possibly be making my big, macho brother feel all warm and mushy? Nosiness got the best of me. I had to know. Sure, curiosity killed the cat. But really, what was the worst that could happen?
CHAPTER 7
A smarter person would’ve cautiously treaded into these potentially dangerous waters. But I never claimed to be smart. I thundered down the stairs completely unaware of the mind-blowing, gut-wrenching, indescribable pain in store for me. Oh, how quickly I learned.
I expected Gabe’s emotions. They were unpleasant, but I knew they were coming. Naive girl that I am, I hadn’t considered the possibility of another person being there. Kendall’s presence blindsided me. The flutter I first felt was just the beginning. My heart swam in what I can only describe as love in its purest and most genuine form. It would’ve been a beautiful feeling to bask in, if Gabe’s anger hadn’t tainted it. Together they created a perfect storm of emotions.
I barely made it off the stairs before the torturous mix seized me. Gasping, I grasped at my chest. It felt as though someone was carving out my heart with a dull blade, and flushing the wound with hot molten lava. I wanted to run, but the pain paralyzed me. Tears streamed down my face. I was incapacitated by emotions that weren’t even mine.
“Celeste!” Keni ran to me and felt my face for a fever. I jerked at her touch. It amplified her emotion. “Gabe, there’s something wrong with her!”
Gabe’s head whipped in our direction. He sprinted to my side and grabbed my arm to steady me. “She was acting weird earlier. Is she having a seizure or something?”
Their combined touch caused a monsoon of emotion to ravage me. My body convulsed under the weight of it.
I couldn’t breathe.
Couldn’t speak.
Couldn’t think of anything but the agony.
Their emotions were killing me.
“Go get her a cold cloth and a glass of water!” Gabe barked.
Keni dashed to the kitchen. Her distance gave me just enough of a break. I inhaled a deep jagged breath. As the oxygen rushed back to my brain it screamed at me; She’ll be right back! Run!
I shoved my brother out of the way with a force that knocked him to the ground and bolted. Straight for the back door without stopping. If they called to me, I didn’t hear it. My mind screamed to be free. My hands grappled to turn the knob. Finally winning, I hurled the door open. It rattled on its hinges. I darted out into the cool night air and didn’t stop until I reached the wooden fence at the back of Grams’ small yard. I fell against it and slid to the ground. I gasped for breath and willed my pounding heart to steady its beat.
I could still feel Gabe and Kendall’s emotions, but they were muted. With my head leaned back against the fence, I took deep breaths until the synchronized pounding of my head and chest slowed.
“Celeste? Are you okay?” Keni called from the doorway, then stepped out into the yard. Her concern caused fresh bubbles to churn my stomach and a dull ache to begin in my heart.
“Stop!” She froze. I tried to steady my quaking voice when I added, “I just needed some air.”
“Are you coming in?”
The mere thought of that was almost vomit worthy. Inside meant another emotional lashing. Outside was peace. “I think I’m going to sleep in the tree house tonight.”
Her giddy excitement bounced into me. “Like we did when we were little! We haven’t done that in, like, forever! I’ll go get us some sleeping bags and pillows.”
“No!” I snapped way too sharply. Softening my tone as best I could, I explained. “I kind of just want some alone time.”
Her cloud of disappointment shaded my heart.
“Whatever, didn’t want to anyway.” She sulked, then turned to march inside and pout.
“Wait, Keni.” I felt her hopes rise as she turned, which made what I had to ask that much worse. “Could you still bring me out a sleeping bag and my pillow?”
I got to experience firsthand the sting of my words. I was a horrible human being. Any other person would’ve told me where I could stick that sleeping bag. But Keni wasn’t capable of that kind of hostility.
“Fine. I’ll be right back.” She grumbled. True to her word, a few minutes later she deposited a sleeping bag and my pillow right outside the door.
For the next two days, I holed up in the child-sized tree house. Initially, I stayed there