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"They're gendered?"
"Shh." I glanced around. No one was looking, thankfully. I leaned, he leaned. "Yes, they're gendered."
"Did you like, see something?"
"No of course not. And I wasn't looking. I'm telling you, it was terrifying. I got out of there."
"I'm blown away by this. Blown away." He stared at me, piqued interest in his eyes. "I have to know everything."
"Let's just say, I was at a party where people were drinking and getting it on, and that place was crawling with them.
Like roaches. Two of them even followed one couple into a bedroom."
Chase gasped. He slapped a hand over his gaping mouth, then parted his fingers. "Serious?"
I nodded.
"Disgusting." He shuddered like he'd just downed a bottle of lemon juice. '"That... that's depraved."
"Tell me about it."
"You said Matthias called them black spirits. Was he there?"
"Guardians can't be where evil is, remember?"
"Obviously, your life wasn't in danger then. Lucky for you. What made you decide to leave? I mean, besides being
surrounded by a bunch of floating devils?"
"Evil isn't anything to make light of. If I hadn't seen them crawling all over everybody myself, I probably wouldn't
take it seriously, either. But they are just as seductive as Matthias is powerful."
Chase's right brow lifted. He studied me for a few long moments. Then he sipped his drink. "Okay, I agree that
guardians are powerful. But something else happened that night. What?"
"Why do you think something else happened?"
"Because your face is white. You really did have some kind of monumental encounter with those things. But you're
here. You survived. So, what else happened?"
"I told you, I left."
"Just like that? They didn't see you or try to stop you or anything? You're good, for crying out loud. Didn't they try to
do something to you?"
"They don't have bodies, Chase. They can't do anything. They can only entice. I saw it over and over."
"Huh." He thought on that a moment. "I'm almost tempted to do something evil just to see one." He grinned.
"Are you serious? If you'd do something that stupid, then "
"Just kidding. Jeez. It's one thing to play with the light. It's another thing to play with the dark."
"You shouldn't play with either one. Both are forces that need to be respected."
"Okay, okay, I was only joking."
"Maybe if you'd looked hell in the face like I did you'd have more respect."
He propped both elbows on the table and clasped his hands. "You're not a very good liar, Zoe."
Nothing pleased me more than to hear that news. "Really?"
"Yeah. I like that about you."
After Britt shoveling me in with her pile of skanky friends, Chase's compliment, sincere as it was, vindicated me.
"Thanks, Chase."
He crossed his forearms and leaned close. "I know you have feelings for Matthias, but... if that ever changes..."
"I don't. I can't." My heart started to pound. "I mean, anything with Matthias is impossible. So, what's the point?"
His lips lifted in a slow grin. "Like I said, you're a lousy liar."
Chase and I shared a slice of coffee cake and another round of drinks his treat talking about his little brother who
had ADHD and Abria's autism. He was amazed at the similarities in their disorders, and wanted to come over and meet Abria
sometime.
He walked me to my car, just as a light rain started falling. He held the door open for me and I got in.
"Thanks for the drinks and coffee cake," I said.
He held my gaze for a moment, then, suddenly placed a kiss on my cheek. A little buzz of shock tingled where his
lips left their imprint. "Bye, Zoe. See you on Monday."
My mouth was open, but my voice wasn't working. I smiled, nodded. He shut the door and stood in the rain, next to
my car, as I started the engine and backed out. I sent him a wave, keeping a curious eye on him through my real-view mirror
as I navigated the parking lot toward the street.
Finally, he walked to his car.
Warmth trickled from my cheek where he'd kissed me, to my toes. How sweet. I drove through now-bulleting rain,
my heart beating in time with the hum of the windshield wipers.
"He's a good chap, Chase is." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]