Read Online Rising Tide: Dark Innocence (The Maura DeLuca Trilogy Book 1) by Claudette Melanson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Claudette Melanson
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I was twenty, because he
looked to be at least twenty-five himself, and I knew there would be no way a
twenty-five year old guy would ever be interested in a fifteen year old.
I must have lied convincingly, because he never questioned it. He came
back the next night, too. I lingered at his table as much as I
could, but I didn’t want to draw my parents’ attention and have them spoil my
little deception.”
I had to ask, “What did he talk to
you about?”
“Books, music, art. But
books, mostly. Lucky for me, I was such a good student. I was in an
advanced literature class at the college, so I could keep up with him
reasonably well. But, he seemed to know everything about any book ever
written. I was amazed that he could recite entire poems from
memory, or remember the most obscure details in books I’d read that I’d seemed
to overlook entirely. Of course he gave those details a whole new
significance I’d never considered before. His mind amazed me and drew me
in.”
Ah, my bookworm status was earned
genetically on both sides. That explained that…and also the fact that I’d
never seen Caelyn touch one of the many books in our house. Reading must
be one of the things too saturated with his memory to be bearable for her
anymore.
“I met him after work that night
and that started the most unforgettable summer I’ve ever had.” She looked
so heartbroken as the memories were flashing through her mind. Her
expression told me that I could never know the sacrifice she made in recalling
them. I knew I probably wouldn’t get any more detail than that one
sentence, and I was right. She skipped all the way to October.
“By the time my birthday came I was
pregnant. I think he knew, though I hadn’t told him. He became
extremely protective. His hand would linger on my stomach when he would
touch me. But then…” She looked down and I knew this was where her
fairy tale had ended.
“He came to pick me up on
Halloween.” Funny how Caelyn didn’t say ‘my birthday;’ she chose the
darker option, though maybe that perception of mine was totally wrong.
“He came to get me at the college from my Lit class. I always had him
pick me up there on the days I had that class, because it kept up the illusion
that I was taking all of my classes there. One of my friends from class
had given me a present right before I got into his car, and I was so excited
that I ripped open the card right in front of him. Those eyes of his
missed nothing, so of course the big, yellow ‘Sweet 16’ on the front of the
card had his attention immediately. He was so angry he didn’t speak to me
for an hour. He just drove and drove, looking at nothing but the trees
passing along the side of the road.” Her words were weighted with
melancholy and I wondered how much longer she could tell the story without
lapsing into crying.
“At first I pleaded with him.
I said I was sorry over and over and tried to justify my dishonesty by telling
him how much I’d wanted him from the very moment I saw him. When he
didn’t seem to hear anything at all I was saying to him, I just sat there in
the car seat crying until he decided to speak to me again. I was
terrified. Afraid he’d tell me he never wanted to see me again.
Terrified that both of us were going to lose him.”
I was confused…wasn’t that exactly
what had happened?
Caelyn chose to ignore my
questioning expression. “When he finally spoke he merely said, ‘It’s not
you I’m angry with, Caelyn. Now I simply need to deal with the
ramifications of what I’ve done.’”
“I don’t understand…” I began, but
she put her finger on my lips to silence me.
“Let me finish,” she looked
haggard. “I need to go to bed, Maura.”
I was terrified she would say
nothing more then, but she continued, “He was so calm, like he’d just settled into
a decision he’d been wrestling with, and now that it was
looked to be at least twenty-five himself, and I knew there would be no way a
twenty-five year old guy would ever be interested in a fifteen year old.
I must have lied convincingly, because he never questioned it. He came
back the next night, too. I lingered at his table as much as I
could, but I didn’t want to draw my parents’ attention and have them spoil my
little deception.”
I had to ask, “What did he talk to
you about?”
“Books, music, art. But
books, mostly. Lucky for me, I was such a good student. I was in an
advanced literature class at the college, so I could keep up with him
reasonably well. But, he seemed to know everything about any book ever
written. I was amazed that he could recite entire poems from
memory, or remember the most obscure details in books I’d read that I’d seemed
to overlook entirely. Of course he gave those details a whole new
significance I’d never considered before. His mind amazed me and drew me
in.”
Ah, my bookworm status was earned
genetically on both sides. That explained that…and also the fact that I’d
never seen Caelyn touch one of the many books in our house. Reading must
be one of the things too saturated with his memory to be bearable for her
anymore.
“I met him after work that night
and that started the most unforgettable summer I’ve ever had.” She looked
so heartbroken as the memories were flashing through her mind. Her
expression told me that I could never know the sacrifice she made in recalling
them. I knew I probably wouldn’t get any more detail than that one
sentence, and I was right. She skipped all the way to October.
“By the time my birthday came I was
pregnant. I think he knew, though I hadn’t told him. He became
extremely protective. His hand would linger on my stomach when he would
touch me. But then…” She looked down and I knew this was where her
fairy tale had ended.
“He came to pick me up on
Halloween.” Funny how Caelyn didn’t say ‘my birthday;’ she chose the
darker option, though maybe that perception of mine was totally wrong.
“He came to get me at the college from my Lit class. I always had him
pick me up there on the days I had that class, because it kept up the illusion
that I was taking all of my classes there. One of my friends from class
had given me a present right before I got into his car, and I was so excited
that I ripped open the card right in front of him. Those eyes of his
missed nothing, so of course the big, yellow ‘Sweet 16’ on the front of the
card had his attention immediately. He was so angry he didn’t speak to me
for an hour. He just drove and drove, looking at nothing but the trees
passing along the side of the road.” Her words were weighted with
melancholy and I wondered how much longer she could tell the story without
lapsing into crying.
“At first I pleaded with him.
I said I was sorry over and over and tried to justify my dishonesty by telling
him how much I’d wanted him from the very moment I saw him. When he
didn’t seem to hear anything at all I was saying to him, I just sat there in
the car seat crying until he decided to speak to me again. I was
terrified. Afraid he’d tell me he never wanted to see me again.
Terrified that both of us were going to lose him.”
I was confused…wasn’t that exactly
what had happened?
Caelyn chose to ignore my
questioning expression. “When he finally spoke he merely said, ‘It’s not
you I’m angry with, Caelyn. Now I simply need to deal with the
ramifications of what I’ve done.’”
“I don’t understand…” I began, but
she put her finger on my lips to silence me.
“Let me finish,” she looked
haggard. “I need to go to bed, Maura.”
I was terrified she would say
nothing more then, but she continued, “He was so calm, like he’d just settled into
a decision he’d been wrestling with, and now that it was
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