January Dreams Carrigan Richards (the mitten read aloud TXT) 📖

“When can I call you?”

“Monday.”

“Three more days.”

“Yes. I have to be extra good this weekend. Shouldn’t be too hard since I’ll be at work most of the time. Anyway, I gotta go.”

“Have a good day.” He smiles awkwardly.

“You, too,” I say and leave.

I head to class, excited that he asked for my number. If I keep being late to class, Mr. Landry will probably start to guess something is going on between the office aide and me. At least I hope that will be true, I smile to myself. My heart swells and I feel good.

“Casper wrote the note,” I tell Cherry as we count the money in our tills inside the grocery store office. We always chat while we count before hitting the registers.

“What?”

“Yeah. Who knows what kind of sick joke he’s playing?”

“Ugh. I can kick him.”

I shake my head. “It’s not worth it. Vincent asked me for my number, though.”

Cherry’s jaw drops and she playfully punches me.

“Ow!”

“Why didn’t you start with that? Omigod, that is so exciting.”

“I know.” I smile, loving how good I feel.

“When Vincent asks you out, you must tell me every single detail.”

I roll my eyes. “Aye aye captain.”

“I wish Luke would ask me out. Too bad I can’t dream about a hot guy and have another hot guy ask for my number.” She teases.

“Maybe you should ask Luke out.” I do not want to talk about Casper.

“If he liked me, he would ask me.”

“Maybe he’s shy.”

“Honey, no one is shyer than Vincent and he asked you for your number.”

“Maybe I’ll drop hints.” I grin.

“Careful. I may take you up on that.”

We make our way downstairs to the slightly busy floor. Cherry goes to customer service and I land on an empty register. As soon as I place my till into the drawer, customers flood into my line. Most of them are people rushing home from their office jobs picking up something quick for dinner, but there are the occasional ones actually grocery shopping. The later it gets, the more we tend to get the ones on welfare. I guess they come in late because they work late. My favorites are the ones who stroll in wearing slippers and pajamas, even in this cold weather.

That’s what Birmingham is like. There are a mixture of classes and people. I like it here, but I’m ready to live far away from my parents. Maybe to Atlanta. I hear colleges are good there.

The night is uneventful and tiring, but I still think of the dream and Casper. I swear, I will never forgive myself if I do have a secret crush. I shudder at the thought. Every time he pops into my head, I force him out and think of Vincent. Imagining us on a date. Kissing. I want it to be good, and not the product of a prank or whatever. I want Vincent to genuinely like me.

But what if Casper starts spreading rumors and Vincent hears them?

Casper and I run fast as the rain slants downward, soaking us in the cold. My body trembles and I taste something metallic in my mouth. Blood I realize. It trails down from my eyebrow to my chin and I wipe it with the back of my hand. It doesn’t stop bleeding.

“Keep running, Megan,” I hear Casper’s voice behind me. I don’t want to run. I want this endless nightmare to end. I want to be with Casper, but I lift my long skirt and run. I jump at the sound of a gunshot and stop behind a tree. I frantically search the thick woods for any sign of Casper. My breath locks in my lungs as I clutch the tree so hard it feels as though the branch will break.

Not again. How many men did they send to find us? We don’t have the Jewel. We want to be together. I never thought my own kind would try to kill me. The only person I told the truth to was Florence. She wouldn’t have told anyone. But I knew that once the army returned, they would come after me.

I wait in the dark, wet night and then I see Casper. I dart for him and as we collide, our arms wrap around each other. He leans down and presses his lips against mine with a hard edge. I kiss back with the same lust, grazing my tongue against his. Our mouths are slick from the rain that falls between them. The heat from his kiss exudes my body. I never want to leave his arms.  I never want to part from his lips. His heart. His soul.

No matter what we’ll face, we’ll face it together.

“You have to go back, Megan.”

“No!”

He cradles my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his eyes. “I won’t let them kill you. I won’t let them hurt you. But I refuse to let this be your life now.”

My heart sinks. “I won’t leave you. I chose this. It won’t be like this forever.”

“Yes, it will. Our kinds hate each other. We are constantly at war.”

“We can save the world. You and me.”

He gives a knowing look, but I refuse to part from him. “You know he will keep coming for you.”

“Then we kill him.”

Chapter Six

“Hey! Are you planning on going to school today?” I hear Ron’s loud voice and when I open my eyes, I flinch.

Ron stands over me, eyes about to pop out of his sockets, and a vein on the side of his head about to explode. “What time is it?” I gasp.

“Nine-thirty,” he shouts. “Are you planning on staying home all day?”

I silently curse and sit up. “No.” Why is he at home? And why didn’t my alarm ever go off?