Lewis glanced at me, a quick glance, but I didn"t miss the look. Something was there in his eyes. Something I"d never seen before. A hardness, a darkness that frightened and thrilled me at the same time, although why, I wasn"t sure.
"Really? Because Cameron doesn"t look like she"s enjoying the subject of conversation."
"I think I know Cameron better than you." Trevor turned back to me. "As I was saying..."
Lewis gripped the man"s shoulder and spun him away from me so fast I barely had time to register the movement. Before I could even blink, Trevor-big, tall, strong Trevor-was pinned against the wall.
"You touch her again, you"ll regret it," Lewis said softy, yet the quietness of his voice only somehow added to the threat.
"Back off, man," Trevor said.
Was it my imagination or had his voice quivered? How the h.e.l.l was Lewis, preppy Lewis, holding Trevor immobile? But then I noticed it, the hardness of Lewis" body, the muscles that bulged under his shirt, the way he held Trevor"s arm pinned behind the idiot"s back. In that moment I realized two things: Lewis was much stronger than I"d first thought and Lewis knew some sort of martial arts. I was no Kung Fu expert, but I knew a trained person when I saw one.
"I"ll back off when you swear never to touch her again." Lewis" voice was calm, as if he was in complete control. And he was. I wasn"t sure whether I should find his protective nature sweet or ridiculous. Shocked, I just stood there like I was watching a movie.
"Fine," Trevor snapped, grimacing as he struggled in Lewis" hold.
Finally Lewis released the man and stepped back.
Trevor didn"t say a thing as he rushed down the hall. Silence lengthened between us, an odd, uneasy silence. The only sound was the soft murmur of teacher"s voices behind closed doors. "You didn"t have to do that."
"Maybe I wanted to."
"Oh." For one long moment we just stared at each other. My body felt odd, hot and trembling. My heart raced and in my mind was this desperate need to be closer to him. "Thanks."
He nodded, a short, curt nod.
"Annabeth told everyone," I blurted out, because he needed to know and because I wanted him to stay with me.
"I know," he said, his blue eyes softening. "Emily"s helping spread the rumor.
"To get back at me," I whispered. It was bad enough having Annabeth as an enemy, but Emily would be a million times worse. "Why is she doing this to me?"
"Annabeth?"
I nodded and sank back against the wall.
"Self preservation." Lewis leaned next to me, so close I could feel his warm breath. "Humans will always try to protect themselves; always throw another under the bus if it will save them. She"s hurting, to her you"re the cause of that hurt. Plus, if people are whispering about you then they aren"t about her."
I clutched my French book tightly to my chest. "I don"t believe that. People can"t be that horrible."
"You"ve read their minds." He shrugged. "You know how dark their thoughts can be."
He was right; I"d heard things that would make people question the whole of society. Was it true, would people always think about themselves over others? Mom didn"t care about me, she"d dumped me first chance she got. What kind of parent would do that? Grandma wasn"t any better, keeping me under her constant control. Maybe Lewis was right.
"I am." He grinned.
I sniffed, finding no amus.e.m.e.nt in the fact that he could read my mind. It wasn"t fair. In the span of a week my life had completely changed, and why? Because I"d tried to help someone. Grandma was right about one thing, it was best to keep your powers hidden. And Lewis was right...you couldn"t trust anyone. I wasn"t even sure I could trust him.
"Lewis, why can"t I read your thoughts?"
"Cam," Lewis sighed and leaned closer to me. "It doesn"t have to be like this. There"s a way to be able to use your powers and at the same time feel safe and protected. There"s a way to be around others like us."
Startled, I looked up at him. "How?"
"The cafe," he said, taking a few steps backward. "Where you go after school-"
"How"d you know about that place?"
He grinned. "I know a lot about you. You think my being here is just a coincidence?"
I started toward him, my heart racing. "You knew about me even before you arrived?"
He shrugged. The hall was empty so we didn"t have to worry about being overheard. "Meet me after school at the cafe. We"ll discuss things." He turned and started toward the exit, apparently skipping his last cla.s.s.
"Lewis!"
"We"ll talk later," he called over his shoulder.
And with that he was gone, leaving me in the hall frustrated and alone. But I knew one thing, for the first time in days, I felt hopeful.
Chapter 7.
I wasn"t sure what to expect when I-wet, cold and miserable- entered the cafe. The place had been closed for a week after the shooting and they"d lost plenty of business. It wasn"t nearly as crowded as it had been and I knew the owner was worried about business. Poor guy had a family to support.
I raked my damp hair back and easily found Lewis sitting at a table by the windows. His hair was damp, the ends curled over the collar of his dark jacket. For one moment I stood just inside the doorway, watching him. He certainly must have felt my presence and if not, seen me walk up the sidewalk. But he kept his head bent, his gaze on the cup in his hands.
He was so cute it almost hurt. But it was more than his good looks that attracted me to him. Finally I had someone who understood me. Someone who didn"t think I was a freak. Someone I admired. He"d given me hope when I had none left. He wasn"t afraid to get involved. He"d called the cops, which had led to George"s arrest over the weekend. He was a freaking hero, while I was...
He looked up and smiled at me.
Giddy warmth swept through my body. This was welcoming. This was someone I could trust. This was someone I could completely fall in love with. I moved across the room, eager to be closer to him.
"Chai tea with cinnamon." He pushed the cup toward me as I settled in the chair across from him.
I dropped my backpack on the floor. "How"d you..." But I didn"t need to finish that sentence. I flushed. Of course he knew. "Thanks."
He gave me a sheepish grin. Outside, rain pelted the windows. It was a cold, dour afternoon, but I felt warm. I didn"t have a clue what Lewis had to say, but knowing what I did about him, I prayed it was going to change my life for the better.
I sipped the spicy liquid, my insides heating for once. It felt good, so very good to be here, settled in a cafe on a cold autumn day with this guy who understood me like no other did.
"You want to know?" he laughed.
"Yeah," I admitted. I was use to Grandma being able to read my mind, but no one else. It was a bit disconcerting. He knew I was eager to learn the truth. He obviously knew I was attracted to him and even as the thought entered my mind, I looked down horrified I"d thought the words.
He leaned forward, his blue gaze intense. "Alright. The truth?"
I nodded, clasping my cup tightly and letting the warmth seep into my skin. He was going to pretend like he didn"t know I had feelings for him, which was fine by me.
"I was sent to help you."
Stunned, for a moment I merely sat there with my mouth hanging open, my mind spinning. I wasn"t sure how I felt about this revelation. Who the h.e.l.l had sent him? And did this mean he was only here because he had to be? "Who sent you?"
He settled back in his chair, as if he was relieved to get the truth out once and for all. "His name is Aaron. For years he"s taken Mind Readers under his wing."
"Where did he come from?"
Lewis laughed. "Same place you and I came from, our parents. The man is a genius. He"s taught us everything he knows, he"s empowered us."
Empowered. What I wouldn"t do to feel that way. My excitement was almost unmanageable and I scooted my chair closer to the table. "Such as?"
"How to control your thoughts so other Mind Readers can"t read them."
That would be really, really good...especially when I was around Lewis.
"How to focus on certain people"s thoughts. How to block thoughts...anything you can imagine."
He"d already sold me and I wanted to ask him where to sign up but I managed to keep calm. I didn"t really know who Lewis was or where he"d come from, but to me he was an angel.
"You guys doing all right?" A young waitress interrupted our session.
I jumped, startled. I"d been so mesmerized by Lewis, I hadn"t even heard her or her thoughts approach.
He"s cute, but too young, she thought, glancing at Lewis. I frowned, annoyed. How did she know Lewis and I weren"t together? Rather rude, if you asked me.
Lewis grinned, obviously hearing her words in his own mind. "We"re good, thanks."
She moved on, leaving us alone. I had so many questions it was hard to contain myself. "Mind Readers. That"s what we"re called?"
He shrugged. "It"s what we call ourselves."
"How many are there?"
"A few hundred, at least. Not a lot."
But so many more than what I"d known. I sank back into my chair, shocked to my very core. "And they all live with Aaron?"
"No, of course not. Just a few."
I stared out the window, watching raindrops chase each other down the gla.s.s. Overwhelmed, I wasn"t sure what to say, to ask. My entire world had changed in a moment. "All this time I thought Grandmother and I were alone."
Lewis" face grew serious. "You"re not, and there"s so much more you could do, if you were trained. So many things you"re missing out on."
His words were tempting. He"d touched something deep within, a feeling of worthlessness that had burrowed down in my soul. I was different. I was wrong. But for once, I felt right.
"I want to show you something." Keeping his arm on the table, Lewis opened his hand, fingers spread wide. The clear salt shaker next to me rattled. Startled, I drew in a sharp breath. The shaker slid across the tabletop, stopping directly against his palm. Lewis closed his fingers around the shaker and set it back in its rightful place.
"No freaking way," I whispered. "How"d you do that?"
"Telekinesis. Moving things with your mind." He grinned. "It"s amazing what the mind can do if trained properly."
My heart leapt with excitement. "You"re saying I can do that?"
He shrugged. "We don"t know what you can do, unless you try. Unless you"re trained."
I took my lower lip between my teeth and played with the cardboard sleeve on my cup. "But my Grandma..."
He sighed. "Your grandma is trying to control you."
True enough. How often had I thought the same thing? How often had I been so incredibly angry with her because of her controlling and demanding nature that I"d wanted to run away? Heck, I was counting down the days until I could leave for college. Still...
You"re not alone, Cameron.
I jerked my head upright. "What?" I wasn"t sure if he"d spoken the words aloud or implanted them in my mind.
Lewis smiled but didn"t move his lips. You"re not alone.
I looked around, afraid the other two patrons in the cafe would notice I was talking to myself. "You can talk to me...my mind?"
"Of course I can," he said aloud this time. "It"s simple, a mere thought directed at you. And you can do the same to me." He leaned closer, temptation in his eyes. "Try it."
What to say? I looked around again to make sure no one was watching. I"m sure to the other customers we probably looked like two teenagers intensely attracted to each other, the way we were leaning in close, staring so intently. If they only knew what we were really up to.
I stared into his blue eyes. All right. Here goes. What happens next, if I agree?
He took a sip of his drink. You come with me.
I didn"t respond immediately, too surprised. Leave? Leave this town? Leave Grandma? Leave the only life I"d ever known? Where to?
Aaron"s home.
Suddenly a picture flashed through my mind. A mansion really, of red brick. Rolling green hills, fall colored trees, the blue ocean sparkling in the distance. A beautiful, peaceful looking place.
"Did you do that?" I demanded, blinking the picture from my mind and focusing on him.
The waitress looked our way, hearing the sound of my shrill voice and wondering if something was wrong. I sipped my tea and focused my thoughts on him. Did you send me that picture?
Yes.
But...but how?
It"s easy, when you know the way to do it. We sense emotions, we can hear thoughts, worries, and we can see and send mental images as well.