I thought about calling Nick, but knowing how Mom felt about the whole situation, I decided against it.
“Hey, Sky,” Kayla greeted over the phone.
“Kayla,” I said cheerfully. “How are you?”
“Good. I’m on my way to my class. I thought I’d give you a call.”
“I’m glad. You know you can call me anytime. Anything new?”
“No. I saw Nick last night. And I can’t wait to do our double date thing this Saturday,” she squealed loudly.
“Do you know where we’re going for dinner?” I had forgotten to ask Mason that question.
“No. Nick says it’s a surprise.”
“Ahhh…” I said aloud. “Uh oh…Kayla, I’ve gotta go. I’m late for class.”
“Sure. If I don’t talk to you before then, I’ll see you Saturday.”
“Okay, love ya and hugs.” I didn’t mean to, but I hung up the phone as soon as I finished saying goodbye. When I talked to Kayla, I lost track of time. Throwing my arms into the sleeves of my jacket, I grabbed my backpack and bolted out the front door.
It had been several weeks since I’d gone to class. Thank goodness, it was in a huge auditorium and the professor didn’t take roll. There was a questionnaire and sign-in sheet on the first day, but that was it.
As I speedily walked to my class, I returned a phone call to my mom. I didn’t want to forget to call, knowing I would be busy studying after class. After I hung up, I noticed there were hardly any students around. What did I expect? After all, it was late and many students preferred the afternoon classes, just so they could sleep in after all the hard-core partying the night before.
I was halfway to class, when the feeling of someone following me suddenly awakened me. Accidently killing Remus and swallowing his blood, I had gained his power of healing, and though I couldn’t move with the same speed as the Grands, my sense of smell had heightened beyond what I could have imagined.
It didn’t happen right away, but I knew when it did. And I knew these enhanced abilities had to have come from Remus. Recalling that dreadful night, Remus was by the stairs with the two women he brought in, when he loudly said that he could smell something sweet. Now I understood. By “smelling something sweet,” Remus was referring to me.
Picking up the pace, I fought the strong urge to look behind me, especially since not a soul was on my path. Not wanting to give away what I suspected, I didn’t turn around. As the stranger approached closer, the scent of wood and wild flowers grew stronger. I recalled the same scent from the night when Mason took me out to dinner, where he had almost gotten into an argument with a stranger.
As my heart hammered faster, I decided to confront this stranger, but I would do it by the building entrance. That way I could yell for help, and all of the people in the auditorium could hear me. I was almost there but just as I grabbed for the door and swung around, the scent disappeared. Hmm…was I just being paranoid?
After class, I hung around the library, where there were tons of people. Since most of the tables were taken, I went to the back and settled there. Sitting in a cubicle with my lecture notes splayed out in front of me, I tried to study, but was interrupted by my cell buzzing. It was a text from Mason.
I’m staring at you.
I wish I could stare back at you. What are you doing?
I’m at Bella Amore with Nick. What are you doing?
I’m trying to study.
At the library, right?
How do you know?
Tracker.
Oh, yeah. Can you tell if I’m with another guy?
No, but if I find out, I’ll ace him with my volts. Just kidding. Don’t want to sound possessive.
I like that you are.
Don’t forget to keep your cell phone with you at all times.
Okay.
Pick you up at 6. Gotta go, kiss.
Longer kiss back.
Always on my mind. Sending you a love shock, baby! See you then.
My heart did a happy flip and a soft giggle escaped my mouth. Excitement and warmth flushed through me, just from reading Mason’s text. How hot was that? He could send me a love shock anytime.
After I put the phone away, I dove into my notes, but I couldn’t stop thinking of my dad and what he needed to tell us. Eventually, I was able to get some studying done… somewhat.
Stretching my arms and legs, I realized it was close to noon. Feeling tired from studying and wanting some fresh air, I packed up my bag. Suddenly, the same scent I smelled on the way to class wafted through my nose. I glanced around to find out where the smell was coming from, but saw nothing. Brushing it off, I decided it was time for me to leave.
I slid my chair back to get up, but something froze my chair in place and at the same time, I heard a ‘thud’ sound. I turned quickly. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry,” I whispered, fidgeting with my hands, unsure how to help or if he needed help at all. When I felt the gaze from other students, my face flushed with warmth from my embarrassment.
The stranger was hunched over so I couldn’t make out his face at first, but the scent of him was strong. The smell of wood and wild flowers tickled my nostrils. It was definitely the same smell as the one at Starla. Then I saw for sure, it was the guy at Starla who tried to ask me out…at least I thought that was what he was trying to do. And what were the odds of him going to the same school as me?
“That’s okay,” he replied, standing tall, trying not to disturb the others around us. “I’m fine.” Then he paused, seemingly surprised to see me. His face lit up with a huge smile. “So, we meet again. What a coincidence.”
My shoulders relaxed, confirming it wasn’t some weird stranger tailing me; then again, I didn’t actually know him. He could be one for all I knew. I thought he would have given me the evil eye or say something nasty, but he didn’t. Taken aback by his handsome face and how much less intimidating he looked under these lights compared to the dim mood-lighting at Starla, I smiled. “Uh…yeah.” It was all I could say. I didn’t want him to think I remembered him.
“My name is Ian.” He held out his hand and gave a flirty, cool smile.
Though I was hesitant to shake his hand, I didn’t want to be rude. There was something familiar about him, besides the fact that he was at Starla, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Perhaps it was just me.
Ian wore jeans and a dark gray sweater that clung to his well-defined chest. His body frame reminded me of Mason. Although I couldn’t recall the color of his eyes from that night at the bar, he stood before me with the most pretty, piercing blue eyes. It was like looking at turquoise gemstones—glossy and smooth, extremely hypnotizing.
Taking his hand, I finally shook it. “Hi. You can call me Skylar.” At least he didn’t shock me this time. Perhaps I was paranoid at our last encounter, and the shock was just a coincidence.
“Well, Sky—”
“Skylar,” I corrected quickly. Only two people were allowed to call me Sky, my dad and Mason. And, I wasn’t so sure about my dad anymore.
“Skylar.” He nodded. “I got it. Looks like you were studying the statistics notes. Do you have Professor Mead at eight in the morning?”
“Yes.” I held up my notes in my hand. “I missed some classes and I was trying to catch up.” I didn’t mean to give him more information then I needed to. “I was sick,” I said quickly, answering the question that would most likely have come next.
“I see. That explains it. If you need any help, I would be more than happy to. Just call me Mr. Statistic. It’s is my favorite subject.” He grinned, noting my cell phone in my other hand. Without warning, he took it from me, punched some keys, and gave it back. “I just put in my number. If you ever need my help, just call me.”
I looked at him blankly, unsure of how to respond to that. I was just hoping he wasn’t trying to ask me out. “Thanks.” I smiled. Shoving my lecture notes into my half-zipped backpack, I glanced back to see him still standing there. I was just about to leave when he s
poke again.
“What are you doing Saturday?”
And there it was…that awkward moment. “I already have plans. My boyfriend and I are going out.” The word ‘boyfriend’ slipped over my tongue. I didn’t know if it was the appropriate word to use to define my relationship with Mason.
“That’s okay.” He didn’t look disappointed, as if he already knew. Of course he knew…Mason had been ready to introduce himself to him with his fist. “My roommate and I are throwing a party. If you change your mind, just call me…maybe?” He sort of sang the last four words. He was acting all cute, and what was I doing? Giggling like a schoolgirl. I didn’t like that it felt like he was flirting with me.
“I’d better go.” I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. With Ian standing there staring at me, I felt uncomfortable. Still, I didn’t want to be rude, so I waited for him to leave first, but when he continued to just stand there, I decided to go. Just as I was about to leave, a brunette looped her arms through his, startling him.
“There you are. I thought I’d lost you.” Her tone was sensual and soft. Dressed in skinny jeans and a form-fitting red sweater, she was stunning. When her eyes locked on me, she gave me a look that said ‘back off.’
“You didn’t lose me,” he snapped and dropped his arms, forcing her to let him go when he walked away. I could imagine how loud his voice would have been if they weren’t in the library. He looked irate with an intense frown marking his face.
“What’s your problem?” she sneered, fluttering her eyelashes as if say ‘how dare he?’ Even the sound of her voice was alluring.
“Mia, there is a reason why I didn’t want to be found.” His tone was still not friendly.
“You don’t have to get mad.” She gave a pouty expression, but he wasn’t amused.
Ian rolled his eyes, turned to me with a smile, then left. Mia glanced over her shoulder to get one last good look at me, then disappeared around the cubicle behind Ian.
Weird…and awkward. Whatever. It’s not like I was going to be friends with them anyway. Feeling hunger pangs rumbling in my stomach, I headed out of the library toward the cafeteria.
Friday couldn’t come fast enough. Every day, every minute, every second was torture. Instead of going out, Mason and Nick cooked dinner for the whole family. Nick didn’t invite Kayla due to the circumstances of this meeting.
After Amanda and I set the table, Mason and Nick placed a wonderful spread on the dining table—spaghetti with meatballs, salad, and garlic bread—and Everett set out the water glasses. Sitting next to me, Mason handed me a napkin and began serving me some food.
“Thanks.” I smiled up at him, watching him pile a mound of food on my plate. I loved it when he took care of me like that. “That’s good, Mason. Thank you.” I held out my hand, gesturing for him to stop. By the amount he placed on my plate, he must have thought I ate like a pig.
Picking up the fork and shoving food into my mouth was the easy part, getting my jaws to work to chew it was something else. The hunger pangs I’d had a minute ago had disappeared and were now overridden by apprehension. Today was the day I finally got to talk to my dad.
“Skylar, do you have any idea what your father meant by ‘someone might be watching him’?” Nick asked, twirling the pasta around his fork.
I turned my attention away from Mason. “I’m not sure. Maybe he’s in some kind of trouble, or—” I started to reply when Amanda interrupted me.
“Maybe he owes gambling debts, or maybe he supplies drugs and he’s running away from the cops…or maybe he’s—”
A small spark of light flashed across the table and landed on Amanda’s shoulder. She jerked back on contact. “Ouch,” she yelped, darting her angry eyes at Mason. “What was that for?”
“Don’t put crazy thoughts in Sky’s head. It’s bad enough she had to wait a week. Let’s all calm down and wait for her father’s explanation.”
With a scoff, Amanda filled her plate and stabbed the fork through her salad. “I was just trying to make her laugh. Lighten up, will ya?”
“That’s not funny. It’s only making things worse for her.”
I put my hand on Mason’s lap to let him know I was fine. Amanda had good intentions, but her humor was off sometimes, and today, it was way off. I found no humor in what she was saying. The scenarios Amanda mentioned had never crossed my mind. Thanks to her, they were added to my ever-growing list.
“He already did lighten up.” Nick chuckled at his own joke. “Get it?” He held up his index finger, allowing small sparks of light to illuminate it, causing Amanda to share a wicked grin.
No matter how many times I saw lights flash out of their fingertips or the palms of their hands, it still amazed me. A part of me wished that I could do it, too.
Everett cleared his throat after chuckling from Nick’s comment and taking a sip from his glass. “Skylar, would you like for us to be in our rooms or wait for you down here?” Ever since we had agreed to act like a family instead of strangers, Everett had been trying his best to be friendly toward me. I appreciated his efforts.
“I think….” I felt lost for words. I didn’t want to be rude, but I needed that private moment with my dad. This was really awkward.
“I think we should give them some privacy,” Mason broke in. “Sky, if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, we’ll be waiting in our rooms.” He looked at Amanda. “No eavesdropping on their conversation. We’ll keep our bedroom doors closed.”
“Why are you looking at me funny? I’m not going to drop my ears. That’s just gross.” Amanda looked at me and let out a soft giggle. I had to laugh at her remark. She was acting like a child.
“I’d like to see you do it,” Nick challenged.
Amanda pursed her lips and her eyes got smaller, apparently not liking them ganging up on her. “Shut up and suck the balls on your plate,” Amanda smirked, as her body shook from her laughter.
“My meatballs are delicious, but no thanks, I won’t suck my balls. That sounds gross…and uncomfortable. Maybe you need a little reminder of what I can do.” Nick’s chuckle was contagious, and we all joined in laughing. Then Nick zapped the meatball on Amanda’s plate. It broke into tiny pieces and some splashed on her. “Oops…sorry. It was a bit cold.”
Amanda stared at her shirt, which was now splattered with sauce and meat. “You did that on purpose.”
Nick’s lips slowly curled up into a mischievous grin. “Just trying to lighten up the mood…and your meatballs. Want me to do it again?”
I didn’t know what siblings’ quarrels were like since I was an only child, but even though Amanda was not blood related, they sure treated her like a sister.
Before Amanda could answer, the only meatball left on her plate gravitated inches above it. Light was shimmering across the table from Mason’s fingertip. It looked like a long whip. After it had gotten a hold of the meatball, the light split into multiple strands, cutting through it as if each extension was a separate knife. It was the first time I had seen him manipulate his light like that with so much control.
“Let’s not do that again,” Mason said calmly.
“How…when did you…that was awesome! I need to try that.” Nick’s eyes were wide with awe.
“Thanks, Mason. Now I don’t have to cut it.” Amanda went right back to eating, as if nothing happened.
After clearing the table, they all went up to their rooms except for Mason and me. His intention was to stick around until my father arrived. Pacing back and forth across the living room, my heart rate escalated, until it felt like I was continuously running without stopping. Taking deep breaths wasn’t helping my anxiety either.
Checking the time on my cell phone, I saw that it was exactly eight o’clock. An ugly feeling grew in the pit of my stomach, hinting that he would not show up. Feelings of hopelessness settled through me, mostly from not wanting to be disappointed. I couldn’t help it. I would not trust my father after what he had done. As I reached around to shove my ph
one in my back pocket and then turned forward again, Mason was standing right in front of me.
“Mason.” I jerked back and so did my heart. He was sitting on the sofa only a second ago.
Wrapping one hand around my waist, the other cupped my face. He leaned down and placed his forehead on mine. “You’re going to have a heart attack if you don’t stop pacing. He’ll show up. He’s just running a little late.”
Mason’s words and his touch gave me some comfort, and I momentarily lost myself, but it wasn’t enough; Mason must have noticed, too. Without another word, he crushed his lips onto mine.
That kiss not only made me forget where I was, it awakened every inch of me. Lost in his arms and having those soft, kissable lips taking mine in, I kissed him back. When it intensified, Mason pulled back with ragged breaths and held me tenderly in his arms. “I’m not sure if it’s working for you, but I forgot where we were for a moment,” he said, still catching his breath.
“Believe me, your lips are like magic. I did forget. I’m just glad you didn’t shock me.” I let out a small laugh.
“I’m learning to control it around you, Echo, but I don’t know if I ever will completely. You excite me way too much.”
I blushed from his compliment. “I feel the—” I started to say when my body tensed from the chime of the doorbell.
With one tight but tender squeeze, Mason murmured, “I’m right here. It’ll all be okay. Just say the word and he’s out the door.” Then he released me.
In a fast, fluid motion, Mason was at the door. Oh, how I loved to see him move with such speed. Cautiously, he looked through the small peephole. After confirming who it was, he opened the door.