“Your clairsentience isn’t your enemy, especially when there are ways to protect yourself.”
“Protect myself from what?”
“From too much emotional energy.” He tips his head. “Think about it—when people have sensitive eyes, they wear sunglasses. Or if they get cold easily, they wear a coat.”
“There’s nothing I can wear on my emotions.” Trust me, I’ve tried. What were all those defense mechanisms I learned about in Psych 101? Projection? Denial? Other than repression, they’ve never worked well for me. I still feel everything.
God, I’m not even any good at being dysfunctional.
Before Leo can argue more, I ask, “So if I’m clairsentient, what are you? Because I saw that there are a whole bunch of other kinds of ‘Clairs.’” There’s an accusatory note in my voice, but whatever. I’m tired of talking about me. He shakes his head, but I keep pushing. “Clairvoyant? Claircognizant?”
“I’m not a psychic.”
“Then how do you know so much about them?”
“Because, for some reason, psychics are drawn to me.”
What kind of answer is that? So he’s a…what? A psychic-magnet? Most guys want to be a chick-magnet, but not Leo Hawthorn, man of mystery.
Frustrated, I blurt, “Where are you from, anyway?”
He doesn’t answer right away. He’s startled, I think, by my sudden change of subject. Eventually he replies, “Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia.”
“Are you really always broke?”
He laughs awkwardly. I guess that was kind of a rude question. “No more or less broke than most of the other students here.”
He returns to his book while I try not to squirm. It’s obvious he doesn’t like to talk about himself, and I feel bad for probing. I pretend I’m reading, but my mind wanders, speculating about why he’s so close-lipped. Trauma? Dysfunctional family? Police record? Okay, now I’m being ridiculous. He’s as gentle as a lamb, and he reads about the Roanoke Colony for fun.
Just as I wrangle my attention back to the final chapters ofAnne of Green Gables,someone says my name. Looking up, I find Lara, the KPT, standing at the end of the aisle, waving and grinning.
Shit.
I manage to smile back. “Lara. Hi. How are you?”
“Great. What are you up to?” Her tone is conversational, but her eyes are narrowed with suspicion. She worships my boyfriend, and the guy I’m sitting so close to right now, isn’t him.
I flash her my book. “Reading for class.”
Her eyes flick from me to Leo.
“Oh. This is my friend, Leo. Leo, this is Lara.”
She waves dainty fingers and gives him her loveliest smile. “Hi, Leo.”
“Hello.”
“So I hear O-Chi’s having a Halloween party next week,” she says to me. “Are you going?”
“Well, uh, yeah. Of course.”
“Have you picked a costume yet?”
I shake my head. Truth is, I forgot all about it.
“You and Zander should totally dress up as a famous couple.” She giggles. “How cute would that be?”
I force a laugh. “Pretty cute.”
