Penitence (2010) by Jennifer - Heavenly 02 Laurens Page A

your soul. Maybe you still havent felt fear or sorrow for your decision to drive under the influence. I dont know and doubt I ever will. It doesnt matter. I forgive you either way. Peace is more important to me than vengeance. I stared at my words. I saved the doc and sent it to Chase via email. My stomach fluttered, waiting. I peered at him out the corner of my eye. He leaned close to the screen, played with the mouse, then looked over at me. I nodded. His gaze went back to the screen and he read. Finally, he looked over and gave me two enthusiastic thumbs up. Relief sighed through me. I sent a copy to Mr. Brewer and pulled out my cell phone. Britt. lets go clubbing 2nite i need a man When I thought about hunting in dark, music-throbbing hangouts reeking of beer and bodies, I shuddered. My mind reverted back to Westons house; to the black spirits Id seen crawling all over everybody like rats scavenging corpses. lets talk later k Zoe? I jerked my gaze up and to my right. Chase stared at me from behind his glasses. I snapped my phone shut. How long had he been standing there? Did he read my message from Britt? Yeah? He shifted. Looked like crickets were in his boxers. Uh. Would you...if you dont have plans tonight, do you want to go bowling? Bowling? Im not much of a bowler, Chase. Id never been and didnt care to stand in some warehouse, throwing eighty-pound balls around. Oh. Its fun. You should try it. He licked his lips, pushed his glasses up his nose. He looked so little boyish, I couldnt say no. Besides, Chase would be a safe social activity. No black spirits. Sure. Shock whitened his cheeks and his mouth fell open for a minute before he let out a big breath. Good. Great. Okay. He backed to his desk. Ill call you about the time and stuff. I nodded, squelching a chuckle beneath my breath. My choice to spend the evening with Chase wouldnt go over with Britt, but I knew what shed be doing in my absence. Stalking Weston. I wasnt going to spend the night sitting outside his house in her car, staring at his bedroom window. After journalism, I texted Britt as I walked to my locker, telling her I had a change of plans. Then I waited for her to wail. In the meantime, I exchanged books, then headed outside, and searched the parking lot for Lukes blue Samurai. That morning, hed parked in his usual near-the-football-field spot, but his car was nowhere in sight now. Had he and a load of his drug buddies taken off? It wouldnt surprise me if hed forgotten me, though Id be disappointed. I thought wed connected on a deeper level since the accident, and I had the fragile hope that hed stopped using. I texted him, asking where he was. My phone vibrated: Britt. i really wanna hang 2nite chase asked me out WTF? Who? Chase from newspaper Chase Dallin? Ya have you lost it? hes cool A long pause. I scanned the parking lot again. No Luke. Where was he? i really need u 2nite pleazzzz I hated it when Britt begged. its set. Another long pause. can I come? I raised my brows. Britt as a sidekick? Was she trying to make the front page of the school paper a pity paper? Or a pathetic paper? If she was trying to manipulate the schools editor-in-chief, shed sunk to a new low. Maybe she didnt have ulterior motives. Maybe she was just looking for a good time. But she wanted to go clubbing. Being with a desk-type like Chase and doing the wild thing at a club were on opposite ends of the party spectrum. Still, I was sure Chase would get a buzz out of hanging with Britt. I smirked. I should ask him, before giving Britt the OK, but the scenes of Britt and Chase floating in my head were too hilarious for me to resist. thatll prolly b ok. cool well come get you K I laughed. Why I was entertaining visions of Boa-Britt all over clumsy Chase, I couldnt fathom, but I got a kick out of the idea. I let out a sigh. Where was Luke? I texted him again. Nothing. I looked up, scanned the parking lot and my gaze stopped. The dude in the black suit Id seen days earlier in the