Page 2 of Hush (Fighting Fate)

She frowned. I knew I’d worried her, but I didn’t know how to say it any other way.

When we reached her car, Jace immediately claimed her, wrapping his arms around her in a possessive hug. I knew it was more to ward the girls away than the other way around.

“Hi, Kaeli. How are you?” he asked over the top of Mia’s head.

I couldn’t help smiling at him. I loved the way he doted on Mia. “I’m good.”

“Are you coming to the party on Friday?” he asked.

I flicked my gaze down to Mia. Before Jace, she had a pretty serious anxiety condition that prevented her from being anywhere near a crowd. Being with Jace had helped her learn to deal with it a little, but it still made her nervous.

Looking back at Jace, I saw a tiny glint of worry in the depth of his eyes and realized he was nervous too. I suddenly got the hidden question inside his question. He was hoping I would be there in case the worst happened while he was playing.

But unfortunately, I couldn’t answer one way or the other. I had no idea if I was going to be able to make it. It had always been like that with Ken. It was impossible to plan anything around someone so volatile.

“I’m not sure yet,” I said in a low voice.

Mia’s gaze was full of understanding. Drawing Jace’s attention back to her, she said, “Are you guys playing a full set?”

“Not a full one,” he said softly. “I don’t want to waste half the night when I’ve finally got you all to myself.”

Ah, that was right. Apparently Jace’s mom, stepdad and sister were going out of town for the weekend, and Mia was going to be staying there with him. Alone.

I watched him lean forward and kiss her softly on the forehead before whispering something in her ear. Mia blushed a little and then a shy smile touched her lips. God I loved those two.

I looked away, giving them a little privacy for their moment. Instead, I thought about the party. It felt like such a long time since I’d had the opportunity to let loose like a normal teenager. I just wished I had that luxury.

Chapter 2

Noah

The bar was almost filled to capacity – just like I knew it would be this time of night. That’s why I chose it. The hordes of people who occupied the small space conversed freely, their voices straining over the alternative music that pumped loudly in the background.

I sat on one of the bar stools at the far end of the bar, and although I wasn’t exactly watching the door, my consciousness was very aware of it.

Draining the last of my beer, I sat the bottle down and indicated to the barman for another. He eyed me with interest, but said nothing. I liked this one. He didn’t ask me for ID like most of the other bartenders I’d come across. I shouldn’t blame them really. I was only nineteen. But my ID said otherwise.

I gave a derisive laugh under my breath. The only thing real on my ID was my picture, and even that was a far cry from how I really looked. Everything else was a lie. Okay, it was a lie I almost believed, but it was still a lie. Shit, I’d lived the lie for so long, I’d almost forgotten when my real birthday was.

May 13th, dumbass, I growled at myself.

I hated that the lie was taking over my life. My mom had begged me not to lose myself when I’d left, and I’d promised her I wouldn’t. The thought of breaking that promise was the only thing that kept me going most days.

The barman slid a Bud in front of me, taking the money he needed off the pile I’d left on the bar.

That was when I saw her.

She paused just inside the door, scanning the room before coming to stand in the space at the bar between myself and the other patrons.

I looked her over as she ordered a rum. She looked like she was somewhere in her early twenties. Her hair was cut into a kind of crooked bob, with lots of jagged edges and mismatched lengths, and strips of bright pink color that framed her face. She was pretty, in a street value kind of way.

She sighed heavily, looking kind of dejected.

Pocketing my money, I picked up my beer and slid a couple of seats closer to her. “Hi.”

She looked up at me with surprise. Her eyes narrowed, showing caution, then she looked me up and down and smiled, obviously liking what she saw.

“Hi,” she said.

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