Page 19 of The 13th Daughter
"Nothing," I shook my head. "Do you believe in it?"
"I don't know," he answered me thoughtfully. "Some of the stuff I've seen is...I just don't know. What's your favorite flower?"
"Daisies. What kind of stuff have you seen?"
Maybe something like what I thought I'd seen earlier at the cafe? It had been fuzzy and blurred, but definitely something.It'd almost looked like...someone. That couldn't be right, could it? Or was it?
I frowned and looked at Ethan. He'd shown up right after it appeared and Billy had stared at him like he was a freak show for a second or two. It couldn't have anything to do with him, could it? No. I was being ridiculous. Ethan was real. I wasn't so sure about the shadow.
Then the conversation with Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Johnson popped into my head. They'd been shocked at what I'd done. What had I done? The more I thought about it, the more I began to think I might have caused that shadow to appear. It would explain everyone's reaction and the conversation I overheard. But if that was true, then I needed to reevaluate my whole nonsense theory.
"You're doing it again, Cassie," Ethan sighed. "You've got that expression that says you're thinking really hard. What's going on in that head of yours?"
"Just wondering...if maybe...I'm the one that's wrong about it being nonsense?"
"Only one way to find out." He offered me another bite of my burger. "Go to one of the meetings. They're holding an induction Saturday night."
"It's for Jeff's little sister," I said and took the offered bite. I sighed in pleasure. Lucy's burgers were s-o-o-o good. I took two more bites before I let him put it down.
"Favorite band?" he fired off and filched one of my fries.
"Fall Out Boy." I slapped his hand. I wanted my fries. "Yours?"
"Kings of Leon. Why don't you believe in it?"
"I just never did," I told him.
"But why? You grew up with it more than even I did. I just don't understand."
How could I explain it to Ethan when I was finding it harder and harder to explain it to myself? "It's like a fairytale, Ethan. Magic only exists in books."
"You don't sound quite so sure of yourself." He laced his fingers through mine.
"Not anymore," I sighed. His hand felt so warm. His eyes...goodness, but his eyes could make me melt from the inside out.
"Then come with me Saturday night and find out if it's all just nonsense or if there really is something to it." He pulled my fingers to his lips and brushed a kiss across my knuckles. "Please, Cassie?"
Butterflies took flight in my stomach. His lips were like a little electric shock. "Let me think about it, okay?"
He smiled that heart-stopping smile and leaned in to kiss me. An explosion of fire went off. I felt it all the way down to the tips of my toes. When he pulled back, we were both a little breathless. "Take all the time you need to think about it. What was the last movie you watched?"
"That last Transformers movie."
"You like action movies?"
"No, I like Shia LaBeouf. He's cute and he can act."
He grinned. "You always amaze me and never say what I expect you to."
"What were you expecting? Some chick flick?"
"You're not at all what I thought you'd be," he frowned, his smoky eyes guarded. "I almost wish you were that girl."
Now what the hell did that mean?
"But I'm glad you're not." He gave me his best cocky smile. "I like this girl who's sweet and loyal, but has a temper to match all that fiery red hair."
I smiled at his words, but something niggled in the back of my mind. It wasn't what he said, but his tone of voice. A sliver ofalarm crept up my spine, but I pushed it away as he leaned over and kissed me. My arms found their way around his neck and he deepened the kiss. Curse the Fates, but the boy knew how to kiss. I never wanted it to end.
