The Last Year of Innocence

Chapter Ten

            “How was your flight?”         

            “It was fine, Dad. So, where’s your girlfriend?”

            “What makes you think I have a girlfriend?” 

            “You said you wanted me to meet someone. I just figured it was a woman.”

            Alex laughed. “I guess there’s no putting anything past you.”

            “So, when do I get to meet her?”

            “As soon as we get back to the house.”

            Kara mashed her lips together as she turned to stare out the window. Just great. I’m going to end up with an evil stepmother.

            The sorrow of her words inflamed Ethan’s protective instincts. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms, but he knew better. Now wasn’t the right time to comfort her. Soon though, he’d find a way to make her feel safe.

Kara:

             Stephanie Woodlake. That was the name of her father’s new girlfriend, and she was beyond beautiful. Stephanie, a slim blonde with large blue eyes, was the picture perfect New Yorker. Stephanie was waiting for them back at their apartment. Not only was she waiting, but she cooked dinner for them. The smells made Kara’s mouth water, just as it made her forget she was supposed to hate this woman. It was even harder to hate Stephanie after Kara tasted how good her cooking was. Having a home cooked meal only reminded her of how bad the school food was.

            After dinner, Kara excused herself to her room. She told her father she was tired from the flight and wanted to rest. Kara was tired, but she was also ready to be away from her father and Stephanie. All through dinner, they’d alternated between staring at each other and laughing at each other’s jokes. Something about how comfortable and familiar they were with each other made her uneasy, and she had to get away from it.

            Alone in her room, she changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. It had only been three months since she’d been in her bed, but it seemed foreign to her as did her home and even her father. Somehow Bernard had become her home.

Ethan:

It wasn’t until after the sun dipped behind the ocean that Ethan saw the rest of his family. They sat together in one of the many useless sitting rooms and pretended to be a normal family. His parents’ eyes glowed with pride as they listened to Solomon recount competent tales of running the school.

            I might as well not even exist, Ethan thought as he glared at them.

            His father brought his eyes to rest on Ethan’s. “Tell us, son, are you enjoying your time at Bernard?”

            “Of course he is,” his mother, Elizabeth, answered for him. “He’s found a human girl to occupy his time.”

            Ethan turned narrowed eyes in Solomon’s direction.

            “I didn’t mention a word of her,” Solomon protested.

            Elizabeth laughed. “Mr. Brewer was kind enough to fill us in on her existence.”

            “You have Brewer spying on me?” Ethan demanded.

            Hardly,” Elizabeth said. “He was simply concerned about how your preoccupation with this girl would affect both your studies and your ability to run the kingdom.”