Dark Child (Wild Men 5)

Or maybe I should just head out, find a spot in an empty classroom to eat, lame as that would be. I mean, what, I’m running away from the guy just because he’s sexy enough to lick like a lollipop?

Come on.

But next time I glance his way, because of course I do, he sees me, that cool blue laser-beam gaze going right through me, stopping my heart.

My feet freeze.

Or maybe I’m melting on the spot? Hard to tell. He has such a cool gaze for such a hot guy.

Since he is staring at me, those pretty blue eyes wide, I open my mouth to say hi. At this point, what do I have to lose? Other than my sanity, that is.

He lifts a hand as if to stop me. Then just shakes his head and turns away.

Ouch. What did I do, huh? Is it my ‘Impress me, Human!’ cat T-shirt?

With a huff, I tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear, press my lips together and head blindly toward the other end of the cafeteria.

Stop thinking about it.

About him.

He obviously doesn’t know or care that you exist, and that’s how it should be. Leave pretty boy to his gaggle of fangirls and keep your head down.

I’m done with that sort of man, right?

Right.

Chapter Three

Merc

After a bad night, falling asleep in class and getting dragged to the cafeteria by some classmates even though I can’t stomach any food today, I find her right there, looking right at me. Seeing me.

But maybe it’s all in my tired mind. What if she was looking at someone behind me? Or even if she really saw me today, so what? She’ll forget my face again by tomorrow.

Not in the mood for this shit, not today.

Not ever again, all right?

Damn, I’m stumbling around like a zombie today. Not sure what triggers the nightmares, but once they start, they’ll go on for nights on end, and I’ve resigned myself to losing stretches of my life to this black hole.

If only I knew what it is I’m reliving in my dreams… if something actually happened when I was a kid, something that scarred me then, and it’s still replaying in my mind at night, or if it’s something else. Stress. Exhaustion. Some fucking twist in my neurons.

A disease of the mind.

Last thing I need is more confusion. Her confusing me.

Then why can’t I fucking stop thinking about her? Not fair that she’s everywhere I go these days.

She looked great. Fucking hot. Dark hair up in a messy ponytail like usual, dressed in jeans and a black coat, a funny cat T-shirt stretched over a nice rack, but her eyes…

They shone so bright. She shone so fucking bright, as if she had a light burning inside her, and I guess it’s what drew me from the start.

And yet she looked… different.

Settling my Bose earphones more firmly over my ears, ramping up the volume of “Things Change” by Cassandra, I try to steer my thoughts elsewhere, though they’re having none of it. I rub a hand over my eyes as I cross the street to Mancave, the garage where I work some afternoons and the flash of something big coming at me shocks the living shit out of me.

It’s a car. Barely missing me, it honks, and I jerk back, cursing and stumbling, pulling my ear phones off, letting them dangle around my neck.