Demon Kissed by H.M. Ward

continued. Comfortable silence was normal for us, but this wasn’t it. I felt weird. I just wanted his friendship, to be secure in knowing that I still had it. Fear clutched at me, realizing the thought I was dreading. I’ve lost him.
    “No you haven’t. You’ll always have me,” he said relaxed.
    The smile faded from my face. I lifted my back off the locker slowly, heart hammering, “What? What did you say?” Holy crap. Did he hear me? Panic shot through my entire body. My stomach twisted in knots. His eyebrows shot up, as he squirmed, looking away from me. He ran both hands through his hair at the same time, avoiding my gaze.
    “Collin … , ” I paused, feeling stupid. Almost too stupid to ask the question, but I had to know, “Did you… hear me ?” My pulse raced. Our eyes locked, and I couldn’t look away.
    The corner of his mouth tugged his face into a lopsided smile. Nervously he asked, “So, you’re finally gonna admit it?” I started to protest, but he cut me off, “No. No, you can’t deny it now. And yes, I can hear you . And I know you can hear me .” I jerked away, feeling panic rising into my throat. Leaning his head against the locker, he ignored my panic. “Don’t act all shocked. You’ve known for as long as I have. Since that night your friend went psycho on me. I know you noticed.” He paused, looking around to make sure we were really alone. “We were at that party, and your friend was telling me off. You came over to drag her back to her hag cave, and it happened. Our eyes locked, and you brushed my arm as you passed. It was eye to eye, flesh to flesh. I felt you. I heard you. And I know you heard me. You just never wanted to admit it.” He shrugged, “Neither did I. But there it is.”
    My eyes were wide, as he retold a memory that haunted me. It made me think I was totally insane. Things like that don’t happen. I thought about it a million times, wondering what occurred. When I passed him that night, I meant to tease him, and get him off balance, so that he would leave Shannon alone. I locked eyes with him, brushing my arm against him as I passed. But I made a mistake. I didn’t account for what happened. When we touched, it felt like I licked an outlet. When the static jolt passed, warm fuzziness flooded my brain, melting me, while the rest of my body felt like I was naked in the snow. It was bizarrely uncomfortable. But that wasn’t the most uncomfortable part—feeling him was. His soul, his being, or whatever you want to call it, spoke to mine. I heard him. I felt him. I knew exactly what he was talking about.
    Swallowing hard, uncertainty grabbed me. I knew he was right, but I still couldn’t accept it. “No,” my voice was soft, barely audible, “ It’s only intuition. Or a hunch. There is no way you’re reading my mind.” My curls fell over my shoulder, forming a wall to hide behind. I refused to look at him.
    “Then look me in the eye. Prove me wrong.” He waited, but I wouldn’t look up. I couldn’t. Fear clawed through my stomach in waves. I didn’t know what was happening. “Ivy,” his voice softened from arrogant I-told-you-so, to kind, “It’s all right. You avoid it for the same reason I do—it makes you feel vulnerable. And it tingles a little bit.” Looking out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smiling. “I know you avoid it—on purpose—because you want to ignore our bond.”
    A single brow shot up, as I stammered for words. Looking him square in the eye, I asked, “ Our bond? Oh please. There is no bond. What’s wrong with you?” I laughed nervously. “And whatever you’re doing is not mind-reading.” I folded my arms, slamming my back into the locker.
    “What I’m doing?” he laughed. “This isn’t my doing. It’s you , Ivy. I can’t read people’s minds. You’re doing it!” His blue eyes were wide, as he turned toward me.
    “I am not!” I protested. “I don’t know how you do that to me.”
    “Yes you do. If we