“Why the hell not?” If it’s one thing Wes likes it’s to be in control of every damn detail. “I don’t keep things from Laken. That’s your job.” I turn to head back in, and Wes spins me around by the shoulder.
“You don’t fucking say a word, dude. You got that?” There’s a fire in his eyes I’ve never seen before. “If this is some trap, like I have a feeling it is, there’s no way in hell I’m putting her in any more danger than she’s already in.”
Edinger and danger go hand-in-hand. If ever there were a dangerous fucker it’s Edinger.
“Done.” I take a step back and hold up my hands. “I won’t say a word.”
I head back into the restaurant.
It’s going to suck keeping this from Laken.
We’re a team—only now we’re sort of not.
Fucking Wes.
What the hell—I’ll probably tell Laken.
Inside, the place finally dies down with the exception of the Ephemeralites in the back. I keep stealing glances at Laken. Wes has his arm around her like a vise. He hasn’t wiped that shit-eating grin off his face ever since he sat down. Every now and again I catch her glancing my way, and my heart does a backflip.
I clear out my last table before heading over and refilling their drinks.
“Take a seat,” Grayson offers, scooting her chair into Kresley to make room.
“Yeah, Coop.” Carter motions me over. “You work way too hard. All work and no play makes Coop a dull boy.” If I didn’t know better, I’d think Carter was flirting but I do know better, and that’s just Carter twenty-four seven. She’s got it hot for Fletch who’s all but pulled her into his lap.
Laken nods into the idea, her eyes widening as if personally inviting me to stay.
“I guess I got a sec.” I yank a seat from a nearby table and belly up with the rest of them.
“Coop is anything but dull.” Grayson runs her fingers through my hair, and suddenly I regret sitting next to her like an obedient child. “Especially underneath the sheets.”
Crap.
Grayson bites down over her swollen lip, and the memory of where she once put those hot pink disasters filters through me. I’m still not sure what I was doing screwing around with her. She never was my type. The problem was, my dick didn’t really care at the time.
Laken laces her napkin between her fingers and pretends not to notice the X-rated conversation going on around her.
Kresley taps the side of her glass with a knife. “Any hope of a round two?” She sweeps her devious gaze from Grayson to me. “I think you make a mighty cute pair.”
“Oh, I don’t know…” Carter winks over at me. “I’ve always pictured Coop with someone a little more demure, more of a caramel blonde with loose waves, eyes that look as though they can see right through you. Sort of a pensive, braniac who doesn’t take crap from anyone.”
A sly smile plays on my lips, but I won’t give it. Carter just described Laken to a T.
Grayson leans her shoulder so far into me until it’s a struggle not to fall out of my seat.
“I’m a little braniac.” She shoots a look to Carter. “Don’t you think so, Coop?”
“Yes, you are.” I use the opportunity to scoot away a few inches.
“So, winter formal is right around the corner.” Kres bats her lashes at Wes as if she had a chance. If she hasn’t already gotten the memo, Wesley’s hard-on is safely pointed in Laken’s direction. I should know. No one would like to see Wes and Kresley get back together than me. “I think maybe we should go, Wes.” She has the balls to ask him right here in front of her friends—in front of Laken. “I miss all those good times we used to share. If it’s one thing we were good at, it was lighting up the sheets.”
The color bleeds from Laken’s cheeks while Wes brews a fire in his eyes. Kres lit a very short fuse, and now I’m feeling fortunate to have taken a load off just in time to enjoy the fireworks.
“Wesley’s going with me,” Laken says it sharp like a threat, and I’m back to regretting ever sitting down. The last thing I want to do is witness Laken standing up for her man, especially since it’s not me.
Fletch knocks Carter’s arm from beneath her. “We should light up some sheets.”
“Like tonight.” Carter belts out a laugh. “Who the hell wants to wait for winter formal? You are taking me, right?”
“Only if you’re nice—or should I say naughty?” He leans over and gifts her with a sloppy kiss that leaves his tongue bobbing in and out of her mouth. Crap. I can never unsee that.
“How about you, Coop?” Kres continues her anal probe into my love life. “Who’s on the menu for winter formal? Grayson doesn’t have anyone set in stone yet. Maybe the four of us could double date like old times? You and Gray, me and Wes.” She slits Laken’s throat with that look she gives her.
“In your dreams.” Laken drips the words out, slow like honey.
“Coop’s probably going stag.” Wes lifts his glass to me as if he’s envious before knocking back his tea and chewing on the ice.
“I’ll pitch for the limo this time.” Grayson is quick to sweeten the pot. “I’ve got a little black dress, if you’ve got a black suit.”
“That I do—”
Laken takes in a breath before I can finish.
“He’s not going to the winter formal with you, Grayson.” She spits it out like rusty nails, and everyone at the table ceases to breathe for a moment.
“Calm down. Shit, Laken.” Fletch cuts his hand through the air. “Who the fuck cares who Flanders bags on formal nights? You’ve got a boyfriend. Show some respect.”
Laken glares at her brother. Daggers shoot from her eyes as she silently tells him to shut the hell up and mind his own damn business.
Nobody moves.
“I care.” Laken lifts her chin in my direction.
Holy hell. There goes any hope of Wes feeling like he’s number one in her life. Although right about now I really don’t give a shit. Instead, a slow smile bleeds from me unstoppable.
“I guess I get Wes.” Kresley’s jaw roots to the table.
“Sorry, Kresley, but Wes is going to the winter formal with me.” Laken says it without taking her eyes off mine. “And Grayson, I won’t waste my breath with an apology. Coop isn’t going to winter formal with you.”
“And why’s that?” Grayson growls it out, low and dark like a demon. “Do you honestly expect him to stay home and wallow after you?”
“He won’t have to. Because he’s going to be my date.” Laken’s features soften. Her lips curl with the hint of a smile. “I’m taking both Coop and Wes to winter formal. And if anyone doesn’t like it, they’re welcome to kiss my shiny white ass.”
My lips twitch because for a moment I envision myself doing exactly that.
Kresley lifts a finger. “Check please.”
Wes glares into me. He’s rearranging my body parts, figuring out ways to kill me and make it look like an accident, maybe even set up good old Grayson. Her father’s an attorney. She wouldn’t rot in prison.
Wes huffs a silent laugh as if he heard me. His lips never bother with a smile.
This is going to be a winter formal for the record books, and I for one am very, very happy.
I look right into Laken’s beautiful eyes—the color of the Western sky—the color of hope. I love you, I tell her, and she nods with a content smile as if she heard every word.
Laken and I are way past words.
I get Laken in the end.
I think I already have her.
Mostly.
Wesley
A week blinks by blanketed in a choking fog, while I expend myself wrapping both Laken and me in the memories from the past. I asked if after the game tonight we could hit Charity Lake. I’ve been saving our special outing for just this night since after most games the whole school gets together and parties—especially when it’s the last game of the season. But it’s not some party I’m trying to protect Laken from, it’s Cooper Flande
rs. All week I’ve filled her every free moment with walks, dinner, studying together in the library after we finish our shifts. I made sure there wasn’t a moment to spare, not one free second where Coop could stick his foot in the door and clog our relationship with his presence. Laken and I are golden and that’s exactly how it’s going to remain.
I shoot a look across the football field as bodies mingle at random like a swarm of disorganized ants. The game just wrapped up, and the cheerleaders are still huddled around the team. Ephemeral’s all hopped up after its first victory in a month. Coop came in and saved the day during that last play, so, of course, he’s getting the lion’s share of attention. But I watch Laken like a hawk as she maintains a ten-foot clearance from him at all times. This doesn’t sit well with me. It’s as if they’re purposefully keeping a safe distance, and that alone sets off a red flag.
Freaking Coop, always trying to stay three steps ahead of me, and fucking succeeding.
“What’s got you by the balls?” Fletch knocks his shoulder into mine, and in the process, I lose track of Laken.
“Nothing.” I growl it out as a white cloud emits from my mouth. “I think I’m going to take Laken over to Charity and hang out a bit. Check me off at curfew, and don’t wait up, sweetheart.” In the past Fletch has given me a heads up when he’s not coming home, and I’d check him in downstairs, so he’s not reported as a no-show.
“You’re shitting me, right?” He squints it out good and pissed. I knew this wasn’t going to end well. When I was dating Kres and we pulled off a few all-nighters away from campus, Fletch had no trouble covering for me.
“Dude, you owe me. Let’s leave it at that.”
“I know, man, but come on. This is my fucking sister.’” He knocks his hand into my chest as if I should forget the idea. “And, believe me, there will be no fucking my sister. You got that?” He stuffs his hands in his pocket and stares off straight ahead.
“Look, I know for a fact you’re waiting for Carter just like I’m waiting for Laken. And, I know for a fact you’re planning on getting laid tonight. I don’t see why the math is so different when my dick is involved.”
“You’re a freaking idiot.” Fletch takes a step back, incredulous I had the balls to go there, and, in truth, I’m a little surprised myself.
“Look, if you don’t want to do it, I’ll have someone else. Hell, it’s probably Blaine in charge tonight. I’ll drop him a text before I take off.”
“You think I’m going to let you go to some deserted, freezing lake and take advantage of my sister? Dude, you’re insane.” Fletch takes off into the crowd, and I follow quickly losing him in the mass of stray bodies.
I spot Coop and Carter over by the gym and sprint in that direction.
“Good game.” I offer the two of them a respective high five.
I used to play football. I used to dominate that field. I’m not sure why the Counts chose to obliterate that part of my existence. I could have kicked Coop’s ass on and off the field, and it would have been a pleasure. The Counts stole so much, and yet they more than generously made up for it in creature comforts. I haven’t spoken to Jones yet about any of this bullshit, but we’re driving down for the afternoon tomorrow, and I plan on shocking the hell out of him with the revelation. I want a lot of answers. Speaking of which.
Laken jumps up onto my back before I can ask Coop anything. I’ve been checking in with him sporadically throughout the week to see if he’s had any breakthroughs in solving Edinger’s paternity problems but nothing.
“Great game,” Laken says it to both Coop and Carter at the same time. Fletch comes up and tackle hugs Carter.
“You hanging out at Melville tonight?” Coop asks me as Laken drifts off with Carter and Fletch. Odd. For a girl who announced she’s taking the two of us to winter formal, she sure is evasive when it comes to her “other boyfriend” as Kresley put it. Maybe she’s thinking of axing her dual dating plans for the big dance. God knows, I’d like nothing more.
“Nah.” I smile over at her as Carter drills into her ear a million miles an hour. “I think maybe Laken and I will take off on our own.” I shoot a hard look over at good, old Coop. “Have a private celebration if you know what I mean.”
His eyes widen before reverting, and he shrugs it off as if it were no big deal.
“Have a good time, man.” He slaps me some skin as if he were cheering me on. The next thing you know, he’ll be whipping out a condom and wishing me good luck. But I’m not buying it.
“You get any leads?” I clench my jaw because just watching him pretend like he doesn’t care about my postgame plans is ticking me off. It’s not natural. And if he were smarter, he’d play this game a little different because it’s too damn easy to read what’s going on.
Coop glances over my shoulder at Laken, but her back is turned to the two of us, and he looks disappointed as shit.
There you go. Now that’s a little more believable.
“I’ll be heading to the Transfer soon. I plan on shaking down the hag. See if she knows anything.”
The hag is some fucked-up chick named Ezrina—a Celestra doing time in the Counts dungeon. She’s a lifer, so she may not care about ratting anyone out, especially not Demetri.
“Perfect.” I tick my head over to Laken. “Does she know?”
Coop looks me right in the eye and shakes his head just barely.
“Good. I appreciate it, man. The whole point is to keep her safe.”
Fletch comes over and lands his hand on my shoulder, heavy as a basket of bricks. “Melville. Let’s do it. The girls are in. You in, Coop?”
“I’m there.” He holds out his hands, his fingers still hanging onto his helmet.
“You guys have fun. I think I’ll head out with Laken. We’ll catch dinner and movie.” I glare into Fletch. “Trust me, we’ll have a perfectly boring time.” There’s no way I’m even hinting at the fact that I might be bedding his sister. I was stupid to say anything in the first place.
“No can do.” Fletch plucks a water bottle from his jacket and downs it. “I’m keeping an eye on that little girl tonight. She won’t be doing any private cheers for anyone, so you can put your dick away.”
Coop cracks a smile then quickly quells any hint of joy that was ready to take over.
I shoot a look to Fletch. “You’re not my keeper, dude.”
Laken bounces over with Carter and wraps her arms around my waist without hesitating.
“No”—he growls—“but I’m her keeper, and I say she stays on campus, right fucking next to me where I can keep an eye on both her and her legs.”
Coop flinches like he was just hit.
“What’s this about?” Laken pulls back mortified that we’re even implying her virginity is at stake. Then that dull ache settles in my stomach when I remember that she gave it away to Tucker Donovan months after the Counts had me moved. There’s another reason I’d like to ring someone’s neck. There had to be a better way to do this.
“It’s about nothing.” I drop a kiss over her cheek. “Ready to hit the road?”
“Laken,” Fletch barks it out. “You’re not leaving my sight tonight. I want you at Melville. You got that?”
“Yes, sir.” She mock salutes him before breaking out in a string of giggles.
“I’m not kidding. You think I’m going to be able to sleep tonight knowing you’re letting this idiot defile you like that.”
Laken’s cheeks redden under the white-hot floodlights. “Wes, what have you been saying?” She pulls back like she’s ready to deck me.
“Swear to God, all I said was that we were hitting Charity.” I hold up my hands.
“And”—Fletch sticks his hand in my stomach—“the fact you wanted me to check you in.”
“Nobody’s checking anybody in.” Laken injects herself between her brother and me. “We’ll hang out at Charity, and we’ll come right back. Besides”—she looks up at me lovingly with those crystal cut eyes—“I’ve been looking
forward to some alone time with my boyfriend all week.” She didn’t hesitate with the words. She didn’t look at Coop once.
My stomach pinches with both relief and agony. Would Laken stoop so low to pretend to want me? Doubt it. She’s just as thrilled as I am that we’re back together. Her only objection to the Counts is the fact they’ve taken her family. I think having me on board with her rescue operation, the fact I can finally remember a past that I once pegged as fictitious—has defused any power Coop had over her. At the end of the day it’s me that Laken wants—she always has.
“See you guys later.” I bury a kiss over her head as we walk toward the student parking lot. “Thank you,” I whisper as I wrap my arm around her tight.
“For what?” She gives my ribs a tickle. A genuine smile rides low on her lips.
“For loving me.”
Laken pulls me to a stop and takes up both my hands. Her gaze burrows into mine as her breathing steadies. “I will love you until the day I die, Wesley Parker. And you don’t have to ever think otherwise.” Laken presses up on her tiptoes and lands her lips over mine. Her tongue explodes in my mouth as if it were trying to rescue me, pull me out of a burning building by way of her love. My body melts into hers, and we stand there for what feels like hours pouring our love into one another in the best way we know how.
I’ll love you until the day I die, too, Laken—and then forever after that.
The moon sits high over Charity Lake, casting its velvet spotlight over the vicinity. There’s a clearing over by the north shore, and I start a fire.
“A fire, huh?” Laken lays out the bevy of blankets we’ve brought and pulls back the top few as if turning down a bed.
“For one, I thought it’d keep us toasty.” I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was colder than shit. Perhaps this wasn’t my brightest idea. “And secondly”—I give a wry smile—“it spooks the Spectators.”
“Oh, really?” She lies back, relaxing her head on a makeshift pillow she made out of my jacket. “So they hate open flames? Sort of like Frankenstein.”
“Yeah,” I give a little laugh. “Sort of like Frankenstein.” I drop down next to her and pull her into my lap. Laken’s been so relaxed around me all week. I don’t remember a single minute since she’s been at Ephemeral that she’s been so comfortable with me. “Remember going camping up by Wallace Creek?” The more I pepper our conversations with the past, the more responsive she is, so I keep doing it. Of course, I haven’t let my guard down when it comes to my thoughts. I’m not there yet, and neither is she. That’s okay. There’s a reason the good Lord didn’t give us each a sixth sense especially when it comes to telepathy. Sometimes we need our own private space, and it just so happens that our mind is where he drew the line.
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