Bloodstone Read online

  ‘Great. Let’s have a rich, chocolate dessert, my favourite,’ urged Ryder.

  ‘I’ve changed my mind, Ryder. I’ll have a tiny piece,’ said Emily.

  ‘I should’ve known! What a change of heart. I knew you couldn’t resist!’

  ‘Yeah, me too,’ said Kyle. He rolled his eyes and looked over at Emily.

  I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. What was going on? I sat there, my mouth gaping open at the weirdness of this conversation.

  The rich chocolate dessert indulged in every way I had hoped it would. After we had finished eating our hefty meal and the decadent dessert, the four of us prepared to leave. The cool night chilled us as we walked back toward my house. Ryder continued to be disturbingly quiet towards me.

  Standing on the road in front of my house, I sensed that Ryder would say that he didn’t want to see me again. To my surprise, he turned towards me with a winning smile. ‘Hey, we must do this again soon. Let me suggest that you bring your fellow band members next time.’

  I nodded my head even though I had mixed feelings. I felt a sense of relief that Ryder wanted to see me again, but it annoyed me that he wanted me to invite my friends, especially Jade. When I thought about Jade getting closer to Ryder, the churning in my stomach got a lot worse. My feelings settled into a block of cement and hardened into a thick mass inside my tummy. I didn’t like where this was going.

  I agreed with his suggestion even though I knew it amounted to signing my love abdication warrant. I couldn’t understand why I behaved this way. No boy had ever had this impact on me before, but then Ryder couldn’t be categorised as an ordinary guy. That much was certain.

  With a startling intensity, Ryder’s piercing eyes locked on mine. ‘I’ll call you. We can arrange another get-together.’

  I thought about his choice of words, ‘get-together!’ That didn’t sound romantic, in fact, it sounded like something he would arrange with his mates. Not a solid foundation for a date. Was he toying with me? At that exact moment, I felt myself slipping off the mental love cloud and crashing to the ground with an almighty bump.

  To make matters worse, Ryder delivered the second crusher. ‘Afraid Emily and I have to get back. I promised that we would do some revision together, but I’m sure that my best mate Kyle would be more than happy to keep you company.’

  Kyle dug his hands deep into his trouser pockets and stared at the ground. He mumbled, ‘Of course,’ but his cheeks flared with embarrassment.

  My mental love cloud evaporated—poof, gone in a second from Ryder’s stark words. He paused and kissed me briefly on each cheek in a sudden absent-minded way. Without another glance in my direction, he and Emily gave us a reluctant wave and walked away.

  As soon as Ryder and Emily left, I felt a vast change in my mood. It was like I’d partially woken from a deep sleep. The adrenaline that had been pumping around crashed, sending me into an even deeper lethargic slump.

  ‘You don’t have to if you don’t want to.’

  ‘Don’t have to what?’ I replied, almost forgetting Kyle’s presence.

  ‘Ask me round…’

  ‘No, it’s fine,’ I replied. I was going back to an empty, gloomy house, with only Esme for company, at least Kyle might cheer me up a bit.

  The so-called date had been a dead loss. The kisses had been over almost as soon as they’d begun. I felt more than a bit jealous that Ryder had left with Emily. Why hadn’t I said something? I didn’t often find myself tongue-tied. A niggling thought crossed my mind: was Ryder a player?

  Puzzle Piece 24:

  Kyle Comes Round

  Ryder leaves, Kyle stops,

  Two very different guys,

  One dark other light,

  I eat cookie dough ice-cream,

  Chilling confused emoji.

  After Ryder’s departure, I felt dazed. I could have written these words: Good-looking unfathomable guys mess with my cookie dough emotions, chilling me to pieces.

  I wanted to curl up in my room and console myself by eating a ridiculous amount of cookie dough ice-cream, but instead, I was polite. I asked Kyle in. As soon as I did, I wondered what had prompted me to do so.

  After all, I hardly knew Kyle, but there was something about him that made me feel comfortable. He seemed trustworthy. Yeah, Kyle seemed okay, whereas Ryder couldn’t have been more different—dangerous and alluring.

  Those stolen kisses at the restaurant kept slipping back into my mind, reminding me of Ryder. Somehow there had been an edge to them. They had been kisses that had left a passionate mark, a mental imprint. Self-consciously, I touched my neck. It still tingled where his lips had touched me. The tingle had turned into a heated ache, a burn that couldn’t heal.

  I shook my head. Trustworthy Kyle was no antidote to the situation. As soon as I stepped into the hallway, my whole body felt heavy where each step involved an effort, an unbearable trial to bear. I knew I was home again.

  Kyle glanced at me with an expression of confusion. He couldn’t hide his dismay as we walked into the house. ‘It’s… a bit… um…. dark?’

  ‘Yeah. Welcome to my gloomy dungeon! Bring a torch next time—light is in short supply.’

  ‘That sucks,’ said Kyle, squinting.

  There in the hall mirror, Esme stood up, her eyes wide with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. No doubt she was wondering what I was doing coming home with Kyle. She drew in a breath of relief and gave me a quizzical look.

  The house was quiet apart from the sound of Shadow meowing. I realised that I’d forgotten to feed him, so I opened his favourite cat food and placed a generous serving in his bowl. Poor Shadow, he was starving and lonely. I could see no sign of Dad. He must have gone out.

  Shadow twirled around Kyle’s legs, winding round in figure eights as if he claimed him as a plaything. Kyle bent down to pat him, and Shadow purred. It was a deep, throaty sound of sweet satisfaction. The cat rubbed his head against Kyle’s leg.

  ‘What’s his name?’ asked Kyle, continuing to pat him.

  ‘Shadow.’

  ‘What a cool name.’

  ‘Thanks. I think it suits him.’

  An awkward silence followed. The house sensed that there was a visitor, and the room became warmer, the sign of a welcome yet unexpected change. I led the way into the kitchen.

  ‘Hey, what sort of music do you like?’ asked Kyle, breaking the silence with a question that grabbed my attention.

  ‘All sorts, especially rock.’

  ‘Me too.’ A faint shimmer of sweat beaded on his brow.

  I noticed Kyle’s uncomfortable demeanour, so I flashed a smile in his direction. ‘Would you like to listen to music or watch a DVD?’

  Kyle’s face lit up. He wiped the sweat away and unzipped his coat. More at ease now, he draped it on the back of a chair. ‘Great. Music sounds great.’

  ‘Would you like to listen to Rock Crystal?’ I asked.

  ‘Yeah, sure.’ Kyle sat in the chair and glanced around the room.

  I hurried upstairs to get my laptop, which I had left in my bedroom, on permanent charge. Lately, all my electrical equipment seemed drained of energy and needed a super charge to work efficiently. If only I could supercharge myself! I took off my cardigan. It was strange, but the atmosphere in the house continued to brighten.

  ‘Hey, Amelina. Who’s the cute guy?’ Esme asked, licking her bottom lip with excitement.

  ‘His name’s Kyle.’ I noted her rising levels of lip licking with amusement.

  ‘Hmmm. Kyle has a nice ring to it. Sweet.’

  ‘Ha! Not as sweet as all that licking you’re doing. Yuck! You’ll end up with chapped lips if you do that anymore. See you in a mo…’

  ‘No, wait… I thought you were out with the scary river dude?’

  ‘I was, but it’s a long story… I’ve got to go, Esme.’ I grabbed the laptop with a quick backward glance at Esme, who peered at me from the mirror as I traipsed down the stairs.

  I placed the computer o
n the table and together with Kyle, we watched my band’s performance of Rock Crystal. Kyle’s eyes stayed riveted to the screen. I couldn’t help but warm to his obvious love of music. I kept thinking to myself that anyone who liked my favourite bands and appreciated my music had to be more than okay.

  After the Rock Crystal track had finished, I put on my favourite playlist. I motioned for Kyle to follow me into the lounge. He smiled and jumped up from the chair, eager to join me. We settled down on the settee to listen. Shadow cruised into the room on silent feet. He jumped up and sat on Kyle’s lap, purring while he stroked him, his eyes closing into slits as he drifted off to sleep. Reflected in the lounge mirror, Esme looked like she’d fallen asleep too; the music must have lulled her to sleep. I had to smirk at the thought.

  As a rock ballad played, my attention drifted back to thoughts of Ryder. I was desperate to find out more about him. It was then I noticed that the atmosphere in the house darkened, and the room grew cold. I shivered. Kyle remained quiet, dumbfounded by the sudden temperature change in the shadowy room. The stifling silence between us continued.

  I couldn’t stand it any longer, and I broke the unbearable quiet with a question. ‘Emily and Ryder seem kind of close?’

  In the corner of the mirror, Esme woke up. She pressed her hands against the glass, and her mouth opened as if she wanted to speak.

  Kyle hesitated, choosing his words carefully. ‘Oh, right, yeah… They used to be together. Now they’re just good friends.’

  ‘Oh. Ryder never mentioned that.’ I gazed directly at Kyle, unable to keep a touch of resentment from creeping into my voice. Esme gave me an “I told you so,” look from the far corner of the mirror. She shook her head and clucked her tongue in sympathy. I glared back at her interruption.

  ‘Ryder doesn’t like to talk about it. It all ended badly. Emily took the breakup hard.’ Kyle stared at his feet as if his boots were the most fascinating things he’d ever seen.

  I jerked my head back in Kyle’s direction. ‘Emily’s over him now?’

  ‘Yeah, she is now, but she was ill after they broke up. She became anorexic.’

  ‘No way! Anorexic? She’s way too thin even now and eating looks like torture for her.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s clear, isn’t it? Ryder blamed himself for her anorexia. He felt guilty.’

  ‘That figures.’ I paused for a moment, also choosing the right words for my reply. ‘Ryder acts like… um… they’re still together.’

  Esme bent forward, taking in Kyle’s words as if she wanted to jump out of the mirror, land on Kyle’s lap and ask him herself. I discreetly rolled my eyes at her.

  ‘Old habits, I suppose. Ryder’s a difficult one to figure out. He’s a loner who often disappears and doesn’t stay in touch. That’s what happened with him and Emily. He kept on disappearing, and Emily couldn't cope. His vanishing games were too much for her.’ Kyle’s eyes became heavy with sadness, and he added, ‘she wanted his undivided attention.’

  ‘What about you and Ryder… Are you…?’

  Kyle shifted in his seat awkwardly. He looked so uncomfortable that he jumped in before I’d had a chance to finish what I was saying. ‘I haven’t got a girlfriend at the moment.’

  I hadn’t meant that at all, and realising my mistake, I hastily added, ‘Sorry… that wasn’t what I meant. I was asking if you two are um… alike.’ My face flamed a bright red colour as embarrassment oozed from my pores. Esme rolled her eyes. From the dirty looks she was beaming my way, I could tell she thought I was making a right mess of this.

  Kyle glanced at me in a hurry to get the words out. ‘Well, we are alike in some ways, but Ryder tends to be the moody, difficult one. Although, he wouldn’t hesitate to help if you were ever in danger. I tend to be less complicated.’ He smiled, and a thoughtful grin spread across his handsome face.

  ‘I think the ladies like Ryder, though, and even some guys too! You know, it’s the dark, brooding type that appeals to all. The guy looks the part! Did you know that he spends ages in front of the mirror perfecting his hero look with the latest hair gels?’ Kyle shook his head and laughed loudly. He pointed at his chest. ‘I’m low maintenance, and with me what you see is what you get.’

  Kyle grinned, and a slight smile touched his lips.

  A feeling of warmth encircled my body. After Ryder’s drama, Kyle was refreshing. I liked his sense of honesty and those promise of spring green eyes. Kyle smirked at me and moved nearer on the settee, our legs touching.

  Esme inclined her head forward, and her eyes widened in surprise. She blew a succession of pretend kisses, mouthing the word ‘Kyle.’ I glared at the mirror in disgust. I knew this was getting out of hand, what with Esme, and now this too cosy scenario with Kyle. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.

  A sudden thought entered my mind. Maybe Kyle had thought that I was asking him if he had a girlfriend. My eyes widened in surprise, and I noticed that Shadow joined in. The cat curled into a tight ball and snuggled deeper into Kyle’s lap. Oh, oh. I peeked at Kyle through my down-turned eyelashes. I had to shift the mood, and fast.

  ‘Would you like a drink?’

  Kyle’s face fell. It was clear from his expression he’d hoped to continue this shared moment of closeness or even to take it further. Instead, he picked up his wounded ego and answered me with a half-smile. ‘Thanks, a cola would be good.’

  I got up and walked past the lounge mirror. Esme stood on tiptoe, taking in the turn of events. I could see she wanted to join in or to flirt with Kyle, but there was no chance of that. As I walked down the hallway to the kitchen, I became more and more confused. I couldn’t understand why Kyle wanted to make a move on me. What was with all these sixth form guys taking an interest in a nearly sixteen-year-old? It didn’t seem Kyle’s style to dive in so fast. Especially when his best mate had shown an interest first. So much for loyalty! Trustworthy Kyle? I scratched my head in wonder.

  While I busied myself getting drinks, I muddled over Kyle’s strange lack of loyalty. I was almost finished filling glasses when I heard Dad turning the key in the door and his slow shuffling footsteps stumbling into the house.

  ‘Hi, Dad, where’ve you been?’ I walked out of the kitchen into the hallway with the drinks.

  ‘Your mum and Aunt Karissa are out, so I ventured out to the pub,’ he replied, down the hallway, undoing the buttons on his jacket with slow, painful movements.

  ‘You okay, Dad?’

  ‘Just the usual. When I go out to have fun, I end up exhausting myself.’ Dad sighed, and his voice slurred. ‘I need to get a walking stick since alcohol and old bones do not mix.’

  I looked at my dad’s ashen face and sighed. He traipsed down the hall and made for the lounge, where he collapsed into the nearest chair. He didn’t realise it, but he’d chosen the chair opposite where Kyle sat. Toby had been hiding somewhere—far away from Shadow—but when the dog saw Dad, he joined us, lying down by Dad’s feet.

  Dad glanced at Kyle with knitted brows and then back at me. ‘Dad, this is Kyle. He’s Ryder’s best friend.’

  ‘Hello, Kyle, I’m pleased to meet you.’ Dad struggled to catch his breath.

  Kyle’s bottom jaw dropped, and his eyes popped open in surprise. Obviously, Kyle hadn’t known about my dad. Or read the newspaper column. His expression said it all. He looked like he was staring at a walking corpse out of an eighteen-plus horror movie. I handed Kyle his drink, reacting quickly because I knew I had to. It was up to me to spare Kyle any further embarrassment by answering for him.

  ‘Dad, Ryder had to get back, but Kyle wanted to stay and listen to music.’ Kyle continued to stare at Dad.

  Dad raised an eyebrow and said, ‘Ryder seems a very unusual young man.’ He turned to Kyle with a stern expression on his face. ‘But I expect you know him better, Kyle.’

  Kyle picked up his cola, took a big gulp and recovered enough to say, ‘Yeah… I’ve known Ryder since we were little; he’s very different from anyone I’ve ever met before
.’

  ‘I’m sure,’ replied Dad, his heavy-set eyebrows knitting together into a fragmented line as he frowned.

  Kyle turned his face away, indicating another attempt to hide a wince. Toby watched the scene with sad eyes. I ignored Toby and scowled at my dad. I didn’t like how critical he was toward Ryder. That was my job!

  Dad changed the topic of conversation. ‘Are you a fan of Amelina’s music? All her friends seem to like the same kind of music. She has quite a following.’

  ‘Yeah, I am,’ replied Kyle, though he seemed lost for words. He sneaked another painful glance in Dad’s direction. ‘She’s an amazing drummer.’

  ‘She is, but unfortunately, we’ve no space for a drum kit, so I haven’t heard her play.’

  Kyle shifted uneasily in his seat. ‘That’s a shame.’

  I smiled. Kyle glanced at his watch. Seconds later, he stood up. His swift movement resembled the springing motion of a jack-in-the-box toy. I took it as a desperate bid to make an escape before his face could betray his emotions anymore.

  ‘Sorry, Amelina, I’ve got to get back. Thanks for the drink. Hope to hang out again soon.’ He turned to my dad and inadvertently winced again, but redeemed himself by saying a quick, polite ‘Bye.’

  Dad stared at him for a second and then replied, ‘Goodbye.’

  I smiled at Kyle sympathetically. ‘Bye, Kyle. See you soon.’ Toby leaped up and followed Kyle to the door with his tail wagging. Knowing Toby, he probably thought Kyle would take him for a walk.

  ‘See you later,’ said Kyle. Toby took this as a no, and his tail drooped as his eyes reverted into sad mode.

  I opened the door wide, allowing for Kyle’s exit while I held onto Toby’s collar just in case the dog tried to make his break. Esme watched Kyle leave. Her sad eyes followed him out the door. Toby was frantic. It was a job to yank him back in. I shut the door and walked back into the lounge.

  Dad watched my entrance with interest and said, ‘Well, I’ve never heard of a young man taking you out on a date and then leaving you with his best friend. Most peculiar.’ Toby barked loudly. Dad shook his head and left the room before I had a chance to respond. This time Toby didn’t follow. I reckon he still hoped someone would take him out.