Astrid is the crown princess of Atlantis, but she barely has time to worry about the kingdom with six younger sisters to watch over, especially with the youngest coming into her powers as a daughter of the sea to navigate time. When Astrid fears tha...
Glancing up, I try to catch Jame's gaze in the mirror to give him a questioning look, but he seems to be completely ignoring me as he focuses way too hard on the vacant roads before him.
Why does everyone else seem to know what's going on but me? I man, I didn't even know James knew females existed, but here he is sharing a special, non-verbal bond with a stranger. And not letting the guy he raised in on the secrets!
Then again, I shouldn't take the enigma of a girl reclining on my shoulder too seriously. All women are like that. Hallie was like that, and she could talk. She could also tear one's heart out of their chest and run off with it without ever looking back.
I blow a strand of hair out of my face. Well, one good thing about this whole ordeal is that I just accidentally broke the longest streak I've gone without thinking about my ex. Maybe that was Jame's plan all along. And Astrid...
Doing my best not to disturb her perch, I glance down at her. I'd love to get to know her- as a friend. Because women make good friends. Anything more than that, and I might lose a few ribs in the process of my next heart transplant.
James pulls up at a Starbucks and orders his and my usuals.
I glance down at Astrid. "What do you want?"
She moves to give me a questioning look, like she doesn't understand the question.
Staring back at her, I try to figure out why a fast-food order is so strange to this woman. I mean, under what rock has she been hiding.
James doesn't miss a beat as he orders water and the simplest breakfast snack on the menu. Then, when he hands our food back to us, he gives me a Look. "It's your job to make sure she doesn't choke again."
"Okay..."
I hand Astrid her bag and wonder if she's informed him of some disorder that makes her more likely to choke. It would make dinner make a lot more sense.
She stares down at her bag before looking back up at me, as if to learn what to do with her wrappered food by watching me.
"Please be careful teaching her how to use her straw," James calls back.
Good grief, what kind of stranger has wandered into our midst?
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