power of her choice thunder through her like an electrical current. Just like Seth in the movie, she chose to be what she was meant to be, and not to shed what she originally thought was a burden. Newly determined, she leveled her gaze with Quentin’s.
“What do I need to do to make sure they never hurt anyone I love again?”
Quentin gazed back at her, his features rearranging themselves into an expression flat and cold—deadly. “You train and you fight back. You let me do my job. And we don’t let them win. Ever.”
Resolve steeled her voice. “We won’t.”
Quentin’s face lit up with his best smile. “That’s my girl.”
And like always with that smile, Grace couldn’t help but smile back.
News of the crash spread like wildfire through Woods Cross. By Sunday afternoon, Laney turned the ringer off the house phone and convinced Grace to do the same with her cell. She finally spoke with Leah and was relieved to hear she was fine, but like Grace, had one hell of a headache. Leah nattered on about how Brian had visited her bearing gifts—bringing magazines to read, snack foods, and movies. She smiled at the excitement in Leah’s voice; Brian was alright in her book.
Even though Grace was feeling better by Sunday evening, Quentin convinced her to stay home from school the next day, no matter how good she might feel when she woke up. Nephilim don’t get sick and they heal quickly. That certainly explained her lack of memories of ever being sick. It would raise a few eyebrows if she was completely healed and her friends were still banged up, so she stayed home.
Grabbing her book out of her backpack, Grace settled in her favorite comfy spot on the sofa and opened The Crucible. She was so done with chick flicks. Since it was inevitable she’d miss a day or two of school, Grace decided to read as much of the book as she could and forego the movies. Hopefully she’d then be ready if Miss Township decided to throw down another stupid pop quiz.
Grace was barely through a chapter when she heard the doorbell. Laney came barreling down the stairs, so Grace didn’t move. When the sound of padding feet came toward Grace, she looked up to see her mom standing in the archway.
“There’s a Zeke here to see you.” Laney’s eyebrows arched.
“Seriously?” Grace let out a little huff of exasperation, checking the time on her phone to see if school was already out.
“I can tell him you’re sleeping.”
Tempting, she thought, but she couldn’t bring herself to be mean and lie to him. There was no announcement in the school bulletin advertising she’d moved to her grandfather’s house, so Zeke had obviously gone out of his way to find her. “No, that’s okay. Let him in.”
When Zeke stood in the archway holding what looked like magazines, Grace prayed he hadn’t brought her the typical Teen Beat or Seventeen. She’d never liked reading any of that crap. She smiled, giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Silently, he gave her a once-over. “I was really worried you’d look awful.” His shoulders heaved with the air he let out. “But you look great, like you weren’t even in an accident. How are you feeling?”
Grace pulled her legs in, making room so he could sit at the other end of the sofa. She waited for him to sit down before answering. “I still feel like I’ve been run over, but I’m feeling better.”
“I’m so relieved.” Zeke nervously rolled the magazines in and out of a tube shape in his hands. “Oh, here. I got these for you. I didn’t take you for the kind of girl that reads tabloids, so I got you these instead.”
He handed her a crossword and Sudoku magazine. Two things she loved. “Thank you, I love these,” she said with a huge smile. “You didn’t have to get them, though.”
“I know, I just thought it’d give you something more to do than watch movies and homework.” He picked up the book that lay open in her lap. “Case in point.”
“But it’s a good read and it’s homework. Two birds, one stone.”
He chuckled to himself. “I’ll take your word for it.”
They talked for a while. No pressure, just friends. Grace learned he loved racing motorcycles and was secretly taking guitar lessons so he could someday play like Tommy. Tommy probably had no clue his best friend looked up to him. Grace thought it was sweet.