Love of the Son

Chapter 3

-Lily-

I drummed my fingers against the table. Belle slid into the seat across from mine, but my eyes were glued onto ghost boy, sitting in the corner, wearing the same clothes I saw him with last night.  Something poked at the back of my mind, but I couldn't;t figure out what it was trying to tell me. 

Belle glanced back. She sighed, her eyes fogging up. "He's hot. Don't you agree, Lily?"

"Where's Nathan?" I asked, noticing his usual bulk was gone.

Belle looked like she swallowed a lemon whole. "There's the coolest guy the universe has ever known sitting right over there and you're thinking about Nathan?"

I shrugged. "Good ol' Nathan."

Belle glanced at me, taking in my appearance. "You should get contacts," she commented. "Blue or green would compliment your hair."

I glared at her. I liked my eyes, though Belle would say that green or blue was better. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was because her eyes were green, but I didn't say anything. I liked my hazel eyes. And though maybe a different color would match my light blondish-brown hair better, I wasn't obsessive like Belle was. 

Belle kept on sneaking glances at ghost boy, which left me to read in peace. 

She suddenly gasped. "Oh my gosh. Emily's going over to him. I have to join," she scrambled to her feet and sauntered off, tossing an "I'll see you later!" over her shoulder. 

I frowned. The new boy was making everyone act weird. 

Including me.

I shook my head and went back to reading. 

---

I opened my umbrella, nearly hitting Belle, who was standing next to me, calling someone. "Yeah, pick me up as soon as you can -it's pouring- oh geez, Lil, move it."

"Sorry," I mumbled. I shifted to the side. 

Belle raised an eyebrow as she snapped her phone shut. "Want me to drop you off? Not sure if you'd want to walk in the rain. But if you don't want to, that's completely fine."

I took that as a sign that she didn't want me to tag along. Besides, her boyfriend was probably picking her up, and I liked to keep myself out of those situations as much as possible. 

"I'll walk."

"Good."

I felt my mouth stretch into a line as I made my way down the big stone stairs in front of the school doors. I wasn't sure if that was Belle's way of loving people, or if she just didn't like me. 

The rain battered down at the umbrella, and I instinctively decided to take the longer route home. I loved the rain, and I didn't want to remind Will that he had to take care of me as well as care for himself. 

I hated making my brother work for me, but he insisted that I focus on schoolwork, and I agreed. But the older I got, the more obvious it became that we just scraping by at that point. I'd been plotting to find a decent-paying job but hadn't figured out how to.

I splashed through the rain, taking in the smell of it. I veered away from the street where I'd seen ghost boy, taking the longer way around it. 

Curiosity killed the cat, I thought. Though I don't think telling myself that was really working. 

I cut through a park that I liked walking through. The city had given up trying to uproot all the trees that had sprouted around the park nonstop for the past few years, so it was like a mini forest. 

I wound through the trees, taking in the pure beauty of wild nature and how it grew so beautifully without human interference. 

Wandering through the park, I vaguely remembered I had to get home. I sighed and turned, walking towards the end of the park. The rain was no longer sweet. It was banging on my umbrella, and I could see when all the drops hit. 

I held out my hand and the rain bit my palm. Hail, I realized. Dang, why now?

I walked towards the lights, and my foot hit something hard. I caught myself, leaning backward to keep myself from falling face-first into the muddy ground. 

There's a root here? I don't remember a root being here. 

I was convinced it was a newly grown tree, but when I looked up, I saw a body. 

I screamed and leaped back, and the body jerked, its eyes snapping open. I saw a sudden horror flick of me being dragged off by an abdominal snowman. Not sure where the thought came from, but it freaked the heck out of me.

The body groaned and it sat up, its eyes catching the light ahead, silver eyes flashing.

Shoot.

Ghost boy stood up, looking small against the towering trees, but he stood well over a foot above me. I cowered, my brain screaming at me to run, but my feet stuck to the ground like the mud was trying to suck me in. 

Up close, I could see his sharp features, his soggy black hair. I couldn't make out a lot, though I could tell he wasn't necessarily happy. 

"Sorry," I whispered. I wasn't sure if it even reached his ears.

He narrowed his eyes. "Right." His voice was deep, but had an edge to it, making me take a step back.

Right? What kind of answer is right?

Like yesterday, he was soaked, and bits of dirt and twigs stuck to his pants. I felt his eyes inspecting me. I stared down at the ground, wondering if I should just leave.

My eyes drifted to his chin, the closest I could get without making direct eye contact. "I'll leave."

He didn't answer. Hail barreled at his head, but he didn't seem to care much. 

I looked around. It was dark now. I didn't want to get kidnapped by the son of a murderer.

The memory was banging in the back of my mind now, but I didn't want to let it back in. It slammed against the back of my head, giving me a migraine.

Something dark on his neck caught my eye. For a second, I thought it was some kind of necklace, like a choker. But once my eyes adjusted, I realized it was a thin scar, slashed across the front of his neck. It was faded, but I saw it.

I wish I hadn't.

The memory broke through the wall I was putting up between it and my mind. Memories flooded my head.

A smiling family, a man with sharp features, grey eyes, and black hair. A woman who smiled like the sun, with her dazzling blue eyes and auburn hair. Two boys. One is older, with the man's sharp features and his grey eyes. The younger one is softer, with smiling grey eyes and black hair.

Hi Lily! How are you?

Good to see you again, young lady.

Hi Lily.

Will I see you again?

My vision tunneled. 

What?

These aren't my memories.

But they feel so raw. So real.

And now I remember them. 

I knew them.

The Alaister family.

I pried my eyes off of ghost boy's neck and stared at him right in the eye. Looking at it, I recognized those eyes. I had looked into them so many times. How had I forgotten?

Ethan.

Ethan Alaister.