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One
I sat staringacross the room to the picture frame sitting on the entry table. My grandparents’ smiling faces encouraged me when I first began. Now, I felt like they were mocking me. I’d been coming here after school for three weeks, and I wasn’t making progress.
At least, I didn’t think I was. The sound of my meditative breathing sounded impossibly loud in the silence of the otherwise empty house.
I could use the guys’ help, but I needed space more than their company. Thinking the cruise would be a miracle cure-all had been naive. If anything, things between the six of us had gotten worse. Strained. Tense. Exhausting.
“Three, two, one,” I counted down aloud and released my shield. It expanded away from me, forming a perfect orb as if I were in a giant snow globe.
The lights and colors danced like the bubbles in a soapy bath, reflecting the room around me. Peace radiated within. It was one of the only times I felt any sort of relief from life’s stress lately.
To remain at least a little sane, I needed my grandparents’ house to myself. Sky came with me the first time I wanted to practice, but since then, I’ve come back alone. Of course, the guys knew exactly where I was. Never asking where I went was the biggest giveaway.
I didn’t totally ignore them. Twice a week, I trained at Gavin’s house with Sky and Tessa. Gavin had refused to join us since the last time.
Who knew why I couldn’t wrap him in my shield? He refused to try again, so how could we figure it out?
Focusing on where I feel the source of my ability deep in my chest next to where I pictured my heart, I willed it to continue to grow until nearly the entire room was consumed. I didn’t want to hit the walls, so I held it in place for a few minutes before slowly pulling it back into me.
“Very nice,” a voice said from behind me.
I nearly jumped out of my skin and twisted around to see Luca leaning against the wall next to the front door, watching me from a distance.
“You nearly gave me a heart attack,” I scolded.
He grinned and walked over. I stood and pushed his shoulder before wrapping my arms around his middle and resting my head on his chest.
“Whoa, is something wrong?” He tried to pull back, but I tightened my grip.
Everything was wrong, but I didn’t want to think about that. I just wanted to be held by him, so I shook my head and sighed.
“I know you want your space, but you didn’t answer your phone. There’s something we need to talk about.”
I held back a groan and loosened my hold before falling back on the couch. “What is it?”
He sat next to me and looked around the room. “I like what you’ve done.”
“Thanks,” I glanced around satisfied with how this room came together.
The last time he was here, the house was nearly empty save for a few trash bags and boxes in the attic. Since I started spending more time here, Dad and I retrieved some of my grandparent’s furniture from a storage unit. He even took me shopping for a few new pieces to make it my own. Now, the living room was full and looked somewhat lived in. I’d also furnished the kitchen and my mom’s old room with just enough to make them functional and more comfortable. Dad hedged against doing more in case I decided to move in here permanently. I hadn’t spent the night yet, but now that the bedroom was finished, it was an option.
“Are you going to tell me what we need to talk about?” I asked after a moment of silence. He kept turning his gaze around the room, which he could only do so long before he was outright ignoring me.
“Have you practiced with anyone else recently?” he asked, still avoiding my question.
“Just Tessa.” She still wanted me training with her, but we’d reached the limit of what she could teach me. I needed someone who had a similar ability to show me what else I could do.
He leaned back and relaxed against the arm of the couch. “Try with me.”
"Sure.” I sat up straighter, glad that his interruption gave me a new way to test myself.
I focused again on the shimmering box as warmth spread to my fingers and toes. I felt the energy burst out from my body and spread out. Without hesitating, it passed over Luca until he was inside my bubble.
“Huh.” He looked around with a wide smile. “I didn’t get a chance to see it when we were in the ocean. It’s stunning.”
I glanced down to hide my grin. It meant a lot to me when other people appreciated its unique beauty. “Thanks.”
“You haven’t tried with Gavin recently?” he asked.
