Angelic (Book 2)

Eight

Nobody noticed anything was wrong with me.

            To be fair, Ryan was drunk, Blake had to deal with him, and Jessica was a bit tipsy herself. August was deemed the designated driver, and I sat in the front with him while the other three passed out in the backseat.

            “Who is snoring?” I questioned, smiling.

            August grinned as well, craning his neck to look in the rearview mirror. “All three, I think.”

            “Wow.”

            “Yeah, I never knew Jessica had it in her.”

            I bit the inside of my cheek, stomach flopping uncomfortably. Jealous, Blake’s voice hissed in my head.

            Shut up, I silently told that voice.

            “That was a weird night,” I said, leaning my head against the cool window. “I’m not sure if it was relaxing or not.”

            “Yeah? Why wouldn’t it be?”

            The road to the safe house was long and dark, and kind of creepy. The only light piercing through the thick blackness came from his car. “I don’t know. It was okay, I guess.”

            “Uh-huh.”

            “What?”

            “Oh, nothing. I just don’t believe you, is all.”

            “Hm.”

            “But uh . . . I mean, you were getting pretty cozy with that guy at the bar.”

            I nodded. “Steven.”

            “Was that his name?”

            “Yes. He said he thought I was hot. And wanted to dance. Jessica told me it would be good to cut loose.”

            His grip on the steering wheel tightened. Per Blake’s observation, I was trying to make a few of my own, but they didn’t come as easily to me. “Really.”

            “Uh-huh. And he kissed me.”

            His jaw ticked.

            Jealous, Blake hissed in my head.

            “Yeah, I saw that.”

            “I didn’t like it though,” I murmured. “I mean . . . he was a little rough. Forward, maybe? I’m not sure. The only person I’ve ever kissed is—”

            You.

            My sentence trailed off, and he didn’t reach for an ending. I always found that Augie and I could talk about virtually anything, so long as it didn’t involve that night with the fireworks. I was pretty sure he understood it no more than me, anyway.

            There was no more talking after that. August parked his car outside the safe house when we arrived and wordlessly moved to the back to wake the sleeping trio. I had to help Blake get Ryan inside and slumped in his bed. August aided Jessica, who needed more assistance than I originally thought. When Blake assured me he could take care of Ryan, I stood in the hall. Just stood there, feeling unhelpful and odd. An uncomfortable odd, like something had shifted and was wrong inside my body. It was noticeable the entire night.