Page 70 of Lightning Angel
Alexa blinked in surprise. “Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Cassie said, dropping her hand, but before she could continue, her phone rang again.
“I think you should answer it,” Alexa interjected as Cassie reached to silence it again.
Cassie shot her a weary look. “I’m not in the mood to discuss him.”
“She needs to know what her brother has done, that I didn’t file a case against him for nothing!” she argued.
Cassie shot her another weary look before she pushed the answer button. “Hello?”
Brandon’s sister literally burst from the other end of line, yelling how the police darkened their doorstep a few minutes ago and arrested her brother over the accusation of blackmailing and attempting sexual assault on his girlfriend’s sister. She wailed, claiming her brother would never do such a thing.
Cassie was put off. She fired back, explaining the events of last evening and defending Alexa fiercely, pacing the length of their kitchen. Both girls got into a heated argument, and at last, Alexa told Cassie to hang up.
Cassie slumped into her chair and rested her face between her arms on the table. “Distract me, please?” shemumbled.
Alexa blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. “Tristan is the Lightning Knight.”
Cassie’s head shot up, her eyes wide. After a moment, she composed herself. “Of course… I kind of guessed that after meeting him yesterday. He… He sounded exactly like he had acted for you at Melissa’s. But how—whatis he?”
Alexa sighed. “He’s cursed.”
“What?” Cassie tilted her head.
“It’s a little complicated.”
“I don’t care! Tell me!”
“First.” Alexa raised a finger in the air. “I want to know if you’re mad at me for turning Brandon in or if you’re impressed, grateful—whatever.” She finished with a shrug.
“Seriously?” Cassie asked in disbelief. Alexa shrugged again. Cassie rolled her eyes at the ceiling, and without bothering to admonish Alexa for asking her such a thing, she delivered the answer she wanted. “He deserves it. Who knows if any other girls will fall prey to his trickery in the future or if anyone has been hurt by him already? What you did is right and justified, and I’m proud of you.”
Alexa couldn’t help the smile that fought to bloom across her face. “It was Tristan’s idea though.”
“I think you owe me a full explanation, Alexa.”
And she did.
Alexa told Cassie everything that happened involving Tristan after she had left for Orlando, not leaving the tiniest bit of detail. By the time she was done, they were in Cassie’s car, driving to her school.
“Did he tell you why he has been stalking you?” Cassie asked her after she had gotten all her other questions answered.
Alexa chuckled. “He wasn’t stalking me, Cass. He was my secret admirer.”
“Of coursehe was stalking you, Lex, don’t you realize it?” Cassie spared her an incredulous look. “I mean, what are his intentions? Seeing you for the first time at Dad’s funeral and suddenly becoming your secret admirer, and following you around your school, house, and everywhere you go… Don’t you find it at least a bit creepy?”
Alexa stared at her sister’s face, dumbstruck. When she made it sound like that… yes, it did sound a little creepy even though Tristan had been anything but, all the time she had been with him.
Then again, men were unpredictable.
A tendril of fear curled around her heart at the thought.
“You realize what I’m saying right?” Cassie’s soft voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “I love you and I’m concerned for you, for your safety and your heart being at risk. I can’t allow you to end up like me in any way, Alexa, I can’t.” Her voice wavered, and when she glanced at Alexa, her eyes were wet. “You sound like you care for him already, that you two are already the best of friends in a day’s time. It all sounds great, but I can’t shake off the feeling that he might be not as he seems, especially with his supernaturalism… the invisibility and all. Goodness, we can’t even know if he’s with us in the car right now! That, if he’s spying on you all the time… intruding on your privacy…”
“Cass!” Alexa gasped in horror, admonishing her. “I’msurehe’s not like that! Yes, now that you’ve pointed it out, I do feel like I know him very little and even a little suspicious about his intentions. But he’s not… I’m sure he’s not like that! Remember what I said about him refusing to teleport directly into my room but on the balcony because he didn’t want to intrude on my privacy?”
“Yes, but…” Cassie exhaled wearily. She spared her a brief glance, her eyes pleading. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”