Panic seeps into my bones.
I shove Kai away, handing him back his knife.
She bolts off with widened eyes, so I chase her through the rose garden. “Wait!”
“No, I saw nothing!”
“Crystal, please!” When I catch up with her, I grasp her arm and force her to turn around. “Please, don’t run away.”
She’s the only friend I have in common with Penelope, and I don’t want to risk losing a friendship over this.
“You have to understand it’s not what it looks like.”
“That sure looked like you were kissing Kai fucking Torres,” Crystal replies, whispering, “Do you know what your brother would do if he found out about this? I mean, Nathan’s one thing, but Kai too?”
Kai comes running through the maze, but when she spots him, her face goes as pale as the snow falling around us.
“There’s no need to run from me,” Kai says from a distance. “I can find anyone, anywhere, anytime I want to. Ask Lana.”
Her eyes widen, and she gulps down her nerves. “He’s freaking me out.”
“He won’t come near you, promise.”
“Why are you even with him? And what about Milo and Nathan? You’re seeing all three of them?” she asks.
A blush creeps onto my cheeks. “It’s not really seeing them, more like … an arrangement.”
“An arrangement to kiss?” She frowns. “You’re not making any sense.”
“It’s not just—Never mind, what I’m trying to say is that I just want you to know it doesn’t mean anything important.”
“Yes, it does,” Kai says with a threatening voice, and when I turn my head to throw him a snooty glance, he’s simply staring at Crystal. “She means everything to me. And if you like her as your friend, you’d be wise to keep your mouth shut.”
“Kai!” I warn.
God, I’m terrified of anyone finding out what I’ve been up to, and now this.
“I won’t tell anyone,” Crystal says.
“Good,” Kai responds, finally tucking his knife back into his pocket. “Guess that’s settled then.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell her and grab her hands. “Please don’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad. I’m just worried.” She squeezes my hands. “I just want you to be safe. Even though you only see me as Penelope’s best friend, I consider you a friend of mine.”
I pull her in for a hug. “Thank you. And you are my friend. You always will be, even if that fucker over there doesn’t like it.”
I narrow my eyes at him, but the killer smile he gives me throws me off.
I pull away as Kai approaches. He holds out her books. “You dropped these.”
We both stare at him sheepishly as she snatches them back and tucks them into her bag.
“I was just trying to find a quiet spot to study, and then I find you two kissing,” she mutters.
I snort. “Ha, same, except … I’m a boy magnet apparently.”
That came out a lot less funny than it sounded in my head.
“So like … what kind of arrangement do you guys have?” she asks, tilting her head to look at Kai.
“None of your business,” he says.
“Be nice,” I warn him.
He bristles. “Fine.” And he sticks out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
She grabs his hand, but when she looks under his hoodie and sees his scar and the icy white eye underneath, she visibly recoils. His mouth twitches as she swiftly retracts her hand, and he pulls the hoodie farther over his face.
“I … I’m sorry,” she stammers.
He clearly doesn’t like to be stared at. But he shouldn’t have threatened her either.
I grab her by the shoulder and pull her away. “Let’s just go.”
“Where?” Kai asks briskly.
“To study,” I respond.
“I wasn’t finished yet,” he says.
I throw him a warning glare. “I am. Don’t follow us.”
When I walk off with her, I half expected him to hunt me down and make me stop, but he doesn’t. He just stays between the roses and lets the flakes fall onto his body, as though he intends to remain there as a watchful guardian, never swaying from his post, never tempted to go anywhere else but exactly where I left him.
Waiting.
For me.
And with every step I take through the crackling snow I can feel the ice that had frozen my heart crack with it.
Nathan
Later that day
“Up!” Rory squeals when I lift her up from the ground and onto the stump. “Down!”
I grasp her and hold her like an airplane, zooming her through the air, and she squeals again with delight.
“Up!”
I put her back on the stump, ready for another takeoff, when someone behind me clears their throat.
“Reliving your childhood?” Crystal muses, making me turn my head.
“Oh, hey, didn’t see you there,” I reply. I turn to Ro and say, “Go play by yourself a little.”
“Okay, but only if you promise to take me for another ride after,” Ro bargains.
I roll my eyes and hold out my hand. “Deal.”
With a gleeful smile on her face she shakes my hand before running off towards the nearest slide.
“You’ve got a handful with her,” Crystal murmurs.
“Yeah, she’s gonna be a wild one when she’s grown, that’s for sure,” I reply.
“Cute.”
I sit down on the bench and take a much needed breath. “Got a study break?”
“Yeah, but not because I wanted one.” She laughs awkwardly. “I wanted to ask you something but I don’t know how.”
“What?”
“You and Lana … you’re a thing now?”
My pupils dilate and a blush creeps onto my cheeks. “Uh … who told you that?”
“Well, she kinda gave it away.” She snorts. “And then also because Milo was basically worshipping her in front of us and spilled the beans.”
I slam my hand against my face and rub my eyes. “Oh God.”
She giggles. “I just thought maybe you wanted to know she told us.”
“Who else knows?”
“Her friends. Irina and Brooke.”
I groan out loud, and it only makes her giggle more.
“That wasn’t even the most awkward part. I actually caught her kissing Kai in the rose garden.”
“Oh.”
“Oh? So you know they’re a thing too?”
I shrug. “We’re a mess. I’m not gonna lie.”
She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “But I thought you were into … boys?”
“I am. I never said I wasn’t. Lana just makes us crazy.”
“Ahhh …” She rubs her lips together. “That explains it.”
“What?”
“Well, Kai almost looked like he wanted to kill me for intervening,” she says, chuckling, but it’s not an amused chuckle at all. More like she’s surprised she’s still alive after crossing his path, and I don’t blame her at all.
“Sorry about that. He’s very protective of her.”
I feel the same way, but I trust Crystal.
“Yeah, I noticed.”
“Are you upset I didn’t tell you?” I ask her, curious what she thinks.
“No,” she replies, smiling. “It’s just that, of all the people you could’ve gone for, Lana Rivera is the one?”
Now I’m smiling too. “Yeah … Fate is funny, isn’t it?”
“You know Felix is going to kill you three if he finds out, right?” she says. “He’s been trying to find a reason to start up the feud again according to Penelope.”
I smirk, sliding my tongue along my teeth as my blood begins to curdle. “Oh I’m ready.”
“I love being friends, but don’t involve me in this madness, okay?” she asks.
“Don’t worry.” I wink. “I won’t put you in danger.”
“Good. Because I don’t intend to stop being friends with Penelope and the Skull & Serpent guys either, just so you know.”
“I know. I don’t expect you to,” I reply.
She gets off the bench. “Speaking of which, they’re probably wondering where I am. We’ve agreed to have a little get-together with everyone at Fi’s Cups and Cakes.” She licks her lips. “And I am not passing up on the opportunity to eat more cupcakes.”
“Nathan! Airplanes!” Ro calls from the other end of the playground.
“And that’s my cue,” I muse.
Crystal walks off. “See you around!”
“Have fun at your little get-together,” I reply as I walk toward my sister. “And if you get the chance, throw one in Felix’s face for me, will you?”
She laughs. “One day I’m gonna get you to do it yourself!”
“Not in a million years!” I retort, on my way to Ro.
She winks. “In a million and one, then.”
