Shattering Halos Read Free Page B

bristling with buckets and brooms, cleaning supplies and shelves of toilet paper. Despite the lack of space, I managed to shut the door behind me. The closet eclipsed in blackness.
    A resigned sigh welcomed me, and the idea of someone else in there hit me as a transgression of physical laws. Wide-eyed, I swept the darkness.
    Strands of hair that weren’t mine tickled my cheek. I managed a twist in the cramped space, and my nose brushed against a lock.
    Amber and verbena, wildflowers and hay. I let the velvety scent envelop me. With my mouth open, I breathed in the heady aroma like a cat. Now I’d seen him. I’d felt, and I’d smelled him. All these senses couldn’t be wrong at once, right?
    Who is he?
    A warm breath grazed my cheek, chasing goose bumps down my neck. When I opened my eyes, the closet basked in a dim, golden sheen.
    “My name is Gabriel,” he said, and the sound of his voice condensed me down to pure instinct. My hands flew to his face and brushed over his chin, cheekbones, into his hair.
    Oh God, he sat with me at the accident until they took me away!
    Gratitude flooded me, boosting my impulses.
    Confused, I felt my abdomen clench with something else too: need? My mind erased all reason, and suddenly—
    Suddenly, I found myself kissing him!
    Full, smooth lips. So real, so much more than I could have imagined. I could tell he was shocked, but at the moment I didn’t care. With his mouth warm against mine, I let the tip of my tongue out to taste him, and my heart beat so fast it shivered.
    “What are you doing here? How did you get in?” I gasped out against his lips. Gabriel didn’t reply.
    I took one breath. Another. Then I was alone in the closet with my racing heart.
    Curious glances followed me as I stumbled out. For once, the attention didn’t bother me. I’d assaulted him in there, but strangely I wasn’t ashamed of my behavior. I felt…great!
    As I upgraded his status from mirage to somebody tangible, my disappointment over his disappearance evaporated. I couldn’t wrap my head around the way he came and went, a concern I suppressed in a dim corner of my mind. For the first time in ages, I was giddy. I mouthed his name.
    Gabriel.
    He was real! My imagination ran amok with the possibilities. On my way home from school, I evoked the addictive sensation of kissing him. I thought about how locking eyes with him hadn’t hurt. It should have worried me how all I could think about was him.
    Because of its sudden interest in butterflies, my generally routine-bound stomach couldn’t pull me through dinner. The pork chops were particularly dry that night, and Luna’s incessant chattering tested my patience. I was dying for the meal to be over so I could lock myself in my room and execute my plan.
    “Gaia, how’s your Computer Arts class? Do you get to work on your portfolio for college?” Mom’s question barely reached me.
    “Um, no Mom, it’s Computer Apps , not Arts . As in Excel and Word.”
    “Excel.” Dad hummed approvingly before helping himself to his third disorganized heap of mashed potatoes and gravy. Of course. The man once gave me an advanced calculator for my birthday.
    “Really? Are you sure it’s not Computer Arts ?”
    My eyes automatically rolled skyward. I managed to hide it until Luna started giggling.
    “No, I’m pretty sure it’s not;I’d have noticed, I think.”
    “Are you being smart with me?”
    “Mom, I’m just tired.”
    “They’ll teach you PowerPoint though, right?”
    “Maybe.”
    She huffed, and I knew she wanted more. To her, art was more important than math and science.
    “I know I haven’t been working on my portfolio much lately, but don’t worry, Mom. I’m going to Shades Run College of Art next year no matter what. It’s what I want.”
    I stowed my plate in the dishwasher, praying they would excuse me without a fight.
    “Sorry, guys, I’ve got too much homework. Thanks for dinner.”
    With my heart pounding, I glided up the stairs.