Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

so exhausted she nearly fell asleep sitting on the edge of the tub as

she brushed her teeth.

The next morning, Helen skipped breakfast, packed her own

lunch box, and shouted good-bye to her father from the front door

before he even made it downstairs. He called after her as she

jumped into Lucas?s car, but she pretended she didn?t hear him.

?Shouldn?t we wait to see what he wants?? Lucas asked her.

?Nope. Let?s just go,? she said a little too quickly.

Lucas shrugged and drove off as Jerry made it to the front door.

Helen waved to him, but she knew she would hear about this little

stunt later. In detail.

?Okay, I?m still new around here so I don?t know the cafés.

Where?s a good place on this side of the island?? Lucas asked.

?Ah, the News Store?? Helen offered with a shrug. ?I don?t think

we?ll be able to talk there, though.?

?How ?bout this,? he said as he pulled into a chain restaurant that

was popular with the tourists.

Helen winced, but assented. There were other mom-and-pop

choices, but she knew all the people who worked in those places.

For this conversation she needed a little privacy.

They stood quietly together in line, waiting to sit before they started

talking. Helen tried not to stare at Lucas, but it was difficult. It

amazed her how comfortable he seemed wherever he went, as if

the whole world was as private to him as his own bedroom.

She tried to watch him out of the corner of her eye, maybe catch

him fidgeting or shuffling his feet the way she herself did in public,

but there was none of that. He really didn?t care if people looked at

him or not. He didn?t subconsciously apologize to the world for his

presence by slouching or crossing his arms or playing with his

keys. It unnerved Helen to see how he could just stand there and