Body and Soul (Body and Soul Trilogy), Page 2

  Kate meandered through the darkness, listening to her parents’ laughter, hoping that she wouldn’t accidentally pass their beach house. When the wind changed course, swirling around her instead of just passing by, Kate knew that something was off. She stopped immediately and turned around. She stepped forward and smacked into someone; the figure stepped on her foot and covered her mouth when she began to scream. Kate panicked, flailing her arms and legs out, wishing that she had stayed with her parents, wishing that they had asked her to walk closer to them.

  A deep, rough voice whispered in Kate’s ear, telling her to calm down. Kate struggled even more, overcome by fear when she began to feel her strength waning. She was terrified by this man’s strength; she couldn’t move at all; the weight of his muscles was crushing her. The man began to walk backward, dragging Kate with him. They stepped underneath a deck and complete darkness shrouded their presence. Kate could feel her heart giving up, even though her body continued to struggle against the man’s hold on her.

  “She’s quite a fighter,” Kate heard the man growl, and she grew afraid, wondering how many men stood there. “You should have stayed with your family, baby. They would have kept you safe and sound. You should learn not to wander off when it’s dark outside. Didn’t you learn that in school?” The man chuckled in Kate’s ear, and she slammed her head against his as hard as she could. The man let her go, disoriented for a moment, and even though Kate saw stars she knew that she needed to run away. She just hoped that another man wouldn’t catch her before she made it far enough away to scream.

  Kate heard the man standing up somewhere behind her, and fear pumped through her veins. She pushed as hard as she could, and began to call for her parents, for anyone. Kate stumbled forward and felt the softer sand dissipate, the hard and wet sand taking its place. Kate’s parents answered her calls then, and she could feel, rather than hear, her pursuer give up. Kate followed their concerned voices, for she knew that there was real fear in her voice, and found them a moment later.

  “Honey, what’s the matter?” Blaire asked, catching her daughter in an embrace. “Kate, you’re freezing. What happened? Did you fall in a freezer somewhere?” Underneath Blair’s concern, Kate could feel her laughter. She made up her mind in that moment.

  “Nothing, I just got scared of the dark,” she lied. “I must be chilly from that smoothie,” she added, confused. Kate didn’t feel cold, but her mother wouldn’t have said that she was if she wasn’t. Blaire was a reasonable woman.

  “Okay,” Blaire answered, her voice skeptical.

  Kate nodded even though her mother and father couldn’t see her. She felt the need to pretend she was brave, that she was alright. If she didn’t, she feared that she would fall apart, and if she fell apart she wouldn’t be strong enough to figure out what happened a moment ago; Kate needed to find out what happened to her.

  Chapter 3

  Kate attempted to catch some sleep that night. Naturally, she didn’t sleep well, but she tried her hardest to get some rest. She counted sheep, remembered the most dramatic parts of her television shows, and even fantasized about being Cinderella. None of it worked, and Kate found herself tossing and turning, playing the horrid memory in her mind over and over again, trying to remember the man’s hands being cold. She couldn’t remember anything of the sort; in fact, she even remembered her body heat rising because of the attack; it was probably a result of her adrenaline, but it still didn’t end in freezing skin.

  When dawn approached, Kate was relieved. The night was over and no one came to break down her door. Kate pushed the memory in the back of her mind, convinced that she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. She rolled out of bed and padded downstairs, eager to find a way out of the stuffy house. Her parents had neglected to turn the air conditioner on again, and Kate welcomed the cool morning breeze. The wind tangled her hair and kissed her skin. This time Kate walked to the edge of the deck and sat on the top-most stair. She would not allow her feet to touch the sand yet, afraid that it would trigger her memory.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw two figures running in the distance. She smiled to herself, happy that there were two carefree people in the world. She watched them for a while; the pair danced back and forth, chasing each other. Kate marveled at the way they moved, with quick, graceful twists and turns, and she was so engrossed in their movements that she didn’t notice they were heading her way. One of the figures looked up at her and tilted his head to the side as if wondering why she was looking at him. Kate blushed and turned away, pretending to focus on the other end of the beach.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t yell at me to get off of your neighbor’s property,” a familiar voice commented. “I was sure you would stand up and run around screaming at me to leave.”

  Kate turned to see Rico, standing at the bottom step, a young girl next to him. She was gorgeous, with long dark hair that fell around her waist. She had impossibly white teeth and eyes that matched her raven hair. Kate couldn’t tell the difference between her iris and pupil, the two melted together creating the illusion that the girl’s eyes were endless. She, like Rico, was wearing all black.

  Kate glanced down at her own clothes. She, once again, found herself in a sports bra and shorts; this time the shorts were a pale pink. She suddenly felt self conscious of her appearance and ran her fingers through her tousled curls.

  “So you aren’t going to force me off your beach?” Rico smirked.

  “No,” Kate said. She looked into his eyes, curious whether this was his normal behavior, insulting strangers. Once again, she noticed their impossible shade of blue.

  “Ignore Rico,” the girl said. She had a quiet voice that sounded like water flowing over rocks in a stream. She punched Rico’s arm, and the pair laughed. The girl looked back up at Kate and smiled. “You aren’t from around here either, are you?”

  Kate shook her head, too embarrassed to speak for some reason.

  The girl giggled, and turned to Rico. They looked at each other before the girl began speaking to Kate again. “Why don’t you hang out with us today? We’re going fishing at the dock down the road.”

  Kate looked at the couple. There was no way they were going fishing. First, they neglected to bring fishing poles or bait. Second, the girl was carrying a pair of extremely tall wedges. Kate arched her eyebrow at them, curious as to what they were really going to do at the dock, wondering why they needed to lie.

  “Well?” Rico asked. “Have you lost your nerve today? You seemed capable of talking yesterday. What happened to you after I left?”

  Kate grew defensive. “Nothing happened to me after you left,” she retorted. “I was just noticing that you have nothing to fish with. How are you supposed to fish without a pole or bait?”

  The girl smiled again, a sweet, yet condescending smile. “You rent the equipment. My dad owns the place so I get it for free.”

  “Oh,” Kate said, her cheeks burning.

  “So are you going to tag along?” Rico asked.

  “No I’m not going to tag along. I’m busy today anyway,” Kate lied. She really disliked the way he made her so angry. It was almost as if he had the ability to pull all of her emotions to the surface. Kate couldn’t hold them in when she was around Rico. It was a strange sensation, and one that she didn’t want to get used to.

  At that moment, the conversation was interrupted by Kate’s mother. “Kate, honey, your father and I are leaving now. Don’t bore yourself by watching movies all day again, okay?”

  Kate turned toward her mother; a look of astonishment crossed her face as she pleaded with Blaire to stop. Unfortunately, her mother did not; in fact, she proceeded to ruin Kate’s life.

  “Why don’t you hang out with your new friend Rico? He and his friend could show you around the town. That way you won’t be bored all summer. I hate leaving you here every day.” She smiled at Rico and his friend before closing the door. Kate looked at the closed door a moment longer, composing herself bef
ore turning around to face Rico’s snide remarks.

  “It looks to me like you’re not busy,” he commented. “Go get dressed. We’ll be waiting here when you get back. I promise,” he added, as if she would be afraid he would leave her.

  Kate sighed, knowing that she didn’t really have a choice at this point. Her mother had practically given Kate permission to do whatever she wanted with these strange people.

  When Kate emerged from the house in jean shorts and a white flowing shirt, she was surprised to see that Rico and his friend were sitting on the porch talking. She assumed the two would still be flirting, possibly running around the beach again. Rico turned when she closed the door behind her and smirked.

  “You look stunning,” he said, taking in her appearance.

  Kate blushed and pushed her sunglasses on. In her hand she carried a straw fedora, an old hat of her father’s that she loved. A thick black ribbon was tied around it, something that Kate had added to represent the piece of her that was like her father, quiet and serious. She placed it on her head to stop the sun from lightening her hair, arranging her curls so that they tumbled over her shoulders. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she stopped suddenly. Rico and the young girl were staring at her.

  “What?” Kate asked. “Is there something on my face?”

  “No,” the girl said. “You’re kind of beautiful. Didn’t you know that?”

  Kate suddenly felt uncomfortable. Kate didn’t want to offend this girl, or make her feel as if she was going to take Rico from her. She twisted from side to side, unsure of what to say next.

  “She’s just saying that you clean up well, Kate. There’s no need to feel shy about it,” Rico said, smiling at Kate.

  Kate nodded once, and fell into step alongside them. She let her mind wander back to the year before. Kate’s friends in Australia hadn’t quite reacted to her beauty in the same way.

  Kate had been invited to the winter dance by an older boy. He was nearly eighteen and was considered to be the most handsome boy at school. Kate was excited to go with him, and smiled when her friends accepted the fact that she would not be attending the dance with them, as a group. The girls went with Kate to pick out the perfect gown, a white dress that stopped below the knee and swirled around Kate’s slender hips. A pair of silver heels matched the glittering fabric, and Kate’s curls were swept back into a messy bun. Her eyes were painted coal and lined with a white pencil.

  When Kate stepped into the courtyard with the boy on her arm, her friends ignored her. Shocked, she spent half of the dance trying to get their attention and the other half crying in the bathroom stall. The boy followed her around the dance floor for the first part of the dance but ended up leaving with another girl, and Kate had been forced to call her father because her ride home had vanished.

  “How was the rest of yesterday for you?” Rico asked, pulling Kate back to the present.

  “It wasn’t bad,” Kate said, thinking of everything but the attack.

  “Good,” Rico commented.

  Up ahead, in the distance, Kate could see a dock that extended out into the gulf and wondered if that was where they were headed. She followed the pair for a couple minutes before anyone spoke again, the silence growing increasingly uncomfortable for all of them.

  “My name is Adriana, by the way. It’s nice to meet you Kate.” Adriana looked at Kate and smiled; this time it was natural and warm.

  “It’s nice to meet you too,” Kate replied. “So you’re from here, right? Do you like living in this beach town?”

  “I do,” Adriana said. “It’s a small place and there aren’t many people that live here throughout the year. My dad and I are able to enjoy the beaches when they’re quiet, when people aren’t screaming and drinking all the time. It’s nicer then.”

  “So you don’t like the summer, then.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, Kate. I like the summertime. I mean there’s no school, and I get to meet new people from different places, but there’s something about being able to spend time with your parents, you know?”

  “Believe me,” Kate answered honestly, “I know.”

  Rico chimed in, joining the conversation. “Your mom said that she leaves you alone every day. Does that only happen during the summers, or does that happen all year?”

  Kate sighed before responding. “My mom is a marine biologist, so it only happens when she gets a grant or a new opportunity to study the wildlife or environment. Unfortunately, my mom is really good at what she does, so we move around a lot, and it does happen a lot, the whole me not seeing her thing.”

  Kate hadn’t realized that she had been looking down when she spoke, and lifted her head up to look at Rico. He was looking into her eyes, and she held his gaze a moment, challenging him, before looking away again.

  “I’m sorry,” Adriana commented. She bumped into Kate lightly and smiled at her. “We shouldn’t make this day about the things that we miss, though. Let’s keep things light, and enjoy the sunshine.”

  Kate watched as Adriana ran down the beach, twirling and jumping as she went. She wondered, again, at how gracefully Adriana moved, and thought that she must be a dancer of some sort.

  “Come on,” Rico said. “I think we should run with her, since we don’t know where we’re going.” He pulled Kate’s hat off and placed it on his head before he ran from her, compelling her to chase him. She did.

  When the three of them reached the dock, panting for breath, Adriana slipped into a small building and emerged with three fishing poles and bait. She handed one to both Rico and Kate, and they walked down to the edge of the dock. They sat down there, letting their bare feet swing over the edge.

  “So tell us about your life, Kate.” Kate looked over to see Adriana looking at her. “You know, where are you from? What are your hobbies? Who are your friends?”

  Kate blushed but steeled herself, ready to answer. “I’m not from anywhere,” she said. “I move every six to eight months, depending on my mom’s contract. I don’t really have any friends because of it, and that’s okay. I do just fine on my own. I don’t mind it.”

  “How old are you?” Adriana asked. Kate was surprised by this question but knew that it would have come eventually.

  “I’m sixteen. Why do you ask?”

  “You’ve never been in love, have you?”

  Kate glowered at Adriana’s comment. This was something girls talked about in private, not something they talked about in front of boys, and definitely not something that they talked about after knowing each other for an hour.

  “No,” Kate replied anyway.

  “I thought so,” Adriana said, a smirk evident in her voice.

  Kate decided to fire back. “How many times have you been in love, Adriana?” she asked. On the other side of Adriana, Kate saw Rico turn his head slightly, clearly interested in Adriana’s response.

  “I can’t remember how many times I’ve been in love,” she said wistfully. Kate also thought she heard a twinge of regret in Adriana’s voice.

  “How can you not remember how many times you’ve been in love?” Kate asked. “You’re only, what, seventeen or eighteen.”

  Adriana turned to face Kate, her features a mask of indifference. “Just know that I regret it Kate,” she said, ending any further questions.

  Shocked and perplexed, Kate turned away and focused on her attempt at catching fish. She wondered how many boys Adriana had loved in her short life, and how many of them had loved her back. She wondered how many of them were summer flings, and if Rico was one of the boys added on her list of regrets. She wondered if Rico wanted to be on that list.

  A sudden tug at the line pulled Kate from her reverie. It started out as soft jerks but escalated quickly, the end of the pole bending toward the water, the fish fighting for its life. Kate tightened her grip on the pole; Rico and Adriana watched her attempt to pull the line in. She seemed to have gotten hold of the fish after her original struggle, but in another second the fish regained
control.

  Kate repositioned herself, afraid of looking weak in front of her new, potential friends. When she couldn’t gain the control she sought from repositioning herself, she began to panic. The line started to pull quickly, the fish escaping, making its way back into the ocean. Kate’s fingers fumbled over the reel, trying to get a grip.

  Just when Kate thought that the fish would pull the entire pole from her grasp, she felt Rico’s strong arms around her. He held the pole with her, taking her hand and gripping the reel in one swift motion. Kate couldn’t help but feel Rico’s warmth, his rough hands. Together, they pulled the fishing line back in, and Kate gasped when a decently sized fish emerged from the ocean.

  “They can be pretty ferocious,” Rico said, letting go of the pole as soon as the fish was close enough to seize. He leaned over the edge and pulled it closer to the dock, expertly taking the hook from the fish’s mouth before tossing it back out into the water. He baited Kate’s hook and, taking the pole from Kate, cast it for her. She noticed that he made sure not to touch her again. Kate knew better than to fall for Adriana’s type, so she saw no reason for Rico to start being careful around her now. He didn’t seem concerned a moment before and his sudden aversion confused Kate. She found her thoughts focusing on the moments he spent touching her skin.

  “Thank you,” she said at last, her voice unsteady.

  “Hey, there’s no need to be worried about the next one. You’ll get it next time. You’ll be more prepared,” he said reassuringly.

  Kate looked at him and smiled, feeling better already.

  The sun was setting when Adriana and Rico dropped Kate off at her house. She stepped inside the warm house, the stifling heat already smothering her. After being in the warm sun all day, the heat inside was almost unbearable, and Kate knew that she would not sleep well. She wandered into the kitchen and placed her leftover lobster in the refrigerator, thinking about the meal she shared with Rico and Adriana. Adriana had pointed out her favorite local seafood restaurant after they made their way back up the dock, and they had wandered into the place, hungry and tired. The food had been delicious, the water refreshing, the conversation delightful.