Visions

Chapter 10

Walking home from school the next day wasn't bad. I enjoyed the two-mile uphill trek, the autumn-scented air, the shimmering gold of the Aspen leaves. But when the growl of a car slowed behind me, my heart threatened to pound through the front of my chest.

Kai?

"Bailey." Luke had the passenger window down. "Get in. I'll drive you home."

Not Kai.

"Go away." I wasn't going to just do what Luke wanted, wasn't really ready to see him yet. If only there was a trail that led away from the curvy mountain road, where a car couldn't follow. But the tree-covered hills were too steep. I was pretty much locked in.

"I'm sorry, Bay."

"Apology accepted," I said. "Bye."

"I'm really not a jerk," he said.

"Sure. Of course not." Then someone honked because there were five cars lined up behind Luke. "Go. I'm not getting in."

He shrugged. "I'm not leaving until we talk."

More honks.

"You're holding up traffic." I waved my hand forward, but he just stared at me.

"I'm escorting you home." He glanced over his shoulder. "Well, we all are. However long that takes."

Now there were eight angry drivers, fists pumping the air, and more honks. Someone yelled, "Move it."

"You're pissing everyone off," I said over the blaring horns. "Including me. Get out of here."

He smiled. "Not going to happen."

I clenched my teeth, but he just gave me his dimpled grin. The angry drivers were getting more restless. "Oh, fine." I pulled the Challenger door open and got in. "Stubborn ass."

"That's me," Luke said as he pressed the gas pedal and gunned it down the road.

After a few miles, he pulled into the Colorado Trail parking lot. As soon as he stopped the car, I pressed the door handle to make a quick get-away, but he grabbed my other hand. "Five minutes. Just hear me out. Please?"

His hand was warm. So were his eyes. I let go of the door handle.

"I was drawn to you when I first saw you on the Outlaw shuttle," he said. "I had to know you. That was before all the vision stuff. I still feel that way."

"Cut the bull," I said, but I almost believed him. I pulled my hand out of his so he couldn't work his magic on me. "Look, I know how awful it is to wonder about a loved one who was taken away. You don't have to flatter me. I'll try to find out for you."

"Your grandpa, right?"

"Yes. I'm going to find out about him, too. Someday. I think."

He toyed with his hands in his lap. "I don't want your help with my dad anymore."

"Uh, huh." I could play this game.

"Seriously."

"So, I finally decide to help you, and now you don't want me to?"

"I'm not putting you through that again."

I frowned. "But I want to."

He shook his head. "Absolutely not." I started to melt. He was either a really good actor, or he actually did care. "The whole time I researched psychics, I thought it'd be easy for someone to see what happened to my dad. But you . . ." He closed his eyes. "Your face, your voice." His breath shuddered. "I hate that I did that to you."