The Lost Girl Read Online Free PDF Page A

mused with a chuckle.
    “Hrumphrgh,” Harry and I grunted in unision.
    I peeked in Tristan’s direction. He was staring at the TV, watching some program intently. My gloomy mood increased considerably. He was avoiding looking at me and I could tell he was thinking that I was still tired because I had been out with Vigil all night long. He didn’t know I’d been back in the room
ten freaking minutes later
. I couldn’t even tell him to ask Harry for confirmation, because then I would have to explain about Harry sleeping in my room, in the same bed as me, as well. He was not going to be very pleased about that, either. I huffed to myself. I didn’t want to make things worse than they already were.
    The bus’s engine started running and Harry stood up,announcing he was going to crash in his bunk on the bottom deck for a while. Shortly after, Tristan followed. I rolled my eyes as I watched him leave, still avoiding eye contact with me. I could tell he was still mad about Vigil. For how much longer was he going to give me the cold shoulder?
    I stared at the TV until I couldn’t any longer, becoming drowsy with the rumbling of the bus lulling me into sleep. I headed downstairs and as I reached the last step I could hear Tristan’s voice drifting through from where he and Harry were talking by the bunk beds; instinctively, I stopped to listen.
    “I’m telling you, man, she was really upset last night. She said you flipped pretty bad on her,” came Harry’s voice.
    I heard Tristan huff loudly. “I know. I was in a bad mood. She said she was so tired but then the next minute she was scampering away all happy to meet him.”
    He had a point. Maybe it was time to listen to Tristan. I made a promise to myself that as of today, I would stop running off to meet Vigil the second he called. And I would stop “touching” him, too, even if it meant being in constant pain around him. If it made Tristan that upset, I would stop it. I could endure some pain for the sake of our relationship.
    “And something happens to me when I hear his name,” Tristan continued. “I just lose it. I just stop thinking – I don’t know why! You know I’m not usually like that. I woke up today feeling really bad about everything I said last night …”
    “Look, man, just apologize, all right? And you’ll be fine. Joey never holds a grudge. She’s got a good heart.”
    “I know. I will,” Tristan conceded quietly.
    I left them talking and climbed back up the stairs quietly. I didn’t need to hear anything further; my heart already felt lighter.
    Back on the couch, I sat beside Sam. But again, after a few minutes spent looking at the screen, my eyes were so heavy that I gave up trying to keep them open and let myself drift off to sleep. I could hear the boys muttering about something on the TV, and a breeze blowing in from an open window brushed my face. My whole body felt as heavy as lead.
    And then I felt someone holding my head softly. Sam shifted away and someone else took his place on the couch. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know who it was; I knew his scent from miles away. Tristan started running his fingers through my hair, which was his favorite habit. I loved when he did it too.
    I snuggled comfortably in his lap as he hummed a song.
    In that moment, just like that, everything was forgiven.
    I drifted back into a deep sleep, all voices and feelings fading away into oblivion. I didn’t know how long I was out but when I woke up, Tristan was nudging me softly. My eyelids fluttered open and I looked up at his handsome face. He, in turn, smiled back at me.
    “We’ve stopped to grab some lunch. Everybody is outside,” he said, quietly.
    “Oh. Okay. It’s past noon already?” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.
    “Yeah.”
    I hauled myself upright, trying to shake the grogginess away. I felt stiff and my body was aching all over. That couch was really no good to sleep on; my back was going to hurt like a bitch