The Light of Asteria Read Online Free

carried away.
    “Nora … what a unique name.” His eyes
twinkled, and I blushed, suddenly realizing I was gawking at
him.
    “That name … has been in my family for
generations.”
    Gavin’s eyes narrowed. I stood on my tiptoes
searching past his shoulder.
    “Are you looking for someone?”
    “My friends were headed to the bookstore.” I
put my feet back down on the ground and concentrated on the simple
act of standing.
    “I believe you’re going the wrong way. May I
walk with you?”
    “Sure.”
    He started forward with the older man falling
in step behind. I could feel his stare boring into me; my stomach
flipped. I glanced back—the man veered off in a different
direction.
    “Do you live on campus, Nora?” Gavin asked as
we casually walked side by side.
    “No, I’m just visiting friends.” Trying to
get it together, I hurried over my words, as always. “I live on a
small farm, just past Lake Junaluska.”
    “Is it a working farm?” It pleased me that he
seemed genuinely interested. He smirked but kept his eyes
forward.
    “In a way. We have a few chickens for eggs
and a cow that we milk. We grow our own veggies in the summer, and
Edna has a mean strawberry patch in the spring. She can grow the
sweetest berries in North Carolina,” I proudly rambled. We were
always up to our eyeballs in strawberries. Edna blamed it on good
fertilizer; I blamed it on her green thumb.
    “Edna is your mom,” he stated. I found it odd
he would make that connection as I never distinguished her as
such.
    “Yes, she’s the best,” I said unintentionally
petulant. People always viewed you differently when you used the
word “foster”. They either were scared you were a social reprobate,
or they smothered you with disgusting pity. That was an emotion
that should have never been created. Pity was strong and could
break the backs of people fighting for survival and respect. I
couldn’t stand pity.
    Gavin raised an eyebrow and I was immediately
paranoid. Raw emotions continued to course, and I was having
difficulty handling them. We sidestepped the fraternities playing
Frisbee. My mouth went dry as my mind whirred ... I needed to find
a way to broach the subject … how to ask without sounding
crazy.
    “Do you know what happened yesterday? … When
I ran into you, it seemed like …” my voice trailed away.
    “Yes? …” He searched my face, and I looked
down.
    “Never mind …” Tears filled my eyes as
disappointment ran through me. I hoped he might have some answers.
Suddenly the idea of insanity didn’t seem too far-fetched.
    “Where do you live?” I asked, changing the
subject.
    “A little south of here.” As he spoke, a
feeling of homesickness and disappointment came over me. His
wistful expression caused my heart to skip a beat.
    “You miss home, don’t you?” Compassion and
empathy softened my voice, and I yearned to comfort him, to
understand. He stopped and eagerly took in a breath as if he were
discovering the most delicious scent. We stood there for a moment,
a smile hinted at his full lips, and then we started forward
again.
    “More than you know … but it would do more
harm than good if I went back at the moment.” His words seem to be
trying to convince himself and not meant for me. Our steps slowed
as we crossed the street, stopping in front of the student center.
He placed his hand on my shoulder, and I bit my lower lip, trying
not to think about the feelings racing through me. His emerald eyes
seemed almost liquid.
    “I know you don’t underst —”
    “Nora? What are you doing here?” Holly
bounded out of the bookstore.
    Gavin sighed and let go.
    “Didn’t you have to work at the hardware
store today?” her bright voice sang as she hugged me.
    “Nope, my schedule changed to just Tuesday,
Thursday, and Saturday … Mr. Vernor’s contribution to furthering my
education.”
    “Hey, Nora.” Kate was a few paces behind Hol
and had finally caught up.
    “Kate, I’m so glad to see