Let Me Live by Shirley Anne Edwards

Author:Shirley Anne Edwards [Edwards, Shirley Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: young adult
ISBN: 978-1-64405-666-0
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2019-10-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

THE ONLY photo shoots I’d been to were for my class pictures and when Dad ran for mayor. The photo shoot with Gio, Zyrell, and Benny was completely different from those experiences. Along with the loud music, a ton of people cheered the three men, who ended up posing like models with Gio in the middle.

All three were having a blast, laughing and goofing around like kids. At one point Gem joined, and she and her brother took a few pictures together. They seemed to really enjoy each other’s company and acted more like friends than siblings. It made me wonder if I had a sister, would I have been as close with her as Gem and Gio were?

I stayed on the edge of the crowd, but every so often Benny would seek me out and smile. I waved at him and he mouthed, “five more minutes” and then went back to taking pictures. The wait gave me more time to watch him unnoticed and get into the right frame of mind to tell him about the shooting.

The room seemed to shrink as more people entered. I moved farther away, near the entrance, and almost jumped when an arm came around my shoulder.

“What are the odds you’d be here also?” I moved out from under Theo’s arm and into the hallway where it wasn’t as stuffy.

“I’m writing an article for a newspaper about the party tonight because of the Grove siblings. I’ve been with them all day.” He was dressed in black with the exception of his navy sports coat. “Good to see you out and looking sharp.” He nodded in approval. “How did you score an invite to the party?”

“Ah, one of the owners invited me.” I glanced behind me to point Benny out, but I couldn’t see him because of the people blocking my way. “You know Bernard Hayes who owns Astral Body Tattoo? He’s one of the investors. He told me about the party yesterday when I stopped in his shop.”

“You’re still set on getting a tattoo?” He frowned, showing deep lines around his mouth that I’d never noticed before. “You must have made quite the impression on the guy for him to invite you to this hot ticket.”

“I have a way with people. I make an impression wherever I go.” I tapped my chest proudly.

“You sure do.” He dropped his hand on my shoulder and spoke in my ear. “I didn’t want to bring it up here but since the article is coming out tomorrow, I should warn you. The thing about you making an impression on people is going to get a lot of notice because the NCU shooter gave an interview to the New York Times and mentioned you.”

“Oh.” My mind went blank, and suddenly the walls around me bent like rubber. I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly to stop from passing out.

Theo wrapped his arm around my waist. “Marshall, shit, I didn’t mean to—”

“Give me a second.” I fisted the front of his shirt as I tried to ignore the dizziness.

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