Something in my chest fisted. This bitter, acidic sensation shot through my veins as I watched Kat and this guy. I didn’t know what it was, couldn’t put a name to it, but I didn’t like it. Not one bit.
I shouldn’t even be paying attention to this. The whole thing with the absentee DOD was far more important. Should be top freaking priority, but I couldn’t stop staring at their table. Every time this asshole laughed or Kat smiled, I wanted to walk over there and toss the dude through one of the glass windows. Probably would get into some trouble over that, but I was seriously debating it. There was a damn near primal urge to claim what was—
Kat looked over at my table, and even though there was a sea of bodies between us, our gazes connected. The fisting in my chest increased. I don’t know how long we stared at each other, but the only thing that broke it was the warning bell ringing overhead, signaling the end of lunch.
Standing up quickly, she picked up her plate and started to reach for her bag. The guy beat her to it. Picking it up off the floor, he draped the strap over her shoulder. Blood roared in my ears.
“Yo. Dude.” Andrew leaned across the table and clamped his hand on my shoulder. My head swung sharply in his direction. His voice was low. “Your eyes.”
I blinked, forcing the whitish tint from my vision as I pulled back from Andrew. Rising to my feet, I looked over at the table. Kat was gone. So was the guy. And that sour feeling was burning a hole right through my gut.
I waited for Dee outside her last class. She stepped out, swinging her bag over her shoulder. Spotting me, she raised her dark brows. “Whatcha doing here?”
Pushing off the wall, I fell in step beside her. “Maybe I just wanted to walk my sister to her locker.”
Dee snorted. “Yeah. Okay. And I’m not going to my locker. Don’t need to.”
“Perfect.” Having already dropped my stuff off at mine, I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans. “What are you doing now?”
“Not sure. Might go see Adam. Might go home.” Stepping sideways to avoid knocking into a smaller boy, I carefully edged past the crowd. It was a mass exodus. “You’re not hanging out with Kat?”
“Uh.” She focused straight ahead, her eyes wide. “No.”
I wet my lips as we hit the double doors. I opened them with my elbow, letting Dee pass through. “And why is that? You two not BFFs anymore?”
Her lips pursed. “I think she’s busy today.”
A boulder formed in my stomach. “Kat busy? Doing what?”
“You say that like she doesn’t have a life,” she said, sliding me a pinched look as we left the sidewalk and cut across the grass toward the parking lot.
I started to defend myself and then realized that I kind of did sound like that. “Sorry,” I muttered. “I just meant that she’s usually with you.”
“Well, you do know she has other friends, like Carissa and Lesa.”
Relief pecked through me as a gust of cold wind smacked into us. “Is she with them?”
“No.” Dee sighed as she stopped at her Jetta. Opening the car door, she threw her bag in and faced me. “I’m not even sure why I’m telling you this, because I have a feeling you’re not going to be happy, but she went with someone to Smoke Hole diner.”
And all the relief was gone in an instant. “With that guy from lunch?”
Dee nodded, and she exhaled loudly. “And he’s coming to the party Friday night.”
I stared at her. “What in the actual fu—?”
“I didn’t really invite him. The girls did, and you know, it’s not a big deal. He is actually pretty nice and he’s normal,” she said, meeting my eyes. “And I think Kat needs—”
“She doesn’t need normal,” I snapped.
Her emerald eyes brightened. “Then what does she need, Daemon?”
Me.
I wanted to shout that from the top of Spruce Knob, scream it in everyone’s face. Not weird or anything. But I was pissed. Stepping around Dee, I left her standing there and headed toward my car. I got in behind the wheel and cranked the engine.
Pulling out of the parking lot, I headed toward the house. I wasn’t going to the diner. It would be messed up even for me to do that. Once I hit the highway, I reached into my pocket and dug out my cell phone. Tapping on the screen, I hit the contacts and started scrolling until I found the contact I was looking for.
Kitten.
I started to hit her name, but cursed under my breath. Shoving the phone back in my pocket, I focused on the road ahead. I should go see Matt and ask if he’d heard from Uncle DOD recently. That was important.