turning her into a black carcass. She shut her eyes
tight. The world did flips inside her mind, and her world spun.
When she opened them, her reflection stared back at her. No ants.
No demon.
She stepped out of the bathroom, her heart pounding.
If she were human, she would think it a hallucination and think
nothing of it. But she wasn't. Visions like these were to be taken
seriously. Yet she had no grasp of the spiritual realm. She'd never
been involved with Max's work. That's it. Maybe Max was here. The
message must be for him. She ran downstairs just as the house phone
rang, lifting it off its cradle without looking at the caller
ID.
“Max?” her voice broke. She closed her eyes willing,
herself to calm and breathe a sigh of relief. Max had come.
“No, it’s Jake.”
She swiped again at her flesh, still feeling the
bugs on her body. She opened her eyes and felt a tingling sensation
sweep through her.
“Hey, you okay? You want me to come over?”
“No...I mean yes, I’m fine. And no, I don’t want you
to come over.”
“Well, too late. You shouldn’t leave the veranda
open.”
Gabby turned to look and sure enough. She hung up
the phone.
Jake stood inside wearing a thin white tee with
rugged blue jeans and riding boots. His dark hair stuck out every
which way, and a smile revealed gleaming white teeth against a
backdrop of tan skin.
Get a grip, Gabby. Remember him kissing Alexi. She
sucked in the panic that gripped her and met him out on the porch.
“You don’t take no too well, do you?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I tend to do and ask later. You okay?
You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She let out a deep breath, grateful that she wasn’t
alone. “Yeah, I’m just waiting for my brother.”
He lowered his eyes to her dress. “Are you going
out?”
“My birthday,” she blurted before the implication
dawned on her.
With the familiar smile, he dug his hand in his
pocket. “Tomorrow, I know. I wanted to see you.” He opened his
hand, and in it was a small wrapped box.
Gabby stammered back, and her blood stopped cold.
“No,” she whispered. Birthdays for her should not be
celebrated.
“I wanted to,” he said, opening up the box and
revealing the silver angel pendant she’d seen at Elle’s. He lifted
the chain, the moonlight glinting off the smooth surface of the
pendant.
Finding a wedge in her throat, she swallowed, the
words stuck in her throat.
“Turn around so I can put it on you.”
Still unable to move, she found her voice. “You
shouldn’t—”
“Too late.” He stepped closer, inches from her face,
and she stopped breathing. “Turn around.” He cocked a brow as if
warning her to fight him.
For a brief second she thought about denying the
gift. What was he going to do, strap her down and force her to wear
it? But he wouldn’t understand, and she couldn’t bear to see the
hurt in his eyes, the disappointment, regardless if he had screwed
up and kissed Alexi. Turning, she lifted her hair. His breath was
warm on her neck and his fingers brushed the soft flesh there. A
steady vibration coursed through her body.
“Where are you going?” he asked, turning her around
to look at the pendant that now hung close to her heart. His gaze
trailed the silver chain, the hollow of her neck, and his piercing,
green eyes fell on hers.
All the fear of the last day fled from memory. Max.
Kane. The demon. All of it a blur compared to Jake. He was her
light in the darkness, and she couldn’t help but to feel as if
someone was going to pinch her from this dream. Too good to be
true.
She wanted to lie to him, to tell him she was going
out with some friends. But he knew everyone her age in this town,
and none were her friends. “My brother is coming to pick me up.”
Lame, shoot her now.
“Max?”
“Yeah.” She gestured to the phone. “I thought you
were him.”
Jake
tight. The world did flips inside her mind, and her world spun.
When she opened them, her reflection stared back at her. No ants.
No demon.
She stepped out of the bathroom, her heart pounding.
If she were human, she would think it a hallucination and think
nothing of it. But she wasn't. Visions like these were to be taken
seriously. Yet she had no grasp of the spiritual realm. She'd never
been involved with Max's work. That's it. Maybe Max was here. The
message must be for him. She ran downstairs just as the house phone
rang, lifting it off its cradle without looking at the caller
ID.
“Max?” her voice broke. She closed her eyes willing,
herself to calm and breathe a sigh of relief. Max had come.
“No, it’s Jake.”
She swiped again at her flesh, still feeling the
bugs on her body. She opened her eyes and felt a tingling sensation
sweep through her.
“Hey, you okay? You want me to come over?”
“No...I mean yes, I’m fine. And no, I don’t want you
to come over.”
“Well, too late. You shouldn’t leave the veranda
open.”
Gabby turned to look and sure enough. She hung up
the phone.
Jake stood inside wearing a thin white tee with
rugged blue jeans and riding boots. His dark hair stuck out every
which way, and a smile revealed gleaming white teeth against a
backdrop of tan skin.
Get a grip, Gabby. Remember him kissing Alexi. She
sucked in the panic that gripped her and met him out on the porch.
“You don’t take no too well, do you?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I tend to do and ask later. You okay?
You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She let out a deep breath, grateful that she wasn’t
alone. “Yeah, I’m just waiting for my brother.”
He lowered his eyes to her dress. “Are you going
out?”
“My birthday,” she blurted before the implication
dawned on her.
With the familiar smile, he dug his hand in his
pocket. “Tomorrow, I know. I wanted to see you.” He opened his
hand, and in it was a small wrapped box.
Gabby stammered back, and her blood stopped cold.
“No,” she whispered. Birthdays for her should not be
celebrated.
“I wanted to,” he said, opening up the box and
revealing the silver angel pendant she’d seen at Elle’s. He lifted
the chain, the moonlight glinting off the smooth surface of the
pendant.
Finding a wedge in her throat, she swallowed, the
words stuck in her throat.
“Turn around so I can put it on you.”
Still unable to move, she found her voice. “You
shouldn’t—”
“Too late.” He stepped closer, inches from her face,
and she stopped breathing. “Turn around.” He cocked a brow as if
warning her to fight him.
For a brief second she thought about denying the
gift. What was he going to do, strap her down and force her to wear
it? But he wouldn’t understand, and she couldn’t bear to see the
hurt in his eyes, the disappointment, regardless if he had screwed
up and kissed Alexi. Turning, she lifted her hair. His breath was
warm on her neck and his fingers brushed the soft flesh there. A
steady vibration coursed through her body.
“Where are you going?” he asked, turning her around
to look at the pendant that now hung close to her heart. His gaze
trailed the silver chain, the hollow of her neck, and his piercing,
green eyes fell on hers.
All the fear of the last day fled from memory. Max.
Kane. The demon. All of it a blur compared to Jake. He was her
light in the darkness, and she couldn’t help but to feel as if
someone was going to pinch her from this dream. Too good to be
true.
She wanted to lie to him, to tell him she was going
out with some friends. But he knew everyone her age in this town,
and none were her friends. “My brother is coming to pick me up.”
Lame, shoot her now.
“Max?”
“Yeah.” She gestured to the phone. “I thought you
were him.”
Jake
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