Destiny Gift (The Everlast Trilogy) - By Juliana Haygert Page 0,30

here.” He motioned behind me.

I turned around. The heat of embarrassment flushed my cheeks. We had arrived at the café, and I never noticed. Should I invite him in? I wanted to. He was a charming guy who actually wanted to talk to me. Dreamy.

A knock on the glass behind me snapped me out of it. Adam. He pointed to his wristwatch and glared.

“Well, see you later,” Micah said. He took my hand and kissed my palm, his eyes on mine the whole time.

I felt hot again. “See you,” I muttered. He released my hand, bowed, and started walking away.

I stood there, watching his perfect form grow smaller and smaller, my mind so lost.

Another knock on the glass made me jump. I didn’t even turn to see Adam glaring at me. I entered the café, my mind divided between warm thoughts of Micah and cold moments with Victor.

Chapter Eleven

“I have an appointment with my advisor now,” I told Raisa after we left class. I hated summer semester. I was taking only three classes, but because of the intense workload, they seemed like eight. “I’ll meet you at home after my shift?”

“Yup,” she answered, returning to the gossiping Martha and Susan.

Shaking my head, I hurried toward the science building. Despite the craziness going on with my life, exams were coming up and I needed to study. Besides, keeping my mind busy helped a little in stopping my pervasive worry that I was a lunatic.

I was about to knock on the door of my advisor’s office when it opened and Victor emerged, startling me. He looked amazing in faded jeans and a dark blue NYU sweatshirt—sending my heart into overdrive—even if the look was too casual to match the Victor of my visions.

With my hand over my chest, trying to slow down my sudden irregular breathing pattern, I whispered, “What are you doing here?”

Frowning, he closed the door behind him. “It’s none of your business.”

Ouch. Okay, so maybe that was going too far. I opened my mouth to yell at him, frustrated with his constant cold shoulder, when I realized his green eyes were staring at me not only in anger but also in pain. “You’re hurting again, aren’t you?”

“Excuse me,” he muttered between gritted teeth. He pushed past me and marched away.

“Wait.” I followed him, keeping up with his fast pace and hoping the few students walking by didn’t notice our quarrel. “I can help. I think.”

“Just leave me alone.” His voice was strained, and he put his hand over his chest. “I need to go.”

“No,” I shouted, stepping right in front of him and preventing him from bolting.

With labored breathing, he leaned against the wall beside us. “Get out of my way,” he groaned. “I need to go now.”

I reached for him and he shoved my arm back, but this time I wasn’t going to let him boss me around. “Stop it. Let me help you before you pass out.”

Before I could reach for him again, he sank down to the cold floor, panting and trembling, his skin paler than usual.

Kneeling in front of him, I picked up his hand. His eyes went wide as a warm jolt built up behind my fingers and spread from my skin to his. Seconds later, his breathing was back to normal. His pulse had evened out. Slowly, he stood, smoothed his jeans, and ran a hand through his messy golden hair.

“Wh-what did you do?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know what it is. I just know what it does.”

“What are you?” He folded his arms, hands tucked in his armpits. “Are you some kind of witch? A druid?”

I couldn’t help laughing. “Really? Do you believe in that stuff?”

“Well, not really. But I don’t have another explanation for what you just did.”

“Welcome to the club. I have no idea how it works or what exactly it is.”

“But you knew my pain would go away if you touched me.” It wasn’t a question.

“I thought it would. You were the one who told me it had happened before.”

“I did,” he muttered.

With wary eyes, he kept staring at me. I wouldn’t get anywhere with him like this. He seemed ready to jet. I wouldn’t be the one clinging to him and begging for him to listen to me. Besides, what could I tell him? That I knew all about him and that he wasn’t precisely as great as I wanted him to be? Crazy, huh?

I couldn’t believe I was about to walk away from him, but I knew I