I slammed the book down on the counter, hard. “Why the fuck didn’t you answer the phone? Or call me back?” I shouted.
Serena’s eyes narrowed at me. “If you did your research I’m sure you could find the answer to whatever question you have.”
“Did you even listen to my messages?” I snapped.
She gave me a patient smile. “The first two, then I stopped listening.”
I gave her a smile, and it wasn’t my nice one. “Well, let me fill you in. My friend Isaac was possessed by a fucking demon.” Her smile disappeared. “I just got back from Boulder. Francis says hi.” I slid the book towards her. “I’m done. I’m done trying to learn from someone who isn’t willing to teach me. I’m done trying to jump through your hoops. I’m done with you.”
I turned to walk out. Her voice stopped me. “You’re a magic user, Lexie, you have to follow our policies.”
I turned on her. “Which are?” I snapped. I held my arms open, waiting. When she didn’t answer I dropped my arms. “If you won’t tell me what they are, I don’t have to follow shit.”
“Whether you know the laws or not, you still have to abide by them. We are the ultimate authority on this matter,” Serena stated.
I tilted my head at the blatant lie. “Oh, no you’re not. You see, in Boulder I met an interesting group of gargoyles. Had a nice long chat with a female named Evelyn.” Serena’s face turned white.
“Evelyn Dalca?” she asked, her voice almost cracking.
“Yeah, Mated to a white-haired guy with gold eyes,” I told her cheerfully. Serena swallowed hard. “Anyway, she gave me some interesting information about the Witches Council. Apparently, if I’m not actually a part of your group, then I don’t answer to you, I answer to her. She’ll also be looking into the Necromancer deaths over the last two hundred years.” She swallowed hard. “Lucky for her, Atticus is great at research.”
I turned and headed for the door again, slamming it behind me as I left. God that felt good.
Asher
I tossed the baseball into the air and caught it as it came down. I was at Miles’ house since Dad was still here. Almost a week - a new record for him. I threw the ball again and caught it.
Ally. I stared up at the ceiling, remembering the way she slept on the flight home. She’d curled up and passed out almost immediately. She had been exhausted. Our kiss ran through my mind again. I closed my eyes and sighed.
I couldn’t do it. I finally admitted it to myself. I couldn’t step back for Zeke. I had tried in Boulder, taking care of Ethan instead of her, but the entire time I was worrying about her. Well, worrying about everyone.
I ran my hand over my face and let out a deep breath. Zeke. It looked like Zeke had slept in her room the other night. I didn’t know for sure, but it looked like it. And if it was true… Zeke had to be crazy about her. I should step back. My heart ached.
I was in love with her, and I didn’t want to walk away from that. I sighed. I still had to step aside. Didn’t I?
Zeke
I closed the front door and walked through the kitchen to open the back door for the dogs. Tank immediately jumped on me, his foot stabbing into my gut.
“Down, Tank,” I grunted. He dropped back down to all four feet before running further into the house. I closed the door and headed back into the small dining room. I picked up my bag and walked back to my bedroom. Everything was the same as I had left it. Even my bed was still messy. Then again, it would be messy even if I’d made it. Tank and Kita loved to tear the blankets off. I dropped my bag and sat down on the side of the bed. Everything was the same. Except I had slept next to Lexie.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and brought up a picture of her. Her brown eyes were sparkling as she looked up at the camera with a smile. She was lying on her back in bed, smiling up at her phone as she took the selfie.
My chest grew warm, my head quiet. It went okay. I didn’t hurt her, I didn’t even have a bad dream. There had just been sleep and peace. Holding her all night had been…
I flipped to the next photo. Everyone had been at her house. The twins were doing dishes while Asher and Rory watched baseball. Miles had been at the table still doing homework. She had her chemistry book in her lap as she sat at the other end of the couch, her notebook sitting on the arm. Her hair was in a messy bun. Several long strands had already fallen out. Her sweater had fallen down her shoulder showing her porcelain skin. She had been concentrating on something while chewing on the corner of her bottom lip. With her sweats and mismatched socks, she had looked too good for me to pass on taking a picture. It was still my favorite one. The others might like the ones Dylan had taken, but this one… this was Lexie. I grinned.
Not two minutes later she had been cursing as she slammed the textbook closed and dropped it on the floor. I had barely managed to hide my smile when I asked her what was wrong. It was Math, again. Since Miles was busy writing an essay, I bent down, picked up the book, and asked her to show me what she had been trying to understand. She scooted closer, opened the book again, and showed me her notebook. I tried to explain the way it made sense to me but it came out wrong. We both ended up getting frustrated and yelling at each other. Miles banned me from helping Lexie with homework after that. I haven’t tried since.
Lexie. I closed my eyes. She was amazing. She understood me… and I had woken up next to her without hurting her. I finally admitted it to myself. I was in love with her. I looked at her picture again. The real question was, was she ready to start… anything? That shit with Ordin messed her up, but she was doing a lot better. She only had two sessions left.
Maybe it was time to talk to her about that kiss and what it meant. If she wasn’t ready then at least we’d know where we stood, and she’d know I’m not going anywhere. I ran my hand through my hair as anxiety tore through me. I had to try.
Miles
I rolled over and tried to stop thinking, but it was no use. Zeke slept next to Lexie. He had feelings for her, there was no other explanation for it. I started tapping my fingers on my chest. Lexie would be good for Zeke, she understood him like no one else. And he’d love her completely. But so would I…
I cursed as I rolled onto my back. Look at it logically. She’s one of your best friends, you have an agreement with the others not to date her… and yet you still can’t stop thinking about her. I cursed myself.
It was too late for me already. The more I touched her, the closer I got to her… the more I wanted her. Making her smile, helping her fall asleep… all of it left me wanting more.
Control, Miles. Control. I took several deep breaths and tried to remember why I shouldn’t call her and tell her how I felt. The agreement, she’s my friend… Why did they all seem like excuses?
Isaac
Lexie had been right, Ma was pissed. I watched the shadows dance across the ceiling. Grounded for two weeks. Of course, if we explained to Ma what had actually happened, she’d just be happy I was alive, tattoo or not. The skin on the back of my neck itched.
Lexie had saved my ass. It felt like I was in the dark forever. The cold had seeped into my bones… I pushed the memory away and tried to find a happy one. Kissing Lexie. Well, Lexie kissing me. That cliff had disappeared when her lips touched mine. Everything had stopped. All that existed were her lips, her taste, the feel of her body against me. Damn, she had felt so good. I hadn’t known she felt the same way about me as I did about her. I had hoped… Hell, I shouldn’t have even hoped. I needed to talk to her tonight. But not on the phone.
Ma’s bedroom door was closed. I waited for an hour before getting off my bed and silently moving into the hall. Yeah, if I got caught I was screwed, but as soon as Ma had seen my tattoo I was screwed anyway. I tiptoed downstairs and got Ma’s keys off the table by the door before I slipped out.
It wasn’t long until I was pulling up in front of Lexie’s. It was only eleven, she should be awake.