Unfaithful (27 page)

I started to chew on the inside of my cheek as a multitude of questions filled my head. It had been so long since I’d walked to school that I had a terrible sense of foreboding.

Something caught my attention: a butterfly. I’d never seen such a pretty one before. It was big and black.
Completely black
. Its wings looked like velvet. I had the impression it was frightened, but it didn’t fly off. Instead it came closer as if it knew me. I obeyed my urge to touch it and it moved its wings. Cautiously, I pulled my camera out of my backpack and took a few snapshots for the photography assignment Mr. Madison had given us a few days ago.

The sound of a car horn made me jump. I spun around, but saw no one on the street, so I turned back. The butterfly was gone—I looked around, but there was no trace of it. I set out again for school and another blare of a horn, closer this time, made me start again.

I shook my head, not recognizing the green pickup truck that had honked at me, and kept walking. The horn blared again insistently. I stared at the truck, but the light reflecting off the window kept me from seeing the driver. As if in response, the window slid down with a hiss.

“Need a ride?”

“Peter?” I squinted, frowning. “Pet!” I crossed the street with long strides. Peter rested his hand on the steering wheel, a satisfied smile on his face. “You’ve got a pickup?!” I exclaimed, amazed. “Since when do you have a pickup?”

“Get in,” he invited with a jerk of his head. “I’m going your way.” He shot me a glance as I sank into the low seat of the Ford Ranger. I still remember how excited I’d been the day we got our driver’s licenses, but neither of us had ever had a car all our own before.

“Wow, this is awesome!” I said, stroking the black dashboard.

“It’s not much—it’s already a few decades old,” he said, “but it’s something—and it’s mine.” His lips curved into a proud smile.

“Are you kidding?” I asked, happy for him. “Remember how we used to play inside cardboard boxes, pretending they were cars?”

“You always wanted to drive but I never let you,” Peter said, making me laugh.

“You said you were the
man
and that one day you’d take me for a drive in a real car.”

“Yeah.” Peter looked down and gripped the steering wheel. Looking at his fingers made me think of yesterday when our hands had accidentally touched. I didn’t want Peter to suffer. He was a part of me—an important part. “That was a long time ago. We were just little kids. What we said back then doesn’t matter.” His tone was dull. Silence filled the truck as Peter pulled into the school parking lot.

“Hey! We’re here now, right? You kept your promise.”

“True,” he said. We both laughed out loud just as my eye fell on Evan’s BMW, parked almost directly in front of us. My heart raced. Evan was glaring threateningly through the windshield at Peter. I tensed. I’d never seen his eyes so dark before. He seemed to be trying hard to keep himself from killing Peter.

Evan got out of the car, slammed the door, and canceled the distance between us with long strides. His face wore a caustic expression that was far from reassuring. “What are you doing with him?” he asked me, cutting to the chase. His tone was cold, his gaze dark.

“He offered me a ride, that’s all,” I stammered.

“You could have waited for me. Do you have any idea what went through my mind when I found you weren’t home?” he admonished me, a note of desperation only I could understand in his voice.

“Thanks for the ride, Peter,” I mumbled quickly before walking off with Evan in an attempt to keep the two of them apart.

“See you in class!” Peter called after me.

“And do
you
,” I shot back once I was sure no one could hear us, “have any idea what went through
my
mind when you didn’t come to my house after telling me you would?”

Evan’s face relaxed and his expression turned sly. “You missed me.” He raised an eyebrow and lifted one corner of his mouth in a smile. “I thought you wouldn’t even notice I was gone,” he said, satisfied. But it was a challenge, I was sure of it.

“You can’t—how can you even think something like that?” My eyelids fluttered nervously. I couldn’t believe he’d just said that. “Maybe that’s true for
you
,” I said, throwing the insinuation back in his face.

“Sorry, but I had no choice. I should have gotten back last night, but I was delayed.”

“Delayed?”

“It was more difficult than we’d expected,” he said.

“Okay, okay. That’s all I need to hear,” I murmured. A strange tic had begun to pulse in my eyelid.

Evan looked away, a brooding expression on his face. “I know it’s hard for you, but I can’t change what I am,” he said regretfully.

“All those people—” The words caught in my throat as I stared straight ahead.

“Each of them will have what they’ve earned, so you shouldn’t feel sorry for them. You’ve seen with your own eyes what’s on the other side. Those who went with us were lucky. We weren’t the only ones recruiting souls in the trenches.”

“W-what? You mean there were Witches too?”

Evan’s face darkened. “When there are so many deaths all at once, they’re almost bound to show up. Not all mortals have a Subterranean waiting to help them cross over. It’s a privilege that has to be earned by resisting evil during their lifetimes. Otherwise they sign an unspoken agreement with the Witches who can’t wait to claim the souls of mortal sinners. A lot of people lost their lives last night, but it was something that had to happen,” he said, trying to convince me. “It was their fate. No one can do anything about it. You know what happens when you try to elude death.”

“It always comes back looking for you,” I said.

Evan squeezed my hand. “I didn’t mean that. That’s not always how it goes. And it’s not our problem any more,” he stressed reassuringly. “Anyway, you haven’t answered my question.”

“What ques—”

“I asked if you missed me,” he said.

I shot him a glance. “What do you think?” I raised a flirtatious eyebrow. “And what about you? Am I mistaken or did I just witness a jealousy scene?”

He mimicked my expression. “What do you think?”

“Oho!” My jaw dropped and my eyes opened wide. I couldn’t believe he was actually worried about Peter. “
You?
Jealous? Of
Pet
?”

“Why not? You were in his truck.”

“Come on, it’s only
Peter
. He’s like a brother to me! You can read my emotions so you should know that already. Besides, he was just giving me a ride,” I said, my cheeks pleasantly aflame because of his unexpected admission.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t be jealous of him.”

“Why should you be?”

“Ginevra told me what he feels for you.”

I opened my mouth and then quickly closed it, embarrassed. “I don’t feel the same way about him,” I said reassuringly.

“But he’s still important to you. He’s a part of your life—the life I had no part in—and that makes me crazy.”

“Evan, I only want to be with you,” I said as I stopped at my locker. “You have no reason to be jealous. Of Peter or anyone else.”

Evan raised an eyebrow and took a slow step in my direction, forcing me back until I felt the metal pressed against my shoulders. “I can’t help it if I’m jealous when it comes to you,” he whispered. “I want you all to myself.” He rested a hand beside my head.

“But I’m already yours,” I said slowly, gazing into his dark eyes.

He pressed his lips together as if he didn’t completely agree. “If that’s true,” he whispered tenderly, breathing the words a fraction of an inch from my skin, “explain why you haven’t given me a kiss yet.” He stared at my lips as if he wanted nothing more in the world.

“Do you mean to say you’re asking me to kiss you?” I asked provocatively.

Evan smiled, just as provocative.
“I don’t need to ask,”
he whispered in my mind, his mouth on mine. He coaxed my lips apart and suddenly my head was spinning. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the deep, sensual tone of his voice inside my mind or my repressed desire for him. Being away from Evan for so long had been harder than I’d expected, especially because his absence had caught me unprepared.

“Next time remember to warn me when you’ll be gone for so long,” I whispered. I took my lips off his, but immediately pulled him back toward me by the shirt and kissed him again.

“Sounds like you weren’t bored without me. Ginevra said you had a pretty lively evening.” He smiled and I pretended I didn’t understand what he was talking about.

“Nothing out of the ordinary, actually,” I said, holding back a smile.

“I can’t leave you alone for a single day! Tell me, are you trying to get my attention? Is that what you’re trying to do?” he asked under his breath, his elbow resting on the locker and his body close to mine.

“Now that you mention it,” I said, biting my lip sensually, “I can’t rule out that possibility. You know, I have to say you made a big mistake, getting me used to all those strong emotions. Hasn’t anyone ever told you bad habits die hard? You weren’t here and I had to find some way to kill time,” I teased, my voice low.

Evan brushed his lips against my neck, making me tremble. “The important thing is for you not to end up killing yourself.”

“I’m not so sure I wouldn’t be doing you a favor.” I slipped away from him and grabbed his hand. We headed down the hall to class. “Or are you saying you’d miss me?” I cast him a glance, but his eyes were already on me and he smiled.

“Which brings us back to where we started,” he said. In a flash he was in front of me. Grabbing me, he lifted me up, pressing my body against his. Our faces were at the same height, almost touching. “I would miss your every breath,” he whispered, looking into my eyes.

My mouth sought his as I slid down against his body until my feet touched the floor.

“Let’s skip school,” Evan proposed under his breath.

“What?”

“Let’s leave!” he said excitedly.

“And go where? Are you out of your mind?” I said in astonishment.

“We have a whole day to make up for,” he said, assuming a seductive look to convince me. It was hard to ignore.

“Evan William James!” I said, pretending to be scandalized. “What kind of Angel are you?”

He moved his mouth close to mine, one corner curved in a sensual smile, and shot me a look that made my head spin again. “A dark one.” He raised an eyebrow. “Be careful; I might even be dangerous.”

“And crazy too,” I purred.

“You’re right. Guilty as charged.”

“Oh, really?” Our voices were whispers murmured on each other’s mouths. “Then you admit it.”

“You should know. You’re the one who made me lose my mind.” He kissed me tenderly.

“You’re saying
I
made you crazy?” I asked.

“Completely. I’m a slave who is mad with love, and you’re my queen,” he whispered, ensnaring me in his dark spell.

“No one should know how to kiss like this,” I murmured, amazed by the softness of his lips.

“What do you say to my proposal now? Want to run away with me?”

“Slaves shouldn’t be allowed to make proposals.”

“Not unless they’re dying with longing for their queen.” He grew serious again and looked me in the eye. “Let’s go to our hideaway, Gemma,” he whispered. “I want to spend some time alone with you.”

A warm sensation trembled deep in my chest and filled my head. The lake house had become our refuge. I began to consider the proposal but continued to toy with him. “You know, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. If you’re as dangerous as you say, maybe I should run away from you instead,” I replied, challenging him with my eyes.

A corner of his mouth curled into a smile. “I don’t think you could.” He tightened his grip around my waist. “I’m too strong.”

“And I’m not so sure I want to run away.” The words escaped me, my mind clouded by his scent. “The truth is, you’re my demon. You should let me get to class,” I said, my breathing irregular. I wasn’t very convincing.

“I could do as you say, or”—his lips were right next to mine—“I could ignore what you want and follow my instinct.”

“What does your instinct say? I’ve gotten the impression your intentions aren’t exactly honorable,” I said accusingly, my voice seductive.

“Honorable intentions are for good boys.”

“And you’re not a good boy?”

“Not at all.” He shook his head and looked at me through his narrowed, long-lashed eyes.

“You should have told me that before, don’t you think?” I said as his hands tightened on my back.

“I thought you knew,” he whispered. “You’re still in time to escape,” he warned, his smile sly.

“I think I’ll run the risk.”

“Careful . . . I might take advantage.” He raised an eyebrow as his hand sensually made its way toward my rear. There was something irresistible in his manner and tone, a spell that made my head spin.

“I might even enjoy it,” I whispered, biting my lip to provoke him. I raised my mouth to Evan’s to seal the deal just as the last bell sounded, throwing a bucket of cold water on our bodies that were burning with desire.

“Too late,” I whispered. “Someone else has decided for us.”

“What makes you think I’m willing to give up so easily?” he warned, looking at me stealthily. Smiling, he took me by the hand and headed toward the Spanish classroom.