Read Online A Chance for Charity (The Immortal Ones) by S.L. Baum - Free Book Online Page A

skiing was strenuous work.
    It felt marvelous to unbuckle the ski boots
and more freely move my ankles. Sadly, the heel-toe shuffle was
still necessary as we made our way into the restaurant at the base
of Meadows. I shuffled in line between Link and Summer. She pushed
her elbow into my side and when I glanced at her she was sporting a
cheesy grin. She wanted info. I mouthed, “Later,” at her and turned
to the guy behind the counter to order a bread bowl filled with
beef stew. The aroma of the warm stew made my body realize how
ravenous I really was. My stomach grumbled, loudly, and Link looked
at me.
    “ Hungry?” he
asked.
    “ Famished,” I
answered.
    We all sat down at one of the empty tables
and I examined our little group. Delilah and Burke were leaning in
toward each other. She was giggling at something he had just said.
Rusty had one hand on Summer’s leg as he stuffed fries in his mouth
with the other. Link sat next to me, silently eating. I wondered if
he felt strange, sitting at this table with a bunch of teenagers.
Why was he here? Why did I want him here so badly?
    After lunch, Delilah proclaimed she was
finished boarding for the day. Burke accepted defeat, and said he
would take her home. Summer and Rusty said they were going over to
lift four. They were tired of Meadows and wanted something faster
and more challenging. Link and I said we were going to stay. I
waved goodbye to everyone. Summer mouthed, “Call me,” as she
left.
    I sighed, happy to be alone with Link again.
We spent the next few hours improving on my new skill. I loved
skiing with him. He was an ideal teacher and with his patient
instructions, I felt myself getting better with each run. My stops
were a little cleaner and my turns a little smoother by the end of
the day. Exhaustion started to take over just as the lifts were
about to close. We took our skis off, loosened our boots, and made
our way to the parking garage.
    When we reached his vehicle I completely
de-geared, which seemed to go a lot faster than the gearing up did.
My feet were in heaven as I removed my armored boots and slipped
them into my soft sheepskin ones. I wiggled my toes, “Wow! That
feels amazing,” I said as I stretched my arms behind my head,
lengthening myself in the passenger seat.
    Link smiled at me as he entered the vehicle,
“Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked.
    “ Very much,” I yawned as a
day’s worth of hard exercise caught up with my now still body.
“Thank you, you were the perfect teacher,” I smiled in
return.
    “ I’ve got powers,” he
teased.
    “ Awesome powers,” I
agreed.
    “ I’m glad you liked it.
Does that mean you’ll ski with me again?” he asked, uncertainty
present in his voice.
    “ Does that mean you’d
really want to spend another day babysitting me on the slopes?
Wouldn’t you rather ski at your own level? I’m holding you back,” I
worried.
    “ I can ski the harder stuff
on my days off, during the week, when you are in school. I’m
getting a kick out of watching you,” he grinned.
    “ Well I’m glad to be the
source of your amusement,” I sulked, suddenly worried about being
laughed at.
    “ That’s not what I meant,”
he corrected me. “The way your face lights up when you’re getting
it... I just love to watch it,” he paused, thinking, then
continued, “Honestly, I just like being with you. I’ve been alone
the last couple of years. It’s not a good feeling. But when I am
with you it feels right, familiar, comforting... Hell, I don’t know
how to explain it,” he trailed off lost for words.
    “ I want to be around you
too,” I admitted as I placed my hand on top of his, “and honestly,
it scares me a little. I usually keep myself rather guarded around
everyone, except my aunt and uncle. But when you are with me, my
guard slips away without my being aware. I am more myself with you
than I’ve been with anyone I’ve ever met, in any city I’ve ever
lived, in a really, really long time,” I