Unconventional Scars Read online

  “Only when you do stupid shit like this.”

  “Get out of my way.”

  “Think you can control yourself this time?” The tone was sarcastic.

  Alex fixed an icy glare on his brother. His expression showed clearly that he had no intention of backing down. With a resigned sigh, Creed relented and moved away from the door reluctantly.

  “Just be careful this time, bro. Please. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

  10

  Anna had just found a movie on cable that caught her interest when the power died, sending the house into silent darkness.

  “Great,” she muttered aloud to herself. “So much for movie night.” Having anticipated the possibility of an outage earlier in the evening, there were supplies waiting on the coffee table, so she struck a match and lit a jasmine-scented candle. Without the comforting noise of the television, the sudden hush was eerie. The only sounds remaining emanated from the squalls just outside. Heavy rain was pouring down in sheets, and the wind was gusting just enough to put her slightly on edge.

  Taking the candle with her, she tiptoed upstairs and located her portable CD player, bringing it back downstairs for entertainment. Fortunately there were plenty of batteries in the kitchen, and soon the unnerving quiet was interrupted by the familiar sounds of her favorite songs. Anna was just contemplating whether to get some ice cream from the freezer before it had a chance to melt, when she heard loud banging on the front door and nearly jumped out of her skin.

  “Anna, it’s me, Alex.”

  Oh. My. Gosh!

  Anna unhooked the chain and unlocked the door, yanking it open to see him standing on the porch in a red raincoat. She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside, out of the deafening downpour. “What the heck are you doing out in this? Are you nuts?”

  He slipped out of his dripping raincoat. “Just wanted to make sure you were okay. Thought you might be spooked, with the power out and all.”

  She took the raincoat from him and hung it on the coat rack, trying to hide a smile. “Did you think I’d be afraid of the dark?”

  He gave her a sly look. “I was certainly hoping you were. How could I be chivalrous otherwise? You could at least pretend.”

  “All right. I admit I was getting a little jumpy. Are you happy?” She headed back into the living room, with Alex following.

  “Always. So what are you doing?”

  “Just listening to some music.” Anna settled back onto the couch. She pulled her legs up and crossed them, covering her knees with her nightgown.

  Alex sat beside her. Not too close, but near enough that she could have reached out and stroked his cheek. Which she was very tempted to do.

  He threw his elbow over the back of the couch and propped his head on his hand, facing her. “What are you listening to? It’s downright macabre.”

  “Ostia,” she told him. “The Death of Pasolini. It’s about this Italian director who was murdered by a seventeen-year-old male prostitute. Supposedly the kid ran over him several times with his own car, just outside of Rome.”

  Alex look impressed. “You did your research, didn’t you?”

  “I was curious about the lyrics. I love this song.”

  “The melody gives me the chills.”

  “Yeah. Sort of fits the atmosphere tonight.” Did she have to mention atmosphere? From where she was sitting, the air seemed charged with it. The dark living room was illuminated only by faint candlelight and an occasional flash of lightning, and the rasp in his voice was so darn sensuous.

  “Mm. Definitely. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

  Was he kidding? “What could you possibly be interrupting? I was just about to watch a movie when the power went out. I’m glad you’re here. You can keep me company.”

  “All right then. What would you like to do?”

  Dear Penthouse . . . it was a dark and stormy night . . .

  Anna almost giggled out loud at her own perverse thought, but managed to keep a straight face. “I don’t know. I guess we could play a game. I think maybe there’s some in Uncle Phil’s office. At the very least I know there’s a deck of cards in there.”

  “That sounds like a really good idea. But I think I’d rather play a different sort of game, Anna. One where you and I get to know each other a little better. What do you say?”

  She swallowed nervously. “What kind of game?”

  “It’s simple enough. Sort of a game of truth. We take turns asking each other one question at a time. Anything at all that you’d like to know about the other person, no exceptions whatsoever. Only rules are, you have to be explicit with your response and you must be completely, brutally honest. Also, once the question is asked, you can’t refuse to answer. Can you handle that?”

  “I’m sure I can. So who goes first?”

  Alex smiled. “Ladies first.”

  “All right. Let’s see.” Anna thought for a minute. “Okay, I’ve got one. Is it true you haven’t dated anyone since you moved here?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “How come?”

  “That’s two questions. Save it for next time.” Alex studied her face, contemplating what to ask. “What exactly did Sebastian say to you that pissed you off enough to hit him?”

  Anna bit her lip, wondering whether to tell him the whole truth, rules be damned. She decided she might as well. “He said I was a tease. And . . . called you queer.”

  To her astonishment, Alex laughed.

  “You think that’s funny?” She was surprised by his reaction.

  “Immensely. He couldn’t be more wrong on both counts. I hope you don’t take anything he says seriously. Sebastian tends to get belligerent when he’s had a few drinks. Now. Your turn.”

  “Okay. Why haven’t you dated anyone since you moved here?”

  “Easy enough. I just never met anyone that interested me enough to bother with. Relationships require a lot of effort and compromise. I never found anyone that seemed worth the trouble. Does that answer your question?”

  “Yes.” Although Anna found his response intriguing, she wasn’t sure she bought it.

  “My turn now. Regarding your mother. Do you want her to return, or does part of you hope she’s out of your life for good?”

  She paused. This one was tough. “That’s kind of hard to answer. It’s not . . . that I don’t care about her. She’s my mother and I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to her. But . . . I don’t think I want to see her again, either. Sometimes I have these dreams where I’m being forced to leave with her. Which I know is stupid because Uncle Phil would never let that happen. I just know there’s no way I could ever go back to that life, you know?”

  Alex nodded slowly. “Yes. I know.” His tone was gentle.

  “I have your question.”

  “Okay. Shoot.”

  “What is that scar on your arm, really?”

  The question obviously caught him off guard, and Anna sensed a sudden tension. But he only said mildly, “You’re very astute, aren’t you.”

  “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

  “No. I’ll tell you. It was made by a broken beer bottle. During a fight, if you could even call it that.” He hesitated, searching for the right words. “When I was fifteen, I was leaving a party one night when I was jumped by a group of guys older and bigger than me. They hurt me pretty bad. I was in the hospital for a while. Remember, I told you that I missed a lot of school? That’s kind of why. I was home recovering.”

  “Holy cow. What . . . what did they do to you?”

  “Well, let’s see. My jaw was broken and had to be wired shut for six weeks. I had several deep cuts from the bottle. I forget how many stitches. Three broken ribs. A fractured arm. Both eyes were swollen shut. My whole body was bruised.” Alex’s gaze left hers, as if the shock on her face embarrassed him. “And . . . my upper cervical spine was injured. It still bothers me sometimes. I have to wear a back brace usually. Anyway. Um . . . I gues
s it was a good thing I was drunk when it happened because I didn’t feel too much. Until I woke up. I wanted to die for a while there. Hurt like hell.”

  Anna was stunned. The very idea was reprehensible. That anyone, anyone, could want to hurt sweet, gentle Alex was beyond her comprehension. When she thought of all the pain he must have endured . . .

  “The sickos that did it. Were they arrested?”

  “They were not. The police never found out who they were. There were no witnesses. None that were willing to speak on my behalf, anyway.”

  “So you didn’t know them?”

  “Oh, I knew them.” Alex returned his gaze to hers.

  “I . . . don’t understand.”

  “I mean, I knew exactly who they were. I just wouldn’t admit it.”

  “But why?” she asked, confused.

  “Simple. My brother would have gone after them. Someone probably would have wound up dead. I didn’t want Creed to ruin his life, not because of me. I never told anyone who did it. We left Indiana once I was well, and that was that.”

  Anna took a deep breath, then released it slowly. “Wow. So . . . you knew them. Then . . . then why did they do it?”

  “Apparently they thought I deserved to die,” he said indifferently.

  “How come?”

  “Anna, you exceeded your limit for questions a long time ago.”

  “Oh. Sorry. It’s just . . . jeez. That’s pretty insane. I mean, I can’t believe anyone would do that to you.”

  “It’s in the past. I’ve moved on.”

  “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Alex. I wish I could have been there for you.” She meant it with all her heart.

  “That’s sweet of you to say. If I’d had more friends like you at the time, the whole thing might never have happened in the first place.”

  A booming crash of thunder shook the whole house suddenly, startling them both.

  “Man, this is some storm,” Alex remarked. “I better call my mom so she doesn’t think I got blown away or something. Would you excuse me for just a minute?” He stood up and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket.

  “Sure . . . go ahead.” Anna listened to the Depeche Mode tune that was playing and tried to process her thoughts while Alex spoke quietly into the phone. She was still amazed by his story. It was almost surreal.

  When he was finished with his call, he placed the phone on the coffee table and reclaimed his place beside Anna, albeit somewhat closer than before.

  “Should we continue our game?” he suggested.

  “If you like.” His arm rested once again on the back of the couch, almost encircling Anna, and his knee touched hers, sending sparks of electricity through her.

  “I believe it’s my turn. Correct?” His ever-mellow voice was even softer than usual.

  “That’s right.”

  “All right then. Do you . . . think about me?”

  “What?” She wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.

  Alex leaned forward slightly. His beautiful blue eyes held her in his gaze and she couldn’t look away. Bedroom eyes, she thought crazily. That’s what he’s got.

  He patiently repeated the question. “When you’re alone in your bed at night, Anna . . . do you ever think about me?”

  Holy cow! Her heart was suddenly thumping in her chest. “Yes,” she replied honestly. It was amazing how much could be conveyed with one little word.

  He smiled. That same sensuous, knowing smile he’d given her in the movie theater when he caught her staring at him. “Your turn.”

  Without hesitation, she said quietly, “Same question.”

  He continued to hold her eyes for a moment before answering. Then in a low voice, he said, “Oh, yes. I think about you all the time. Especially when I’m alone. I think about what it would be like to kiss you. And touch you. What your hair would feel like wrapped around my fingers. How you might look, naked and tangled in your sheets in bed. What you would taste like. And now I have a question for you, Anna. Are you ready to answer it?”

  She nodded mutely.

  “What do you taste like?”

  “What do I . . . what?”

  “I know you heard me.”

  “I don’t . . . really know how to answer that.” Her voice sounded hoarse.

  “Don’t you? I think maybe you do.”

  Anna trembled, even as she felt heat rush through her body. Alex leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly. Once. Twice. Again. His hand reached behind her head and his fingers twisted themselves gently in her hair. She parted her lips slightly. Slowly, he began to kiss her more deeply, his tongue tasting her, exploring her. His mouth was so soft and warm and delicious, she never wanted him to stop. She put her arms around his neck, wanting to pull him closer.

  He pushed her carefully back so that she was lying down, and in one smooth motion managed to arrange himself almost directly on top of her. They continued to kiss, Anna holding him tightly. It still wasn’t close enough. She wrapped her right leg around his left one. Her nightgown had worked its way up her thighs, and Alex reached underneath and slid a warm hand slowly up the side of her leg until he reached the silk of her panties. His breath was coming harder now, and he clenched the material in his hand tightly, fighting against himself.

  Anna had never experienced such a jumble of intense feelings before in her life. Everything was happening so fast. She felt an overpowering need to be as close as possible to him, yet at the same time was afraid of this unexplored and uncharted territory. Feeling completely out of herself, she desperately wanted to vocalize her emotions, but the only word she could find to breathe was “Alex . . .?”

  “What is it, love?”

  She couldn’t speak. There was nothing to be said. His touch and taste were the only language she could remember. He lifted his head and looked down, his nautilus-blue eyes caressing her.

  “It’s okay, Anna. I’m not going to hurt you. We won’t go any further. I just want to kiss you. Is that all right?”

  She closed her eyes and released a shaky breath. “Yes.” In that instant he could have told her he wanted to open her veins and she would have gladly agreed. Her will belonged to him now. She trusted him completely, implicitly.

  He began again to kiss her, this time on her neck, then her collarbone, then just above the swell of her breast, where the cotton of her nightgown began. She shivered.

  “Do you like that?” he whispered. “Do you like it when I kiss you there?”

  Her only response was a soft moan as her leg tightened around him. The hand that still grasped the side of her panties now slipped under her backside, underneath the silk, gripping her naked skin. His mouth found hers again, and he kissed her more urgently. Anna felt as though her pounding heart would surely burst from the pleasure. Nothing could feel this good, nothing could be this good, it wasn’t possible . . .

  Abruptly, he pulled away from her and, breathing heavily, rested his head next to hers, just above her shoulder. She felt his mouth on her neck as he said, “Oh God, Anna, we have to stop. Now. Right now.”

  She didn’t say anything, but held him close, unwilling to let go. For a short time he didn’t move, trying to slow his breathing back to normal. Then he nipped her gently on the earlobe. “I think you answered my question satisfactorily. You taste like heaven.”

  Anna was still shaky. She didn’t yet trust herself to speak. The night was like some kind of bizarre, carnal dream. She was searching her foggy mind for something clever to say when suddenly Alex asked, “What was that?”

  “Hm?”

  “I heard something.”

  Anna heard it then too – the sound of a key in the door leading to the garage. “Uncle Phil’s home,” she said, panicky.

  Alex pulled away from her quickly and they both straightened into respectable positions, just as Phil came sauntering in from the kitchen. “How long has the power been . . .” Seeing them, he stopped short. “Oh. Alex. Hello.”

  “Hey, Mr. Moore. How�
��ve you been?”

  Anna couldn’t believe how calm his voice was. She was impressed.

  “Can’t complain. You taking care of Annie for me?”

  “Yes, sir,” Alex said innocently. Anna desperately wanted to laugh. She bit her lip instead.

  “He thought I might be scared since the power was out,” she offered, hoping her voice sounded nonchalant.

  Phil settled into the recliner. “It never went out at Lisa’s house. I wouldn’t have even come home except she wasn’t feeling well. I think she’s coming down with a cold. Did it get that bad on this end of town? You weren’t scared, were you?”

  “No, of course not.” She realized for the first time that the storm had abated somewhat, and the rain was now a slow, steady drizzle.

  Alex glanced over at her. “I should go. It’s getting late. My mom’s probably waiting up for me.” He stood, and scooped up his cell phone and flashlight from the coffee table.

  Anna stood up, too. She walked with him to the front door and wordlessly handed him his raincoat. Phil called out, “Thanks for checking up on Annie for me. I appreciate it.”

  “Anytime.” Moving his head closer to Anna’s, he said softly, “I’ll call you tomorrow. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she said. He left, and the house seemed emptier.

  “I hope they get the power back on soon,” Phil was saying. “Everything in the fridge will be ruined.”

  Sighing faintly, Anna curled back up on the couch. She felt dazed. Did that really just happen? It was a struggle to return to banal reality. Say something normal, Anna. Come back to earth. “Is Lisa okay?”

  “Yeah, she’s fine. She just had a runny nose. I figured she needed her rest.”

  “Mm.”

  “Are you feeling all right?”

  “Sure. Why?”

  “No reason.”

  Anna reached forward to switch off the CD player. It was doubtful that darkwave was Uncle Phil’s preference for music. Also, the removal of the sultry strains helped to ground her. “Do you think the ice cream’s all melted?”

  “I don’t know. What say we go find out?”