The Stelter City Saga: Ultranatural by Stefany Valentine Ramirez Read Free Book Online Page A

stone. She should have been relieved that she
managed to talk her way out of an awkward situation, but the
atmosphere was still steaming with anticipation. As her eyes
skimmed through the crowd of audience members, her eyes rested on
the timer counting down to the next commercial break.
    “ Who knows, Michael,” Lotus
piped as an improvised ice breaker came to her mind. “I mean, you
can’t hit the high notes like I can, but you’re still a pretty good
singer.” Lotus was stalling now as she watched the timer tick down…
eleven… ten… “And if we had babies, they would probably sing like
angels. I guess marrying you would be my charitable donation to
humanity.”
    "So it's a yes?" Michael asked
hopefully.
    Lotus sucked in a big breath
as her eyes sailed over to the timer above. Seven... Six... "Guess
we'll just have to find out after these commercials!” She beamed
into the camera, “But in the meantime, folks, I would just like to
say that Dylan Dade and Michael Caster have successfully Flabbergasted me!" Two...
One... Off air.
    The moment the broadcast went off air,
Lotus felt the weight immediately lift from her shoulders. “What
the heck was that?” Lotus exclaimed turning to Michael as she stood
up angrily. She had only agreed to be on the show for two
commercial breaks so there was really no need for her to stay on
the set any longer. “I can’t believe you put me in a situation like
that!”
    “ Like what?” Michael asked
gazing up at her.
    Lotus bit her lip and glanced around.
Instead of sprinting off stage, Dylan Dade had stayed to listen to
their conversation. There were a thousand things she wanted to say
to him in that moment, but she couldn’t say them publicly. “Are we
still going surfing after this?” she asked instead.
    Michael furled his brow, “Of course,
Loze. Why wouldn’t we?”
    Lotus didn’t feel like answering. All
she ended up doing was nodding and muttering, “Good, I’ll see you
there.” Then she turned to Dylan and excused herself from the
set.
    In several strides, she was back stage
and wondering through the jungle of sound boxes, props, and cords.
Her dressing room was just down the hall and she managed to wonder
through without any of the technical crew recognizing her. When she
bolted the door shut, she didn’t bother to flip on the lights.
Lotus simply buried her face in the pile of costumes as she flopped
down on the couch.
    Why did she even bother with Michael?
She knew him long enough to recall several abandoned birthdays,
where instead of being the best friend who organized a party;
Michael would be partying in Vegas. Even on award nights, Michael
wouldn't be there to support Lotus. Not unless he was winning an
award too. How had they been together for so long?
    After realizing that having her face
buried in clothes wasn't the best way to breath, Lotus sat up. She
wanted to be alone, but not alone with her haunting thoughts. Even
in the darkness of her dressing room, Lotus could imagine the beach
and hear the crashing waves beckoning her. That was where the
wanted to be; alone with nothing but the surf to clear her mind.
Without hesitation, Lotus padded through the dark for her car keys
before hurrying from the studio.
    ~DH took her hand in his and was about
to sink to his knee for the second time. “Rose,” he muttered
gently.
    She looked up at him with those gentle
blue eyes; her ginger lashes were so pale that even in the dim
lighting of the old South Side garage he could barely see them.
“What’s up?” she asked.
    She had said that the last
time he was about to propose; when they were at that expensive
tower restaurant in North Side. She had looked so beautiful in that
dark blue gown with her long crimson curls tumbling around her. He
had sunk to his knee right in front of her- right in front of the
whole restaurant and reached into his pocket to find… the ring
missing. Instead of looking like a bigger fool than he felt, he
tied his shiny shoes and