Collide

By Melissa J. Crispin

Kayla has a plan. She’s moving to the city after graduation and Luke’s coming with her. He’ll eventually become a doctor, she’ll be a ballerina—and they’ll live happily ever after. That is, until dark forces, led by a sister she never knew existed, start hunting her down for a power she never knew she had.

When Kayla starts working with a boy named Alec to learn how to defend herself and to stop the evil from eliminating the worlds, she finds herself falling for him. Hard. Torn between two loves and struggling to do what’s right for Earth and Afterlife, Kayla must decide if she’s fighting to keep her life together, or letting it go to save everyone else’s.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Teen
• Release date: Apr 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781772337723

Book preview

Published by Evernight Teen ® at Smashwords

www.evernightteen.com

Copyright© 2016 Melissa J. Crispin

ISBN: 978-1-77233-772-3

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Audrey Bobak

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

For Steve, who was taken from this world far too soon.

Rest in peace, my big brother. I love you and I miss you every single day.

COLLIDE

Melissa J. Crispin

Copyright © 2016

Part One: Kayla

Chapter One

I was so screwed.

No ballet school would ever accept a freshman with a bun in the oven, and I wasn’t stupid enough to think they’d make an exception for me, even if I was that good.

Hugging my books to my stomach, I wished the nausea away. The bell rang as I rounded the corner and smacked right into Alec Morretti. My stuff flew out of my hands and spilled around us. I crouched down to gather it all up.

Sorry, Kayla. He picked up my binder.

His hand brushed against mine as we both reached for the same book, a tingly sensation rippling through my body. A hazy image of the two of us tugged at my memory, which made no sense since we never hung out together.

Standing in an open meadow with Alec at my side, I plucked a bright, purple wildflower from the ground. Isn’t it beautiful? I asked.

He shrugged. It’s got nothing on you.

Alec slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. The corners of his mouth turned upward, his mischievous, sapphire eyes meeting mine. Delicious warmth spread through every inch of me as his gaze drank me in. I tucked the flower behind my ear and ran my fingers through his messy, ash-brown hair.

I gave a playful smirk. I bet you say that to all the girls.

He shook his head. Only you. The back of his index finger grazed down the side of my cheek, kicking my pulse up a notch. He lifted my chin and dipped his head toward me. I closed my eyes in expectation of another incredible kiss.

Um, Kayla? Are you okay?

I blinked. Alec stood over me in the middle of the school hallway, his outstretched hands holding my books in a neat pile. I had no idea where my head had just gone—maybe it was a dream I had once.

Yeah, thanks. I climbed to my feet.

He placed the items in my arms, and his intense gaze could have bored a hole right through me. A million questions raced through my head. I remained motionless, hoping he had something to say, but he turned and walked away without another word.

What the hell?

I headed for AP Calculus, unable to wipe the frown off my face. When I snuck in, the back door of the room squeaked. Mr. Dillard stopped writing on the board long enough to shoot a disapproving glare over his shoulder.

You’re late, Ms. Reynolds, he said.

Boy, you have no idea. Yes, I’m sorry. I slipped into my seat.

While the teacher droned on about inverse functions, I replayed the weird scene that’d jumped into my head when Alec touched me. I’d never thought of him in that way. Not once.

In fact, I’d hardly paid him any mind since he started going to Franklin High. There’d been so much buzz when he showed up on the first day of junior year. New kids were rare in a small town like ours. Murmurs about him dissipated, though, when he made zero friends. Here we were only months away from graduation, and he still kept to himself.

The bell rang to signal the end of class, and I gathered my things. Before I could leave, my ex-best friend Leila approached me. She wore her curly, jet-black hair in a ponytail, giving me a clear shot of her pinched brows and drawn lips.

Hi, I said.

You look green, she said.

Thanks. I rolled my eyes.

Are you going to dance class later?

Leila didn’t have a car and almost always hitched a ride with me, much to her dismay. I couldn’t blame her for hating me, though—not when I’d broken the cardinal rule of friendship and started dating the guy she’d been crushing on for years. I wasn’t proud of hurting her, but I couldn’t help it. Luke and I just kind of happened.

I don’t think so. I hated whenever I missed dance, since falling behind wasn’t my thing. I’m sorry, I added.

Whatever. Leila turned on her heel and marched out of the room, her ponytail swinging with each step.

The rest of the morning dragged. My mind kept swirling with thoughts of Alec, when it should’ve been preoccupied with other serious problems. I booted him out of my head, only to find him creeping back in a short time later.

After what seemed like eternity, the lunch bell rang and I headed to my locker. I dumped my books inside and slammed it shut with more force than necessary. As I clicked the padlock into place, strong arms circled around my waist from behind.

Hey, Beautiful. Luke buried his face in my hair.

Hi. I squirmed out of his embrace, avoiding eye contact.

He frowned. What’s wrong?

I laced my hands together and stared down at them. I might be catching the stomach bug going around. I don’t want to infect you.

With only two days until the Indoor Track State Championship meet, he wouldn’t risk illness. The relief washing over his face filled me with guilt, but I didn’t want to freak him out. Not yet, anyway—not before I had a good reason.

Oh, all right. For a minute there, I was worried I did something to make you mad. His face brightened a little. Want to walk down to the cafeteria with me?

I’m going to the infirmary. Call me later?

Sure. He took a step toward me. I swallowed past the lump in my throat and flashed him a small, nervous smile as I stepped back. He hesitated for a second, but left without argument.

Thankfully, the school nurse took pity on me and sent me home, telling me I must’ve looked as horrible as I felt.

After dropping off my dismissal slip at the front office, I headed out to the parking lot, where I hopped into my restored, yellow 1978 Volkswagen bug, Goldie. When I turned the key, she refused to start. Maybe Goldie was sick, too.

I tried a few more times. No luck.

I pressed my forehead against the steering wheel and groaned. God, today sucked. Maybe if I hurried inside before lunch ended, I could borrow Luke’s truck. He could easily catch a ride home with someone after practice. Not wanting to move a muscle, I grumbled to myself some more.

A knock nearly shot me through the roof of the car, and I snapped my head around to see Alec standing on the other side of the glass.

‘Sorry,’ he mouthed, his breath visible in the cold January air.

I cranked down the window by hand. No power windows for old Goldie.

Need some help? he asked.

Know anything about cars? I asked, ignoring the way my pulse sped up. It won’t start.

Some. Can you pop the hood?

I released the latch, grateful when Alec disappeared from my view. How I managed two encounters with him in one day was beyond me, especially when my previous count was zero. This time, the fluttering in my stomach was not due to nausea.

Another fuzzy dream tugged at my mind, a vague image of us lying on a picnic blanket and laughing—

I know what the problem is. His muffled voice startled me out of my thoughts. Be right back.

He jogged across the parking lot to an old Honda, and rummaged around inside before striding back with something in his hand.

This’ll do the trick. Alec waved a screwdriver.

Intrigued, I leaned my head out the window to catch a glimpse of him. He held a part from my car, and started scraping off junk.

His gaze met mine, his expression impossible to read. He opened his mouth, like he meant to say something, but closed it, his attention dropping back to what he had in his hand. Your distributor cap has buildup on it. It should start after this, but you need to replace it soon. You don’t want to get stranded anywhere.

At least he seemed to know what he was talking about. Okay. Thanks, I replied.

He disappeared from my sight again. Not long after, the hood slammed shut.

Give it a try, he called through the windshield.

I turned the key, and as Goldie purred to life, a small smile played across my lips. Thank you again, Alec. I hope I didn’t make you late for class.

No problem. I was going home, anyway. Not feeling good. He placed a hand on his stomach, obviously pretending to be sick, and winked at me, those sapphire eyes searching mine. See you around. He loped back off toward his car.

My insides twisted into knots as I stared at his back and tried to make sense of my bizarre day.

But nothing logical came to mind. I gave myself a mental shake, rolled up the window, and drove Goldie out of the parking lot.

****

The drug store was on my way home, so I headed in and picked up a basket at the front entrance. I tossed in a magazine, some candy, and a soda. In truth, I was stalling—because the whole reason for my trip awaited me in the ‘family planning’ section. I wandered up and down a few aisles before mustering up enough courage to approach the pregnancy tests.

For the love of God, who knew there’d be so many different kinds? Some stated in blatant words: ‘Pregnant or Not Pregnant’—a little blunt for my liking. Another gave a sign—one line meant you weren’t pregnant, two meant you were. A third type showed a plus or a minus as a result.

I sighed. I didn’t care which one I got, as long as the outcome was negative. Deciding on some brand that claimed it could detect pregnancy sooner than the others, I tucked the package under everything else I’d accumulated and made my way to the checkout line where my day just kept getting better.

Good old Mrs. Seymour greeted me at the register. She pulled my basket toward her and started scanning my items. When she reached the final one at the very bottom, my cheeks grew super-hot and I stared down at the candy display below the counter. She paused before dropping it into the bag, probably the precise moment she put together what it was and who was buying it. When she announced my grand total, I opened my wallet and handed her my money while avoiding her judging eyes.

I snatched my purchase, mumbled a thank you, and told her to keep the change. It took every fiber of my being not to run from the store.

I got home at one o’clock. Since Mom wouldn’t be home for at least four hours, I had plenty of time to discover if my life was over.

My heart pounded in my chest, all the way down the hall and into the bathroom.

I locked the door, even though I was home alone, and with shaking hands, pulled the pregnancy test out of the plastic bag.

The instructions seemed pretty foolproof. Tear open the sealed wrapper, pee on the stick, and wait in agony for the verdict.

I hesitated before going through with the procedure. On one hand, I just wanted to get the whole thing over with. On the other, I was scared to death—I wasn’t sure I could handle a positive result.

I rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans and took a few deep breaths. Biting down on my bottom lip, I ripped open the box and removed the contents.

Was my life about to change forever?

Fresh out of reasons for delaying the inevitable, I did the deed. Making it a point not to peek until time was up, I crossed my arms and tapped my foot, checking my watch every few seconds through the longest two minutes ever. When the moment of truth arrived, I paused a split second longer before learning my fate and drew in a deep breath.

My gaze dropped down to the test. I gripped the edge of the counter hard, my knuckles going white, as I stared even harder.

Two lines.

I was pregnant.

Chapter Two

I took out the trash to hide all evidence of the pregnancy test. The idea of Mom stumbling across it in the garbage can formed a huge lump in my throat. She would find out in time, when I could gather the courage to tell her.

What have I done?

I retreated to my bedroom and drew the shades before curling up into a ball and bawling my eyes out.

My mind raced back to the night that got me into this mess.

"What’s wrong?" I asked.

"We can’t. Luke blew out a frustrated breath. No condoms."

I was so lost in the moment, I didn’t want to stop. With his body pressed up against mine, my thoughts were fixed on getting what I wanted. I blazed a trail of kisses down his neck.

"What are the chances? I whispered. It’ll be okay."

He groaned, taking my face in his hands and kissing me. Hard. We shouldn’t. His breathing grew heavier, more unsteady. But I can never say no to you.

Those were his last words before giving me exactly what I’d asked for.

How could I tell my sweet, smart boyfriend, who wanted to be a doctor, that we were going to have a baby? The same boy who would surprise me with pretty flowers for no reason and bring my favorite coffee to school when he knew I’d be tired. I was going to make him a father, all because I couldn’t wait, couldn’t stop.

I hated myself for making this happen.

Bile rose in my throat, and I ran into the bathroom, dropping in front of the toilet. Nothing came out, but I still retched.

When I returned to my room minutes later, I crawled under my covers and cried until I fell into a deep sleep.

****

I woke up to a knock on my bedroom door. Opening my eyes to slits, I found the room in darkness. Come in, I croaked.

Light filtered in from the hallway as the door cracked open. Hey, sleepyhead, Mom said. I tried calling a few times. She padded into the room and flicked on the lamp beside my bed. The school told me you went home sick. When you didn’t answer, I assumed you were sleeping.

I squinted from the sudden brightness, filling with relief when I didn’t gag.

Mom touched a palm to my forehead. No fever.

That’s good, I said.

So, the nurse said you were nauseous. How about now?

A little better, I think. I glanced over at my bedside clock, which read seven thirty. Why didn’t you wake me sooner?

I wanted you to rest. Mom pushed my hair behind my ear. Do you want me to reschedule my visit to the California office? My flight takes off early tomorrow and leaving you like this makes me uneasy. No offense, honey, but you look terrible.

Mom’s business trip meant she would be gone for almost three weeks, to get a project started in one of the company’s satellite offices. It would give me time to figure out what the hell I was going to do. Don’t change your plans for me. I’ll be fine.

Her brows wrinkled as she twirled a lock of hair around her index finger—a nervous habit of hers.

The bug only lasts a day, or two. My ailment would be more like nine months, but I wasn’t about to go there yet.

She paused a moment longer. Promise you’ll keep me posted. I want a text message twice a day, morning and night, until you’re back to one hundred percent.

It’s a deal. I nodded.

I’m going to pack then. A warm pot of chicken noodle soup is waiting for you downstairs. Mom kissed me on the forehead and left the room.

After staring at my ceiling for longer than necessary, I dragged myself out of bed and headed for the kitchen. The tension in my shoulders eased when the soup didn’t make my stomach turn. I devoured dinner and got ready for bed.

It was only eight, but with all the stuff that’d gone down, I needed the day to be over. I said goodnight to Mom and wished her a good trip, reassuring her I would be fine. As I settled under my covers, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and checked my messages. A missed call from Luke stared back at me.

I clicked on the voicemail, my chest tightening when the sound of his voice hit my ears. Hey. Just wanted to see how you’re doing. Love you, Beautiful.

My mouth went dry. He wasn’t going to love me when he heard why I was sick.

I couldn’t call him back. Chances were too high that I’d blurt out what needed to be said in person. A text message would be safer: Thanks for checking on me. Still feel like crap. Going to bed. Love you too. Goodnight.

Settling back into my pillows, I turned out the light and tried to put the worst day of my life behind me.

****

Was it possible to dream of blackness? Fully aware that I was asleep, infinite darkness and complete silence surrounded me, as far as my eyes could see. I took a tentative step forward, then several more, but the landscape didn’t change. I twirled in a slow circle, my heart beating a little faster with each second that passed. Unsettled, I gulped. It seemed like the never-ending darkness would open up and swallow me whole. With my pulse hammering in my ears, I began to run.

The pounding of my feet echoed, as my breath sawed in and out. I had to get out of this place—wherever, or whatever, it was.

A guy’s voice called out from behind me. Kayla!

Panic rose within me. I didn’t know how he knew my name, and I wasn’t interested in finding out, so I kept on moving.

Hey, wait up. The person’s footsteps closed in on me. I didn’t think I could get away, but the voice didn’t sound angry.

I stopped and took a deep breath, trying to get a hold of myself. After all, I was only dreaming. What was the worst that could happen?

I glanced over my shoulder. When my eyes met Alec’s, my mouth dropped open. Jeez, even my subconscious was preoccupied with him. I thought being knocked up by someone else would’ve taken care of that. Good grief. I disgusted myself sometimes.

What are you doing here? My words rushed out harsher than expected.

Hurt flashed across dream Alec’s face. Maybe you can tell me? It’s been so long since you’ve called me here.

What? Me? I didn’t do anything. My eyebrows shot up.

My confusion seemed to register with him loud and clear, his eyes widening. You don’t remember? Let me show you. He reached for my hand, but I snatched it away before he could touch me. Come on. You won’t be sorry. I promise.

I studied his outstretched hand before lifting my gaze to his intense, blue stare. The hopefulness in his eyes squeezed my heart.

Don’t you trust me? he asked.

Funny thing was, for some reason, I did.

I placed my hand in his, and a surge of electricity traveled through me, a thousand times more powerful than the last time we’d touched.

A barrage of images assaulted my mind at a rapid pace, like a slideshow in fast forward, before the pictures began morphing into something more like video clips. A few left me in complete wonder—all flashes of us.

In one image, we were sitting on a blanket in the grass. I wish all of this—he gestured around us—was real. All I want is to be here with you.

My breath hitched. Me, too, I told him.

A mental picture came to mind of us in a small boat in the middle of a lake. We were tossing chunks of bread into the water for fish, as rain started pouring down on us. Instead of being upset, we laughed and tossed the rest, already soggy, overboard.

He smiled at me through the crocodile drops falling from the sky. The corners of my mouth turned upward as I soaked in the beautiful simplicity of being with him. He reached for the paddles on the boat and took unhurried strokes that led us back toward the dock.

The same scene of him and I walking through the meadow from my first vision appeared. He leaned in for the kiss I didn’t realize I was still waiting for. Slow and lingering, his lips were soft and gentle as they moved against mine.

Heat spread through me while my heart drummed in my chest. My knees wanted to buckle, but he pulled me so close I had no worries about falling. Oh. My. God.

Oh. I stared back at the nothingness behind Alec, my breaths fast and shallow. He tilted his head to the side, and I rested a hand at the base of my throat. Did you do that?

He shrugged. I didn’t do anything. I suspected being near you would jog your memory. That’s what seemed to happen at school earlier today, but I couldn’t be sure. He gave me an easy smile. I’d say it worked.

Alec tugged on my hand and gently led me straight ahead. Hazy tendrils, the color of moss, curled around us and grew thicker as we continued forward. It became so dense that the blackness faded into solid green.

A landscape began taking shape in front of me. First grass, then a brilliant, blue sky, followed by pink and purple wildflowers. I sucked in a breath, absorbing the beauty of it all.

I missed you, he said.

My chest tightened. I missed him, too. But how? I don’t understand. I released his hand and stared off at a faraway mountain range that seemed all too familiar. The scenery reminded me of past dreams—or was my mind playing tricks on me? I pressed two fingers to my lips.

"I didn’t at first, either. I just thought you were a girl in my dreams, living in my imagination. Then my family moved to New Hampshire, and there you were at school, leaning against a locker, talking to—him."

Luke. A weird feeling came over me that I couldn’t place. Was it guilt? Regret? I shook my head. This isn’t real. My voice sounded flat.

It is, whether you believe it or not.

But you’ve never spoken to me.

I wanted to so much, it practically killed me. He clenched his fist at his side. I needed to be careful. I got branded as a total freak at my last school, and it was hard to deal with. Everyone thought I was crazy and I started to believe them. I wasn’t interested in repeating the experience. He lifted my chin with his index finger. I’ve been waiting for a sign from you for a year and a half. Anything at all that would signal you recognized me. Until we collided in the hall, you never so much as looked at me. If you’d remembered anything that happened with us, that wouldn’t be possible.

Could it be? Did I want it to be?

A dull ache bloomed in my chest. My heart belonged to this boy once, and I couldn’t kid myself either. A tiny piece of it still seemed to be his.

My mind flashed back to the events of the day, to my life-altering news, and tears sprang to my eyes.

Sssh. Alec took an uncertain step forward, closing the gap between us. When I didn’t move away, he wrapped his arms around me and stroked my hair. It’s going to be okay.

But it wasn’t. I was pregnant and feeling an inexplicable pull toward a boy I didn’t even know. I can’t give in to this. My world was spinning out of control. I don’t want to be crazy.

You’re not. I’ll prove it to you. You’ll see. He slid his hands to my shoulders. I know you’re with someone else, but if you can unlock all of the memories we’ve shared in this world, I hope you’ll reconsider. He grasped my hand and led me forward again.

The landscape reversed itself into a solid green, dissipating further until it returned to black.

The buzzing of my alarm clock shocked me from sleep. I hit the off button and rubbed at my face with a groan.

I couldn’t decide if that was a horrible nightmare or an awesome dream.

Chapter Three

My dream troubled me, but it paled in comparison to what I had in store for Luke. I inhaled deeply and tried to visualize calming images, but gave up when every picture that entered my mind related to Alec in some way.

Time to face reality.

After getting dressed for school, I grabbed my backpack and dance bag, and hopped into Goldie. Wincing at the