Page 5 of Lightning Angel
He stood at the back of the room, hands in the pockets of his black jeans, wearing a black button down. His pale skin contrasted with his outfit. He was gorgeous.
Drop-deadgorgeous.
Who was he? Probably a new member of the church.
How come she hadn’t seen him before? Such a person would be hard to miss.
Alexa did a quick sweep of the room and noticed that a lot of girls were staring his way too. Looking back to where he was, she saw him moving toward the exit.
But, wait!
Before she realized what she was doing, she murmured, “Be right back,” to her sister and her legs started moving toward the exit on their own accord.
“Oh, Alexa. There you are!” An older woman she bumped into on her way stopped her. “The worship was such a blessing, dearie. As always.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Fell.” Alexa tore her eyes from the handsome stranger’s back and shot the woman a quick smile. She glanced back at the doorway and realized she had lost him. “Please, excuse me.”
Alexa dashed to the exit and stepped into the crowded foyer. Looking around, she searched for a figure in full black. But he wasn’t there. Surely, he couldn’t have gotten out of the building that fast. Unless he ran, of course, as amusing and silly as the thought was.
Alexa shouldered past each person, sparing a fake smile for everyone who caught her eye and tried to stop her, and stepped out to the portico.
Now, where was he?
Alexa scanned the church courtyard, among the parked cars and beyond the half walls surrounding it. He was nowhere to be found.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she mumbled to herself.
Where did he go?
2
Shattered Illusion
Alexa stared out the window of Brandon’s car as he rode them home from church, after lunch at their usual diner. Since their dad’s passing, Brandon had been attending church with them rather than with his family in his hometown a few miles away. Alexa had thought it was sweet of him that he wanted to be by his girlfriend’s side.
Right now, her mind was still abuzz about the handsome stranger, wondering if he was a hallucination after all. Yet she couldn’t expel the sight from her mind’s eye. It was as clear as daylight.
“Earth toAlexandra?”
Alexa recoiled from her thoughts and looked at her sister on the passenger seat. Concern filled Cassie’s eyes, a silent question in them:are you alright?
Yes, I am,she conveyed through her eyes, just before they narrowed. “Don’t call methat.”
“You zoned out.” Cassie lifted a shoulder. “Anyways, I was asking where you rushed off to when we were talking with Jonny.”
Alexa hesitated for a moment, but at her sister’s arched eyebrow, she spilled the beans. “I thought I saw someone new, but he simplydisappearedbefore I could reach him.”
“He?” Cassie’s perfect eyebrows shot up.
“Hewho?” Brandon asked.
“A handsome guy,” Alexa said with a tiny smile, catching his incredulous eyes in the rear-view mirror.
“Oh man,” Brandon chuckled. “Lex’s caught her eye on a handsome church guy. Do I sense danger for Jude?”
Alexa’s heart skipped a beat at his mention, but not in a fluttery way like it had three months ago. Three months ago, she had been smitten with his charms and smiles. Now the very thought of him made her stomach sink. It wasn’t the same anymore.
Shewasn’t the same girl anymore.