Hearts the Last Beat (Angel Fire #6) - Ellie Masters Page 0,21

to me, but he wouldn’t turn me away.

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Feels like I should do something.” But I don’t want to leave Insanity. Not now.

“What about school?” Skye lifts her head and raises her hand to get the attention of our waiter. “It’s not too late. You can still apply for college.”

“I suppose.”

“You don’t sound convinced.” Mitzy slurps the last of her virgin margarita. She sets it on the table and orders another from the waiter when he arrives. Skye does the same, and I ask for regular, boring, non-alcoholic iced-tea.

“Did you know what you wanted to be when you were my age?” It’s a silly question, considering Mitzy isn’t much older than me.

“I always knew I liked computers. There was just something about them that drew me in. That and games. Honestly, I struggled. Never did the college thing. I worked for a private investigator for a few years before coming to work for Guardian HRS.”

“Really? I didn’t know that. That must’ve been exciting.”

“It was, and it wasn’t. Kate Summers was a great boss, but most of what I did was front office secretary stuff. Rarely, was I able to help her on a case. There was this one, a murder she was working that turned south in a bad way.”

“How’s that?” I lean forward, interested.

“It was a total mess. Kate was kidnapped.”

“Oh my God.”

“It was a turning point for me.”

“How so?”

“I stepped up to help find her. Used what I knew about the digital world to help out. That was a pivotal moment for me. I suddenly saw how I could make a difference. Through Kate, I met Forest, and with his Guardians, the rest is history.” Mitzy nibbles on a piece of bread. “That’s all to say that there are many paths to finding what you want to do with your life. School wasn’t for me, but Skye here…” She waves at Skye. “She hit the books. Did an accelerated six-year bachelor/MD program and—well, you know how that turned out.”

I turn my attention to Skye. “When did you know you wanted to be a doctor?”

Skye’s eyes fill with pain, but it’s gone before I barely register it. “Definitely when I was young. I wanted to help people. It’s always been a part of me.”

“Wow.” I think about Skye’s desire to heal since she was a girl and Mitzy’s fascination with computers that drove her, and discover I have no interests. “I guess I don’t know what I want to do.”

“There’s no rush.” Mitzy exchanges her empty margarita for another virgin drink. He fills my tea and places a fresh drink in front of Skye.

I thought it would be fun living with rock stars—wild parties, drinking all day long.

Drugs.

Little did I know that would not be the case. Not that there’s no alcohol at Insanity, it’s just that the guys don’t drink that much. Right now, none of the women drink either. Everyone but me is knocked up. Ash, for sure, doesn’t drink. He’s a recovering alcoholic and addict. The other guys drink, but it’s just not a big deal.

“You definitely need to do something.” Mitzy sips from her drink. “I know it was hard switching schools your senior year, but you need to get out there.”

“Out there?”

“You know, get out. Get a job. Find a boy. Date like crazy. You’re young. You need to be out dating and partying. Playing the field. Have some fun.” Mitzy lifts a finger. “But not too much fun.”

“And if you’re having that kind of fun,” Skye adds, “make sure you use protection.”

“Oh my God, are we really having this talk?” I squirm in my seat, overly aware of my new, hairless, girly bits. The sting and burn is slowly fading, but I notice everything. It’s as if all my senses are enhanced after getting plucked like a goose at the spa.

“You’re eighteen. A grown woman, and we’re not stuck in the Stone Age. Dating means kissing, and kissing means…” Skye gives me a look.

“Lots and lots of sex.” Mitzy giggles.

“I was going to say that we don’t need any more unexpected pregnancies around here.” Skye pressed the flat of her palm against her belly. “Use protection. That’s all I was going to say. If you’re not on the pill, we can fix that, but condoms are a girl’s best friend. They keep all those STDs away.”

I’d feel uncomfortable if this was a conversation I was having with my mother, but Mom’s no longer here. We never talked about sex.