Lost in Starlight (Starlight Saga) (10 page)

“Told you,” I say and dig into my food with relish.

We stuff our faces until our bellies are full. Hayden pays the check, and once again holds the door open for me. His mother raised at least one of her sons with outstanding manners. We bustle past a large family heading inside the restaurant.

“So, about that deal...” He runs his hand through his hair, and looks serious again. “I have a proposition for you,” he says slowly. “How about we get to know each other a little better, and for now you promise to leave my family out of your editorial.”

My heartbeat speeds up to full-throttle. Behind-the-scenes access to Hayden and all of his juicy secrets? Yes, please!

Or is this another stalling tactic until he can find a way to get me to drop the article?

I cross my arms over my massive chest. Not easy. “Why?”

“For some unexplainable reason, you intrigue me. Your quirky confidence and that crazy purple hair are so cute.”

Cute?
You’ve got to be kidding me. Cute is for kittens. I’d prefer sexy goddess, but still...it’s kind of a nice compliment.

We start walking down the street, our shoulders brushing.

“That’ll work. On one condition,” I say.

“Name it.”

“No more evading questions.”

“I can do my best.”

“Goody.”

He pats his stomach. “Man, I’m stuffed.”

Something he said at the graveyard occurs to me, and I ask, “I thought you normally had to have dinner with your parents every night. Did you bail on them?”

“No.”

“Then how did you manage to eat all that food?”

“Everyone in my family has a high metabolism,” he says smoothly and winks his green eye at me. “I’m always hungry…”

If only that were true for me. I average between a size twelve to fourteen and love to eat. Not sure it would be worth it to give up burgers just to be thinner like Viola. Sigh.

“Must be nice,” I say. And yeah, I’m a tad jealous.

He glances at me. “I had a nice time tonight.”

“Good. Maybe we can do it again sometime.” Another opportunity to dig.

Hayden stops abruptly. “Really?”

Oh, crap. That totally sounds like I’m hitting him up for a second date. My cheeks blaze with warmth and I’m sure I look like a tomato.

“It’s just...” His voice is soft. “I want to be clear, we can’t be anything more than friends, Sloane…you’ll only end up collateral damage.”

I frown. “Collateral damage? Seriously? What the hell does that even mean?”

“Sloane, relax.” Hayden takes a shallow breath. “Dammit, I’m saying this all wrong.”

“Ya think?”

“It’s to protect you.”

I arch an eyebrow. “From?”

“I can’t...” He groans and his long bangs flop onto his forehead, nearly obscuring his anxious stare. “I want you to be safe and I can be really impulsive. It’s just that when I catch the way you look at me sometimes, I get the feeling you’d like more.”

Oh. My. God.

Am I that obvious?

An even hotter flush steals across my face and sweeps down my neck. I am beyond mortified. This is bad. So bad. I need to take my fragile, wounded ego and go hide. For, oh…like a decade.

For a moment, my vision goes black and red. My body shakes with humiliation. I need to get away from him. Now. I step forward, stiffly, like my beloved zombies, and catch myself on my shoelace, staggering off the curb and onto the pavement.

“Sloane! Look out!”

Hayden shoves me roughly out of the way, and I go stumbling over to the safety of the sidewalk across the road.

The squeal of tires whips my head around. A fender-dented Geo Metro slams into Hayden. His body hits the hood, bounces upward, and strikes the windshield, shattering the glass. Bones crunch and blood splatters the white paint. He flies up and over the roof, landing in a pitiful heap on the pavement behind the small car.

Hayden doesn’t move.

“Oh, god! Hayden!” I scream and rush to his body.

Blood oozes from a two-inch gash on his forehead and scrapes and cuts sprinkle his skin.

It all happened so fast, one minute I’m staggering on my feet, and the next, he’s shoving me out of the way of that car, and the vehicle plows right into him.

“Hayden?” I fall to my knees beside him. My shoulders slump and tears cloud my vision.

I touch his cheek, but he doesn’t respond. Just lies there motionless, one arm twisted at an odd angle. His bloodstained jeans are torn and the shoe is missing from his right foot.

Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod.

No one deserves to die like this. Especially, cute boys with possible Superman-like powers. He lays motionless with his eyes closed, and blood drips from the gash on his forehead.

“Show me some of those superpowers now,” I whisper and place my fingertips on his neck. His pulse beats faintly against my skin.

The driver throws open the car door and stumbles out. She covers her mouth with one hand, but it’s not enough to block the stench of liquor. “I didn’t see...it was an accident...” She breaks into drunken sobs.

I glare at her. “Stay the hell back, lady!” I cradle Hayden’s head in my lap. “Hold on, Hayden. I promise you’ll be fine.”

A small crowd forms around us. Someone’s leg bumps into my back while talking on their cell with the police. Good. I hope they arrest her drunk-ass and throw away the key.

“Is he all right?” a man asks, leaning over my shoulder.

My hands clench the cotton fabric of my shirt. “I-I don’t know.” I glance at the people surrounding us. “Help me, please. I need a paper towel or something. Anything to stop the blood.”

“Here take my handkerchief.” The man pats my shoulder. “I’ll call 911. Just apply pressure to the wound.”

“Thank you.” Blood trickles from the deep cut on Hayden’s forehead down the side of his face, and I press the hankie against the wound. Within seconds blood soaks the cloth.

Hayden’s eyes flutter open. “Sloane, are you hurt?”

He’s the one lying on the ground broken and bloody, and he’s asking
me
if I’m okay? If he weren’t such a mangled mess, I’d hug him. I hold his anxious, burning gaze for a moment, and a swell of gratitude that he’s still alive hits me hard.

I smooth the hair from his forehead. “I’m fine. But
you
not so much.”

He starts to laugh, then grimaces. “Ouch. How bad is it?”

“Not great.” I look him over. “You’ll definitely need some nursing for a while.”

“It hurts...everywhere.”

“I’m so sorry this happened.” I swallow hard. “You and cars don’t get along, huh?” I tease.

“Doesn’t seem like it,” he rasps.

“Where’s the ambulance? Why isn’t it here yet?” I ask, gazing at the blur of faces.

“Sloane?” Hayden’s voice sounds weak.

“Someone already called 911,” I say. “Do you want me to call your parents?”

“
No!
” He shakes his head and points to his pants pocket with his uninjured arm. “Call Zach.”

I dig Hayden’s phone out of his pocket, but it’s been smashed in the accident and won’t turn on. “I’ll have to call him on my phone. What’s his number?”

“It’s…it’s…” He winces against the pain and his face clouds with confusion.

“Just hang on until the ambulance gets here.”

His face pales. “No. No, Sloane,” he harshly whispers. “Please, help me...can you run back for your car and come get me?”

“Are you nuts? Hayden, you need to go to the hospital—”

“Please.” His beseeching tone plucks at my heartstrings. “Please, Sloane.”

“I can’t leave you unprotected,” I argue. “What if the paramedics show up before I get back?”

“Then hurry. Go.” He grabs my hand and squeezes, his eyes pleading with mine. “Please. They’ll find out about me.”

I lean close to his ear. “Find out what?”

“You know what.” His eyes meet mine. “I can’t go to the hospital…”

“Because of your superpowers?” I whisper.

He slumps down. “Yes…”

I stare down into his face with resolve. “If you promise to tell me everything, I’ll help you.”

“…yes. Fine. Now, please,” he begs.

He needs my help. I don’t agree with his decision, but I can at least respect it. He did just save my life. And maybe he has other reasons that have to do with his special powers.

Nodding my head, I mutter, “I’ll be back in five. Don’t go anywhere.”

He tries to chuckle again, then softly moans.

I get to my feet and run my ass off. It’s only about four blocks, but it feels like twenty. My thighs burn, but I keep going. My feet fly over the sidewalk, each breath heavy in my chest. For an overweight girl, I can really move when I need to. I round the next corner, and knock over a garbage can.

Oops! My bad.

I push myself harder, and think I’ll never be able to make the next step, or the next, but I just keep moving as fast as my legs will carry me.

I sprint up my driveway, unlock the Jetta, and drop onto the seat. I hit the gas and soar out of the driveway. In the distance, the wail of sirens resonates in the night.

Oh, god!
I have to hurry.

I speed through two stop signs and take a screeching right turn onto Main Street. So close now. The crowd is up ahead and the dented Geo Metro is still parked in the road. I slam on the brakes, skidding to a stop in the middle of the street, startling the throng surrounding Hayden. Leaving the engine running, I hop out, run around the car, and open the backdoor.

“Let me through!” I forcefully push aside the onlookers.

I pull up short and chew on a piece of hair. How the hell am I going to get him into the backseat?

Hayden looks up at me, his eyes at half-mast. “You’re back.”

“Well, duh.” I crouch behind his head and loop my arms under his shoulders. “This is gonna hurt,” I warn him.

He sucks in a breath. “Let’s do this.”

It takes all of my puny strength to lift Hayden off the ground, all the while praying that I’m not making his injuries worse. A man rushes to help and lifts Hayden by the ankles. We somehow clumsily manage to get Hayden over to my car still idling in the road. Together we slide him onto the leather seat, then shut the door.

“Hey!” another man yells, lowering his cell phone. “Where are you taking him? The ambulance will be here any minute.”

“Yeah, I know. But they’re taking too long! Tell them I took him to the hospital myself,” I reply.

I rush around to the driver’s side and hop onto the seat. I slam on the accelerator, and we shoot forward, leaving the gaping spectators behind. The car jostles over the road, hitting every pothole and crack.

“Um, this might not be the time, but—am I going to get into trouble for fleeing the scene of an accident?”

He quietly laughs. “No, Sloane. You didn’t cause it.”

“Good.” I grip the steering wheel tight. “We’ll be at the ER in a few minutes. Just hang on.”

“No. I told you no hospitals.”

I glance into the rearview mirror. “Then where am I taking you?”

“My brother. Zach will know what to do.”

“Zach?” I let up on the gas and slow down to a safer speed. “You’re joking, right?”

“He should be at my uncle’s house. He lives on Chesterfield Avenue. Hang a left at the next light, then go down two blocks, and take a right. You should see a Cadillac in the driveway...”

“Hayden?”

“Take the next left, Sloane.”

With trembling hands, I yank on the wheel and turn the Jetta. I start driving like a manic and hope that I don’t run into any cops. I almost speed right past the Ranch-style home with a dark blue Cadillac parked in the driveway.

This better be the right house.

I screech to a stop and pull in beside the Cadillac. I bolt from the car and run up onto the porch. The house is dark and I push the doorbell hard. No response.

Oh, god. What if no one’s home?

“Hello?” I bang on the door with my fist. “Zach? We need help!”

The adrenaline pumping in my veins finally powers down and crashes. The tears I’ve been holding spill out like floodgates being forced open. I lean against the door, sobbing and pounding on the wood. “Please. Someone help us!”

The porch light flicks on and Zach flings open the door. A man in his early forties appears behind him.

“What are
you
doing here, muffin-top?” Zach asks in a dark tone.

The man shoulders Zach aside. “I’m Niall Lancaster. Can I help you?”

“It’s Hayden.” I point at the Jetta. “He was hit by a car tonight and he told me to bring him here.”

Zach explodes out the door and rushes to the car. “Hayden? Hayden, are you okay?”

Hayden’s uncle is hot on his heels. “Let’s get him out of the car, Zach.” Niall opens the backdoor, looks at his nephew, and sighs. “You’re a mess, my boy.”

Together Zach and Niall haul an unconscious Hayden from the backseat. Zach hooks his broad forearms under Hayden’s armpits, pulling him from the Jetta and Niall grabs his legs, and together they haul an unconscious Hayden into the house, gently laying him on the sofa. He’s still bleeding profusely from the wound near his hairline.

Niall peers over his shoulder at me. “You did the right thing by bringing him here. Thank you.”

I tremble in the doorway, crying and clutching my shirt, wringing the fabric into a ball. “Is...is he going to be all right?”

Niall is already examining his injuries. “Yes, he’ll be fine,” he says vaguely. “You should go home now.”

“Yeah,” Zach says coldly. “Thanks for your help.” He blocks my entry with his body and forces me out onto the porch, slamming the door in my face.

My mouth falls open. I stagger back a step, steadying myself on the metal railing.

Hayden’s going to be okay. He has to be. His uncle said he would be fine.

But the words don’t penetrate the fear churning in my gut.

I stumble back to the Jetta and drive home in a dazed stupor. Tears fill my eyes, blurring my view of the road. I swerve over to the curb and stop. I clench the steering wheel with both hands, my heart pounding in my ears. It’s beating so hard, it thumps in my fingertips.

Almost smooshed to death by a Geo, not what I want on my tombstone.

But Hayden saved my life. A real life hero.

Closing my eyes, I finally admit to myself that I have strong feelings for Hayden. No guy has ever affected me the way Hayden does. I really like him despite his stoic haughtiness. And I cannot hide from my feelings even though it’s a lost cause. I silently pray that he’ll be all right. My eyes get hot and sting with tears. My hands can’t stop shaking.

Just calm down.

My house is only a few more blocks away. I slowly start back down the street.

When I park in the driveway, I spot a GMC Yukon with blacked-out windows parked on my street just shy of the lamppost. The red glow of a cigarette twinkles through the windshield.

For a second I sit in my car with the doors locked. I’m being paranoid again. And stupid. Why would anyone be following me?

Opening the door, I slowly ease out of the seat and shut it. Cold winds brush my skin and my body shivers. Staring at the SUV, I wipe my clammy forehead with my palm.

It’s nothing. It’s no one.

Still, I quicken my pace and hurry inside. Once I slam the deadbolt into place, I remember to breathe.