Read Online Deadly Little Games by Laurie Faria Stolarz - Free Book Online

my trip.
    The final message is from Ben. He doesn’t really say much, just that he hopes that things are going well and he’ll see me when I get home.
    I flip my phone closed and glance at my mother. Her vacant stare is aimed down at her magazine, at an ad for hemorrhoid cream. She hasn’t flipped a page in well over an hour. I want to talk to her about what could possibly be going on with Aunt Alexia and her powers, but I’m almost afraid she might actually believe that I’m going crazy, too.
    Once we land and retrieve our bags, I head for the exit ramp, feeling completely anxious about the idea of getting back to my life. I mean, if it isn’t overwhelming enough to have Adam’s fate on my shoulders, I also feel like I need to fix things with my aunt.
    Not that I’m complaining. It’s just that I feel more responsible than I ever thought possible, and I’m not so sure I can handle it.
    “Camelia?” Mom asks. “Are you feeling okay?”
    It’s the most she’s said since we left Detroit, which obviously means that I must look pretty spooked.
    “I’m fine,” I lie, walking toward the arrivals area.
    To my complete and utter shock, Ben is there, waiting for me. There’s a bouquet of lilacs clenched in his hand.
    Without a second thought, I drop my bag and rush into his arms.
    “I guess this means that you didn’t miss me at all,” he jokes.
    I bury my face into his coat, almost wishing he could swallow me whole.
    Ben runs his fingers down the length of my back and then whispers in my ear: “Two days without you is definitely too much.”
    I look up into his face, hating the fact that we can’t freeze this moment.
    “I called you a couple of times on your cell, by the way,” he says, “but I didn’t want to explain things in a message. I really wanted to talk to you. I feel bad about the way we left things.”
    “We have a lot to talk about,” I tell him.
    “I know.” The expression on his face is as grave as mine now.
    “Camelia?” Mom calls from just behind me.
    Subtly I try to wipe the buildup of emotion at the rims of my eyes. “Look who came to greet us,” I tell her.
    Mom gives him a quick hello. A second later, Dad emerges through the double doors and gives Mom a surprise attack hug. Mom can’t help letting out a smile, but I can tell she’s still distracted, even as Dad reveals what he’s got in his pocket—a dairy-free brownie from Rawbert’s, one of my Mom’s favorite places to eat.
    “I figured you’d be going through withdrawal by now,” he jokes, referring to her lack of vegan cuisine over the weekend.
    Mom gives him a tiny smooch on the cheek before turning to me. “I take it Ben will be driving you home.”
    “Is that okay?” I ask.
    “It’s fine,” Dad says, answering for her. “But we’d better run. I’m double-parked.”
    While Ben and Dad load up the car, Mom gets into the front seat, seemingly eager to get away.
    “Is she going to be okay?” Ben asks, once Dad drives off.
    “Honestly? I don’t know. Things got pretty ugly with my aunt. I’ll fill you in on all the disturbing details later.”
    “And what about us?” he continues. “Are we going to be okay?”
    “We have to be.” I wipe my eyes again. “Because I’m not so sure I can make it through all of this without you.”
    “So you need me, is that it?” He grins.
    I bite my lip, wishing I had the courage to tell him how I really feel.
    That this is so far beyond need for me.
    That it’s beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before.

I N MY ROOM , I tell Ben about what happened with my aunt. And all the while, his expression remains mostly unfazed, as if maybe he’s known the truth for some time now.
    “I think Adam might really be in trouble,” I insist. “How else do you explain the portrait? My aunt doesn’t even know him. She’s never even seen Adam before.”
    “As far you know, she doesn’t know him.”
    “Seriously?” I raise an eyebrow.
    “It’s possible,” he says,