if she were falling into his eyes, into their depths, and she felt incredibly dizzy. Then she blinked to try to pull herself out of it.
“The missing teacher is a nice addition,” Kimi said. “I’ll tell my mom.” Then she added, “Are you okay? I mean, were you close to him or anything?”
“Close,” Katelyn ventured, testing out the idea. Then she gave her head a sharp shake. “Kimi, I need to go. I’ll call you when I get home.”
“From the cabin in the woods, wa ha ha,” Kimi said. “Kiss kiss. You’ll be home before you know it.”
“Mwah. Sounds poifect ,” Katelyn said, and hung up. She closed her eyes and pressed her finger against the bridge of her nose. She inhaled slowly, then exhaled, then opened her eyes again.
The telescoping was gone. But Trick was standing right there, in living color.
“Yes?” she said.
“I’m coming over to your house after school,” he informed her. “I’m going to help your grandfather chop wood for the winter.”
“Quaint. I’ll be home later. I’m going to Cordelia’s house again, just for a little bit.” She almost added, I’m going swimming , but she doubted that Justin had been serious. It was practically sleeting outside.
“No, you aren’t,” he said. When she frowned at him, he added, “It’s not Cordelia’s house anymore, is it?” He wasn’t asking. He knew.
“Trick, I don’t have to explain myself to you.” The words came out more sharply than she had intended. How did he know?
“Your pappy told me to watch out for you.” He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips in displeasure. “He’s trouble, Katelyn. You’re new here. You don’t know about his past.”
“I think I know who you mean, and trust me when I say this, Trick. He has a girlfriend. They’re practically engaged.”
“That’s never stopped him before,” Trick retorted.
Her cheeks went hot.
“Are you okay?” he asked, and she nodded. “You don’t look okay.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted.
“Don’t go over there this afternoon. There is absolutely no good reason for you to go.”
“Got it,” she said, and she took a big bite out of her apple. He shifted his weight on his hip, upset and pissed off, and she took another bite. Clenching his teeth, he turned on his heel and walked away. She stared at his retreating back — okay, his butt — and smiled.
I’ll get out of here , she mentally told him. I’ll take you with me .
She devoured her apple like it was a rabbit.
~
Afternoon.
Katelyn walked to the end of the high-dive and stared down at Justin. Treading water in the steamy pool, he was bobbing in the water. His hair was slicked back, accentuating the planes and angles in his face, and she felt awkward in the swimsuit he had brought for her. She wondered if it was Cordelia’s — likely, since it was so baggy on her. Cordelia was taller than she was.
“Just jump,” Justin said. “You’re not afraid, are you?”
He had no idea who he was dealing with. She backed up, ran, then sprang off the board. She executed several axial twists before she slid into the water without a splash. When she came back up, he was staring at her open-mouthed.
They were at the Y, where her grandfather had found her gymnastics lessons, and while it was almost as bad as Trick had said, there was a woman on staff who had been a gymnastics coach at Cal State Long Beach, and taught private lessons. She wasn’t in, but Katelyn took her card.
Justin had rationalized the swimming by emphasizing the need to stay in shape. Whatever condition you were in as a human directly affected your strength and stamina as a wolf.
“What about your mental health?” she had asked him, and he’d clouded over.
“You mean Lee? He’s just as unpredictable in wolf form as human,” he said shortly. “Something’s got to be done, and soon.”
She told herself that she didn’t care about any of that. It wasn’t her business. All she had to do was steer clear of Lee
“The missing teacher is a nice addition,” Kimi said. “I’ll tell my mom.” Then she added, “Are you okay? I mean, were you close to him or anything?”
“Close,” Katelyn ventured, testing out the idea. Then she gave her head a sharp shake. “Kimi, I need to go. I’ll call you when I get home.”
“From the cabin in the woods, wa ha ha,” Kimi said. “Kiss kiss. You’ll be home before you know it.”
“Mwah. Sounds poifect ,” Katelyn said, and hung up. She closed her eyes and pressed her finger against the bridge of her nose. She inhaled slowly, then exhaled, then opened her eyes again.
The telescoping was gone. But Trick was standing right there, in living color.
“Yes?” she said.
“I’m coming over to your house after school,” he informed her. “I’m going to help your grandfather chop wood for the winter.”
“Quaint. I’ll be home later. I’m going to Cordelia’s house again, just for a little bit.” She almost added, I’m going swimming , but she doubted that Justin had been serious. It was practically sleeting outside.
“No, you aren’t,” he said. When she frowned at him, he added, “It’s not Cordelia’s house anymore, is it?” He wasn’t asking. He knew.
“Trick, I don’t have to explain myself to you.” The words came out more sharply than she had intended. How did he know?
“Your pappy told me to watch out for you.” He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips in displeasure. “He’s trouble, Katelyn. You’re new here. You don’t know about his past.”
“I think I know who you mean, and trust me when I say this, Trick. He has a girlfriend. They’re practically engaged.”
“That’s never stopped him before,” Trick retorted.
Her cheeks went hot.
“Are you okay?” he asked, and she nodded. “You don’t look okay.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted.
“Don’t go over there this afternoon. There is absolutely no good reason for you to go.”
“Got it,” she said, and she took a big bite out of her apple. He shifted his weight on his hip, upset and pissed off, and she took another bite. Clenching his teeth, he turned on his heel and walked away. She stared at his retreating back — okay, his butt — and smiled.
I’ll get out of here , she mentally told him. I’ll take you with me .
She devoured her apple like it was a rabbit.
~
Afternoon.
Katelyn walked to the end of the high-dive and stared down at Justin. Treading water in the steamy pool, he was bobbing in the water. His hair was slicked back, accentuating the planes and angles in his face, and she felt awkward in the swimsuit he had brought for her. She wondered if it was Cordelia’s — likely, since it was so baggy on her. Cordelia was taller than she was.
“Just jump,” Justin said. “You’re not afraid, are you?”
He had no idea who he was dealing with. She backed up, ran, then sprang off the board. She executed several axial twists before she slid into the water without a splash. When she came back up, he was staring at her open-mouthed.
They were at the Y, where her grandfather had found her gymnastics lessons, and while it was almost as bad as Trick had said, there was a woman on staff who had been a gymnastics coach at Cal State Long Beach, and taught private lessons. She wasn’t in, but Katelyn took her card.
Justin had rationalized the swimming by emphasizing the need to stay in shape. Whatever condition you were in as a human directly affected your strength and stamina as a wolf.
“What about your mental health?” she had asked him, and he’d clouded over.
“You mean Lee? He’s just as unpredictable in wolf form as human,” he said shortly. “Something’s got to be done, and soon.”
She told herself that she didn’t care about any of that. It wasn’t her business. All she had to do was steer clear of Lee
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