Jason nodded, refusing to look at either of them.
Liz looked to Max, afraid that the situation was out of their league, but too concerned to let her fears get in the way of helping her friend. «How long has this been going on?»
Again, no answer came.
«Jason, say something," Liz pleaded. She was obviously upset by the surprise revelation. «Please. I want to help you.»
Max placed his hand on her shoulder as if to say, That's enough.
Liz looked into her boyfriends eyes. He could tell that she was hurt and confused. Max knew that she was probably blaming herself for not realizing what was happening sooner. He gave her shoulder a supportive squeeze.
«It's okay if you don't want to talk about it right now," Max said. «And it doesn't matter how long it's been going on. It won't happen anymore. We'll make sure of that.»
Liz added to his sense of conviction. «I promise you.»
«Now, do you have a family doctor we can take you to?» Max asked. «I want to make sure you didn't hurt yourself in the fall.» Then, he silently added to himself, and to make sure Mr. Lyles hasn't done any permanent damage.
Jason nodded his head.
Max got up and gave a hand to both Liz and Jason to help them off the ground. Hopping onto the bike, he made sure there was room for Jason to fit behind him. Once the boy was safely on, Max turned back to him. «Keys?»
Fishing in his pocket, Jason pulled out two sets of keys. «How did you…»
Max flashed him a cryptic smile and took the keys out of Jason's hand, tossing one set to Liz and starting his own bike with the other.
Grabbing the keys, Liz got on her bike and started it up. As the trio started back through the desert, neither Max nor Liz gave any thought to the cell phones in their pockets that were still out of the service area and storing some very important voice mail messages.
15
”Hello," Kyle said, still holding on to the door, making sure the visitor could not see inside-not that there was anything to see, but just in case something odd happened. This was a valid concern, considering the group's history. They never knew when something strange could be going on behind them.
Jesse was naturally surprised to see the stranger instead of Isabel opening the door, but he recovered quickly. «Hi, I'm looking for… for Phillip Evans. I work with him.»
«Yeah," Kyle stalled while trying to come up with a good cover story. «I know. You're Jesse, right?»
«Yes," Jesse replied.
«I'm Kyle.» He held out a hand to the interloper while keeping the other hand firmly on the door. «I'm one of Isabel and Max's friends. How are you?»
«Good," Jesse replied, trying discretely to peek through the partially open door. «Is Phillip home?»
«Actually, no," Kyle responded abruptly, faced with at least one question he could easily answer. «He and Mrs. Evans are down in Santa Fe for the day.»
Jesse feigned surprise. «That's right. I forgot. They went to that arts festival.»
«Right.» Kyle hoped this piece of information would send the visitor on his way. «I can take a message for when they get back. Is there something you needed?»
«I just wanted to talk about a case we're working on.» Jesse created his own cover story as he grew more concerned that Isabel had not come to the door yet to rescue him from this situation.
«You couldn't have called?» Kyle asked, suddenly suspicious. Between being the son of a former sheriff and all the alien conspiracy stuff going on in recent history, Kyle's senses were honed to picking up on any kind of questionable behavior.
«I was in the neighborhood," Jesse replied, growing suspicious himself that no one with the name Evans had come to see who was at the door yet. Odder still since Isabel was expecting him. «Since I'm here, I was wondering if I could just pop in and say hi to Isabel… and Max.»
«Max isn't here," Kyle replied, grasping for some excuse. «And Isabel… is a little under the weather.»
Jesse was instantly concerned, remembering that she had cancelled on him the previous evening to look after a friend she had said was really sick. Unaware of the fact that he was speaking to the sick friend, he tried not to appear too worried, especially since they were only supposed to be passing acquaintances. «I hope it's nothing serious.»
«Not really," Kyle flat out lied.
«Would it be okay if I stopped in to say hi?» Jesse moved toward the door.
Kyle, however, stayed firmly planted in place. «Actually, she's resting right now. She said she didn't want to be disturbed.»
«By anyone?» Jesse let the charade slip for a brief moment, confused that she hadn't called him to stop him from coming over or alerted this kid to the fact that he might be stopping by.
«Yeah," Kyle said, growing even more suspicious. «If you don't mind, I should get back inside in case she wakes up and needs something.»
«Are you sure it's not serious?» Jesse asked, his anxiety beginning to take over and push their whole hidden relationship out in the open.
«Positive," Kyle said, trying not to stretch the lie too far. «We called the family doctor and he just said to let her get some rest. Nothing to worry about.»
«Okay.» Jesse felt some minor relief. «When she wakes up, please let her know I was here… to say hi.»
«Will do.» Kyle closed the door before anything else could be said in their odd little interaction. He would have to make sure to fill Isabel in on his lie when she woke up, so that no one would question her about it later. That's the problem with lies-even the simple ones require tremendous attention to detail. Of course, that's all assuming that Isabel would wake up. Don't even think like that.
«Who was at the door?» Maria asked as Kyle came back into the bedroom. She was sitting beside Isabel, holding her hand and rubbing it in small circles with her thumb.
«Someone from Mr. Evans's firm," Kyle replied. «Nothing important. Any change?»
«No," Maria replied hopelessly. «And I still haven't been
able to get in touch with Max or Liz. Meanwhile, Michael's still off God knows where. Have you tried your dad?»
«He's pulled another one of his disappearing acts," Kyle said, wondering once again where his father was spending his time lately. «I've hardly seen him at all this week.»
«What is it with the parents in this town?» Maria asked, frustrated. «They're never around when you need them.»
Kyle nodded in agreement.
«What do we do now?» she asked.
«Wait," he replied, as his mind spun with possible plans of action but nothing came.
«How I long for the day when waiting isn't our only plan of inaction.»
Kyle bristled from Maria's comment. He knew she meant nothing by it, but it still bothered him that he didn't know what to do. He couldn't think clearly. His mind was full of confusing, unclear images. Not now, he thought. This is not the time for a flash.
His fingers tapped against his leg for the first time that morning. This time, however, Kyle felt them pressing into his flesh and actually took notice of the action.
Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap.
«I think I'm going to meditate for a while.» He left the room, hoping to calm his mind before things got out of hand. They certainly didn't need two crises to deal with.
«Do you really think this is the right time to voluntarily make yourself unconscious?» Maria asked, following him into the living room. «You know, considering.»
«I won't be unconscious," he explained, hoping he didn't sound condescending to the unenlightened. «Meditation allows me to perform a conscious exploration of my
mind. It will give me the opportunity to organize my thoughts and purge any images that do not belong.» Kyle often felt that people had a tendency to listen to him explain his beliefs as if they were humoring him because what he was saying was a joke somehow-especially his father. But he thought Maria of all people would understand. «Would you like to join me?»