It was the end of the day when I started pulling my old books from my locker. Normally I wouldn’t have any books left, but these were the books Serena had sold me, along with a few of my own. Ever since Tara had found out about my ability to see the dead she’d been snooping around. I had even caught her in my bedroom a couple of times.

I wiped the sweat off my face before tucking another book away. The heat had my denim Bermuda shorts and gray V-neck shirt sticking to me. I couldn’t wait to get home and throw on a tank top and shorter shorts.

I reached in and grabbed another book.

“Hey, Red, what’s taking so long?” Isaac called in his rich, honey-like voice. The twins came around the corner and I had to take a breath. There was no getting around it - my friends were hot. As in sexy as hell and not just sweating.

“I’m getting my books,” I reminded him.

“Is Tara still snooping around your room?” Asher asked as he leaned against the locker next to mine. He was trying to beat the heat in cargo shorts, a white tank top and an open, button-down, blue and white plaid shirt. It did good things for his arms.

“Yep, and now she’s graduated to rifling through my drawers,” I grumbled.

“Can you put a lock on your door?” Miles asked as he joined us. Miles was sweating it out wearing blue jeans with his white Star Wars T-shirt.

“I have one, but she keeps getting in,” I answered.

“Then we need to get you a better one,” Ethan suggested.

I stuffed another book into my bag. “I was thinking about it, but I need to ask Rory.”

“Ask him, and I’ll bring one over,” Zeke said in his deep, gravelly voice as he joined the group.

“Okay, I’ll ask tonight,” I muttered as I put another book in my bag.

“What is taking so long?” Zeke demanded before he stepped behind me to look over my head and into my locker. He’d been doing that a lot since January. After my abduction and assault, we learned that Zeke was more likely to trigger a flashback than the others. Since then it’s become his habit to let me know he was behind me. I don’t think he even realized he did it anymore.

“I was stashing a lot of books and research,” I pointed out. My bag was taken off my arm. Before I could say anything, a large hand turned me around. Zeke bent down and I was suddenly over his shoulder, hanging upside down with his thick arm across the back of my thighs.

“You’re going too slow. Isaac, get the rest,” Zeke ordered.

I pushed up off his lower back to watch Isaac all but topple the books into my bag. “Be careful!”

Isaac ignored me as he zipped up the bag and shut the empty locker.

“If he tore any of them I’m coming after you,” I warned Zeke as everyone started down the hallway. “Now, put me down.”

“No way. It’s the last day of school,” Ethan stated. “You took too long emptying your locker. It’s roasting and we’re going swimming.” I started to squirm, trying to get down.

“Okay, but I can walk you know,” I pointed out, laughing.

Zeke slapped his hand down on my butt, making me squeak. “Stop wiggling. If I put you down, you’ll just find something else to stall going swimming.”

My face red, I reached down and smacked him on the ass. My hand stung. Damn glutes of steel. He chuckled at my feeble attempt.

“I’m just worried about your eyesight!” I countered.

“You’re not that pale, Red,” Isaac reassured me. “You’ve gotten some sun in the last month”

I rolled my eyes. Isaac clearly had never known a red head before. “And since summer started I have put sunblock on every four hours. That’s why I’m not a lobster.”

“Lexie, you can wear shorts and a shirt if you’re that worried about it,” Miles reminded me.

“Nope, she has to wear a swimsuit,” Ethan declared.

Everyone walked out of the hall and into the student parking lot. I started to sweat even more. I hoped it dripped all over Zeke.

“Okay! But when you go blind, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I threatened, though it was undermined by my current position over Zeke’s shoulder. The guys started laughing until they reached my Blazer. Zeke carefully put me down on my sandaled feet.

I narrowed my eyes at them playfully. “If I turn into a crustacean, I expect you guys at my beck and call for aloe on my back.”

The twins both raised eyebrows.

“Rub goo all over your body anytime you ask? Okay,” Isaac agreed with a smirk. The guys burst out laughing. I rolled my eyes. There were just some things you couldn’t say to a group of guys. Still… I loved my guys anyway.

I finished rubbing sunblock onto my legs and feet. Straightening, I looked in the mirror and eyed my two-piece swimsuit. The small black boy shorts and sapphire halter top kept me covered more than most swimsuits, which I liked. I bit the corner of my lip and ran my eyes over my body. Not bad. My body was toned, the soft lines hinting at six pack abs. My skin had a tint of color. For the last two weeks I’d been slathering on the sunblock and sunbathing alone, hoping to get some color without burning. The end result was my summer pale; not quite as pale as winter me. Yay me! I picked up my blue towel and sunblock before slipping my feet into my flip-flops and going downstairs.

Shouting outside drew me to the back door. My jaw almost dropped.

All of them were in board shorts. Every one of them was muscled in their own way. And the definition…

Stop drooling, Lexie. Out of all of them, only Zeke was wearing a shirt with his black board shorts. Isaac and Asher tackled Zeke, taking him into the water with them. I smiled as he came up sputtering and cursing at them. Miles shook his head before he dove into the water and came up ten feet away. Ethan was sitting on the deck next to Hades, still spraying sunblock on his arms.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped out into the backyard. I swear, if one of them yells ‘the beacons are lit’ they’re going to die. Heads turned. Asher smiled, Isaac whistled, Miles squinted in my direction.

Zeke’s face was blank while Ethan shouted, “Hey, sexy!”

Zeke’s eyes snapped to Ethan a second before he reached out of the water, grabbed Ethan’s arm and pulled him in. The splash hit Asher in the face.

Ethan came up laughing. “Worth it!”

I was shaking my head when I reached the dock and slipped off my flip-flops. “Zeke, he was the last one dry,” I chided. “I still need sunscreen on my back.”

“I’ve got ya, Red.” Isaac swam to the metal ladder and climbed out. He wiped the water from his face as the sunlight glinted off his pecs and eight pack. I sat beside Hades and began to pet him to distract myself. My big ball of love was panting away in the heat.

Isaac moved behind me and sat on the deck. I held the tube of sunscreen up over my shoulder.

“You’re not as pale as I thought you’d be,” he said as he took the sunscreen from my hand.

“I’ve been trying to get a little sun every day, carefully.” I gathered my hair over my left shoulder and held it. Isaac squirted some lotion into his hands and began to rub it into the back of my shoulders.

“Good idea, we wouldn’t want you too burned to go to the end of the year party tonight,” Ethan said as he turned over to float on his back.

“Who’s throwing this party anyway?” I asked as Isaac moved to the middle of my back. His gentle touch surprised me. It wasn’t like he was ever too rough with me, but I hadn’t expected him to take his time.

“Aaron Cooper,” Miles answered, still squinting at me.

“Miles, can you see at all?” I asked, smiling.

“A little, mostly blurry shapes,” he admitted, with a small shrug.

Isaac’s hands moved to my lower back.

I shook my head and went back to the topic. “Who’s Aaron Cooper anyway?”

“He’s graduating tomorrow and his parents aren’t home from Europe yet,” Ethan supplied, “so it’ll be the last big summer party he throws.”

“This is a bad idea,” Zeke grumbled. I met his eyes and gave him an understanding smile.

“I’ll have Hades and one of you with me at all times,” I reminded him.

He shook his head. “I still don’t like it,” Zeke said. I couldn’t blame him. I’ve had flashbacks and panic attacks at parties since April. None as bad as the beach, but they still bothered him.

“Zeke doesn’t want to go to a party. Big surprise.” Isaac’s voice was thick with sarcasm. “You’re done, Red.”

“Thanks, Cookie Monster.” The words were barely out of my mouth before Isaac was lifting me off the dock and tossing me into the water. I came up, pushed my soaked hair off my face and flipped him off. Asher started moving towards the shore. Zeke started moving toward the dock ladder. Isaac saw, turned, and ran. Zeke climbed the ladder as Asher reached the shore. Isaac ran past Asher and onto the grass. Zeke ran down the dock after them. I stayed in the water, laughing with Ethan and Miles. They disappeared around the house. I dunked myself and slicked my hair back.

“So, are we leaving from here?” I asked them.

Miles swam closer so he didn’t have to squint as much. “I believe that’s the plan.”

I moved to float on my back. “Sounds good to me.”

There was yelling. I looked up to watch Asher and Zeke carrying Isaac between them. He was yelling and apologizing as they walked down the dock.

“One,” Zeke said as they began to swing him between them, “two, three!” They let go; Isaac flew off the dock. He hit the water hard and made a big splash. I was still laughing as he came up sputtering. Zeke and Asher were cracking up on the dock. Isaac flipped them off.

“Hey, who can make the biggest splash?” I asked. Everyone pointed at Zeke.

Zeke flipped everyone off. We burst out laughing.

Asher moved the end of the dock. “Let’s find out.”

The next half hour had everyone jumping off the dock. Eventually, the guys were challenging each other to flips and dives. Miles surprised the hell out of me with a perfect backflip.

Asher had just come up from a dive when the back door opened. Expecting Rory, I turned to smile. Only it wasn’t him.

My cousin Tara was there with three of her girlfriends. All with towels. I repressed a groan.

“Hi, guys!” Tara chirped cheerfully. There were mumbled replies as Tara took off her sandals. My cousin was pretty, there was no doubt. Long, light-blond hair, big blue eyes and a pretty smile. Too bad she was a bitch to me most of the time. “Do you guys know Callie, Christie, and Cathy?”

“Who is who?” Isaac asked.

“I’m Callie,” the pretty, dark-blond girl said as she took off her shirt to reveal her pink bikini and the body to pull it off. Great.

“I’m Christie,” the brunette said in a high-pitched voice. Asher winced at the sound. Christie pulled off her wrap to expose another great body, this time in a white bikini.

“And I’m Cathy,” the strawberry-blond girl announced before she pulled off her shirt and uncovered a blue and white striped bikini.

“Nice to meet ya?” Isaac said awkwardly.

“We thought we’d join you guys,” Tara said as she pulled off her wrap and showed off her already tanned body in a red bikini. What the hell were they doing here?

“Free country,” Asher muttered. My cousin and her friends moved down the dock. Cathy and Christie jumped in immediately. Callie and Tara sat on the edge of the dock and started putting sunblock on.

“So, what were you guys doing?” Cathy asked, her eyes on Asher. My heart ached.

“Just jumping off the dock,” Asher said as Christie moved near Ethan. The ache grew bigger.

“Cool, can anyone do a flip?” Christie asked while eyeing Ethan.

“Not me,” Ethan answered, moving away to float on his back.

Tara and Callie finished with their lotion and slipped into the lake. Callie moved towards Isaac while Tara moved between me and Zeke.

“How’s your week been?” Tara asked him. Zeke looked at her as if she’d grown another head.

“Do you guys remember that game we used to play?” Miles asked, getting everyone’s attention.

“Which one?” Asher grinned.

“The one where we swim out, dive to the bottom, grab a large rock, and carry it as far as we can to the shore,” Miles reminded them.

“Yeah, I remember kicking all your asses,” Isaac announced. The guys shot him a look.

“We’ll see about that,” Zeke stated before swimming further out. He dove under. Tara’s friends tried to get the guys talking by flirting with them. Zeke came up around nine feet closer than where he started.

“Not bad,” Asher said before swimming out. I shook my head and kept treading water as the guys continued to push each other. Miles kept out-distancing everyone.

When Zeke went under for the fifth time, Tara swam up next to me.

“Can I talk to you in the house?” she whispered.

I eyed her. What did she want? “Yeah… sure.” We turned and swam to the dock and climbed out. I wrapped my towel around my waist before slipping my flip-flops back on and heading inside. Hades followed closely.

Tara closed the door behind her then turned to me with an annoying smile.

“What did you want to talk about?” I asked as I used the towel to dry my hair.

“You’re staying in the house,” she announced.

I raised an eyebrow at her. “I am?”

“Yeah. I’m trying to get to know Zeke, and you’re just distracting him.” Tara tucked a hair behind her ear.

I started laughing. “I’m… I’m distracting him? Really?”

Tara’s eyes narrowed at me. “Yeah, and now you are going to hang out in the house.”

I shook my head and started towards the door. “Yeah, sure, Tara.”

I had just opened the door when she said, “If you don’t, I’ll tell Cathy, Callie, and Christie that you can see the dead. Or at least that you think you can.”

I stopped in my tracks. My temper sparked as I turned back to her. “You’re blackmailing me?”

“If I have to, yes.” She moved to the other side of the open door. “So, unless you want to be known around town as the crazy girl, stay inside.” I eyed her. Was she serious?

I met her eyes. “This is fucked up, Tara,” I told her, trying to figure out if she was serious. “We’re family.”

She snorted. “Just because you’re my cousin doesn’t mean we’re family.”

My heart dropped. Wow. If that’s the way she wanted to play it, fine. I was too tired to put up with this shit anymore. “Go ahead and tell them.” I gestured for her to walk through the door. “Go, tell your friends that your cousin sees the dead, or at least thinks she does. Let’s see what happens.”

Her eyes flashed at me. “I’ll do it, Lexie.”

I smiled. It wasn’t my nice one. “Go ahead. Just remember, while you don’t think of me as family, the rest of town knows I’m your cousin.” I tilted my head to the side. “How do you think that will make you look?”

“It won’t matter, everyone knows me,” she said. “They know I’m not crazy.”

“Yeah, they do. But opinions change. And you care a lot more about other people's opinions than I do. You'll get texts, Facebook posts, memes made of you. Believe me, I've dealt with it all before. And it won't bother me one bit." I ran my eyes over her before meeting hers again. “Do you really think you can handle that?”

She glared at me and opened her mouth, then quickly closed it and put on a pleasant smile.

“Ally, we’re going to head out,” Asher announced as he came in the back door and stood next to me. The other guys filed past and headed for Rory’s room. Each of them shot looks at Tara as they went by.

“Why are you leaving? We were just starting to have fun,” Tara asked cheerfully.

Asher frowned down at her. “Well, everyone has something to do before the party tonight,” Asher lied before he headed to Rory’s room.

When the door closed she turned on me. “Which party?”

“The big bash Aaron Cooper is having,” I said before I walked across the room to lean against the back of the sofa where Hades had sprawled out.

Tara moved to stand in front of me. “I’m going with you and the guys.”

“You can go, but you’re not going with us.” I chuckled. “You just tried to blackmail me.”

“Lexie, I’m going whether you like it or not. So you might as well take me,” she told me again.

I grinned. “Why don’t you ask Zeke if he wants you to go with us?”

She smiled brightly. Oh, the poor girl. Did I feel guilty? Nah.

The door to Rory’s room opened. Zeke came out with his bag and closed the door behind him. His gaze passed Tara and went straight to me. His mouth was a tight line as he came toward us.

“Zeke, I hear you’re going to the Cooper party tonight,” Tara said, her voice annoyingly cheerful.

Zeke glanced at me, his eyes promising retaliation. I fought a smirk. He turned back to Tara. “Yeah…”

Her smile dimmed around the edges. “I thought we could hang out.”

Zeke’s face grew hard. “I don’t think so.” He turned to me. “Don’t go swimming without one of us here.”

I sighed. “I can go swimming, Zeke.”

His eyes narrowed on mine. “Do the wards go out that far?”

Shit. “I’ll stay out of the water,” I grumbled.

“Thought so,” he stated. I shot him a look. His lips twitched as he headed for the door. “See ya later.”

“Bye.” I turned back to Tara.

She was frowning at me, her face pinched. I looked down at Hades and scratched his ears.

The guys came out in a trickle, each saying they’d see me later. Ethan kissed my cheek, Isaac gave me his usual raspberry on the other. Miles said he’d pick me up later, while Asher just winked as he passed.

When the door closed behind them, Tara turned on me. “You’re taking me to that party.”

“He just said he doesn’t want to hang out with you,” I pointed out. “Go hang out with your own friends.”

Tara blew a gasket.

Ignoring Tara’s ranting and annoying demands, I headed upstairs with Hades. After locking my door behind me, I opened my book bag and started pulling out the books I had stashed in my locker. I put them back on the bookshelves and returned to my bag. I checked the door again before pulling out my other supplies; black salt, tar water, a small jar of red-brick dust. All to keep the dead away. I opened the bottom drawer of my desk and stashed them there with my other jars of dried herbs. Wishing I had a better lock, I put my bag away in my closet. I had been spending a lot of time over the last few months studying herbs, stones, and oils. I figured since the betony outside was working, and our charms were working, that there might be other things that worked too.

I pulled out several bottles and some cloth. Miles had said he wasn’t sleeping again, so it occurred to me that a sleeping sachet might help. I cut a small, round piece of cloth and sprinkled in several herbs, smelling it now and then to see if it was a good mix. When I was done I closed the little bag with a string. Hopefully it would help, otherwise I had bought the herbs for nothing. I started going through my research books and realized I was missing one. Fucking Tara…

The front door shut downstairs.

“Hey, where is everyone?” Rory shouted. I put my stuff away and headed downstairs. Rory was at the dinner table sorting mail. Tara was in the living room area watching TV. And right now, I didn’t care. I needed to tell Rory.

“Hey, Rory,” I greeted as I moved to the table.

“Hey. Where are the boys?” he asked. “I figured they’d still be here swimming.”

“Oh, something came up,” I lied. “Listen, I need to talk to you about something.”

“What’s going on, kid?” He turned to me.

I stopped chewing the corner of my lip. “I need a better lock on my door.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

“Someone has been getting into my room and going through my supplies,” I explained in a whisper.

“Tara?” Rory snapped as he turned around and crossed his arms. I sighed and turned too. “Have you been going into Lexie’s room and going through her things?”

Tara looked innocent. “I just wanted to borrow some books.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really? Why are you interested in a journal from the 1920s?”

“Is that what she took?” Rory asked.

“It’s missing from my room,” I offered.

Rory turned back to Tara. “Tara, what the hell? You’re going into her room and taking her research stuff?” he snapped, his voice hard. “Get your ass upstairs and bring back her things.”

“I just borrowed a book,” she said, her eyes rolling.

“Next time, ask! Get her stuff or you’ll be grounded for the next two weeks!” he shouted. I looked down at the ground feeling slightly guilty. That’s not really how I had hoped it would go.

“Fine!” she snapped and stomped her feet up the stairs. I sighed. This was going to backfire, badly.  

“Rory, I really need a better lock,” I told him earnestly.

He sighed. “If she does it again then you can have your lock,” he promised. “Let’s just see if she’ll listen.”

I doubted it was going to happen. Maybe I should store some stuff in the Blazer? Actually, that didn’t sound like a bad idea. Or would she break a window? Maybe Miles’ house?

“Alright,” I agreed. A door slammed upstairs.

“There! She’s got her stupid book back,” Tara shouted before another door slammed.

Rory sighed. “I think it’s a Chinese food night.”

“Sounds good to me.”

I had just finished changing into a clean pair of shorts and a black, Y-back tank top when Miles knocked on the front door. I shook my head as I slid on my sandals.

“Just come in, Miles!” Rory shouted. I smiled as the door opened downstairs. I tucked the sachet I had made him into my pocket and took a look in the mirror. My copper hair was back in a ponytail and my heart-shaped face had minimal makeup. I didn’t bother tonight because it would just melt off anyway.

“Lexie! Miles is here!” Rory shouted. I picked up my water bottle and opened the door for Hades. He hurried downstairs, eager to see Miles. By the time I reached the living room, Miles already had Hades on his leash. He had changed into jeans, sneakers and one of his Zelda shirts.

He looked up from Hades and smiled. “Ready?”

“Definitely.” I turned to Rory. “Curfew?”

Rory thought about it. “You’ll get until midnight tonight.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah, just don’t make me regret it,” he warned.

I smiled. “Thanks, Rory!”

Miles handed me Hades’ leash and held the door open. I hurried out, grateful to get away from the house and Tara, who was blaring music in her bedroom.

Miles got in the driver’s side of his sedan while I let Hades in the back and climbed in the front.

He pulled away from the house while I adjusted an air-conditioning vent for Hades, then myself. When I had air blowing on me, I turned to Miles. “So, how big is this party going to be?”

“It’s usually rather large,” he said. “People from Northridge and Dulcet end up coming down.”

My brows went up. “Really? That big?”

He nodded and his brows drew down. “Yes. Are you sure you want to go?”

I thought about it now that I knew how big the party would really be. “Will there be room to go outside and breathe?”

He glanced at me. “Yes, the property is enormous. The house is rather large. There is usually a bonfire, a dock for fishing on the lake, even row boats if you want to go out on the water.”

“Wow,” I said, impressed. “So, there’s room to go out and take a break.”

He chuckled. “Yes, there is.”

Miles pulled off the road and into a long, wide driveway. We found a line of cars and parked at the end, on the right-hand side. We were far enough away that we couldn’t see the house.

Before we got out, I said, “I have something for you.”

He turned to me with a small grin.

I smiled as I shifted so I could reach into my pocket. I pulled out the sachet and handed it to him. “It’s to help you sleep. Or at least, it’s supposed to help you sleep.” I shrugged. “I figured since the betony is working on the house that it was worth a shot.”

He grinned as he smelled it. “What did you use?”

“Lavender, chamomile, and some rosemary,” I explained. “Anything that is supposed to help with sleep.” My face warmed. “It might not even work.”

“Even if it doesn’t, thank you,” he said softly. I turned back and met his eyes.

“You’re welcome.”

He smiled down at me before putting the sachet on the console. Pushing open the door, I got out and let Hades out of the back.

We started up the driveway. The woods were thick along the driveway, the trees making it at least five degrees cooler. It was nice. Miles’ phone rang.

“Yes?” Miles answered. Hades pulled to the side of the road. He led me through the cars to a tree and lifted his leg.

“We’ve parked, but I don’t see the house yet,” Miles said. I smiled. It was probably Zeke wondering where we were. Hades put his leg down.

“Good boy,” I told him and gave him some love. He wagged his wrinkly butt. I walked back to Miles’ side and we started walking again.

“Alright.” He hung up. “The guys are on their way.”

“Is everyone here already?” I asked as we walked.

“Yes.”

“Isaac has already been drinking, hasn’t he?” I asked, my voice quiet.

He sighed. “It sounded like it.”

“I’m worried about him,” I told him. “He’s been so… I don’t know… over the top lately.”

“I am too,” he admitted. “But there’s nothing we can do until he’s ready to talk about it.”

The sound of an electric motor was coming towards us.

“So, we just wait and try to stop him from doing something stupid?” I asked, not quite believing it.

"Unfortunately, yes." He turned to me and met my eyes. "We've tried to talk to him about it, we've tried to get him help, but if we bring it up he just shuts down."

I hated that he was right.

The electric motor grew louder. A white four-seat golf cart came into view. Asher was driving. I grinned.

Asher pulled to a stop next to us. “Want a lift?”

“Hell yeah.” I let Hades climb into the back seat. Before I could climb in, Miles joined him. I shot him a playful glare that had him smiling before I climbed into the front with Asher. “Where is everyone?”

Asher did a three-point turn and headed up the driveway. “They’re watching Isaac.”

“How long has he been drinking?” Miles asked.

“A half hour.” Asher glanced at me. “Ally, I hate to ask, but you’re the only one who has ever been able to stall him.”

“I’ll take Isaac duty when we get there,” I promised.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

Asher drove around a bend in the driveway. My jaw dropped. This place was enormous. As in, as large as Miles’ house. The stacked log walls and large alpine windows made it look like the biggest ski lodge I’d ever seen. Every light was on in the house. Music was blaring and the place was packed.

“When you said packed, you meant packed,” I said quietly.

“We can still leave if you want?” Miles reminded me. I took a breath and let it out slowly as we reached the parking for the golf carts. Four others were already parked there.

We climbed out, Miles handing me Hades’ leash before he got out. We followed Asher into the foyer, the oiled timber walls and random artwork added to the ski lodge feel. That was all I could see. Every room Asher led us through was full of people. At least the crowd parted for Hades; I was the only person in the room not crowded. I bit back a grin as Asher brought us into a game room. Video games were being played on several large TVs, a game of poker was happening in one corner, there was beer pong, air hockey, quarters - every party game you could imagine was being played.

Asher led us through it all to the bar at the back of the room. Zeke came into view first. He was, after all, giant and easy to spot. When the crowd parted for Hades, I found Isaac at the bar playing quarters with a dark-blond guy. He wasn’t bad looking. I remembered seeing him around school sometimes. Asher moved to stand with Ethan and Zeke. I followed.

“Hey,” I said as I watched Isaac pound down a shot. “How many has he had?”

“Three shots, two beers,” Ethan listed, his voice boiling. Without looking, I reached out and took his hand. He squeezed my fingers gently.

“Okay, keep your phones on, guys,” I told them.

“Are you sure you want to handle this?” Zeke grumbled. I sent him a smirk over my shoulder as I headed for Isaac.

I walked up behind Isaac with Hades clearing the way.

The blond boy noticed me first. “You must be Lexie.” He tapped the quarter in his hand on the bar. “Isaac has told me a lot about you.”

Really? I raised an eyebrow at Isaac. He grinned.

“That’s me.” I turned back to blond boy. “And you are?”

He gave me a smile that rivaled Asher’s. “Aaron Cooper, nice to meet you.”

“You too. Your house is nice.” I turned to Isaac.

“You should see my bedroom,” Aaron said with a leer. Isaac’s head snapped up. Oh, not good.

“No thanks, I’ve got an allergy to bad pick-up lines,” I said with a straight face. Aaron chuckled. I turned back to Isaac. “Hey, Cookie Monster, walk with me?”

Isaac glared at Aaron. “Sure.” He took my hand, got to his feet, and led me through the house.

When we stepped outside I took a deep breath of the pine air. Isaac walked beside me. The backyard was huge. The swimming pool was full of people, and so was the hot tub. Further back in a corner a fire was going. Isaac led me through the crowd to a dirt path through the trees.

“How long have you been here?” he asked as we walked deeper into the trees.

“Just got here.” I stepped over a downed branch.

His hand squeezed mine. “And they asked you to babysit,” he grumbled.

I shot him a look. “I’m not babysitting. I’m not getting paid. I’m hanging out with one of my favorite people in the world.” I let go of his hand and wrapped my arm around his hard waist.

He half smiled and wrapped a tense arm around my shoulders. “Sorry, Red.” He gave me a squeeze. “The guys have just been on my ass about everything.”

“That’s what she said,” I said instantly. He chuckled. I squeezed him back. “They’re just worried about you.”

“I know,” he grumbled. “They shouldn’t be.”

“Why not?” I asked quietly. “We love you, so we worry about you.”

“You shouldn’t,” he repeated. “I’m fine.”

“Really?” I asked, my voice quiet. He nodded. I grinned up at him. “Okay, I’ll take your word for it.” I leaned closer until I was nose to nose with him. “But I’m still hanging out with you.”

He gave me a smile that reached his eyes; his body relaxed.

“Want to head back?” I asked.

“This path is a loop,” he explained. “We’ll come out on the other side of—”

Hades pulled on his leash, jerking me away from Isaac. I caught my footing and held him back. “What’s wrong, baby?”

The large bush beside a tree moved. Isaac stepped closer and a little in front of me as he took my hand. Dylan came out of the bushes fastening his jeans. His sapphire eyes lifted and met mine. His mouth dropped open.

“Uh…” He swallowed hard. Even the stunned look on his face couldn’t detract from his good looks.

“Dylan, wait for a sec. I can’t find my panties,” a girl’s voice called from behind the bushes. I raised an eyebrow, eyed him, and fought back a laugh. Wow. In the bushes? Really?

“Lexie…” Dylan’s eyes were pained, his face burning red.

“Enjoying yourself?” I asked, trying not to smile.

“I…” Dylan couldn’t seem to say anything.

Isaac squeezed my hand. “Come on, Red.” He tugged me along to start us walking.

“You’re with Isaac now?” Dylan asked, his voice sharp.

I shot him a look over my shoulder. “I wouldn’t be talking, bush boy.”

“Hope you kept an eye out for poison oak!” Isaac shot over his shoulder. I snorted as we walked around the bend in the trail.

When we were out of earshot, Isaac whispered, “Are you good?”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I’m just glad he hasn’t started calling since the restraining order expired.”

He squeezed my hand. I squeezed back.

“Are you nervous about your match?” I asked in the quiet.

“Kinda,” he admitted. “I haven’t fought for months. Sparring, yeah. But it’s different when you’ve got someone doing everything they can to take you down.”

“I think you’re going to do okay,” I told him. “Just don’t let him knee you in the face…”

We both started laughing. Getting a concussion from a knee to the face was enough that Isaac’s mom had yanked him from fighting months ago.

“Yeah, I know,” he muttered. “I’ve been looking at video of all the fighters who are registered. Trying to find weaknesses, mistakes.”

“Did you find any?” I asked, looking up at the trees.

“Some, but I don’t know if it will be useful. I still don’t know who I’m fighting.” He took my hand again.

“Keep to your technique, keep moving, and be patient,” I said, repeating what Dave, my trainer, always told me. “And don’t lose your temper.”

He grinned down at me. “I know.”

I smiled. “Sorry, I’m just worried something bad will happen.”

He squeezed my hand. “I know.”

We both grew quiet and enjoyed our walk.

I growled under my breath as I moved through the damn crowd. Why the hell was I here? Some asshole ran into me. I glared at him. His face grew pale as he moved away. I kept moving through the crowd, hating every moment. How did anyone deal with this? My shoulders grew even more tense as I finally found my way out the front. Grumbling under my breath, I turned to walk around the house. This was fucking ridiculous.

I was almost around the corner when—

“Zeke!” Tara’s voice shouted. I gritted my teeth and kept walking. What the fuck did I have to do to get her to leave me alone? I quickened my pace. “Zeke! Hold on!”

I didn’t bother stopping in the side yard. I was sick of being nice.

She hurried down the deserted yard to walk beside me. “I thought we could get a drink and talk.”

“No,” I bit out before picking up the pace.

She hurried to stay with me. “Look, Zeke, I want to get to know you better—”

“Stop,” I bit out as I stopped and turned to her. “Just back the fuck off.”

“Zeke-”

“I. Don’t. Like. You,” I stated clearly.

“You don’t even know me. That’s why I want to hang out—”

“I fucking know enough,” I growled. “I don’t need to know more.” I turned and started walking again.

She snorted as she followed. “You only know what Lexie says.”

“You’re spoiled. You’re jealous of Lexie. And you’re the kind of person who blackmails her cousin,” I stated, my voice hard.

She stopped walking. “Sh-she told you!”

“Asher fucking heard you,” I growled as I kept going. “Now, fuck off.” I walked around the corner and towards the backyard. I was going somewhere Tara couldn’t follow.

By the time we got back the party was getting rowdy. People were jumping off the diving board into the pool, one guy was doing a keg stand. It was chaos, but good chaos. Isaac led me through the crowded house and found Ethan with his bandmates.

“She’s all yours,” Isaac announced before kissing my temple.

“You mean I get to keep her?” Ethan asked, his face hopeful. The guys chuckled,

“You don’t want to keep me, I’m a lot of upkeep,” I warned Ethan. Ryan and Oliver laughed. Brooklyn, their new singer, watched me from the corner of her eye. She had a sweet angel face. Her blue eyes were ringed in black, her hot pink hair reached her shoulders in a choppy haircut. When we first met I had tried being nice, but she just watched me. Like she was watching me now.

Isaac gave my shoulder a squeeze before he ducked into the crowd. I pulled out my phone and texted the guys.

Alexis: Someone else is up.

Asher: On it

Alexis: Thanks.

I tucked my phone back into my pocket. Brooklyn was still watching.

Ethan got to his feet and took my hand. “Come on, Beautiful. I want a dance.” I smiled as he pulled me through the house to the living room, where the speakers were blaring. I told Hades to stay in the corner while we danced within his sight. Ethan smiled, spun me under his arm, and brought me back. As we danced I relaxed into him. We moved to the music. When a slow song came on, Ethan pulled me close. I draped my arms over his shoulders and took a deep breath of his spicy cologne.

“Thanks for dancing with me, Snoopy,” I said softly.

His hand moved up my spine slowly. “Always, Beautiful.”

“How are you doing?” I asked.

His chocolate eyes met mine. “Better, thanks to you.”

“I just listened,” I reminded him as warmth washed through me. “You could have called any of us.”

The corner of his lips lifted. “I don’t see myself calling Zeke in the middle of the night because I need to talk.”

I smiled at the image. “You’d probably get cursed out and lectured at the same time.”

He chuckled and held me closer, his hand running slowly back down my spine. My heart raced. Our dancing slowed.

“You know you can call me any time, right?” he whispered.

“I know.” I ran my eyes over his serious face. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “I just had a bad dream last night. Don’t worry about it.”

“What happened?” I asked.

His eyes ran over my face, his arms held me tighter. “I lost you,” he said, his voice just over a whisper. “You died. In front of us. We were all there, trying to get to you, and we just couldn’t…” His eyes filled with shadows. My heart ached.

“Hey, I’m okay,” I reminded him. “I’m here, I’m safe.”

His eyes met mine again. “I know, it was just a bad dream.” He tried to smile as if everything was fine.

I hugged him tight. “I’m okay,” I whispered in his ear. “I’m not going anywhere.” Please don’t let me be lying. My heart ached as I shoved the thought to the back of my mind.

He squeezed me back and took a deep breath.

We were still dancing when his phone went off. He checked it and cursed. “I need to go watch Isaac.” He texted back while I got Hades’ leash.

“Who’s got Lexie duty?” I teased.

He chuckled. “We’re meeting Miles.” He led me through the loud crowd. The music was starting to make my head hurt. It was roasting with so many bodies in here, not to mention the smell of so many sweaty people. Was everyone drunk already?

I handed off the controller to Chris and headed toward the doorway of the game room to meet Lexie and Ethan. The party was getting rowdy and people were bumping into each other everywhere. That’s not going to be good for Angel. The thought had me moving through the crowd faster. I finally spotted them waiting in the hall just outside the door. She was leaning against the doorjamb of the glass French doors, her fingers rubbing at her temple with her eyes closed. A headache? Ethan and Hades were between her and the crowd. Good, less chance of her getting bumped. I finally reached them.

“How’s your night going?” I asked them.

Ethan smiled. “I got a dance; it’s awesome.” Lexie smiled a tired smile. Ethan chuckled before he leaned down and kissed Lexie on the cheek. I looked away from them to the crowd, my fingers tapping on my thigh. How were the twins so sure she wanted to be touched? How did they know without her telling them? I envied them that skill.

“I’ll see you guys later.” Ethan’s voice had me turning back to them. Ethan slipped into the crowd.

“What would you like to do?” I asked.

Lexie wiped the sweat from her face. “Can we go outside? It’s hot and loud in here.”

“Sure.” I took her hand that wasn’t holding Hades’ leash and started walking her through the crowd. In the hallway it was even louder than the game room. I was trying to get through when Lexie jerked her hand from mine. I was turning to her when Hades growled and barked.

A drunk guy’s hands were up. “Sorry, just a bit dizzy,” he said, his eyes on Hades.

Lexie had moved a step back from him into a defensive position, her shaking hands were up in fists. I moved to her side, slightly between her and the drunk.

“H-heel,” she told Hades. The guy stepped back into the crowd with a small smirk on his face. I ran through my memory looking for a name. Thomas Avery. I turned to Lexie, her face pale as she took a deep breath. Without thinking, I wrapped my arm around her and began moving her through the hallway. The crowd parted, allowing us to get through. I opened one of the doors to the backyard and guided her out.

The backyard wasn’t quite as busy, but after that scare she’d want quiet. Keeping my arm around her, I walked her down to the lake. She continued taking deep, calming breaths. We reached the end of the dock, as far from the house as I could get her. She slipped off her sandals and sat down, dipping her feet into the water. I sat beside her, watching her carefully. She looked down at the water and took several more deep breaths. My body grew tense.

“Are you alright?” I asked, keeping my voice gentle.

She nodded. “I think I’m going to stay outside for the rest of the party.” Her voice was quiet and shaking around the edges. She didn’t seem to be having a flashback…

“Whatever you need,” I promised. If she wanted to leave, we’d leave. If she wanted to stay outside until dawn, we’d stay outside until dawn.

She sent me a small smile. “Sorry.”

“I’m not big on parties, Lexie,” I told her as Hades sat beside me and I started scratching his ears.

“But you go anyway,” she pointed out, her voice quiet. I met her eyes. “Why?”

Because you do. I couldn’t say that though. Could I? Maybe I should tell her how I felt? The agreement with the others popped into my mind. Why did I put that up for a vote again? Looking into her beautiful eyes I couldn’t remember. I shouldn’t tell her. I’d be betraying the guys, not to mention, if she didn’t… I’d been quiet for too long. Say something!

“Sometimes I’m the only one Isaac will listen to, at least I was before you came along,” I told her. It was true, I'd just never said it out loud before.

She nodded. “That makes sense.” She looked down at the water and started making small waves with her feet.

“What happened in the hallway?” I asked, needing to know.

“That drunk guy ran into my back.” She shook her head. “I didn’t even see him coming.”

“You had a flash?” I asked carefully. She licked her lips and nodded. I made a mental note to have a word with Thomas before the end of the night. That smirk as he moved back into the crowd didn’t make it seem like an accident. “I’m sorry, Lexie.”

“It’s not your fault,” she reminded me. I reached over and took her hand. She gave my fingers a small squeeze.

“Are you still having nightmares?” I asked, carefully choosing my words. I didn’t know what was too personal a question in this situation, so I was feeling my way through it.

“A couple times a week,” she admitted. She tilted her head and leaned down to look in the water, her hair slipping over one shoulder. “Hey, fish!”

I leaned forward and looked down. She was right, there were a few tiny fish below our feet. “I believe they are baby perch. At least that’s my guess in this lack of light.”

She smiled. “You know everything, Miles.”

Everything but how to tell you the way I feel. I looked up at the sky. I needed to change the subject. “There’s Cassiopeia.”

She looked up at the stars. “Where?”

I pointed. “Right there; that W of stars.”

She shook her head. “I’m still not seeing it.”

“Alright.” I leaned closer so I could point accurately. “Do you see it now?”

“Nope,” she chirped.

I rested my right hand on her back, leaned further, and tried again. “See the one slightly brighter than the other?”

She chuckled, then scooted closer and leaned over until she was resting her back against my chest and shoulder. My heart slammed, my fingers tingled. “Okay, now show me.”

I carefully moved my right hand to her hip as I pointed over her shoulder so she could see along my arm. “You see this star?”

“Now I do.”

I smiled as rosemary tickled my nose. “Now, follow my finger.” I brought my finger diagonally down and to the right. “Do you see the star I’m pointing at now?”

“Yes.”

I moved my finger to the next, moving diagonally again, this time upwards. “How about now?” I asked quietly.

She nodded.

I moved my finger again. “Do you see it?”

“Yeah. How big is this constellation?” she asked.

“One more star.” I moved my finger diagonally again. “And that’s it.”

“Oh, it really is a W. Nifty,” she said, her smile in her voice. I dropped my arm.

“And right behind that,” I said, my voice soft, “is the Milky Way.”

“That stretch of stars, right?”

“Yes.” I smiled to myself.

She stopped leaning against me and smiled at me. “That’s pretty cool.” She looked back up at the sky. “That strip of stars is the rest of the galaxy. It’s beautiful.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Her eyes were sparkling. She was smiling a big smile that I rarely saw. Something settled inside me, making me wish that this moment wouldn’t end. “I think so,” I said as I watched her. I wanted to tell her. It was the perfect time. But she might not be ready to start dating again, she might not be interested, and... there was the 'no dating Lexie' agreement with the others. I shoved my feelings down and tried to keep my face blank. I looked out at the water; one of the row boats was coming in.

Eventually, Zeke came into sight as he rowed toward the dock. He maneuvered the boat next to the dock, got to his feet, and tied it off to a pylon.

“Have you been hiding out on the lake all night?” Lexie asked, her voice laughing at him.

Zeke ran his hand through his hair. “Maybe.” He began setting the gear on the dock. “I borrowed the Coopers’ gear and went fishing.” After he finished unloading the boat, he carefully stepped onto the dock. He looked down at us. “What are you guys doing out here?”

Lexie looked back down at the water and the fish. “It’s really crowded inside.”

Zeke met my gaze with hard eyes. I subtly nodded. He clenched his jaw as he looked at Lexie and ran his eyes over her.

Speaking of the hallway… I got to my feet. “I’m going to get a drink. Would you two like anything?”

Lexie shook her water bottle. “Some water, please?”

“Of course.” I turned to Zeke. His gaze shot to me. He knew I was trying to keep him here. He looked to Lexie then back to me.

“A soda,” he all but bit out. I nodded and walked down the dock towards the house. Zeke would stay with Lexie as long as she needed.

Inside, the party had gotten louder. I moved through the house with one thought on my mind. Thomas Avery.

It took a while, but after searching the house, I found him out the front. He was leaning against a tree and talking to a girl.

“Thomas,” I said, my voice cold.

Thomas stood up straight and turned around. “What do you want, Huntington?”

“Why did you run into Alexis Delaney?” I asked, my voice calm.

He grinned. “Didn’t mean to, it was crowded in the hall,” he said, his voice smug.

“Really? No else seemed to have that problem,” I pointed out.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I was dizzy from drinking.”

I eyed him before I turned to the girl. “Would you please excuse us?”

She sent me a shy smile before heading back to the house. When she was gone, I turned back to Thomas. “You were dizzy from being drunk and yet a half an hour later you’re fine?” I eyed the beer can in his hand. “While still drinking?”

Thomas’s face turned pink as he stuck one hand in his pocket. “Yeah.”

I stepped closer and met his eyes. “Try again, and this time the truth,” I said, my voice icy.

He shrugged. “It was just a prank, man.”

“A prank?” I asked carefully, keeping my calm.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “Everyone knows that Lexie chick is jumpy since that crap with Ordin. So… some of the guys thought it would be funny to bump into her and see what she’d do.”

Anger burned in my chest. “They thought it would be funny?” My voice was cold enough to give someone frostbite.

He shrugged. “It was a harmless joke.”

Calm, calm, calm. I needed more information. “Who are these friends of yours?”

He scratched behind his ear. “Um, they’re not really friends. They just paid me to bump into her.”

The world grew silent as I found that quiet spot inside me that kept me calm. “They paid you?”

He cringed and nodded. “Yeah, now that I’m hearing it out loud, it does seem messed up.”

“I can’t imagine why. You just ran into a girl to scare her. A girl who has PTSD from an assault that left her with a crack in her skull and put her in the hospital. For money.”

He winced. “Oh, yeah. That’s bad.”

“I want names,” I told him.

He reeled off the names of four football players. People Asher knew. I turned around and left him there. I needed to find the others.