Thicker Than Water (The Briar Creek Vampires Book #2) by Jayme Morse & Jody Morse by Jayme Morse Read Free Book Online Page A

school, girls!”
Violet said cheerfully. Lexi held back the groan that she wanted to
let out. She couldn’t believe that Violet really thought that Lexi
was falling for her fake act. Even if she hadn’t gotten advice in
her dream, Lexi was positive that she wouldn’t have fallen for
it.
    Once they were in the car, Lexi turned to
Mary-Kate and asked her the question that had came to her mind when
she realized she had never seen Mary-Kate and Violet together. “Why
weren’t you at Austin’s funeral?”
    Mary-Kate glanced over at Lexi. She saw
Mary-Kate’s eyes glaze over with tears for a second, but she
blinked them away. “It was just too painful for me. I didn’t want
to go there and deal with all of the stares and questions. I went
to visit Austin’s grave after he was buried. I know that, wherever
he is right now, he will understand my decision to not attend the
funeral.”
    “Where is Austin’s grave?” Lexi asked, shocked.
She had been planning to find his gravestone, but she had no idea
where to start looking for it. Lexi really didn’t want to ask
Violet and even if she had, she wasn’t one hundred percent sure
that Violet would have even told her. Why didn’t she think of
asking Mary-Kate before now? Of course she would know where Austin
was buried.
    “He’s buried at the cemetery on Deer Path
Road,” Mary-Kate replied, keeping her eyes on the road. “I can take
you sometime if you want.”
    “Thanks, but I think I need to go alone,” Lexi
replied.
    Mary-Kate pulled into the student parking lot.
She got out of the car and grabbed her tote bag from the back seat.
Lexi climbed out of the car, too, but she waited until Mary-Kate
went into the building. Once she was no longer in sight, Lexi
walked across the street and began walking away from Briar Creek
High.
    Lexi walked down a side road. She didn’t want
anyone to see that she wasn’t on her way to school. As much as she
hated skipping, she knew that she had to go to Austin’s grave. She
had been dreading gym class with Craig, anyway. Lexi hated when
people watched her play sports, but it was going to be even more
awkward to have Craig blowing his whistle at her and, well, doing
everything that gym teachers usually did. Lexi never lied (at
least, she hadn’t until she came to Briar Creek), so it was no
surprise that she had gotten caught telling one of the first lies
she had ever told.
    Lexi hoped that she would be able to find out
something by going to Austin’s gravestone. Something about going
just felt right. It seemed like she was meant to go.
    Lexi remembered seeing Deer Path Road before.
It was only a few blocks away, right near the town’s only hair
salon.
    Walking down the street, Lexi noticed for the
first time how quiet it was in Briar Creek during the daytime. The
fall foliage was beginning to fall to the ground, and the
temperature was comfortable. If she were at home in New Jersey,
there would be senior citizens out taking their morning strolls
with their walkers and young moms lugging in their groceries from
the car. In Briar Creek, though, no one was outside. It was eerily
quiet.
    When Lexi got to the cemetery, she glanced
around to make sure that no one was looking. No one was, so she
entered the cemetery gate.
    Lexi pulled her hoodie over her head and walked
down the rows of tombstones. There were tombstones that appeared
really old, as well as a lot of graves that looked like they must
be relatively new because they were covered in flowers. The name on
the stones seemed to be categorized by last name. Lexi had never
been to a cemetery before, but she assumed that’s the way it always
was. Family members wanted to be buried together.
    Austin’s gravestone was located high on a
grassy hill, which had dandelions growing on it. Lexi took a step
closer to it and examined what it said. Austin Theodore Hunter
Beloved son and star quarterback July 5, 1994 to May 19,
2011
    Lexi rolled her eyes. She knew that the whole
town had