I shrugged. “If you’re into flashy. Not my style.” I was trying hard not to be impressed. It was a very attractive and sleek car – sort of like its owner.
“I’m flashy, and I’m your style,” he said cockily.
Lexi snickered from the backseat.
Laying my head on the back of the seat, I groaned.
“Better buckle up. This baby has quite the pickup.”
“Fabulous,” I muttered under my breath, clicking the seatbelt securely in place. Just what he needed, another ultra-fast car to kill me in. Given that I could be killed – again.
We arrived at school in record time, which was a good thing, because we were running late. The bell rang just as we were walking through the parking lot. Hall High looked exactly the same as the last time I’d been here. I shuddered, not realizing how being here again was going to affect me. This school was definitely filled with unpleasant memories. Somehow I always ended up fighting for my life.
Chase was immediately at my side. “Hey, you okay? Your face just lost ten shades of color.”
I nodded, unable to speak. My throat had closed up on me as I mechanically put one foot in front of the other.
Nodding for Lexi to go on ahead of us, he put a hand on my shoulder, halting my movements, and turned me toward him. “Angel, look at me.” With his thumb, he titled my chin up, staring into my face. “Nothing is going to happen to you. Not while I’m here. I promise.”
I wasn’t convinced. “You can’t be sure of that. What about when I’m alone?” Yes, I was totally acting like a frightened, needy baby, but that was exactly how I felt. No matter what I do or where I turn, trouble found me. I was like a heat seeking missile for misfortune. To make matters worse, I was now marked. There wasn’t a safe corner for me to hide in.
“You won’t be alone.”
I gave him a funny look. “What? Are you going to follow me into the girl’s bathroom?”
He smirked as if the idea held promise. “If I have to.”
The big jerk probably would and enjoy it too. “Be serious Chase.”
His hands ran down my arms leaving behind tendrils of warmth. “I am actually. Look, last week Lexi and I sort of talked with administration. We rearranged our schedules so that one of us will be in your classes.”
Oh goodie. I had babysitters.
By talking, he really meant they had used compulsion. I took a deep breath. Looks like I was going to be spending a whole lot more time with Chase than I ever could have imagined. If I thought one class was bad…what were multiple classes going to be like? A part of me knew I should have been outraged, not relieved, yet I couldn’t rationalize anything normal anymore.
“Come on. We need to get to class before we’re late. I wouldn’t want us to spend your first day back in detention. I have plans after school.”
Plans? I ignored the tiny flutter of panic that sprinted across my heart. If he was going out after school why should I care? It was not like he had to check in with me or anything. He was a free agent and able to come and go as he pleased.
Then why did I feel this irrational beating against my ribs at the thought of being away from him? It made no sense. It was not like we were with each other twenty-four seven. He lived next door for God’s sake.
I was shocked how easy it was to get back into the swing of things. It helped that Chase had made sure I didn’t have any homework to make-up. I am sure that this applied as cheating, but in this case I was willing to let it slide. Though I think he was using his mind-altering talents a little too freely. I was going to have to have a talk with him before it started to get out of hand.
In-between classes, Lexi (my assigned shadow for the period) and I were at my locker when I heard a voice that made me cringe and stew with distaste. I felt a foul taste in my mouth like coppery blood and battery acid. Yeah, it was that bad.
“Oh. My. God. You’ve got to be kidding me.” Glancing over my shoulder, I found Sierra glaring at me with hate. “It’s true.”
I scanned the halls looking for the source of Sierra’s freak-out, even though I knew she was talking about me. “What the hell is she spazzing about?” I asked Lexi beside me. I figured that the other Divisa’s had been brought up to speed about what went down that night. Hayden had been there, he must have told them what happened. So what was Sierra’s deal? Maybe she had a hard time believing it, or maybe she was just pissed off that I hadn’t died so she could have Chase to herself. Sorry to disappoint.
“I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it,” she went on and on like a broken record. Her screeching voice was making my ears bleed.
So much for lying low and not causing a scene on my first day back, I should have known that it would be Sierra who was the hiccup in my otherwise normal day. “Why’s that so hard to believe,” I spat, crossing my arms. It was no secret Sierra and I hated each other’s guts, though it was probably not the smartest idea to bait her. She was part demon after all, more to the point – she was a bitch.