Free Cursed by Lizzy Ford Page A

she did. The heightened color in her cheeks magnified the clear green depths of her eyes.
    “Come on. We’ve gotta get breakfast,” Mickey said, slapping his arm.
    His stomach rumbling, Jayden trailed him. The elite academy was small enough that he’d run into the singing angel again sometime today for certain.
    They wolfed down breakfast burritos on their way to their first class. The adrenaline from the morning wore off too fast, and Jayden struggled to stay awake for the first two periods. He hit the Coffee Corner midmorning and bumped fists with the football players he ran across in the hallway. They all looked like they were dragging.
    By lunchtime, he’d forgotten the girl, focusing his tired mind on surviving the day instead. He was out of it enough that he didn’t notice Kimmie until he closed his locker.
    “Oh,” he said, trying to soften his surprise. “Hi, Kimmie.”
    “Hey.” Three members of her cheer squad were lined up behind her. “You ignored my phone call last night.”
    “No, I was dealing with some things with my mom,” he replied through gritted teeth. “You know how that can be.”
    “So you couldn’t call me back this morning?”
    “I had football practice at five-thirty.”
    She crossed her arms, disbelieving. “Well, we need to talk. Homecoming is next weekend, and…”
    Drama. The reason he’d dumped her.
    From the corner of his eyes, he saw the angel walk by. Jayden’s whole perspective shifted. He no longer felt tired or stressed; he felt invigorated and drawn to her. She was headed towards the cafeteria.
    “…talk.” Kimmie finished.
    Jayden had no clue what she said. “We’ll talk later,” he replied.
    “Promise? After school?”
    “Yeah, sure.”
    Kimmie appeared appeased, and Jayden suspected he’d somehow agreed to more than he meant to. Her arms uncrossed, and she smiled. She moved away with her gang of cheer friends. Jayden waited until they were down the hallway before starting towards the cafeteria.
    When he arrived, he saw the angel was gone again. She wasn’t in line at any of the trendy restaurants or seated in the food court area. If Mickey hadn’t seen her this morning, he might’ve guessed she was a ghost.
    Disappointed, he went to his favorite spot and ordered. While he waited, he went to the soda fountains. Jayden turned to leave and smashed straight into the girl he’d been looking for. Her food went flying. She was headed for the ground as well, but he caught her against him with the instinctive agility that made Coach Higgins proud. Her small gasp, the scent of vanilla and French fries, the warmth of her small frame…
    She looked up, her eyes even prettier up close than he expected. They were as flawless as the rest of her. For a moment, they were frozen in their own world.

Chapter Four
     
    Suspended in the awkward position, Adrienne found herself gripping his vest hard, in case the arm supporting her gave way. His skin was the color of milk chocolate, his eyes warm brown. He reminded her of a magazine cover model with chiseled features, large eyes, and an athletic frame pressed against hers that was muscular and warm. Even before he flashed a huge smile, his charisma was apparent in his confident, sparkling gaze. Tall and strong, he held her whole body in one arm, as if she weighed no more than a doll.
    “Hey,” he said. His baritone voice was naturally husky.
    “Uh hey,” she murmured. She carefully pulled her feet beneath her, uncertain why her insides felt like they were shaking. Or melting. Maybe both?
    He grimaced. “I think that’s your soda.”
    She felt it then, the cold wetness of the drink crushed between them. It was running down her skirt and one leg. Humiliated, she pushed back from him. His grip loosened without letting her go completely.
    Yeah, it was her soda all right. The front of both of their white shirts were soaked, along with the front of his pants and a strip of wetness down her skirt.
    “I am so sorry,” she