Foreshadow by Brea Essex

near tears now.
    “Oh, I’m sure she’s fine.”
    “She’s a kitten, Genevra. She’s only a few months old. What if she got out? Did anyone leave any doors open?”
    She hesitated for a heartbeat. “I don’t think so…”
    “I’m going to go look for her. I’ll be back!”
    She didn’t argue with me. “Take a coat! And your phone!” she called after me as I ran off.
    I made a detour to my room to grab my phone and some slip-on shoes. I darted back downstairs, grabbing a coat out of the coat closet. I barely paused to slip it on as I flew out the door, not even stopping to lock it behind me.
    At first I just stood in the front yard, calling for Nuada. When she didn’t appear, I started to run down the street, still yelling her name. I didn’t care if I woke the neighbors. I just wanted to find my cat.
    I headed down to the park. I don’t know why, but I felt drawn there. Maybe I’d find her hiding in a bush, or maybe she had climbed a tree and had gotten stuck. I continued to yell for her, pawing through the bushes and trying to ignore the scratches I got from the sharp needles and poking branches.
    Suddenly I felt a warm breath on my neck. “Looking for something?” a voice murmured in my ear.
    I must have jumped ten feet in the air. I whirled, right fist raised. A hand closed over my fist, and an arm went around my waist, pulling me close. When I saw who it was, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Logan.
    “Now Raena, you don’t want to damage this handsome face of mine, do you?” he asked.
    The fight had drained out of me, but I still attempted to struggle away from him. “Let me go!” I demanded.
    He leaned in until his face hovered mere inches from my own. “You don’t actually want me to let you go, do you?”
    “Yes, I do! Cut it out!” I planted my left palm against his chest and pushed as hard as I could.
    He finally released my waist, but he still had hold of my other hand. He ran his thumb across my knuckles. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you to make a proper fist? You’ll break your knuckles like that.” He tsked . “Someday I’ll have to teach you self-defense.”
    I relaxed my fist, but he still held onto my hand. He lowered our arms and swung them experimentally between us. “I always wondered what it might be like to hold your hand,” he said softly.
    “Huh?” I must not have heard him right.
    “I said ‘I bet you’ve always wanted to hold my hand.’” He smirked at me. “Now, if I let you go, will you promise not to run away?”
    “Of course I’m not going to run away!” I exclaimed. “Logan, let me go!” I wasn’t about to admit I enjoyed the cool feel of his hand, which slowly warmed against mine.
    He let go, but didn’t move away. “Now tell me, Raena. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?” He eyed me appraisingly. “Looking quite appealing in your lovely pajamas, I might add.”
    My face burned, and I felt thankful the trees were hiding the moon. I hoped he wouldn’t notice. “My cat is missing. I didn’t have time to change.”
    His expression changed suddenly. His eyes mirrored my concern. Funny, I didn’t think he had any level other than “jerk.” “Can I help you look?” he offered.
    I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was being sincere or not. “Uh, sure. I guess so.”
    “What does she look like?” he asked.
    “She’s black, short hair, and tiny.”
    “What’s her name?”
    “Nuada.”
    “Beautiful. It means ‘protector,’ you know.”
    “I didn’t know. It was her name when we got her.”
    “We?” he asked, intrigued.
    “Well, just me, I guess. I just found her sitting on our doorstep one day, the day my mom died.”
    “That’s a wonderful story.”
    I didn’t respond for a moment. I couldn’t lose Nuada! I had already lost my mother. If I lost my cat, too, it would be like losing my last tie with her. My vision began to swim. “Can you just help me look for her? Please,