These Starcrossed Lives of Ours Read Online Free PDF Page B

was doing. I had no money and no home, no college picked out and not even a high school degree. I had nothing that would help get my life together. The only reason I was still alive was because of the stranger next to me. I didn’t know if I wanted a job, a husband, kids, a family, to travel the world, or any of that. I didn’t know if I wanted anything. I started to shake.
    Ian noticed. He went to put a hand on my shoulder, but thought better of it and let it drop back down to the couch. “That’s okay,” he said. “You have a lot of time to figure it out. I mean, I’m twenty four and I just got it together. It’ll be alright.”
    I took him at his word and tried to relax. After this, the rest of the night was pretty quiet. When the movie was almost over Ian got up and yawned. “I’m going to bed. What about you?”
    I gestured to the TV to indicate I was going to finish watching it. Ian smiled sleepily at me and said, “Alright. Don’t stay up too late.”
    He went to his bedroom door and I turned back to my movie. Before I could redirect my attention, however, I felt like Ian was watching me. I turned on my seat to look at him.
    He rubbed his arm a little subconsciously before opening his mouth, and I could tell this wasn’t going to be good. “You know, you’re welcome to stay as long as you want,” Ian said awkwardly. “I’m not going to push you to move out or anything. I know you’re not certain about a job or anything yet, and it’s fine. I love that you sewed that stuff up for me, but you don’t have to pay me back or anything.”
    He fidgeted. “Just…just think of this as your home, alright? We’re friends and what’s mine is yours.”
    “We’re not friends,” I said softly.
    For the first time since I had known him Ian was silent.
    The air was so frigid that if a blade touched it, it would shatter. Ian stared back at me before sliding submissively back into his room. “Goodnight.”
    That was all I heard from him as he shut the door.
    Even though I regretted that I had hurt his feelings, I blocked the emotion out and did what I did best...turned to ice on the inside. I watched the rest of the movie and then got the couch ready for bed.
    Even as I crawled under my blankets Ian’s comments were kept out by the wall I had constructed long ago. No matter what he did, this apartment would never be a home to me. I had never known what a home was before, and I wouldn’t now. The fact of the matter was that Ian was a red checker and I was a black. His soul was clean and mine was stained so badly you’d never be able to get the darkness out. My kind and his kind didn’t mix.
    Ian needed to understand I would only hurt him. Why couldn’t he see that? And why, for the life of me, was I having trouble convincing myself of that too?

Chapter Three
    Christine
    The next morning Ian acted as if nothing had happened. We were eating dinner when he asked me a question. “Tomorrow’s Halloween. On Main Street the town likes to come and celebrate with all the trick-or-treaters. I’m usually around to help with the celebration. Would you like to come with me? Give you a chance to get out of this place.”
    I put down my spoon and thought. Was I well enough, and more importantly, was it safe enough to go outside? Ian had bought me plenty of clothes, nice ones that I could easily disguise myself with. No one in the cult would recognize me easily. It’d be nice to see my surroundings, and besides, I had to admit I was tired of never seeing the sun. Something happened when a person was separated from nature for too long, and I didn’t like it.
    I needed fresh air. I smiled back at him in response. Ian smiled back, and when he did I noticed something. When Ian smiled it was like the whole room sprung to attention and warmed up, a very welcoming and happy smile. “Alright then. I’ll be home early tomorrow, so be ready to leave.”
    I finished off my soup. I intended to be.
     
    I couldn’t help it. I