B007Q4JDEM EBOK by K.A. Poe Read Free Book Online Page B

say?” Salem asked tenderly as he sat beside me.
    I filled him in on the entire conversation, including the errors in her story. It must have been difficult to comprehend through my sobs.
    “Perhaps she is just hazy like she said...” h e said with a hint of doubt now in his voice .
    “You don't believe it any more than I do, do you?” I said, sitting up and looking into his eyes.
    He looked down, strands of black falling across his face, “No. But, that still doesn't mean Mark was responsible.”
    “I need to go to her, ” I said suddenly.
    “No, you don't. If Mark is dangerous, you need to stay as far away as possible. She can fend for herself.”
    “Apparently she can't!”
    “I won't let you put yourself in danger, Alexis.”
    “Why not?” I stared in disbelief. “She is – was – my mother!”
    “You're too important...”
    “You barely even know me, Salem!”
    “As far as you know,” h e whispered.
    “What are you talking about?”
    “I can't explain it right now,” h e sighed. “Your friends are expecting you to be bright and cheerful.”
    “What?”
    “ It's your birthday, remember?” h e grinned. “They're coming over to celebrate.”
    “How do you know?”
    He shrugged his shoulders. “That blonde haired girl might have mentioned it.”
    “Of course she would have...” I grumbled. “Is this the real reason you wanted me to come home so badly ?”
    “That might have played some part in it, yes.”

8. HAPPY BIRTHDAY
     
    Salem remained downstairs in the living room while I took a quick shower before my visitors arrived. I changed out of my blue jeans and red tank top into a flowing dark blue skirt and white, semi-frilly sleeveless shirt . I felt a little over-dressed, but it was my birthday party after all , so why not . Time passed slowly as I waited for the guests to arrive, and Salem was sitting silently on the sofa staring off into space. I wondered what was on his mind, but before I had the chance to question him someone hammered their fist against the door. Salem came out of his stupor at once and stood up.
    I peeked through the tiny peephole and groaned. There were at least ten of my classmates waiting out there. After putting on a false smile, I r eluctantly twisted the door knob and let them flood into my house. They piled their presents upon the dining room table and wished me happy birthday individually. I was surprised to not see Jason or Karen among the crowd.
    “Karen said she’d be a little late, ” Brittany Crosswood said casually, as if answering my question. She was more of Karen's friend than my own.
    “Oh, okay, ” I said quietly. Someone turned on the ancient, black stereo that sat on the end table beside the sofa and started blaring music. I sighed.
    Jason showed up about five minutes later, bustling in through the door and heaving a gift at me with a grin. The present was flat and badly wrapped. “Open it!”
    “Now?” I asked, rattling the present around. “Are you sure you don't want me to wait?”
    “No one's going to care,” h e insisted.
    “Okay...” I pulled at the paper and gasped in shock when I realized what it was. I gaped at the sleek, black laptop that I held in my hands, temporarily speechless. “Oh, Jace! This is too much!” I flung my arms around his muscular form in a tight hug.
    He laughed happily. “You’ve been saying for so long that you wanted one, so I have secretly been saving up my allowance and money from the part time job at Howard's.”
    Howard's was a small convenient store in town that Jason had worked at for the past five months or so . I could feel them coming, the warmth of tears building up in my eyes. I fought them, but I wasn't strong enough. I hugged him tightly again. “You shouldn't have...” I whispered.
    “I wanted to,” he grinned, “b esides, after what you've been through, you needed the excitement.”
    If only he knew just how much I had gone through. I finally released him and happily ran to my