The Reckoning Page 15

  “Ohh, the faux south. That’s why you don’t really have an accent.”

  “The faux south?” Eva raised her eyebrows, and Olivia and Beckett laughed.

  “You know, because it’s so north it’s barely south...? No? Anyway, I’m kidding. Mostly.”

  Eva laughed weakly, looking at Olivia like she wasn’t sure what to make of her. She turned her gaze back to Beckett, and her smile went up a few watts.

  “Have you ever been to Virginia?”

  “Williamsburg with my parents, a long time ago,” Beckett nodded. “We had a good time.”

  “Williamsburg is nice, but there is so much more to Virginia than there and Busch Gardens. Virginia Beach, for example, is gorgeous, or Shenandoah National Park in Front Royal, if you’re more of a mountains guy than a beach guy.”

  “I am a both guy,” Beckett grinned affably, and Eva grinned back at him.

  “My kind of guy.”

  The group filed into the theatre, and Olivia sat to the right of Eva, Beckett on her left; she was going to get a read on Eva Revet if it killed her. Tyler sat beside Olivia, of course, and Olivia laughed, rolling her eyes at him. The theatre darkened, the trailers beginning, and Olivia ignored them in order to focus on reading Eva.

  A few minutes later, Olivia frowned. She found, generally, that most of her fellow teenagers read OK. Emmeline and Hattie were two immediate exceptions that Olivia could think of -- they read as rotten as they acted, and while Bailey, Tara, Eloise, and Georgiana were better, it wasn't by much. Theo Fitelson was also a bad egg. Eva, however, was different from all of them -- her reading was turbulent, and while it was not bad in the way Emmeline’s was or Theo’s was, it was bad all the same. It made Olivia extremely uncomfortable, especially since Eva acted very happy and bubbly on the surface; at least the others who read badly didn’t really bother trying to pretend they were anything other than what they were.

  Eva looked over at Olivia, and Olivia looked back at her, raising her eyebrows just slightly. Eva gave her a bright smile, then leaned over and said something to Beckett, who murmured back to her, an amused expression on his face. This was no good. No good for Tristan, who couldn’t possibly have expected Beckett to continue being interested in her when all she did was shut him down, and not good for Beckett, who Olivia couldn’t even warn away from Eva, because what would she say? Hey Beckett, I can read someone to get an idea of what kind of person they are on a soul-deep level, and you might want to run in the opposite direction of Eva Revet?

  The movie finally began, and Olivia pushed her thoughts aside, focusing on the film instead. There was really nothing she could do, even if she wanted to, short of influencing Eva or Beckett’s thoughts to keep them away from each other. That wasn’t fair, however, and more than being unfair, it was an abuse of power. Beckett was not in danger with Eva, as far as Olivia could tell, and Tristan would never speak to Olivia again if she ever found out Olivia had intervened on her behalf. No, it was tempting, but Olivia had to mind her own business.

  Eva talked the whole way out of the movie theatre, and Beckett just watched her and listened, thinking about how cute she was as she chatted away about the brilliance of Stephen King.

  “No thanks, Tristan is right there,” Beckett heard Olivia say, out on the sidewalk, and his head whipped around. Tristan was parked a little ways up the street from the theatre, leaning against her car, looking at her phone.

  Olivia shot a quick look at Beckett, then ran a hand through her hair, hiding a smile to herself. So maybe she hadn’t completely minded her own business after all. Missing a ride home with Tyler was worth the way Beckett was now staring at an oblivious Tristan, confirming what Olivia had known all along -- regardless of his flirtation with Eva, Beckett was totally into Tristan.

  “Coming!” Olivia called down the block, and Tristan looked up, nodding. She glanced at the group, doing a double-take when she saw Beckett standing with Eva Revet, who was smiling up at him, but staring at her. Her eyebrows raised very, very briefly, and then she looked back down at her phone.

  A few seconds later, Tristan looked up again, shaking her hair out of her face. She must have remembered the truce she and Beckett had called between them, because she sent a small wave his way, and Beckett waved back at her.

  “Who’s that?” Eva asked.

  “You don’t want to know,” Emmeline said, and Olivia turned and looked at her.

  “No offense,” Emmeline said, giving Olivia the fakest of smiles.

  “That’s Tristan, my sister,” Olivia told Eva.

  “Oh. Ohhh,” Eva said, recognition finally dawning. She glanced at Emmeline, who smirked.

  “See you guys Monday,” Olivia said, rolling her eyes.

  “Thanks for keeping me safe in there,” Tyler grinned. “Now instead of nightmares of Jack Nicholson, I’ll have sweet dreams of you.”

  Olivia winked at him, blowing him a kiss and wiggling her fingers in goodbye before she sauntered away to meet Tristan at her car.

  “Why did you need me to pick you up?” Tristan asked, frowning as Olivia drew closer to her. “I thought Tyler was giving you a ride home.”

  “Oh, he wasn’t going right home,” Olivia lied, shrugging.

  Tristan rounded the car, looking up the street again as she went, noticing that Eva had moved in front of Beckett, blocking her view of him. She got into the driver’s side, telling herself not to ask, and of course immediately disregarded that advice.

  “Was that Eva Revet with Beckett back there?”

  “Mmhm,” Olivia grunted, and Tristan looked over at her. “They didn’t show up together, but they’ll probably leave together.”

  “Not a fan?”

  “She reads really weird.”

  “Oceana.”

  “What? You know me, I read everyone.”

  Tristan was quiet for a moment. Then, “What do you mean she reads weird?”

  “Bad weird. Not bad like Beckett is going to end up in pieces in the Mississippi, I don't think, just, like, off weird.”

  “Super descriptive.”

  “Ha ha. I don’t know how to explain it. Like, Emmeline reads heinously because that’s who she is to the core, and she acts it. Same thing with her bitchy friends. But Eva acts super sunshiney and bubbly, meanwhile her reading was dark, Trinity. Like unstable, disturbing dark. And I am talking about a reading of who she is, not a reading of her aura.”

  “But Beckett isn’t in danger?”

  Olivia shook her head. “No, I really don’t think so. But I also can't be one hundred percent sure, so that’s why it’s weird.”

  Tristan thought for a moment, then shrugged.

  “Then there’s nothing than can be done. He’ll have to find out for himself whatever her deal is.”

  “And you don’t care that they were getting all flirty with each other?”

  Tristan looked at Olivia sharply.

  “No, I don’t. Why would I?”

  Olivia answered her question with a question.

  “You do know that as your sister, I’m on your side, right? That you can actually tell me things and whatever you tell me will be safe with me?”

  “Debatable.”

  “What do you mean debatable?” Olivia demanded, scowling.

  “Oceana,” Tristan looked at her knowingly. “I believe you have good intentions and you’d never blab anything I told you on purpose, but I know you drink when you go to parties with your friends.”

  “So?”

  “So I’d never, ever run the risk of someone getting something out of you while you weren’t sober.”

  “I don’t get blasted and I’m not a blabbermouth!” Olivia snapped defensively. “I would never repeat anything you told me in confidence. Hello, I can’t even drink that much for my own sake so I don’t spill any of my own secrets!”

  “It’s nothing personal, O. It’s just not a risk I’m taking.”

  Olivia harrumphed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking out the passenger
side window.

  “Are you looking forward to the Solstice Celebration in a couple of weeks?” Tristan asked, trying to change the subject.

  “No.” Olivia glared at her. “It’s the same night as Jamestown’s Christmas dance, and I would one thousand percent rather be going to that.”

  “With Tyler Daniels?”

  “With none of your business, Trinity!”

  Tristan laughed, and Olivia continued to fume.

  “Meanwhile, I’m the exact opposite. I’d one thousand percent rather be going to the gathering than to any event at Jamestown on a night I am not supposed to be there.”

  “Well good for you,” Olivia grumbled. Then, “I’m surprised by that, though. Two gatherings in one month would usually be a nightmare for you.”

  “I didn’t say I want to go,” Tristan pointed out. “I’m just saying I’d choose it over Jamestown if we actually had a choice.”

  They lapsed into silence then, and Tristan pulled into the driveway. Before they got out of the car, Olivia turned to her.

  “You know, the real reason I asked you to pick me up tonight was so Beckett could see you. Don’t tell me anything because you don’t trust me, but remember that I know things regardless of whether or not you say them out loud. Eva’s reading wasn’t the only reason I wanted Beckett to remember you exist tonight.”

  Not waiting for a response, Olivia got out of the car, slamming the door behind her. Tristan stared at where she’d been sitting, her mouth hanging open.

  ***

  The truth was that this newfound thing between Beckett and Eva did bother Tristan. What bothered her even more than that, however, was that as Beckett and Eva got friendlier around Jamestown Academy, something strange was happening between Tristan and Beckett. It felt like whatever unspoken tension they had going was ramping up in intensity while simultaneously staying exactly the same, but the only tangible thing Tristan could pinpoint as different was the way Beckett looked at her throughout the week -- he seemed to have stopped rearranging his features to look friendly whenever he saw her, and instead just looked at Tristan like… well… almost like he was longing for her. It was the way Tristan would expect him to look at Eva, who could now be found at Beckett’s side whenever he took to the halls of Jamestown, and the entire thing made no sense no matter how Tristan tried to examine it. It frustrated her endlessly that a look, or a handful of looks, as the case may be, could be such an all-consuming preoccupation.

  On top of the weirdness with Beckett, Tristan’s week was crowded by thoughts of the approaching gathering. She was growing increasingly nervous as Saturday approached, and Olivia and Evander were no help, as they were right there in the same boat. Olivia, who had graciously decided to forgive Tristan, had tried a couple of times to relieve Tristan’s worry, the way she’d done at the last gathering, but between her lack of energy from her crash and her own nerves, it didn’t take. Tristan knew she was going to have to find a way to calm down, even if that meant asking Sol for help, otherwise by the time Saturday came she’d be doubled-over with painful knots of anxiety in her gut.

  It was in surprise that Tristan watched Beckett come to meet her alone at their bench on Friday after school. She’d been certain that Eva would be accompanying him, had even prepared herself for it by arming herself with more research than she’d ever brought to their meetings since they'd started.

  “Hey, sorry I’m late.” Beckett greeted her, sitting down. He flopped his head back, closing his eyes against the harsh December sunlight.

  “You’re not late,” Tristan replied. “I’m early. I have a ton of material this week, so I was just sorting through it so it’s in some semblance of order.”

  Beckett looked at Tristan, not realizing until that moment that he’d missed her. Missed her? Yes, missed her. Eva had made herself an extension of his hip all week, even though they’d not seen each other outside of school since Saturday night, so he and Tristan hadn’t gotten to chat in the hall between classes, or before class in the morning, or at all, really, outside of English class, where they hadn’t been partnered up for their project. They also kept missing each other in the lunch line, which happened occasionally and didn't usually bother Beckett, but this time he resented that they'd fallen out of sync. Eva was nice, cute as hell, but relentlessly cheerful, and yes, Beckett had missed Tristan’s quiet, even-keeled demeanor and dry sense of humor.

  “Whatcha got?” Beckett asked, leaning over interestedly.

  Tristan turned the stack of papers in her lap.

  “I found this website that is a resource jackpot for ESL teachers. There's everything from course material to games to how to best interact with the students.”

  Beckett looked impressed, maybe even excited.

  “That's amazing! So we'll build the project around this?”

  “That's what I was thinking.” Tristan nodded, looking pleased.

  “All right. Let's see what's in here.” Beckett moved closer to Tristan on the bench, and, as she watched him look over the papers, the old familiar crush sensation swept through her stomach.

  “How's the job going?” Beckett asked, as he flipped through the pages.

  “As thrilling as ever,” Tristan replied, to Beckett's chuckle. “No, I do actually enjoy it.”

  “I just picked up a job recently myself.”

  “Oh? Where?”

  “The library.”

  Tristan squinted at him, giving him the look she used to give him back when they'd first started meeting, the one where she couldn't tell whether or not he was being serious.

  “Ohh, there's that face again,” Beckett said, pointing and starting to laugh as his eyes went wide. “The Beckett, are you dumb or do you think I am? face. I've missed it!”

  Tristan laughed at Beckett's exaggerated impression of her, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink. She had just opened her mouth to respond when Eva suddenly appeared.

  “Hi Beckett.”

  Beckett jumped, turning, and Tristan looked up, her laughter fading.

  “Eva, hey. What's up? What are you still doing here?”

  “I had music practice so I thought I'd come see if you were still here before I left, and here you are.” Eva smiled at him, ignoring Tristan.

  “Here I am. Have you met Tristan Wallace? She's Olivia's sister.” Beckett gestured to Tristan.

  “No,” Eva said, looking at Tristan. Her expression cooled several degrees and she said nothing else.

  Tristan looked back at her, also saying nothing.

  “Are you almost done?” Eva asked Beckett.

  “We just got started,” Beckett replied, shaking his head, his brow creasing. “You don't have to wait. I'm not sure how long this will take.”

  “Well it is Friday and you do have a social life, right?” Eva grinned at him. “You can't stay here forever.”

  Tristan, who could already see how this was going to go, began straightening up her papers.

  “It's OK, Beckett. Why don't you take those home, I'll take these, and we'll talk about it next week?” Tristan suggested.

  Beckett frowned. “No, I'm not in any rush. We can do this here.”

  “It's fine,” Tristan said again, her tone reassuring.

  “But--”

  “Great!” Eva said brightly, giving Beckett a dazzling smile. “I'll walk you to your car.”

  Beckett looked at Tristan, who he knew was intentionally not looking at him.

  “You don't mind?”

  Tristan finally glanced up and, damn it, there was that look again. The longing. The looking at her mouth, her eyes, her whole entire face like he was two seconds from leaning over and kissing her. She smiled, pretending not to notice, and looked into his eyebrows instead of his eyes.

  “We have five months to finish this, Beckett. Have a good weekend, OK?”

  “OK,” Beckett said reluctantly, standing.

  “Finally!” Eva clapped a little, and Tristan watched them walk away, Eva's hand snaking around Beckett
's bicep.

  Her stomach crunched a little bit, a little pit opening up, and Tristan forcibly pushed it aside. There was no way, in any lifetime, that she and Beckett could ever be together, so it was a waste of time and an abuse of her heart to let herself have feelings for him. Tristan knew it, believed it, but feelings were never rational and didn't care for being censored, so her gut persisted even through the stern talking-to she was giving herself. You could be together, it was saying. His friends would talk, but he would choose you over them.

  “Stop it,” Tristan whispered fiercely to herself.

  Beckett looked back at Tristan, who was still sitting on their bench, slowly putting her things away. She was frowning, and Beckett knew he'd chosen wrong. He should have stayed to work on their project, should have stayed to spend time with her.

  “Beckett?” Eva asked, and Beckett looked at her, clearly having missed a question.

  “Sorry, what?”

  “I was just asking if you have plans this weekend.”

  “I have the last football game of the year tomorrow night, and after the game a bunch of us usually go to Mack's diner, across town. Free Sunday. How about you?”

  “No plans right now, but I'm thinking I might come to the football game tomorrow. If you don't mind.”

  Eva smiled at Beckett, and he told himself to give her a chance, reminding himself that his crush on Tristan was fruitless, since she was never going to feel about him the way he felt about her. Beckett smiled back.

  “I don't mind at all. You wanna come to Mack's with us afterwards?”

  “That would be really nice,” Eva replied, nodding, and Beckett smiled at her again.

  ***

  Late Friday night, Tristan found Sol in the kitchen, sitting at the table reading and sipping tea.

  “Mom?”

  Sol looked up, setting down her book.

  “Hi honey.”

  “Hi. I was wondering if you could help me with something?”

  “Anything. What do you need?”

  “I'm really anxious lately, and it's starting to make me feel sick. I was wondering if you can help me calm down? I tried everything myself, but it didn't do much.” Tristan twisted her fingers together as she talked, a nervous habit she'd had for as long as Sol could remember.