Intertwined

CHAPTER 5

The day began like any other for Mary A

Pe

Did she even want to be his friend? Being near him was like being punched in the chest; her body only wanted to escape him. Her mind, though…it mourned his loss. Mourned, as if he were somehow dear to her.

Steam began to rise from her scalp, and she hurriedly switched the dryer off. She had to stop thinking of that boy. Already he was screwing with her mind, making it mush—proving that she’d been right to date Tucker and stay with him these last few months. Tucker always made her feel pretty, boosting her self-esteem, but he didn’t consume her. He gave her the space she needed.

With a sigh, she trudged downstairs. Her dad had breakfast ready: pecan waffles with blueberry syrup. She ate two while he read the paper and drank his coffee. Their usual routine.

“Want a ride to school?” he asked. He folded his paper and set it aside, peering over at her expectantly.

He always knew when she’d finished eating without being told.

“Nah. Walking will increase the amount of oxygen in my brain, which will help as I mentally pore through my notes about synthesizing iodide.” Which was also the reason she didn’t ride with Tucker, though he, too, always offered. He liked to chat and that would have distracted her. Pe

Her dad’s lips twitched into a smile, and he shook his head. “Always studying.”

When he smiled like that his entire face lit up and she could see why her friends crushed on him. In looks, he was her opposite. He had blond hair and blue eyes, was brawny where she was slim. The only thing they had in common was their youth (or so he was fond of saying). He was only thirty-five, which was young for a parent. (Again, words straight from his mouth.) He’d married her mom soon after high school and they’d had her right away.

Maybe that’s why they’d married. Because of her. That wasn’t why they’d stayed together, though. Oh, they’d fought a lot but they’d clearly loved each other. The way they’d stared over at each other, expressions soft, had been proof of that. But sometimes, because of the things they’d verbally hurled at each other, Mary A

“You wish I was her, don’t you?” her mother had liked to shout at him.

He’d always denied it.

For many years, Mary A

“You remind me more of your mom every day,” he said, his mind obviously taking the same path hers had. His eyes were glazed with memories, his mouth soft with a smile. “Not just in appearance, either. She loved chemistry, too.”

“Are you kidding? She hated math, and chemistry is filled with little equations that would have driven her insane.” The only homework her mom had been able to help her with was English and art. “Besides, who said I loved chemistry? I do it because it’s necessary.”

Mary A

“I know,” he said softly. “I’m glad. She was an amazing woman who turned this house into a home.”

Soon after her dad opened his own practice, they’d had the money to buy this two-story estate. Her mom had been ecstatic. She and her sister, A

Her father cleared his throat, bringing them both back from their memories. “I have to work late tonight. You’ll be okay?”

“Absolutely. I plan to finish reading that article on ADD and OCD. It’s pretty interesting. I mean, did you know that thirty-four percent of kids with—”

“Dear God, I’ve created a monster.” He reached over and mussed her hair. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, honey, but you need to get out more. Live a little. Several of my patients see me for this very reason, not realizing the stress they’ve placed upon themselves has begun to wear them down, that time off heals just as much as laughter. Honestly, even I go on vacation. You’re sixteen. You should be reading books about wizard boys and gossipy girls.”

She frowned. She’d read the article to impress him, and now he didn’t want to hear about it? Now he wanted her head buried in fiction? “I’m expanding my mind, Dad.”

“And I’m proud of you for that, but I still think you need some time off. Time devoted to fun. What about Tucker? You guys could go to di

“Most nights, we talk on the phone,” she protested. “But he has football practice or a game every night of the week, and I have homework. And on weekends, as you know, I practically live at the Watering Pot.”

“Okay, well, that doesn’t help for tonight. What about…Pe

He really was worried about her social life if he was suggesting she hang out with Pe

“Which means you’re not actually going to invite her over.”

She shrugged, remaining silent.

Sighing, he checked his watch. “You’d better get going. A tardy will ruin your perfect record.”

Classic Dr. Gray. When he wasn’t getting the results he wanted, he sent her away so that he could strategize and resume the argument later with a new plan of attack.

Mary A

He chuckled. “I don’t deserve you, you know?”

“I know,” she called over her shoulder, and could hear his renewed laughter as the door shut behind her.

When she exited her house, she immediately noticed a large, really large—ginormously large—black dog…wolf?…lying on its belly in the shade, only a few feet away from her. No way to miss it; it was like a car parked in her yard. Her blood instantly chilled.