Chasing Shadows Read online

  "Mr McKenzie has told Maddie all about you, and she has grown so fond of the love letters you have been sending her." Charles paused, clearly enjoying himself. "The town has been made aware of our families hopes for you two young lovebirds. How you are both inseparable."

  "But," he began, unable to understand what was happening, or why some stranger was telling lies about his own daughter.

  "Silence. You will sign these papers. NOW!" He watched as his stepfather moved to join the group standing over his mother. He could tell that the drugs were wearing off slightly. He could hear the way she begged, pleaded with her husband for more of the drug.

  "Nate." He heard his voice called, as if from afar. The voice grew louder, more distressed. He felt someone touch his skin and acted immediately, holding tightly to whoever had crept up on him. He needed to protect himself. Had to find some place where he could hide until the danger was over.

  "Nate, please wake up, please." The scene in front of him was hazy again, had he been put back in the box in the basement? He couldn't risk that.

  "Nate, please, come back." A soft touch to his face, the feeling of dampness on his skin.

  With a start he sat up, panicking for a moment, before recognizing the room he was in. He was not alone. He had Grace in his arms, the look on her face a mix of fear and heartbreak.

  He wanted to move, to speak, but couldn't find the energy. Yet for some reason as his heart rate began to slow, instead of wanting to run, he wanted to stay right where he was.

  For the first time in forever he was not drowning in the memories caused by his nightmare. No in some ways it was worse, more terrifying. He felt safe. He felt hope.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Grace found herself unable to look away. It was like she and Nate were engaged in a staring competition, their gazes locked, neither of them able to blink. She saw his pain, his fear and uncertainty. She could feel the way he trembled, how he tried to regulate his breathing. And throughout it all, he never looked away, and neither did she.

  How long they stayed like that she never knew, but it was only when they both heard footsteps upstairs that the moment was broken. Neither spoke, waiting to see if either Jack or Mimi would appear, but the footsteps receded and it seemed as if whatever spell had frozen Nate had faded away.

  He moved slowly, his hands placed lightly on her back, supporting her, until they were both in a sitting position. Grace couldn't help thinking how gentle his hands were on her. She so desperately wanted to say something, but it was as if all her words had deserted her. The silence in the room grew, and yet she couldn't say it was uncomfortable.

  He seemed to be searching her face for something, how she wished the light was slightly brighter so that she could see him better. She wondered if he realized that his hands were moving over her back, the touch so soft and yet so comforting.

  The haunted look that had been in his eyes seemed to have diminished slightly, so it made sense to stay quiet. There was something about this moment, that she knew she would never forget, and she felt humbled that he trusted her enough to share it with her.

  Time moved slowly, and still they remained as they were, Grace in Nate's arms, no words spoken, until she saw the slight change in his eyes. She heard the change in his breathing again, and still she waited not saying anything.

  "Grace," Nate's voice was low, anguished, and she didn't know if it was from his nightmare or something else. "Thank you."

  She didn't ask him what he was thanking her for, just gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She tried not to shiver when his hand met the bare skin of her shoulder that wasn't covered by her cardigan, or notice the way his eyes grew darker.

  If possible his touch became even softer, it was what she imagined a caress was meant to feel like. The nerve endings where he touched her seemed to sizzle, and she was sure that she was blushing for having such a crazy reaction.

  It wasn't as if she was some ye olde heroine in a novel where the women wore bonnets, practically fainting if a man looked at them a certain way.

  "Grace, I need you to leave, please." She looked puzzled by his words, the tone of his voice. "I only have so much control. Please." It was the pain in his voice that had her moving, still not understanding what was happening.

  "Did I do something wrong?" She whispered her question, afraid to hear the answer. He caught her hand with his.

  "I don't think you could ever do anything wrong. Me on the other hand..." he trailed off.

  "Would you like something to drink?" When in doubt offer refreshments, at least that was what Mimi had taught her. She couldn't decipher the look that crossed Nate's face at her words, but was happy when he nodded in agreement.

  "We never did get our sweet tea and cookies did we?" Although he was joking, it just reminded her about the events of the evening before, and she wondered if she should ask what had happened at the police station. Was it any of her business though?

  She really didn't know Nate, yet she instinctively knew she could trust him. Maybe over time he would learn that she too was trustworthy. She didn't expect him to share secrets with her, but it might be nice for him to have someone his own age to talk with.

  "And that should be you?" Her inner voice sounded skeptical.

  "I'll get a tray ready," She tried to focus on the present.

  "No need for a tray, I'll join you in the kitchen in a few minutes," he replied. "I thought I might make pancakes for breakfast, if you think Ms Riley and Jack would be okay with that?"

  Glancing out the window, Grace was a little surprised to see that dawn was approaching, it felt as if it was still the middle of the night. Maybe that was just because she had somehow found herself in the middle of a strange interlude, with a handsome man. "And Nate is all man." Again her inner voice was doing little to help settle her nerves. She needed to focus on something else.

  "So long as you're a tidy chef you should be okay. Mimi has a thing about people not cleaning their work area." She said, feeling proud that she made her voice light and teasing. Her gaze fell unintentionally to Nate's chest, and she felt her face begin to heat.

  "I'll get started on the sweet tea," she said before leaving the room in a hurry. "Way to go Grace, as if he didn't already think you were a stalker."

  Hearing Nate walking to the restroom, she began to get the ingredients ready for a fresh batch of sweet tea, setting the table for breakfast, before grabbing a cookie.

  A glance at the clock told her it was actually still early, around five, not quite dawn, so Mimi and Jack would be asleep for another while. She was glad that there was no school that day. She wasn't ready to face any of the student population, in particular Dylan or Maddie.

  Thinking about her former friend; and that is what she now considered Dylan, she was reminded that her phone was still switched off. If she checked her messages now, when the rest of the world should be sleeping, there was no chance that she would be expected to reply to any messages that might be waiting for her. She would have to take a note of the time she spent on her phone, as it counted towards her screen time allowance, but honestly she hadn't felt the need to use her laptop or e-reader, so once she had checked her phone she intended to turn it off for as long as possible.

  She moved around the kitchen while her phone powered up, moving quickly to put it on silent mode, somewhat startled by the number of messages she had been sent. Although her phone had been switched off since her last call with Dylan on Saturday, there seemed to be a disproportionate number of missed calls and messages.

  With a sigh she saw that they were all from Dylan; beginning shortly after that epic disaster of a call, the last around eleven the previous night. She read through them, surprised at first and then genuinely shocked at the anger of the words contained in the rest of the messages.

  ** Grace answer your phone, we need to talk. **

  ** You're being childish Grace, ignoring me won't make this go away. **

&n
bsp; ** If you don't answer me, I won't be responsible for what Maddie does next. **

  ** Is Nate Henderson staying with you? Is that why his truck was at your house? **

  ** I know you don't understand, what with you being new, but honestly what the hell is going on. Henderson's truck is at Ms Riley's? You have NO IDEA the trouble you are in. **

  **Maddie is on the warpath. It's just as well there is no school 'til Wednesday, she might have calmed by then. **

  Grace was so caught up in reading the messages, that she didn't hear Nate walk into the kitchen. She jumped slightly when he stood beside her, a concerned look on his face.

  "Sorry I was miles away," she tried to explain, not wanting to share the messages she had received. Powering down her phone, she moved to put it in a drawer.

  "So cookies?" She asked, pushing the plate towards him. He seemed to accept that she didn't want to talk about whatever had been on the phone.

  Pushing the plate closer to him, she tried not to stare at Nate. He had put on an undershirt, as well as an unzipped hoody, but his clothes somehow drew attention to his physique, rather than hide it. Nor could it take away the memories of how warm his skin had been.

  Feeling her face heat at her thoughts, she turned away, not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable. It wasn't his fault that she was looking at him as if he was a delicious snack she wanted to taste. Now where had that thought come from?

  She'd had the usual crushes on pop stars and actors, but not once had she actually had such a reaction to someone from school, someone she knew. Someone who had had his arms around her. "It has to be the concussion."

  "Are you in pain?" Nate asked, his voice a lot closer, and lower than Grace expected. She tried not to flinch, but must have done a poor job, if the hurt look on his face was anything to go by.

  "I'm okay." At his disbelieving look, she spoke again. "I'm not in any pain, I promise. My head is feeling a little jumbled though." She closed her eyes as she spoke, not wanting to look at him, for fear he would be able to see inside her head and the mess of feelings she was going through.

  "Damn," again she spoke without thinking, or realizing she had said the word out loud.

  "Do you need some medication? Or should I get Jack or Ms Riley?" The concern in his voice was adding to her confusion. It had her wanting something, something she had no right wanting, or even hoping for. Opening her eyes, she tried to look more certain than she was actually feeling.

  "It's a little early to wake them, but I'll take some of my pain pills, and then rest." He looked at her, seeming to assess her words before nodding in acceptance.

  "I do believe pancakes were mentioned?" With one more assessing look, he accepted her attempt to change the subject. She helped him find the ingredients he would need, then excused herself for a few minutes.

  She returned to her bedroom, found her medication, and then pulled on a jumper that had been her dad's. It always made her feel safe for some reason, the material fell long on her, but due to her height it didn't swamp her body. Catching a look at herself in the mirror she took a minute to redo her braid, before walking back to the kitchen.

  She couldn't help smiling as she watched Nate move around the room, singing quietly as he prepared the pancake batter.

  "Can I help with anything?" Not wanting to get caught staring at him, she walked into the kitchen, trying not to laugh at the flour he had somehow gotten in his hair.

  "You know I've always wanted a sous chef of my very own!" His words were teasing again.

  "Oh really? And why might that be?"

  "Well I heard the owner of this kitchen is strict about neatness, and I'm not the best at keeping my workstation clean. So?"

  Grace made an exaggerated look around the room, "I guess I could be persuaded to help you."

  "I can't help you pass calculus if I'm banished from the house." Although said in the same teasing manner, she noticed that there was a sudden tightness in Nate's body language.

  Not really thinking, she moved closer, taking his free hand in her own.

  "Grace." She heard a plea in his voice, for what she really didn't know and that was frustrating. All she knew was that she couldn't not offer him comfort when he so clearly needed it.

  "I'm sorry," she whispered.

  "For what?" She had no answer. She had no idea what she was doing. She didn't resist as Nate turned her to face him. She tried not to shiver as he tilted her head up, his gaze roaming over her face.

  His eyes had darkened again, and he seemed to be searching for something. It was like he saw his answer without ever asking a question of her. He moved slowly, as if he was afraid he would frighten her, before he placed the gentlest of kisses on her forehead.

  "I have never been as tempted in my entire life Grace, as I am right now, but I refuse to be something you ever regret." His words confused her. She wanted to speak, to ask what he meant, but couldn't. Afraid of what his answer would mean. For her, and for him.

  She thought back to what Jack and Mimi had told her about Nate, what they had left unsaid. The last thing he needed right now was a confused girl distracting him, not when he already had so much on his mind.

  She could be his friend, she could ignore whatever it was she was feeling. For him, she could put aside her feelings.

  "What can I do to help?" She asked quietly.

  "I should ask you to stay away from me, but right now I can't seem to bring myself to say the words and mean them."

  "I can stay away, if you need?" She hated how small her voice felt.

  "It's not what I want, but for your sake, for the moment it will probably be for the best if people don't see us together."

  "I understand." At his quizzical look, Grace began again. "Well actually I'm not sure I understand, but then again I'm the new girl, which if you think about it means I can't be expected to 'understand' at least as far as the town idiots are concerned."

  "Shh," Nate pulled her close again, the whisper of a kiss against the crown of her head, leaving sparks in it's wake.

  "Sorry, it's just sometimes I hate this town. All the gossip and the judgment and the general stupidity of people. And yes I know you've had to deal with it for so much longer, but honestly people can be so blind and accepting, it's, it's, I don't actually have the words." She felt small tremors of laughter from the boy who currently held her in his arms. All too soon, he stopped, his voice serious in her ear.

  "It's good that you see that, but you also need to know that some people are more dangerous than they might appear."

  "You've got that right," she meant to say the words to herself, but he must have heard them.

  "Grace has something happened?" Nate sounded worried, and she cursed herself for not watching what she said. Not that she would tell him about Maddie, there was nothing he could do about it, and she was already planning to stay as far away as possible from the other girl. Plus she was sure that one of the last people he would want to deal with was the Queen Bee herself.

  "It's fine, I just get annoyed by the pettiness of some people. I doubt that will ever change." Nate stepped back slightly, and she missed the warmth of his arms. Grace thought he might push the subject, but then his gaze dropped to where their hands were joined.

  "Will you be angry if I can't tell you things? About me? About why I am here?"

  "Just don't lie to me. If you can't tell me the truth, say that. I can respect that." Then with a sudden rush of courage, she brushed her lips across his cheek, leaving Nate standing in the kitchen, a look of wonder on his face.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Early Wednesday morning found Nate standing by his truck in the empty car park of Theodore Roosevelt High School. "Senior Year Take Two," he thought to himself. Hopefully he would actually make it to a classroom this time.

  He had half expected a welcoming committee of some kind, or a police escort once he had reached the town limits, to ensure that he reached his destination. Th
e absence of both were a relief, as it really was too early in the morning to have to deal with idiots. He was always more likely to say something he would later regret if someone approached him before he had finished his second coffee of the day.

  The previous day had been strange. It had taken more willpower than he had thought to put his memories of Grace, of the time they had spent together, in a safe place in his mind. Somewhere out of sight and reach, much like where the girl herself must be kept.

  There was no knowing the kind of danger she would find herself in, should even the hint of a connection between them reach his stepfather. The risk to Grace was too high and it was so frustrating not being able to tell her all that she really needed to know, if she was to make an informed decision about having Nate in her life. In spite of everything, or perhaps because of everything else, he had been selfish in staying with her.

  He had made pancakes as promised, had sat beside Grace trying to act natural. He didn't want Ms Riley or Jack to ever doubt him, or his intentions towards her. He tried to push back the images of what might happen to her, should she ever find herself on his stepfather's radar.

  Jack had obviously talked to his mom about the visit to the sheriff's office, how it had been a hunting expedition by Officer Camden. Ms Riley had been outraged on his behalf, threatening to call Mrs Camden about the behavior of her grandson, but luckily Jack had convinced her otherwise.

  Ms Riley and Jack had then told Grace about the vandalism at the school, the insinuations that Nate was responsible. Jack asked if she had heard anything, maybe a senior prank, but she had no leads for them.

  The subject had been changed then, to the plans for the day and how Grace was feeling. He had been pleased to see that in spite of her disturbed sleep, she seemed to be moving much better and there was a brightness to her eyes.