Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

to sneak in. It looked like Jerry, Kate, and Claire had all been

forced to spend the night to wait out the storm, and that meant

Jerry and Kate still didn?t know that Helen was missing. As far as

they knew, Helen was safe at home and stranded there with all

three Delos boys on the other side of the island. Lucas knew that lie

wouldn?t hold up much longer, but he decided someone else was

going to have to think up a new cover story to tell Jerry. He

couldn?t control his emotions about Helen long enough to convince

anyone she was still

safe, let alone her father.

Lucas flew in through his window and paced around his room for

another hour. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he should eat

or rest or dry off, but the only thought he could keep in his head

was the thought of Helen. Cass would know it if she was injured,

wouldn?t she?

The houseguests woke and went downstairs. Lucas heard Claire?s

phone buzzing with text alerts, and knew that the phones were

back on. He listened from his room while Jerry and Kate tried to

call Helen. When she didn?t answer either her cell or the phone at

the Hamilton household, they got worried and decided to go back

home to see if she was there. The roads were a mess, but even

though that would slow them down, Lucas knew he only had a few

more hours tops to find Helen before her dad realized she was

missing and called the police. As soon as Jerry and Kate departed,

Lucas met Hector and Jason on the stairs as all three of them came

out from hiding in their rooms at the same time.

?Bro, put a clean shirt on, at least!? Hector admonished as soon

as he saw Lucas.

?Leave it,? Lucas mumbled, shaking his head and trying to pass

his cousins, but Jason stepped in front of him.