Paradox - Progeny Of Innocence (bk2) (Paradox series) by Patti Roberts Page B

would pain Angela, and make her frown in that particular way that equally puzzled and amused Grace.
    Grace smiled and tilted her head at her friend and thought, if I asked you how far the earth is from the sun, you would know the answer to that wouldn’t you?
    Angela, in an almost inaudible whisper said, "Approximately one hundred and fifty million kilom-"
    "How do you do that?" Grace asked in complete awe.
    It didn’t matter how many times Angela had answered one of Grace’s unspoken thoughts; she was always completely stunned by Angela’s response.
    Angela’s frown deepened as she picked up something else from Grace’s renewed burst of random thoughts. "This is about that Draco boy, isn’t it?" she said, studying Grace’s face intently.
    "No! Grace stammered. "Well, maybe… yes," she admitted reluctantly. There really was no point denying anything to Angela.
    Angela just looked at her. "It is; I know it is. A person doesn’t have to be a mind reader to work that one out, Grace. You have been gawking at him ever since he arrived at school. Most of the girls are infatuated with him. Even Jeremy Smits appears to be hopelessly besotted. The poor boy nearly fell off his seat yesterday in History when Damon stalked into class."
    "Oh yes, that was funny," Grace said, grinning and popping the last piece of the toast in her mouth. However, inwardly her heart faltered. She knew exactly how poor Jeremy felt: insignificant, and completely unworthy of the attention of the likes of Damon Draco.
    Grace was, in fact, undeniably infatuated with Damon and his brooding good looks. There really was no denying that, she knew it was only a matter of time before Angela picked up on her feelings toward him. She wondered if Angela understood her feelings for Damon any better than she did.
    Angela was still frowning at her painfully.
    Grace squirmed in her chair and gulped down the remainder of her coffee. "You know, Angela. All that frowning isn’t doing your complexion any good. You'll get wrinkles. And I haven’t been gawking at him," Grace insisted. "Well, maybe just a little bit," she conceded, splaying her fingers. "But can you blame me? He’s gorgeous. He’s walking candy, a God."
    "Candy rots your teeth, and the Gods have far more important things to do than reincarnate into the likes of Damon Draco," Angela muttered, frustrated by the lack of a better response.
    "Anyway, so what if I was staring, he-"
    "He isn’t for you. He's trouble," Angela said, finishing Grace’s sentence for her.
    "How can you say that about him, he’s only been at the school for what, two weeks and-"
    "Oh, I just know, Grace, okay?" Angela said. "You really have to trust me on this."
    Perhaps Angela was right, Grace thought regretfully. Maybe she was being completely delusional about the feelings she was having for Damon Draco. She had never even really spoken to him. So how could what she was feeling for him be real? Grace let out a painful groan. An overwhelming sadness swept through her, hurting her as if Angela’s words had punched her hard in the stomach and knocked the wind out of her, knocking all hope out of her that maybe Damon was the one. The mysterious boy that came to her in her dreams at night. She wanted so badly for Angela to be wrong about Damon.
    Please, please, please, let Angela be wrong. Grace thought to herself, pleading with a God that she wasn’t sure still existed, or in fact, ever had.
     
    "How does that saying go, never trust anyone who says 'trust me'?" a boy in a pair of checked boxer shorts and a white singlet said as he flopped down at the kitchen table opposite Grace and Angela.
    "Damon Draco," Angela said abruptly. "I was just telling Grace that he can’t be trusted."
    "Oh, trust me, Grace. Angela is right about that guy. You can’t trust him," he said, echoing Angela’s words. "Anyone else want a coffee?" he asked, rubbing Champsie on the stomach with his foot.
    "Yeah, I’ll have another one," Grace said,