***
Cassie's pulse rate picked up as she watched the Challenger drive by. She waited breathlessly, her hands on the hood of Chris's mustang as the Challenger pulled into a spot three cars away.
The door opened and Devon gracefully slid from behind the wheel. Though his eyes were covered by dark sunglasses, she knew the second they locked with hers. The constriction in her lungs eased and she was finally able to draw her first easy breath since they had parted ways yesterday. Closing the car door, he ignored the curious glances of the other students as he began to make his way toward her.
She was almost overwhelmed with the strange urge to cry tears of joy and relief. Everything was better now; the hope was back, the world was finally right again. There was no hesitancy as he took hold of her hand and covered it with both of his. His smile revealed his perfect white teeth, and two small dimples she hadn't noticed before. Her heart lurched as she took an instinctive step closer to him. Chris studied them with a worried frown; his eyes were focused on Devon. Melissa stood beside him, a small, knowing smile on her face.
That smile caused Cassie's heart to plummet. The sudden, awful realization that Melissa had received a premonition about Devon sent a chill racing through her blood. She didn't want to be the object of Melissa's prophecies, nor did she want Devon to be a part of them.
The last thing she wanted was for him to be injured because he had become a part of her life. Her selfishness not only put the three of them at risk, but could also get him killed. Her life was hazardous; no ordinary human could survive it. The chill inside her grew; her body became hollow as the hope inside her curdled like three month old milk. She couldn't risk dragging him into this world with her, it wasn't fair to him.
Melissa turned toward her with a curious look. Though she didn't possess Chris's ability, Melissa's insight into a person was uncanny and she didn't miss a thing. Cassie hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath and inhaled loudly as she drew air into her denied, burning lungs. Her clenched fingers began to throb, and she realized she was holding Devon's hand so firmly that her nails had dug into his palm.
She eased her grip, but she wasn't ready to let go of him. She could feel his curious gaze upon her, but she couldn't look him in the eyes. She was scared she would start to cry and never stop if she did.
Feeling like a wooden marionette, she followed as they filtered into the school.
Kindred (Book 1 The Kindred Series) Page 19
