Cheyne. Tanitha looked at Cameron’s platter and felt her mouth water hungrily. Cheyne smiled, obviously not missing the look of longing on Tanitha’s face.
“ Hungry?” He asked. Tanitha nodded eagerly, she hadn’t eaten since breakfast the day before. Cameron handed her his plate.
“ I’m sorry. This is the last of the sausages. You can have mine.”
Tanitha began to protest but was stopped in mid-sentence by Cheyne.
“It’s fine. He’s already had a serving.”
Cameron looked at Tanitha with a grin.
“He’s right, you know. I would be lying if I said he wasn’t.”
Tanitha, feeling much better, wolfed the whole lot down. Cheyne laughed.
“You must be hungry.”
Tanitha beamed with high spirits. She leaned back on her seat and watched with a nervous giggle as Cameron casually draped his arm over the back of it. Cheyne raised an eyebrow.
“Isn’t it a bit early for that stuff?”
Cameron winked at Tanitha before telling Cheyne, “Don’t worry. We’ll be quiet about it.”
Cheyne made a gagging noise and Tanitha laughed loudly. Cameron smiled, his eyes twinkling.
“ I see you’re feeling much better about yourself today.”
“ Yes, thank you. Thank you for letting me stay.” She said, nodding at Cameron and Cheyne. Cheyne leant forwards.
“ Hey, sis. It’s no prob. You can stay anytime. I’m sure Cameron wouldn’t mind…”
“ Quite the contrary, my dear. You could move in if you wish.”
“ I’m sure Cameron wouldn’t mind sharing his bed.”
As the brotherly bantering went on, Tanitha couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing and the two brothers grinned at each other, pleased with themselves. Tanitha smiled back, deep in thought. She felt strangely comfortable within the presence of the two brothers.
“So, are you going to the ball?”
Tanitha looked up in shock, Cameron’s words snapping her out of her thoughts. Up till then she hadn’t given the ball any thought. She wasn’t one who could go, could she? She was Tanitha, high school nobody. The ball was for the popular kids. She looked at Cheyne, clearly confused, but Cheyne was just nodding his head, serious for once. She looked back down at the table.
“I don’t know.” She whispered. She felt Cameron’s hand cover hers and she met his eyes.
“ Because I’d really love you to go with me.” He said softly, caressing her soul with his voice, enchanting her mind with his words. She wondered whether she was falling for him but decided that such a thing was preposterous.
“ I couldn’t afford it.”
“ Oh no, no. Really. Cheyne and I will pay all expenses.” Cameron replied, regaining some of his confidence and flashing a grin at his brother. Cheyne nodded happily.
“ Believe me.” He said, looking at Tanitha and Cameron with a wry grin. “You don’t want to miss out on the ball. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. And to be all paid for, you can’t lose. What do you say?”
Tanitha looked at the two brothers, gazing expectantly at her. Finally she caved in.
“Oh, all right.” She mumbled. The two siblings slapped their hands together in achievement from across the table.
Home. The very words struck chills through Tanitha. What the hell was her mother going to say? She didn’t know, didn’t want to know, but she thought now was as good a time as any to face her.
She leaped out of Cameron’s car, thanking him once again, before turning towards the house. What she saw made her blood run cold. A policewoman was standing there, obviously waiting for someone, and Tanitha knew that someone was her. Sorsa picked up on her mood instantly, and a growl rumbled in his throat. Tanitha shushed him, and sidled up to the blonde cop nervously.
“What’s wrong?”
The blonde looked up from her clipboard and then offered a hand formally for Tanitha to shake. Tanitha shook her head and the cop’s hand dropped to her side.
“Are you Tanitha Robinswar?”
Tanitha nodded and gulped loudly.
“ Hungry?” He asked. Tanitha nodded eagerly, she hadn’t eaten since breakfast the day before. Cameron handed her his plate.
“ I’m sorry. This is the last of the sausages. You can have mine.”
Tanitha began to protest but was stopped in mid-sentence by Cheyne.
“It’s fine. He’s already had a serving.”
Cameron looked at Tanitha with a grin.
“He’s right, you know. I would be lying if I said he wasn’t.”
Tanitha, feeling much better, wolfed the whole lot down. Cheyne laughed.
“You must be hungry.”
Tanitha beamed with high spirits. She leaned back on her seat and watched with a nervous giggle as Cameron casually draped his arm over the back of it. Cheyne raised an eyebrow.
“Isn’t it a bit early for that stuff?”
Cameron winked at Tanitha before telling Cheyne, “Don’t worry. We’ll be quiet about it.”
Cheyne made a gagging noise and Tanitha laughed loudly. Cameron smiled, his eyes twinkling.
“ I see you’re feeling much better about yourself today.”
“ Yes, thank you. Thank you for letting me stay.” She said, nodding at Cameron and Cheyne. Cheyne leant forwards.
“ Hey, sis. It’s no prob. You can stay anytime. I’m sure Cameron wouldn’t mind…”
“ Quite the contrary, my dear. You could move in if you wish.”
“ I’m sure Cameron wouldn’t mind sharing his bed.”
As the brotherly bantering went on, Tanitha couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing and the two brothers grinned at each other, pleased with themselves. Tanitha smiled back, deep in thought. She felt strangely comfortable within the presence of the two brothers.
“So, are you going to the ball?”
Tanitha looked up in shock, Cameron’s words snapping her out of her thoughts. Up till then she hadn’t given the ball any thought. She wasn’t one who could go, could she? She was Tanitha, high school nobody. The ball was for the popular kids. She looked at Cheyne, clearly confused, but Cheyne was just nodding his head, serious for once. She looked back down at the table.
“I don’t know.” She whispered. She felt Cameron’s hand cover hers and she met his eyes.
“ Because I’d really love you to go with me.” He said softly, caressing her soul with his voice, enchanting her mind with his words. She wondered whether she was falling for him but decided that such a thing was preposterous.
“ I couldn’t afford it.”
“ Oh no, no. Really. Cheyne and I will pay all expenses.” Cameron replied, regaining some of his confidence and flashing a grin at his brother. Cheyne nodded happily.
“ Believe me.” He said, looking at Tanitha and Cameron with a wry grin. “You don’t want to miss out on the ball. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. And to be all paid for, you can’t lose. What do you say?”
Tanitha looked at the two brothers, gazing expectantly at her. Finally she caved in.
“Oh, all right.” She mumbled. The two siblings slapped their hands together in achievement from across the table.
Home. The very words struck chills through Tanitha. What the hell was her mother going to say? She didn’t know, didn’t want to know, but she thought now was as good a time as any to face her.
She leaped out of Cameron’s car, thanking him once again, before turning towards the house. What she saw made her blood run cold. A policewoman was standing there, obviously waiting for someone, and Tanitha knew that someone was her. Sorsa picked up on her mood instantly, and a growl rumbled in his throat. Tanitha shushed him, and sidled up to the blonde cop nervously.
“What’s wrong?”
The blonde looked up from her clipboard and then offered a hand formally for Tanitha to shake. Tanitha shook her head and the cop’s hand dropped to her side.
“Are you Tanitha Robinswar?”
Tanitha nodded and gulped loudly.