Free The Honor Trilogy: Books One, Two, and Three of the Honor Trilogy by J. P. Grider

it. “Ethan got jealous anyway.” I sort of sigh, thinking how sad that makes me.
    “So that’s good, right?” Tamlin reassures me. “If he’s jealous, that means he likes you.”
    I yank at the string and make a big hole in my bean bag chair. “No. Not right. He got mad, and now he's not talking to me.”
    Tamlin plops down on the floor and leans against the bed. “But what’s he mad at? I mean, why? You said no.”
    “ Mmm. But I…kinda told him…well, that Storm’s not as bad as he wants everyone to think he is.”
    “Honor…you like Storm, don’tcha?”
    “No. No, not at all. I don’t know.” I really couldn’t answer that question honestly. Not even to myself.
    Stretching her crossed-at-the-ankle legs atop my bean bag, she whacks her heels right onto the hole I’d just made. Thousands of foam pellets fly up in a puffy white cloud. Tam slaps her hand over her mouth in apology. I crack up at the surprised look on her face.
    “Tam, it’s okay.” I giggle. “I’m the one who made the hole…thanks for making me laugh though.”
    “Glad I could help.”
    Both of us have a good chuckle while cleaning up the mess.
    After we calm down, Tamlin puts on her serious face. Though how can someone with bright blue hair ever look serious. “You going to see your mom today?” She asks, dumping a handful of pellets into my waste basket.
    “Nah. Mom said stay home and study. I’ll call her later. She’s doing well, so Dad’s just gonna go see her.” I tell Tam while I pick up the last of the pellets and throw them away.
    “Cool. We can do homework together if you want.”
    “Sure…want a soda?”
    “Sure.”
    Grabbing our backpacks off the floor, we dart for the kitchen. Tamlin takes a stool at the counter. I get two sodas out of the fridge.
    “Honor?” Tam asks, snapping open her can of soda and taking a sip.
    “Yes?” I take a sip of my soda and sit down on a stool across from her.
    “You gonna be okay? I mean with Ethan and all?”
    Shrugging one of my shoulders, I answer as best I can. “I think so. I guess I just have to prove to him that it’s him I like…” I trail off, not sure if I believe that myself. I mean I’m really falling for Ethan. He’s terrific. And sensitive. But…there’s something about Storm that sets my heart to flutter. Maybe it’s just his bad-boy image. Maybe it’s just my empathetic feelings. I wish it were easier to tell.
    “Yeah,” Tam says. “Good luck with that. Boys are thick.”
    “Yeah.” I whisper so low she probably doesn’t hear me, but I’m having a problem agreeing with her. Ethan will not be hard to get through to. He’s pretty reasonable. What will be hard is hiding feelings from him. Recognizing emotions are something I’m guessing he’s very good at. I’ll just try extra hard to convince him I have absolutely no feelings for Storm.
    But like Tamlin said. Good luck with that. I can’t even convince myself of that.

Chapter Fourteen
     
    Though my bed is warm and cozy, my mood is cool. Hurt from Ethan’s cold shoulder yesterday and today, I can’t seem to find my smile. I don’t understand why he is so mad. It’s not like I can help it if Storm’s emotions enter my body. Ethan should never have told me what I was. It only makes me too aware of the people around me. Damn him for telling me.
    And damn him for being so upset with me. He didn’t even say hello to me today. At lunch he was nowhere to be found, and in class he just kept his frowny face down. With my empathic awareness, I pick up sadness along with the anger or worry he carried over from yesterday. Anger should be an easy emotion to figure out, but because I’m not accustomed to bouts of it, I’m not sure if that’s exactly what he’s feeling. If he’d only open up with what he’s feeling. If he’d only open up and talk to me. I’m sure we’d both feel better. But since I’m also not accustomed to being in a boy-girl relationship, I’m too nervous to