Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

threw his arm over his cousin?s shoulder and allowed Jason to prop

him up.

?Just to the stairs, okay?? Lucas asked, and Jason nodded back,

the bond between them so strong they didn?t seem to need words

to communicate. Helen saw Noel throw up her hands in frustrated

helplessness.

?Let him find his own pace,? Castor said gently to his wife. She

nodded, like it was something they had been over a million times.

Then she turned her attention back to the brunch leftovers.

?Hector! It?s your turn to clear the table!?

Helen noticed Noel had a tendency to parse out her anger as judiciously

as she possibly could. She needed a good yell, but she

couldn?t scream at Lucas because he was hurt, and she couldn?t yell

at Jason because he was helping Lucas, so she picked the next boy

she could find. It was the same thing Noel had done when Helen

was just waking up, speaking softly to Helen and then yelling for

Hector. Poor Hector seemed to get the brunt of her frustration, and

from the way he slunk into the kitchen shaking his head, Helen

had the feeling he?d been Noel?s favorite whipping boy since Lucas

got hurt. For a moment she almost felt bad for him, but when she

saw the way Noel stared worriedly after Lucas as he winced his way

out of the kitchen, she couldn?t blame her.

Lucas paused before he left the room.

?Dad?? he called back without fully turning around. ?Helen has

questions.?

Still seated at the head of the table, Castor nodded, deep in

thought for a moment, and then stood up. ?I thought she might,?

he said, smiling kindly at Helen. ?Would you like to join me in my

study??