Whispering Minds Read Free Page B

ready to talk to anyone about her. Not even you.”
    He reached for his keys. “I’ll drive you home, then.”
    No. The edges of my world darkened, and I trembled against the fear bubbling just under the surface. I didn’t want to talk at all. Just being alive felt like a betrayal. Feeling felt like a betrayal. I craved the cold numbness of denial. If I didn’t talk about her, think about her, remember her, I wouldn’t have to acknowledge that she was gone. Or, that I didn’t know her as well as I thought I did. I jerked open the door. “I’ll walk.”
    Travis leaned against the wooden frame, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes hooded. I couldn’t read my best friend and that scared me nearly as much as my jumbled emotions. I’d never felt so lost and alone. He nodded. “Call me when you get home.”
    Without answering, I stepped outside. The wind licked the heat from my skin, and wet snow slopped around my tennis shoes, freezing my feet through the mesh. I knew I’d never make the seven-mile trip. Yet there was a peace in that. Part of me wanted to lay down in the cold and embrace the end, because for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what would happen next. But I didn’t stop. Stopping would imply I cared enough to choose. The truth was, I didn’t care at all.
    I felt him before I heard him. His presence as familiar as my own. “Leave me alone.”
    “Me? I’m just going for a walk.”
    I rounded on him, and the retort died on my lips. Travis stood before me, bundled in his down jacket, a fuzzy scarf and the ridiculous turkey hat.
    “Pretty hot out here, though.” He slipped my hood off and stuffed the hat on my head. The wings hung like earflaps, instantly warming me. He tugged my hood back up and wrapped the scarf around my neck. “Hmmmm. Still too hot.”
    He stripped out of his jacket, dressed me in it and zipped me up. Next came the mittens. When he finished, he threw an arm over my shoulder and started walking in the direction of my house. “Great day for a stroll. Mind if I join you?”
    I walked, unable to face the irrational feelings threatening to tear me apart. Travis was the kindest soul I knew—not all that hard considering how messed up my parents were. He was also more devoted to me than even Granny had been. Yet, something held me back from accepting his affections. Something deeper than my dad’s continuous reminders that I was unlovable. It was a bone-deep fear of being left behind. If I attached my heart to anyone, it would most assuredly get broken.
    Travis kept pace with me as I pushed through the snow. He didn’t talk, though his teeth chattered uncontrollably. Guilt slapped me in the face. “Are you trying to make me feel bad?”
    “Just making sure you get home okay.” His answer held no accusation. Just pure, selfless Travis. No wonder Granny adored him.
    “Fine.”
    “Okay then.” A shiver wracked his body.
    The fight went out of me. I would have enough to deal with at home and couldn’t waste my energy bickering with Travis. Besides, my war wasn’t with him. I turned on my heel, and we ran back through the slush to his house. At his front step, I faced him. “Just for the record, I came back so you wouldn’t freeze.”
    “For the record, that hat looks cute on you.” His dimpled grin made my stomach quiver. I couldn’t tell if it was the eggs or something more. Something I shouldn’t be feeling for my best friend, something that made me want to pull him close and kiss him. As if sensing my need, Travis cradled my face in his hands and ran his thumbs along my cheekbones. He lifted the belly of the turkey hat and kissed my forehead, sending a cascade of stars across my vision.
    My body vibrated under his touch, and the pounding in my head intensified. If I didn’t move, I’d be ripped apart. I stilled his hands, and the pain lessened.
    Travis held my gaze. “It’s okay, Gem. I understand.”
    But I didn’t.
    I couldn’t understand why wanting him