Page 64 of The Whispering Night
He wipes his mouth and conspicuously does not sip more punch. “So if you’re dating, does that mean Jay’s taking you to the Masquerade Ball? Because I still don’t have a date.”
“I wonder why,” Winnie murmurs.
Casey nods enthusiastically. “I know, right? I’ve asked like sixteen people. But hey—you know what they say about lucky number seven… teen. So what do you say? Want to go with me to the ball?”
“No,” cuts in a new voice. “She will not go with you to the ball.”
As one, Winnie and Casey whirl toward a nearby shadow, from which Jay manifests. Maybe he was standing there all along; maybe he only just arrived on silent boots. Either way, his skeleton is at its tallest and there’s a cant to his jaw that would send most nightmares running.
Not Dracula, though. “Oh, hey, Jay. Want some punch?”
Jay ignores the question. “Winnie is my date for the ball, Casey. Are we clear?”
Winnie blinks. She’s been standing here for half an hour, fretting and freaking that Mario’s theory might make her view Jay differently—or worse, that it might make her blurt out something backed byzero evidencethat he absolutely doesn’t need to know. But she shouldn’t have worried. Seeing Jay makes her feel as it always does: three parts extreme attraction + two parts deep respect for his air of competence + one part intense frustration.
“Ugh Jay!” She shoves off the column. “You haven’t actually invited me to the ball. So no, I’mnotgoing with you.”
Jay rounds toward her, eyebrows shooting high. “I didn’t… know I had to invite you?”
“Of course you have to invite me.” Winnie glares behind her glasses. “For all you know I have plans on Saturday night.”
“Do you?”
Winnie shrugs. “I might. Casey here has invited me to the ball twice now, so maybe Iwillgo with him.”
“Really?” Casey is so excited, he sloshes out punch. Alcohol whiffs through the night. “I have a mask that looks like a velue, so I’ll needyouto get a dress in teal to match it. Also, I spent all my allowance on the newCall of Duty,so I won’t be getting you a corsage.”
“She’s not going with you, Casey. She’s told you that twice now.” Jay offers this without breaking eye contact with Winnie. His pupils have swallowed up most of the irises, making him look more animal than human. A puzzled animal with its head cocked to one side. “I’m confused, Winnie. If you’re my girlfriend, aren’t we supposed to do things together—”
“Girlfriend?”Winnie yanks off her hood. “Youalsohaven’t asked me to be your girlfriend, Jay! These sorts of developments require conversation. You don’t get to… to justclaim ownership.”
“I’m single,” Casey inserts. “So if Jay’s bothering you, Winnie, I will gladly step in.”
Now Winnie is the one to snap: “Oh my god, Casey. No.” Then, because she feels he deserves an explanation, she adds, “I’m not going to the ball with you because you spent four years being a total dick to me while I was an outcast.”
“No, I didn’t!”
“You toilet-papered my house.”
“Not by myself! I was with Peter, Dante, and Astrid!”
“Point proven. Now, if I may offer a suggestion: returnCall of Dutyso that you can get your future date a corsage. Oh, and go away.”
“But that game hashoursof content, Winnie. A flower will wilt before the night is even over—”
“Casey,”Jay says. His pupils briefly shrink; the silver irises almost glow. “You need to go now, and give me and Winnie some space.”
Casey finally listens—because ofcoursehe’ll listen to a fellow male. Though he doesn’t stomp away without an assortment of swear words anda glare so petulant, it would give Marcus a run for his money. And if not for Jay stepping closer, Winnie would probably chase after Casey and dump fruit punch all over his costume. But as it stands, Jayisin fact stepping closer.
Way closer.
“Please, go with me to the Masquerade Ball, Winnie.”
“No.” She pushes her glasses up her nose. “You don’t get tocommandme to do things.”
“That wasn’t a command. It was a question.”
“Except that questions begin with a predicate, not a subject. Such as, ‘Will yougo with me to the ball?’”
