When Lightning Burns [COMPLETED]

Chapter 13: Surprise, Surprise

           

A few days later there was a knock on Julie's apartment door. She frowned. Luke and Rory left her alone during the week. It wasn't like she had many friends. Marjorie would have called, but they'd had dinner together the night before.

Julie looked through the peephole, half afraid, half hopeful there would be a bunch of men in black uniforms out there. Had they finally found her? Why were they leaving her alone? It almost freaked her out more than when they found her so quickly at the beach last summer.

Or had Smidge and Pudge done something again.

A young man with dark brown hair and brown eyes stood there. She gasped.

Ethan! She hadn't seen him since she'd left Atlanta. And the last time she even texted him was over the summer. He was Jamie's best friend, after all.

She opened the door quickly, not even thinking about how weird it was he had just shown up. "Ethan? How do you know where I live—"

Another person stepped into the doorway, her blond hair pulled up into a shiny ponytail, a big grin on her beautiful face. But her green eyes were wary.

"Kara!" Julie screamed.

"I need your help." Kara scanned the hall, scared, clasping Ethan's hand. "We need your help."

"Holy crap!" Julie looked down at their linked hands.

Ethan pushed past her, pulling Kara into her small apartment and closing the door behind them. "No one needs to know we're here."

Kara pulled Julie into a hug. Julie stayed stiff, patting her awkwardly.

It was Kara. She was here. She was fine. But what the hell was going on?

"Come in and sit down I guess." Julie swallowed back the temptation to start yelling at them. She wanted answers, damn it.

But now that she had her friend here, in her living room, she didn't want to scare her off. Kara was in so much danger. Did she even know? Ethan and Kara sat together on the couch, and he pulled her against him protectively. They knew something.

"Do you want anything to drink?" she asked to break the silence.

Kara looked to Ethan. He shrugged. "I think Julie is fine. That's why we came here."

That wasn't subtle. So she was dangerous now? Really? Julie raised an eyebrow.

Kara nodded. "Yes, water or juice please. I'm always thirsty now."

"Okay." Julie went in the kitchen. She pulled out her phone to text Luke below where the counter hid it from the living room. She loved her apartment being so open, but right now it didn't seem that great.

A hand came up and touched her arm. Ethan had followed her into the kitchen.

"Please don't. You may not mean any harm, but your phone might be monitored." His grip tightened, and he looked scared.

She nodded after a moment. If he totally freaked out, she would zap him, but his grip relaxed when she slipped the phone back into her pocket. His gaze followed where she put the phone, and he let out a breath.

"Thanks. I was hoping we could trust you."

What the hell did that mean? What did they know? What could she ask without getting into trouble and giving things away that may make her be forced back to Seelie? Crap, this was complicated.

Ethan helped her get a glass of orange juice for Kara and water for himself. He seemed nervous about what to give her. "We'll see what she wants."

Julie followed him back out to the living room. Kara frowned at the orange juice, shaking her head and took the water instead. Ethan shrugged and took the juice, downing it in two swallows.