Kelley Armstrong - The Rising

“Was it a camp?” Daniel asked.

Sean nodded. “A naturist camp.”

“Maya will feel right at home,” Corey said from his spot on a wooden lawn chair.

Daniel sputtered a laugh and Sean tried to hide his.

“Naturist, not naturalist,” I said. “It means nudist.”

Corey leaped up and spun. “You mean old, naked butts sat on these chairs?”

“It’s been a few years,” Sean said. “There’s not nearly as much call for those camps these days, which is why we got this one at a reasonable price. The naturists liked privacy, so it’s not easy to get here, as you saw.”

So the Nasts bought it. Just like that. I remembered Dr. Inglis saying they’d already been planning a new Salmon Creek, which was probably this place, but still I was stunned by how fast they’d moved. We agree to their terms, and less than a day later we’re seeing the genesis of our new town.

“What do you think?” Rafe asked as I wandered toward the woods. “It’s not quite like your forest, but see those trees? Deciduous. You know what that means.”

I grinned over at him. “Easier climbing. Custom-made for big cats.”

He returned my grin and when I looked into his eyes, my heart fluttered. I cared about him. I really did. I’d forgiven him for telling me about Daniel. He’d been under a lot of stress and I’d been too quick to blame him. To judge him. It was a lesson I was learning, but change came slowly.

When I looked at him, grinning at me, amber eyes dancing, my own stress evaporated for a moment and I wanted to grab his hand and run into the woods. And kiss him. Yes, I wanted to kiss him. Whatever I’d felt before, I still felt. And yet . . .

I didn’t look over at Daniel, standing by the water’s edge. I wouldn’t do that to Rafe. But I was still thinking about him. Still confused.

Rafe leaned in and whispered “It’s okay,” and I was transported back to that horrible moment when he’d fallen from the helicopter, those same words the last ones he said to me. It’s okay. The same tone. The same wistful look. I wanted to throw my arms around his neck. Instead I stood there, feeling a tear creep down my cheek.

“None of that today,” he said, reaching out to wipe it away. “Today we rest. Put everything else aside and rest.”

He took my hand and tugged me toward the forest. I ran with him. We’d only gone a few steps when tires crunched on the parking lot gravel and I stopped. Rafe leaned in again and whispered, “I think you’ll want to go see who that is.”

I did throw my arms around his neck then. I hugged him and gave him a quick kiss, then I raced off toward the parking lot. Corey was running, too. And Hayley. Sam kept her pace to a walk, but only because she was still limping. Only Daniel hung back. When I stopped, he looked over and mouthed, “Go on.”

We ran to the lot. There was one van there, half hidden behind trees. The doors were all closed, the windows dark. A face pressed against the glass. It was Corey’s brother, Travis. As Corey raced forward, Travis threw open the door and practically fell out, his mother catching him, making sure he had his balance, then running with him to Corey.

The Morrises piled out next—Mr. and Mrs. Morris and fifteen-year-old Brooke. They ran to meet Hayley. When Mrs. Tillson came out, she stood there a moment, peering toward the building. Sam was beside me, hidden by the trees. She took a tentative step forward. Mrs. Tillson saw her. Her hands flew to her mouth and she staggered forward as Sam broke into a hobbling jog.

I stayed where I was. I could see the dim shadows of my parents behind the van’s tinted glass, as if they were looking for me, unwilling to come out until they were sure. I wanted to race to them like the others had, but I couldn’t. I’d waited so long and I’d hurt so much and this was so public—too public. I wanted it to be us. Just us.

I turned and found Daniel there.

“Your dad . . .” I said.

“He’s not coming. Sean just told me. They couldn’t get a message through to warn me sooner. So . . .” Daniel shrugged. “He decided not to come.”

“Oh.”

I looked up and felt my heart breaking for him. If Mr. Bianchi was around, I’d have wanted to strangle him. Except, I guess, if he was here, I wouldn’t have needed to. We’d heard he might not come. That he’d asked whether he had to. They hadn’t meant for us to overhear that, but we had. I wished Daniel hadn’t. I’d give anything to have spared him that. Just like I’d give anything to spare him this, standing here, watching the other parents and knowing his wasn’t coming. Had decided not to come. Had abandoned him.

“I am so sorry,” I said, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him.

“Don’t be,” he murmured. Then he tugged me back and held me in front of him, gaze meeting mine. “I mean it, Maya. Don’t be. I know I shouldn’t say this, but I was hoping that’s what he’d decide. As much as I want to go back to what we had, I don’t want to go back to that . My brothers will find out soon. They’ll come, at least for a visit.”

I nodded. “I just . . .”

“I know.” A quick hug. “Now go on. This is what you’ve been waiting for.”

ICREPT AROUND THE parking lot, moving through the trees. I saw my parents get out of the van. They hovered there, holding hands, looking around tentatively, as if they almost didn’t dare admit they were expecting to see me. I snuck around the van, ran, and launched myself at my dad’s back, nearly toppling him over. Then, still on his back, arms around his neck, I grinned at Mom.

“Hello,” I said.

She stared up at me, her eyes filling with tears, her arms going out. I jumped down and into them and hugged her as hard as I could, Dad hugging me from behind, the three of us together again. What I wanted. The thing I’d fought for the hardest in those negotiations. Give me back my family. And I’d won. Whatever else happened, I had this, so I’d won.

We walked around the van to talk privately for a while. It wasn’t really much of a talk. More like long periods of silent hugging and crying, interspersed with rapid-fire questions.

When we finished hugging and crying our hearts out, I dried my eyes and said, “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” And I took them to Ash.

The next step for settling in was figuring out who’d live where. Obviously I’d stay with my parents, Corey with his mom, Hayley with her family. But what about the rest? The teens were given options pending any changes when the houses were complete. There were some obvious choices and some surprises.

Annie and Rafe were getting their own cabin. Sam decided to stay with Mrs. Tillson, even if she now knew she wasn’t really her aunt. Tori opted out of staying with Kit, Simon, and Derek and instead wanted to stick with Lauren and Chloe. Both my parents and Chief Carling were quick to offer Daniel a new home. He considered, then took me aside and said, “I’m going with Corey. I think that’s best.”

“Okay,” I said, heart hammering. “Is something wrong? You’ve stayed with us plenty of times and you know my parents would love to have you. I would, too.”

“Would you really? Me there, day in, day out? It sounds cool, but . . .” He met my gaze. “I want to be your friend, Maya. Not your brother.” His eyes bore into mine, as if searching for something. “Is that what you want? A brother?”

“No.” The answer came automatically. I didn’t want that. Had never thought of him like that. He was right, in ways he didn’t even know—if I was still working through what I felt for him, living together wouldn’t be the right move.

“I already have a brother,” I said, managing a smile. “And he’s quite enough to deal with.”