I laughed and punched his shoulder. “That’s true.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“I don’t have one.”
“We could always knock your sister out and hide her in a remote location. I’d even help watch her.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah that doesn’t up your creeper level.”
“What?” He splayed his long fingers. “I’m being a good friend. Besides, knocking out and kidnapping girls is the only way I get action half the time.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “You’re such a dumbass.”
“And you’re such an emo brat.”
I shoved him. “I’m not emo!”
“Oh poor me, the girl I love wants my sister.” He paused, seemed to consider something. “That’s kinda hot.”
“You’re disgusting.”
Kenny shrugged. “Hey, she’s not my sister. There’s nothing weird about me picturing her naked.”
“Picturing who naked?” Van turned her head over her shoulder to glance at us.
Kia glanced back as well, but her gaze was on me. It was a task not shifting in guilt over all the times I’d imagined her naked. I knew it wasn’t a crime, but I didn’t want her to think I was a total pervert either.
“You,” Kenny answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“That’s nasty!” Van cried. “Why would you do that?” Her accusing eyes were on me now.
“Whoa, no, no, that was all him.” I pointed to Kenny, who shrugged.
“It’s true. I’m a pig.”
Shaking her head, Van turned back to the TV. Kia continued to watch me a moment, her expression giving nothing away before facing forward as well.
“Seriously though, bro. You should just talk to her and let her know what’s up. No way she’d say no if she knew Kia felt the same. They’re friends after all.”
It wasn’t the best idea, but it was a start somewhere.
Chapter VII
Kia
“There’s only three days before Christmas.” Mrs. Chaves marched into the room, a woman on a mission in her slacks and cheerful, plum-colored sweater. She was fiddling with the clasp on the gold watch around her wrist. “Does anyone have any last minute shopping they need to get done? We’re going to put up the decorations tomorrow and I don’t want to rush around the day before.”
“I do.” Adam rose instantly to his feet, tossing the book he’d been reading down on the coffee table.
Kenny leapt up as well. “I’m always up for a car ride.”
Mrs. Chaves looked momentarily surprised to find him still there. I couldn’t blame her. I hadn’t seen much of Mr. and Mrs. Chaves in the last couple of days and maybe they thought Kenny would have left already.
“Won’t your parents be expecting you, Kenny?” she asked him.
Kenny shrugged. “My parents think I’m at bible camp. They won’t even know I’m gone.”
Mrs. Chaves blinked. “Oh, all right. You’re of course welcome to stay.” She turned blue eyes on me. “Kia? Would you like to go for a drive?”
A drive? With Adam? I started to say no.
“We’re going!” Nessie hobbled to her feet, staying on the heels of her feet to keep from smudging her nail polish. “I just need to get dressed.”
Mrs. Chaves frowned. “What’s wrong with what you’re wearing?”
Nessie laughed as she penguin-walked her way past her mother. “You’re funny. Coming, Kia?”
I glanced back at the mess we’d left behind. “I’m going to clean up,” I said.
“Leave it!” Nessie shouted over her shoulder. “We have to hurry.”
“Vanessa Rachel Chaves!” her mother shouted. “You get back over there and clean up your mess!”
At the bottom of the stairs, Nessie stopped and turned. “Why? We’re coming back anyway. I’ll do it then.”
Mrs. Chaves opened her mouth, but Nessie was already up the stairs, moving much faster than someone with wet toenails should. I had a suspicion she was trying to avoid her mother’s wrath.
“I’ll do it,” I said. “I’m already dressed and I think my nails are dry.”
Mrs. Chaves sighed. “That girl drives me insane. I don’t know what to do with her.”
I said nothing as I bent down and began gathering wads of tissue. I screwed the caps back on the bottles and tossed everything into the plastic container Nessie kept her nail things in.
Adam was in the kitchen, pulling a water bottle from the fridge when I straightened. Kenny and Mrs. Chaves were in deep discussion by the front door. No one noticed when I started for the stairs, except Adam, who glanced up at me, then at his mom, before motioning me over with rapid hand movements.
I considered ignoring him. But I cast Mrs. Chaves and Kenny a quick glance before hurrying over.
“Adam, I can’t—”
“Just hear me out,” he said in a low whisper. “I’m going to talk to Van about us.”
My heart had begun to gallop wildly at his words. I couldn’t dare bring myself to hope. “What?”
He spared his mom another glance before lowering his voice even more. “I like you, Kia.” His gaze was sharp, intense as he searched my eyes. “I’m not ready to let you go. I might never be. I don’t know. I only know that when I look at you.” He brushed the back of his fingertips over my cheek, sending tendrils of fire racing beneath my skin. “This is where I want to be. With you.”
I wanted to hit him. I wanted to kick him and punch him and … I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to feel his arms around me.
“Damn it, Adam…” My fingers curled into fists at my sides. “Don’t do this.”
He caught my hands, splayed open my fingers and threaded his through mine. “Tell me you want me.”
My heart cracked dangerously in my chest. “Adam…”
“Do you want me?” he repeated.
“Yes! But—”
He pulled me deeper into the kitchen, away from prying eyes and kissed me fast and hard. “Then trust me. I’ll fix this.”
I had no choice but to accept. He was already moving away, stepping around me and starting towards the front door. His dad glanced up when he approached and asked him something. Adam shook his head. It amazed me how he could be so collected when I felt like some rookie spy on her first undercover mission. The only difference was that I didn’t have training. I had no idea what I was supposed to do to act neutral. At the same time, I couldn’t help wondering when all the secret-keeping business would end. I’d been so sure it was behind me the afternoon I walked away from Adam at the school.
Whistler Village was like walking into some picturesque town from a postcard. Between the crisp carpet of snow and the glittering lights strung everywhere, I felt like a little kid walking through a painting. Everything was soft and golden, and everyone was smiling. Even the air smelled magical, like cinnamon and cold. I’d been to Whistler on a few occasions, but it had never felt so dreamlike. But then, it might have had a lot to do with the fact that Adam was walking beside me, our shoulders occasionally bumping. It was romantic in a way I never thought I’d care about. I had to bottle the urge to thread my fingers through his.
On my other side, Nessie had her head bent over her phone. Her thumbs were moving quickly over the screen. I couldn’t see much, but I could make out just enough to know she was texting someone. I figured it was Gary because she’d been texting for nearly an hour without break.
“I think we need to stay together,” Mrs. Chaves said, adjusting the strap of her purse over her arm. “It’s crowded and I don’t want anyone getting lost.”
“But how do you expect us to shop for anything if we’re all together?” Nessie pulled herself away long enough from texting to ask. “I think we should break into teams of two.” Her arm threaded through mine and I was dragged into her side.
Mrs. Chaves opened her mouth to respond, but Adam cut her off.
“Van’s right,” he said, giving a definitive nod.
Ne
ssie blinked. “I am?”
Offering her a lopsided grin, Adam replied, “Shocking, isn’t it?” Ignoring her glare, he went on. “I think we should break into two groups. Kia and I will make one team. Kenny and Van can—”
“Hey, wait! Why do I have to go with Kenny?” Nessie interrupted sharply.
“Easy, freckles, or you might hurt my feelings,” Kenny muttered with a dry smirk. Nessie ignored him.
The phone in her hand dinged and she looked down at it. The illuminated screen lit up her face, emphasizing the slow inch of her brows folding together as she frowned. Her blue eyes lifted and settled on me. There was doubt in them and suspicion, but more than that, there was betrayal.
“Ness?” I murmured, hating the anxious churning my stomach had started to do.
I have nothing to be guilty about. I have nothing to be guilty about. I told myself again and again. And I didn’t. I had rebuffed all of Adam’s advances. I had pushed him away. So why did I feel like she knew something was up?
“What do you want to do?” she asked slowly, her voice barely a whisper. “Do you want to go with him?”
I did. I was ashamed of it, but I did. I also wanted to go with Nessie.
“We could all go together,” I offered, forcing a smile.
The look in her eyes only intensified. “But if you had to, Kia, who would pick? Me or Adam?”
I didn’t like the sound of that. I didn’t know how to answer. I didn’t want to answer. I wanted to go home and crawl into bed.
“What kind of question is that?” Adam muttered. “I’m not asking her to elope with me. I even promise not to break her. I just thought that since you’re always complaining I never get you anything you want … Kia could help.”
If he had been trying to appease her, I didn’t think it worked. She continued to watch me, seemingly willing me to confess everything to her, but I didn’t know what.
“Fine,” she said at last, turning her gaze away. “Go with him.”
But I suddenly didn’t want to go with him. There was a catch in her voice, a finality I didn’t understand, like by going with Adam, I would somehow disappoint her.
“Nessie, I—”
Adam draped an arm around my shoulders, ignoring me when I stiffened as he yanked me into his side. “I promise to bring her back in nearly the same condition.”
Nessie said nothing. Her eyes bored into her brother’s. Had it been possible, I was sure Adam would be dead if she could kill him with just the power of her mind.
I slipped out from beneath his arm and took a safe step away. Yet, had I thought it would somehow make the situation better, Nessie’s nostrils flared. The muscles in her jaw bunched. She took one step forward and punched Adam in the chest with a force that made me wince. It barely seemed to affect Adam. But he did rub the spot, his expression baffled.
“What the hell?”
“I hate you!” she seethed.
“Vanessa!” She ignored her mother’s outraged cry.
“I will never forgive you. I swear it!” Her voice wavered. She spun on her heels and marched away before anyone could stop her.
“Nessie!”
“We got her.” Mrs. Chaves put a hand on my arm when I started after Nessie. “I think we need to have a talk with her anyway.”
“But I—”
She squeezed my elbow. “Go enjoy the village. We’ll meet you guys back here in about three hours. Okay?”
With a last glance at Adam, she let me go and hurried after her daughter. Mr. Chaves followed, muttering about an all girls’ boarding school in Switzerland. I watched them go, feeling like I needed to be there with them for Nessie’s sake. But I knew I should let her parents handle it.
“So that was interesting,” Kenny remarked once we were alone. “Your sister has a mean right hook. I almost saw you flinch.”
Adam glowered at him dryly. “Shut up, Kenny.”
Kenny slipped his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders against the cold fingers of snow sweeping around us with the wind. “So what was that about anyway?”
Adam shrugged. “Who knows with her.”
“Well, something’s clearly bothering her,” I said. “She was very upset. I’ve never seen her like that.”
Adam laughed. “That’s because you’ve only known her a month. I’ve known her for seventeen years. Trust me, this is normal.”
Three months, I wanted to say. Almost four. And true, I didn’t know everything about her, but I liked to think I knew enough.
“Well, you must have done something, because she punched you, mate,” Kenny said.
Adam snorted. “The world could end in a zombie apocalypse and she would blame me, okay? That’s what Vanessa does, she blames me. I know I’m not the greatest brother in the world, but seriously, I don’t have that kind of power.”
“Whatever it is, I think it’s safe to assume you are getting a giant lump of shit for Christmas.” Kenny tugged harder on the zipper of his jacket and pulled the flaps up around his ears. “Can we go somewhere not here? I’m kind of freezing my buns off.”
“I think I’d like to find Nessie,” I said, peering in the direction she’d taken. “I want to know if she’s all right.”
“Wherever she is, she’s with her parents getting a verbal beating and will probably not appreciate you being there to witness it,” Kenny replied. “Trust me, it’s brutal once her dad gets into her.”
That only convinced me further that I needed to be there.
“He’s not that bad,” Adam defended shortly. “He’s just trying to do the right thing. It’s not like she’s some misunderstood kitten. She goes out of her way to piss them off.”
“That’s not true!” I protested.
Adam looked at me, one eyebrow raised. “Seriously?”
Okay so she got a lot of detention and skipped school and did nothing she was told … but it didn’t mean she…
“She’s been like this her entire life,” Adam said when I could think of nothing to say. “She intentionally antagonizes them in some desperate act for attention. She doesn’t get that she’s doing it the wrong way.”
“Well, one thing is for sure.” Kenny started walking in the direction of the stores. “As fun as it is to standing around here trying to get into Vanessa’ head, I can’t feel my toes. I’m hunting down some coffee.”
I started after him. I don’t know why, but I didn’t want to be there with Adam. I was angry with him and I really had no reason to be. He hadn’t said anything I hadn’t already guessed. Yet, it pissed me off.
“Kia.” His hand closed around my wrist, stopping me from leaving.
I shook him off. “You had no right to say those things about her,” I blurted, turning on him.
“They were true and you know it.”
I averted my gaze. “It’s not her fault. She’s trying.”
“Yeah, trying to get herself shipped off to some boot camp in the Swiss Alps,” he muttered. “Look, I’m sorry!” he said when I bared my teeth. “But you know I’m right. I love Vanessa. I have no choice, she’s my sister. It’s kind of mandatory. But she doesn’t make it easy, so I know where my parents are coming from.”
“They are her parents!” I snapped. “It’s not supposed to be easy, but they’re supposed to take care of her.”
“Don’t you think they’re trying?” His voice rose around us. “You have no idea the things she’s done, the things she’s put them through. Vanessa is spoiled, she’s selfish and she only ever looks out for one person—herself. You can’t trust her, Kia. I’m her brother and even I don’t trust her. This blind faith you have in her will only get you hurt.”
It wasn’t blind faith. It was friendship. Maybe it was because I’d never had a friend before so maybe I wasn’t the right person to say, but believing in each other was what friends did, wasn’t it? It felt like it was my job to always pick her side, because that was what she would do, right?
“Kia.” His fingers were surprisingly wa
rm as they touched my face. “I don’t want to argue with you. I know Van’s your friend. I would never get in the way of that, but you can’t be blind to her faults.”
“I’m not blind to her faults, Adam, but I…”
How was I supposed to tell him that despite all my faults, she had become my friend? Out of everyone in our school, she had picked me. In a lot of ways, the person I had become in the last few months was because of her friendship, because she helped me see the better side of me. I owed her to be loyal and have her back.
“She needs me,” I murmured at last.
Something flared behind his eyes and the next second, he was in my space, blocking the world as he loomed over me.
“I need you.”
Chapter VIII
Adam
I kissed her and ignored her pitiful sound of protest. I did however notice she didn’t pull away. Her lips opened under mine as desperate and hungry as I was for her. Her cool fingers brushed against my cheek and glided back into my hair. I didn’t care. My own fingers closed into the fabric of her jacket at the waist and I held her to me.
She tasted exactly how I remembered, like chocolate and innocence. The sweet scent of her skin and the floral fragrance of her shampoo tangled together to form an irresistible temptation. It was as though I’d died and gone to heaven.
Kia pulled away. White plumes rose up around us with our unsteady breathing. Her heart cracked against mine in a wild dance. It was only then that I realized she was backed into a shop wall with me holding her there. I had no memory of pushing her back and I briefly wondered if I should apologize.
“What … what are you doing?” she panted, her voice breathy with want.
I raised an eyebrow. “I thought it was obvious.”
I bent my head and claimed her mouth a second time. I heard her gasp, felt her shudder. Her lips opened for me and I grinned inwardly. I drank from her, taking long sips of her sweet taste. I didn’t stop until we were both gasping and inhaling sharp slivers of crisp mountain air.
“This can’t change anything,” she said, her breathing as harsh as mine.
Revealing Kia (The Lost Girl Series, Book 2) Page 8