Dead by Morning (Rituals of the Night #1)

Chapter Thirteen

"WELL, GO AHEAD and make your jokes," Luna said, folding her arms across her chest.

"I wasn't thinking of jokes. I wanted to say you look beautiful. Susan did a good job," Chance admired.

"Why did you have her kidnap me?" She pulled her lips down into an irritated frown.

"Because if you were to be my date for the dance then I wanted you to look good," he replied. "Everyone in the school is wondering why I'm bringing you."

"Me too," she snorted. "I was the last one to find out I was your date."

"I'll show them why," he remarked, gesturing to her.

"But Susan wants so badly to go with you...why not take her instead of me? I mean, she's gorgeous, she doesn't even need makeup."

Chance shrugged, uninterested. "If you say so. She's my friend."

"So, that means you can't take her?" she asked, looking up at him.

"It's complicated."

"How so?"

He sighed and pulled a beautiful long-stemmed rose out of the back of his jacket, straightening out the petals before handing it to her. "This is for you. I know you hate this stuff, but I think it really completes you."

She took it slowly, careful of the pricks of the thorns. She stared at it then looked back at him. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

He shrugged again. "I just thought you might like it."

Luna didn't want to admit it, but she did like it. She examined it, wanting to smell the gentle maroon petals, but she didn't want Chance to see that she liked it.

"We have to go, the dance will be starting soon." He grasped her arm.

"Ouch, let go of me," Luna snapped, eyes still on the rose as she tried to pull her arm free.

He didn't listen as they walked toward the door. He opened it and pulled her onto the porch step, closing it behind them before they walked to the truck. As he turned on the engine, Luna blew her hair out of her face and pulled the seatbelt across her lap. She noticed Chance wore a tuxedo and his hair had been carefully combed as if he had actually prepared himself for the dance. She glanced down at the rose again, brushing her hand across the petals.

"So, how long do you plan on keeping me trapped?" she wondered.

He smiled. "Don't think of it like that, you'll stress yourself out."

"That wasn't an answer."

He yawned. "It was to me."

Luna chewed her bottom lip and stared down at her hand as it clutched the stem. Her nails were polished a deep blue.

"Don't look so down. I'll take good care of you," he said.

She had nothing to say to that.

They drove in silence. When he finally reached the school, he stopped the car, and they sat there quietly before he turned to look at her, and she met his gaze.

"What?"

"You're gonna be my date in front of the entire school, don't you have some kind of remark about that?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No, I just want to get tonight over with."

He sighed and opened his door. "All right."

She watched him. He wasn't acting like himself again. He was being that strange boy she had had dinner with a few nights ago. What was it that made him act like that when no one else was around?