Stardust_Half Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Author:Alyssa Rose Ivy
Language: eng
Format: epub

13 Noah

I was getting really used to having Rachel around. Not in the lame ‘it was so natural’ way, but in a comfortable way where I could see her hanging around a lot longer. I wanted her to hang around longer. It had been ages since I’d wanted anyone new around. Most of my friends in college I’d made simply out of necessity.

But Rachel was different in a way I couldn’t really describe. I spent the rest of the walk back to my house watching her look at things. She was awed by everything, which in turn made me want to find something more than the mundane. For the first time in years I wanted something beyond survival.

“Cars have changed.” She pointed at a large SUV that drove by. The windows were rolled down, and loud music spilled out before it disappeared from view.

“Yeah? I guess I haven’t noticed much of a change, but I don’t really remember what they looked like thirteen years ago since I was seven.”

“Well, they look different to me.” She looked the other way, her eyes roaming over the large, historic homes that lined St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District.

“Are there no cars where you live?” I asked. “Or they just looked different?”

“We had something similar, but different.” She didn’t offer any more details, and I let it go. Instead I kept us on St. Charles a block longer than we had to before turning down a far more narrow street with houses a fraction of the size of those mansions.

Once we reached my street Rachel took the lead. I even noticed she skipped the defective step. She was already getting used to things.

I tried the knob. It was locked. I messed with my key and pushed open the door. “We’re back.”

No one answered. Evidently Dale had left too.

“Do you think they’re still in class?” Rachel walked around the living room, peeking into each little corner as if they held secrets.

I set my bag down on the floor. “Who knows where Dale is, and Angie doesn’t live here, so technically she doesn’t need to come back.”

“But she probably will.” There was something hopeful in Rachel’s voice. Was she worried about being alone with me? Or did she just want Angie’s help?

I nodded. “Yes. She’s my big sister. She worries.”

Rachel turned to me, her brown eyes locking on mine. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Hurt me? I’d just been thinking she’d been worrying about the opposite. “I know.” There was something hypnotic about her gaze, a warmth or something. At first it felt good, and then it freaked me out. I pulled myself away and walked into the kitchen. I tried to forget the sensation—the way it felt like she was seeing into my soul or something. Instead I grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and finally replied to her. “I’m not going to hurt you either.”

“I know.” She accepted the water from my outstretched hand. Her fingers brushed against mine, sending another jolt of warmth my way.

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