by J. N. Colon
I nearly choked on my green beans. “Seriously!”
He gave a wry smile. “What? I don’t do it anymore. And you’re not allowed to ever.”
“Like I need to lose more brain cells. I can barely walk as it is.”
“That’s true,” Jayson said, the edges of his lips twitching.
I covertly shot him the one-finger salute. “Can we talk about something a little less traumatizing?”
Max held his hands up in surrender. “We don’t want you to die of embarrassment.” He nudged Jayson. “I’m sure this big guy wouldn’t be too happy with that.”
Jayson turned to his uncle, his face deadpan. “Cute, Max.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? We parent types like to embarrass our kids.”
No duh.
“So, James, you ready for some bowling?” Max asked, finally diverting the subject.
“We’re going to stomp Dale’s Pharmacy team,” my dad said, reaching across the table to pound his fists against Max’s.
“Are you going through a midlife crisis, James?” I pointed my fork at him. “Are you going to trade your truck in for a sports car and start doing donuts on the football field for kicks?”
He scoffed. “Of course not. I’d keep my truck and trade yours in for the sports car.”
My smile dropped. “Funny.” I turned back to my plate, cutting a piece of steak and hoping the knife didn’t slip and stab my hand. It had happened before. “When are you guys supposed to stomp Dale’s Pharmacy team?”
“We’re playing them in this bowling tournament Saturday.” Max shook a lock of golden-brown hair from his face.
He really was hot for an older dude. I bet he was shmexy when he was our age.
I shook the wayward thoughts off. “Cool. I’m going hiking with Jessica.”
My dad and Jayson simultaneously choked on their steak.
“Not a good idea, Lena,” my dad said, pounding his chest to clear his airways.
“Absolutely not.” Jayson set his utensils down, his expression carved out of stone.
I stabbed another potato with my fork. “When did you two become my bosses?” I shoved the salty morsel into my mouth, chewing.
My dad’s lips thinned. “So many things could go wrong in the woods.”
I rolled my eyes. “We’re not going mountain climbing. We’re just going to walk around and look at nature and crap.”
“Nope. Not happening.” Jayson shook his head.
Heat pulsated through my insides and not the good kind. “Too bad you don’t have a say, Casteel.”
“Yeah, but I do.” My dad quickly sipped his beer, a vein in his forehead throbbing. “And you’re not going.”
I skewered him with one of those deadly teenage girl glares. “This is Jessica’s thing. We’re going to walk around, talk, and eat some snacks. I’m not doing anything dangerous or illegal, but I can certainly find some hazardous things to partake in.”
I let my threat linger. To my dad, that probably meant cliff diving. To Jayson, it was investigating hauntings more often.
After several tense moments, my dad picked up his napkin and waved it. “I get it. I surrender.” He shot me a pleading look. “Just be careful.”
Jayson’s jaw clenched, grinding his teeth. “Your middle name really should be trouble.”
“I’m not sure this is such a good idea,” I said, eyeing the wet plate Jayson was trying to hand me.
His brow arched. “Would you rather wash than dry?”
I shook my head. “Just be aware I might drop something, probably on my foot or hopefully yours.”
“I’ll catch it.”
Of course he would. He was superhuman fast.
Silence stretched between us as we washed dishes. Instead of being awkward, it was relaxing and comfortable. I liked being around him even as much as he irritated me.
It was a sick and twisted addiction. I needed rehab.
The doorbell rang as I dried the last plate. It slipped from my hands, but Jayson snagged it right out of the air.
A boyish smile spread over his mouth, and his dimples came out to say hello. “I told you I’d catch it.”
“Hi, Hannah.”
Max’s words shattered the calm little haze around us. The glamazon sauntered into the house like she owned the place. Her skinny black jeans were painted on, and the knee-high boots made her legs look miles long. One of my dad’s brows arched at the way she eyed Jayson.
I dropped the towel on the counter. “I’m so out of here.” I had no intention of staying while Hannah slinked around Jayson, tempting him with her rocker-chick hotness.
No, thanks.
I took one step when a finger hooked into the belt loop of my jeans, yanking me back.
“What are you doing here, Hannah?” Jayson had drawn me so close the warmth radiating off him soaked into my body. His breath stirred my hair.
The gorgeous female Nephilim casually shrugged. “I stopped by to see if you wanted to hang out.” Her attention shifted to my dad, a smile spreading her glossy lips. “I don’t think we’ve met.” She extended her hand.
“Oh, um, hello.” My dad took her deceptively delicate one. “I’m James Raven. Lena’s my daughter.”
Max handed him a beer. “Come on, James. Half time is over.”
My dad spun around and headed for a recliner.
I tried to tug out of Jayson’s grasp, but his finger was still hooked in my jeans. I glanced over my shoulder, my lips thinning. “Do you mind?”
His gaze lowered to my mouth. “I do mind.”
“Hi, Lena,” Hannah said as she leaned against the kitchen island. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“I’m leav—”
“She was over for dinner.” Jayson’s thumb remained in my belt loop while his fingers readjusted, resting on the skin just above the hem of my jeans. Heat instantly radiated from each tip, spreading tingles all over my lower back.
Son of a buttery biscuit. He had no intention of letting me go.
“How nice.” There was nothing nice in Hannah’s expression. She looked like she wanted to behead me with her sword.
Jayson’s fingers began to move up and down, making my knees weak. I was going to kill him as soon as my betraying body stopped reacting to his little touches.
“We were going to my room,” he said.
“The hell we were.” My words came out a little less forceful than I wanted. In fact, they were way too breathy.
So effing embarrassing. I didn’t need to see Jayson’s face to know he was smirking.
“Great. We can all hang out.” Hannah left the island and began trailing up the stairs, expecting us to follow.
“I’m not going up there with you and your friend.” Just last night I had to witness them walking around in towels together. It may have been innocent for Jayson, but nothing about this girl was innocent.
He moved around to face me, his hand skimming across my side to my hip. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“Well, I do.” Lies!
He shook his head. “No, you don’t.”
That may have been true until Strawberry Longlegs showed up. Watching her flirt with him would be one colossal suck fest for me. Knots twisted in my stomach.
Jayson sighed, his face softening. “It won’t be that bad. I promise.”
One of my brows arched. “Yeah, and I’m as graceful as a ballerina.”
The corners of his lips twitched. “You’d make a terrible ballerina.” He grabbed my hand and started leading me out of the kitchen. “Come on, just for a little while.”
I groaned and let him lead me upstairs against my better judgment. Once we entered his bedroom, I instantly regretted it. Hannah was stretched out on his bed, her leather jacket tossed aside, leaving her in a tight t-shirt so thin it showcased her scarlet bra.
Jayson left me on the cushy chair in the corner while he folded down on the weight bench. “What’s up, Hannah?”
“I thought we could d
o some training together.” She bit her plump bottom lip and ran a finger over the bedspread. “Like the old times.” She winked in his direction. “Like last night.”
I was two seconds away from hurtling the first object I snatched. Hannah knew damn well I’d seen them together last night, and she was having fun rubbing it in my face.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Jayson’s expression was blank, but I could see the frustration gathering in his expression.
Hannah’s smile dropped, and she sat up, tossing her red hair behind her shoulder. “Fine.”
Jayson suddenly stood and glanced at me. “I have something for you. I’ll be right back.” He disappeared through the door before I could beg him not to leave me alone with her.
“Jayson and I grew up together,” Hannah said, her eyes as green and hard as emeralds. And ice cold. “We’ve known each other almost our entire lives.”
Wow. Three seconds didn’t go by before she started in. “That’s great.”
Her legs swung around, planting on the ground. “We’ve been through a lot together. We know everything about each other.” Her words suggested she even knew every part of his body.
My dinner threatened to make a second appearance at the images bouncing around in my head. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because it was always supposed to be Jayson and me. I should have been the one—” She pulled up short, her fists clenching. “And then you come along, and I’m suddenly not important anymore.”
“I didn’t ask for this to happen.” How could she blame me for something I had no control over? “I never wanted to have some supernatural link to Jayson or anyone. If I’d known what would happen, I wouldn’t have set one foot in that graveyard.”
Her mouth pinched. “He doesn’t really like you. It’s only the bond. It’s forcing him to protect you, to be nice to you, to spend time with you even.”
Hannah had reached inside and plucked my fears right out. Was it true? Or was she only trying to get under my skin?
Jayson returned and handed me a plate with a massive piece of chocolate cake. “Here.”
Hannah’s bitchiness was forgotten as my mouth watered at the glistening hunk of heaven. “Is this the dessert Max had all planned out for me—the reason I couldn’t miss dinner?”
A grin flashed across his face, dimples winking at me. “I made it.”
Those damn dimples got me every time.
Hannah scoffed. “You baked her a cake?”
Jayson lowered to the weight bench. “Yeah.”
“Why?” She crossed her arms against her chest, a line forming between her brows.
He shrugged. “Because she likes cake.”
I couldn’t hide the smile pulling at my mouth as I dug into my dessert. His thoughtful gesture had sucked the smugness right out of Strawberry Longlegs.
Chapter 14
My feet shifted in the hiking boots Jessica helped me pick out. I hadn’t expected the shoe store in town to carry such a wide selection, but Mystic Hollow was a small town surrounded by wilderness. Everyone probably owned a pair or two.
Now I did too.
We were hiking to a small outcrop that overlooked a valley Jessica wanted to photograph. We each carried a book bag. Jessica had essentials like water, a flashlight, a pocketknife, a first aid kit, and matches. I pretty much just had candy and some Band-Aids.
Sunlight pooled from the canopy of pines and oaks, littering the trail in front of us in shades of gold.
Jayson’s chameleon eyes rose to the surface of my mind, scorching between a set of dark lashes.
And then I thought of Hannah. She refused to leave his house the other night even after he walked me home. She sat in his room for another thirty minutes. I had to resist the urge to keep my gaze from wandering to his open blinds every few minutes to check on them.
When I did peek across the street, Jayson remained on the other side of the room far from the scarlet harlot.
“Why are you making that face?” Jessica asked from beside me, stepping over a thick tree root. “This can’t be that bad.”
I shook my head, shattering the nauseating thoughts. “The hiking is fine. It’s pretty out here.”
“Then…?” she prodded. “Is it Jayson?”
“Uh, what? No,” I sputtered, my face already turning several shades of crimson.
Jessica tsked. “Come on, Lena. Some serious vibes have been bouncing between you guys recently.”
“I think something is going on with him and Hannah,” I blurted, my stomach growing queasy. My breakfast of milk and cookies threatened to reappear. “Or there was before…” Before he linked our souls while she was in Europe.
Jessica’s nose crinkled, shifting her glasses. “I don’t know. All six of them—Kale, Jayson, Emily, Seth, Brenna, and Hannah—have always been friends. I never saw Hannah and Jayson act like a couple or anything.”
She didn’t see what I did. “Maybe they were keeping it a secret.” I shrugged. “Jayson’s not the P.D.A. type.”
“Yeah, but Hannah definitely seems like that type.” Jessica picked up a fallen tree limb and tossed it off the path. “She’d want to mark her territory.”
I dodged the pile of dead pinecones, managing not to trip. “You’re right.” The redheaded Nephilim would probably want Jayson to get her name tattooed on his bicep.
“To be honest,” she began, “Could you really blame her if she did have a thing for him? Jayson Casteel is pretty hot.”
“You should see him with his shirt off.” Heat instantly blossomed in my face. Fracken A. Why did I admit that?
Jessica was the one to stumble this time. “Care to explain? I didn’t know you guys were that friendly.”
“We’re not.” My voice came out squeaky, and I cleared my throat. “I can kind of see inside his bedroom from my window, and he likes to work out. A lot.” I’d also seen him up close and personal without a shirt in my bed, but I was so not going there right now.
Jessica’s glasses practically fogged up, and she fanned herself. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You get to see that view every day?”
I bit back a grin. “Not every day. The blinds aren’t always open.”
She gently smacked my shoulder. “You are a lucky girl, Lena Raven.”
I had to agree. It was a fantastic view, minus the times he tormented me with his hot bod on purpose.
Maybe I should do a little teasing of my own.
I quickly shook off that idea. I’d only bust my ass trying. Not very sexy. “How are things with Sebastian? Any steamy moments yet?”
Jessica halted, and I smacked into her. I lost my balance, falling directly on my bum. Pain shot through my lower half.
Son of a biscotti.
“Oh, crap!” Jessica bent to help me. “I’m so sorry, Lena.”
“It’s okay.” I winced, dusting off my dirt-covered jeans. “My fault.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I get flustered talking about Sebastian like that.” She sighed and took my arm to help me along the way.
I slowly eased on, walking off the pain with gritted teeth. “You should tell him the truth.”
“I have this recurring nightmare where I confess my undying love, and he totally freaks.” She released her grip on me and anxiously traced a silver button on her jacket. “I’d die if I lost him like that.”
I felt like we’d had this conversation before… because we had. “Would you rather see him date another girl?”
She groaned and tossed her head back, shaking her tawny braid. “Of course not. Then he’d come to me with all his relationship problems, and I’d offer up my helpful advice like any best friend would all the while dying inside.”
“That pretty much sums it up.” I gingerly stepped over a moss-covered root—a total trip trap. “Have you dropped any hints lately? Do you flirt with him?”
“I’ve tried.” Her lips pinched into a tight line. “I snuggled up to him on the couch the other night while we were watch
ing Ghost League. He put his arm around me, but nothing else.”
“He could just be nervous,” I pointed out. “Maybe he has no idea what to do.”
She shoved her hands in her pockets. “You could be right. I need to quit being a scaredy-cat and take the plunge.” She shot me a weak smile. “Eventually.”
All talk of boys and unrequited love ceased. We continued to the outcropping, birds chirping and fluttering overhead, bugs buzzing by, and critters crawling through the underbrush. It wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but Jessica was right at home in the forest. She explained the plants we passed and pointed out animal tracks. This girl wasn’t a vegetarian to stay slim.
Ugh. How could Sebastian not be in love with this smart, funny, pacifist?
The trees thinned, and we arrived at our destination. The mountain overlooked a small valley below. Autumn had begun to kiss the leaves, spreading a rainbow of reds, golds, and oranges across the azure horizon.
Jessica breathed, sucking in the fresh air. “Isn’t this view amazing?”
“Yep,” I mumbled, shutting out the images of a certain Fallen’s eyes that came to mind. They were such a vibrant blue, even this beautiful sky paled in comparison.
I sat against a tree trunk while Jessica snapped several pictures with a fancy camera. It would be my luck to trip and take a swan dive off the cliff to my death.
“Lena, are you sure you don’t want to take one little look over here? It’s stunning.”
I shot her an incredulous expression. “You’re speaking to the chick who tripped over a leaf not five minutes ago. Shall I say more?”
She shrugged. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
A groan slipped between my clenched teeth. Her words would bug me all day. With a little prayer up to Heaven, I slowly crawled on my hands and knees until the valley swam into my vision. The sun sparkled on a crystal-clear stream cutting through the vibrant vegetation. Bambi would stop to take a refreshing drink of water in the picture-perfect spot. “Yep. Stunning.”
“See.” She shot me a grin over her shoulder.
I wiped the cold sweat collecting on my forehead. One wrong move could send me over the edge. As I waited for an acceptable amount of time to pass so I didn’t look like a chicken, my gaze traveled over the scenic view. Something large moved within the trees.