Read Online Experiment in Terror 05 On Demon Wings by Karina Halle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karina Halle
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could have sworn I heard
someone whispering my name from my closet and when I
wasn’t freaking out over that, I was torn up inside by the
reality of what had happened to me. Though I never wanted
a baby, and having a child would have probably ruined my
life in some way or another, I was fighting a battle between
despair and relief. One minute I was relieved that I lost the
baby, the next I was wrecked to the point of tears for feeling
that way. It was almost as if I was upset over what could
have been. A what if that preceded the what if . And that first
what if was something I didn’t let myself think about.
By Thursday night, Maximus got in touch with me. He
apologized for not getting back to me earlier (something
about doing a reading for a local couple) and I apologized
for not having an answer for him about the show. With al
that had happened, returning to Experiment in Terror was
the last thing on my mind and I couldn’t bother devoting an
ounce of thought to it.
He didn’t sound too bothered by my reluctance, though.
“You take your time darlin’,” he said through the phone.
“The only thing I’d like an answer on is when can I take you
out on the town?”
I was sitting on the couch and my mother was at the end
of it, pretending to pay attention to the commercials in
between America’s Next Top Model , though I knew she
was listening to my conversation like a hawk.
It was a good question. I hadn’t felt like going to work
and dealing with day-to-day people, let alone go out on a
date. It was far too soon for me to handle.
“I know this sounds like an excuse,” I began, turning
away from my mother for the slightest bit of privacy, “but I’m
real y sick. I haven’t been going to work, even.”
“Sick?” he drawled. “You want me to come by and bring
you soup? My mama taught me a mean recipe, extra spicy,
shoots that cold right out of ya.”
“No, that’s OK,” I told him. “I’m doing better. I just need to
take it easy for a while.”
“Al righty,” he said. “I know when I’m being brushed off.
But I don’t give up that easily.”
“I swear I’m not brushing you off,” I told him. “Though I
admire your persistence.”
“Darlin’, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
I couldn’t help but grin at that and flushed red once I
realized my mother was now blatantly staring at me.
“How about,” he continued, “I cal you next week. Give
you time to pep up.”
I sighed internal y. He real y was persistent. I
remembered the way he hounded me in Red Fox, trying to
convince me to leave with him and leave Dex behind with
the skinwalkers. I didn’t bend then and I tried hard not to
now.
“You can try,” I said, making sure to add a teasing tone
to my voice so he wasn’t too discouraged.
“Then I shal . Have a good night, my lady.”
There was a click of silence and I slowly pressed the
end-cal button.
“Who was that?” my mother asked careful y. There was
an edge to her voice.
“Oh,” I said with a shrug. “Just some guy.”
“Dex?” she asked venomously. Her tone jolted me.
“No!” I exclaimed. “Not Dex. Do you think I’m stupid?”
She didn’t say anything. Of course she thought I was
stupid. Look what had just happened to me.
“It was this guy Maximus,” I explained with a sigh, tucking
my feet underneath the quilted blanket. “I met him while we
were in Red Fox. He lives in Portland now.”
“Oh,” she said. She stil looked suspicious but a wave of
relief washed across her brow. It was official; my parents
hated Dex with a passion. And I couldn’t blame them at al .
Not that I cared.
“Is this Maximus a nice guy?” she asked.
“I think so. He’s very polite. Old-fashioned. You’d
probably like him.”
“Then we should have him over for dinner sometime.”
I was taken aback. I gave her an incredulous look. “We
aren’t dating mom. I mean, he just asked me out on a date
but I’m
someone whispering my name from my closet and when I
wasn’t freaking out over that, I was torn up inside by the
reality of what had happened to me. Though I never wanted
a baby, and having a child would have probably ruined my
life in some way or another, I was fighting a battle between
despair and relief. One minute I was relieved that I lost the
baby, the next I was wrecked to the point of tears for feeling
that way. It was almost as if I was upset over what could
have been. A what if that preceded the what if . And that first
what if was something I didn’t let myself think about.
By Thursday night, Maximus got in touch with me. He
apologized for not getting back to me earlier (something
about doing a reading for a local couple) and I apologized
for not having an answer for him about the show. With al
that had happened, returning to Experiment in Terror was
the last thing on my mind and I couldn’t bother devoting an
ounce of thought to it.
He didn’t sound too bothered by my reluctance, though.
“You take your time darlin’,” he said through the phone.
“The only thing I’d like an answer on is when can I take you
out on the town?”
I was sitting on the couch and my mother was at the end
of it, pretending to pay attention to the commercials in
between America’s Next Top Model , though I knew she
was listening to my conversation like a hawk.
It was a good question. I hadn’t felt like going to work
and dealing with day-to-day people, let alone go out on a
date. It was far too soon for me to handle.
“I know this sounds like an excuse,” I began, turning
away from my mother for the slightest bit of privacy, “but I’m
real y sick. I haven’t been going to work, even.”
“Sick?” he drawled. “You want me to come by and bring
you soup? My mama taught me a mean recipe, extra spicy,
shoots that cold right out of ya.”
“No, that’s OK,” I told him. “I’m doing better. I just need to
take it easy for a while.”
“Al righty,” he said. “I know when I’m being brushed off.
But I don’t give up that easily.”
“I swear I’m not brushing you off,” I told him. “Though I
admire your persistence.”
“Darlin’, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
I couldn’t help but grin at that and flushed red once I
realized my mother was now blatantly staring at me.
“How about,” he continued, “I cal you next week. Give
you time to pep up.”
I sighed internal y. He real y was persistent. I
remembered the way he hounded me in Red Fox, trying to
convince me to leave with him and leave Dex behind with
the skinwalkers. I didn’t bend then and I tried hard not to
now.
“You can try,” I said, making sure to add a teasing tone
to my voice so he wasn’t too discouraged.
“Then I shal . Have a good night, my lady.”
There was a click of silence and I slowly pressed the
end-cal button.
“Who was that?” my mother asked careful y. There was
an edge to her voice.
“Oh,” I said with a shrug. “Just some guy.”
“Dex?” she asked venomously. Her tone jolted me.
“No!” I exclaimed. “Not Dex. Do you think I’m stupid?”
She didn’t say anything. Of course she thought I was
stupid. Look what had just happened to me.
“It was this guy Maximus,” I explained with a sigh, tucking
my feet underneath the quilted blanket. “I met him while we
were in Red Fox. He lives in Portland now.”
“Oh,” she said. She stil looked suspicious but a wave of
relief washed across her brow. It was official; my parents
hated Dex with a passion. And I couldn’t blame them at al .
Not that I cared.
“Is this Maximus a nice guy?” she asked.
“I think so. He’s very polite. Old-fashioned. You’d
probably like him.”
“Then we should have him over for dinner sometime.”
I was taken aback. I gave her an incredulous look. “We
aren’t dating mom. I mean, he just asked me out on a date
but I’m
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