IT WAS SATURDAY. Tonight was the party. And I’d done nothing to ensure that my parents would be out of the house before the entire school showed up. I. was. screwed.
Even worse, my dad was still gung-ho about all of us heading out to the ranch to bond with our captive. Or “guest,” as my family was calling Jake. Dad wanted him to see just how normal and unthreatening we all were. In that case, maybe Jake should come to the party too. Then when my parents inevitably broke it up and skinned me alive, he’d see just how normal a family we were. Crap, what the hell was I going to do?
To top it all off, I wasn’t even sure when people were going to start arriving. High schoolers could start showing up as early as this afternoon, and I had no idea how I would deal with that if we were all still at home. Mom and Dad were having a debate about that very topic though. Mom wanted to head out to see her sister, Dad wanted to wait until the sun went down, so Nika could come with us.
Dad sipped on his blood while I slurped down a bowl of sugary cereal. I also had a cinnamon roll, glass of juice, and a bowl of fruit waiting for me. Mom hadn’t eased up much on the meal making.
“We should have left last night,” Dad was saying between sips.
Mom sighed. “I know. But Ashley and Christian wanted a night out on the town, and by the time we all got back, it was too late to wake Julian up and drag him out there. You know how he gets when he’s woken up.”
I flicked my gaze between the two of them. They realized I was right here, didn’t they?
Dad smirked and nodded. He even went so far as to laugh a little. Feeling the need to defend myself, I muttered, “Hey, I’m a lot cheerier than Nika.” That wasn’t true, but it felt good to say it, and since Nika was sound asleep in her lightproof room, so she couldn’t even defend herself. Double bonus.
Dad’s amused eyes watched me from over his glass as he took a long drink. Stirring my bowl of strawberry colored milk, I tossed out, “Why don’t you guys go up now? I’ll stay behind with Nika, and we’ll head up after sunset.” I crossed my toes, since crossing my fingers would be too obvious.
Mom pursed her lips, considering. Dad looked like he was considering it too, but not coming to the conclusion that Mom was. “I don’t know, Julian…”
Setting my spoon down, I tore off a chunk of my cinnamon roll. “You don’t want to leave Nika alone here because of Hunter, right? Because you’re worried about what will happen when their bond kicks in…if no one is around to stop it, right? Well, I can stop it.” I shrugged. I really didn’t want to physically pry my sister and Hunter apart when the two of them were acting like out of control maniacs, but I knew that was my dad’s main hang up. If I could solve that problem, I’d at least have a few hours to solve the party problem.
Mom seemed sold. “We could head up now, and spend a little more time with everyone than we have been. Maybe we could even spend the night tonight, so we have all day on Sunday?” She leaned into Dad’s side. “It’s been a while since we’ve checked out the hot tub.”
An intrigued expression crossed Dad’s face and I shoved the cinnamon roll into my mouth in a vain attempt to distract myself with the sweetness of it. My parents were so embarrassing. Dad cleared his throat, then said, “I don’t know, that’s a large responsibility, Julian.” Mom gave him a pointed glance and Dad tapped his finger against his lip like he was deep in thought; his extended fangs amplified his expression. “Well, I suppose you are on the panel now, and you did help determine a man’s fate, so I guess it’s time for me to let you be a little more responsible.”
He sighed, like admitting that was hard for him. Knowing what was going down behind my parents’ backs today, I immediately felt guilty and irresponsible. I still didn’t entirely want to stop it though, if I even could at this point. Right or wrong, if all went well, I’d get to see Arianna tonight and I wanted that to happen…even if she had moved on.
I felt like complete crap, but I smiled at Dad anyway. “Thanks, Dad. And don’t worry, I won’t let you down.” I felt like I’d just taken a knife and stuck myself in the stomach with it. I won’t let him down? If he knew about the party, he’d definitely feel let down. Oh well, I felt certain I could get the party broken up before Dad was clued in. Or die trying anyway.
Dad looked over at Mom. “I guess we’re leaving. Grab your stuff.”
Mom giggled she was so excited. Under her breath, she murmured, “I’ll grab that little red bikini you like too.”
Dad studied his glass of blood, but I saw the huge smile on his face. Gah! They couldn’t leave quickly enough. As Mom left the room to go get ready, I set to work on my food. In between bites, I told Dad, “I’m gonna go hang out with Trey for a bit, but I’ll be back long before the sun sets.”
Dad acknowledged my comment, then told me, “Call if you need anything. And I mean anything. I’m only a few minutes away.”
For the briefest second, I wondered if running out of ice for drinks was something I could call him about. I dismissed the errant thought as I popped a piece of watermelon into my mouth. “Sure thing.”
Finishing his breakfast, Dad rinsed out his cup and then Mom’s. Over his shoulder, he said, “I’ll call Starla and Jacen, have them come over later and give you a hand.”
Irritation and frustration ran up my spine, making me drop my fork. “Dad, I got this. I can handle Hunter on my own. And besides, you guys can help detain him on your end. You hold him there, I’ll bring Nika to you, and by the time they explode, we’ll all be in the same place.” Dad and I grimaced at the same time, and I changed my wording. “I didn’t mean explode…”
Dad held up his hand. “I know what you meant. Your idea is a great one, but after the…incident…at the birthday party, Hunter is refusing to let Nika zoom out to him. He insists on meeting her here tonight, then running out to the ranch together. Seems like a waste of time to me, but I’m not the one struggling through a brand new sire bond, so…whatever we can do to make it easier on them.”
Because I couldn’t resist, I muttered, “Besides letting them live together, you mean.”
A definite scowl marred Dad’s features and I backpedaled as quickly as I could. Damn it, I needed him in a good mood so he’d leave. “Never mind, I didn’t say that. Nika and I will catch up with you later.” Standing, I patted his shoulder. “Have a good time.”
I started to leave the kitchen as hastily as I could, but Dad called my name. When I looked back at him, he indicated my half-eaten breakfast, and all of the dishes that had gone into preparing said breakfast. “Don’t forget to clean up.”
His grin was a little smug for my tastes, but I did what he asked without question or complaint. Maybe he’d remember that I’d been compliant when he killed me later tonight. No, I wasn’t getting caught. Power of positive thinking.
Later at the park with Trey, I asked if the party was still happening. I was anxious and dreadful of his answer. It was short in coming. Keeping a small ball in the air with his knee, he animatedly told me, “Yeah! Everyone I talked to is still coming.” He gave me a sly grin. “Even Arianna.”
I frowned and considered flinging the cloth ball into the next county. “You talked to Arianna?” When did that happen?
Trey shook his head as he refocused on his game. “No, but Raquel did. She ran into her and a couple of her friends at the movies.” I bit my lip and stopped myself from asking if Arianna’s friends were male or female. Trey looked over at me when he missed the ball and it fell to the ground. “You ready for the party? Need help setting up?”
I raised my eyebrows at him. Was I supposed to decorate for this? I’d never hosted a party before. I just assumed all I had to do was provide the place. “Set up? Like do what set up?”
Trey looked at me, dumbfounded. “Uh, food? Soda? Jell-O shots? Don’t tell me you don’t have anything ready?”
I scratched the back of my neck. “Well, I uh…I’ve been busy.”
Trey shook his head. “Jesus Christ, Adams. I don’t know about you sometimes. It’s like your head is only partially screwed on.”
Hearing that coming from Trey made me laugh. Trey grabbed his skateboard then started heading toward my car. “Come on, we’ll go to my place. I’ve got everything we need.”
I was both surprised and unsurprised. From everything I knew about them, Trey’s parents were the type that were ready for a massive get-together at the drop of a hat. And they were also the type who probably wouldn’t notice if half of their stash went missing.
Forty-five minutes later, Trey and I were loading up my car with bags of stuff: chips, dip, some trail mix thing made with cereal, peanuts, and caramel, cases of soda, boxes of frozen croissant-wrapped mini hot dogs—or as Trey affectionately called them, “Manna from Heaven”—a tray of Jell-O shooters that Trey just happened to have in his fridge, a gallon tub of vanilla ice cream, and a plate of “special” brownies that smelled suspiciously like Trey’s clothes often did.
As I’d predicated, Trey’s parents didn’t notice him ransacking their kitchen. In truth, they barely even noticed he was home. Trey lived in a house that I would have sworn was a junkyard from the amount of crap on the lawn. There was a car buried under tall grass, and about five lawnmowers. By the front door, there was a toilet with flowers planted in the bowl; the back of it was being used as a dumping ground for various odds and ends. A skateboard, axe handle, and ski pole were sticking out of it now. It was the epitome of Starla’s worst nightmare.
Trey shouted he was there and shouted he was leaving, but his parents never emerged and never answered him. I could hear them; they were in the back bedroom, giggling and smoking. Smoking what, I wasn’t sure, but from the smell it wasn’t cigarettes. When we were back in the car, I asked Trey if he was all right.
He gave me a blank, confused expression. “All right with what?”
I looked away, not sure how to answer that. Trey was used to being largely ignored. It was so opposite from my life, I could barely comprehend it. Even now, I knew my parents were monitoring my position. Trey could probably go wherever he wanted and stay out as late as he wanted and nobody would give him any sort of grief. I was jealous at first, but that faded pretty quickly. I’d rather have my parents care too much, than not at all.
When we got back to my house, Starla and Jacen were there. Starla was flipping through channels on the television. Jacen was massaging her foot while reading a book. Starla looked up when Trey and I walked into the room, and I cringed. I was carrying bags overflowing with food, Trey was holding the platter of Jell-O shooters. Trey didn’t seem to be worried at all that Starla had caught us, and happily exclaimed, “Hey, Mrs. A. Looking good, as always.” He winked at her and I wanted to smack him. She might not actually be my mom, but she was playing my mom and Trey flirting with her was just…wrong.
Starla raised an eyebrow while Jacen narrowed his eyes. “Having a party?” she asked.
I felt my gut sink. I was busted already, and the party hadn’t even started. Not knowing what else to say, I shrugged and told her the truth. “Um…yeah.”
She nodded, not surprised in the least. “Do the landlords know?” she asked, a smirk on her lips. I knew by landlords she meant my mom and dad.
I shook my head. “No.”
Starla smiled as a chuckle escaped her, and she looked over at Jacen. “And just when I thought tonight was going to be boring.” Returning her eyes to me, she held out her hand. “Give me something chocolate and salty.”
Trey grinned as he set his shots on an end table. “I’ve got just the thing.” He dug into a bag until he found some chocolate-covered pretzels. He tossed them at Starla and she effortlessly caught them. Smiling in approval, she started opening the bag. Trey picked his shots back up and told her, “And we’ve got brownies for later.”
“Awesome,” Starla told him, chomping on her treat.
While I walked into the kitchen with Trey, I heard Jacen whisper, “Starla, Teren wouldn’t approve—”
She cut him off with a kiss. “He only told us to keep an eye on them; he never mentioned that we had to parent them.”
“Yes, but—”
Starla again cut Jacen off with a kiss. “They’re safe, and they’re at home. I’d say we’re doing a bang-up job at this parenting thing. Now stop worrying so much and kiss me.”
The sounds of smacking that followed that remark made me cringe, but I appreciated Starla’s devil-may-care attitude. Trey shook his head. “Your family’s awesome and cool. I can’t wait to join it someday.” His grin was cocky, like it was a done deal already. I knew better though. Nika would never marry him, not in a million years. Not now. Starla knew it too, and she started laughing from the living room.
“Ah, this is going to be fun,” she muttered.
It was a couple of hours before dark when people started showing up. I stressed out every time I opened the door to let someone in. Each new arrival was one more person I’d have to run out of the house if my parents started heading this way. And if Nika and I didn’t go to the ranch when the sun set, then Mom and Dad would surely come get us. And with their speed, they could get here pretty quickly.
Starla wasn’t concerned. Of course, she was on her third special brownie, so she wasn’t really worried about anything. Trey acted as the host, showing people the food and drinks. He turned on some music too, nothing too loud and crazy, just loud enough that it could be heard throughout the house. Nika was singing along downstairs, since she couldn’t come out yet.
I relaxed as much as I could, but I was a nervous wreck. On my tenth time of opening the door, I figured out why I was so nervous. It had nothing to do with my parents. It had nothing to do with feeling guilty about having a party behind their backs, or being worried about them busting it up. No, my anxiety was all around seeing Arianna. I realized that the second I opened up the door and Raquel walked through it.
My former crush was a sight for sore eyes. I nearly hugged her, I was so relieved to see her. “Hey there, Julian. Miss me?” she asked, a playful tilt to her dark head.
A genuine smile erupted on my face. “You have no idea,” I murmured, throwing the door wide open for her.
She stepped in and looked around. She was wearing a short, frilly sundress, with a light jacket over her shoulders. A while ago, the thought of her standing in my home would have had me on my knees, but things weren’t like that anymore. Her dark eyes inspected the people in the living room, and then shifted to the photos along the walls. As I shut the door, she pointed to a picture of Starla, Nika and me at Disneyland. My mom had insisted on all of us wearing mouse ears for the photo; she’d been the one taking the picture. Starla and I had “set-dressed” the house while Trey had been busy in the kitchen. We’d moved so fast, he hadn’t even noticed.
“Cute,” Raquel said, giving me an amused smile.
I let out a short laugh. “Yeah. Wanna drink?” I indicated the kitchen, where I could hear Trey rattling off the various beverages we had on hand.
Raquel shrugged. “Sure, thanks.” I instantly wondered if Russell would show up to bug Raquel. He hadn’t really let the breakup go, even if he claimed he was over it.
As I was walking away with her, the doorbell rang again. I gave Raquel an apologetic smile. “Be right back.”
She nodded, unperturbed, then headed off to the kitchen without me. I skipped back to the door to let the new arrival into the house. My heart leapt into my throat when Arianna’s hazel eyes met mine. I was so stunned, I couldn’t even say anything. I just kept staring at her through the semi-open door. After an uncomfortable second, she softly asked, “Can I come in?”
Stupidity flooded through me. “Yeah, yes, of course.” I opened the door all the way for her, and swished my hand toward the entryway.
Arianna was in a pair of super-short, khaki shorts. The top she was wearing was bright red, and it twisted into an X right at her cleavage. It was so intriguing that I couldn’t stop staring at her chest; she was going to think I was a creeper if she noticed. Stepping into the house, she looked around just like Raquel had. It saddened me. Unlike Raquel, Arianna had been here before. Several times.
She turned in a circle, examining everything. When she was facing me again, I made sure my eyes were safely focused on her face. She gave me a breathtaking smile. “Your home is beautiful,” she said. While her comment was nice, her voice made me even sadder. She was using her curt and polite voice, a voice she used with adults and strangers…it wasn’t the voice she used to use with me.
Still staring at her, I started shutting the door. “Thanks, we—”
The door bumped against a body walking through the opening and I redirected my attention to the doorframe. I hadn’t realized someone else was here. I immediately opened the door a smidge wider again. “Sorry, I…”
My throat dried up as I stared at the man who’d been haunting my mind. I had to struggle to hold my fangs up, to not hiss at the stranger like a ticked off cat. Or an irritated vampire. What the hell was Arianna’s neighbor doing here? Oh God…was he here because they really were dating? Somebody shoot me. Right now.
While Arianna’s new guy gave me a strange expression, Arianna rushed forward. “Oh, Simon. You okay?”
The blue-eyed, blonde-haired jerk-hole in front of me looked over to my girlfriend and smiled. “Yeah, not a big deal.” He laughed and lifted his foot. “He just caught my toe is all.”
I laughed an obvious, fake laugh and both Simon and Arianna twisted to look at me. I flicked a quick glance at their hands. If he tried to hold her hand here, I’d lose my shit. I’d not only bare my fangs at him, I’d probably tear a small chunk out of his neck. Calm…I needed to stay calm. I didn’t know for sure they were together. For all I knew, Simon could be stuck in the friend zone too.
Taking a preventative step, I extended my hand out to him. He couldn’t hold her hand If he was holding mine. “Julian Adams. This is my house,” I stated. And my girlfriend, I almost added.
He tilted his head like he’d heard my silent thought, then he grabbed my hand. “Simon Cutler. Hi.”
I shook his hand for longer than was probably socially acceptable as I sized him up. He was of equal height and build to me, but I was positive he didn’t have my enhanced abilities. I could take him if I needed to. No, I couldn’t fight him. Not even for Arianna.
Maybe sensing that the tension in the room was starting to grow, Arianna cleared her throat and said, “Simon’s the neighbor friend I told you about. I invited him to the party, I hope you don’t mind. He needed a night out.” She sympathetically rubbed Simon’s back. I dropped his hand lest I accidently remove his arm from his shoulder.
“No problem. The more the merrier.” My smile was tight, my words crisp. Neighbor friend? Was he truly just a friend? Or were they more now?
Seemingly uncomfortable, Simon murmured, “I’ll get us some drinks,” and slunk off toward the kitchen.
I tried not to drill imaginary nails through his back as he walked away, but I failed. After Simon was gone, Arianna shifted on her feet, like she was nervous. “You don’t mind him being here, right? I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal, since so many people from school were coming. He’s a good guy, a good friend, and he’s had it tough lately and he really does need to get out and…and I’m rambling, I’ll shut up now.”
She let out an embarrassed laugh as she tucked a honey-colored strand of hair behind her ear. I started relaxing in her presence—and at the fact that she’d called him a friend twice now. I had to resist the urge to hold her tight though. It was so hard to feel what I felt for her, to remember what she felt for me, but not be able to do anything about it. It was like looking at the thing I wanted most in the world, but not being allowed to touch it. Painful, wasn’t an adequate enough word to describe the torture of being near her. But it beat being apart from her.
“Don’t worry, it’s fine. I’m glad you’re here.” I gave her my most attractive smile. A one-sided grin that I’d seen my dad give my mom half a million times.
Arianna had been nervously glancing around, but she paused and her eyes traveled to my lips. My heart started thudding in my chest. Maybe I’d finally get through to her tonight, make her see that I was a feasible potential boyfriend for her, not just a recently acquired friend. You know me…please remember.
Breaking eye contact, Arianna glanced back at the kitchen. Hopefully Trey was keeping Simon occupied, so I could have a little more alone time with Arianna. Even if they were just friends, that didn’t mean Simon wanted it to stay that way. He could want to date her just as much as I did. No…not just as much as I did. “Your mom was okay with you coming to the party?” I asked her.
Looking back at me, she nodded. “Yeah, if Simon came with. My parents love him.” Looking uncomfortable, she added, “He moved into the house down the road a couple months ago, but he’s…been going through a rough time lately, so my family has sort of adopted him. We all spend a lot of time together...”
Yeah, I know…I saw. Not wanting to sound jealous or overbearing, I made myself say, “That’s…really nice of you and your family.”
She nodded again. “Yeah, his dad is…out of town, and he’s kind of on his own right now, so he’s staying with us. We look out for him.” I gritted my teeth, but smiled. He was living with her? Great. Just when I was about to change the subject to something that didn’t involve Simon, Arianna tilted her head and said, “Were you at my house the other night?”
My mouth popped open in surprise and fear. She’d seen me? “Uh, yeah, I…um…”
Pursing her lips, she frowned. “How come you came by? And why didn’t you come to the door? I didn’t notice you until you pulled away… How long were you parked there…watching?”
She was rambling again…nervous. Sighing, I studied her shoes. They were cute shoes, with little bows at the top. I really should have complimented her on them at some point in our relationship. Too late now. “I’m sorry, I was just…in the area. I was going to knock and say hello, but then I realized you were about to have dinner and it felt inappropriate, so I was going to leave…and then I saw him, and I…” With sheepish eyes, I looked up at her. “I got jealous. I couldn’t move, so I just sat there like an idiot for way too long. I’m sorry.”
Her expression softened as she regarded me. “You got jealous?” she asked. “Of seeing me with another man?” Feeling like I was practically admitting that I was in love with her, I nodded. Her only response was to whisper, “Oh.”
Oh? As in, Oh, I see you in a different light now, or Oh, I feel sorry that you care about me because I don’t see you that way? I was nervous to ask her what she meant, but not knowing was killing me. Could she see me as more than a friend?
I’d just worked up the nerve to ask her, when Simon rejoined us. He had a plastic cup in each hand. Arianna wrinkled her nose as she took one. “This doesn’t have alcohol in it, does it?”
Glaring at Simon, I answered before he could. “No, it’s just cherry cola,” I stated.
They both turned to look at me. “How do you know that?” Simon asked.
Mentally kicking myself, I shrugged. “I have a really good sense of smell.”
Simon accepted that and turned to Arianna. “Want to dance?” He indicated the living room where some of the other partiers were starting to form a group of swaying bodies. It wasn’t exactly dancing, but probably would be in an hour or two.
I bristled at the idea of him dancing with her, but held my tongue. Before Arianna could answer, a high-pitched laugh distracted us. I looked over to see Starla sauntering my way. Jacen was walking behind her with a frown on his face; she wasn’t walking in a straight line. I sighed as she came up to us and tossed an arm around me.
“Julian! What the heck are you doing over here? And who is your pretty friend?” She squinted her light blue eyes as she studied Arianna, then she inhaled a surprised breath. “I know you! You’re the girl Julian can’t get over.” She turned back to me. “You slept with her, right? I sure hope so, otherwise there’s no point in pining over her. Not that there really is a point in dwelling anyway. What’s done is done, that’s my motto.”
I slapped a hand over her mouth to shut her up. Arianna gaped at her. “No! No we didn’t…” She twisted to me. “Who is this?”
Raising my eyebrows to Jacen, so he would remove Starla from the room, and hopefully from the house, I glumly told Arianna, “My mom…” I felt like hiding in a hole as Jacen led her giggling ass away. My real parents had never embarrassed me anywhere nearly as bad as she just had.
Arianna wrapped her arms around herself. “How does she know me? And why does she think we…?”
She didn’t finish her sentence, and I ran my hands through my hair, buying myself a few seconds of time. Simon felt the need to fill that silence with his own thoughts on the matter. “She’s obviously wasted…she can barely stand up straight.”
His face and voice oozed judgment, and I suddenly felt very defensive about my pseudo-parent. “Hey, you don’t know anything about her. Her life hasn’t been easy. My dad left when I was a baby, and she had to raise my sister and me on her own. If she needs to unwind every once in a while, then she’s earned the right.” I couldn’t believe that not only was I standing up for Starla, but I was doing it by spouting the completely BS fable we spun about our lives.
Seeing I was getting upset, Arianna put a hand on my arm. “He didn’t mean anything by it. It’s okay.” Her smile was so calming, I instantly felt my anger fading. What I wouldn’t give to wrap my arms around her and bury myself in her peace. What I wouldn’t give to have her back.
What I wouldn’t give for the doorbell to stop ringing. I grunted in irritation as another partygoer arrived. Backing away from Arianna with an apologetic grimace, I said, “I have to get that.”
She nodded, then started following Simon into the living room. Not able to watch her go without saying something, I called out, “Arianna!” When she twisted back to me, I lamely pointed at her feet. “I like your shoes…” Oh God, did I really just say that to her?
She bunched her brow like I’d completely perplexed her, but then she smiled. “Thank you, Julian.”
Trey walked past her, heading toward me. He was gnawing on a chicken leg. That wasn’t one of the snacks we’d brought from his house, so I could only assume he’d raided my fridge. And if he’d raided my fridge, other people probably had too. Crap. There was no way I could get all these people out, clean the house, and zoom out to the ranch in just a few minutes after the sun set. My parents were going to be suspicious, and then they’d become protective. And then they’d kill me.
Trey clapped my shoulder as he moved to open the door. “Good job on the compliment. I’m telling you, it works every time.”
As four people I didn’t know shuffled into the house, I asked him, “Really? When was the last time you had a girlfriend?”
Trey pointed to himself with his pinky finger. “I didn’t say it worked for me, but it works…or so I hear.” As I smirked at him, he looked around my beginning-to-get-packed home. “Where’s Nika?”
I discretely glanced out the windows to gauge the amount of time left in the day. I was surprised to see how dark it was getting. We didn’t have much time. In another twenty minutes, it would be fully dark. Crap! There were at least forty people in the house already, and I knew even more were on their way. What was I going to do with all of them? And…I hadn’t spent nearly enough time with Arianna to call it quits now. Zero time alone with her. This sucked.
“She should be here soon.” And then we would have to go. No…I needed more time.
I left Trey manning the door, while I scooted into the living room. I wasn’t much of a dancer, but my minutes were numbered, and I wanted to spend all of them with my former girlfriend. I found her with a pack of her friends from school. Simon was right beside her, of course. The group of them were standing in the center of the room, but they weren’t really dancing. Just swaying while they talked. I could sway. I could sway like a madman.
I joined them, accidentally on purpose sliding in-between Simon and Arianna. Arianna looked back at me and gave me a shy smile before returning her attention to her friends. Like high school girls tended to do when they clumped together, they all stared at me and giggled, but I didn’t care. Even if it only lasted for a few minutes, I was with Arianna again.
As I swayed slightly behind her, I noticed that she was getting closer to me, not farther. I hadn’t moved in either direction, so she must have. My heart picked up as her body bumped against mine. Feeling bold, I let my hand brush against hers. She didn’t pull away. I did it again, this time letting the backs of our hands rest against each other. Reaching out, I looped my index finger around her pinky. She still didn’t pull away. She’d been concentrating on her friends up to this point, but with our hands joined, she twisted her head to look over her shoulder at me.
I gave her a soft, disarming smile while I begged her in my mind to remember me. Just remember you love me…then we can go back to the way we were, and all this pain can stop.
My least favorite person in the world took that moment to make his presence known. Simon shoved his way past me, dislodging our fingers in the process. Giving Arianna a smooth smile, he asked, “Need another drink?”
Arianna frowned, glanced at our separated hands, then lifted her still-full cup to Simon. “No, I’m good, thanks.”
Simon looked mildly defeated, which made me happy. I was just about to try to send him on a pointless errand, when over the music, I heard Trey exclaim, “Little A! About freaking time you got here!”
I felt all the blood drain from my face. If Nika was upstairs, then the sun had set, and if the sun had set, then Hunter would shortly be on his way to collect us, and we’d be expected to leave. Or else Mom and Dad would come collect us. Shit.
Leaving Arianna’s side, I made my way to Nika. Once Hunter started toward her, their bond would kick in…and then the entire party would know something was up. Try as she might, Nika just couldn’t mask the effects of the bond. I’d have to hide her away so no one filmed her intense reaction.
Trey was already upon her when I got to her. He was asking, “Where the heck have you been?”
I wasn’t sure what Nika would tell him, but surprisingly, she had an answer all mapped out. “Some of us have jobs, you know?” I raised my eyebrow and Nika winked at me. That was actually a pretty decent answer.
Trey made a pffft sound. “Job, schmob. You’re missing out on the party of the year. Your mom’s already stoned.”
He started laughing while Nika looked around for Starla. I grabbed her arm to get her attention. “We need to go somewhere quiet, somewhere I can contain you, until Hunter gets here.” Just saying it made me cringe.
Nika frowned while she gazed at me. She wasn’t thrilled that she had to be restrained, but unless she wanted to have sex on the side of the road, or even worse, in the middle of the party, it was a necessary precaution. “We have time; he’s still at the ranch.”
Tuning in to Hunter’s location, I could feel that she was right—oddly, he was still with the others. Nika seemed upset by that fact, while I was just relieved. Maybe Dad was keeping him held up, unknowingly buying us more time. Whatever. All I cared was that he wasn’t on his way yet, so we didn’t need to wrap up the party yet. Just like she’d said, we had time. Once we felt Hunter move, then I could take Nika some place private, maybe the shed in the back yard.
Looking around me, Nika noticed someone over my shoulder and waved. I turned around to see that Arianna had followed me over. That had to be a good sign. Like a shadow, Simon was a couple of steps behind her.
“Arianna! Hi!” Nika exclaimed.
There was such hope on Nika’s face that my chest ached in sympathy for her; she wanted Arianna back too. We both missed her, just in different ways. But while Arianna knew and recognized me from school, she didn’t know Nika at all. She’d been completely erased…a total stranger. “You’re Julian’s sister…right?” she asked, frowning.
Nika’s smile faltered for a second, before she brought it back. “Yeah…Nika.”
Arianna nodded, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Pretty name.”
Nika let out a disappointed exhale. “Thanks.”
I was just about to ask Arianna if she wanted to go somewhere quiet, when Simon suddenly asked her if she was hungry. Grabbing her stomach, she told him, “Starved. Let’s get some chips or something.” Simon’s smile as he led her away was triumphant. I wanted to strangle him.
When they were gone, I turned on Nika. “I don’t suppose you can order him to stay away from Arianna?”
Her mouth pursed in disapproval, then twisted into concern. “Why isn’t Hunter on his way? I should call him…” She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and I yanked it out of her ice-cold hands. “What are you doing?” she snapped. “Give it back.”
I shook my head. “We’re having a secret party. What do you think will happen when Hunter gets here and we can’t leave? Our parents will show up, and we’ll be busted.”
Nika folded her arms over her chest. “This was your idea, Sherlock. I tried to broach the idea of a party to them, but you clammed up every time I did.”
I sighed; she was right about that. “I know, but it’s sort of too late now to do anything else. The longer Hunter takes to get here, the better.”
“For you,” she grumbled.
I was about to give her some witty comeback for that when her phone in my hand rang. Ice went through me. It was most likely a vampire on the other end, and a vampire would be able to hear the sounds of a party going on in the background. They’d know exactly what was going on the second we answered the line. I glanced at the screen, prepared to hit the end button, but Nika snatched the phone back before I could.
Smiling, she answered it. “Hunter, where are you?”
Hunter’s answer was quiet, crisp, and curt. “I’ve bought you ‘til midnight, longer if I can stretch it out.”
I blinked, confused. “You…what?”
Hunter heard me, even over the sounds of the party. “I owe you one, Julian, so consider this a payment on my debt…one of many. I told your parents I wanted to talk to them alone, without the interference of the bond. I asked if the two of you could stay at the house until our talk was over…and I’ll make sure it takes a while to get over with.” Sounding rushed, he added, “I also made sure it was me who called Nika to explain, and not your parents. I didn’t want them to hear the raging party you’ve got going on in the background.”
I almost didn’t know what to say to that. As Nika smiled into the phone held to her ear, I muttered, “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
Hunter let out a humorless laugh. “After everything that’s gone down, I really don’t think you need to thank me for anything. It was the least I could do.”
Nika had a sappy, romantic expression on her face as she thanked him. He told her it was no big deal and that he had to go before our parents got back within earshot of him. I was torn as Nika hung up the phone. I guess I had Hunter to thank for not getting skinned alive tonight, and it was strange to feel like I owed him one. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I liked the feeling.
As I turned back to the door to see Trey letting five more people into the house, I let out a long, slow exhale. We might have more time on our hands now, but keeping this expanding party under wraps was still a long shot.