The Vampire Diaries: Trust In Betrayal (Kindle Worlds) (In Time We Trust Trilogy Book 3) by Michelle Hazen
Authors: Michelle Hazen
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fire, Stefan,” she says.
I look away, staring unfocusedly at a display of fishing poles. “It’s just stuff,” I say, because I know that’s what she wants to hear.
“It is just stuff.” She sounds pleased at my conclusion. “And you still have the memories that went with all those things. You can never lose those.”
Before I can think of something placating to say, she swoops in, testing my ribs with a ferocious hug that presses her soft breasts against my chest, her notepad digging into my spine. “And you still have the people who you’re going to make more memories with.”
It’s a cliché, but something about her words trips me up. I swallow and let my arms find their way around her slim shoulders, the silky waves of her hair tickling my knuckles.
“Yeah,” I say gruffly, squeezing her a little tighter than I meant to. “I know.”
Chapter 4: Painfully Close
JEREMY
Cali’s ear buds pour a song from the Raconteurs into my left ear and her right one while my pencil skip-slides across the page, the cartoon sketch taking form more quickly now. When you have a good sketchbook with heavy paper, you can feel the texture up through the pencil and it’s almost like a hum, the sound guiding you to the picture that wants to be born.
All I have right now is a spiral notebook from a Texaco and the lined paper is too smooth: it makes each pencil mark come out looking one-dimensional and a touch too long. But this is my second try on this sketch and I think I’m getting it now, even though it’s a pain in the ass to hold the flashlight balanced on my lap so I can see in the shadows of the Camaro’s backseat.
I smirk, nudging the shading at the edge of Matt’s mouth to emphasize his befuddled look of terror. I pause, and then change the line of Katherine’s eyebrows so she looks more predatory than seductive. Her hands reach out toward Matt’s belt buckle, fingers slightly pointed so they look like claws.
I steal a look at Cali but her eyes are vague on the dark forest beyond th e window of the car. I like how when I draw, she never tries to watch over my shoulder like other people do.
Her hands are resting on the tight legs of her jeans, fingers tapping the rhythm in an odd, complicated way. Must be a drummer thing. My gaze slips down her long legs for about the dozenth time today, because she’s wearing those shoes again, the ones that leave the tops of her feet bare and weirdly sexy-looking. I shift my eyes quickly away from them and back to my drawing, thinking about all the nights we’ve spent together in hotel rooms now.
The first day, I slept like a rock with Cali’s shoulder warm against mine. The second morning when we stopped, Cali dumped her bag in my room and we talked for half the day before she went to sleep. I laid awake for the rest of it, too aware of her in the bed across the room to even close my eyes. The third day, Cali found Super Troopers on HBO and Matt and Caroline came over and we’d all seen it so many times that we were laughing before the punch lines of every joke until we could barely hear the movie. Matt and Cali threatened to go out and get maple syrup for a chugging contest, but Caroline forbid it.
A smile lifts the corner of my mouth at the memory. Being on the run would almost be fun, if the Augustines weren’t so close behind us.
Yesterday, there was a guy at the truck stop watching for us, and he ducked conspicuously into a corner with a cell phone as soon as he saw our cars. We flipped a U-turn and followed back roads out of town, but Damon got really moody after that. I can tell he thought we would have given them the slip by now.
Damon keeps walking off to make these phone calls and I have no idea who he’s calling. I’m hoping it is someone who can help us disappear for long enough so we can stop running and start chasing our enemies instead.
I glance at Cali but she’s lost in
I look away, staring unfocusedly at a display of fishing poles. “It’s just stuff,” I say, because I know that’s what she wants to hear.
“It is just stuff.” She sounds pleased at my conclusion. “And you still have the memories that went with all those things. You can never lose those.”
Before I can think of something placating to say, she swoops in, testing my ribs with a ferocious hug that presses her soft breasts against my chest, her notepad digging into my spine. “And you still have the people who you’re going to make more memories with.”
It’s a cliché, but something about her words trips me up. I swallow and let my arms find their way around her slim shoulders, the silky waves of her hair tickling my knuckles.
“Yeah,” I say gruffly, squeezing her a little tighter than I meant to. “I know.”
Chapter 4: Painfully Close
JEREMY
Cali’s ear buds pour a song from the Raconteurs into my left ear and her right one while my pencil skip-slides across the page, the cartoon sketch taking form more quickly now. When you have a good sketchbook with heavy paper, you can feel the texture up through the pencil and it’s almost like a hum, the sound guiding you to the picture that wants to be born.
All I have right now is a spiral notebook from a Texaco and the lined paper is too smooth: it makes each pencil mark come out looking one-dimensional and a touch too long. But this is my second try on this sketch and I think I’m getting it now, even though it’s a pain in the ass to hold the flashlight balanced on my lap so I can see in the shadows of the Camaro’s backseat.
I smirk, nudging the shading at the edge of Matt’s mouth to emphasize his befuddled look of terror. I pause, and then change the line of Katherine’s eyebrows so she looks more predatory than seductive. Her hands reach out toward Matt’s belt buckle, fingers slightly pointed so they look like claws.
I steal a look at Cali but her eyes are vague on the dark forest beyond th e window of the car. I like how when I draw, she never tries to watch over my shoulder like other people do.
Her hands are resting on the tight legs of her jeans, fingers tapping the rhythm in an odd, complicated way. Must be a drummer thing. My gaze slips down her long legs for about the dozenth time today, because she’s wearing those shoes again, the ones that leave the tops of her feet bare and weirdly sexy-looking. I shift my eyes quickly away from them and back to my drawing, thinking about all the nights we’ve spent together in hotel rooms now.
The first day, I slept like a rock with Cali’s shoulder warm against mine. The second morning when we stopped, Cali dumped her bag in my room and we talked for half the day before she went to sleep. I laid awake for the rest of it, too aware of her in the bed across the room to even close my eyes. The third day, Cali found Super Troopers on HBO and Matt and Caroline came over and we’d all seen it so many times that we were laughing before the punch lines of every joke until we could barely hear the movie. Matt and Cali threatened to go out and get maple syrup for a chugging contest, but Caroline forbid it.
A smile lifts the corner of my mouth at the memory. Being on the run would almost be fun, if the Augustines weren’t so close behind us.
Yesterday, there was a guy at the truck stop watching for us, and he ducked conspicuously into a corner with a cell phone as soon as he saw our cars. We flipped a U-turn and followed back roads out of town, but Damon got really moody after that. I can tell he thought we would have given them the slip by now.
Damon keeps walking off to make these phone calls and I have no idea who he’s calling. I’m hoping it is someone who can help us disappear for long enough so we can stop running and start chasing our enemies instead.
I glance at Cali but she’s lost in
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