about you ever since I can remember?”
“Mmmm.” He frowns. “So maybe I really don’t exist. Maybe I’m a figment of your imagination.” He wipes his mouth. “Now that’s a thought.”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. Lev, when I look at you, I see things, weird things. You…shimmer…like there’s more to you than what everyone sees.”
“All right, then.” He reaches over and touches my forehead. “Your fever hasn’t come back, has it?”
I bat his hand away. “Be serious!”
“I’m trying, Elizabeth, but the things you say.” He nonchalantly leans back in his chair.
“Answer my questions. Tell me why I dream about you.” I take a bite and stare at him.
“How would I know? It’s not like I have control over your unconscious mind.” He folds his arms across his chest and shakes his head.
“I just want answers. This is driving me insane.”
“Lunch time is almost over.” He nods to the clock above where we dump trays. “So you might want to eat.”
Disgusted, I drop my fork into the salad and try to reign in my temper. It doesn’t help when I feel his hand slip atop mine, his fingers gently caressing my skin. When I look up, I find myself swimming in those blue eyes.
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“There’s nothing to tell.” His rough voice sounds like he’s hiding something, but I have no way of getting past the walls he’s set up, and Celia has made it clear she won’t talk about her brother. So I’m pretty much at a standstill. Shaking my head, I get up.
“I think I’ve had enough.” I feel the pent up frustration that’s been building since we moved to this hole-in-the-wall town nearing an explosive level. Jimmie wants to protect me. Lev wants to protect me. Gail wants to shoot me. Griffin wants…something unmentionable. And I still don’t have any answers.
“But you’ve barely eaten.” He also rises.
“I wasn’t talking about lunch, Lev.” As I start to walk away, he grabs my hand.
“What kind of dreams do you have? Are they good or bad?” he asked, his words stumbling over one another.
“Both, not that it really matters.” Without waiting for him, I dump my tray and head to my locker. Part of me expects Lev will follow, but he doesn’t. Instead the hall fills with other students. He lingers in the cafeteria.
“Did you have a good lunch?”
I whirl to find Griffin there, leaning against the door.
“Yeah, it was all right,” I mutter. I open my locker, and my English book tumbles out. Just the one I needed for the next class.
“If you’d been with me, it would have been amazing.”
“It’s cafeteria food, Griffin. How amazing could it be?”
“So go to dinner with me.” His smile is soft. “All I’m asking for is a chance, Lizzie. Please?”
“I dunno. And right now I have to get to class.” I close my locker and lock it before starting down the hall.
“Just think about it.” He starts to walk away then pauses as though he’s mulling something over. Then he looks back at me. “Not everybody is what they seem.”
Unsure what to make of that last comment, I watch him walk down the hall. Then I start toward class, not expecting Lev to suddenly appear in my path, and judging from the dark expression on his face, I can tell he’s heard at least part of my exchange with Griffin.
“I thought you were going to stay away from him.” He crosses his arms over his chest.
“We attend the same school, Lev. How far away do you think I can get?” I try to walk past him to no avail. My fingers clench my books and I wish I were taller so I didn’t have to look up to him.
“Elizabeth, I care about you. Maybe I can’t give you the answers you want, but hanging around Griffin won’t get them either.” His blue eyes are warm and soft.
It takes everything I’ve got not to fall apart. I really believe he has the
“Mmmm.” He frowns. “So maybe I really don’t exist. Maybe I’m a figment of your imagination.” He wipes his mouth. “Now that’s a thought.”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. Lev, when I look at you, I see things, weird things. You…shimmer…like there’s more to you than what everyone sees.”
“All right, then.” He reaches over and touches my forehead. “Your fever hasn’t come back, has it?”
I bat his hand away. “Be serious!”
“I’m trying, Elizabeth, but the things you say.” He nonchalantly leans back in his chair.
“Answer my questions. Tell me why I dream about you.” I take a bite and stare at him.
“How would I know? It’s not like I have control over your unconscious mind.” He folds his arms across his chest and shakes his head.
“I just want answers. This is driving me insane.”
“Lunch time is almost over.” He nods to the clock above where we dump trays. “So you might want to eat.”
Disgusted, I drop my fork into the salad and try to reign in my temper. It doesn’t help when I feel his hand slip atop mine, his fingers gently caressing my skin. When I look up, I find myself swimming in those blue eyes.
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“There’s nothing to tell.” His rough voice sounds like he’s hiding something, but I have no way of getting past the walls he’s set up, and Celia has made it clear she won’t talk about her brother. So I’m pretty much at a standstill. Shaking my head, I get up.
“I think I’ve had enough.” I feel the pent up frustration that’s been building since we moved to this hole-in-the-wall town nearing an explosive level. Jimmie wants to protect me. Lev wants to protect me. Gail wants to shoot me. Griffin wants…something unmentionable. And I still don’t have any answers.
“But you’ve barely eaten.” He also rises.
“I wasn’t talking about lunch, Lev.” As I start to walk away, he grabs my hand.
“What kind of dreams do you have? Are they good or bad?” he asked, his words stumbling over one another.
“Both, not that it really matters.” Without waiting for him, I dump my tray and head to my locker. Part of me expects Lev will follow, but he doesn’t. Instead the hall fills with other students. He lingers in the cafeteria.
“Did you have a good lunch?”
I whirl to find Griffin there, leaning against the door.
“Yeah, it was all right,” I mutter. I open my locker, and my English book tumbles out. Just the one I needed for the next class.
“If you’d been with me, it would have been amazing.”
“It’s cafeteria food, Griffin. How amazing could it be?”
“So go to dinner with me.” His smile is soft. “All I’m asking for is a chance, Lizzie. Please?”
“I dunno. And right now I have to get to class.” I close my locker and lock it before starting down the hall.
“Just think about it.” He starts to walk away then pauses as though he’s mulling something over. Then he looks back at me. “Not everybody is what they seem.”
Unsure what to make of that last comment, I watch him walk down the hall. Then I start toward class, not expecting Lev to suddenly appear in my path, and judging from the dark expression on his face, I can tell he’s heard at least part of my exchange with Griffin.
“I thought you were going to stay away from him.” He crosses his arms over his chest.
“We attend the same school, Lev. How far away do you think I can get?” I try to walk past him to no avail. My fingers clench my books and I wish I were taller so I didn’t have to look up to him.
“Elizabeth, I care about you. Maybe I can’t give you the answers you want, but hanging around Griffin won’t get them either.” His blue eyes are warm and soft.
It takes everything I’ve got not to fall apart. I really believe he has the
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