Read A Man of Honor (A Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (The Honor Trilogy) for Free Online Page B

food?”
    “Okay,” she responds. “I guess you’re not that much of an ass.”
    I take her hand, grab my keys, and head to the Jefferson Diner.

Chapter Nine
     
     
    Tamlin is a good sport and fun to be with. Laughing with her feels good, and though the Honor undertones are absolutely present, we enjoy ourselves at the diner. But anxious fluttering rolls through my stomach when I drop her home. Will she want to kiss me good-bye? Does she expect me to call her? Will she be hurt when I don’t?
    “Ok, well, see you around,” she pronounces, before shutting the door and heading up her walk.
    “See ya around,” I respond to an empty car, relieved that she is so cool.
    Ethan, Hunter, and Tom are standing at my door when I pull in my drive. All dressed in either brown or black, they’re ready to start phase one of coming up with a new elixir.
    “So what’s this about?” Ethan scowls, obviously irritated to be in my presence. The feeling is mutual.
    “It’s about saving your girlfriend’s life, loser.”
    “Storm,” Tom intervenes, “Let’s go inside and you can fill us in on what you need us to do.”
    “Hunter,” I address, after unlocking my door.
    “Storm.”
    Like a spring wound too tight, Ethan is about to snap. The enmity between us is rising rapidly, causing the tension in the room to reach the others. If Hunter’s foot tapping is any indication, he’s worried the impending conversation will escalate to a boxing match between Ethan and me.
    To ease the stretching tension, I hand a can of cola to each of them, nodding with what I hope comes across as a smile to Ethan.
    “Look, we all agree on one thing,” I begin. “We want the Gaffer and his men off Honor’s back, right?”
    They nod.
    “I’ve come up with a plan.” I rub the back of my neck, concerned that hearing my plan out loud may not sound as practical as it does in my head. “We need to replicate the original elixir.” I strain not to glance at Ethan. I blame him. He knows that. But looking directly at him right now will cause a fracas, and I’m not about to lose focus on what is our priority tonight.
    “Ethan has the original jugs in his attic,” I continue. “I’d like to fill them with our blood.” Pausing for a reaction from them, I’m met with raised eyebrows. “Well, more like all of your blood. It’s recently come to my attention that I am no longer an empath.”
    This announcement causes a stir.
    “What?” All three respond at once.
    “You don’t just suddenly become normal,” Ethan quips.
    “Well, yeah, I did.” My tone remains flat.
    “Care to explain ?” Uncle Tom asks.
    “Well, remember when Honor brought me back to life?”
    Now met with narrowed eyes, I press on. “I think she may have healed the empath right out of me.”
    Ethan’s twisted mouth and wrinkled brow tell me he doesn’t believe me. That, and the fact that he says, “I don’t believe you. You just don’t want to hand over your blood.”
    “Are you high?” I ask him, because truly he must be to think that I wouldn’t give my life for his girlfriend. “That’s not the way I do things, but maybe you think I wouldn’t give my blood to save Honor, ‘cause that’s the way you do things.”
    Ethan meets me chest to chest. “You’re a jackass,” he leers.
    “No. You are. You let Honor lie in that hospital bed, suffering, when you could have saved her. You could heal her each and every time, but you choose not to. That is why you’ll never be more than a loser in my eyes.”
    Ethan clears his throat and pulls at his collar. “You think I care what you think of me?”
    “You know what? I don’t give a damn. What I care about is Honor, and if it were in my power to heal even a fucking headache that she has, I would. And I can’t, for the life of me, understand why you won’t.”
    With the palms of his hands, he shoves me in the chest, but I don’t budge.
    “I knew you had a thing for my girlfriend. You’re such