“I can bring him back,” he said. “I’m not sure why you partnered with a male like that, but I can find a way to tolerate him if it’s what you want.”
“No,” she said while scrubbing away a tear. “Let him go.” Cara seemed to recover quickly. She made her way into the kitchen, where she devoured two slices of cake. There were no more tears. If anything, her laughter seemed a bit too loud. But when she returned to the living room to fasten her necklace, her fingers shook, and she couldn’t manage the task.
“Can I help?” he offered.
She gave him the necklace and turned to gather her thick red waves. Aelyx approached her bare neck with caution, though he couldn’t discern why. Something about the warmth from her body and the citrusy scent of her shampoo unnerved him, and he accidentally snagged a lock of her hair three times before fastening the clasp. Careful to avoid further contact, he moved back into his own safe space and told her, “All done.”
She spun around and touched her chest to straighten the necklace, then pulled the crumpled tissue across her nose, giving him a small smile. “Thanks. It really is beautiful.”
Aelyx averted his eyes. A knot lodged deep in his belly when he considered what his plans would do to Cara. Judging by the set of Tori’s stiff, folded arms and her avoidance of his gaze, Cara would lose her closest friend next. But what could he do? The fate of one human paled in comparison to the fate of an entire planet, especially one as extraordinary as L’eihr.
“It’s only a common pebble,” he said, more harshly than he’d intended. “But I’m glad you like it.”
Then he left her with a flicker of confusion behind her eyes as he returned to his room for the evening.
Chapter Six
Monday, October 22
Take Me to Your Cheerleader.
Today, Aelyx has reached an important human milestone: his first day of school. And my mom stepped in like a boss, commemorating the occasion with a dozen embarrassing photos of our guest. Which I am TOTALLY posting here, because I’m a good friend like that.
So here we are, armed with backpacks and lunch boxes, ready to embark on the perilous journey through high school. (Actually, the not-so-perilous journey through the private, gated woods leading to high school.) But I know Aelyx will never forget this. It’s going to be a great day!
Posted by Cara Sweeney 7:02 a.m.
What a crock—this was going to be a craptacular day.
But nobody would ever know it, because Cara lived by the first rule of debate: never let ’em see you sweat. She also lived by the first rule of getting over your asshole ex-boyfriend: never let ’em know it hurts.
She cranked up the stereo until her teeth vibrated in time with each screaming guitar riff, then tipped her head back and squeezed a few eyedrops beneath her lids to hide the evidence of her heartbreak. A little dab of skin cream smoothed the puffiness around her eyes, and after a heavy layer of makeup, she looked human again. No, not just human. Polished. Unaffected. She added a third coat of mascara—but not the waterproof kind. If she cried today, her face would look like a mudslide, and that was a pretty frickin’ good incentive to fight back tears.
Finally, she checked her reflection in the mirror—glossy auburn hair curling gently past her shoulders, nearly flawless skin, snug black top, gray plaid miniskirt, and the piece de resistance: black leather riding boots. Eric’s eyes had nearly bugged out of his head the last time she’d worn this outfit. She wanted that jerkwad to know exactly what he was missing. After fastening the necklace Aelyx had given her—another silent screw you to Eric—she grabbed her backpack and ran outside.
Aelyx faced the woods and stretched his lithe body, raising his arms so high they lifted his T-shirt and gave her a peek at the strong planes of his lower back. Cara nibbled her thumbnail, remembering how she’d caught him shirtless on his way to the shower yesterday. He’d tried covering his magnificent chest with a pair of folded pants, but that’d drawn her attention to his flat, bronzed belly, somehow even hotter without its “button.”
Too bad his attitude didn’t match his looks, but then again, if it did, he wouldn’t be a L’eihr.
Deciding she would give him a fresh start today, she skipped down the steps, joining him at the head of the wooded path. “Ready to roll?”
When he whirled around, a spark flashed behind those silvery eyes, like flint striking steel, but it died in an instant, snuffed out by his inner zombie. He lowered his head and peered at her. “Are you all right?”
“It’s your first day of school on an alien planet, and you’re asking if I’m all right?”
“Losing a mate can be traumatic for hu—”
“Whoa.” She raised one brow and an index finger to match. “He was my boyfriend, not my mate. We never . . . mated.”
“All the same, it’s understandable—”
“Look, it’s sweet of you to ask.” Hitching her book bag over one shoulder, she nodded toward the path, and they began walking at an easy stroll. “Yeah, I’m bummed, but it had to happen sooner or later. I’ll miss the old Eric, but that’s not the guy I broke up with last night. Does that make sense?”
Aelyx shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t know what qualities you ever saw in him. I can tell why he chose you, but—”
“Oh, yeah?” Cara’s spirits lifted as she sensed a compliment coming on. “Why do you think he chose me?”
“It’s obvious.” He swept a hand to indicate her loose curls. “Your long, shiny hair, healthy skin, and bright eyes show that you’re well-nourished.”
“Uh, thank you?”
“I’m not finished.”
“Go on, then.”
“You’re clearly intelligent.” Then he felt the need to add, “For a human.”
“Gee. That’s so sweet.”
“But Eric was probably most attracted to your waist-to-hip ratio.” For a split second, Aelyx resembled a human boy as he leaned back and peered at her caboose. “Hips of that width are likely to pass live offspring without complications.”
Cara nearly swallowed her own tongue. She didn’t have big hips, did she? More importantly, had she really expected a genuine compliment from a L’eihr?
“Let’s not talk about me anymore,” she said, resolving to lay off the carbs, starting tomorrow. Wait, tomorrow was pasta night. She’d lay off the carbs Wednesday. “Let’s talk about you.”
“What would you like to know?”
“How can you be so calm? I’m secondhand nervous for you. I couldn’t even eat breakfast.” And that tragically neglected breakfast had been Mom’s throat-choking, triple chocolate chip pancakes—manna from heaven, proof that God loved her and wanted her to be happy.
To hell with cutting carbs. Life was too short for that nonsense.
“It’s predictable for humans to fear the unfamiliar,” he said. “I’m not human.”
“Oh, please. You’re not just a little scared?”
“I’m fine.” He favored her with a glance, empty and cold.
So he wouldn’t admit he was nervous. Typical guy. He had more in common with humans than he realized.
The distant sound of shoes slapping against the dirt path caught Cara’s attention, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Tori slow to a jog, waving one arm as if hailing a cab. This was unusual. Tori never walked to school—it cut ten whole minutes from her sleep schedule.