The Last Echo Read Online Free PDF Page A

up.
    Keeping his hands hidden beneath the table, he used the nail of his left index finger to dig at the polish, cursing himself for being so careless, so reckless. He hoped that no one else had noticed it. He ran through the list of people he’d come in contact with already that day.
    He retraced his steps in his head, trying to remember who he’d spoken to, who might have had the opportunity to see his hands up close.
    His eyes shot upward, widening—a little too much at first—and then he narrowed them, keeping them trained on her, the girl behind the counter. Had she seen it? Did she notice the sliver of nail polish he’d forgotten to scrub away?
    It was then that she looked up at him, and for a moment time seemed to freeze as they stayed like that, staring at each other. His heart was racing as his mind worried over what she might have witnessed. And then her lips parted, her brown eyes fastened on his, sparkling as she smiled at him. Fully. Without inhibition.
    It was the loveliest of smiles.
    His mouth curved in response, daringly. Boldly. Telling her that he, too, was ready, even as his heart hammered recklessly.
    She involuntarily licked her lips, reaching up to tuck that invisible strand again, before turning back to the next customer in line. He knew he was still smiling, but he couldn’t help himself. It was soon—too soon after his breakup—but there was no accounting for love, after all, was there?
    When he was sure he’d scraped away every last trace of the shimmering purple lacquer, he carefully folded his newspaper and tucked it beneath his arm. He was done here for now. He would have to come back later, when the girl’s shift was over. Maybe he could even have a chat with her. Maybe they’d hit it off.
    Maybe it was time for him to get a new girlfriend.

Chapter 3
     
     
    VIOLET GLANCED AT THE ASSORTMENT OF SCIENCE journals and National Geographic s on the table in front of her. She always wondered why doctors and dentists didn’t fill their waiting rooms with more interesting reading material like fashion magazines or entertainment news. Even tabloids would be better than the assortment in front of her. It looked like school . . . on steroids. She reached for a copy of Scientific American with a cover article about dark matter, and she absently flipped through the pages, not really noticing them.
    A faint headache pulsed at her temples and she knew what it was . . . it had been there all day, taunting her. Just enough discomfort to remind her that she wasn’t entirely in control of her ability. Which was why, of course, she was sitting here now, at the appointment Sara had scheduled for her for this afternoon. Violet knew Sara only had her best interests in mind. That she wanted Violet to be safe. And safe meant learning to curb her impulses . . . to stop the echoes from consuming her, especially in the days after finding a body.
    Dr. Lee opened the door to his office and poked his head out. “Ready?”
    Violet tried not to sound too morose as she muttered, “As I’ll ever be, I suppose.” She dropped the magazine back on the coffee table as she got up to follow him.
    Inside his office, she went to her usual spot, a chair across from the couch and adjacent to Dr. Lee’s. Funny how they’d already established a routine after only a few sessions. Funny, too, how Violet refused to sit on the worn leather couch, no matter how inviting it looked. Somehow the couch made it feel more . . . shrink like.
    Dr. Lee gave Violet an easy smile as he crossed his legs, setting her file aside and giving her the impression he’d just been brushing up on her case. “How are you today, Violet?”
    There was no point mincing words—wasn’t it kind of his job to know if she wasn’t being completely honest? “A little better today. The breathing exercises and CDs have helped, but I’m still feeling . . . uneasy.”
    He settled back but his eyes never left her face. His bushy,