13 Ways to Midnight (The Midnight Saga) Read online

  She struggled for only a moment until a nurse walked into the room and he released her.

  Luna stepped back from him and messed with her hair, trying to regain her composure. Her head tilted, and she reached out to touch his face just as he lunged forward and snapped his jaws shut. She had to stumble back. The nurse rang the buzzer and two large men entered the room, and they manhandled him into restraints as my aunt led me out and down the hall. He screamed after us.

  “Just listen! You can hear it if you listen!”

  We made our way to the elevator, and she pressed the button over and over again until I touched her hand. She leaned in and hugged me. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea he would act that way.” The door dinged, and we escaped his cries as well as the buzzing lights overhead.

  39

  I watched her hand shake on the wheel, but she cleared her throat, adjusted the rearview mirror and quickly powdered her face. She collected herself as quickly as she had lost control. I admired that about her.

  “I’m so sorry, Echo. I shouldn’t have brought you here, but I had hope…hope that when he saw you, he would remember something good in life. He likes you so much. I know you didn’t get the opportunity to talk with him much before, well…before he was injured, but he does care for you. I know that he does.”

  I cleared my throat and stared up at the hospital set against the gray sky. It would rain again, nothing new. In fact, I was getting used to it. What I couldn’t get used to was the look on Mr. Jenny’s face or those eyes. Pale blue like some zombie creature of the night. In all of my travels, I had never seen someone as sick as he was, and I had seen a lot in my short life. Some diseases with names attached to them and some just discovered. My parents were adamant about our vaccinations, but I still felt like both Midnight, and I, had been extremely lucky.

  We all had been up until that night in the Amazon.

  I glanced at my aunt, who was facing forward with a terrible look of concern wrinkling her brow. Suddenly my issues seemed so trivial with Thorn.

  So he had tricked me.

  Big deal.

  How many times had some naïve girl fallen for the hot guy with the seductive eyes and all the right things to say? I know my story was one of thousands, unfortunately. It just sucks when it’s you because it feels like you’re the only one. I tried to shake my off the pain and focus on hers.

  I reached over and placed my hand on her arm. She blinked and took a breath. Now I knew where the whole holding of the breath thing came from. I always wondered, because neither of parents did it. In fact, neither of my parents did most of the things that I do.

  Suddenly we both screamed as a body came tumbling down from overhead and hit the hood of the car. We watched as Mr. Jenny’s eyes dilated then all of the pale blue made way for black. A small trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his parted lips. My aunt hit the horn, and I had to grab her hand and make her stop. She reached over and grabbed me, forcing my face onto her shoulder so I couldn’t look at his lifeless body any longer. She sobbed as I closed my eyes and wished that this was just another one of my dreams, but of course, I couldn’t be that lucky and neither could she.

  My aunt shook her head as the attractive police officer, with a PRPD patch on his shoulder, nodded to her. He had a pad and pen in hand and was meticulously jotting down every word she said. She reached up and rubbed the side of her neck, and then half-grinned when an EMT gave her some coffee in a white styrofoam cup.

  “We had just come from visiting him.” She muttered as she eyed me and I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders. Neither one of us had been hurt, but you would think we had by the way the EMT’s had looked us over.

  “Did he say anything to you that would have indicated that he was suicidal?” He asked, and I looked down and then over at the car. The huge dent remained, but the body had been removed.

  My thoughts floated away to the day I met him and how kind he had been to me. It was hard to believe that he had changed so much and that he could have taken his own life.

  “No. He didn’t say anything at all.” She lied. I wasn’t going to correct her. She must have her reasons, and I couldn’t blame her. The hospital knew what kind of shape he was in.

  “The nurse mentioned that he was saying something about a heartbeat.” The officer spoke calmly, and she sighed and stared into her coffee. “Yes, he was rambling. He’s been rambling for days. You asked if he said anything about dying himself. As you can imagine, I didn’t want my niece upset by him so I left as quickly as I could, if he said anything else then it would be something the nurse could tell you. Not me. He barely spoke to us.”

  “The nurse said that you and your niece.” He paused and looked at his notes. “Oh, it says here she was signed in as your daughter.”

  She let out a moan. “I’m not sure why. Perhaps they should keep better records.”

  “Of course.” The officer added and then he looked at me.

  “Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?”

  I nodded to him, and my aunt shook her head. “She doesn’t know anything more than I do.”

  “Still, it would be good if I ask, would that be okay with you? Just to be thorough, of course,” My aunt sighed again, taking another drink of her coffee. “Sure.” She spoke with little to no enthusiasm.

  “So, how well did you know Mr. Jenny?” He asked me.

  I looked at my aunt and then back to him. “Not very well, I mean, he was my guidance counselor, and gave me a tour of the school, and I met him once at my house when he came over to borrow a book.”

  His professional tone held steady. “So that was your only contact with him?”

  I bit my lip. “Well, I was there the day he collapsed in his office.”

  He shuffled through his notes. “Yes, at the school. That’s when he was found unresponsive, correct?”

  “Yes, but he was conscious when I got there.”

  “What happened? I mean, did he say anything before he collapsed?”

  I watched as the gurney rolled into the hospital with Mr. Jenny’s body on it. They had placed a white sheet over him, but I could see a red spot of blood seeping through where his head lay. It made me nauseous. I hate death, everything about it. It’s unforgiving.

  The officer cleared his throat, and I blinked. “No, he didn’t say much of anything. He wasn’t making any sense and was all pale and sweaty. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember what he said to me and I don’t know what he said to Persephone.”

  “Who?” The officer leaned in, and I swallowed hard. “Persephone Vega, she was coming out of his office when I got there.”

  The officer jotted down my words, and I suddenly felt nervous for even mentioning her. I guess I should have, but I wished that I hadn’t. I’m sure he would find it necessary to question her, and my name would inevitably come up. I honestly didn’t want anything to do with her or her family, and that included Thorn Vega, as much as my heart fought against it.

  A car rolled up and stopped. Mattie and Bri got out along with Daniel. I was kind of shocked to not see Tailor. Daniel had been tethered to her since they started dating or whatever they had going on. All three approached us as I sat there and tried to compose myself.

  Mattie reached me first, letting go of Bri’s hand and rushing up to me with a look that spoke volumes.

  “Girl, are you okay?” She asked with concern. I let her arms wrap around me, and the heartfelt hug that followed was much needed. The blanket that had successfully protected me from feeling the chill in the air fell behind me and crumpled at my feet.

  Bri said nothing as she stood next to Daniel and eyed me. I closed my eyes for a second and let my cheek rest on Mattie’s shoulder. I didn’t realize how much I had missed her until now.

  I backed up and gave her a reassuring nod. “I’m fine; I mean as good as I can be.”

  She held
my hands and looked me over, searching for any signs of trauma but of course she found none. The only thing that was injured on me rested deep in my heart, and unless I say the words, it will rest there until I’m ready to share it.

  She glanced back at our car that was now being pulled onto the back of a wrecker. “So, I heard he jumped.” She whispered like it was a secret. Obviously, it wasn’t, and news had traveled as a small crowd began to gather in front of the hospital. I would assume that James was well liked here, he had that way about him that made you feel safe.

  “Would you take her home?” My aunt asked. I turned to look at her.

  “Are you coming, Aunt Luna?”

  She paused and bit her lip, letting her eyes move from me to the hospital and back again.

  “I’ll be home soon.”

  I didn’t want to push her; she had been through enough. I knew that James had effectively filled a void in her heart that I didn’t even know existed until she opened up to me about the daughter that she never knew and the cursed love that she had once believed could be salvaged with Eyota Vega.

  My heart ached for her, more than myself and I guess having something new to focus on was a blessing in disguise.

  “Okay,” I spoke softly, Mattie took my hand and led me back to the car. My aunt returned to the officer and nodded her head while he continued to ask her questions.

  “So, where’s Tailor?” I asked, and no one said anything. I caught a glimpse of Daniels’ eyes in his rearview mirror as he stared at me and then he turned the key in the ignition, and the engine hummed. I hadn’t been in this car since the night of the party.

  The night everything had changed for me.

  I almost wished that we hadn’t gone. Maybe then everything would have stayed the same.

  I cleared my throat, and he pulled away without answering me.

  Mattie turned to me as Bri swiveled and placed her chin on the leather seat. She licked her lips, and I had to pull myself away from looking at her while Mattie offered the much-needed interruption.

  “So, tell me.” She said, and I sighed and tucked my moist hair behind my ear. Mattie reached up and moved my bangs, and I felt her fingers glide across my forehead. It didn’t matter until I spotted Bri adjusting in her seat and becoming visibly irritated with the attention Mattie was giving to me.

  “My aunt took me to see him, and he was rambling on about weird stuff.”

  Bri perked up. “What weird stuff?”

  I looked at her. “Something about hearing heartbeats.”

  She turned in her seat and stared out the window. I wasn’t sure why she did it, but it seemed odd. It didn’t stop Mattie from continuing her gentle interrogation.

  “That’s crazy, so then what happened?”

  I looked back at her and nodded. “It was, and he looked terrible. His skin was pale and his eyes…they were pale blue and hazed over. I have no idea what would cause that, but it reminded me of…”

  “Of what?” Mattie asked me, and my eyes lifted as I caught Daniels stare in his mirror again. He was hanging on my every word. “Dead. His eyes looked dead.”

  “And what would you know about how eyes look when someone’s dead?” Bri asked me without turning around. Mattie’s brow furrowed as she looked at her and said nothing.

  “I’ve seen dead people. Well, only a few. I’ve been all over the world with my parents, and we’ve gone into villages where they were fighting outbreaks. I didn’t want to see it, but I have.”

  I felt Mattie’s hand slip into mine. She squeezed it.

  “Did you see him fall?” Bri asked. Her voice was even, her tone void of compassion. I get it; I had upset her when I dismissed her beliefs.

  “I was sitting in the car.”

  “Oh damn, that’s rough,” Bri said as she turned and looked me over.

  “It was horrible. His eyes dilated and turned to black.”

  She turned back around and spoke to Daniel. “You can drop me off at home.”

  Mattie shook her head. “Come with us.”

  Bri sighed. “I need to go home. My mom has been texting me.” She fiddled with her phone as it hummed again.

  “Fine,” Mattie said as we turned down one street then another and finally we rolled up in front of a red house with black shutters. Bri got out and leaned back into the car, staring at me and then she gazed at Mattie. Her expression changed. “I’ll call you later, k?”

  Mattie nodded. “I really wish you’d just ask her if you can come with us.”

  She shook her phone. “She’s upset about this thing with Mr. Jenny. Sorry, babes.”

  She shut the door without adding any more to it. Mattie was visibly upset, but she sighed and turned her attention to me. I had no idea what was going on between them but if she wanted to tell me, then she would. I wasn’t going to pressure her.

  Mattie looked up at Daniel as he gripped the wheel. “Will you stay with us?” She asked, and Daniel turned and looked at me. “Of course.” He said, sounding more like himself than he had in weeks.

  He pulled out as my eyes lingered on Bri’s home. She glanced back at me and disappeared through the front door.

  40

  “Hot chocolate, huh?” Daniel asked me as he stood in the doorway to the kitchen with his hands snuggly tucked into his back pockets.

  “Oh, crap,” I said quietly as he walked into the room and took a seat at the large island that sat between us.

  “What’s wrong? I mean, other than the obvious?”

  I dropped a few square marshmallows into one cup, then the second and finally I scooped up the last bit for the third. I walked the large cup over to him and set it down. “It’s stupid.”

  “Let me judge that.”

  I half smiled. It felt good to talk about something, anything, other than what had happened.

  I could hear Mattie talking on her phone in the hallway. “No, Aunt Polly, she seems to be okay, but I think Daniel and I should stay here tonight, if that’s okay.” She paused. “No, she isn’t here with us.”

  I took a short breath and removed the black hair tie from my wrist and pulled my hair back, balling it up and getting it under control. He watched me, and finally I told him what had crossed my mind.

  “Mr. Vega invited me to Thorn’s birthday party.”

  He toyed with his cup and then his gentle eyes lifted. His expression was sorrowful.

  “Yeah, I was supposed to go to that thing. Well, I was going to take Tailor, but not now.”

  I bit my lip and grabbed my cup and Mattie’s. I returned and sat both cups down, taking a seat on the soft black cushion that rested on top of the stool.

  “I’m sure it’s canceled.”

  “What’s canceled?” Mattie asked as she strolled back into the kitchen and took the stool next to mine. She cupped the mug in her hands and let out an approving sigh.

  “The birthday party for the Prince of Port Royal.”

  I held in my laughter. It was amusing to see someone make fun of Thorn. Especially Daniel.

  She looked at him and shook her head. “Like they would cancel that. I heard it has a ton of international guest, all cousins of cousins and what not.”

  “Of theirs?” I asked, and she raised her eyebrows while she took a sip of her hot chocolate. She nodded while swallowing. She lifted her hand and wiped her bottom lip then licked it.

  “Man, this is good.”

  “It’s my aunt’s recipe.”

  I wasn’t ready to abandon the subject, so I got her back on track. “You said cousins of cousins.”

  She looked at Daniel then at me. “Yeah, The Vega family is large, from what I understand.”

  “Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m not going.” I said as I took a drink and tried to hide my disgust for what had happened between me and Thorn. There was no way I was going to mentio
n it in front of Daniel, ever. He just didn’t need to know.

  “Why?” Mattie asked me, and I froze.

  “I just, Thorn and I aren’t…” I kind of trailed off as Daniel perked up.

  “What happened?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. There was no way I was going to tell them the truth.

  “Did he hurt you?” Daniel asked, and I glanced up at him. “No, no. I just, we didn’t click, ya know?”

  He sighed. Mattie sat up straight. “You know what? This is stupid. You got dumped.” She pointed at Daniel and I felt the heat coming off his reddening cheeks before it even showed itself on his pale skin. “Tailor is a jerk, and you should go to that thing. You know she’ll be there, Danny, and you should, too.” She shot a look at me.

  He cleared his throat and adjusted his hair. I’m sure he didn’t expect to be put on the spot.

  She turned to me. “And you, screw him. Screw that big old jackass.”

  I half laughed. She nodded. “That’s right. He’s a snob, just like the rest of them.”

  I looked into my cup. “I don’t know; I’ll think about it. It’s not for a couple of weeks, anyway.”

  I licked my lip and tucked a stray chunk of my hair behind my ear. My eyes skirted over Daniels. I didn’t want to say it, but it was right there on the tip of my tongue. I blurted it out before I could control my emotions.

  “He dumped me.”

  She sucked in her breath and stared at Daniel then back at me.

  “WTH.” She whispered. “He did not.”

  I nodded. “No, he did, but it was my fault. I pushed him.”

  “Pushed him how? He seems to be the pushiest guy I know.” Daniel said, suddenly he perking up. He adjusted on the seat and seemed taller. His shoulders straightened as he waited on me to tell him more, but there weren’t any details of what had happened in the library that I wanted to say out loud.