Keepers of the Flame (Trilogy Bundle) - By Melissa F. Hart Page 0,21

in keeping away from them?”

He was silent for so long that I feared I'd crossed an invisible line. Finally he spoke. “I hear you Lu, but you don't understand.”

I sighed into the phone. His life was so intensely private, and even though we were friends there was so much about him I was not privy to. I'd hoped he would have come to trust me some more by now, but obviously I was hoping in vain. “You're right and I'm sorry for butting in.”

“What are you doing now?” He asked changing the subject.

“I'm sitting on my bed waiting for Claire to come pick me up.”

“Oh, are you guys hanging out?”

“Not really. I have a date so we're making it a double date.” I had been strangely reluctant to tell him about the date, even though I had no idea why. It wasn't as though we were dating or anything like that.

“You have a date?” he asked quietly.

“Um, yeah.” I jiggled my legs nervously and stilled them instantly. I wasn't going to apologize for having a life!

“I see.”

We were both silent then. I heard a beep and knew it was an incoming call. Checking the phone, I saw Claire's number flashing.

“I have to go now, Dylan. Claire's here.”

“Okay. Have fun.”

He was gone before I could even respond. I frowned at the phone. What on earth was that about? He'd sounded upset, but that was just wishful thinking on my part. He was fine with our being friends and even if it killed me, I was determined to be fine with it too.

I put the phone back to my ear as it began to ring again.

“Where on earth are you?”

That was Claire, straight to the point and no-nonsense. I smiled into the phone as I slipped my feet into the black sandals I'd picked out for the evening. “I'm coming, I'm coming. I'll be down in a sec.”

“Fine, but don't keep us waiting.”

I cut the phone and slipped it into the tiny black purse I had waiting. I took a final glance at my reflection and satisfied with what I saw, I closed my eyes briefly. When I opened them, I was standing in the living room, for Katrina's inspection.

She blew a kiss at me as I flew out the front door. I wasn't going to think about Dylan for one night.

***

I lay on my bed and stared out the sky roof, at the stars. The night had been an unmitigated disaster, for me anyway. I know everyone else had fun and everyone else thought I'd had fun. But I had not been able to get my mind off the conversation I'd had earlier with Dylan and it's abrupt termination. I kept turning the conversation around and around in my mind and my only surprise was that no one else seemed to notice how distracted I'd been.

Keenan Jones, my date, had been okay. He was tall, with wavy blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He was really good-looking and if he seemed a bit too aware of the fact, no one could blame him. He was not as muscular as Dylan but he was fit and in good shape. In short, there wasn't a single thing wrong with him. Except that he was not Dylan.

This was what I couldn't stand about my non relationship with him. Just as I was getting my life on an even keel and trying to get over not being with him, he would call and it would be back to square one. I would obsess about every word he spoke and look for hidden nuances even in the silence. It was driving me crazy!

“I can't go on like this.” I muttered to myself. I needed to take control of my life. “I am a woman and I need a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” I stated firmly, rolling onto my tummy. Then I frowned. What did that phrase mean, anyway? I mean, we all knew a fish does not need a bicycle. Fishes didn't even think about bicycles. I got the general principle of it. If a fish didn't need a bicycle, then I didn't need a man. All well and good. But what did one do when one had to live with those creatures in one's life? The men, not the bicycles.

“Oh hell, who needs men anyway,” I grumbled.

I was fed up. Fed up with my feelings for Dylan. Fed up with him keeping his distance. I might have even considered asking him out,