Ember X by Jessica Sorensen Read Free Book Online Page B

close with your dad?” His voice edges cautiously.

    I pick at the black fingernail polish on my thumbnail. “Yeah, we were pretty close. I moved in with him when I was four and lived with him until he vanished.”

    “How did he die?” he asks and adds, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

    “I’m not sure,” I say quietly. “The cops never found his body, but they found his car parked up in the mountains and his… blood was everywhere.”

    His grey eyes expand. “That has to be hard for you—not knowing what really happened to him?”

    I nod, leaving out the details of the hourglass painted in blood on the windshield, the massive X staining the grass in front of the car, and the black feathers everywhere. “It is and I really don’t like to talk about it.”

    He offers a sympathetic look and wisps of his damp hair fall into his eyes. “I get it. Even though my mom loves to talk about my dad, it still hurts sometimes.”

    “How did he die?” I ask. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

    It’s quiet for a moment as we arrive at the rim of the mountains and breach through the trees and out into the valley. The town is silent, everyone tucked away safely in their beds, and porch and streetlights speckle the fields and houses like fireflies.

    The speed limit drops and he taps the brake, slowing down the car. “He was killed on the… job.” He avoids eye contact with me, staring out the window with a confused look on his face.

    It seems like he’s holding back details. “Where did he work?”

    He swallows hard and his knuckles whiten as he picks up his cell phone and checks the screen. “I’ve got a signal now if you want to call your friend.”

    I don’t press the subject. If anyone can understand the need for secrecy it’s me. I give him the directions to my house and then dial Raven’s number. After a few rings, it sends me to voicemail.

    “Hey Rav, I was just wondering if you were okay, since you bailed out on me with Goth Boy. I’ve had a crazy night and lost my cell phone. But I’ll call you as soon as I get home.” I hang up and hand Asher his phone.

    “Okay, so I have to ask and please don’t take it the wrong way, but how did you two end up being friends?” Asher asks, licking his lips. “You seem like opposites.”

    “We are, but she’s my best friend,” I reply, biting my nail. “My only friend, really.”

    His eyebrows knit. “Your only friend? That’s pretty hard to believe.”

    My tone drips with sarcasm. “Really?”

    Cranking the wheel to the right, he turns down my street and then smiles at me. “Why does that surprise you? You’re easy to talk to, beautiful, and you like cars.”

    I bite my lip to press back a grin. “So I don’t get points docked for making you jump into a lake to rescue me?” I eye his crinkled clothes flaked with dried dirt. “And ruining your clothes.”

    He parks in front of my house, a narrow two-story townhome in desperate need of a paint job. “Are you kidding me? You let me fulfill my life dream of being a hero.” He winks at me.

    “Yeah, yeah, we’ll see.” I open the door, stifling a smile. “I’m sure after tonight you’ll forget about little old me.”

    “Little old who?” he teases me with a grin.

    “See, you’ve already forgotten,” I joke and swing my legs over the seat to climb out.

    “Wait.” He leans over the console, his fingers enfolding my elbow.

    I pause, angling my head to meet his eyes, breathing in the freedom of his silent touch. “Yes.”

    He wets his lips with his tongue. “Make sure you at least go get checked out by a doctor, just to make sure you’re okay.”

    Pressing my lips together, I nod. “Okay.”

    “And no one could ever forget about you, Ember. Trust me.” His eyes sparkle with a look that makes my skin warm, then without warning he moves closer and gently kisses the corner of my mouth. My blood and adrenaline soar as his hands slide down my