Beauty Awakened (Angels of the Dark) by Gena Showalter Read Free Book Online

tongue to the roof of his mouth.
    “Perhaps,” she offered.
    Again, silence.
    What were girls supposed to talk about with boys they weren’t interested in romantically? Because, if she were being honest—something he would definitely approve of—this was kind of painful. It wasn’t what she’d expected or hoped for.
    “What do you do when you’re not here, Nicola?” he asked, at last taking up the reins of conversation.
    Relieved by his efforts, she relaxed in her seat. “I work. I’m an accountant every weekday morning and afternoon.” A job guaranteed to keep her blood pressure steady. She could crunch numbers, sort receipts and design a financial plan to get anyone out of debt. Anyone but herself, that is. She was still working through her parents’ bills, and her and Laila’s medical costs were still stacking up. “I’m a checkout girl at an organic food market every evening and on weekends.”
    “Neither of those jobs sprang from a childhood dream.”
    No, but dreams died...and if you weren’t careful, the ghosts would haunt your present. “Why do you think that?” She wasn’t fond of her jobs, but she’d always done whatever was needed to survive.
    “I’m highly observant.”
    And quite modest.
    “So, what did you want to do?” he asked.
    Why not tell him the truth? “I wanted to live,” she said. Really live. “I wanted to travel the world, jump from airplanes, dance on top of a skyscraper, deep sea dive for treasure and pet an elephant.”
    He tilted his head to the side and steadily met her gaze. “Interesting.”
    Because she’d mentioned activities rather than a career? Well, there was a reason for that. She’d never known how long she would live, so a career had seemed pointless. “What about you?” she asked. “What did you want to do?”
    “I’m doing it.” He refused to look away. “You could still do all of the things you mentioned.”
    “Actually, I can’t. My heart couldn’t take it.” Let him assume she meant her nerves would get the better of her rather than the truth.
    “You’re right.”
    Wait. “What?”
    “If words are the power of life and death, you just pointed a loaded gun at your head.”
    “What are you talking about? That’s absurd.”
    “You speak what you believe, and you believe you’re doomed. If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout the years, it’s that what you believe is the impetus for your entire life.”
    A spark of anger caused her heart to skip a beat. “I believe in reality.”
    He waved a dismissive hand through the air. “Your perception of reality is skewed.”
    Oh, really? “How so?”
    “You believe what you see and feel.”
    “Uh, doesn’t everyone?”
    “Everything in this natural world is changeable. Temporary. But the things you cannot see or feel are eternal.”
    She slammed her tea on the tabletop. Liquid splashed from the hole in the lid, burning her hand. “Lookit. Maybe you’re not getting enough oxygen up there where your head lives, but you sound like a crazy person.”
    “I’m not crazy. I know you can be healed.”
    Healed? As if she hadn’t tried everything already. “Some things can’t be changed. Besides, you don’t have any clue about the things I’ve done or the future I have.”
    “I know more than you think. You’re so afraid to live, you’re actually killing yourself.”
    Heavy silence descended. He’d...nailed it, she thought. She’d watched as fear slowly ate away at her sister’s happiness, tainting every aspect of her existence. And in the days before she’d landed in the hospital, that’s all Laila had had. An existence.
    Her stomach had always hurt, ruining her appetite. Nicola was already striding down that road.
    Laila had lost weight, and even her bones had seemed to wither. Give Nicola another few months.
    Laila’s hair had lost its glossy sheen. Blue and black smudges had become a permanent fixture under her eyes. Yeah, another few months should take care of