling better.” He reached for my hand and pulled me into the hall. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the kitchen. Where the living room had been a mess, the kitchen appeared neat and tidy. Almost spotless. Only an empty bottle of whiskey sat on the counter.

I followed Kieran down to the end of the hall. He paused by a closed door. I pointed, unable to stop myself from blurting, “There’s a lock!”

A large silver lock hung on the doorframe with a latch screwed into the door. Kieran stood quiet, his heart switching to an erratic rhythm. “My father sometimes thinks its fer me own good.”

Horrified, I wondered what kind of life he’d lived and how he kept it hidden so no one could tell. I’d have never guessed. Poor guy.

“Don’t look at me like that.” He pushed the door open. “The ol’ man doesn’t know I have a lock on the inside to keep him out, and a window ‘bout three feet above the ground. Not quite that hard to git out. I’m usually on me own.” He grinned. “An’ don’t worry, he won’t come in my room.”

Tentative, I glanced down the hall and heard steady breathing. Focussing a little harder, I could tell Kieran’s dad was breathing through his mouth. A small amount of phlegm gave the sound a gurgle kind of snore as he inhaled. Eww! How did someone go from threatening to beat your son, to sleeping like a baby that quickly? I didn’t feel the need to ask. Instead, I quickly stepped into the room.

Neat, tidy, and organized – like the kitchen. His room had a double bed, the sheets made military style, a bookcase with half the shelves empty, and a tall dresser with each drawer closed perfectly.

My eyes locked onto the single item on top of the dresser. An amazing crystal flower. A Scottish thistle. Wow. Totally stunning. The sunlight sparkle through the window caught each cut of crystal and cast a million rainbows across the walls. “That’s beautiful.” I walked toward it, passing Kieran who had his back to me while he rummaged through his closet.

“Just need a sweatshirt. It feels like it’s gonna git cold tonight and I need an extra top if I’m on me bike.” The last half of his words were muffled as he stuck his head further into the closet. My hearing easily picked everything up.

Standing in front of the thistle, I shifted slightly left and right, fascinated by the rainbow of colors. I couldn’t tell if the purple on the thistle was amethyst or lighter, it seemed a million different shades of one colour.

I wonder if the crystal’s cool to the touch… it seems like it might be warm…

“Don’t touch—” Kieran fumbled as he turned away from the closet, knocking things off their hangers in the process. I jumped, startled, my hand midair. My hip knocked against the corner of the dresser and Kieran tore the few steps to get beside me. He reached and steadied the wobbling flower.

“It’s Waterford. One of a kind. Extremely expensive.”

“I’m sorry.” I wanted to disappear, my hand flying to my mouth. My face burned. “I didn’t mean—”

“I know.” He swallowed, putting his hands on my shoulders and moving me back a step. “It was my mother’s. It’s the only thing I have of hers.”

Now I felt even worse.

“Don’t worry. It’s fine.” He pointed at the flower. “See? Nothing wrong, she’s safe. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He checked his watch. “We should go. We aren’t going to have much time before we ‘ave to meet everyone at Brent’s.” Taking my hand in his, and grabbing a green sweatshirt off the floor as we passed the fallen pile, he led me down the hall. He stopped by the front door and reached around the back and pulled out a leather coat.

The living room now sat empty. Where’d his dad go?

“I’m going to take my bike. So you don’t have to drop me off later.”

My heart dropped into my stomach. “I-It’s not a big deal. I don’t mind bringing you back.”

He smiled. “Thanks, but I’m gonna need a long ride later tonight.” He played with the fringe on his jacket sleeve. “It’s going to cool down, so if you don’t mind taking me jacket in yer Bug?”

“Sure.” As I opened the front door, a chilly gust of wind blew in. I shivered and glanced back at him, eyebrows raised. I laughed. “You do that?”