Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls #5)(110)

He ended the kiss, smiled down at her, and exhaled. "I'd better go before I can't leave."

She watched him go and then looked up at the dark pink sky, and hoped with everything she had that she wasn't taken from this world until she had experienced life. And she truly hoped that Lucas was part of that life.

* * *

That night, after listening to Della and Miranda bicker for the last two hours, Kylie darted out of the bathroom, wearing a towel, and headed to her bedroom. She barely got two steps when Della shot in front of her.

"No. Solve it yourself!" Kylie snapped, certain that was what Della wanted. "I'm tired of being the referee!"

Della paused, smiled in an evil little way, and then said, "Never mind."

Skirting around Della, Kylie shut her bedroom door with just a touch of attitude. She tossed her towel on her dresser and turned to the bed where she'd left her PJs. Only it wasn't just her PJs on the bed anymore.Lucas, eyes wide, sat on the foot of her bed, about four feet from where she stood completely naked.

She squealed.

He laughed.

She dashed for the towel.

Once she had it around her, she glared from a still grinning Lucas to the door. "I'm killing Della!"

He laughed again. "I'm afraid I might have to protect her for this one."

"I tried to tell you," Della called out, laughing, and Miranda laughed with her.

Kylie's fury faded to embarrassment, then when she saw the sexy way Lucas looked at her, her emotions changed into something else.

He stood up and started walking toward her. "You are so damn beautiful."

She tightened her hold on the towel.

He stopped about a foot from her. "I just came to tell you that I got a call from my grandmother. The elder has agreed to meet with me."

Kylie smiled. "That's great."

His gaze traveled up and down her towel-clad body. "I don't suppose I could get another peek of what's under that piece of cotton, could I?"

She cut her eyes at him.

"I don't want to be too presumptuous, but you do know that sooner or later I'm probably going to get to see it all anyway."

"I know," she said, and she was actually looking forward to it. Just not with her two roommates listening in.

His smile widened. "Okay, so just a kiss good-bye."

She nodded. He moved in. In less than two minutes he'd left. The kiss was hot, wet, and toe curling.

He'd run his hand inside her towel and touched her bare back.

Fifteen minutes later, she was still only wearing the towel, staring up at the ceiling in a happy haze, when her phone rang.

She snatched it up, thinking it would be Lucas. "I don't know why you left in such a hurry," she teased.

But she had known, he'd wanted her.

"Uh, I didn't leave. This is Sara?"

"Oh. I thought you were..."

"You thought I was who? Or should I say which one."

Kylie blushed and decided to just come clean. "I thought you were Lucas."

There was silence for a second and then Sara asked, "Can I ask you something?"

What was it with Sara wanting her to lose her virginity? "Sure, ask away." At least this time, Kylie could tell her that it would probably be happening soon.

"Do you consider you and Trey completely done with? Like ... last year's news? Or is there a chance you two might-"

"It's so over." Kylie gripped the phone tighter. "Look, if he's trying to get you to talk to me, it's not going to work."

"No. It's not ... that. It's ... Where do you stand on friends dating another friend's old boyfriend?"

Kylie stared at the ceiling and tried to wrap her head around this. "Wow. Uh. Well, I would tell thisfriend to be careful because Trey has a few flaws."

Sara sighed. "I know, but ... he's sort of been there for me during the whole cancer thing, and you know ... some people deserve a second chance. I got one. Maybe Trey deserves one."

Kylie heard something in Sara's voice she liked. She heard the old Sara. Kylie smiled. "You're right.

Everybody deserves a second chance. And when I think about it, until he got all sex crazed, he was a pretty good guy."

"So you really wouldn't object?" Sara asked, sounding unsure.

"No, I give you my blessing. I'll sing at your wedding."

"Please." Sara chuckled. "I'm probably one of the few people who knows you can't sing worth a damn.

Remember in the sixth grade when our moms made us try out for the play? And you had to sing. You got out a couple of words and then you puked on the stage."

They both laughed. And Kylie accepted that while she and Sara would probably never be as close as they once were, Sara was a part of her life that Kylie would forever cherish.

When the laughter stopped, Sara cleared her throat. "So, when are you going to come clean about healing me?"

Kylie tried to think how to say it. "You know what, Sara? If you want to believe I healed you, then believe it. But I wouldn't tell a lot of people. They'll think you're crazy."

* * *

Thursday night Kylie practiced with Lucinda. The last three days had passed without major chaos. Steve and Della were actually speaking. Kylie couldn't swear on it, but she'd bet the vamp and Steve were seeing each other on the side.