Dark Realms Page 5

  Mom cleared her throat. “Pretty soon.”

  Nathan was following us in his Mustang and I glanced back to see him talking on his cell phone once again.

  “Oh, Lord,” I said, leaning my head back against the headrest. “He must be talking to Deanna for the tenth time. She just won’t get over the fact that we’re really moving.”

  Mom tightened her hands on the steering wheel and glanced at me. “I’m sorry about this. I’m just so sorry… about everything.”

  I groaned. “Mom, for crying out loud, it’s not your fault. I can’t even believe you’re feeling guilty about it. I mean, nobody had any idea that he could be so violent.”

  It had been less than three months since my father had brutally attacked my mother. They’d been separated for the last couple of years because of his sporadic temper tantrums, along with his inability to stop screwing other women. When my mother had finally gotten up the nerve to leave him, surprisingly, he’d actually been pretty civil about it. Then, when he’d found out she’d moved on emotionally and started dating again, he’d went off in a jealous rage, striking back at her viciously. We were all still stunned about the horrifying ordeal.

  “I just wish they could locate him,” she said, staring straight ahead. “He’s… crazy.”

  I nodded. I was so ashamed, that any thoughts of him made me physically ill. It was still really hard to believe that my own father was capable of being so violent, especially since he’d been a cop and responsible for keeping people safe. After the attack, he’d disappeared, and my poor mother had spent several nights in the hospital recovering. When she finally came home, she wasn’t able to sleep at night without drugs, terrified that he’d show up and beat her again. Then, just recently, she’d been given a gift; a way out. Her employer offered her an accounting job in Montana and that’s where all three of us were now headed; to start a new life.

  “I think it’s good that Nathan’s getting away from Deanna anyway,” I said, staring in dismay at my short, stubbly nails. Not that they’d been perfect before, but all of the packing and cleaning had taken its toll. “She’s so whiny and annoying.”

  Mom smiled wryly. “Now, Nikki, you haven’t liked any of Nathan’s girlfriends.”

  “It’s not my fault he attracts the psycho ones.”

  She burst out laughing and I smiled, enjoying a sound that was finally finding its way back into our lives again.

  “God, you’re awful,” she said, shaking her head in amusement.

  I snorted. “Oh, come on. You know I’m right.”

  She grabbed her Ray-Bans from the center column and plopped them onto her nose. “Yeah, he’s a little too young to be tied down to just one girl. So if you ask me, this move will be healthy for the both of them.”

  “Oh, I’m sure Deanna will find someone else by next week anyway.” I made a face. “She’s so freaken needy.”

  “You really don’t like her, do you?”

  I shrugged.

  Deep down, I knew I wasn’t being totally fair, because the truth was, I was a little jealous. My brother and I had always been very close, especially living in such a dysfunctional family environment. My earliest memories were of my parents screaming and fighting, especially during the holidays. So, we’d weathered the storms together. In fact, for all of our lives, we’d been best friends; sharing and doing everything together. That is, until the tenth grade, when he’d discovered boobs, I mean girls. Of course I’d discovered boys as well; I’d discovered that most of them in my school were crude, boring, or just plain boobs.

  “So, mom,” I said, changing a subject in which, I had to admit, left me feeling a little guilty. “What were you saying about this place we’re renting?”

  She grinned. “I guess it’s just beautiful. It’s a cabin on Shore Lake that’s been on the market for some time. The owners are related to Ernie, and because of our circumstances; they’re letting us stay there relatively cheap.”

  Ernie was my mom’s boss; a really nice old man who’s been very supportive. He’s been like a father-figure to her, which is good because both of her parents passed away several years ago, and aside from us, she doesn’t have anyone else.

  “A cabin sounds really cool. Do they happen to have a boat?”

  “Yes, actually, and Ernie says he’s caught hundreds of fish on the lake, so we’ve got to check it out. I’m really excited about staying there. Honey, are you okay?”

  “Something in my eye,” I muttered as I pulled down the visor. I blinked until I finally got the eyelash out.

  I touched my long, unruly hair and frowned. It had been almost six months since I’d last had it cut; now it was down to my lower back and I was constantly fighting snarls. “Jeez, I could really use a haircut.”

  She put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll get you one before school starts. Once I get some extra money, you know?”

  “Sure.”

  I bit my lower lip and examined my reflection. Sandy brown hair, light blue eyes, and a pug nose. I’d always considered myself average looking, even though my mom said I looked exactly like her when she was growing up, and she turned out to be attractive. In fact, most of Nathan’s friends said she was a hot MILF, which was pretty gross, but I guess that meant there was still hope for me.

  I closed the visor and leaned my head back against the seat. “I wonder what the school is like.”

  I was definitely a little nervous about going to a new school, although, truthfully, I knew I wouldn’t particularly miss the old one much. In fact, you could say I was sort of a loner. Sure, there were a couple of girls I’d hung out with back home occasionally, but I preferred to be alone most of the time, or hanging out with Nathan.

  “Ernie didn’t say much, but honestly, I don’t expect him to know. He’s in his seventies and never had children.”

  “I’m sure it will be fine.”

  I really didn’t want my mom to worry about me. She was the one who needed the extra support from us and I wasn’t about to make her feel any more guilty about moving than she already did.

  She slapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, they have a computer, so you can surf the Internet.”

  “Really? That’s cool,” I smiled. Although we used computers at school and my mom had her own laptop, I’d been nagging her forever about getting me one of my own.

  “Yes, but you’ll have to share it with your brother. I’d let you guys use mine, but…”

  I smirked. “I know, you have too many important files and you don’t want anything happening to your computer.”

  “Now you have one to use,” she answered. “And I won’t have to listen to you two badger me about it, anymore.”

  “At least I can download books from the library,” I replied. “We’ll be in the middle of nowhere out here and I’ll need something to do.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of things to do. Wait until you start school and meet some new friends. Or,” her face lit up, “maybe even some cute boys.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Right. I doubt very much that’s going to happen.”

  “Why in Heaven’s name would you say that? You’re a very pretty girl, Nikki. Don’t sell yourself short.”

  The truth was, I couldn’t care less about meeting anyone at the moment. Most of the girls at my old school had been constantly stressed out because of their immature boyfriends and I wasn’t about to go down that road, especially in my last year of high school. “It doesn’t matter.”

  She frowned. “Sure it does. You’ll want to go to all the dances, and then there’s the prom. You don’t want to miss out on all the fun. You’ll regret it later.”

  “Didn’t you go with dad to the prom?” I asked, then immediately felt rotten when I saw the bitterness reflected in her eyes.

  “I did,” she said slowly. “But, he wasn’t always so… volatile. And, really, he’s among the very few out there like that. You know, Nikki, you can’t be
afraid of the world because your dad has some issues.”

  Yeah, but weren’t we running because she was still very much afraid?

  Of course, I didn’t dare mention that. Instead, I just changed the subject.

  “So, how much farther of a drive do we have, mom?” I asked, noticing the mountains coming up in the distance.

  “Oh, just a couple more hours,” she replied, plugging in her iPod. Seconds later, Adele, began to sing about Rumors.

  I stretched my arms and yawned.

  “Honey,” she said, lowering her sunglasses, “you look beat; why don’t you try and get some rest? I’ll wake you when we get there.”

  “Okay,” I said, closing my eyes. “Maybe I’ll just take a little nap.”

  ~~~

  “Why not, mom? I just don’t understand,” protested Nathan.

  She sighed. “Can we please talk about Deanna later?”

  I woke up to the sound of mom and Nathan arguing. We were parked by a small grocery store and he was standing outside of her window, pouting.

  “Oh God, not now,” I mumbled. It was getting dark and we’d missed dinner and my stomach was protesting. I was cranky, and the last thing I needed was to hear any more drama about Deanna.

  “Can’t she just come for a week before school starts?” said Nathan. “She’s having a rough time with her parents, and now that I’m gone, things have gotten even worse. It’s not fair for her.”

  She shook her head. “No, we have too much to do with unpacking and getting ready for school. Maybe she can come and visit sometime after it starts for a weekend.”

  “This is all bullshit,” he snapped, backing up from the window. He raised his hands in exasperation. “We could have stayed home. I would’ve protected you. Now we’re forced to move, and you didn’t even give me a chance.”

  “Nathan!” I gasped. “You are the one not being fair. Mom’s been through so much and you’re just mad because you can’t see Deanna whenever you want. God, you’re being an asshole.”

  His face turned red and he opened up his mouth to retaliate when mom quickly interrupted.

  “Okay, let’s all settle down. Quit pointing fingers at each other, and Nikki, watch your mouth.”

  “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  “Listen, it isn’t either of your faults, okay? And, Nathan,” she said, smiling sadly, “I’m grateful that you want to protect me, but you can’t possibly follow me around twenty-four hours a day, nor do I expect you to be my personal bodyguard. Now, as far as Deanna goes, we’ll talk about it later. Comprende?”

  He nodded but was still sulking and I could tell that this conversation was far from over.

  She noticed it as well and rubbed her forehead in frustration. “Okay, let’s get the things we need in the grocery store before it gets dark. I don’t want to get lost while searching for this cabin.”

  “Let’s go,” I said, opening my door.

  Nathan followed us into the store, still moping.

  “Nathan, would you please cheer up?” she pleaded when we were in the frozen pizza section and he refused to pick out food.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Don’t ruin our first night here because of a girl who’s probably lining up her next soul-mate as we speak.”

  “Would you just shut-up?” he snapped. “You’re just jealous because you didn’t leave anyone behind that mattered.”

  I took a step towards him. “Excuse me? Jealous!?”

  “Stop it!” hissed mom, getting into both of our faces. “We’re in public and you’re both acting… ridiculous. Now, I’m sorry that we had to move, I really am. But we’re here now and there’s no turning back. So get it together, or I swear to God, I won’t buy any ice cream.”

  Nathan raised his hands in the air. “Okay, mom, just settle down. We can talk about this, no need to bring ice cream into the equation. That’s cruel.”

  She smirked. “That’s what I thought.” She then turned to me. “What about you? Are you going to lay off Deanna, who isn’t even here to defend herself?”

  “Fine,” I replied tightly. “As long as he stops talking about her every five minutes.”

  “Whatever,” he replied, shaking his head.

  She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “You know, maybe this was a mistake, I don’t know.” She opened her eyes. “But, what’s done is done, and we have to make the best of it. So, please, quit arguing and let’s try to make the best of this. Okay?”

  We both agreed, but avoided eye contact.

  “Okay,” she said, smiling again. “Now, let’s finish this up and find the cabin. I think you’re going to really like living out here if you just give it a chance. I mean, come on, you have to admit – the scenery is beautiful.”

  “California was beautiful too,” replied Nathan, grabbing a stack of pizzas from the freezer. “I’m just saying…”

  She rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”

  He put the pizzas in the cart. “Okay, fine, I’ll admit that it’s different here – the fresh air, the mountains, all of the greenness. I guess it’s cool.”

  “Thank you. Now, let’s grab some Hot Pockets and Pizza Rolls,” she said, staring at the case.

  I grimaced. “Hot Pockets?”

  She motioned her thumb at Nathan. “We need to keep him fed. Those are quick and easy.”

  It was true, he was always hungry, and once his blood sugar began to drop, grumpier than all hell. Our dad’s family was prone to Diabetes and mom predicted we’d both end up getting it someday.

  I opened the glass door and began sorting through the Hot Pockets with Nathan directing. Forty-five minutes later, the entire cart was full and Deanna was temporarily forgotten.

  “That will be two-hundred-and-forty dollars,” said the cashier, snapping her gum.

  Mom handed the young woman her credit card while the cashier appraised Nathan as he bagged the groceries. When he finished, she smiled. “Thanks. You didn’t have to do that, you know. It’s my job.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t mind.”

  “You guys just move here?” she asked, twirling a piece of her blonde hair around her index finger.

  I refrained from rolling my eyes.

  “We did,” smiled my mother. “Just today, in fact.”

  “Cool,” replied the girl, still staring at him like he was a pair of designer jeans that she couldn’t possibly live without. “See you around.”

  “Yeah,” replied Nathan as he began to push the grocery cart outside without a backwards glance.

  Mom and I looked at each other in amusement. Sometimes men were so clueless.

  “Let’s put the groceries in your car, Nathan,” said mom as we stepped back outside. “Mine is too full already.”

  “Okay,” he replied, veering towards his vehicle.

  As we were trying to stuff the food into the back of Nathan’s Mustang, a soft voice greeted us. “Hi. You must be new in town?”

  We all turned around to see a striking redhead getting out of a tall Chevy pickup. She wore a miniscule white sundress, which showed off her toned legs, and dark sunglasses, which I thought was a little odd, considering it was dusk.

  Nathan’s blue eyes lit up and he grinned. “Yeah, we just pulled into town.”

  She removed her sunglasses and smiled back. “I hope you enjoy it here. It’s quaint, but there are lots of things to do, especially after dark.”

  Her teeth were pearly white and her hair was a mass of shiny curls. She dropped her keys, and after she bent to retrieve them, tossed her hair back over her shoulder. It was a simple thing, but it had an immediate effect on Nathan. Truthfully, I didn’t think anybody should be that gorgeous.

  Before my mother or I could get in a word, Nathan spoke up in a surprisingly deeper voice. “Thanks for the info. Maybe we’ll run into each other sometime.”

  “Maybe. It was really nice meeting you,” she replied, clearly directing it towards Nathan, who looked like he’d all but forgotten about Deanna. Then she sash
ayed into the store like a runway model while we all stared.

  “Wow,” I smirked, turning towards my brother. “You can reel your tongue back in now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I snorted. “Oh, come on, Nathan.”

  He smiled innocently. “There’s nothing wrong with being friendly to strangers, especially when they look like that.”

  “I think the feeling was mutual,” replied mom, looking at me. “That smile she gave him was enough to light up the entire town.”

  “How can she resist?” he said cockily. “Heck, I’ll bet that I’m the best thing that’s ever walked into this town.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh, Lord. Here we go.”

  He flexed left arm muscle. “Oh, come on, you know I’m right.”

  “I certainly do,” said mom, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

  “Yeah, and mom’s biased,” I replied. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

  He ignored me and started packing more groceries into the back of his trunk. “Let’s get the rest of this stuff loaded quickly,” he said, glancing up towards the sky, which was growing darker. “I’m starving and it’s getting late.”

  “Me too,” I replied, handing him another bag of groceries.

  When we had everything in the trunk, Mom gave Nathan the directions to the cabin, which was a few miles past town, and this time, he led the way.

  “Finally,” I said, putting on my seatbelt as she pulled out of the parking lot. “I just want to get there already.”

  “Won’t be long now.”

  Darkness came very quickly, and in a small town without many lights along the roads, it was a little creepy.

  “It’s a bitch driving when you don’t know exactly where you’re going in the dark,” said mom, frowning. “I think the turnoff is coming up in another few miles or so. I hope Nathan catches it in time and doesn’t overshoot it.”

  “Knowing him, he probably will,” I answered with a smirk, “especially, if he’s on the phone with Deanna again.”