most ridiculous and still be able to forgive them. A lot. And they’ll come around.
“Sean?” A clear voice , one that isn’t berating or accusing, calls down from the balconies. My eyes instantly find the girl it belongs to. She’s leaning off the second Cura’s railing and she’s beautiful, even though she looks a little out of place, among her mainly Asian-featured Cura. This girl has wide, round eyes and unruly ringlets of brown hair that cascade over her shoulders as she leans off the balcony. “Sean, it’s me!”
I glance over at Garrett’s brother. His brow is bunched, as he squints up at the girl, confused.
“Teagan?” Sean says, stepping forward. He drifts into the center of the courtyard, his head tipped back to see the girl above. Garrett and I move with him, trying to encircle him. He’s vulnerable out in the wide open, but, luckily, no one makes a move.
“ I’ve got to talk with you,” Teagan calls down. “Addo, I’m going to come down, okay?”
“Sure, why not?” Addo smiles as he slips his millionth cookie from his seemingly bottomless package. “Come on down, Teagan of the second Cura.”
Chapter 4
Who is Teagan? I ask the Addo. He does such a soft shrug that I doubt anyone else catches it.
No idea, he says.
What? You can’t just invite anyone down here, you know. Especially if you don’t even know who they are!
Sean knows her, he mumbles under a bite of his cookie. Besides, I just can’t bring myself to run screaming from any pretty little girls.
You think being a pretty girl means she’s not dangerous? You should be running away screaming from everybody right now, I grumble.
Garrett drifts closer to me, an eyebrow cocked. He knows I’m talking with the Addo, so I give Garrett the slightest shake of my head, letting him know that Addo doesn’t have a clue who this Teagan girl is.
But Garrett leans over and whispers in my ear, “It’s okay. Her and Sean had a thing a while back.”
The relief is as instant as the confusion. This girl and Sean had a thing? I don’t think of Sean as a guy who would ever have a thing with anybody. Just with books. And Ianua history. I mean, Sean is Sean . He’s Garrett’s carbon copy, so he’s every bit as hot as Garrett, but he’s...I don’t know... Sean . He’s always so even and calm and focused on learning stuff that I’ve never even thought of him as a regular guy, much less one that would ever have a girlfriend.
“ He’s got an ex-girlfriend?” I ask. Garrett chuckles, with an eye roll.
“Yeah, he’s had a few.”
“No, I mean...” I stop talking because I meant exactly what I said. This is Sean. He’s not girl crazy.
Luckily, the elevator door opens to the courtyard and I don’t have to pry my foot out of my mouth. Sean turns to see the girl as Garrett drifts back to his brother’s side. Now I’m fascinated and want a good look at this little girl too.
On the elevator ride down, she tied back her ringlets of hair behind her ears. She’s got a roundish face, kind of like Mrs. Reese, and she’s dressed in capris and a swing shirt that billows as she bends over to heft something off the floor of the elevator. Larson shoots over to the doors, in case this pretty little girl is trying to haul up a land canon or something.
“Oh...oh! ” Larson says as he looks at whatever is beyond the door frame. He blocks the way as he slouches and moves something around, checking whatever Teagan brought. I crane my head to see what’s so surprising and if it’s a threat. Mrs. Reese moves a little closer to the Addo.
“ Ok, come on in,” Larson says and Teagan finally hauls in the thing that’s been holding her up.
I t’s not a threat.
It’s a baby carrier.
I glance at Sean. His smile flattens out a little as Teagan hefts the carrier into the crook of her arm and weaves her way toward him. Sean walks forward, meeting her at the edge of the
“Sean?” A clear voice , one that isn’t berating or accusing, calls down from the balconies. My eyes instantly find the girl it belongs to. She’s leaning off the second Cura’s railing and she’s beautiful, even though she looks a little out of place, among her mainly Asian-featured Cura. This girl has wide, round eyes and unruly ringlets of brown hair that cascade over her shoulders as she leans off the balcony. “Sean, it’s me!”
I glance over at Garrett’s brother. His brow is bunched, as he squints up at the girl, confused.
“Teagan?” Sean says, stepping forward. He drifts into the center of the courtyard, his head tipped back to see the girl above. Garrett and I move with him, trying to encircle him. He’s vulnerable out in the wide open, but, luckily, no one makes a move.
“ I’ve got to talk with you,” Teagan calls down. “Addo, I’m going to come down, okay?”
“Sure, why not?” Addo smiles as he slips his millionth cookie from his seemingly bottomless package. “Come on down, Teagan of the second Cura.”
Chapter 4
Who is Teagan? I ask the Addo. He does such a soft shrug that I doubt anyone else catches it.
No idea, he says.
What? You can’t just invite anyone down here, you know. Especially if you don’t even know who they are!
Sean knows her, he mumbles under a bite of his cookie. Besides, I just can’t bring myself to run screaming from any pretty little girls.
You think being a pretty girl means she’s not dangerous? You should be running away screaming from everybody right now, I grumble.
Garrett drifts closer to me, an eyebrow cocked. He knows I’m talking with the Addo, so I give Garrett the slightest shake of my head, letting him know that Addo doesn’t have a clue who this Teagan girl is.
But Garrett leans over and whispers in my ear, “It’s okay. Her and Sean had a thing a while back.”
The relief is as instant as the confusion. This girl and Sean had a thing? I don’t think of Sean as a guy who would ever have a thing with anybody. Just with books. And Ianua history. I mean, Sean is Sean . He’s Garrett’s carbon copy, so he’s every bit as hot as Garrett, but he’s...I don’t know... Sean . He’s always so even and calm and focused on learning stuff that I’ve never even thought of him as a regular guy, much less one that would ever have a girlfriend.
“ He’s got an ex-girlfriend?” I ask. Garrett chuckles, with an eye roll.
“Yeah, he’s had a few.”
“No, I mean...” I stop talking because I meant exactly what I said. This is Sean. He’s not girl crazy.
Luckily, the elevator door opens to the courtyard and I don’t have to pry my foot out of my mouth. Sean turns to see the girl as Garrett drifts back to his brother’s side. Now I’m fascinated and want a good look at this little girl too.
On the elevator ride down, she tied back her ringlets of hair behind her ears. She’s got a roundish face, kind of like Mrs. Reese, and she’s dressed in capris and a swing shirt that billows as she bends over to heft something off the floor of the elevator. Larson shoots over to the doors, in case this pretty little girl is trying to haul up a land canon or something.
“Oh...oh! ” Larson says as he looks at whatever is beyond the door frame. He blocks the way as he slouches and moves something around, checking whatever Teagan brought. I crane my head to see what’s so surprising and if it’s a threat. Mrs. Reese moves a little closer to the Addo.
“ Ok, come on in,” Larson says and Teagan finally hauls in the thing that’s been holding her up.
I t’s not a threat.
It’s a baby carrier.
I glance at Sean. His smile flattens out a little as Teagan hefts the carrier into the crook of her arm and weaves her way toward him. Sean walks forward, meeting her at the edge of the
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