POWERS OF NATURE Book 1 - Into the Storm

Chapter 14

Her fingers drummed relentlessly on the steering wheel, the sound matching the barrage of thoughts flying through her mind. She was parked in her usual spot in the driveway, watching her mom move around the kitchen through the big windows in the front of the house.

Stephanie knew she needed to know more about Mike Leuco but she also knew she couldn't just type his name into the search engine on her laptop and hope for the best. That wouldn't get the answers she needed. She couldn't explain why she felt he was hiding something, but she didn't believe for one second that he would leave her alone if she controlled her talent. It seemed too easy. Even though she held a small flame of hope that that was the case, her analytical brain just wouldn't allow it. It didn't add up, how he had her watched for almost a year leading up to her eighteenth birthday, sending both Matt and Aiden instead of just Aiden, and how scared Matt was of her talking to his father. Surely, if it was that easy, it would be the best thing to talk to Mike Leuco?

And that alone proved there was more to Mike Leuco than what she had been told.

Sue spotted Stephanie sitting in her car and waved, beckoning her inside before turning back to the stove. The sound of the front door echoed, and she looked up as Stephanie entered the kitchen. A frown formed on her face as she noticed the happy but exhausted look on her daughter's face.

"Hey mom," Stephanie smiled, sniffing the air in appreciation. She loved her mother's food, the house warming up with the smell of it. "I didn't know you'd be home early."

"I finished sooner than I expected." Sue replied, stirring the sauce in front of her. "You alright, honey?"

Stephanie nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Yeah, I am. Why?"

A shrug rolled through Sue's shoulders. "You seem tired, that's all."

Stephanie giggled to herself, remembering the exercise with her talent. She did feel tired, and knew that she'd be having an awesome night's sleep. "Long week." She said instead. Her fingers played with the bottle top of the water she had retrieved from the fridge as she tried to find the right words and time to ask her mom about Mike Leuco.

"Where were you this afternoon?"

Stephanie looked up at the words, seeing that her mom was merely curious. A rush of appreciation filled her for having Sue as her mother. She wasn't like other parents that demanded to know their child's every move.
"I was up at Abalodge Farm, with Matt." She blushed at the knowing smile her mom gave her.

"I'm happy you're happy, Honey. Just please, be careful. He is four years older than you. He seems like a nice young man, and I like him, but he is older."

Stephanie laughed, rolling her eyes at her mom's attempt to be stern. If only her mother knew that the age gap wasn't the thing she should be worried about. "I will be careful, Mom. I promise."

Sue nodded, with a smile on her lips. "What did you guys do?"

"We hung out outside, before he showed me the house. Oh my gosh, mom, you should see the study!" She feigned excitement, seeing as though her mom had no idea that today hadn't been her first visit to the farm, "the room is floor to ceiling packed with books! It's incredible!" Stephanie bit her lip, before asking the question she had been dying to ask.

"Mom, what do you know about their parents?" Stephanie focused on the lid of the water bottle as she waited for her mom to answer, her heart starting up a beating race in her chest. Would her mom think it was just her curiosity over a cute boy? Or would she be her usually perceptive self and read more into it? Slowly raising her head, she took a peek at her mom and plastered what she hoped was an innocent look into her face.