Free Echoes of Silence (Unquiet Mind Book 1) by Anne Malcom Page A

anything. She always let me be who I was.
    I had experimented with looks, what teenager hadn’t? But I’d never felt the crisis of identity that I read came with adolescence. I’d always known exactly who I was and was comfortable with that. I knew that had a lot to do with having a slightly crazy but amazingly supportive mom. She let me discover who to be and indulged my passion for music and books, even when she didn’t understand it. I knew she scrimped and saved to get my guitar lessons before I had started teaching myself.
    But that morning, I had tried on every item in my wardrobe with Killian in mind. In the end, I put on khaki green, tight combat pants. They were way low slung, and I had to lie on the bed holding my breath to do them up. I had paired them with a white racerback tank, knotted at the front to show off a teeny bit of midriff. Not enough to raise school eyebrows or my mom’s—I doubted that would be possible anyway. Then I slung multiple necklaces around my neck and tamed my wild curls so they tumbled down past my bra strap. I wanted to look effortless, but still hot.
    I frowned at the freckles dusting my nose, then remembered Killian’s name for them. I decided against covering them up with any makeup and just went for glossy pink lips and a swipe of mascara.
    Of course, the no-makeup look took way longer than it was meant to, so I was subjected to Mom pounding on my door threatening murder and dismemberment if I made her miss Shelly coffee. We had discovered it the first day we arrived in Amber and Mom had proposed to Shelly, the maker of said coffee, that very day; it was that good.
    Since I’d been up for hours, I’d already had two cups. Coffee was serious for Mom and me; we needed it.
    I hustled out. “Sorry, sorry,” I chanted, stuffing books in my embroidered backpack.
    “Wow,” Mom exclaimed, her eyes glancing down my body. “Oh to be young again and pull off things like belly-baring outfits and pants like that,” she mused, her eyes dreamy.
    See? No judgment. I would have to be wearing hot pants and a sequined bra to cause any disapproval.
    I rolled my eyes. “You borrowed these pants last month,” I reminded her.
    She tilted her head, remembering. “Oh yeah. I did look good in them too.”
    “Don’t ask me how you’re the same size as me with the eating habits of a prize bull, but you are. I guess it bodes well for my future,” I said, grabbing my lunch from the fridge.
    Mom hustled me out of the house. “It will bode even better for your future if you hurry up so your mother can get caffeine into her ageless body before she expires.”
    I was not joking about the coffee.
    She dropped me off and I spent the first few periods barely listening, barely taking anything in; my thoughts were on seeing Killian again. So I had wandered aimlessly into the cafeteria, trying to casually scan it for him.
    “Hey, Freckles,” a voice sounded from behind me.
    I swallowed and turned slowly, my eyes meeting Killian’s for a split second before his traveled down my body. I watched in amazement as they darkened. My belly fluttered at the way his gaze was a physical touch.
    “Hey,” I breathed.
    I was totally happy about every moment spent over my outfit today. Killian returned his gaze to my face and his muscled arm moved up to lightly tug on my curl.
    “Like your hair down,” he murmured quietly.
    The flutter in my stomach intensified so much I could almost feel it in my throat. The way he touched me, so casually, was intoxicating. I wanted more. I wanted to kiss him, almost more than my next breath.
    “Lex!” a voice shouted.
    I jumped as the roar of the cafeteria returned. I moved my gaze to see Sam waving me over to a table with him, Noah, and Wyatt. I chewed my lip.
    Killian glanced in their direction, his eyes blank.
    “We don’t have to sit with them,” I said quickly, though my heart dropped at the thought of my boys and my... whatever Killian was, not being able to