Read Online Seeking Crystal by Joss Stirling - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joss Stirling
Ads: Link
saw me move away. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that, but you drive me crazy.’
‘So it’s my fault you were rude? Oh yeah, I get it. My little life here isn’t enough for the amazing Benedict family—or my own family for that matter. Basically you all despise me for not being a high achiever like you lot.’
‘No!’
‘Yes!’ I echoed back, using exactly the same tone. ‘You might wish you’d not said it but at least I know what you really think under all that charming gloss of words you spray over everyone you meet. You’re the equivalent of a verbal water cannon.’
‘Crystal, I only meant that you weren’t taking care of yourself as you should.’
I accelerated, leaving him lagging until he matched my pace.
‘I’m sorry, really sorry.’
‘Just shut up, Xav. I don’t want to talk to you.’
‘Cupcake … ’
‘I’m not your cupcake, your beauty, your anything! I’m not even a proper Savant so just butt out of my life!’
He held up his hands. ‘OK, OK. Message received. Sorry for caring.’
I shoved open the courtyard door. ‘Come on, Rocco, let’s find your supper.’
Even Diamond, absorbed as she was by her soulfinder, sensed that all was not well between Xav and me. She and Trace carried the burden of the conversation at dinner until it became awkward for everyone. I had been pleased to see her but the way she looked to Trace over the dining room table, speaking with glances, underlined how she no longer belonged with me, if she ever had.
‘So how’s your new job, Crystal?’ Trace asked kindly after he had entertained us with an account of his investigation into a recent financial fraud. His gift enabled him to track where things had been and it had led them right to the door of the guilty party who had taken to the old fashioned crime of printing his own money.
‘It’s fine, thanks.’ I twiddled spaghetti on my fork. The poor man didn’t have much to go on with that answer. Manners made me elaborate. ‘We’ve been busy doing the costumes for a film company.’
‘That must be really interesting.’
‘Yes, it has been.’
Silence fell again. I could sense Xav seething on the other side of the table. ‘Crystal’s hiding something.’
I looked up sharply: he wasn’t going to betray me, was he?
‘What she hasn’t said is that they’ve asked her to be an extra—me as well.’
‘Oh, Crystal, that’s wonderful!’ Diamond latched on to the good news with embarrassing enthusiasm.
‘It’ll just be a very short scene—a few seconds if that—bit of Venice atmosphere.’ I shrugged. ‘Probably end up on the cutting room floor.’
‘Still, but the experience will be fascinating. It hardly matters what they do with the footage.’
‘I s’pose.’ I wondered if I should mention the modelling thing. ‘There’s this costume designer who’s taken an interest in me.’
Xav helped himself to more Parmesan. ‘I thought it was me she has a crush on.’
‘Cute.’ I grimaced at him. He returned the gesture—we were acting as if we were in the primary school playground in our treatment of each other.
‘Xav,’ Trace said quietly. Why did I get the impression his whole family spent half their life reining him in?
I didn’t need telepathy to hear him think ‘well, she started it’.
‘Anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted,’ Xav gave me a mocking bow, ‘Lily—that’s the designer—thinks I might photograph well. She’s going to get a friend to take some shots on set so I can send them to modelling agencies.’
Diamond looked at Trace, her brow furrowed. What had I said?
‘I’m not joking: she said I had a face that would, you know, be memorable. She thinks I could go the whole way—become famous and everything.’
‘Oh dear.’ Diamond pushed her plate away.
‘What? You don’t think I could do it?’
‘No, no, nothing like that. I think you could—that’s the problem.’
‘You’re worried I’m going to succeed?
‘So it’s my fault you were rude? Oh yeah, I get it. My little life here isn’t enough for the amazing Benedict family—or my own family for that matter. Basically you all despise me for not being a high achiever like you lot.’
‘No!’
‘Yes!’ I echoed back, using exactly the same tone. ‘You might wish you’d not said it but at least I know what you really think under all that charming gloss of words you spray over everyone you meet. You’re the equivalent of a verbal water cannon.’
‘Crystal, I only meant that you weren’t taking care of yourself as you should.’
I accelerated, leaving him lagging until he matched my pace.
‘I’m sorry, really sorry.’
‘Just shut up, Xav. I don’t want to talk to you.’
‘Cupcake … ’
‘I’m not your cupcake, your beauty, your anything! I’m not even a proper Savant so just butt out of my life!’
He held up his hands. ‘OK, OK. Message received. Sorry for caring.’
I shoved open the courtyard door. ‘Come on, Rocco, let’s find your supper.’
Even Diamond, absorbed as she was by her soulfinder, sensed that all was not well between Xav and me. She and Trace carried the burden of the conversation at dinner until it became awkward for everyone. I had been pleased to see her but the way she looked to Trace over the dining room table, speaking with glances, underlined how she no longer belonged with me, if she ever had.
‘So how’s your new job, Crystal?’ Trace asked kindly after he had entertained us with an account of his investigation into a recent financial fraud. His gift enabled him to track where things had been and it had led them right to the door of the guilty party who had taken to the old fashioned crime of printing his own money.
‘It’s fine, thanks.’ I twiddled spaghetti on my fork. The poor man didn’t have much to go on with that answer. Manners made me elaborate. ‘We’ve been busy doing the costumes for a film company.’
‘That must be really interesting.’
‘Yes, it has been.’
Silence fell again. I could sense Xav seething on the other side of the table. ‘Crystal’s hiding something.’
I looked up sharply: he wasn’t going to betray me, was he?
‘What she hasn’t said is that they’ve asked her to be an extra—me as well.’
‘Oh, Crystal, that’s wonderful!’ Diamond latched on to the good news with embarrassing enthusiasm.
‘It’ll just be a very short scene—a few seconds if that—bit of Venice atmosphere.’ I shrugged. ‘Probably end up on the cutting room floor.’
‘Still, but the experience will be fascinating. It hardly matters what they do with the footage.’
‘I s’pose.’ I wondered if I should mention the modelling thing. ‘There’s this costume designer who’s taken an interest in me.’
Xav helped himself to more Parmesan. ‘I thought it was me she has a crush on.’
‘Cute.’ I grimaced at him. He returned the gesture—we were acting as if we were in the primary school playground in our treatment of each other.
‘Xav,’ Trace said quietly. Why did I get the impression his whole family spent half their life reining him in?
I didn’t need telepathy to hear him think ‘well, she started it’.
‘Anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted,’ Xav gave me a mocking bow, ‘Lily—that’s the designer—thinks I might photograph well. She’s going to get a friend to take some shots on set so I can send them to modelling agencies.’
Diamond looked at Trace, her brow furrowed. What had I said?
‘I’m not joking: she said I had a face that would, you know, be memorable. She thinks I could go the whole way—become famous and everything.’
‘Oh dear.’ Diamond pushed her plate away.
‘What? You don’t think I could do it?’
‘No, no, nothing like that. I think you could—that’s the problem.’
‘You’re worried I’m going to succeed?
Similar Books
