Free Awaking (The Naturals, #1) by Madeline Freeman Page B

Ris’s shoes off and covered her with a blanket. Corbin smoothed Ris’s hair away from her face and kissed her on the forehead. Then they snuck back through the house and closed the front door. They didn’t speak until after Corbin had pulled out of Ris’s driveway.
    “I think you should drop me off at my car,” Morgan said. “I can get home from here.”
    Corbin shook his head. “It’s late. I want to make sure you get home safely.”
    “Then follow behind me. I need my car.”
    “For what?”
    “What do you mean, for what? It’s my car and I need it.”
    “Tonight?”
    “What?”
    “Do you need your car tonight?” Corbin repeated.
    “Well, no, but I need it tomorrow—”
    “Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow and I’ll drop you off then.”
    “Corbin, don’t be ridiculous—”
    “Morgan, drop it.”
    There was a finality in Corbin’s voice and Morgan realized she wasn’t going to win the argument. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the window grumpily until Corbin pulled up to her house.
    “Morgan?”
    Morgan glanced at him. “What?”
    “Is any of this stuff, you know, kinda freaking you out?” He wasn’t looking at her.
    Morgan thought about it. “Is it crazy? Abso-freaking-lutely. Is it freaking me out? No.”
    “Why not?” This time, Corbin actually looked at her.
    She shrugged. “I guess because I’ve always been different from other people. And let me tell you, being different because you’ve got some sort of crazy ability is a helluva lot better than being different because your mom up and disappeared and everyone in the school thinks it’s because your dad killed her.”
    “That’s why Lynna stopped claiming you as family, wasn’t it?” Corbin asked. “Joss, I mean.”
    Morgan nodded. “Kids are terrible. After my mom disappeared in second grade, it seemed like the whole school knew about it. I’m sure they did—I mean, it was kind of big news. My dad was taken in for questioning and everything. He was a suspect until the cops realized his alibi was airtight. Still, they called my dad a psycho and they called me a psycho. And when Joss stood up for me, they started calling her a psycho, too.” Morgan sighed. “She’s always cared more about what people thought about her than I have.”
    “Cared more about that than her own family.”
    “Thing is, I don’t even blame her—not really. Not for that. The thing I can’t stand is that she turned into somebody I don’t even recognize. She’s completely consumed by other people’s perception of her.”
    Corbin reached across the car and covered Morgan’s hand with his. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.
    Morgan looked down at their hands and then over at Corbin. “Wow. Talk about things that kinda freak you out.”
    At this, Corbin laughed. He removed his hand. “I guess we are a strange pair.”
    Morgan raised an eyebrow at him. “Pair of what?”
    Corbin shrugged. “Naturals, I guess.”
    Morgan nodded. “I guess.” She glanced at her house. “Look, I should head in. You’re not gonna, like, insist on walking me to the door, are you?”
    Corbin shook his head. “But I will sit here until you’re in the house.”
    “Fair enough.” Morgan looked at him. “Thanks, Corbin.”
    “You’re welcome,” Corbin said. “For what?”
    “For being a completely decent person to have my first freaky experience with.”
    Corbin smiled. “Well, then, thank you, too.”
    “I’d say anytime, but…”
    Corbin laughed. “Goodnight, Morgan.”
    “Goodnight.”
    Morgan got out of the car and walked up the driveway to her house. She unlocked the door and let herself in. It was only after she closed and relocked the door that she realized her father was sitting in the living room.
    “And who was that?” he asked, a twinkle in his eye.
    “Banish that thought right away,” Morgan said, walking into the living room and sitting down on the couch. “Just a friend. Kind of.”
    “He’s kind of just a