CHAPTER TWO

The next three weeks fly by in a blur. I turn eighteen, cram for finals, spend time with Jenny and my other friend Vera, cheer Ace on at football games, and prepare for graduation.

I avoid thinking about the club incident, but when I do, I feel like a coward.

Why did I flee?

Lucifer had barely even touched me. I can’t understand my strange reaction. I felt both terrified and turned on at the same time.

Now my nights are sleepless. Instead of dreaming about Ace, I wake up feeling hot and restless, an ache throbbing between my legs. My dreams are invaded by dark, intense images—things I’ve never imagined before.

Often, they feature Lucifer doing something to me while I’m completely paralyzed.

Sometimes, I think I’m losing my mind. Shaking off those unsettling thoughts, I focus on getting ready.

Today is my high school graduation, and I’m excited. Jenny, Vera, and I have big plans afterward.

Ace is hosting a post-graduation party at his house, and it feels like the perfect time to finally talk to him. Under my blue graduation gown, I wear a simple black dress that hugs my small curves. My four-inch heels might be a bit much, but I need the height.

My parents drive me to the school. I’m planning to save enough money this summer to buy my own car for college. Since I’m attending a local community college to save on costs, I’ll still be living at home. I don’t mind.

My parents are kind and give me plenty of freedom—probably because they think I’m a good kid who doesn’t get into trouble.

For the most part, they’re right. Besides some fake IDs and rare nights at clubs, I lead a tame life. No hard drinking, smoking, or drugs, though I did try pot once at a party.

When we arrive, I find Jenny. We line up for the ceremony, waiting patiently to hear our names. It’s a beautiful early June day—not too hot, not too cold.

Jenny is called first, thanks to her last name starting with “A.” My last name, Inscenzo, means I have to wait another thirty minutes.

Thankfully, our graduating class only has about a hundred people—a perk of living in a small town. When my name is called, I walk up to collect my diploma. Smiling, I wave to my parents in the crowd.

Their proud faces make me happy. I shake the principal’s hand and turn to head back to my seat. That’s when I see him again. My blood turns ice cold. He’s sitting in the back, staring at me. Even from this distance, I feel the intensity of his gaze.

Somehow, I make my way back to my seat without stumbling, though my legs are shaking and my breathing is shallow. Sitting beside my parents, I silently pray they don’t notice my condition. Why is Lucifer here? What does he want from me? Taking a deep breath, I tell myself to calm down.

Surely he's here because of someone else. Maybe he has a brother or a sister in my graduating class. Or some other relative. But I know I'm lying to myself. I remember that possessive touch, and I know he's not done with me.

He wants me. A shudder runs down my spine at the thought.

I DON'T SEE HIM AGAIN AFTER THE CEREMONY, AND I'M RELIEVED, Jenny DRIVES US to Ace's house. She and Vera are chattering the entire way, excited to be done with high school, to start the next phase of our lives.

I would normally join in the conversation, but I'm too disturbed by seeing Lucifer, so I just sit there quietly. For some reason, I hadn't told Jenny about meeting him in the club.

I only said that I had a headache and wanted. to go home. I don't know why I can't talk to Jenny about Lucifer. I have no problem spilling my guts about Ace.

Maybe it's because it's too difficult for me to describe how Lucifer makes me feel.

She wouldn't understand why he frightens me. I don't really understand it myself. At Ace's house, the party is in full swing when we arrive.

I am still resolved to talk to Ace, but I'm too freaked out from seeing Lucifer earlier. I decide that I need some liquid courage.

Leaving the girls, I walk over to the keg and pour myself a cup of punch. Sniffing it, I determine that it definitely has alcohol, and I drink the full cup.

Almost immediately, I start to feel buzzed. As I had discovered in the past few years, my alcohol tolerance is virtually nonexistent.

One drink is just about my limit. I see Ace walking to the kitchen, and I follow him there. He's cleaning up, throwing away some extra cups and dirty paper plates.

"Do you want some help with that?" I ask.

He smiles, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. "Oh, sure, thanks. That would be awesome." His sun-streaked hair is a little long and flops over his forehead, making him look particularly cute. I melt a little inside.

He's so handsome. Not in the disturbing Julia way, but in a pleasantly comfortable sense. Ace is tall and muscular, b he's not all that big for a quarterback.

Not big enough to play ball college, or at least that's what Vera once told me. I help him clean up, brushing some chip crumbs off the counter and wiping up the punch that had spilled on the floor.

The entire time, my heart is beating faster from excitement. "Ella, right?" Ace says, looking at me.

He knows my name! I give him a huge grin. "That's right."

"That's really awesome of you to help, Ella," he says sincerely. "I like throwing parties, but the cleaning is always a b*tch the next day.

So now I try to clean a little during, before it gets really nasty." My grin widens further, and I nod. "Of course." That makes total sense to me.

I love the fact that he seems so nice and thoughtful, so much more than just a jock. We start chatting. He tells me about his plans for next year. Unlike me, he's going away to college. I tell him I'm planning to stay local for the next two years to save money.

Afterwards, I want to transfer to a real university. He nods approvingly and says that it's smart. He'd thought about doing something like that, but he was lucky enough to get a full-ride scholarship to the University of Michigan. I smile and congratulate him.

On the inside, I'm jumping up and down in joy. We're clicking. We're really clicking! He likes me, I can tell.

Oh, why hadn't I approached him before?

We talk for about twenty minutes before someone comes into the kitchen looking for Ace.

"Hey, Ella," Ace says before he goes back to the party, "are you doing anything tomorrow?"

I shake my head, holding my breath. "How about we go see a movie?" Ace suggests.

"Maybe grab dinner at that little seafood place?" I grin and nod like an idiot. I'm too afraid to say something stupid, so I keep my mouth shut.

"Great," Ace says, grinning back at me. "Then I'll pick you up at six." He goes back to being the party host, and I rejoin the girls. We stay for another couple of hours, but I don't talk to Ace again.

He's surrounded by his jock friends, and I don't want to interrupt. But every now and then, I catch him looking my way and smiling.

I'M FLOATING ON AIR FOR THE NEXT TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.

I tell Jenny and Vera all about what happened. They're excited for me. In preparation for our date, I put on a cute blue dress and a pair of high- heeled brown boots.

They're a cross between cowboy boots and something a bit dressier, and I know I look good in them. Ace picks me up at six o'clock sharp.

We go to Fish-of-the-Sea, a popular local joint not too far from the movie theater.

It's a nice sit-down place, not too formal. Perfect for a first date. We have a great time. I learn more about Ace and his family. He asks me questions too, and we discover that we like the same types of movies.

I can't stand chick flicks for some reason, and I really enjoy chess the-world stories with lots of special effects.

So does Ace, appare After dinner, we go see a movie. Unfortunately, it's not o apocalypse, but it's still a pretty good action film.

During the movie, Ace puts his arm around my shoulders, and I can barely suppress my excitement.

I hope he kisses me tonight.

When the movie is done, we go for a walk in the park. It's late, but I feel completely safe. The crime rate in our town is negligible, and there are plenty of streetlights.

We're walking and Ace is holding my hand. We're discussing the movie.

Then he stops and just looks at me. I know what he wants. It's what I want, too. I look up at him and smile.

He smiles back, puts his hands on my shoulders, and leans down to kiss me. His lips feel soft, and his breath smells like the minty gum he was chewing earlier.

His kiss is gentle and pleasant, everything I hoped it would be. Then, in a blink of an eye, everything changes. I don't even know what happened or how it happened

One minute, I'm kissing Ace, and the next, he's lying on the ground, unconscious.

A large figure is looming over him. I open my mouth to scream, but I can't get more than a peep out before a big hand covers my mouth and nose.

I feel a sharp prick on the side of my neck, and my world goes completely dark.