The Promise (Book 1, The Coven Series)

Chapter Five

I drummed my fingers against the wood surface of the chemistry table and watched the clock. Would the last bell never ring? With each second my agitation grew. I would see Ethan soon. Maybe. Just the thought of his smile caused the butterflies in my stomach to start flying up into my throat. The anticipation of seeing him again had my hands sweating and my breath coming out in short gasps.

I still couldn't believe he'd asked me out on a date. It was usually the other way around. Guys couldn't believe I'd asked them out. What was different about Ethan? Why did I feel so nervous? This was new territory for me. I wasn't sure I liked it, but at the same time, I loved the way he made me feel. I felt extremely confused.

I really wished Kay was here. Or maybe not. The fact that she and Ethan were both MIA today worried me, if only just a little. Sure, he'd seen Kay at her worst and while she'd been mortified, that wouldn't stop her if she decided to go after him. Kay could be a bit of a barracuda when it came to getting what she wanted. I know she thought Ethan was gorgeous, but then who in their right mind wouldn't?

What would I do if she made a move on him? I'd kill her. I loved her, yeah, and she was my best friend, but that didn't mean I wouldn't commit an extreme act of violence if she so much as looked sideways at him. Damn. When did I get so possessive? I didn't even have a right to be possessive. It was only a date.

He'd gone to the meeting last night. Alone. What if he and Kay had started talking and he discovered he liked her more than me? Kay was beautiful, sure, but she was also funny and always knew just what to say. How could Ethan resist that when no one else had ever been able to?

I'd kill her.

I'd tried to calm my nerves all day, but when lunch rolled around with still no signs of them, I'd started to imagine all sorts of things. Billy and Jeff were suspiciously absent too. What if Kay had broken up with Billy last night? He'd get drunk and Jeff would have kept him company, chugging away. That could very well be why they weren't here today.

I'd all but convinced myself I should just go home by the time the last bell finally rang. What if he decided to stand me up? His smoky gray eyes flashed through my mind. Ethan didn't like drunken girls, I reminded myself. He preferred redheads. Those were his words. Damn, why was I so paranoid? I was a catch, dammit! And I so wanted Ethan to catch me.

I found a note taped to my locker.

Meet me at Lucy's – E.

My eyebrows shot up. He had time to put a note on my locker, but not to meet me? I started to fume. Here I was torturing myself all day and he puts a note on my locker? I shoved my books into the locker and shut the door. I winced at the pain that shot through my arm with that simple movement. I'd taken some Motrin earlier, but it didn't seem to be helping much.

Lucy's Café was only a five minute walk from the school. When I opened the door, I stopped. The place was packed, not an empty table to be found, and everyone was pouring over papers laid out in front of them. As soon as I stepped in, everyone looked up, like they'd been expecting me. The word ambush flashed in my mind.

Nonsense, I told myself. People were just hungry today, myself included. Still, their stares made me feel very weird and extremely uncomfortable.

I frowned when I spotted Jeff and Billy at one of the booths. Then I saw Mr. Mason. Crap. What were they doing here after skipping school? Mr. Mason would totally bust them.

I hurried over and sank down beside Jeff. He flashed me a tired smile. "What are you two doing here?" I whispered. "Mr. Mason..."

"It's cool," Billy interrupted me. "Mr. Mason knows why we weren't at school today." He rubbed bloodshot eyes. "We've been up most of the night."