A Date To Die For

A Date To Die For

by Mary Lee Tiernan

Copyright 2012 Mary Lee Tiernan

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All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be copied or reproduced in any format without the prior written consent of the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents or events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to actual events or persons, past or present, is coincidental.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Books by the Author

Prologue

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Every muscle in his body ached with loneliness. He tossed and turned, but couldn’t find a comfortable position. If only she hadn’t left him... if only he could find her, peace would come to him. Her love, her unconditional, total love for him, would heal his wounds and chase the devils from his sleep.

A picture of her crept unbidden into his mind, and he clenched his fists at the memory. I will not say her name, I will not say her name... he repeated to himself over and over, as though by not saying it, he might break the power she still held over him. Despite the desertion, despite the broken promises to care for him, despite the outrage at finding her gone, he clung to her memory. A spasm of grief washed over him.

Suddenly, the picture changed, and another face replaced hers. He thought he’d found her in the other one. He’d loved the other one too, wooed her, given her his soul. Nothing but betrayal all over again. He pounded his fists silently into the mattress. I won’t make the same mistakes again. I won’t. A thin sheen of sweat covered his body as anger welled up inside him.

The anger came more often now. It had been building, building, building for months, months of misery and humiliation since the other one deceived him. Never again, he promised himself. Never again would he expose his feelings to ridicule, or feel the sting of rejection. He’d do whatever he must to keep himself safe.

He searched for her, but she remained elusive. It was so important to find her, find her soon, and fill the empty void deep within him. And when he did, he would keep her away from temptation. It was so important to find her, find her and claim her, before others contaminated her. She must be his and his alone. Thoughts of their perfect world eased the tension in his body. He deserved her love. And no one had the right to take it from him.

Chapter 1

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Stacey dreaded that first day of school. New town, new home, new school, new teachers... and no friends to help her through the day. As she changed her outfit for the fourth time that morning, she sighed in resignation. Nothing she wore was going to make her feel any better.

Stacey, hurry up. We have to leave in five minutes," her mother yelled up the stairs.

Five minutes. What could she possibly do in five minutes that would relieve the pressure she felt growing in the pit of her stomach? She could only vaguely remember that other first day of a new school, years and years ago as a kid on her way to kindergarten with a bunch of other scared kids. That was quite different than starting a new school in eleventh grade halfway into the school year, when everyone else already knew each other. She looked over her shoulder into the full-length mirror to check that her jeans still fit tight enough for teen standards. Oh, why did her parents have to move and change everything!

Mom, she’s still lookin’ in the mirror, her younger sister, Anne, yelled from the doorway of Stacey’s room.

The abrupt sound startled Stacey. Anne, get a life! She wanted to slam the door and shut out Anne, shut out the day really, but she heard her mother coming upstairs and resisted the temptation.

Stacey, her mother called.

Tell ‘er to hurry up, Mom. I wanna go to school. Alice is gonna meet me by...

Go downstairs and wait for us in the kitchen.

How come...

Anne, the longer you argue, the more time this is going to take. Now go downstairs and wait, okay?

Oh, all right... but make ‘er hurry.

Mrs. Mills opened the door wider to Stacey’s bedroom. Honey, I know this is hard for you, but you know you have to go to school.

Oh, Mommm, Stacey said in that special tone reserved for wayward parents. I know that! I just keep wishing I was going to walk out the front door and meet Julie and the two of us would walk to school like we always did.

I understand, Sweetie. Her mother crossed the room, noticing the pile of discarded clothes on Stacey’s unmade bed. She hugged her daughter, feeling the tug in her own heart for the friends and security she had left behind. For Anne, being so young, it was easier. So many years separated these two daughters of hers. But when Dad lost his job...

I know, Mom, I know... but that just doesn’t make it any easier.

Judging from this pile on your bed, Mrs. Mills said, you must have grown seven inches and nothing fits anymore.

Oh, Mommm. Then Stacey laughed, picturing herself as a six-foot Amazon. They’d really stare at me then.

See, her mother teased, things could be worse.

Stacey took one last glance in the mirror. Okay, let’s get it over with.

When they got downstairs, Anne yelled, Finally, and bounded out the door. I’m first. I get the front seat.

Get in the back, Stacey yelled after her.

Mom, why can’t I ever...

Get in the back, and we’ll drop you off first, Stacey said.

Oh, all right, Anne said as she opened the back door and climbed in.

Mrs. Mills looked up at Stacey as she locked the door. They both knew they planned to drop Anne off first anyway. Stacey shrugged. Avoided an argument, didn’t it?

Mrs. Mills smiled, You’re getting better.

Stacey was glad that she and her mother got along. Not that her mom was perfect, especially when it came to Anne. But they never seemed to have those huge fights she had witnessed between some of her friends and their mothers. Ex-friends, she said to herself drearily as she thought of the three thousand miles that now separated them.

Anne squealed with delight when they pulled up in front of Sleepy Hollow Elementary. Behind the chain link fence, kids chased each other across the play yard, climbed on the blue and orange jungle-gyms, or sat on the ground playing jacks and other games. Near the entrance, a little girl with long braids shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Look, there’s Alice, just like she said. Hey, Alice! she yelled out the window.

Not in my ear, Stacey groaned.

Bye, Mom. Anne unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over to give her mother a kiss. Bye, Stacey.

Hey, not so fast, young lady, Mrs. Mills said as Anne was about to jump out of the car. She shifted the gear into park and walked around the car. Alice and Anne waited by the open car door, whispering excitedly to each other.

Yer in my class.

Are ya sure?

Un-huh. I asked Miss Mori, she’s our teacher.

While Mrs. Mills walked the girls to the entrance, Stacey closed her eyes to shut out their enthusiasm. If only she felt one iota of that! She twisted the gold pinky ring Julie had given her before she left New York. Like having a string tied around your finger, Julie said, so you won’t forget me. Then Julie had laughed. And I’ll always be there, right there with you.

Be with me today, Stacey thought, I’m gonna need you. Her eyes popped back open when her mother slammed the back door.

When they reached Hollis High School, Stacey slunk further down into her seat. The one-story building sprawled across the grounds twice as far as her two-story high school back in New York.

Now, do you have... Mrs. Mills’s words were drowned out by the blaring radio from a passing car filled with teenagers. The car swerved in front of them and pulled into the parking lot.

As Mrs. Mills hit the brake, she said, Did you see that? They just...

Please, Mom, not now. Look, that car’s moving. Pull in there. Stacey searched in her notebook for her schedule of classes. Unlike the enclosed buildings back East, here in Southern California, with summer weather all year long, students actually went outside to pass from class to class! With such a huge campus, she couldn’t image how she was going to get from one class to the other on time. I’ll probably end up with detention on my first day, she mumbled.

What’s that, Stace? Hearing the familiar nickname emphasized how unfamiliar everything else was.

Nothin’, Mom, Stacey automatically answered.

Do you want me to go in with you?

Oh, Mom. Stacey blushed at the very idea of her mother walking her into school as though she were five years old. She could just image the looks she’d get from the other kids. You can’t hold my hand like in kindergarten!

Don’t get mad, Stace. I just want to do whatever I can to make this easier for you.

Stacey looked up once more at the blue-trimmed building and let out the breath she hadn’t even realized she had been holding. Well, here goes, she said, then added, I’ll walk home. And hopefully, she thought to herself, I won’t have to walk alone.

Two eyes noticed the glint of red in her auburn hair as she stepped out of the car. From the back, he saw a slim, attractive figure. He repositioned himself slightly to get a better look at her face as she turned around. A grin spread from ear to ear.

Chapter 2

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Fortunately, Stacey recalled the location of most of her classrooms from her walk around campus the day she registered for school. First stop, Mrs. Lee’s English class. Well, here I go, she thought as she stepped into the classroom. A small group of students surrounded a petite dark-haired woman standing in front of the blackboard; others sprawled lazily in their seats chatting with each other.

From the back of the room, a tall blond boy, who’d been leaning against the window, straightened up and nudged the boys sitting in front of him. They all turned in Stacey’s direction. One of them whistled. Immediately, the room quieted down.

Mrs. Lee stepped forward and smiled. Well, you must be the new student I’m expecting. Welcome.

Having no idea what to say, Stacey just smiled nervously. With all the kids staring at her, she felt like a jerk.

First, let’s get you a seat, said Mrs. Lee.

A male voice from the back called, She can sit over here by me.

Give it a rest, Westerman, a voice yelled back.

Mrs. Lee ignored the exchange. Jenny, wave your hand so Stacey can see who you are.

As Jenny waved her hand back and forth, Mrs. Lee turned to Stacey. You can have the empty seat next to Jenny. I’ll get you a textbook in a minute. Go ahead and sit down for now.

Even though some kids were still watching her, the usual classroom noise resumed, and Stacey was relieved not to be the center of attention. She swung into her seat with a Hi to Jenny.

Hi, yourself, said Jenny with a genuine smile. You must hate being new. At least I did when I came here last year.

Her words made Stacey feel like she had one person on her side. The two girls started to compare schedules when the bell rang, and Mrs. Lee called the class to attention. Stacey groaned inwardly when she discovered they were in the middle of a novel that she had never read. I’ll probably spend every spare minute I have just trying to catch up, she thought.

By the end of the day, Stacey realized she was not as far behind as she first imagined, except for that novel in English. She searched the crowd for Jenny as she neared the front door, where they had planned to meet after they discovered they lived close to one another.

Stacey, over here, she heard Jenny yell and saw a hand waving above the sea of heads.

As she moved in the direction of Jenny’s voice, someone stepped in front of her and she ran smack into him. Hi, again, he said. His face looked familiar, but with so many new faces during the day, she couldn’t place him. Seeing her confusion, a slight edge entered his voice. English?

I’m sorry, I... then she remembered the whistle in English class and someone yelling out about her sitting next to him. But the faces were a blur.

Hitting on her already, Westerman? Jenny’s voice said.

"Just thought