Chay chuckled. “That’d be something Jake would do.”
I walked to the door and pulled it open. Two red noses were pressed against the glass of the storm door. “I wondered where they were.” I pushed it open. Their fat, red bodies fell backward. Their butts scooting across the porch floor left a trail in the light dusting of snow.
“Milayna!” Friendly exclaimed. “We wondered when you’d come out to play.”
“Nice house,” Scarface said with a scowl.
“I suppose I have you to thank for that,” I said. The grumpy hobgoblin had fingers that shot fireballs. A fact we found out firsthand just months earlier.
“Nope. That was Aba—”
“Shh! Don’t say his name,” the other goblin said, wide-eyed.
“Hmph. That was him,” Scarface muttered.
Chay looked over my shoulder. “Why are you two so scared of Abaddon?”
Both goblins took a step backward as if Abaddon were going to strike Chay down where he stood for daring to utter his name.
“Because he’s scary,” Friendly said.
Chay threw some popcorn in his mouth and shrugged. “That clears it up.”
“Getting bored out here. Stop playing with the little demons and come outside and play with us,” Jake called.
“I called the police,” my aunt said quietly. “There’s no need to go out there.”
“Thank goodness.” We all sighed.
Minutes later, the police showed. The red and blue bubblegum lights on top of the car swirled in the darkness, casting their faces in eerie shadows, making them look as evil as they were. A blip of the siren sent them scattering in all directions.
“I guess that’s our cue to leave too,” Xavier said.
“Yeah, it’s getting late,” I agreed.
“Walk me to the door, Milayna?”
I hesitated. Xavier raised his eyebrows in question. “Sure.” I walked beside him to the front door. Everyone else made their way into the kitchen, cleaning up the popcorn bowls and pop cans.
“So…” Xavier rocked back on his heels, his hands in his pockets. “You’re back with Chay.”
“Why do you think that?”
He reached out and hooked his finger around the chain I wore, pulling it out from under my T-shirt. The gold band glittered when the light hit it. “I don’t know too many girls that still wear their ex-boyfriend’s ring.”
“Oh.”
“The funny thing is, he didn’t touch you all night. So either you’re back together and he’s all of a sudden become shy about public displays of affection, or you’re not back together but something has happened that makes you think you’ll be getting back together.”
“We aren’t back together,” I said quietly, wondering how much of our conversation Chay was listening to.
“Then something happened.”
“No. I’m just not giving up yet.”
“And where does that leave me?” Xavier let the chain fall against my chest. I quickly pushed it under my shirt.
“The same place you’ve always been. A friend.”
“Ah. I thought that’d be your answer.”
“I never said—”
“I know. You said we weren’t really dating, but you sure kissed me like we were.”
I felt a flaming hot blush sear my cheeks.
Geez, I hope Chay didn’t hear that.
“Xavier…” I sighed, squeezing my forehead with one hand. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to say. He was right.
“Don’t worry, Milayna. I knew if Chay gave any indication he wanted you back, you’d go. But just so you know, I’m not giving up either.” He leaned down and quickly grazed his lips over mine before walking out the door.
I turned toward the kitchen and saw Chay staring at me, his face impassive.
“Chay, it happened—”
“Don’t bother, Milayna.” He brushed past me and stormed out the door, breaking into a run toward his house.
Crap, crap, crap. I’ve so screwed this up.
I ran my hand over the chain until I found the gold band hanging from it. I rolled it between my fingers.
How’d I make such a colossal mess out of everything? Of course, if I want to get pissy, I could blame it on Chay. He’s the one who broke up with me in the first place. But it isn’t entirely his fault. I was teetering on the fence. I can’t have it both ways. Either I walk away from Chay and commit to Xavier or I sit around and wait for Chay to make up his mind and figure out what he wants. I can’t have it both ways. It isn’t fair to any of us, especially Xavier.
“Choices, choices,” Muriel said softly. She wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her chin on my shoulder. “It’d be so much easier if guys came with instructions.”
“Or we could read their minds.”
“Yeah, that too.” She kissed me on the cheek. “It’s gonna work out.”
“With which one?”
Muriel shrugged “I wish I had the answer for you.”
“Me too.”
I just wish I knew who I wanted it to work out with. And if he wanted to kill me or not.
24
The Pit