"Gran's up. She's gonna be pissed after she gets
over being scared. And that will be about two seconds after I walk through the
door."
"Do you want
me to come in and explain?"
"No," I
answered. "I can handle it."
After jumping out,
I pushed the car door closed behind me and then ran up the walk and onto the
front porch. With a little wave to Keagan, who was still watching me from the
car, I opened the front door and walked in.
Harry trotted up
to me with his tail wagging.
"Where have
you been?" Gran shouted.
Harry cringed as
if whipped and scuttled away, back in the direction of the living room. If only
I could get away so easily.
"You're still
alive at least." Gran stood, hands-on-hips, just inside. "My only
comfort was that I'd seen your fate was an old age death. Even so, I was scared
spitless. An old lady could have an attack, you know."
Not even thinking
about closing the door behind me, I rushed to her and gave her a quick hug.
"I'm so sorry, Gran. I didn't mean to be out so late. We just..." I
couldn't think of a way to finish that. Talking about falling asleep with
Keagan might not be the best thing to calm her down. "But I think I did
it, Gran. I think I changed their death fates. Keagan and Liam. Well, I'm sure
about Keagan and the next time I can touch Liam, I'll know about him for
sure."
"You were out
with Keagan and not Liam?" she asked.
"Yes, of
course." I shrugged. "I told you I was going to do anything I could
to stop them from playing that football game together. It was the only way to
get Keagan to agree not to play."
"I know it
seemed like the right thing to do, Tara. But you're playing with people's
feelings here."
I shook my head,
trying to deny her words even though I knew she was right. But no matter how
much I wanted her to stop, Gran kept talking.
"How is Liam
going to feel with you going out, and staying out so late, with his brother?
And how is Keagan going to feel when he finds out you've just been manipulating
him for Liam's benefit? That you've been using his feelings for you."
"Yeah."
Keagan's voice came from the porch through the still-open front door "How
am I gonna feel about being manipulated and used?"
Whirling around to
face him, I saw him step over the threshold.
"I might be
pretty angry and disgusted," he finished, his face stricken.
"Keagan,"
I said, reaching out a hand to him. "It's not what you think."
He shrank away
from my touch, shaking his head. "I came up here to explain to your
grandmother what happened tonight, but instead I found out I was the one who
didn't know what had really happened."
"Please,
Keagan. I was trying to save Liam's life. Can't you understand?"
"I understand
everything is always for Liam and not me. My parents' love, your
love—" With that he threw down my car keys, turned, and barreled
out.
"Omigod."
I picked up the keys from the floor. "I think I can safely say everything
is ruined now." Including my heart ,
I thought. Shredded into a thousand
ragged scraps like so much ground beef.
"I'm sorry,
honey," Gran said. "I didn't realize he was there. But I warned you
fate has a way of turning things its way."
"I don't
believe that," I yelled. "I have to believe I can stop this or all
the pain has been for nothing."
Starting out the
door, I heard Gran shout after me. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going
after him," I shouted back. "I'm going after Keagan. I have to try to
explain and salvage something."
"No,
Tara." She stepped out onto the porch, but I had already reached the car.
"Don't go."
Shaking my head, I
got in and then drove off.
The fog that had
been a happy cocoon earlier was now a horrible barrier as I slowly drove what I
thought would be the most likely path between my house and the Ellsworths'. I
tried to examine each alley and side street, all the while keeping my eyes on
the road.
Spotting what
looked like a figure just coming into view on the right ahead, near a bus stop,
my heart lurched and I stepped on the gas. But when
over being scared. And that will be about two seconds after I walk through the
door."
"Do you want
me to come in and explain?"
"No," I
answered. "I can handle it."
After jumping out,
I pushed the car door closed behind me and then ran up the walk and onto the
front porch. With a little wave to Keagan, who was still watching me from the
car, I opened the front door and walked in.
Harry trotted up
to me with his tail wagging.
"Where have
you been?" Gran shouted.
Harry cringed as
if whipped and scuttled away, back in the direction of the living room. If only
I could get away so easily.
"You're still
alive at least." Gran stood, hands-on-hips, just inside. "My only
comfort was that I'd seen your fate was an old age death. Even so, I was scared
spitless. An old lady could have an attack, you know."
Not even thinking
about closing the door behind me, I rushed to her and gave her a quick hug.
"I'm so sorry, Gran. I didn't mean to be out so late. We just..." I
couldn't think of a way to finish that. Talking about falling asleep with
Keagan might not be the best thing to calm her down. "But I think I did
it, Gran. I think I changed their death fates. Keagan and Liam. Well, I'm sure
about Keagan and the next time I can touch Liam, I'll know about him for
sure."
"You were out
with Keagan and not Liam?" she asked.
"Yes, of
course." I shrugged. "I told you I was going to do anything I could
to stop them from playing that football game together. It was the only way to
get Keagan to agree not to play."
"I know it
seemed like the right thing to do, Tara. But you're playing with people's
feelings here."
I shook my head,
trying to deny her words even though I knew she was right. But no matter how
much I wanted her to stop, Gran kept talking.
"How is Liam
going to feel with you going out, and staying out so late, with his brother?
And how is Keagan going to feel when he finds out you've just been manipulating
him for Liam's benefit? That you've been using his feelings for you."
"Yeah."
Keagan's voice came from the porch through the still-open front door "How
am I gonna feel about being manipulated and used?"
Whirling around to
face him, I saw him step over the threshold.
"I might be
pretty angry and disgusted," he finished, his face stricken.
"Keagan,"
I said, reaching out a hand to him. "It's not what you think."
He shrank away
from my touch, shaking his head. "I came up here to explain to your
grandmother what happened tonight, but instead I found out I was the one who
didn't know what had really happened."
"Please,
Keagan. I was trying to save Liam's life. Can't you understand?"
"I understand
everything is always for Liam and not me. My parents' love, your
love—" With that he threw down my car keys, turned, and barreled
out.
"Omigod."
I picked up the keys from the floor. "I think I can safely say everything
is ruined now." Including my heart ,
I thought. Shredded into a thousand
ragged scraps like so much ground beef.
"I'm sorry,
honey," Gran said. "I didn't realize he was there. But I warned you
fate has a way of turning things its way."
"I don't
believe that," I yelled. "I have to believe I can stop this or all
the pain has been for nothing."
Starting out the
door, I heard Gran shout after me. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going
after him," I shouted back. "I'm going after Keagan. I have to try to
explain and salvage something."
"No,
Tara." She stepped out onto the porch, but I had already reached the car.
"Don't go."
Shaking my head, I
got in and then drove off.
The fog that had
been a happy cocoon earlier was now a horrible barrier as I slowly drove what I
thought would be the most likely path between my house and the Ellsworths'. I
tried to examine each alley and side street, all the while keeping my eyes on
the road.
Spotting what
looked like a figure just coming into view on the right ahead, near a bus stop,
my heart lurched and I stepped on the gas. But when
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