"For what?" I said, but I saw in his mind for the first time. He was thinking about that house from my last vision. I realized that I remembered it from our histories. Our family taught about that...house...
The coffee cups fell from my hand. It was then the world came back to me and I saw several of the people in the coffee shop staring at us. Even Paul had stopped making coffee and was looking at us, like maybe he wanted to intervene.
I pushed Seth"s chest a tiny bit, my hands aching and scolding me for doing so. He went without a fight. "Ava," he reasoned, pleaded.
"I"ve got to go." I turned to go, my heart banging in my chest.
He grabbed my hand gently, his calm, the very thing I"d always wanted, shot through me and I couldn"t stop the sigh, yet I still yanked my hand away. "Ava, please. Let"s just talk for a minute."
I burst through the door and ran to my Volvo parked in front. Seth followed me, but didn"t try to stop me. I got in and shut the door, pressing the push-start b.u.t.ton crank the car. He stood outside my window, gripping his hair in his hands as he watched me back out. I heard him in my head as I peeled from the lot.
I"ll wait for you however long you need. It"s okay. I understand. I"d hate me, too.
I loved his voice. It ran over me like a silk nightgown...and I hated and loved that.
I went straight to the center, blowing through the doors, tears running down my face. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared, but I looked for Daddy. When I didn"t see him with any of the kids, I went right to his office. He was on the phone, but hung up on whoever was on the phone as soon as he saw me.
"Ava-"
"Daddy," I sobbed.
He stood quickly. "What happened?"
"I...imprinted..."
"You did?" he grinned and hugged me to him. "That"s amazing, Ava. Where? Who? Why are you crying? Was it-"
"No, Daddy, no." I leaned back.
"What"s the matter, baby?" he soothed and smoothed my hair like he had done for my entire life. Always comforting, always willing to bust heads if need be to make me happy. But Dad couldn"t fix this.
"Daddy, I imprinted...with a Watson."
Coming Fall, 2014.
Playlist.
Drive All Night : NeedToBreathe Who"s Gonna Save Us : Gavin DeGraw.
Durban Skies : Bastille I"m Yours : Jason Mraz.
Every Night : Imagine Dragons.
Make It To Me : Manchester Orchestra Royals : Lorde Morning Song : The Lumineers.
Sh.e.l.ly is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in scorching North Florida. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, sight-see in the new areas they travel to, listen to new music everywhere, and LOVES to read.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn"t go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, when her best ideas are born.
Sh.e.l.ly"s website:.
www.sh.e.l.lycrane.blogspot.com.