Perfectly Reflected Read Online Free PDF Page A

goodthing about it; Catherine was gone from my life and Callum’s, and neither of us was going to miss her.
     
    In the end, Grace decided to come to my house to make sure that I did things properly. Mum had organised for someone to fix the window, so I had daylight again, and the room had been left unnaturally tidy after all the vacuuming to clear up the glass. My old hair straighteners had been unearthed, and Grace leapt on them with enthusiasm, spending nearly an hour trying to get out the little kinks in my almost-straight hair before insisting on supervising my make-up. When I finally got to look in the mirror I nearly didn’t recognise myself. My long tangle of blonde hair had been tamed into sleek lines, and the outfit she had put together from the dregs in my wardrobe made me look tall and elegant.
    Grace stood back to review her work, smirking gently as I gaped at my reflection. “Rob is going to be sooo cross with himself tonight. You look stunning.”
    I nodded mutely and the stranger in the mirror mimicked my movements.
    “Now,” she continued, suddenly businesslike, “we need to go in about ten minutes and I don’t seem to be ready yet. Give me two minutes to use your bathroom and then I’ll just touch up my make-up. Don’t fiddle with anything!”
    As she said it my hand, which had been twitching up towards my hair, dropped back down to my side. “OK, I promise,” I said meekly.
    “Good. I’ll be back in a sec. Just sit still.” The door swung shut behind her and I heard her fighting with the temperamental bathroom lock.
    I turned back to look in the mirror. I knew that Callumwould have been watching, so I waited for the tingle in my arm. Within seconds he was at my side, his unruly dark-blond hair looking even more appealing than usual next to my carefully coiffed look. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I don’t have long; she’ll be back in a second.”
    “I know, but I just wanted to say goodnight before you went off to the party, as I’m not sure I’ll be able to be here when you get back.”
    I pouted at him. “I’d much rather be spending the evening here with you, you do know that, don’t you?”
    He gave me one of his most devastating smiles. “I know, but you can’t stay in for ever. You have to go out with your friends sometimes.”
    “I’m just not looking forward to it very much. I don’t want to spend the evening gossiping with the girls, and watching the boys try their luck before seeing who can drink the most without being sick. I want to be with you, and we’ve had so little time over the last few days. There’s loads of stuff I wanted to talk to you about.” I still hadn’t found the right moment to tell him about the note and Ashley’s unprovoked attack.
    A strange look crossed his face. “You do look spectacularly gorgeous tonight.” His free hand, the one not lined up with my amulet, reached up to stroke my hair, then hesitated. “I almost don’t dare touch you, I’m frightened of messing things up.”
    “Don’t worry about that,” I objected. “It’s not for anyone’s benefit.”
    “I wish it were for mine,” he said in a voice so quiet I almost didn’t hear it.
    I could practically feel my heart twisting. “It is for you, always. You know that.”
    This time the smile was rueful. “You know how much I wish that were possible. But you do have a life, and I don’t want to get in the way.”
    “You’ll never be in the way!” I reached up and tried to stroke his face, feeling as usual just the merest hint of resistance in the air. He looked glum. “Was the gathering not so good today?”
    “No, it was fine, really. I … I just…” he hesitated and looked away.
    “Callum, what is it? Tell me quickly before Grace comes back or I’ll be worrying all night.”
    “You look different, so … sophisticated. And stunning, of course. You just don’t look much like my Alex. And this is how it should be, you getting ready with your mates to go