Wishful thinking that he'd discovered her missing and was worried and came looking for her.
Wishful thinking that he didn't know what the other chameleons were up to.
But wishful thinking could land her and Derek up to their eyebrows in trouble. So she stood frozen in one spot and waited. As soon as the footsteps faded between the shadows of the trees, Kylie said to Derek, "We have to go and go fast."
"I'm not arguing," he said.
"I'm going to let go of you and I think you should just go visible again."
"You think?" Derek asked, and yes, there was a tad of fear in his tone. "Oh, shit. You haven't done this before?"
"Not really," Kylie confessed.
"Okay, let's hope it works." He released her hand. Kylie closed her eyes and willed herself visible. A second or two passed and she opened her eyes. When she didn't see Derek, her heart pounded and fear swirled in her chest.
"Derek?" she whispered. Tears filled her eyes. Oh shit, had she done something terrible?
"I'm behind you," he said.Kylie swirled around and her breath eased out of her at the sight of him.
"You ready?" he asked, and smiled as if he'd read and liked that she'd been freaked out at the thought of losing him. Because face it, that meant she cared, right?
Not that it was a surprise. She'd never stopped caring. She just didn't know if her caring was in the same way he felt about her.
"Ready," she said. "We have to hurry." And they did.
They ran, side by side. She never pushed it to a level he couldn't make, though.
When they reached the five-foot fence, Kylie took his hand, ready to help him if needed. He didn't seem offended. If anything, he smiled and pressed his palm against hers. The smile, and the contentment that filled his gaze, reminded her that he'd tried to kiss her and only added to her anxiety.
Was it just too soon after her heartbreak with Lucas?
Or was it just too late for her and Derek?
Realizing this wasn't the time for contemplation, she started running faster. Holding Derek's hand tight, they leapt over the fence.
They came down with a good thud. Derek caught her around the waist. His breathing, heavy enough that his chest moved in and out under the dark T-shirt, matched her own. Their gazes met for one second, a second that felt as if it came out of some romantic movie. The kind where soft music played in the background. The kind that ended in some hot kiss. She pulled away. "We have to go."
Disappointment flashed in his eyes, but in a blink it disappeared. She knew he'd read her emotions.
Probably felt her confusion. And being Derek, he wouldn't push, or at least not too hard. Then again, trying to steal a kiss earlier had been pretty bold for him.
Maybe this was a new Derek?
Maybe she'd have to be a bit more careful?
Derek snatched the suitcase from her hand and they started running again. Running away from her new problems, but right back to her old ones.
* * *
They got a good mile away before Kylie gave in and stopped. She glanced around. They stood beside a road, and while she'd lost her bearings, she felt certain they were less than five miles from Shadow Falls.
In the distance, a bird called out to its mate. Soft insect sounds vibrated in the night air. The verdant smells of plant life swirled around them. The pending danger should be over. They were far enough away -the guards wouldn't come this far. But some tiny sensation in the pit of her stomach said not to be so sure.
"I should call Burnett," Derek said.
"I guess." The hint of danger stirring in her gut faded at the thought of how she would explain all this to the stern vampire. Frustration swelled inside her. Burnett would be furious and assume her grandfather had been lying all along. And yes, Kylie would admit it almost appeared that way, but she couldn't believe it. She wouldn't stop believing in him until she spoke with him-until he looked her square in the eye and wouldn't deny it. Maybe she hadn't known him very long, but for some reason, she felt she knew him. Knew him well enough to believe that if he'd done this, he wouldn't deny it. He'd own up to it, maybe claim he had reasons, but he wouldn't lie.Again, she wondered if it had been him hanging around earlier, before they'd made a run for it. The ache in her chest, the one she recognized already as missing him, tugged at her heart.
"Hey ... you okay?" Derek asked, and ran his hand down her forearm.
"I will be," Kylie said, and she had to believe that.
"So ... you don't want me to call Burnett?" Derek dropped the suitcase and pulled his phone out of his pocket, but he hesitated to dial, waiting for her permission.
"No, call him," she said, accepting it was the right thing to do. She'd just have to deal with Burnett's disapproval of her grandfather.
He punched in a button and frowned. "My phone's dead." He punched in a couple more numbers. "I know I charged it. Shit." He jumped and tossed the cell to the ground. "What the hell? That thing shocked the fire out of me," he blurted out.
Kylie watched as sparks started shooting from the phone, then a buzzing sound came from the device, followed by smoke.
"I didn't know that could happen," Derek said.
"It doesn't."
"It's a new phone, too," he complained. "My mom's going to have a fit."
Remembering some ghosts could do things with phones, Kylie put her feelers out for ghosts. No cold brushed up against her flesh. She looked around, searching for ... She didn't know what she expected to see, but something told her the phone's demise wasn't an accident. As her gaze shifted from side to side, the night gave nothing up. Darkness swallowed up the terrain. The paved street looked abandoned. The street lights stood dark, not a flicker of illumination flowed from their bulbs.
Something was out there, but what? It didn't feel like a ghost.
"We'd better run."
He reached for her arm. "What is it?"
"I don't know, but I don't like it."
"That makes two of us," Derek said.
"Three," a voice said beside Kylie.
Kylie turned and the spirit of the murderous woman stood beside her. "You did this, didn't you?"
"Why would I blow up my own phone?" Derek asked.
"Not you," Kylie said, but didn't look away from the spirit.
No! I stopped blowing up phones years ago. I found much better ways to make my presence known.
Kylie turned to Derek. "Let's get out of here." He picked up the suitcase and they started to run.
No! This way. The spirit started in a separate direction.
Stopping, Kylie reached out and snagged Derek's arm, bringing him to a jerky halt.