Read Online Longing for You (Touched by Magic Book 1) by Kelli McCracken - Free Book Online Page A

of the bar and entered the hall. A few people huddled near the front but cleared a path as she proceeded toward them. At least there wasn’t a line to the ladies’ room, nor were there any signs of Jonah.
    Perhaps he and his bandmates had gone to the other side of the club, where the pool tables were located. She could only hope for as much at this point because if he were somewhere lurking, she’d never give Ally the drama-free escape route she promised.
    Stopping in front of the door, she gazed past the men’s room to the back door twenty feet away. It was possible that her friend had snuck outside to get some air. If she weren’t in the restroom, it would be the next place Cassie checked.
    The hinges squeaked when she pushed open the door and went inside. Powder-scented air freshener mixed with what smelled like sweet pea body spray. She’d know the latter scent anywhere. It’s what her sister wore, as did one of the girls at the studio. And if she wasn’t mistaken, both had given her sweet pea candles for Christmas gifts.
    As the door brushed closed, the noise in the hall faded. Voices continued to hum from the stalls, as did a few giggles. Judging by the familiarity of the sound, it was the same girls who’d entered just before she went to pay the tab.  
    She ignored what they were saying and listened to her heels clicking against the tile. Each step brought her closer to the vanity where Ally would be waiting. She had to be there. It’s the last place Cassie saw her, and she hadn’t noticed her anywhere else in the club.
    When nothing but mirrors and sinks filled her vision, her heart began pounding. Where could Ally be? She specifically told her to wait five minutes before she came to the bar. Perhaps her friend had gotten sick and ran into a stall.
    A quick spin brought her back to the entrance room—and smack dab into another woman.
    “Oh! Pardon me.”
    She grabbed for the woman’s arm in an attempt to steady her, but it didn’t stop either of them from stumbling into the wall near the first stall. Heat rose in Cassie’s cheeks over her carelessness. She owed the woman an apology, even met the stranger’s eyes to offer one. Then she noticed the face staring back at her.  
    “Cori?”
    “Cassie?” Her little sister scrunched her brows as tightly as Cassie’s felt. “Hey there. Why are you in such a hurry? You nearly took me out.”
    “Sorry. I was looking for Ally. You haven’t seen her, have you?” She watched Cori shake her head and did her best not to reveal her disappointment. “What the hell are you doing here?”  
    “Same as you. Drinking. Dancing. Flirting…”
    Cassie shifted her attention to the girl beside her sister, half expecting to see her best friend, Mariah. They were a lot like she and Ally—friends since childhood. But it wasn’t Mariah or anyone else she recognized.
    Her sister must have noticed her ogling her friend because she cleared her voice and pointed in the girl’s direction. “I don’t think you’ve met my friend, Laura, have you?” Cori waited until she shook her head before she continued. “We met last year. Her dorm room is across from Mariah’s and mine.
    “Nice to meet you.” Cassie offered her a smile and turned back to her sister. “Where’s Mariah? I thought you two were going out?”
    “She couldn’t make it. Boyfriend drama.”
    There was a natural instinct to follow her sister and ask more questions. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn’t used to Cori hanging out in the same places she did. Or maybe she was just being a typical big sister. Whatever the reason, it left her with an urge to protect her baby sister from all the terrible things in the world. Yet there was still Ally to find, hopefully before Jonah did.
    “Hey, Cor, I gotta go. I need to find Ally and head out.”
    Her sister backed away from the sink. Beads of water dripped from her hands as she grabbed a few towels from the dispenser. “Okay. I’ll be by your house