by Autumn Reed
Am I going crazy? I wondered. This wasn’t the first time I mistook a stranger for one of the guys. In fact, when I performed at open mic night a couple of weeks ago, I could have sworn I saw Chase making his way through the crowd. I’d been fixated on memories of him the entire time I sang, apparently suffering from a severe case of wishful thinking. If only there was a cure for that.
It probably didn’t help that in the month since I saw my dad, I was feeling more listless than ever. For a short time, I had a purpose, but now I was left with nothing but work. Although I continued to read through the files, I hadn’t found anything else remotely useful, and I knew my dad was the person most likely to discover another DuBois connection, if any existed.
Dad had sent me a couple of text messages and called me once since our meeting. He managed to track down Danny Franco’s girlfriend and was planning a visit to speak with her. Also, he had a theory about the number being related to a locker combination at the gym. It made sense, although I didn’t know how he could possibly verify that information. Not that he would tell me anyway.
So, I found myself facing a new dilemma—what now? I hated myself for even thinking it, but I almost regretted that my life was suddenly so calm. My dad was staying in contact, DuBois still didn’t know about me, and Douglas seemed to be a non-issue as long as I continued to avoid him. And, without any of those issues to worry about, my mind constantly drifted to my uncertain future . . . and the guys, of course.
Noticing that my break was almost up, I reluctantly got to my feet and slipped behind the counter. Noah gave me a cheerful smile before turning back to the latte he was making and finishing off the foam topping with a heart.
After passing the mug to a customer, he turned to me, his expression impish. “You know, this month’s open mic night is filling up. You should sign up now before you miss your chance.”
Scowling playfully, I said, “You know that was a one-time performance. Don’t think you can blackmail me into a repeat.”
Though the experience wasn’t nearly as humiliating as I expected, I didn’t see myself trying again anytime soon. I liked to think that someday I would be more confident on stage, but I wasn’t there yet. At least I have plenty of alone time to practice, I thought, trying to convince myself there was some benefit to my current lifestyle.
“Fine, I’ll let it go for now. But, I’m determined to get you up there again,” he said with a wink.
“Whatever,” I replied, rolling my eyes at him. Noah clearly did not understand the meaning of the word no.
I was getting ready to fill a mug with black coffee a few minutes later when the air in the shop shifted in a way I didn’t understand. Expecting to see that someone had propped open the front door, I glanced up and my gaze clashed with a familiar set of stunning hazel eyes.
The mug fell out of my hands and crashed to the floor, shattering against the stained concrete. In the seconds after, I didn’t know if the entire room fell silent or if all of my blood just rushed to my head, causing me to tune out everything except the person standing before me. Please don’t let me be hallucinating.
“Theo?”
A Note from Autumn Reed & Julia Clarke
Thank you so much for reading Chamaeleon! If you enjoyed the book, we would truly appreciate it if you would share your thoughts by writing a review on Amazon. To learn more about us and The Stardust Series, please visit our website or contact us at [email protected].
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XO,
Autumn + Julia
Vega (Book Four of The Stardust Series)
Coming 2017
About the Authors
Autumn and Julia met at work and bonded over their mutual love of historic homes, photography, and good books. While they didn’t plan on co-authoring a novel, what started as daydreaming transformed into brainstorming and then actual writing.
Together, Autumn and Julia make the perfect pair, balancing impulsive with indecisive and attention to detail with an eye for the big picture. Despite their different personalities, Autumn and Julia share a common vision in their writing and love bouncing ideas off each other. They see the creative process as a challenge, a game, and delight in living in a world of their own creation.
Read more at www.autumnandjulia.com.
