Blue Violet - By Abigail Owen Page 0,31

at that kiss, and feeling like a complete fool. He’d been thinking about her almost non-stop for weeks. He’d blown off their runs, and then stopped contacting her completely. He’d thought he was doing the right thing. Saving her from… from a lot of things, not the least of which was the possible danger they were in. He didn’t blame her for being mad at him at all. But then she’d basically given him the cold shoulder, her mind obviously elsewhere. And he’d thought, I’ll give her something to think about, and something had snapped. He’d wanted her focus solely on him, and he’d kissed her.

Jeez, Alex, you’re such a jerk, he mentally berated himself. But as he thought more about it, something in his head clicked. It’d been brief, but he had felt her respond, had seen something spark in her eyes, confirming his hope that she wasn’t as indifferent to him as she seemed. He didn’t think he could ever forget the look she’d given him afterward. Part fury, part stunned surprise, part sparkling need. He’d seen the mutual desire in her eyes.

He didn’t know what he was going to do about it. But he’d decided to do something. It wouldn’t be long until she went to college…a few months. He could wait for her until then. And hopefully by then he could figure out exactly what he wanted. Alex just prayed that he hadn’t already blown his chances.

Chapter 17

Griffin arrived just as Ellie pulled into the driveway. She saw him fly inside and quickly followed.

“Well?” she demanded, hands on her hips.

Griffin paced back and forth. “Nothing.” If possible, he looked even grimmer than before.

“What do you mean ‘nothing’?”

“I mean nothing. I couldn’t find a single thing. Not a track, not a scent, no trace. Are you sure…?” He turned to face her, trailing off as Ellie was already shaking her head.

“I know what I saw.” Ellie blew out a heavy breath. She’d been so sure that something was coming today. She’d been a crazy nut, focused only on her worry.

“The Jenners and Pierces suspect something’s up with you, by the way,” Griffin said, as he pulled his sweatshirt over his head and tossed it on the back of a chair.

“Oh?” Ellie eyed her brother through narrowed eyes and sat on the couch.

“It’s partly why Alex tried to talk you.”

Ellie’s suspicious look turned furious. She glared at her brother as she tried to decide which made her angrier… the fact that Griffin listened to the Jenners and Pierces or that the kiss Alex gave her apparently was just some kind of ploy or ruse.

“Sorry about listening in on them. But I was concerned about you, and the Jenners and Pierces happen to think of you more than any others at the school.” He jumped up, headed into the kitchen and started pulling out stuff to make dinner.

“Why not just ask me directly?” she asked through gritted teeth as she followed him.

“You were a bit… spacey all day. It seemed like a good idea to see how others were seeing you.”

Ellie grimaced and shrugged. She supposed she could understand that.

“Look on it as good news that none of them seemed to notice my poking around in their heads,” he added, opening the refrigerator.

Ellie made a face. “I guess.”

“And I don’t think he kissed you to use or delay you.”

”Thanks for the insight, but it’s none of your business.” Ellie knew Griffin wouldn’t approve of her feelings for Alex and she wasn’t in the mood for an argument right now.

He looked over his shoulder at her. “From what I could tell, he was worried about you.”

“Worried?” Ellie’s eyebrows knitted together. “About what?”

“A couple of things. He seems to think he put you in danger. And he’s worried about me.”

“Why would he worry about you?”

“He doesn’t know I’m your brother.” He reached for a green pepper, washed it, and started chopping.

Ellie picked up a strip and munched on it. “Yeah. But why would that worry him?”

“He thinks I’m some sort of boyfriend or something.”

“Oh.” Ellie frowned. Sure they’d kept Griffin hidden initially. And he still didn’t spend much time with any of her friends except Brian and Juliette. Adelaide and Nate knew her relationship to Griffin by now; she’d just figured Alex would, too. And it hadn’t occurred to her to say anything to him on their runs.

A delighted smile spread across her face. “So he’s jealous? That’s so…great!”

Griffin groaned. “I don’t pretend to understand you, Ellie. How about we get