Starcrossed by Brenda Hiatt Read Free Book Online Page B

afraid of what could happen, considering what just kissing did to us—but we hadn’t had a good make out session for over a week. It always seemed like someone was watching us or one of us had to be somewhere.  
    With a sigh, I trudged past the half dozen jewelry and craft shops on Diamond and turned up Opal toward Garnet Street, remembering our first secret meeting in the cornfield by the school. It had been such a magical afternoon. I’d only learned the truth about Rigel—and myself—a few days earlier and I’d been full of questions. He’d told me all about the graell —our bond—and about some of the Martian political stuff I still needed to learn so much about.  
    But what I mostly remembered about that day was the kissing, and how I’d felt when Rigel made it clear he liked me as much as I liked him.  
    Of course, my last memory of that clearing in the cornfield wasn’t warm and fuzzy at all, since that’s where the big showdown between Faxon’s forces and my defenders had taken place. If Shim hadn’t been so convincing—and if Rigel and I hadn’t amazed everyone (including ourselves) by creating the lightning bolt that destroyed that awful Ossian Sphere—we’d probably all be dead now and Faxon’s forces would be well on their way to conquering Earth.  
    “There you are,” Aunt Theresa greeted me the second I opened the front door. “What took you so long getting home? I hear thunder in the distance.”
    “Sorry.” It never paid to argue with Aunt Theresa.  
    “Well, go shower, then come down and snap the beans for me. Then you can do your homework.”
    Something in her voice caught my attention. “Is something wrong?”
    “Wrong? Of course not.” She hmphed. “But I did tell Lili O’Gara that you’d go over there after dinner to tutor Molly and Sean. So we’re eating at seven, whether Louie is home or not.”
    I couldn’t squelch a spurt of resentment. “You told her without asking me? What if I’d had plans?” Not that I did, but still.
    “Plans you haven’t cleared with me?” She arched one iron gray brow in that way that always made me feel like I’d screwed up. “Do you?” she prompted when I didn’t respond.
    “No,” I grudgingly admitted. “I just wish you’d asked me first, that’s all.”
    Now she frowned. “You seemed willing enough when Lili asked you last night.”
    “I am. It’s just . . . Never mind. It’s fine. I’ll go shower.”
    By the time we sat down to dinner—Uncle Louie made it with two minutes to spare—I was over my snit. In fact, I was looking forward to a chance to learn more about the O’Garas, and the village in Ireland, and Mars, and maybe even their actual reason for being here, if there really was more going on than they’d admitted. I ate quickly, then did the dishes in record time.  
    “The O’Garas are on Opal, right? What’s the house number?” I asked as I stuffed my history book into my backpack.  
    Uncle Louie told me and I headed out. It was starting to drizzle, but the thunder had moved off and I was only going around the corner, so I didn’t bother with an umbrella. Less than five minutes later, I rang the doorbell of a house very similar to ours—a little Victorian with gingerbread trim, a deep front porch and slightly peeling paint.  
    I hoped I wasn’t walking into the dragon’s den.

C HAPTER 8

    omni : a small, multifunctional device developed on Mars

    The doorbell had barely sounded when Sean opened the door and greeted me with a big smile. “Hullo, M, come in, do. Don’t mind the mess.”
    He held the door and I stepped past him into the foyer, noticing again how tall he was. I was careful not to brush against him.  
    “Thanks. Is Molly home, too?”
    “Sure look it, in here.” He motioned with his head for me to follow him and we went into a small living room similar to ours. In fact, the house seemed to be laid out almost the same, except in reverse, with the kitchen off to the left, the