The MORE Trilogy by T.M. Franklin Read Free Book Online

about the fact that he totally lied about why he was here?”
    Ava started slightly at that. “What do you mean, he lied?”
    Lucy smirked, satisfied that she’d at least gained her friend’s attention. “Well, he said he was here researching quantum mechanics, right?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Well, then, Miss Observant, tell me why he’s on the third floor of the library—the literature floor, where you always study, I might add—when all the science-y stuff is up on five?”
    Ava opened her mouth to offer a reasonable explanation, but couldn’t seem to think of one. Instead of admitting that, she shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, maybe he happened to see us here and wanted to say hi.”
    Lucy gave her an indulgent smile. “No one can happen to see us back here in this corner. So he just happened to be wandering the stacks between the Renaissance poets and Shakespeare?” She waved randomly up the stacks as she spoke.
    Ava frowned. “It could happen.”
    “Sure it could.”
    “Well, what are you saying? That he was looking for me? He didn’t show up until you did, so it makes more sense that he was looking for you.”
    Lucy rolled her eyes. “Sure. He went to the trouble of looking for me so he could spend an hour talking to you. Makes perfect sense.”
    “You’re giving me a headache.”
    Lucy laughed. “All I’m saying is there’s something there, Av. And if I’m not mistaken, it’s not all on his end.”
    “And all I’m saying is that you’re imagining things,” Ava said, packing up her books. “So, how about lunch?”
    Lucy grinned, sufficiently distracted. “Now you’re talking.”
    They made their way out of the library, and if Ava kept running over in her mind what Lucy had said, she could hardly be blamed. If she kept trying to find a reason why Caleb had stopped by their spot in the library, it was only because she was curious. And if she could have sworn she spotted him a few times as they made their way back to the dorm, it was only her imagination playing tricks on her again.

    Caleb cursed to himself as he lost sight of Ava. The campus was vibrant with costumed partygoers celebrating Halloween a day early, even though he expected there would be a repeat the following night.
    College students never turned down an opportunity to party.
    Well, most students, at any rate. Ava, however, was spending the next two nights working, which was the only reason Caleb wasn’t fighting his way through the crowd to keep her in his sights. He knew where she was going, and he knew the crowd ensured her safety, at least to a certain extent.
    He needed to be more careful, however. He was aware that Ava had spotted him that afternoon as she walked home from the library and chided himself for getting sloppy where she was concerned. It was one thing to run into her coincidentally at the library so he could check in on Lucy and make sure he’d sufficiently blurred her memories of the night before. It was another thing altogether for Ava to suspect he’d been watching her, following her. Ava wasn’t stupid. If he didn’t get his act together, he would be lucky if she didn’t end up calling the police. Regardless, it would mean the end of his mission, and Ava would be at the mercy of the Council. He couldn’t let that happen.
    Ava entered the diner, and Caleb moved to an empty doorway where he could easily see through the front window. When she reappeared at the counter, he let out a breath and started back down the road, planning to return when her shift ended later that night. He froze at a familiar prickle of awareness, eyes darting wildly until he spotted Katherine in the shadow of some trees about a block away.
    She wasn’t alone.
    Her companion looked in his direction and turned to say something to Katherine before he disappeared into the darkness. Katherine watched him go and leaned back against the tree, focusing on Caleb with a satisfied smirk. She wiggled her fingers at him teasingly, and his eyes