I relaxed into his body without realizing I was doing it. His fingers played with mine as we talked. “He should stop trying to knock her up and spend more time worrying about our current hunter pollution.”
He chuckled. The sound hit me straight in the gut. “Whether you believe it or not, Devin has your mom’s best interest at heart. Yours too. He wants to protect her from all this. He doesn’t want her to be touched or tainted by the dealings of the underworld.”
Like me, I thought. And so did Chase. I could see the guilt and blame reflecting in his smoky eyes still. It was in his voice. He still believed everything that happened to me was his fault. I sighed. “We should get back before someone notices we’re both missing.”
“They probably think we’re kissing and making-up.”
“In your dreams.”
“I know I’m in yours.”
“Do you always have to have the last word?”
His face was expressionless. “Is a frog’s ass watertight?”
I groaned. This was going nowhere fast. Pushing off the wall, I brushed past him. “Jerk,” I muttered under my breath, but grinning inside.
“Brat,” he countered just for my ears alone.
By dinner we had waved the white flag – a ceasefire. Well, at least through the holiday. After that it was fair game again. Dinner was loud, boisterous, and chaotic. Everyone talked over everyone. Chase and Travis ate enough to feed a small country. There was so much laughter that I actually swore water came out of my nose once. The muscles in my mouth were sore from grinning so much.
It felt normal.
Seeing my mom that happy was worth putting up with Chase. It was worth every horrible, painful, and scary thing that had happened to me since moving to Spring Valley. When dessert was served, I was positive I couldn’t stuff another bite in my gorged belly.
“You going to eat that?” Chase asked, eyeballing my piece of pumpkin pie piled with cool whip. Just the way I like it.
I shoveled a heaping spoonful in my mouth, looking like a chipmunk.
He chuckled, sneaking a fork full of my pie. I slapped at his hand. “Do you want to lose a finger?” I threatened my mouth still full of pumpkin goop.
Moving closer to me, he pushed aside a fallen piece of hair behind my ear. The intoxicating scent of him fluttered over my face, overriding the sweetness of the pie. From across the table, my mom raised an eye, and I quickly swiped at his lingering hand.
“Knock it off,” I scolded, only to be rewarded with one of his dazzling smiles. Pushing my plate in his direction, I knew that if I ate another bite, I would hurl. He ate the whole darn thing. Bottomless pit.
Lexi and I retired to the couch after dinner in a practically comatose state. Food does that. I played with the sleeves of my cardigan. “What are you doing tomorrow?” I cringed even as I asked. Tomorrow was the biggest shopping day of the year. Duh. Lexi was going to be riding high on caffeine and start shopping before the sun even cracked.
From the other side of the couch, she looked at me over the pages of Black Friday ads. “Probably check out the sales.”
“So, I was thinking of tagging along.” I regretted the words even as they tumbled from my mouth. I wanted to be a good friend, best friend, but this was just going too far. If it had been Travis, none of this would have even been an issue. But Lexi was my best friend, so…
“I’m sorry, what did you say? You want to shop? With me?” she echoed in disbelief.
I nodded and swallowed, knowing I have already dug my own grave.
A mile wide grin lit up her face. Sparkling blue-green eyes the color of the sea shined at me with genuine glee. “Pedi,” she shrieked in delight. My poor ears rang, even as I found myself engulfed in a giant smothering Lexi hug.
Who said anything about getting my nails done? I thought she would drag only my butt to every store known to man.
Chapter 17
Black Friday.
The biggest shopping day of the year.
Most people spent the day getting up at the butt crack of dawn, fighting crowds and long lines trying to find the deal of the century.
The whole concept made me cringe.
Me, I spent the day running for my life. Well, first I’d gotten a pedi and mani with Lexi, a fat wad of good that was going to do me now.
The morning started out normal, as most mornings do, if you could call this morning. The sky was black as night, the air was brisk and crisp, and the woods surrounding Spring Valley were sleepy and quiet. Lexi drove us into the city as my eyes were unusually droopy. I couldn’t think this early. It was unnatural.
I pulled my pink hoodie closer around me, letting the ends fall over my chilled hands. “Need. Coffee,” I demanded like a zombie with bloodshot eyes and blood thirst.
“Hold your horses,” Lexi grumbled. “If I had known you were such a crabass in the morning, I would have left you at home. Jeesh.”
“Please, you live with Chase. Nobody can be worse than him.”