The West Wind Read Online Free Page B

in spite of her half-hearted protests. Evan, Jaimie, and Leana
all sat at the dining table while Brian whirled on a stool at the breakfast
bar. Hero stood by a window staring out at the bay. She was still livid, though
her emotions churned constantly. Her thoughts went back to the first time she met
the strange boy’s eyes, then to the dance itself and her heart raced. Then she
remembered how close she came to kissing a complete stranger, who turned out to
be a complete asshole, and wanted to slap him all over again. It did not help
that her friends would not stop talking about it.
     
    “That was so hot, though,” Leana gushed.
    “Oh, yeah,” Jeremy said, taking a sip of his whiskey. “I didn’t
even know you could have sex with your clothes on before tonight.”
    “Shut up, Jer,” Jaimie commanded. He made a gesture of confused
innocence with both hands, ice sloshing in his glass.
    “Do we even know his name?” Brian asked.
    “Adonis?” Jaimie offered. Evan glared at her. “What’s it matter,
anyway?” she asked. “He was with the band, so we’ll probably never see him
again anyway.”
    “God, I hope so,” Hero interjected without turning around. She
wasn’t certain it was true.
    “Nah,” Evan returned, “I don’t think they were expecting him to be
there. The singer looked surprised to see him.”
    “Do you think he’ll come to Hellespont again?” Leana asked a
little too hopefully.
    “A dancer like that? I bet he can’t stay away. We can’t stay away
and none of us are anywhere near as good,” Brian said.
    “Are you sure you don’t wish you’d been the one dancing with him,
Brian?” Jeremy asked.
    “Are you sure you want to keep pushing, Jeremy? I’ll kick your
ass,” he said playfully.
    “Oh, ho. Bring it, girly-boy. You should learn to follow. You and
Adonis could do the Brokeback ballet.” Jeremy put his glass down and opened his
arms wide. Brian charged across the room and tackled him. Jaimie rolled her
eyes and walked over to take Hero’s hand.
    “Are you sure you’re okay, Hero?” she asked for umpteenth time.
    “I’m fine,” Hero said coldly.
    “You don’t sound okay.”
    Hero turned on her friend angrily. “You’re right. I’m not. I got
whisked onto the dance floor, had the best dance of my life, almost kissed
someone whose name I don’t even know, got rejected , and dropped. He said
I was easy. I am hardly ok.”
    The boys wrestling on the floor stopped. The silence became a tangible
thing. It grew heavier, then awkward. Four of them squirmed beneath the weight
of it. Finally, Evan stood up. “Ah, I think it’s time to go. Guys?” he asked.
They nodded and disentangled themselves. “Leana, you need a ride?”
    Leanna nodded as well. “Yeah, let me grab my purse.”
    They all said goodnight in turn and left. Hero turned back to the
window, not wanting to look Jaimie in the eye. Jaimie put a hand on her
shoulder.
    “Hero, I’m sorry. I know it sucks.”
    “Yeah. Jeremy’s stupid comment didn’t help any. Now I just feel
dirtier.”
    “That’s just Jeremy, you know how he is. He’d have your back if
you needed him.”
    “That doesn’t help me now,” Hero said, emphasizing now.
    Jaimie pulled her around into a hug. Hero hugged her back,
tightly. She sobbed a little, more from the exhaustive emotions than any one
thing in particular. Jaimie stiffened suddenly and Hero pulled away from her.
    “What is it?”
    “No one lives at the Brighton House, right?”
    “No, of course not.”
    “Then why are the lights on?” Jaimie pointed.
    “What?” Hero turned to look. There, at the top of the cupola,
light beamed out of every window like a beacon, almost as if someone had
intended it to function as a lighthouse. “But that’s,” she paused as a chill
trickled down her back. “Impossible.”
    “Not anymore,” Jaimie said.

Revelation
     
    The next morning Hero met her mother, Anna DiBenedetto, for coffee
at Ambrosia, a local coffee shop on the