Here Skies Surround Us Read online

  Evan lets go of my face and grabs my hand. “Come on,” he says, beaming with happiness. “It’s a little further.”

  We walk another twenty minutes before the trees open into a large clearing. Ahead of us the path splits into two, leading down to a small beach of stones, while the other path leads up to a small cliff that overlooks the clear body of water.

  “This is the quarry,” Evan explains. “It’s fed by an underground spring.”

  “It’s beautiful,” I say, running down to the beach. I turn back to him once I reach the water and see he’s staring at me.

  “What?”

  “Just admiring you.”

  My face heats up. “Don’t be silly.”

  “Watch this,” Evan says. He takes off his shoes and shirt and runs up the path to the small cliff on the other side. It can’t be more that fifteen feet, but once he gets up there, I realize how small he looks in comparison to the drop.

  “What are you doing?” I call out.

  He waves to me and then runs toward the edge, jumping off at the last minute. I gasp as I watch him fall, his arms high in the air, before disappearing under the water’s surface. A large splash shoots up high from where he vanished and I gasp aloud.

  I wait for him to come up but he doesn’t. What if he’s hurt? I quickly kick off my shoes and take off my t-shirt and pants, and jump into the cold water after him. I gasp as its chill cuts into my skin, but I swim out toward where he fell.

  “Evan!” I call out. I dip my head underneath a few times but can’t see him. Panic sets back into my stomach, causing it to twist in anxiety. Suddenly, I feel something brush against my legs and I’m pulled underneath.

  I kick hard and sputter as I get my head back above the water, gasping for air. Evan comes up beside me with a wicked grin on his face.

  “I thought you drowned!” I yell as I splash water at him angrily.

  “Were you worried about me?”

  “Yes,” I say, my upset turning into anger.

  Evan pulls me into his arms. “Maybe you really do love me.”

  I resist a little, but his persistent charms win me over. Soon I’m wrapping my arms around him and resting my head in the crook of his neck, where I begin to relax.

  “If I’d known it was that easy to get you undressed I would have brought you here long ago,” Evan cracks.

  I let go and splash water on his face again. This time, I’m much less angry. We swim around for a bit: splashing and playing. I’m surprised that I remember how to swim so well; it’s been over a decade since I swam in the pond back home.

  “What are you thinking about?” Evan asks. “You look far away.”

  “I was just remembering a pond I used to swim in back home.”

  “Why did you quit?”

  “Oh, you know,” I say sarcastically, “kidnappings and viral warfare tend to take the fun out of community activities.”

  The mood shifts from carefree back to reality. It’s darker out now than when we got here, but I can see the serious look on his face by the reflection of the full moon against the water and on our bodies.

  “I can’t wait to get you back home and start building a life together,” he says, taking me in his arms.

  “If Jak ever forgives us,” I say. Then I add, apprehensively, “Won’t you miss your life here?”

  Evan looks taken aback for a moment. “Well, I will miss some things, like Quinn and my friends. Even Mom. But I would miss you much, much more.”

  “I don’t have the same ties as you. Why haven’t you asked me to stay here with you?”

  “Because I don’t want to stay here,” Evan says bluntly. “I’d like to go to a dome that’s just starting out so I can help them make better decisions, to protect themselves while maintaining innocence and happiness.”

  “That’s deep,” I say, smiling. “It sounds like you’re taking this decision seriously.”

  “I take anything that involves you seriously,” Evan says in a low voice, almost a growl.

  He pulls me up to him tightly and kisses me again. His body intertwines with mine, and his hands anxiously search my body. I run my hands against his chest and then move them up around his neck and across his back. He moves his hungry kisses from my lips, across my cheek, and down to my neck. I let out a small moan at the sensation of it all. He reaches up and begins to pull down the straps of my bra, when a familiar voice interrupts us.

  “Well looky what we got here, boys.” It’s the stinky one’s voice, one of the guys that grabbed me when I got here. He’s yelling from the shore. Evan’s body goes rigid, and I hold onto him tightly as fear churns in my stomach. I look to the shore and see three men; Karl is one of them.

  “They’re the ones who took me,” I whisper in fear. Evan holds me tighter against him as I begin to shake.

  “I think we got ourselves a little romantic rendezvous,” Karl yells out. “I think I’m going to sit back here and enjoy the show.”

  “It’s okay,” Evan says. “I’ll go talk to them.”

  “No, you don’t understand,” I plead. Suddenly I remember I haven’t told Evan everything that’s happened to me since I got here. “They tried to hurt me before.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Evan says, grabbing my shoulders. “Wait here.”

  I watch as he swims away from me. My body shudders and I realize I’m cold.

  Evan gets out of the water and talks to the three men. I don’t recognize the third, but he’s obviously with Stinky and Karl. Evan waves me over and begins to get dressed. I slowly make my way toward them.

  “Don’t worry, Nat,” Evan says. “They’re leaving.”

  I watch as the men turn to leave, waiting a minute until I feel safe before I start to walk out of the water. I’m halfway to Evan when the three of them hoot and run back, and they reach Evan before I can reach my clothes. I watch as one grabs Evan from behind and holds him with a knife, and Karl gets to my clothes and kicks them away as he tries to grab for me. I turn and run back to the water, but Stinky is faster. He grabs me by the wrists and spins me toward him, so my back is against his front.

  I try to twist away from him but his grip is tight. I look up at Evan’s face and see his eyes are wild. “Let her go!” he yells.

  “Oh, we’re just playing around, you two,” Stinky says. “We wanted to get a glimpse of your girlfriend in her bathing suit, is all.” Stinky snaps my bra strap against my shoulder. I shudder in disgust.

  “Stop it!” Evan yells. “You’re going to be sorry.”

  “No I won’t,” Stinky says. “Your momma, she don’t like this girl much. I think she’d be grateful if we took care of her little problem for her.”

  “Plus, she attacked me in an alley,” Karl speaks up, pointing at me angrily. “That’s a rule. She broke it. She pays.”

  Evan looks at me quickly and then back at Karl. I can tell he’s trying to calculate his odds against these three and I shake my head slowly at him, trying to tell him no. Stinky catches on as well.

  “Don’t even think about it, boy,” he says, hissing. “We’re just here to give the girl a good scare. She can’t be attacking members of the New Order, so let this be a lesson.”

  Karl walks over to me quickly, obviously worried he’s going to miss out on some retribution. His breath reeks of Ray’s moonshine. I wonder how much Caroline would appreciate her employees drinking on the job?

  Karl grabs my face with his hand, gripping my jaw, and I cry out in pain.

  “Let her go,” Evan yells furiously.

  “You listen here, missy,” he says, digging his fingers into my skin. “Next time it ain’t gonna be all nice like this.” Karl looks down my body and backs up again, licking his lips. “Next time I’m gonna make sure you know who’s boss.”

  A thump comes from behind him, and Karl turns just in time to see his friend who was holding Evan fall to the ground. Evan is running toward us and Karl takes off. I feel Sti
nky’s grip loosen for a second; that’s all I need. I pull my knee up high and kick backward as hard as I can, connecting with my assailant’s knee. I hear a pop and he crashes to the ground screaming in pain. Evan is next to me within seconds, pushing me behind him. I scramble to grab my clothes and see someone else is chasing Karl into the trees. As they disappear, Karl screams out in pain.

  I throw on my clothes and turn back toward Evan. “You’ll never touch her again, Mack!” he yells at Stinky as he sits on top of him, pummeling his face. Mack stops moving but Evan doesn’t quit, his eyes wild and out of control. I grab Evan, trying to pull him off, but he struggles against me, causing us to topple over. When I get up, I see that Mack is still breathing, but not a threat any longer.

  Evan grabs my face between his hands. “Are you okay?” he asks, searching my face, looking frightened and angry.

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  Evan presses his forehead against mine, trying to regulate his breathing. “I can’t believe that happened. I didn’t protect you. I shouldn’t have trusted them. This is entirely my fault. They could have—” His voice catches in his throat.

  “They didn’t,” I say back, trying to ground him in the present. “I’m okay. You saved me. How did you get away?”

  “Ray,” Evan says. “We need to find him.”

  “Ray?”

  As if on cue, the old man stumbles out of the trees where Karl disappeared. “I need some help with this one. He’s too heavy to pull out on my own.”

  “Be right there,” Evan calls back.

  “I told the men to leave you young’uns alone. But they just don’t want to listen.”

  “You were with them?” I ask.

  “They like to come out and have some of old Ray’s moonshine.” He gives me a toothless grin. “It’s a good thing I keep this for protection.” He holds up an old metal bat.

  “Check Mack for cuffs,” Evan says. “Then cuff him and Jeb. I’ll be right back.”

  “You better get out of here before they realize it was you,” I say to Ray, who nods and disappears into the trees.

  I slowly walk toward Mack and stand over him, staring at his bloody face. His breathing is shallow and blood bubbles around his nose. I reach down into his pockets and pull out two pairs of cuffs. I snap the cuffs on his wrists, tightening them as far as they go. I smirk, thinking of how good payback feels, but then guilt takes its place as I realize I am enjoying this a little too much.

  I take the other set of cuffs and walk over to the goon who was holding Evan. Jeb’s got a bad bump on the back of his head, obviously from Ray. I click the cuffs as tight as they will go on him as well as I remember the knife he held against Evan’s neck.

  Evan comes out of the trees carrying Karl. It takes a while but we load them all up in the back of their half-ton that is parked close to the quarry, blocking the path.

  “Nat.” Evan looks at me seriously. “Are you really okay?”

  “Yes,” I say dismissively.

  His shoulders fall as he sighs, and I realize how tired he really is. All we wanted was a good night. “I’ll take their truck back, and you follow me in ours.”

  “Where are you taking them?” I ask.

  “They’ll have to face the Court tomorrow,” Evan says, his eyes dark.

  Evan and I pull into the compound, one after the other. A New Order member comes up to my door and I freeze in fear for a moment, wondering if I’ll be dragged in for questioning. I hold my breath as he shines a flashlight at the truck, then exhale as he waves me through. I park the truck next to Evan’s and before I’m out, he’s next to me, pulling me into his arms.

  Evan is detained. He’s questioned before other New Order members arrive and unload his unconscious cargo. By the time Evan is let go, it’s way past my curfew. Alec will be livid.

  “I’m so sorry. I’ve been so careful to try and keep you safe since you got here but instead I keep getting you hurt.” He kisses my forehead repeatedly.

  “Evan,” I say, feeling desperate. “We have to tell Alec. He’s going to make me go back home now.”

  “He won’t, I promise,” Evan says. “He knows you’re safer here with us. We just need to keep our heads low.”

  “What about your mother?” I ask. “She doesn’t want you with me. Mack said she doesn’t like me. Did she do this?” I burst into tears. It’s been too much tonight.

  “Shhh,” Evan says, running his hand down my hair and holding my head against his chest. His breathing calms me down. Then he grabs my face, pulls it up to his, and kisses me gently. “Come. We’re sorting this out right now.”

  We weave between the houses and enter the dome itself. It’s lit up with a soft glow, like a beacon in the night. We’re headed straight for the Axis.

  “Where are we going?”

  “We’re going to see my mom,” Evan says. My legs suddenly feel like lead, and it takes all my strength to force them to keep walking.

  “I thought she works outside the dome?”

  “She does in the day. At night, she manages the affairs from the inside. You know how she likes to keep tabs on everything.”

  “When do you get to see her?” I ask surprised. “And what about Quinn?”

  “I make sure Quinn always has someone to care for him,” Evan says.

  “Has it always been like this?” I pry.

  “I don’t want to talk about my mother’s unreasonable working habits right now. I have more important things to confront her about.”

  Evan pulls me behind him, storming into the Axis. The lobby is the same as ours back home, wide and open with a small desk in the center and two elevators in the back. A skittish young girl stands from behind the desk as we walk in. She reminds me of Ali.

  “Your mother is with someone, Evan,” she says, looking concerned at our presence. She picks up the phone as we pass her desk.

  “I don’t care,” he says. We get in the elevator and he hits Floor 2. I notice the girl at the front desk is talking into the phone, undoubtedly warning Caroline of our arrival. I glance at Evan: he’s angry and determined. His face scares me a little. I want to go back to how things were before our assailants came to the quarry. That’s the closest Evan and I have been in a long time. Maybe ever.

  He glances down at me and squeezes my hand reassuringly, as if reading my mind.

  The elevator doors open and he storms ahead, still with me in tow. I recognize this hallway: it leads to the Director’s office. Evan throws the door at the end of the hallway open.

  Caroline is standing in the office, talking to Alec. Evan stops in surprise for a moment and then clears his throat. “Mom, we need to have a talk.”

  “Do we?” Caroline asks, looking from Evan to me. Her gaze pauses on me, almost sympathetically, and then she turns back to Alec. “First thing in the morning. You have my permission.”

  Alec turns and pulls me out into the hallway, closing the door behind us.

  “What’s he doing?” Alec asks, looking angry. Or is it worry? I’m still messed up from the altercation, so it’s hard to focus.

  I briefly explain everything to him, and his face gets angrier by the second.

  “You told me you were going to be careful.”

  “I don’t see how I wasn’t.”

  “Fooling around half-dressed in the middle of nowhere with a boy?” Alec accuses. “How was that a good idea?”

  “I’m an adult—”

  “I don’t care,” Alec spouts. “It was a bad idea either way. Look at the scrutiny we’re under already. I can’t imagine what might have happened—”

  “It didn’t, though,” I argue.

  “Don’t be so difficult,” Alec yells.

  “You’re not my dad!” I yell back. I’m surprised I said it aloud, let alone yelled it. Nevertheless, it’s true and I’m glad it’s off my chest, even though I see the hurt in Alec’s eyes.

  “No,” he says, “you’re right. I’
m not. But I’m responsible for you while you are living with me. Don’t make me regret allowing you two to hang out together. I have half a mind to send you back sooner, Nat.”

  “No!” I say. “You can’t do that.”

  “My job is to keep you safe,” Alec says. “I need to go. Promise me you’ll get Evan to take you straight home after he’s done here.” Alec waves his hands at the door.

  “I’m not going back,” I say.

  “We’ll talk later.” Alec walks toward the elevators. “I won’t be back tonight. Get Evan to take you home, please? I don’t want to have to worry about you.”

  “Fine.”

  Alec disappears into the elevator and I turn my attention back to the office door. I can hear Evan’s voice shouting from inside the room.

  “They pretty much implied they had your permission to be there!” Evan exclaims.

  “I would never do that,” Caroline says. “You know better than to believe that.”

  “I don’t know what to believe anymore,” Evan says. “You’ve done everything you can to keep us apart.”

  “You don’t know her,” Caroline says. “Plus, you’re promised to Nico.”

  “Nico and I have no interest in each other! I told you that before. Her parents have accepted it, why can’t you?”

  “It’s a beneficial arrangement,” Caroline says. “Trust me that Nora will change her mind if I talk to her. I’ve never seen you like this before. What has this girl done to you?”

  “She loves me,” Evan says. “I don’t expect you to understand that. And I love her back. Leave my girlfriend alone.”

  Girlfriend. I smile at the word. I’ve never been one before.

  “I’m your mother,” she says. “I can’t be in your life and have nothing to do with her.”

  “Then make your choice,” Evan says. “Right now. Be in my life and accept Nat, or I leave now.”

  “No!” Caroline’s voice is strained. “Don’t say that. I won’t lose you too.”

  There’s a long pause. “I love her, Mom.”

  Another pause. I jump as the door clicks open and I look away. Evan comes out and stares at me, as if he’s trying to evaluate how much I heard. He reaches a hand out toward me and I tentatively take it.