Page 29 of Ghost
And someone who cared for more than a title.
That was what I liked about Bianca. She hadno ideawho we were. So when she accepted Damen’s offer of friendship, she accepted on our own merit. That was not something easily overlooked.
And as forwhyhe took the plunge and asked her to be our friend, I wasn’t positive. But I was almost certain it was because of me. He hadn’t said anything to me about it, but I knew he wanted to. I didn’t miss his shocked expression when I grabbed Bianca’s hand.
Or his surprise when we spoke.
Since returning to America, I didn’t talk to people, not if it could be avoided. I didn’t want to hurt them. I lived my whole life in fear of my abilities, my words. Being here made it worse. Something said—by me—in a fit of anger could destroy lives. It had happened before, and I was terrified of it happening again. Yet, just being around Bianca made me feel as though it would beokay.
To be honest, she also frightened me slightly.
It was almost laughable, because she was a tiny girl. If something were to happen, how could she withstand the darkness inside me? But when her eyes met mine, my reservations fell. I wasn’t afraid to be myself with her.
She is stronger than I could ever hope to be.
Regarding Heather. Her persistence had certainly stepped up a notch.
“What in the world is wrong with you?” I heard myself ask, opening up this deadly line of communication. I wanted to punch myself in the face.
Heather beamed, flipping her—now long, wavy, and a deep chestnut color—hair over her shoulder. “Do you like it, Miles?” she asked, touching the neck of her modest sweater.
The action brought my attention to her face, where I noticed her eyes were a strange shade of green. I wasn’t even sure what they were before, but there was no way this was natural. Her makeup was minimal, compared to her latest style. And the entire ensemble was the exact opposite of her personality.
I was horrified.
“Youdolike it? How odd, I’d never have guessed it myself.” Heather misinterpreted, patting the dark, mid-thigh skirt she wore. “I reminded them that you were the wild, natural type. Not interested in such a boring school-girl ensemble. But it seems like I was wrong. Who would have thought.”
“You toldwho?” I wondered, unable to stop myself. “You aren’t even wearing makeup! You never not wear makeup!”
Could this even be the same woman? Or had there been another invasion? I hoped not. The last time something like this happened I couldn’t go to class for weeks. I couldn’t afford to be distracted right now, not with my practicals next month.
“I had to find this from a second-hand store. It was such an ordeal, but my curiosity made me persevere.” Heather’s doppelganger complained.
I was half-tempted to put it out of its misery before it sucked in anyone else, like me. But it seemed to be going somewhere with this story.
“But I had to see for myself. Rachel heard it from Brandon. I believe he heard it from Jessica. She swore that the little girl you had lunch with over the weekend wore such things. Apparently they were right. How about now, Miles, wanna go?”
My mask habitually slipped back into place.
What a liar—she hadn’t heard it from anyone. She was stalking me again.
Well, at least Earth is safe for now.
I had already returned my focus to my textbook. So, it was Bianca she was trying to impersonate. We’d have to be on the watch; I hadn’t realized she had been following us. I would need to talk to Titus; she shouldn’t have been able to get that close. Now that she saw Bianca, she’d probably try to stalk her too. I would have to do something about that.
But, for now, if I ignored her, she would go away.
Only, she didn’t. And after a moment, I glanced back up. The previous exchange had been the most we’d spoken in almost four years. Now it was back to habit. “It’s one hundred yards.”
Heather gasped. “You’re not going to drop it? After I worethis?”
There was no way I would dignify that with a response.
“You have feelings—you care about her! I saw it with my own two eyes,” Heather growled, slamming her hands on the table. “You never looked at me that way. You even put your arm around her, when you wouldn’t even hold my hand. What does that tramp have to offer that I don’t?”
She doesn’t mean it.She is lashing out.
The thoughts repeated themselves in my mind. It was the only way to suppress my urge to engage. The risks of allowing more people into our sphere of knowledge were too high. If I jumped to defend her, Bianca would become even more noticeable.
