Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1)(82)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“You don’t have to.”

I snorted. “Are you kidding? I don’t have a choice.”

“Yes, you do.” The raspy quality of his voice soothed me. “It’s like going to the mall. There are dozens of stores all with different colors, lights, music. There are different scents from all the different food places, there’s a lot going on. But you don’t really notice it, you know? Sure you know it’s there, but you aren’t really thinking about it all at once.”

The idea made sense. “Just because I can see the colors doesn’t mean I have to pay attention to them?”

“Exactly. Unless you want to.”

I nodded. “I guess I could try it.”

I took Sam’s hand and let him lead me through the parking lot, keeping my head down and my sunglasses on. The light was still a little too bright for my eyes. Once inside I took a breath and looked up. I couldn’t help but notice every person that was near. Each one of them had colorful rings of color around them. All of the colors varied in shade and intensity. It overwhelmed me, and my chest began to feel tight.

Don’t pay any attention to them. Look at me.

It wasn’t hard to lose focus of everyone else and concentrate only on Sam. I did it all the time. He was gorgeous and if that wasn’t enough, now I had another reason why he took my breath away. He was the only person I looked at that wasn’t surrounded by color. He made me feel like things were normal.

He laughed out loud, drawing a few stares. I make you feel normal?

Stop listening to every thought I have.

He had the grace to look chagrinned. Sorry.

I pulled Gran’s list from my pocket. “Come on.”

Thankfully, I didn’t see anyone that I knew. At first it was hard to concentrate on the list because seeing a rainbow of color at every turn wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped. Sam was super gracious leading me from aisle to aisle, only stopping in front of the things I needed to get. When we finally made it over to the dairy aisle (the last aisle that we needed to go), I was relieved and a little more relaxed. I somehow managed to get through the store and no one seemed to notice that I stared at everyone and everything. I reached into the large cooler for a gallon of milk and stepped back when a man brushed by me. I gasped, dropping the gallon at my feet where milk exploded everywhere. I pressed my back against the cooler door and stared at the man who glared at me before stalking away.

Sam stepped in between me and the view of the man. “What’s the matter?”

That man is so ugly.

He glanced over his shoulder. He isn’t that scary looking.

I shook my head. Ugly on the inside. Angry too. The colors around him are icky and brown. I shuddered.

Block it out, Hev.

“Guess I’ll get someone to clean up this mess I made.”

“I’ll go.” He turned just as someone was coming out of the stockroom. The man looked at the mess and told Sam he’d come back with a mop. When he returned I smiled. “I’m really sorry about the mess.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Can I help?”

“Nah, it’s okay.” The colors around him were mostly blue, and it felt like he wasn’t angry at all, and it made me feel better. After the milk was mopped he reached into the cooler and grabbed me another gallon. “Here you go.”

“Thank you,” I accepted the milk and added it to the cart.

After we paid for the groceries, we loaded them in the truck and were walking back from the cart return when Sam pointed to the ice cream shop next to the grocery store.

“Can we get it to go?” I asked.

“Sure.”

The place was packed, and I panicked. Quickly I slid the sunglasses over my eyes to help keep out some light and hide my expressions. Sam put a palm to my lower back, and I concentrated on the feeling it gave me. I managed to make it through the line to order (strawberry in a cone for me, a to-go cup of butter pecan for Grandma and a double scoop of chocolate for Sam) and navigate through the crowd. Outside on the sidewalk I took a deep breath of the spring air and enjoyed a taste of ice cream. It was silly to feel proud of myself, but I did. I managed to get through the menagerie of colors without losing it in front of everyone.

Then I looked up.

Kimber and Cole were coming through the parking lot toward us with Kimber waving at me fanatically. I checked my watch. Yep, school let out just twenty minutes ago. I looked back up at my friends. Colors of bright shades in yellow, orange, red and most dominantly – turquoise – shot out around her, almost like flames. Her aura was so bold that it practically fought for space with Cole’s. His was bright too, but the colors were not as frantic; they didn’t burst around him like they might attack me. They were much more soothing to my eyes in green and blues. There was also a dominant magenta shade, a mix of purple and pink that surrounded his head. It was the first time I had seen a color like this. Sure, I have seen pinks and purples, but they were always temporary bursts, they never stayed like this color, and the purple and pink never mixed together to create a new shade. It was different, but it seemed to fit him perfectly somehow.

I’m not sure I’m ready for this.

I’ll be here at your side.

It gave me the strength to wave and smile at them. If I wasn’t so nervous I would have laughed at Kimber’s aura. It fit her perfectly and explained her exactly. It was disconcerting to know that everyone’s aura I saw probably fit them the exact same way too. I would never have to get to know someone before I knew if they were a good person or not. A giggle escaped me. This sure cuts back on time.

Sam grinned and then attacked his cone.

“I have been calling you all day! Why haven’t you answered? And why weren’t you at school today?” Kimber said, stopping before us. She put her hands on her hips and glared at me.

“Hey, guys.” I said, getting ready to spew a lie. But I didn’t even get a word out because Kimber gasped loudly.

“Oh My God! Your face!”

I swallowed hard as people turned to look. Sam shifted closer beside me, and I resisted the urge to shrink into his side.

“Kimber,” Cole warned, quietly. He looked at me though, with wonder.

Surprising myself I lifted my chin and let them look, I even lifted my sunglasses. “I know, pretty awesome, huh?”

Kimber was actually speechless for once, her jaw falling open as she gaped. Her aura flared red, and I frowned. “How?” she croaked.

“It’s the reason I wasn’t in school today. I have been talking with this plastic surgeon for a few months now…I never thought I would be able to get in, but he had a cancellation late Friday afternoon, and he called me. I got laser surgery and had the scars removed.”