Beckoning Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #1)(20)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“No, I don’t think so.”

He took the stone back and broke the rock, revealing a beautiful blue crystal inside. “This is not much, but it is a rare crystal here. I hope to be able to give you so much more someday, which is why I must go to Bellgard.” Calvin took back my hand.

“Calvin, it’s so beautiful!” I kissed him in the excitement.

He smiled, clearly pleased by my reaction. “It is the same color as your eyes.”

“Thank you!” I realized I hadn’t thought to bring him anything. “But what can I give you?”

“You have already given me so much. But would you give me one thing in return?” Calvin asked hopefully. It was clear he was nervous again.

“What can I give you?”

“Promise me you will wait for me. Promise me you will still be here when I return.” He looked at me intently.

“I’ll be here. Where else would I go?” I wondered why he seemed so serious and nervous.

“I could not handle the thought of you in the hands of another, no matter how worthy they might be,” he said after a pause.

“I don’t want anyone else. I want you.” I leaned back against him.

He smiled and pulled me closer. “You already have me, Charlotte.”

We spent hours together. I tried to memorize every detail of his face, his hands, and his mannerisms. I asked him questions about himself, his childhood, and his family. He was the first person in his family to be asked to serve directly at Bellgard; he explained that it was an incredible honor.

He asked me what I did with my days, and I told him about school and playing the cello. He seemed surprised that I was still in school, but seemed also interested in the kinds of things I studied. I gathered that education was different for him. He thought it was wonderful that I was into music. Although he wasn’t musically inclined himself, he loved to listen to other people play. I promised him he would hear me one day. I finally tore myself away and told him I had to go home. Calvin walked me to the gate.

“Charlotte, I love you. I will always love you, and I promise that I will be back for you as soon as I can.” Calvin took my face in his hands.

“I love you, Calvin, and I promise I will wait for you.” I meant every word. I didn’t even consider the enormity of the words we were exchanging; they just flowed naturally.

“That promise means everything to me. It will keep me strong in the days to come.” He smiled. “If at any time you need to communicate with me, or your family needs proof of my commitments, just contact my family. As I told you, they know that we are perfect for one another and will do everything possible to help us.”

“How long will you be gone?” I asked, afraid of the answer.

“Likely it will be months, but I will return as soon as I can. Every day that we are apart is too much, and I will do anything possible to limit the time.” He gently stroked my cheek with his thumb.

“I’m scared. I barely know you, yet I know I can’t live without you.” I tried to hold back my tears.

“I cannot live without you either, but do not be scared. You are with your family, and I will be back for you.” With that he kissed me again, longer and with more urgency. “I love you, Charlotte. Never forget that.”

By the time I walked back into my yard, it was six o’clock in the morning, and the tears were already flowing. I sincerely hoped that Monty would still be out for a run and wouldn’t see me walking in the back door, but I was too emotionally drained to worry. Luckily, I didn’t see him on my way up. I knew that I had no time to sleep, so I took a long hot shower and tried to get ready for the day.

Chapter Nine

Kevin

People always say that teenagers are hard to deal with, but really they’re talking about teenage girls. We had been back in Charleston for less than two weeks, and already Charlotte was giving poor Monty a headache.

The Monday before Thanksgiving, Monty was grilling burgers for dinner. “Do you know what’s going on with Charlotte?” he asked with obvious concern.

“What now?” I asked nervously, because I never knew what to expect with Charlotte.

“Haven’t you noticed?” He was obviously surprised by my reaction.

“No.” Our schedules were so different that I felt like I had barely seen her since we had moved.

“Well, it’s like she’s been sleepwalking today. I’ve even had teachers complaining to me that she fell asleep in class.” He wrinkled his brow as if deep in thought. He then went on to tell me that she snapped at him every time he tried to ask her about it.

I tried to calm him down. It was obvious that he was just out of his element with Charlotte. “Well for now, just let it go. She’s tired and in a bad mood, not exactly newsworthy.” I hoped that he’d relax, and it would all blow over.

Liam came out onto the patio. He was joining us for dinner, which wasn’t surprising since he seemed to eat dinner with us at least a couple of times a week, just like he used to. It was so easy to fall back into the old routine, it sometimes felt like we had never left.

“Do you think it’s about your mom?” Monty asked, bringing me back to the conversation.

“Maybe, coming back probably dug up a lot of memories.”

“That, combined with her birthday and Thanksgiving coming up, might be all it is.” Monty sounded hopeful.

“I think it was a lot easier for me losing my dad when I was so young. You and Charlotte really knew your mom,” Liam said quietly. Liam never talked about his dad, who had died when Liam was just a baby. He had been so sympathetic when our mom died, though, trying to help us in any way he could. I nodded at him, as Monty told me to go upstairs to get Charlotte.

She was blaring music, so I actually had to walk all the way up to her room. I knocked on the door and, when she didn’t answer, I pushed it open. Charlotte was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling.

“Dinner,” I said, while trying to determine if she looked upset.

“I’m not hungry.” She turned away from me.

I decided to find out just how bad of a mood she was in. “Charlotte, I’m used to you being weird, but be easy on Monty. Babysitting you isn’t his job; it’s a favor to dad. So ease up, or he might send you to Siberia.”

“You think he would send me away?” Charlotte sat up, looking alarmed.

“If he doesn’t want to put up with you once I leave.” I tried to keep a straight face.