Read Online The Hunt by L. J. Smith - Free Book Online

anyway.
    â€œIt’s just so strange,” he said, unable to look at her.
    â€œAdam, what are you freaking out about? I know if you had been there when Scarlett showed up, you would have protected me, just like Nick did. I don’t doubt that for a second.”
    Finally Adam turned to Cassie, allowing her to see his tearful eyes. “I felt something,” he said. “An arm brushed up against mine in the chaos.”
    â€œWhat?” Cassie was confused.
    â€œWhen the lights went out. I had just come out of Boylan’s office and everyone started running. I was making my way toward the gym when someone grabbed my hand, and it felt like … I don’t even know.” Adam could barely continue, and Cassie began to understand just how upset he was.
    â€œIt’s okay,” she said, trying to coax the full truth out of him. “What did you feel?”
    â€œI thought it was you leading me to safety, but then we got separated. I could have sworn it was you. Because of the sparks I felt.”
    â€œBut I was already out of the gym and in the parking lot by that point,” Cassie said. “It wasn’t me.”
    There was a moment of silence as it all sank in.
    â€œOh,” Cassie said, finally comprehending what this meant. Neither of them wanted to say it out loud, but it was obvious. It was Scarlett who’d grabbed Adam’s hand. The sparks he felt were for her.
    â€œIt’s you that I love, Cassie. I swear it.” Adam’s voice rose. “This doesn’t mean anything.”
    â€œIt means the cord between you and Scarlett must be real after all,” Cassie said. “That’s the only explanation.”
    â€œI shouldn’t even have told you.”
    â€œOf course you should have told me!”
    â€œThis doesn’t change anything.” Adam persisted. But the more he swore and pleaded, the more obvious it was to Cassie that he was just as shaken by this as she was, if not more.
    â€œMy hand just got confused,” he said. “That’s all.”
    â€œYour hand got confused?” Cassie took an immediate breath to recalibrate her emotions. If she wasn’t careful, her hurt and anger would blow up right in Adam’s face.
    â€œYou don’t have to feel guilty,” she said, trying to sound sympathetic. “It’s not your fault. It just is.”
    Adam got quiet then. “But I don’t want this.”
    Cassie reached over to give Adam a kiss good night. She needed to get out of his car as quickly as possible. “I know,” she said. “Don’t worry too much about it. We’ll be okay.”
    â€œThat’s it? Don’t you think we should talk about this?” Adam asked.
    Cassie slipped Adam’s suit jacket from her shoulders. It smelled like him, like autumn leaves and ocean wind. She gently folded it and placed it on his lap. Then she put her hand on the door handle.
    â€œIt’s going to be okay,” she said, knowing she had to appear strong for Adam in this moment. Adam could always be relied on to reassure Cassie. Now it was her turn.
    â€œCassie, please don’t go.”
    â€œLet’s sleep on it,” she said, as sweetly as she could. And then borrowing a favorite phrase of her mother’s, she added, “Everything will look brighter tomorrow.”
    She got out of the car and almost made it to the front door before tears filled her eyes and began running down her face. But Adam couldn’t see them, and that was all that mattered.

CHAPTER 9
    After her encounter with Scarlett at the dance, Cassie’s sleep was fitful—nightmare after nightmare plagued her mind. As she woke up, she knew what she had to do to make it stop. She pulled the gunmetal chest out from under her bed and unlocked its clasp. She’d wanted to wait for Adam to be with her before she tried to open the book again, but time was running out, and things with Adam had just