Read Online The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting - Free Book Online Page B

parking space. Violet noted the sheer volume of rings on the hand closest to her, taking up space on every finger. “Bad shocks,” Krystal stated flatly as the car hit a tiny pothole and they were both pitched harrowingly close to the car’s ceiling, making it more than clear how useless the 1970s lap belts that strapped them in actually were.
    “Oh,” said Violet, everything seeming to make sense now. The car leveled out, and Krystal shoved the gear into drive as she pulled onto the main road, heading in the same direction Rafe had gone on his motorcycle. “Is that why Rafe didn’t want to ride with us?”
    Krystal snorted. “Nah. Rafe’s just kind of a lone wolf, if you know what I mean?”
    Violet was confused. “Not really. What do you mean?”
    “You know,” Krystal answered, pursing frosty blue lips that made her look practically corpselike. As she reached the entrance to the freeway, she frowned, glancing at both of the overhead signs, looking completely lost. “Wait! Which way was it again?”
    Violet looked down at the directions they’d printed from one of the computers at the Center. “You need to head north,” she explained. And then she turned back to the topic of Rafe. “No, I don’t know. You’ve known him longer than I have.”
    “That’s kinda the thing, I guess. No one really knows him. He doesn’t let anyone get close. Mostly, he keeps to himself. The only one who ever really tries with him is Gemma.”
    Violet understood that much, at least. She knew exactly what Krystal meant about Rafe keeping to himself. She’d felt that same thing whenever she was around him . . . that he would only let her get so close before he pushed her away again, putting up his defenses to keep her out. “So . . . she likes him? Gemma, I mean,” Violet ventured, hoping Krystal didn’t read more into the question than there was. It was normal to be curious about the people you worked with, wasn’t it?
    “Mmm . . .” Krystal frowned, reaching up to rub one of her necklaces absently. “I’m not sure anyone likes him. None of us really knows Rafe that well, I guess.”
    “So why does she try, then?”
    Krystal just shrugged. “I don’t know. Gemma’s had kind of a shitty life. I think she just wanted to fit in somewhere, to have friends. I think she thought Rafe would be . . . some sort of family to her.”
    “Family? I thought she wanted to date him.”
    Krystal’s booming laughter filled the car, and Violet half-expected to look up to find her twirling her handlebar mustache like some sort of evil cartoon villain. “God, no. Gemma’s not interested in hooking up with Rafe . . . any more than I am. And, trust me, Rafe’s definitely not my type, if you know what I mean.” She glanced at Violet, her eyes glinting wickedly.
    Violet didn’t know, but after being laughed at, she felt too stupid to ask. When she didn’t say anything, Krystal’s eyebrows inched all the way up until they looked like they were part of her hairline. “You do know what I mean, right?” Her eyes grew larger. “That he’s a dude? Not my type . . . ?” She let the words drift off, ripe with meaning.
    Violet rolled her eyes. “Got it. You’re into girls. Why didn’t you just say so?”
    Krystal snorted again. “Because this was way more fun.” She flipped on the radio and dialed the tuner until she found a station without too much static. “Damn, you’re easy to mess with. This is definitely worth a B&E charge.”
    Violet wouldn’t even have needed to see Rafe’s motorcycle to know that he’d driven faster than they had, and probably ignored any traffic rules that were inconvenient. In her head, she pictured him zigzagging in and out of traffic, with no regard to speed limits or personal safety. His or anyone else’s. He was reckless. Jay was right.
    Still, she felt a bubble of relief swell up from her chest when she realized his bike was there. And in one piece.
    Krystal avoided the