The Secret Trinity Unearth by Jenna Bernel

her dimples pressed into a feisty smile.
    “Why don’t you go say hello and ask him about his hose.” I almost spit out my soda as I laughed. I was glad that I still had the ability to laugh at a joke. “Don’t mind if I do,” Kayla said dryly as she made her way toward him.
    “Good, I thought I would never have you alone.” Morgan said this with relief as she watched Kayla walk away. I raised my eyebrow, “What do you mean?” and Morgan turned to face me.
    “I wanted to talk to you tonight while you were in a decent mood. School has been so crazy I haven’t seen you much, but I’m worried about you Ari. You have been so out of it lately, ever since the night of that party when Liam carried me home. I may have been buzzed but I saw how you looked at him. If the reason you have been so miserable has to do with Liam, and our no dating pact, I say screw it.” My mouth fell open.
    “Wow, you are telling me to go for a guy? That is so…unlike you.”
    She shrugged, “I’m not saying I like him or anything. I’m just saying do what you need to do. I have never seen you like this, and I don’t want you moping around like the ghost of your former self anymore.”
    I felt moisture in my eyes and Morgan rolled hers at my show of emotion. She was always so sarcastic and guarded. It was rare to hear her talk like that.
    “Don’t get all mushy on me. I just want you to be happy again. Okay, now let’s go find Kayla.” She pulled me along to where Kayla was talking to the cute fireman and his friends.
    We introduced ourselves and I tried to follow along with the conversation, but my focus was drifting. Now I even had Morgan’s blessing, but the earthquake man’s black flames danced across my mind. A fresh heed to his warnings came to the forefront of my thoughts.
    I didn’t know what to do. I cared about Liam. He was charming and funny, not to mention strikingly good-looking. Something about him sent a response through me. It was a reaction that I hadn’t felt before, conjuring the supernatural. How could that be wrong? My entire life I wanted to feel that part of me but was afraid of it, and now I’m afraid of my stalker, and what he might do to me or Liam if I rebuffed his jealous warnings. Recalling his breath in my ear made me shiver.
    “Hey Liam; over here!” I heard the cute fireman shout and I snapped my head up, instantly pulled back to reality. The girls and I looked at each other simultaneously. Morgan, who was standing next to me, nudged my side and gave a nod to her right indicating where she had spotted him.
    I looked in that direction and sure enough, it was him. Liam parted through the crowd, my sandy haired Irishman. It was as if he knew I was thinking about him, like he sensed a crack in the protective barriers I had put up.
    He sidled up next to the fireman in our circle of friends. They exchanged a knuckle bump but his eyes never left mine. Something sparkled in his smile as he looked me over. I felt heat rise in my cheeks at his inspection of me and a fluster, more butterflies in my stomach.
    The fireman saw our intense looks and smiled, “Liam, have you met Aria?” He said this as he pushed Liam from behind until he was standing a foot in front of me.
    “No, I don’t believe we have met. I used to have a friend named Ari, but it’s hard to tell with your mask. Let us check,” he said bringing his hand to my face and lifting the mask from my eyes to rest on my head. I did not even try to step back when his hand lingered on my cheek.
    “Hi Tinkerbell, I’m Liam. Nice to meet you.” He took his hand from my cheek and stuck it in front of me to shake. It reminded me of our first breakfast together. I gently took his hand.
    “You still have a friend named Ari, but I am afraid you are mistaken, I am a bird, not a fairy.” I explained and his smile gleamed. He started to laugh.
    “Yes, of course you are! Nice wings, can you fly?” He asked. The question caught me off guard, and I