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I stayed away froym and worked out with Kat in Mr Ankh’s I still hadn’t been put on rotation, but I hadn’t pushed because the zo, wasn’t sleeping

I couldn’t go on like this

"Emma," I said as I burrowed under my covers "Emma" I needed my baby sister

I wasn’t sure how much time passed before she materialized in the center of hosting her hand throughout, the hunger pains that always see "I hate seeing you like this"

"I’lad you called me" Her dark eyes were lu Cole? He’s miserable, too"

"Maybe," I said with a sniffle "Why have you been watching him?"

"I think he’s spying on the other slayers"

Why would he do that? He trusted the people around him, everyone but ed the subject "The night I was bitten, you didn’t put a rabbit cloud in the sky Why?"

"I had been watching the zombie nests, and none of them had stirred The ones that attacked you came out of nowhere"

No, they’d had to come from somewhere But where? And what did this meanfor thefuture? Can’t concentrate So tired

"I’ you," she said with a chuckle "Rest now"

Ilast; the next tione

Thursday, Nana tried to talk to me about my sudden withdrawal She orried I was sick I assured her I was the picture of health

Friday, Mackenzie and Trina insisted on driving me home from school, and I buckled in back of a beat-up Jeep They knew laze in your eyes," Mackenzie said, twisting in the passenger seat For once, there was no heat in her tone No condescension or anger on her face "I knoe’ve never liked each other, but I do h And maybe I should have warned you This is what he does This is what he’s always done"

I peered out theThe sun was bright today,my eyes water "What do you s get serious, and I don’t think he even realizes he’s doing it He just looks for an excuse, and then booht I’d seen in his eyes I’d convinced ined each instance, but what if they had been the start of the demise of our relationship? Not the visions

"Yesterday I asked Veronica straight-up," Trina said "When he broke up with her, he told her he couldn’t do the long-distance thing anymore"

I wondered what he would say about uy," Mackenzie said, "but he’s never been in a relationship for the long haul"

"I think his friendships are the sa, I know he loves us slayers" Trina maneuvered the car onto Reeve’s street "I’m never in doubt of that But I’m always aware of the fact that he keeps me at a bit of an emotional distance He does it with everyone but Frosty and Bronx--they’re like brothers with other et as close as you did, as fast as you did"

I thought I understood Cole had lost his mom to the zombies He kneould lose his dad the next time his dad was bitten, since the man had developed an immunity to the antidote If he let soirlfriend, and then he lost her, too, he probably didn’t think he would survive

The fury returned--the roots had never withered How dare he? How dare he leadh? And then to throw ht happen at some later date Because of fear

"There’s the spirit we’re used to seeing," Mackenzie said with a nod of approval

No, this was so sharper But I didn’t correct her "Has he ever gone back for seconds?"

"Never Not even e get desperate and try to steal his attention byaround with someone else," she added bitterly

There was a story there, but I wouldn’t pry

"Sowhat excuse did he give you?" Mackenzie asked

"Have you heard about my vision with Gavin?"

She nodded "Gavin has been soliciting advice"

"That’s why"

Anger glazed her eyes Anger on , and he’s not going to be able to let her go Maybe she’ll dump him, and he’ll learn what rejection feels like"