The Soul Mate Read Free Page B

seem to wrap my head around what was really between
us.
    But watching him with her, seeing the hunger
in his eyes heighten as her actions grew bolder, stirred something
ugly inside of me. I had never been outwardly jealous of my two
sisters, but being an averagely pretty girl in a family of
supermodels will give you a complex whether you want one or
not.
    Both of my sisters had taken after our
father: Greek born with black hair, dark brown eyes and flawless
olive skin. With their slender sleek frames and legs that went on
for miles, both men and boys alike had gone out of their way to
stare at them.
    I suppose I was an odd mix between both my
father and my mother, a 5’2” second generation Irish spitfire with
blue eyes, flaming red hair, and a pale freckled body with curves
that rivaled Betty Boop’s. Then there were my eyes. Not one person
in either side of my family had bright green eyes.
    “Ah, Trin. Looking most miserable this
afternoon.”
    Xan Deleanu.
    The guy loved getting under everyone’s skin.
I was starting to think it was his mission in life. He was
frustrating, annoying and downright arrogant.
    Shirtless, wearing only a pair of weathered
green cargos and work boots, he was covered head to toe in chunks
of mud and bits of wood. A pair of goggles sat atop his mound of
waist length dreads currently tied up in a thick knot.
    Xan wasn’t classically good looking, or quite
as muscular as Gerik was. His body was built more like a boxer,
more meat, less definition, but raw strength all the same. He had
beautiful, dark bronze skin and sharp exotic features that gave his
face a hardness he used to advantage: his bad boy image.
    “When did you get back?” I asked him. Last
I’d known, he and a few others had gone on a supply raid a few
weeks ago.
    “This morning.” Xan’s dark gaze looked back
to where Gerik and Onyx were huddled close and he smirked at me. I
shifted uncomfortably, wanting to avoid his merciless teasing.
    “How was it out there?” I asked, curious
about the state of the world.
    “Worse. A god damn ghost town full of Skin
Eaters.
    “Skin Eaters?”
    He shrugged. “Gotta call em’ something,
right? But, you don’t wanna hear the gory details.”
    He was wrong; I did want to hear them. I
wanted to hear everything about the outside world. I’d been in camp
since the very beginning of the disaster, with my ear glued to a
radio until the batteries had run out. After that, I’d begun
bombarding the raiding teams for as much information as possible.
But he interrupted me before I could push.
    “Next time we go for a raid, can I get you
something? Maybe some Midol? Or I could just offer my own services.
It’s so obvious what your needing, Trin.”
    It was my turn to smirk. “Xan the fact that
you even know what Midol is makes me happy enough. I’m feeling
better already.”
    His grin turned upside down and he scowled at
me. “I have a mamă you know.”
    I nodded knowingly. “Uh huh, I’m sure that’s
why.”
    Xan pulled a black t-shirt from his back
pocket and wiped the sweat off his face. Next, he pulled a
cigarette out from behind his ear and a lighter from another
pocket. He took a long drag, blew the smoke out slowly and then
pointed the cigarette at my chest.
    “You’d be a worthy sparing opponent Trin…if
only you didn’t have those pesky boobs distracting me all the
time.”
    I didn’t answer him. I was momentarily
fascinated by a bead of sweat running down his chest, I watched it
hit his rippled abdomen and dissipate into his skin.
    Xan snapped his fingers in front of my face
as the corners of his lips began to curve. “You with me fată?”
    I glanced up at his face, embarrassed. This
morning’s encounter with Gerik had left me feeling quite
unsatisfied. I could only hope Xan hadn’t noticed what was wrong
with me.
    “You know he’s only using her to take the
edge off. They’ve been doing that dance since we were kids. I don’t
really understand what the hell is up