Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Fault ❯ Haven ( Chapter 3 )

Tuesday morning, in the dark…

 

 

Sunlight spilled across the floor, flecks of dust shimmering and floating in its path. I cringed, squeezing my eyes closed as I tried to burry myself deeper under the covers. Just a few more minutes, I told myself. It was summer after all.

 

The sudden rapping of knuckles on my door jostled me from my state of semi-awareness, causing me to sit up slightly. The bright morning sun burned my eyes as I yawned, stretching lightly and flopping back across the white sheets.

 

“Come in!” I called to whoever it was at the bottom of the stairs.

 

The heavy sound of footsteps startled me; it had to be one of my brothers. And when they came in during the mornings, it was never a good thing.

 

The next thing I knew, I was pinned down to the bed being tickled along my sides. Cries of laughter flew past my lips as I fought to throw off the person on top of me. A laugh came from him, giving away who it was instantly.

 

“Matt!” I yelled, his name broken by giggles.

 

He stopped his attack, cocking his head to the side as he stared at me with twinkling green eyes.

 

“Amanda Joy Star,” he started in his husky voice. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

 

“Don't call me that,” I growled.

 

“It is 8:45,” he said, ignoring me.

 

I blinked. “So?”

 

Matt's right brow shot up instantly as he sat back, folding his arms over his chest. I mimicked him, running a hand through my messy hair.

 

“Soooo, Leily wanted you to be at her house by 9:00.”

 

I instantly rolled my eyes, flopping back on my pillow. “Yes Matt, but that's on Tuesday.”

 

Moments later, his hand connected with my shin, sending a sharp pain through my leg. A yelp passed my lips as I shot back up, lunging forward at him. He reared back when I came at him, causing us both to crash onto the hardwood floor.

 

“Matt!” I shrieked at him, trying my best to pin the fat head to floor.

 

I was unsuccessful.

 

Half a second later, I was flipped over with my hands pinned above my head. Matt simply smirked at me while I shot a glare at his freckled face.

 

“You know,” he started. “You really should be nice to me.”

 

My glare intensified. “And why is that exactly?”

 

“Because, my oh-so-charming sister, it just so happens to be Tuesday.”

 

My eyes widened in horror as I screamed, fighting against his grip. “Let me up Matt!”

 

“Now why on earth would I do something like that?” he taunted, easily keeping me stuck to the floor like glue. “If I recall correctly, you just tackled me. I believe you owe me an apology.”

 

“Like hell I do!” I glared up at him, still struggling against his iron grip. “Now let me up, Leily's going to kill me if I don't get there on time.”

 

“Say you're sorry.”

 

“NO!” I roared back at him.

 

“Say you're sorry and that I'm the nicest, most handsome brother in all of Alabama.” he teased.

 

I stopped fighting, looking up at him with my brows furrowed. “How about I just apologize and we call it even?” He seemed to think about it for a moment before he spoke again.

 

“No,” was his simple response.

 

“FINE!” I shouted in defeat. “I'm sorry and you're the nicest, most handsome brother in all of Alabama!”

 

I was instantly released and I made a mad dash for the bathroom.

 

“Now was that so hard?” he taunted from his place on the floor, ducking a moment later as I threw a bottle of soap at him before slamming the door.

 

 

 

 

God didn't want me to get to Leily's on time today. God didn't want me to get to Leily's dry today. God did, however, want me to run into those blue eyes today.

 

I had run about halfway there, clad in a gray army sweatshirt I had stolen from Jason and a pair of black cotton shorts. Suddenly, the sky opened up and drenched me with sheet after sheet of stinging cold rain. My white flip-flops slapped ungracefully through puddle after puddle, mud spattering across the backs of my legs.

 

But that didn't matter.

 

It was 9:52, and my impending doom was only a few more miles away.

 

Leily was going to be furious, I wasn't going to live through the day.

 

After an eternity of running along broken roads, I found the turn of her drive, cursing my choice of footwear.

 

The gravel of her mile long drive made it difficult for me to run in my flip-flops. However, I was grateful for the trees lining the path. They blocked the wind and most of the rain.

 

I was both relieved and scared out of my mind as I caught sight of her ridiculously large Victorian home. It was a pale yellow with fading green shutters that sat off to the left of the road. The gravel continued on for another mile past it; half the way down would be the barn and another half more would be her even larger guest house.

 

Beyond that?

 

Woods.

 

Surrounding me now?

 

Woods.

 

Fields.

 

Woods.

 

I climbed the steps to her wraparound porch, hunching over slightly to catch my breath as I rang the door bell. Glancing towards the large oak that was off to the side of her house, I spotted a black pickup that I had never seen before. But before I could dwell on that much longer, the front door was wrenched open.

 

“AMANDA JOY STAR!” came an angry shout from the doorway.

 

I clenched my jaw, pivoting to look Leily's direction. “Don't call me that!” I ground out at the woman.

 

Leily Reisert was a beautiful woman around 50 years old who was a friend of my family. Her hair was long and silver, usually pulled back into a ponytail, and her eyes the color of honey. She was hardly 5 feet tall, but she was one of the most intimidating people I have ever met. Her husband, Alex, and she had owned an oil company for years and years. Hence the ridiculously large estate she lived on. But Alex had passed away back in 2000 and Leily's arthritis kicked in around 2002, making it difficult for her to take care of the property.

 

That was the exact reason I was there on that fateful Tuesday of June 1st, 2004. I was supposed to be cleaning her house that day, and I was completely prepared to get an earful for my back talk when I spotted something peculiar not two feet behind her.

 

A pair of icy blue eyes were narrowed in my direction.

 

My cheeks automatically turned pink as I fought to keep my gaze on Leily, who was currently shouting at me. I didn't hear a word of it; my mind was focused on not looking back at those eyes.

 

What were the odds that Chase Calhoun would be here?

 

“Amanda Joy, did you hear a word I just said to you?” she asked, her arms thrown out to the side.

 

My gaze instantly went back to her, automatically responding with “Don't call me that.”

 

The old woman sighed, shaking her head as she stepped aside for me to come in. I instantly crossed the threshold, wishing I hadn't as soon as I looked back at Chase. His gaze was still focused towards me, the papers he was holding in his left hand crinkled with the force of his grip.

 

“AJ,” said Leily, putting extra emphasis on my name as she shut the door. “This is Chase Calhoun. His father owns the Lumberyard just outside of town. He's going to be helping me repair the barn wall I was telling you about.”

 

“That's nice,” I said as sincerely as I could, avoiding his eyes as much as possible.

 

“And Chase, this is AJ Star.” Leily chuckled slightly as she leaned against the railing of the stairs. “I'm sure you've heard of her and her family before.”

 

For the first time since I arrived, he looked at her instead of me. “Yes,” he said, his voice surprisingly deep and containing a southern accent. Though as he continued on, I found that his words were very articulate and well spoken. “Hasn't everyone? The Stars are the town's own personal nightmare.”

 

Leily laughed again, so I assumed it was supposed to be a joke. But the emphasis he put on the word `nightmare' and the way he looked at me when he said it made me wonder if it was or not.

 

A million different comebacks shot through my mind, some pleasant while others were…well, not so pleasant.

 

I bit the inside of my cheek instead of responding.

 

“Leily,” said Chase, his gaze drifting to her. “I'm afraid I must leave now if you want the parts by this evening.” To my surprise, he looked back at me.

 

“It was nice to meet you, Amanda Joy,” he said, his face having a cocky expression.

 

I glared back at him, folding my arms across my chest in aggravation. Thought he was funny did he? “Don't. Call. Me. That.” I said, biting out the words. But somewhere, in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but think that when he said my full name, it actually sounded half way decent.

 

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly as he fought a smile. “As you wish, AJ.”

 

Not a moment later he was out the door, taking long and smooth strides towards the black truck beneath the elm.

 

“I hope the tree falls on his car,” I grumbled under my breath, feeling Leily's hand connect with the back of my head an instant later.

 

“Quit blabbering, you've got work to do,” she scolded, turning on her heel and making her way to the kitchen.

 

Batty old woman.

 

 

 

 

…I was finding out who you are