He was watching.
Watchingher.
Grace’s heart kicked.
Same build. Same stillness. Same greasy aura.
His arms hung loose at his sides. Head tilted slightly. He was smiling.
Grace’s pulse began to pound, heavy and disorienting.
He smiled.
Slowly.
Then he stepped off the curb.
He was heading for her.
Grace took an automatic step back.
Around her, parents laughed. Car doors slammed. Someone called out about soccer practice.
The world kept moving.
He kept coming.
Closer now. Close enough that she could see the smirk curling one side of his mouth.
Air wouldn’t fill her lungs.
Her body screamed run.
Her feet didn’t move.
The porch all over again.
Frozen.
Trapped inside her own skin.
He reached the edge of the lot.
Another step.
Another.
Grace opened her mouth to shout?—
No sound came out.
And then?—
Impact.
A blur of dark blue and force.
Luke hit him like a freight train.
