Read Online The Caledonian Inheritance (The Athena Effect) by Derrolyn Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Derrolyn Anderson
Ads: Link
on the couch. The dog stood at her feet, cocking his head at her.
“Don’t worry. They’ll probably be back soon,” she said, as much for her own benefit as for his.
She picked up a book and tried to read, lowering it to see that Tripod was still staring intensely at her. She inclined her head towards the seat alongside her and he jumped up, settling down with his head on his paws. Layla flipped open her book again, noticing how the dog kept shifting closer and closer to her, hungry for any kind of contact. Soon his head was nestled in her lap and she set the book aside to stroke him gently behind the ears.
“You’re not so stinky, are you?” she crooned. His tail thumped out a reply on the cushion and as he relaxed his innocent tranquility washed over her. She felt calmer too, and had a sudden flash of insight as to why Caledonia preferred the company of animals to that of people.
Not counting Calvin, that was.
She wondered if she could ever feel as strongly about Conrad as Cali did about Calvin. She’d just experienced her very first kiss, and it wasn’t what she expected at all. She really liked Conrad, but his kisses didn’t make her feel one way or the other. They certainly didn’t alter her colors the way Calvin’s changed Cali’s.
Then a frightening thought crossed her mind. Maybe she would never feel that way about anyone. Maybe being brought up by the cold and distant professor had rendered her incapable of experiencing real emotion. Cali may have been kept isolated, but her parents had raised their daughter with love and compassion. They had treasured her for something other than what she was able to do with her synesthesia.
The dog looked up at Layla and whimpered.
She petted him absentmindedly, calming down and telling herself that she needed to be patient, and take things slowly. After all, she’d only been out with Conrad two times, three if you counted their first lunch. Cal and Cali had spent months on the run together, and they’d grown as close as two people could possibly be. These things probably took time.
Conrad was everything Layla had ever imagined she might want in a boyfriend. He was handsome, educated, polite and successful, and she couldn’t think of one good quality that he lacked. She could see his attraction to her growing, and she never felt anything but wholehearted approval when she looked into his beautiful blue eyes. She couldn’t have dreamed up a better specimen of a man, and yet she frowned, wondering why she felt so dissatisfied.
Just as the dog managed to worm his way completely onto her lap the door burst open, and the two Cals and Michael tumbled into the room, laughing at some joke, bringing their happy energy back into the house like a blast of fresh air.
“Check it out,” Michael chuckled, leaning over the back of the couch. “She likes him after all!”
“I never said I didn’t,” Layla huffed, ignoring the way Cal and Cali exchanged a look with amused smiles rising on their faces.
The dog got up and raced from person to person, sniffing them as if to reassure himself that they were all, indeed, present and accounted for. Cali could see that Layla was as relived as Poddy was.
“Hey,” she greeted her cousin as she passed by her on the way to the kitchen. “We brought home some leftover pizza… Are you hungry?”
“Maybe later,” Layla smiled up at her. “I had a big lunch.”
Cali came over to sit next to her. “So… how was it?”
“Good,” said Layla. “I had soup and crab salad.”
Caledonia elbowed her in the arm. “I meant the date.”
“Good,” Layla said. “He’s going to the reception with me on Saturday…” She lowered her voice, “He’s going to get a room for us to stay in Santa Rosa.”
Caledonia raised her eyebrows. “Really?”
Layla looked over the back of the couch at Michael and Calvin standing in the kitchen, the dog happily jumping between them as he begged for pizza. She mouthed, “We’ll
“Don’t worry. They’ll probably be back soon,” she said, as much for her own benefit as for his.
She picked up a book and tried to read, lowering it to see that Tripod was still staring intensely at her. She inclined her head towards the seat alongside her and he jumped up, settling down with his head on his paws. Layla flipped open her book again, noticing how the dog kept shifting closer and closer to her, hungry for any kind of contact. Soon his head was nestled in her lap and she set the book aside to stroke him gently behind the ears.
“You’re not so stinky, are you?” she crooned. His tail thumped out a reply on the cushion and as he relaxed his innocent tranquility washed over her. She felt calmer too, and had a sudden flash of insight as to why Caledonia preferred the company of animals to that of people.
Not counting Calvin, that was.
She wondered if she could ever feel as strongly about Conrad as Cali did about Calvin. She’d just experienced her very first kiss, and it wasn’t what she expected at all. She really liked Conrad, but his kisses didn’t make her feel one way or the other. They certainly didn’t alter her colors the way Calvin’s changed Cali’s.
Then a frightening thought crossed her mind. Maybe she would never feel that way about anyone. Maybe being brought up by the cold and distant professor had rendered her incapable of experiencing real emotion. Cali may have been kept isolated, but her parents had raised their daughter with love and compassion. They had treasured her for something other than what she was able to do with her synesthesia.
The dog looked up at Layla and whimpered.
She petted him absentmindedly, calming down and telling herself that she needed to be patient, and take things slowly. After all, she’d only been out with Conrad two times, three if you counted their first lunch. Cal and Cali had spent months on the run together, and they’d grown as close as two people could possibly be. These things probably took time.
Conrad was everything Layla had ever imagined she might want in a boyfriend. He was handsome, educated, polite and successful, and she couldn’t think of one good quality that he lacked. She could see his attraction to her growing, and she never felt anything but wholehearted approval when she looked into his beautiful blue eyes. She couldn’t have dreamed up a better specimen of a man, and yet she frowned, wondering why she felt so dissatisfied.
Just as the dog managed to worm his way completely onto her lap the door burst open, and the two Cals and Michael tumbled into the room, laughing at some joke, bringing their happy energy back into the house like a blast of fresh air.
“Check it out,” Michael chuckled, leaning over the back of the couch. “She likes him after all!”
“I never said I didn’t,” Layla huffed, ignoring the way Cal and Cali exchanged a look with amused smiles rising on their faces.
The dog got up and raced from person to person, sniffing them as if to reassure himself that they were all, indeed, present and accounted for. Cali could see that Layla was as relived as Poddy was.
“Hey,” she greeted her cousin as she passed by her on the way to the kitchen. “We brought home some leftover pizza… Are you hungry?”
“Maybe later,” Layla smiled up at her. “I had a big lunch.”
Cali came over to sit next to her. “So… how was it?”
“Good,” said Layla. “I had soup and crab salad.”
Caledonia elbowed her in the arm. “I meant the date.”
“Good,” Layla said. “He’s going to the reception with me on Saturday…” She lowered her voice, “He’s going to get a room for us to stay in Santa Rosa.”
Caledonia raised her eyebrows. “Really?”
Layla looked over the back of the couch at Michael and Calvin standing in the kitchen, the dog happily jumping between them as he begged for pizza. She mouthed, “We’ll
Similar Books
