Her jaw clenched, though she wasn’t sure what about them made irritation rear up inside her.
Dragging her focus back to Adrian, Nova tried to school her expression into pleasantness, while inside she wanted to scream. How could Adrian be so nice, so sweet, so authentic, always so damned authentic? How could he be one of them?
“Look, Nova,” started Adrian, “I wanted to make sure that … last night…” He trailed off, and Nova’s pulse jumped as memories jumbled together all over again. His kisses, his hands, the headphones, the star … “I didn’t … cross a line, or anything, did I?”
She laughed, though more from discomfort than anything. “I wasn’t exactly pushing you away,” she said, her cheeks reddening. At the memory of it. At the truth of her words.
A faint smile twitched at his lips. “Yeah, but … I just didn’t want you thinking…” Again, he seemed incapable of finishing his sentence, and Nova wondered what it was she shouldn’t be thinking. Then Adrian’s thoughts seemed to change direction. “And I’m really sorry about the whole falling asleep thing. I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was, and I don’t want you to think that I was … you know. Bored, or something.”
“It’s okay,” she said, the heat in her cheeks becoming nearly insufferable. “You needed the rest.”
He looked away, and she noticed that he didn’t hurry to agree with her. He wasn’t suspicious, was he? She couldn’t tell. Her palms started to sweat and she resisted the urge to wipe them on the shoulders of his tuxedo jacket. She had felt those muscles before, when she’d nestled her head against them moments before falling asleep. She certainly did not need to feel them again. Not tonight.
“For the record,” said Adrian, quieter now, so that she had to strain to hear him, “just in case there’s any … confusion. I really like you, Nova.”
Goose bumps erupted across her skin. He was watching her closely.
She swallowed. “I really like you too.”
It wasn’t even a lie.
Adrian seemed relieved, if not entirely surprised by her confession.
“I’m glad,” he said. “Because I know I haven’t always been super smooth when it comes to … this.” He gestured between the two of them.
She lifted an eyebrow. “No, you’re clearly a neophyte when it comes to … this.” She mimicked his gesture.
Rather than laugh, as she expected, Adrian’s small smile turned to a confused frown. “Neophyte?”
“Sorry,” said Nova, chuckling again, and wondering if it was possible for her to be any more terrible at this. “It means amateur.”
“I know what it—” Adrian caught himself, and his frown deepened further. She could see him contemplating something as he stared at her.
“What?” she asked.
Adrian shook himself. “Nothing. Just, for a second you reminded me of … someone.” He shook his head again and forced a brighter grin. “Never mind.”
“Can I cut in?” interrupted Oscar, nudging Adrian out of the way before either of them had a chance to respond.
Adrian gaped at him. “Oh … uh, sure?” he stammered.
Nova smiled and allowed Oscar to spin her away. Glancing back, she saw Adrian retreating from the dance floor.
“Before you get carried away,” she said, “just know that I will not be reeled in.”
Oscar gave her a strange look. “What?”
“That move you were doing earlier? With the … fishing pole?”
It took him another second, before comprehension dawned and he let out an uncomfortable, decidedly un-Oscar-like chuckle.
They started dancing, but the ease Oscar had shown with Ruby was replaced with jerky movements and a tense expression.
“Is everything okay?” said Nova, even as her attention strayed to the clock again.
“Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Things are great. Nice shindig, right?”
“Very nice.”
He cleared his throat and glanced around the dance floor, then tugged Nova closer to him. “Okay, be honest. How do you think I’m doing?”
She blinked. “Doing?”
“With Ruby. I’ve been trying to impress her all night but I can’t get a read on her. Do you think she’s having a good time?”
“Um … yes?” said Nova. “You both looked like you were having fun.”
“We did, didn’t we? I mean, I was. Having fun, I mean. While also feeling like at any moment I could throw up all over her shoes, which—I don’t want to do that. They’re nice shoes, you know?”
Nova didn’t know, but she smiled sympathetically anyway.
“Okay, let me ask you this. Renegade to Renegade. Bosom buddy to bosom buddy.”
“Are we—?”
“Don’t deny it.”
She bit her lip.
“To your knowledge, have the words ‘Wow, that Oscar is such a thoughtful and/or studly and/or impossibly irresistible guy’ ever passed Ruby’s lips?”
Nova smothered a laugh. “Uh … not those exact words, no.”
He brightened hopefully. “But similar words?”
“I don’t know, Oscar. She clearly likes spending time with you, and you’re so good to her brothers. I’m sure she thinks it’s really … sweet.”
His expression turned thoughtful. “Thoughtful sweet or studly sweet?”
“I’m not sure I know what ‘studly sweet’ is.”
“Yeah, me neither.” He glanced toward their table, then spun Nova once beneath his arm. She was surprised at how her body reacted to his lead, and it occurred to her that, despite all his antics, despite needing the cane for occasional support, Oscar actually did know how to dance.
“You’ve liked her for a long time, haven’t you?”
He smiled wistfully. “From the first moment I saw her at the Renegade trials. But there’s always been a part of me that thought … you know, she wouldn’t be interested in me like that.”
Nova frowned. She’d never, not once, heard Oscar say anything remotely self-conscious before. It was a little bewildering.
He caught her expression and lifted his chin. “Don’t worry, I’m over that now. You remember that barista I saved after the hospital heist? I mean, with Ruby’s help.”
“The ‘damsel’?”
“Yeah. I know you weren’t there but she was, like, really into me. And it made me think, you know what? I’m a total catch.”
Nova laughed as he pulled her close again. “I can find no fault in your logic.”
“Right. So. Give me some pointers. How did you and Adrian get out of the friend zone?”
Nova stared at him. Is that how people viewed her and Adrian? That they’d been friends, and now they were something more?
She wanted to believe it was due to her being such an amazing actress, but she knew that wasn’t the case at all. As much as she wanted to tell herself differently, there wasn’t much acting where Adrian was involved, and there hadn’t been for a long time.
She did like him. More than she should. More than she wanted to admit.
“You could tell her, you know.” She shrugged. “Just tell her that you like her as more than a friend and see what happens.”
He shot her a disgruntled look. “Really? That’s the best you’ve got?”
“It’s a legitimate course of action.”
“I can’t just tell her. What if she laughs at me? What if it makes everything weird?”
“That’s the risk you take. Either you resign yourself to keeping things just the way they are, or you put yourself out there knowing that it could end in rejection.”
He shook his head. “Not helping. Seriously. How did Adrian win you over?”
This time, Nova did laugh. Win her over? Adrian hadn’t won her over.
But then her laugh cut off abruptly.
He hadn’t.
Had he?
She tried to think back to when her feelings toward him had started to shift. When he went from being another Renegade, the son of her sworn enemies, to something
… more. It had happened slowly at first, but then … not so slow. The past months blurred together, and she’d witnessed his goodness, his kindness, his talent, his charm. All the little things that made him … him.
“I don’t know,” she finally confessed. “He asked me to go to the carnival with him. I mean, it was sort of a work thing, but also … sort of a date. I suppose.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve tried that. Asking her to go places with me. But she always assumes it’s for the Renegades, or we’re going with the whole group. She’s always like, ‘great, I’ll see if Danna wants to carpool.’” He huffed.
A nerve twitched in Nova’s brow at the mention of Danna, and she thought again of the butterfly trapped inside that mason jar.
“Adrian brought me sandwiches once,” she said. “When I was working late at headquarters.”
Oscar gave her an appraising look. “I like sandwiches.”
“Ruby probably does too.”
He spun Nova away from him again, and his expression seemed warmer when she spun back. “Who doesn’t like sandwiches?” he said, sounding borderline jovial.
Remembering all the tips that Honey had given her on flirting and the art of seduction, Nova added, “And you should try to find little ways to touch her. Subtle, but not too subtle.”
He nodded intently. “Right. Got it.”
“And make sure you laugh when she makes a joke. Even if it’s not really that funny.”
He considered this. “She’s not not funny. I mean, I’ll obviously be the funny one in the relationship. If … when … well, you know what I mean. But still, she’s got a great sense of humor.”
“Oh!” said Nova, excited that she remembered so much of Honey’s tutelage. “And surprise her with gifts once in a while, so she knows you’ve been thinking about her. Flowers are good. And jewelry.”
At this, Oscar seemed uncertain. “She can make her own jewelry.”
“It’s the thought,” said Nova. Taking her hand from his shoulder, she pulled up the lacy sleeve of her dress to reveal her copper filigree bracelet. “The first time I met Adrian, he fixed the clasp on my bracelet. He may not have given this to me, but I still”—her voice faded, almost sadly—“I can’t help but think of him, you know … Every time I see it…”
A hand grabbed Nova’s forearm, twisting her wrist around. She tensed and prepared to break the perpetrator’s arm—but it was only Magpie, gawking at the bracelet.
“Oh,” said Nova, wilting. “You. Funny, we were just talking about that time you tried to steal—”
“What is this?” said Magpie.
Nova realized with a start that she’d revealed the glowing orb in the bracelet’s setting. She’d forgotten it was there. She yanked her hand away and pulled the sleeve over it.
“Nothing,” she said.
“That wasn’t there before,” said Magpie, pointing at Nova’s wrist.
“No. I took it to a jeweler.” She started to turn back to Oscar.
“But what is it?” Magpie persisted, grabbing Nova’s elbow. “It has a different signature from … from anything.”
Nova scowled at her. “Signature?”
“Yeah. Not amber. Not a citrine. Definitely not a diamond…” Her surly expression was even more annoyed than usual as she tried to puzzle through whatever she was sensing from the bracelet. “But it’s…” Her breaths became ragged, and Nova didn’t resist this time as Magpie lifted her arm and pulled up her sleeve again. “It’s worth something. It’s worth a lot.” Her eyes were wide with … with yearning.
Nova snatched her arm away again and shot Oscar a baffled look, which he returned in kind.
“Where did it come from?” said Magpie. She seemed desperate to know, but Nova fumbled with what to tell her.
It came from a dream? A painting? A statue?
What was it?
Nova didn’t know.
The strike of a clock echoed through the room, startling her.
“Nothing,” she said hastily. “It’s nothing.” She linked her elbow with Oscar’s. “Let’s head back to the others.”
He didn’t argue, but she could sense him watching Magpie as they left the dance floor. “What was that about?”
She shook her head. “No idea. For some reason, that kid is obsessed with my bracelet. If it ever goes missing, I’ll definitely know where to look for it.” Spotting Ruby at their table, Nova paused and squeezed Oscar’s arm. “Hey, Oscar?”
“Yeah?”
She met his gaze and, after a hesitant beat, she smiled. For the first time she realized that … this could be it. She might never see Oscar or Ruby again after this night. At least, not unless it was from opposite sides of a battlefield.
She hoped he would know how much she meant this. “I know this is kind of trite, but seriously, you are a catch, and … I think Ruby already knows that. Just be yourself. How could she not fall in love with you?”
He stared at her, and for a heartbeat, she could see the depths of his insecurity. Gratitude shimmered in his brown eyes, mingling with hope, overcome with wanting. For the first time, Nova wondered how much of his confidence was an act.
Or maybe that’s all confidence ever was. An act.
Then the moment passed and Oscar’s crooked smile was back. “Kind of trite? Honestly, Nova, did you pull that off the front of a birthday card? ‘Just be yourself.’ Please. Of all the useless advice…” He clicked his tongue as he walked away, using his cane to clear a chair from his path.
Nova shook her head. She was grinning, but it vanished when she spied the clock again.
She had stayed too long already.
Adrian was at their table, too, entertaining Ruby’s brothers with stories of all the amazing things they had at headquarters, from the training halls to the virtual reality simulators.
“Adrian,” Nova said, settling a hand on his wrist. He jolted. “I’m so sorry, but … before I left home tonight, my uncle told me he wasn’t feeling well. That’s why I was so late. I didn’t want it to ruin our night, but … I’m a little worried about him. I think I should go home and make sure he’s okay.”
Adrian jumped from his seat. “Do you want to call him?”
Nova faked a laugh. “I could, but he’s so stubborn. He could be halfway to dead and he wouldn’t say anything. No … I just really think I should go.”
“Of course. Can I take you? Or—”
She shook her head. “I’ll call a cab. But thanks.”
He didn’t argue with her, and she wondered if it was because he knew she could take care of herself, or because he had seen her “home” once and didn’t want to embarrass her further by seeing it again.
“I hope he’s okay,” said Adrian. “I’ll see you at headquarters tomorrow?”
“Yeah, of course.”
There was a moment—the briefest of moments—when Nova thought he might bend down and kiss her. Here, in front of everyone.
And in that breath of a moment, she longed for that kiss. Just once more.
But he hesitated too long, and Nova forced a smile as she turned away.
Adrian caught her by the wrist and tugged her back. Nova’s heart jumped and then he was leaning toward her, pressing a single kiss against her lips.
He pulled away, a little sheepish. “Good night.”
Nova’s body tingled and, for an eternity trapped inside a heartbeat, she considered staying.
But the moment passed and she pulled herself away. “Good night.”
She moved through the sea of tables in a daze, her mouth burning, her legs like jellyfish. Finally, she shoved through the exit doors and as soon as the chilly night air struck her, her addled thoughts began to clear.
Adrian was problematic. Bad for her conviction. Bad for her loyalties.
Her head would be a lot clearer after tonight.
Because she would no longer be a Renegade. This charade would be over, and with it … any ties she had to Adrian Everhart.
“Good-bye, Adrian
,” she whispered into the night air.
She allowed herself to be the tiniest bit sad as she walked the three blocks to the parking lot where she had agreed to meet Leroy and Honey. The sports car was there, sickly yellow and mottled with dents and scratches. Honey Harper was perched on the hood, buffing her nails. Leroy was in the driver’s seat, his elbow draped outside the window.
“How was it?” said Honey, jogging her leg.
“Dandy,” said Nova, tearing off her wristband. She handed it to Honey, who peered at the high-tech device with vague distrust. “This will need to be taken back to the house.”
“Do you think I wasn’t paying attention to all that plotting we did earlier? Don’t worry about your precious alibi. I have money for a cab, and I even prepared a disguise.” She pulled out a pair of oversize sunglasses and slipped them on.
“In the middle of the night,” Nova said, nodding. “Not suspicious at all.”
“Not suspicious—mysterious.”
“Fine. Just make sure you go straight back to the house. No detours.”
Honey flicked her fingers through the air, a gesture that only increased Nova’s nerves. Maybe she should have given this job to Phobia. Tracking the wristband would provide her with an alibi if anything went wrong. She didn’t expect it to happen that way. She had every reason to believe that her lies were at an end.
She would not fail.
It was too late to change the plan now, anyway.
“Did you say your good-byes?” asked Honey, her gaze suddenly piercing as she stood. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”
Nova’s jaw clenched. “It wasn’t that hard, either,” she muttered.
She made to move around Honey toward the passenger’s side of the car, but Honey sidestepped, blocking her. Her mouth was still smiling, her eyes remained hidden behind the glasses. “You’ve seemed distant today, little Nightmare. I’m worried about you.”
Nova stared at her. “I’ve had a lot on my mind, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
Honey made a disinterested sound in her throat.
“What’s wrong?” said Leroy, opening his car door and climbing out.
“You know,” Honey continued, ignoring him, “you’re probably too young to remember, but we were feared once. Feared and respected. And now … we’re this.” She swirled her glossy finger toward the car, with all its rust and dings.
Archenemies Page 34