Runes (A Runes Novel)

by Ednah Walters

  ***

  Cora frowned as she studied me and Eirik across the cafeteria table. “So you’re going swimming, too?”

  “Yep.” He glanced at me and winked.

  “What’s going on? There’s something different about you two, something I can’t put my finger on.”

  My face warmed. I hadn’t had a chance to tell her that Eirik and I had kissed. From Eirik’s smug smile, he hadn’t said anything either. I bumped him with my shoulder.

  “Tell me. I hate secrets, and you two are buzzing with one.” Eyes narrowed, Cora scrunched her nose and leaned forward.

  “You haven’t heard?” Keith said, joining us. He sat next to Cora and planted a kiss on her lips. “They’re dating.”

  “No, we’re not,” I said quickly. Eirik and I hadn’t exactly discussed it and made it official.

  “Absolutely not,” Eirik added, but he spoiled it by smirking.

  Keith looked confused. Cora gave me her ‘I know you’re lying’ look. Then she glanced at Keith and pouted. “Do you have to volunteer tonight again?”

  “My mom insists. She’s on call this week, so I can’t skip. I’ll make it up to you next week.” He looped an arm around her shoulder and gave her another kiss, a longer one.

  “Get a room already,” Eirik mumbled.

  Cora gave him a saucy smile. Then she frowned, her gaze on something behind me. “Wow, Eel strikes again.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. Jessica Davenport was making goo-goo eyes at Torin, her arm linked with his, her annoyingly perfect smile at full throttle. Jess was a senior co-captain of the Trojans Swim Team. Her on and off-again relationship with Drake, Kayville High’s bad boy, often played like reality TV. They usually had a public breakup and then an equally nauseating make-up session. Their last breakup was on the last day of school, which meant she was on the prowl for an interim boyfriend. Some say her nickname ‘Eel’ was because she moved like an eel under water. Cora insists it was because she was a predator. No guy was safe around her, and Torin fit her type to a T—athletic, gorgeous, bad attitude. From the smile on his face, she was his type, too.

  I turned around and stared at my food, my chest tightening with an emotion I couldn’t explain. I ate without tasting the food. Torin and Jess looked perfect together. They both had black hair and gorgeous, unusual eyes. Hers were violet.

  “I thought she and Drake were back together again,” Cora said, but no one responded. “Knowing her, she’d play with poor Torin’s heart, then dump him and go back to Drake.”

  “So that’s Torin,” Keith said.

  “Why do you say it like that?” Cora asked, going all defensive.

  “He was the dude at the club.” Keith glanced over at me with a frown. “The one who told you to stay upstairs, right?”

  “Yes.” Please talk about something else.

  “Darrel said he also hauled out a guy who was bothering you,” Keith continued like a derailed train.

  “Whoa, who was bothering Raine? When?” Eirik asked.

  “It was nothing,” I said quickly.

  Eirik frowned. “Where was I?”

  “You’d gone for our drinks, and a guy came on to me. Torin happened to pass by and told him to get lost.” My attempt to make it seem trivial failed to placate Eirik.

  “Do I know this guy?” Eirik asked.

  I rolled my eyes. “Will you forget about him? I didn’t even recognize him under the crazy club lights.”

  Eirik glanced over his shoulder at Torin and scowled. “But Torin came to your rescue. He seems to be around a lot when you’re in trouble.”

  Cora leaned forward, eyebrows cocked. “Really?”

  “He’s exaggerating,” I said, even though I knew he was right.

  “No, I’m not. At the park, at the club, and yesterday when you had a nose bleed. I don’t know whether I should thank him or accuse him of stalking you.” Eirik sounded annoyed, as though he was looking for an excuse to take on Torin.

  “Sounds like a stalker,” Keith said.

  “Keith,” Cora protested, but her eyes were on my face. “He’s a nice guy and Raine’s neighbor. Of course he’d want to help her if she’s in trouble. Have you guys thought that maybe Torin likes Raine? I’d rather he dates her than Ms. Violet Eyes.”

  Silence followed Cora’s statement. Keith’s eyes moved back and forth between me and Eirik. I sat stiffly, listening to Jess’ annoying giggles, wishing I could tell her to shut up.

  Eirik took my hand and squeezed it. Then he smiled at Cora. “He can’t date her because Raine and I are together now.”

  The smiled disappeared from Cora’s lips and a wounded look crossed her face. Then she kicked me under the table.

  “Hey, what was that for?” I protested.

  “For keeping me out of the loop, that’s what.”

  Lunch was awkward after that, and I didn’t get to talk to Cora again until the end of the day. Her eyes were red as though she’d been crying. “You okay?”

  “My life sucks.” She closed her locker with so much force it rattled. “You, my best friend, are keeping secrets from me. Things are not working out between Keith and me. I want to dump him, but he’s so nice and sweet and supportive.”

  “And an amazing kisser,” I added. “You told me.”

  She made a face. “I might have exaggerated a bit to, you know, gross out Eirik. He was giving me one of his scornful looks.” Her breath hitched. “Oh, let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about you. Have you two kissed?”

  I laughed and linked our arms. “Give me a ride home, and we’ll talk. This is all new to me, so I’m not sure how much I should tell you.”

  “Everything.” We barely left the parking lot when she said, “Okay, spill.”

  I leaned back, closed my eyes, and tried to relieve the kisses Eirik and I had exchanged. Instead of Eirik’s face, I saw Torin. Torin laughing at something I’d said. Torin pushing my hair away from my face. Torin telling me I was beautiful. My stomach lurched, and my breathing quickened. Why was he intruding on my most cherished thoughts? He wasn’t my boyfriend. Eirik was and he was perfect in every way. He was my best friend, the boy I’d loved since I became old enough to appreciate the difference between boys and girls.

  I pushed images of Torin away and focused on Eirik. “We kissed for the first time at the club. It was so beautiful, Cora. Perfect.” Kissing Eirik was like floating in the clouds, so comforting and pleasant. “Every time we kiss, I want to—”

  The car swerved, yanking my attention to the road.

  “Sorry about that. A dog dashed across the street out of nowhere.” Cora’s knuckles were tight on the steering wheel, her face pale. She looked pretty shaken.

  “If you want me to drive—”

  “No, I’m okay,” she said through clenched teeth. “I hate it when people don’t restrain their stupid dogs.”

  “Cats are worse. Anyway, back to Eirik—”

  “You know what, I think I’ll let you drive the rest of the way.” She signaled and pulled up on the edge of the street.”

  We traded places. As soon as she sat, she removed her phone and texted Keith. For the rest of the drive, she kept busy texting. The subject of Eirik didn’t come up again and became a non-issue when I entered our cul-de-sac. My car was gone.

  CHAPTER 9. THE UNEXPECTED