Burning in a Memory Read Online Free PDF

smile she could manage. When she came back, Adam stood in the living room. His attention fixated on the kitchen.
    “I’m sorry for being late,” she admitted. While she wasn’t above that brand of subtle flirtation, she hadn’t mentally prepared herself for it either. She didn’t control the situation.
    “You should stop apologizing. Its fine,” he said, but sounded unsure. His cheeks still held a pink hue but he managed a straight face. When he sized her up this time, he seemed to relax.
    “I came early,” he pointed out. “That’s my bad. We have to exchange numbers to stop the awkward house calls…”
    This time she snagged a look at the clock in the corner. Its metal hands and painted numbers agreed.
    “Good plan,” she said, feeling a little a bit better. While there was no reason to sleep so late, it wasn’t all her fault.
    “Why did you come so early? Did your family move up the time?”
    Adam became engrossed in the carpet for a few moments. The sounds of the outside world in the morning slipped in the windows, allowing for a lull in the conversation that didn’t feel awkward. Children yelled somewhere down the street, cars rumbled by, and neighbors spoke loudly.
    “I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said. “It’s been bugging me since last night. And my feeling around here hasn’t changed.”
    She sobered at his evaluation. Maybe it was Mistel’s coming that Adam sensed. Maybe it was even something worse. She steeled herself with the reminder that she was protected still.
    “I’m still in one piece. See, there’s nothing to worry about.”
    Adam frowned but said nothing.
    “If we’re going nowhere immediately, make yourself at home.”
    He agreed and she remembered how to act normal. She remembered how to be human.
     

    Four
                  “What’s wrong?”
                  She forgot about the glasses she was rinsing in the sink and turned off the water faucet. Drying her hands on her own jeans, she crept back around the kitchen island. His visit had been going well, she thought. They shifted from polite chit-chat to conversations regarding music, concerts, and schooling. They talked about favorite cars, places to go, and hobbies outside of work. She felt like the change in conversation, though not necessarily deep, was a step in the right direction.
                  He went quiet and interrupted the natural flow of the conversation. Adam sat at the edge of his seat, hands folded under his chin and eyes downcast, like he hedged on bad news.
                  “It’s about time to go,” he announced, finally meeting her eyes.
                  “Is it going to be bad?” she asked.
                  “No. It’ll be okay.” His tone held as much excitement as a funeral provision. Before she could ask anything more, he stood up and made a beeline for the door. She reluctantly followed in the wake of his silence.
                  “They’re expecting me, right?” she asked when they hopped in his creaking Jeep. She couldn’t take any more silence from him, as she was already nervous about meeting the coven.
    “They are. I told them to be on their best behavior . I’m only worried because sometimes they don’t like strangers,” he revealed.
    She regretted asking. The car ride would only give her time to imagine the worst case scenario in her mind and she did. He depressed the gas pedal and pulled out of the neighborhood swiftly. The city blurred by and the trip was surprisingly short.
    While he described it as ‘downtown,’ the large lot gave the parlor a wide berth from its surroundings. A brown brick building, it didn’t appear like much from the outside. A chimney chugged out smoke from a stone fire grill. She could smell the baking dough mixed with grease blowing in through the air conditioning before Adam pulled up and killed the engine.
                  “They