Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls #5)(88)

Five minutes later, Lucas's grandmother came walking painfully slowly into the dining room. Kylie glanced around the crowd. Lucas still sat alone at a table in the back. The elderly woman's gaze roamedthe room and found Kylie.

When she started shuffling toward Kylie, her heart stopped. Oh, shit! She had no desire to hear Lucas's grandmother scold her for ruining her grandson's goals and quests.

Kylie went to dart out the side door when she heard her mom. Turning she saw ... her mom with John.

Oh, crap, he came. Nevertheless, she'd take John over Lucas's grandmother hands down-especially since her mom wasn't playing feely-touchy with John's butt.

Kylie took off toward her guests with fake eagerness, praying that would deter the elderly woman from approaching.

After a quick hug with her mom, and ignoring John, Kylie led them to an empty table as far away from Lucas as she could find. Her heart didn't find a normal rhythm until she saw Lucas's grandmother head to his table.

"Thank God," she muttered, and motioned for them to sit.

"Thank God, what?" her mom asked, still standing.

Kylie opened her mouth, praying something intelligent, albeit a lie, would fall out. Lately, Kylie's prayers had been going unanswered and this was no exception. Her lips opened, but nothing, not a thing, came out. Even worse, her brain had shut down.

"Thank God, what?" her mom asked again.

"That the pain in my stomach went away." Kylie pressed a hand on top of her belly.

"You've got stomach pains?" Alarm laced her mom's voice.

"It's nothing."

"You don't know it's nothing," her mom insisted.

"I do." Kylie's voice rang high pitched, fearing her mom would drag her to the emergency room. Heck, she might accuse her of being pregnant again.

"How do you know it's nothing?" her mom asked.

"Because it's just ... gas. I had a little gas."

Her mom, blushing, glanced at John. Kylie could feel her own face heating up like a Betty Crocker oven. Of all the things she could have come up with, why gas?

Her mom leaned in a little. "Do you need to go to the restroom?"

"No. It went away."

Her mom leaned in. "You sure?"

"Positive." Kylie dropped in a chair and prayed this wasn't a premonition of how this meeting would go.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Kylie, John, and her mom still sat at the table chatting. Well, Kylie did very little chatting, while her mom and John never stopped. They talked about her mom's new job that she'd be taking in two weeks and they talked about England.

"Oh, I brought you something." Her mom pulled a bag from her purse. "I know how you like T-shirts,"

she said.

Kylie couldn't help but think, My mom went to England and all I got was a T-shirt, but she smiled and pulled it out of the bag and then chuckled when she read the script across the front: My mom went toEngland and all I got was this T-shirt.

"Perfect," Kylie said, and loved that it was pink.

"I also got you this." Her mom pulled out a small white box.

The charm bracelet caught the light and sparkled, almost magically, when Kylie opened the box. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the charms. A sword that looked very much like a crusader sword, a cross that looked too damn close to the one on the sword, and a Joan of Arc emblem.

"I bought it at one of the castles and it didn't have a wide selection of charms, but ... for some odd reason I felt compelled to pick those out. I hope you don't think they're stupid."

Define "some" reason, Kylie wanted to ask, but she didn't. "No. I like them. Thank you." A certain familiar chill fell on her like a light rain.

Daniel was there? Had her dad led her mom to buy these charms? She glanced around hoping to see him, but he didn't materialize.

Soon, Kylie. Soon. The words echoed in her head, fear filled her heart.

I miss you, Kylie said in her mind. I don't know if I'm ready to die, but I do miss you.

Footsteps echoed in the room, and Kylie noticed the other parents leaving.

Her mom looked around. "These visits fly by. I should run to the girls' room before we leave." Her mom popped up and hurried off.

Kylie was about to stand to follow her mom when John rested his hand on hers. The feel of his palm sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn't cold or hot. Just emotionally wrong. She pulled her hand away.

"I was hoping to get a chance to speak to you," he said.

And I was hoping you wouldn't. She glanced toward the restroom. "I think I'll-"

"Is there a reason you don't like me, Kylie?"

She looked at him. Decisions, decisions. Was she going to be diplomatic, or honest?

Who was it that said honesty was the best policy? She couldn't remember, but she decided they were brilliant.

Chapter Thirty-two

"Let's see," Kylie said, not skipping a beat. "Let's begin with the fact that you started a fight in front of my whole school with my stepdad."

John squared his shoulders, almost defensively. "He's the one who hit me."

"After you insulted me and charged at him. And you also stuck your tongue down my mama's throat in front of all the students and their parents. Would you like me to continue? I think I could come up with more really quick."