THE UGLY TRUTH
Nathaniel
The sound of rain pattering against the roof and windows nudged me from sleep. For a moment I thought I was dreaming. I had dreamt of her being in my arms so many times only to be disappointed when I awoke. But no, my soul mate was really, finally, with me again.
I laid there, breathing in her comforting scent, and running my fingers through her hair. Would all of her memories ever return? Would we ever be able to discuss our first life together, or our eighth, or eighteenth, with her actually recalling details? It didn’t matter. She remembered pieces. She said she loved me, and I believed her. That’s all I needed.
I kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”
She bolted up in bed. As did I.
“Maryah? What is it?”
She stared ahead at our reflection in the mirror, trying to catch her breath. “River. His eyes were crazy and peering out of a tree in the dark and I was all alone and tried to scream but I couldn’t.”
I wrapped my arms around her. “It’s all right. It was just a nightmare. He’s in jail and will be for a very long time. He will never set foot near you again.”
“There’s something I have to tell you. River said his uncle made him kill me. He thinks our family is some sort of cult.”
“Shh,” I reclined back and tucked her head against my chest. “I already know. River confessed everything while we were at the police station.”
“What if his uncle comes looking for me? Or hurts someone else?”
“Don’t worry yourself with that. Eric Malone is a wanted criminal. He left town and he wouldn’t be foolish enough to return anytime soon. Besides, I’m here, and so is the rest of our kindrily. No one is ever going to hurt you again.”
Her muscles softened as some of her tension eased. She snuggled up against my neck while thunder rumbled outside. I couldn’t get close enough to her. I squeezed her tighter and relished her breath against my skin, but I had to adjust myself when my body ached to do more than just hold her.
“I’m not getting out of this bed until tomorrow,” she cooed. “And neither are you.”
“While I do love that idea, the others won’t allow it. I’m surprised they haven’t besieged us yet. I’m certain they’re out there waiting for an update.” I was also certain we needed to get out of bed so I could take a cold shower.
Maryah looked at the closed bedroom door and sighed. “I guess we do owe them some details, considering all they’ve been through.”
I chuckled. “That’s the understatement of the millennium.”
∞
My first instinct was to wait for her outside of the bathroom, but that was much too overbearing. No one would harm her while she was showering. I made it a few steps down the hallway, but that felt too far away, so I straightened the paintings lining the walls.
I was straightening them for the fifth time when Maryah walked out of the bathroom. “Are you peckish?”
“Not really, but I am thirsty.” She smiled. “My father always used British words like peckish.”
While in bed, she felt familiar. The contours of our bodies fit together perfectly just like in every other life. However, now it felt like we were on an awkward first date. “Do you remember anything about our lives in England?”
“Lives? With an s? We lived there for more than one…cycle, or whatever?”
Louise appeared at the end of the hallway. “You two missed breakfast, but would you care for some lunch?”
I spoke so that only Maryah could hear me. “You don’t have to eat, but we should join them.”
“Fine, but later we are discussing England. And everywhere else we’ve lived.”
“Happily.” I ushered her down the hallway.
Krista, Faith, Louise, and Helen were scattered around the kitchen, but all of them were focused on Maryah and me. Helen kissed each of us on the cheek and ladled hot cocoa into a mug. She handed it to Maryah, who only looked at it skeptically.
“I assumed you’d want to avoid tea for a while,” Helen said. “It’s cocoa with ginseng, ginko, and gotu kola. It helps the memory.”
Maryah took a sip. “Your gift has something to do with herbs and stuff, doesn’t it?”
“I have a way with nature.” Helen untied her apron and hung it in the pantry. “Herbs, plants, flowers: if it’s borne from the earth, I can make it flourish. Many plants and flowers have medicinal properties.”
The doorbell rang and Faith sprang up to answer it.
From the foyer, Faith squealed.
Maryah clenched onto me, and I wrapped my arm around her. “You’re safe. Don’t worry.”
She let go when she realized Faith was talking—friendly talking—to whomever was at the door. A dog barked, then a bulldog came charging in just as Faith and April came around the corner.
“April?” Maryah gasped.
Louise had told me about their fight. April had been in one of my classes last year, but she looked much skinnier and sadder than I remembered, maybe even sick. Her arms cradled her torso like she needed to hold herself up.
Louise and Helen said a quick hello then excused themselves to do chores at Helen’s.
“How have you been? How’s,” Maryah hesitated, “your mom?”
“She’s hanging in there.” April’s voice quivered. “I’m so sorry, Maryah. I’ve been such a horrible friend. River called me from jail, so I went to see him and he wouldn’t tell me much, but he told me you wouldn’t date him, how you said you’d never do that to me. And then I found out he tried to…I can’t even say it. Forget about me, are you okay?”
Faith, Krista, and I glanced at each other, silently debating whether or not we should leave the girls alone to talk.
“I’m fine,” Maryah said, but I heard the fear in her voice. “It’s good to see you. This is Nathan and my cousin, Krista.”
“Yeah, I know Nathan. Nice to meet you, Krista.” April’s eyes were glassy. She fanned herself with her hand like she was trying not to cry. “I’m sorry I never returned your calls or emails. I’m sorry for so many things.”
“It’s fine.” Maryah hugged her, causing Faith and Krista to smile. All the estrogen in the room was a bit overwhelming. I wanted to traverse to somewhere with fresh air and open space, but Maryah shot me a loving glance and suddenly there was no place else I wanted to be.
“I’m so glad he didn’t…you know.” April wiped away her tears. “Gosh, you think you know someone.”
The bulldog pawed Maryah’s feet.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” April let go of Maryah and looked down at him. “River asked me to take care of Eightball, but I’m hardly ever home and I can’t take him to the hospital with me, so I know it’s a lot to ask, but you’ve always been so good with him. I was hoping maybe you’d take him?”
Maryah’s face lit up, blossoming into an uncontrollable smile. Faith clapped with approval and dropped to the floor to pet him.
“Um.” Maryah looked at me. “I’d have to make sure Louise doesn’t mind.”
I laughed and leaned on the counter. “This is your home. If you love him, he’s welcome here.”
“Thank goodness,” April said. “I didn’t know what I’d do if you said no.”
We all stood there in awkward silence watching Faith scratch Eightball’s head and back. Memories flashed through my mind of other pets we had adopted in the past. I smirked at how perfect the name Eightball was as a pet for our eighth member who used to have premonitions about the future.
“Well,” April wrapped her arms around herself again. “I’ve got to get back to my mom, but I’d love to get together soon. That is, if you forgive me.”
“Yes,” Maryah said. “I’d like that. A fresh start.”
“Great.” April's spirits seemed to lift. “I’ll text you.”
Maryah and I walked April to her car, but I lingered in the garden so they could say goodbye without an audience. I was happy to see Maryah make amends with her friend. Having someone to talk to outside of our kindrily would be good for her—if she had learned her lesson about keeping our way of life a secret.
Maryah was glowing as she came toward me. The flowers lining the path she walked along were put to shame by her beauty. “That was unexpected.”
“I suspect it’s one of many happy surprises you’ll encounter.”
“What do you mean? Do you know something I don’t?”
I held her hand and tried not to let my smile be too smug. “I know a lot of things that you don’t.”
We went back inside and Amber was standing in the kitchen pulling chicken off a bone. Eightball grunted at her feet. “Faith told me you adopted this dog.”
“His name’s Eightball,” Maryah said. “Cute, isn’t he?”
Amber looked annoyed. “The poor guy is starving. Here,” she handed Maryah a bowl filled with chicken. “Give him this.”
Maryah set the chicken on the floor and he gulped it down, snorting with every bite. “I almost forgot you can communicate with animals. Did he tell you he was hungry?”
“Tell me? He was sending up smoke flares.”
“So,” I sensed the need to lighten the mood. “We have a new four-legged son. He takes after me in the face a little, don’t you think?”
Maryah and Krista giggled, but Amber didn’t crack a smile.
“Where is everyone else?” Amber asked. “I’ve got interesting news.”
“Louise went to Helen’s,” I said.
Krista and Faith barely glanced up from watching Eightball devour his food, but Faith explained that the guys were working in the garage, and Harmony was busy at home.
Amber rested her hands on her big belly. “This can’t wait. We’ll update them later. Maryah, you should sit down.”
Faith and Krista’s heads both snapped to attention.
“I’m okay,” Maryah assured everyone, but I pulled out a stool for her. If Amber said someone should sit down, she meant it.
Amber set a bowl of water on the floor. “Eightball was abused. He’s happy to be here because he senses he won’t be hurt anymore.”
Eightball lapped up his water while keeping an eye on Maryah. Their connection was already strong. “No one will ever hurt him again,” Maryah said. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“The guy that used to beat him,” Amber continued, “was River’s uncle.”
“No surprise there,” Faith huffed. “I mean, he ordered River to kill Maryah. Evil bastard. Only a heartless soul could ever abuse such a sweet and innocent animal.”
Amber fixed her eyes on me. “Eightball confirmed what Louise expected.”
“Of course.” My fists tightened. “We should have figured that out a long time ago.”
“Huh?” Maryah asked. “Figure what out?”
Amber sat in the stool at the end of the island, took off her glasses, and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “River’s uncle. Eric is his alias, his real name is—”
“Dedrick.” I snarled.
Maryah swallowed hard. “The head of the Nefariouns?”
Amber nodded somberly. “And one of the men who attacked you and your family.”
Good thing I had the stool positioned behind Maryah, because she collapsed into it. “Does he know who the other guy was?” Maryah asked. “The one who almost killed me.”
“No,” Amber said. “Communication with animals works differently than with humans. It’s not like I can just ask him questions. Most animals think a loop of one-sided thoughts. They think about whatever affects them most on a primal level.”
Amber’s ability had always fascinated me, but given the current situation, and the secret I was hiding that affected me at a primal level, I was thankful that Amber could only read animal minds. Because I knew the answer to Maryah’s question. And I had to keep it a secret.
