Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

for not loving Jerry? Fine. But the least you can do is respect me

for understanding how special he was and giving you the gift of

thinking he was your father.?

?Jerry is my father in every way that counts,? Helen said, wrenching

herself out from the sinking seat of the booth.

She waited with her back turned while Daphne threw down some

bills. On their way to the hotel to get their things, Helen spotted

Hector. He looked right at her and then right past her, just as Matt

had done. The twins were with him, wandering around by the

ferry. Helen heard Ariadne call out to Matt, sounding surprised to

see him, but Daphne pulled her into the hotel before she could find

out what they said to each other. Helen heard Claire?s name mentioned

right before the door shut behind her making it impossible

even to tell what they were saying about her, even with Scion

hearing.

Lucas was in the lobby. Helen didn?t see his face, but then she

didn?t need to. If she had only caught a glimpse of him as he disappeared

around a corner a half a mile away she would still have

been able to recognize him. She turned her face away, knowing she

couldn?t look at him or she would lose concentration and allow her

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mask to slip away. As she hurried up the stairs behind her mother,

she both hoped and feared that he would yell her name, but of

course, he didn?t.

Back in their room, Helen grabbed what few things she had and

brought them to the entryway by the door, hiding her streaming

eyes and her red nose from her mother as best she could. She tried

to let the stranger?s dark hair fall across her face, but unfortunately

this girl had bangs. As her mother checked over the room one last

time before they left for the dock, Helen let out an incongruous