Free Unfaded by Sarah Ripley Page B

slight and fuzzy was pushing its way into my skin. As he held his hand over mine, I could feel the energy as it began to travel from my hand to his and back again. My body began to grow very warm and calm.
                  “Can you feel it?” Kian’s voice was low and breathless in my ear.
                  “That’s amazing. How are you doing that?”
                  “It’s easy when you know how.”
                  “Can you show me?”
                  “I am.”
                  The energy grew stronger as it rushed through my body. I could hear a heart beating in my ears and I wasn’t sure it was actually mine. A rush of feelings swept across me, happiness, content, sorrow. Kian was sad, I could feel it.
                  A memory jumped into my mind, clear as if I’d experienced it myself.
                  A hot night, bodies wet with sweat and humidity. A body pressed hard against mine. Fingers running through my hair, pulling me closer. A body warm and smelling sweetly of cinnamon. A soft caress across my cheek. A voice, heavy with emotion. Cheeks wet with tears. Sorrow. Excitement. Worry.
                  I’ll never give you up, no matter what happens. I’ll find you again. Wait for me. Another life is just a moment in time.
                  Fear ripped through my body. Gasping, I pulled back, breaking physical contact. Pulling my hand towards my chest, my eyes caught his. Whose thought had that been? Mine? His? I wasn’t sure.
                  “I’m sorry,” he said. “Sometimes that can get a little intense.”
                  I nodded. My vocal chords seemed to have taken a vacation.
    “Tomorrow’s Saturday,” he said. “Come with me someplace.”
                  I couldn’t take my eyes away from his. He seemed to look past my skin and into my very soul. I wanted to reach out and brush the bangs from his face just for an excuse to touch him again. The butterflies in my stomach suddenly turned into fire ants but it wasn’t a bad feeling. It took my breath away but I still wanted more.
                  “I’m sorry,” he said, reading my expression and thinking it was bad. “I shouldn’t have asked that.”
                  “No,” I said. I stared into those blue eyes. Even in the dim lighting I could see the spark burning inside them. “It’s not that. I mean, yes, I’d like to go somewhere with you. What did you have in mind?”
                  A smile grew across his face. “I’ve got the perfect place. I’ll pick you up around noon. Dress warm.”
     
                                                            *              *              *
                 
                  Connor finally called me after six and the two of us went out for coffee over at Bean’s. I brought my jar of red sand in my bag, figuring I’d give it to him once he dropped me off at the end of the night. It would be the perfect peace offering.
    My symbol of love.
                  Friday night in Addison is hardly a happening social event. There wasn’t much going on as usual. Sometimes during the ski season there would be raging parties over at the mountain and just about everyone was invited. But tonight things were rather quiet. Bean Town was pretty packed when we showed up. The parking lot was full of older cars, the kind that just about everyone at my school drove.
                  We managed to grab a table by the door and we sat down. Connor went off to order us drinks. He still wasn’t in a particularly talkative mood. In fact, aside from greeting me when I got into the car, we’d driven to the shop in silence. I figured he was tired from basketball practice but a part of me was terrified.