Page 23 of Made of Steel (Made of Steel 1)

"I like to keep my options open. Patrick is a really nice guy. But I don't drool when I see him."

"That's probably a good thing. Or else he wouldn't like you."

"Well tonight I'm going to try to get Mr. RA to like me. I have this master plan. I'm going to trip right next to him and surely he'll catch me."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then I'll make a fool of myself. But you'll be there to calm me down afterwards. So no harm no foul." She shrugged her shoulders. "When are you seeing Eli again?"

"Probably in class on Wednesday. How were the rest of your classes today?"

"The same as sociology. Pretty much just a day of syllabi. I don't know why I was so worried last night. Oh, here we are."

I stopped in my tracks. A tall man in a dark gray suit had just stepped onto the sidewalk in front of me. All I could see was the back of him. But his stature was the same. The way his muscles bulged in his suit was the same. His buzzed head was the same. It's him. It felt like my body turned to ice. He's here. Fear gripped at my heart.

"Sadie?"

I could feel his fingers around my throat. I took a step back and bumped into someone.

"Watch where you're going," said a gruff voice.

The man in the suit turned his head at the commotion. It felt like I started to breathe again. I had seen Don Roberts' face when they were cuffing him. It was ruined, half scarred from the burns. His blue eyes had bore into mine with hatred and what I thought was a promise of revenge. But this man's face was perfectly smooth. And his brown eyes weren't looking at me with hatred. He was looking at me like I was a dumb girl, blocking everyone's path on the sidewalk. His eye color didn't prove anything. After all, my eye color had changed too. But there was no way he was going to be able to fix his face. At least not any time soon. It's not him. I'm safe.

"Earth to Sadie." Kins stepped in front of me and waved her hand in my face. "Hey, you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Yeah, I'm okay." I touched the side of my neck and stepped out of the way of the people walking by. "I just thought I saw someone I knew."

"Geez, not someone you liked I'm guessing? You look so pale. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." I plastered a smiled to my face even though my heart was beating out of my chest.

She was looking at me like she was truly concerned. "We're here." She gestured to the building beside us. By the way she was staring at me, it didn't seem like it was the first time she had said it. "If you're still up for it?"

"No, I'm definitely still up for it. I'm sorry." I shook my head. Act normal. I had been so busy having a mini heart attack that I hadn't even realized Kinsley had been trying to get my attention. I looked in the window of the small boutique. I wasn't sure I was going to find comfortable shoes here, but I followed her in anyway. I didn't want to be outside. There were too many people in this city. How could I keep an eye out for someone I recognized if there were a million people every time I stepped outside? Nothing felt safe. I swallowed hard. It wasn't him. No matter how many times I told myself I was okay, my heart was still racing. I tried to focus on the racks of clothes. I'm safe.

"Aren't these clothes so cute?"

I appreciated Kins' distraction. I glanced at a price tag on the first dress I passed. $79.99. "Definitely cute." And expensive.

"This one's perfect. And this one." Kins already had a few dresses draped over her arm by the time I registered the fact that I couldn't afford anything here.

I walked through the rest of the displays until I came to the back of the store. The wall was lined with shoes. Most of them were ridiculously high stilettos. But along the bottom were some fashionable sneakers. I stopped when I saw a pair of light gray Converses.

I could still picture that night like it had happened yesterday. I imagined Julie sticking her foot out from underneath the table, showing me her new Converses. She thought they were the coolest things ever. In my mind, they weren't nearly as great as the bunny slippers my father had given me. I missed those slippers. I couldn't even remember what happened to them. But it didn't matter now anyway. I wouldn't have been allowed to bring them with me.

"I'm going to go try these on," Kins said. "You'll have to let me know which one is the best."

"Okay." I nodded and smiled as I picked up the pair of Converses. $50. I immediately placed them back down as Kins walked into the dressing room. I really needed to head to the bank to see exactly how much money I was working with.

"Did you want to try a pair on?" the sales associate asked. I hadn't even seen her approach me.

"Oh, no, that's okay. I was just looking."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Now's the time to get them if you want them. We're getting a new autumn line in. These are all half off."

That seemed like a pretty good deal. And I was starting a new job tomorrow. I'd have more money soon. "Could I try on a seven?"

"Sure thing. I'll go grab a pair from the back."

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