“True, but you come in close second.” Lexi’s aquamarine eyes glinted off the passing headlights as she quickly pulled into a 24-hour Starbucks.
I could have kissed her. Taking a sip of my raspberry mocha I burnt my tongue, but I didn’t care. I sighed in heavenly appreciation. “So where is our first target?” I asked as the caffeine started to pump through my system.
“You are going to love this. And it’s a BOGO.”
The pirate smile on her lips said all I needed to know. I was going to hate it.
When she pulled up to a nail spa, I just about died. “Please tell me this is a joke.”
“I would never joke about my nails.”
That’s what I was afraid of.
Getting both pedicure and manicures was the pits. I don’t get how girls enjoy it. Sure the soaking was relaxing, but once they broke out the file, I was as wiggly as a puppy. The coffee wasn’t helping. I felt sorry for the tech who worked on me. She kept giving me the stink eye. I really couldn’t blame her. I was totally being a pain the buttocks. In my defense, this was my first time, and I wasn’t the girly girl type. Painted nails were a luxury I just didn’t have the tolerance for, or a steady hand. My nails usually looked like they were hacked by a chainsaw.
I stared down at my fresh glossy black cherry chutney (who makes up these names?) nails. “These will be demolished by tomorrow,” I announced.
Lexi tsked her tongue and lead us onward to the next stop – a boutique. She sighed beside me. “You must lack a female gene, the one that gives you fashion sense.”
That should’ve offended me, but it didn’t. “I have fashion sense,” I argued, thumbing through a clothing rack as if I knew what I was looking for. One glance at the price tag and I dropped it like hotcakes.
“Umm, maybe for a ten-year old. Face it Angel, jeans and converse aren’t exactly fashionable.” Her fingers expertly searched through the rack, knowing exactly what she wanted, the complete opposite of me.
“I beg to differ. Fashion is subjective.” Okay, so high fashion wasn’t my thing and yeah, maybe I only wore the bare essential of make-up, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t like to look hot. Lexi was going to give me a complex, on top of the ones I already had.
“Here, try this.” She handed me a midnight blue top with a cutout in the back. “This will make your eyes pop.”
Did I want my chameleon eyes to pop? Turning the tag around, I gasped. “No. Thank. You.”
She rolled her eyes. “You need to use your womanly wiles and get Chase to spoil you once in a while.”
“Why would I do that? I don’t want his money.”
She snickered. “Just his body.”
I gave her a dry look and screwed up my nose, absolutely uncomfortable talking about Chase’s magnificent body with his cousin.
“Because dummy. Chase is swimming in a trust account. The last thing he needs is another car or another toy.” She shrugged. “I am sure he would be plenty happy to spend it on you.”
“Lexi, I couldn’t do that. I don’t want a sugar daddy.” Lexi never failed to throw me for a loop. “Is that what you want? A sugar daddy?” I asked.
She shrugged. “It beats being alone.”
Even though she was acting like it wasn’t a big deal, I could see that under the surface there was old pain and uncertainty about her future. Being a senior in high school could do that to you, even the ones who look like they have everything together. Being a half-demon that most humans outcast was…lonely and sad. That was what I saw lurking behind those startling aqua eyes. “Lexi, you’re beautiful. Any guy would be lucky to have you. Money isn’t as important as your happiness.”
“It’s easy for you to say. You have Chase.”
“I don’t really have Chase. And anyway he’s been…weird lately.”
“Weirder than normal? I find that hard to believe.”
I snorted. “I know right? He just seems to be pulling away.”
“I know my cousin. If he is putting up walls, then he thinks he is protecting you somehow. Smash the wall down. Look…” She turned toward me, forgetting all about the racks upon racks of clothes. “Chase thinks he always knows best and sure most of the time he does, but he hardly ever put his feelings first. He is always battling everyone else’s fights. Chase needs you, whether he likes it or not. You are the first real good thing that has ever happened to him, and I don’t think he knows what to do about how he feels for you. He is exceptional at keeping people safe. He is not so good at expressing himself. It might take him forever to tell you that he loves you, but I am telling you that he does. Don’t let him slip away. You’ll regret it.”
“Just because our souls are bound doesn’t mean–”
“That is the worst copout. You were crazy for each other before that. It never would have happened if he wasn’t in love with you. Chase would never make himself vulnerable like that for just anyone.”