Serenity (Forever Book 1) Read online

  Even if I’m weren’t able to read auras, the sun shining off Josh and Jolene would show how they’ve both fallen out of the Gorgeous Tree and hit every Stunning Branch on the way down. He has short, light-brown hair and a brooding, serious face. Jolene has similar-colored hair except it’s much longer and has golden tints throughout. The Wise Ones, together, are perfection. They may be financially poor, but they’re rich in many different ways. They also have this uncanny parental instinct when it comes to Skyler and me. Josh and Jolene watch over us as if they aren’t high school seniors, and we trust them implicitly because Jolene says to always follow my instincts.

  Jolene glances over her shoulder with her model-like brown eyes when she hears Sky’s car slam on the brakes. Sky’s driving is horrendous and a danger to all other vehicles on the road. Exhibit A: she just forgot to put her car in park before opening her door.

  As the car begins to roll, Josh yells, “Sky. Park.”

  I jolt as Skyler slams on the brakes—again—doing as she’s told. She yells past me and out my open window, “Well! What the hell do you expect? You’ve got me all riled up! A damn bundle of nerves with your damn last-minute plan changing.”

  He leans his head back and laughs. “That girl kills me!”

  As we get out of the car, Jolene lets go of Josh and proudly coos, “There’s my baby girls.”

  I know she says this every day, but hearing her speak of us so endearingly warms my heart. Maybe it’s also the fact that they let each other go to make room for Sky and me. And I’m in need of their attention, because I suspect Josh of being a troublemaker.

  His smirk confirms our suspicions. “I can see your pout from here. Stop it.”

  I mumble, “Says the pot stirrer.”

  Jolene and Josh take hold of our shoulders that sometimes hold more weight than Sky and I can bear, and then they embrace us. Skyler’s face buries into Josh’s strong chest, unknowingly soaking up his violet rays as if starving. “You lecture us on our grades then ask us to skip school?” With her arms around his waist, she peers up. She has to. He’s six feet two. “What gives, o mighty one?”

  His hugs never have hidden agendas, and his kisses are from the best, most overprotective big brother in the whole world.

  His deep inhale informs me it’s worse than I thought. “Now, don’t freak out.”

  “Oh. My. God.”

  “Sky! I just said don’t freak.”

  “Is it cancer? How much longer do we have you?”

  “What? I’m not dying, Skyler. You’re always going straight to the worst scenario.”

  She smirks. “The worst scenario would be Jolene having cancer.”

  He howls with laughter as he playfully pushes Sky to Jolene. “No picking favorites!”

  “Too late, freak.” Sky goes to Jolene, who is already releasing me for the exchange, and laughs.

  Josh’s violet rays are now back to beautiful sky blue with a green light dancing about. This means Josh is ready to nurture me. The embrace isn’t great simply because Josh is handsome and has big, safe arms; it’s great because of the raw emotion he exudes. He treasures me. Simple as that. He absolutely treasures me. His head rests on mine as his arms tighten—possibly preparing for an escape. “You’re meeting the Crew today.”

  I’m still leaning into his warmth, and my jaw drops as I look at Jolene for confirmation. Her soulful brown eyes tell me it’s time to let more people into my world.

  The “Crew” consists of friends from Josh and Jolene’s high school—Alexandria, Payton, Rocco, and Dereck. Because of zoning, Sky and I go to a different school than them, but the stories we’ve heard make the Crew legendary in our minds. Alexandria is supposedly some beauty queen that guys trip over their tongues for. This sort of reaction is something I know nothing about. The mention of Payton makes Jolene smile. She says that girl is the smartest friend she knows. Rocco is a guy that usually has Josh laughing so hard that he can barely finish his stories of all the trouble Rocco causes. And Dereck is a thinker, according to Jolene. When not horsing around with Rocco, Dereck’s very reserved and somewhat intense. Jolene says the girls chase him, but not one has ever caught his heart.

  We’ve never met them because, well, Sky and I might be a handful for Josh and Jolene, but we’re quite shy with other people. The daring child I used to be is now a recluse. People’s murky energy can be draining and daunting. Skyler’s character reading makes her avoid others also. Until now, the Wise Ones have let Sky and me hide in the little world we have created. Just Josh, Jolene, Skyler, and me.

  Apparently alarmed, Sky speaks with such wisdom. “But, but my hair!”

  Jolene runs her fingers through the fine, white locks. “Not a strand out of place.”

  My hair is the opposite of Sky’s. It’s long—mid-back like hers—but dark and drab. Much thicker and harder to manage. That’s why it’s in ponytails mostly.

  Josh steps into “in charge” mode. “Serenity, your parents are at work, so your house is the rendezvous point. Sky, leave your car here. Shorties are riding with us.”

  Shorties. Josh’s nickname for us. Sky and I don’t see the big deal. She’s five feet even, and I’m a towering five feet one. It’s not our fault everyone else just stepped out of the stretch machine.

  Sky opens her mouth to argue, but Josh points his long finger judgingly, cutting her off. “You’ll drive away to escape!”

  He knows us well. I’ve already been working out the plan in my head.

  “Damn it,” Sky says as Josh’s door opens, and we are escorted across the bench seat of Josh’s truck. “Do you at least have a comb?”

  Looking at these wonderful people, I’ve wondered, “Why not tell them of your home struggles, Serenity?” The answer is simple. I don’t want them to stop smiling at me the way they do—the way Daddy used to.

  Skyler and I always share the middle seat belt since Josh’s truck is not a crew cab. As Josh drives, I notice Jolene’s light. The glimpses of red and murky yellow are a dead giveaway that her mind is nervously contemplating something. I prepare myself. “Okay. What is it?”

  Jolene’s face crinkles, causing Sky—sitting closest to her—to unravel.

  “Oh God! Now what?” Sad, but Sky and I always expect to find a crisis around the next corner.

  Josh, as usual, tries to keep the women of his clan from panicking. “It’s all good. Joles and I… are just concerned about… your—your love life. That’s all.”

  Sky’s eyebrows rise. “Says the one who chases all boys away?”

  “Guilty as charged, but that’s only because of what those boys were thinking.”

  My interest is piqued. “Joshy reads minds now?”

  “Faces.” He defends himself. “I can read faces and—”

  “And you know firsthand how male teenagers think?” Jolene asks.

  Josh grins with no shame. “Every time I look at you, you exquisite creature.” He reaches across Sky and me toward Jolene’s perfect face.

  Sky smacks his hand away. “Focus! Your driving is making my ass twitch.”

  “My driving? How many curbs did you ‘accidentally’ run over today alone?”

  “Listen here, Josh.” Sky leans into my space to glare at him properly. “Those curb mishaps were your fault!”

  His large shoulders pinch. “What? I wasn’t even in the car—”

  “What Josh means to say is”—Jolene interrupts the constant bickering—“we’re wondering when you two are going to allow guys into your world.”

  I thumb Josh. “Talk to ol’ eagle eye over here.”

  He nonchalantly shrugs, turning the steering wheel. “I’m not denying I can be slightly overbearing.”

  Sky and I peer at him, saying, “Slightly?” in stereo.

  “Maybe more than slightl
y, but relationships are, uh, a good growing experience—”

  Sky humphs. “Maybe Jolene should broaden her horizons, for more growth.” Sky takes full advantage of every chance to push Josh’s buttons.

  Once again, Josh reaches across me, this time for Skyler. “I’m gonna beat your ass, sassy girl!” Skyler squeals at the joy of causing a ruckus.

  Josh turns the steering wheel again, now heading down our dead-end street—Wide Acres Lane. The name fits the neighborhood of five houses with lots of land. Sky’s and my parents chose to live on the same street for purposes of shorter stumbling distances. It has only worked in our favor thus far. Living so close has made us easily accessible to each other.

  Josh parks his truck at a field near my house. “I’ll wait here for the Crew, then we’ll meet you at the house.”

  Jolene, Sky, and I trample through the woods to avoid being spotted by one of my few neighbors who might narc on this adolescent behavior. I trip over a tree root as we sneak along. “Jolene? Why now?”

  Jolene—the prime example of beauty not being only skin deep—is tender with her answer as she keeps walking. “College. Josh and I need to know you have friends to watch your back when we’re gone next year.”

  “But Alexandria and Payton are also seniors, like you.”

  “Yes, but Dereck and Roc are reliable juniors. Those two are best friends like you and Sky. Real tight. And will keep an eye on you two.”

  I know Rocco and Dereck must be good peeps for Jolene to trust them with us.

  Sky swats at a bug. “But they go to your school.”

  Skyler and I met Jolene our freshman year. She was a sophomore and had attended our school long enough to take two lost souls under her wing. God knows Sky and I needed her. Unfortunately, Jolene’s mom had a work transfer that forced a move and Jolene’s transfer to another school, so her popular shadow no longer sheltered us. That had made the past two years pretty interesting.

  Sky’s angel hair catches in a hanging branch. “Abort! Abort! I’m a mess!”

  We enter my backyard as my brain continues to race with insecurities. “Jolene? What if they don’t like us?”

  “They will love you” is her only reply.

  Jolene is an old soul. That’s the only explanation I have for the gap in her knowledge of the world versus mine and Skyler’s. Jolene seems to float on a whole other level. Her beauty is enough to stop me in my tracks, but her mystical essence is something else entirely. Sky and I follow it, endlessly.

  Chapter Three

  Time to Remember

  A knock at the back door makes my heart pound. Jolene, Sky, and I walk into the laundry room at the back of my house and open the door. Knowing we are taking a huge step, I link an arm with Sky. The closer the better. We huddle away from the door by the locked cabinet on the wall. Sky and I call it the “medicine” cabinet because of its previous contents—prescription pills that would mysteriously appear without any doctor appointments and bagged plants said to be an “herbal remedy” that we were not to touch. To my left is the doorway to my back living room. To my right are the washer, dryer, and laundry sink. Straight ahead is the door I can’t stop staring at.

  Josh steps in and kisses Jolene. She once told me, “Hellos and goodbyes. Always. You never know when it might be your last.” So, the Wise Ones always greet each other as if they hadn’t just kissed goodbye thirty minutes ago. They tease Sky and me for always overreacting yet also seeming to expect a catastrophe any minute.

  Josh catches a glimpse of Sky and me and walks over, whispering, “You’re fine.”

  He seems to recognize that we’re a bundle of nerves. With pleading eyes, we both immediately reach for his hands. His hands squeeze ours, and he smiles, mouthing, “Breathe.”

  I feel Sky inhale as she is told, and I follow suit. Reluctantly, we release him. Josh moves aside as two girls approach behind him.

  They casually greet Jolene. “Hey, girl.”

  Jolene hugs them. “Hello, ladies.” Then she turns and introduces us. “This is Skyler and Serenity. Baby girls, these two lovelies are Alexandria—aka Alex—and Payton.”

  Alexandria—a tall, blond, model-like beauty—looks as if she just emerged from an expensive gene pool. In her shadow stands a brown-eyed brunette nowhere near as glamorous. Payton is definitely more down to earth and has beautiful surrounding light. I like her already.

  A beast of a man enters my home, pulling my attention from Payton. His light is not as concentrated as Josh’s, but he is blanketed with blue light. He kisses Jolene’s cheek softly, the way someone would greet his grandmother.

  She pats his massive chest then says to us, “Ladies, this is Rocco.”

  Sky and I stare up at him. Rocco’s gigantic paw lies on his impressive pecs.

  “They are little.” He grins. “Josh’s Shorties.”

  “You’re… even bigger than Josh!” Sky sounds astounded.

  Rocco’s grin transforms into a smile that somehow feels like what I would want family to feel like. I have a few family members that I met once when I was a little girl. They live in New York. Rocco’s handsome features and dark hair accentuate blue eyes that make me think of Skyler’s. He reminds me of a teddy bear to hug and snuggle with.

  He tells Sky, “Yeah, Josh is kinda puny, huh?”

  Josh is far from puny, but next to Rocco, maybe so. Alex and Payton follow Josh, who is now dragging Rocco away in a headlock. “Hey, I got your puny, right here…”

  I eye the door and feel my hand itch to write in the journal the cloaked one has inspired me with, but it’s her written words that are ringing true as I see him for the first time.

  Moments come and moments go.

  And some moments stay with you, forever.

  That’s what it feels like as he walks through the door. A breeze follows him, as if Mother Nature is delivering him herself. “He’s coming…” The cloaked one’s words blow through me. The light beaming from him causes my breathing to stop—my whole world to stop. I have now met someone brighter than Sky.

  He hugs Jolene. “Hey, girl.”

  “Dereck, meet my girls. Skyler and Serenity.”

  He looks at us then smiles.

  To see his smile… is to see living grace,

  May have only been a while, but I will never forget his face.

  A journal-worthy entry for sure. More words from the cloaked one echo. “Time to remember…” To remember what, I don’t know, but my head tilts as I recognize a gesture. Dereck’s hand resting on his chest reminds me of when Sky and I met Josh. I suddenly remember Jolene doing the same when she saw us in the school hallway for the first time, and Rocco moments ago. Somehow, the unnoticed gesture now seems to have meaning with Dereck present. Everything appears a little different with him near. It reminds me of the time Josh took us canoeing last winter. By the end of the trip, I was freezing. So he took us to a little mom-and-pop convenience store for some hot cocoa. The warm cup and hot liquid altered my body for the better. My whole being defrosted, and I felt that all was right in the world again.

  That is what it’s like to see and be near Dereck.

  “Hi,” he says with a kindness I don’t expect from a male teenager.

  Jolene nudges Sky, who shyly waves. Dereck waves back, then his attention focuses on me. His green eyes mold to my soul in such a rush that it makes me blink. His expression is one of surprise—as if he’s experiencing the same shock. He stares at me.

  “Dereck? Can you hear me?” Jolene’s words sound far away but finally make their way to my ringing ears.

  Dereck blinks and breaks our stare. “Uh, yes. Um, sorry. Yes, I hear you. Damn, I’m sorry. I spaced out there for a minute.” He reaches out his hand. “Hi, I’m Dereck.”

  Sky shakes his hand. “Hi. Skyler.”

  “Sere
nity?”

  I blink, absentmindedly glancing at Jolene. “Yes?”

  She gestures at Dereck’s hand that’s hanging there, waiting for mine. I suck in air. “Oh, yes.” And go to shake his hand. “I’m Serenity—” As soon as our skin touches, I’m no longer in the laundry room.

  Dereck is running to… me? Red-leather armor drapes his body, along with a sword hanging from a thick leather belt. I glance around at very old buildings, dirt roadways, and open-air carts on wheels. They’re selling fruit and apparel. Appears we’re in ancient Rome. He’s dirty and sweaty, like he’s just been to battle but happy to have survived. And delighted to see the one he’s running to… me.

  His eyes glisten, and my heart pounds during his approach. I can feel how much he means to me—how much I adore him—love him. It’s all consuming. From the corner of my eye, two figures move. A man dressed like Dereck, with his arm around a woman, is turning her—guiding her as they walk away. I can see only the sides of their faces, smiling at Dereck as he embraces me—

  “Baby girl, you okay?” Jolene asks as Sky tugs on our linked arms.

  Still holding Dereck’s hand, I’m back to the present and… dumbfounded. I nod at Jolene. It’s a lie. I’m far from okay. My mind—spinning from what just happened—wonders how to explain something I don’t understand. I don’t speak of people’s colors for fear of being put in a mental institution, so I’m definitely not voicing what just happened in my questionable brain. I shyly pull my hand from Dereck’s. “Serenity. My name is Serenity.”

  “Uh,” Jolene utters as she observes me. “Yeah, uh, let’s go see what Josh is up to.”

  We make our way to the living room in the front of my house to find that Josh, Rocco, Payton, and Alex have already made themselves comfortable. My home is a spacious two-story house with an open floor plan. A floating staircase comes down the middle, leading right to a door that exits the side of the house. A cement patio is located just off my driveway. To the left of my staircase, I can see the front yard. The enclosed kitchen, which has a view of the yard, is also to my left, and the large brick fireplace is to my right. Windows and sliding-glass doors are throughout both floors, easily exposing my family, which I find ironic since we have so much to hide.