Page 92 of Toxic Temptation
Or I’ll claim her.
I can’t wait to find out which.
31
VESPER
He’s trouble, Vesper.
Waylen’s warning is blaring in the back of my head as I curl up on Kovan’s ridiculously large white sofa, staring out at the cherry blossom tree dropping petals like confetti across his perfectly manicured lawn.
I tried defending Kovan during our FaceTime call last night. I told Waylen he didn’t really know the man. But my brother just gave me that look—the one that’s half Dad’s disappointment and half Mom’s worry and one hundred percent effective in shutting me up.
“Come on, V. What are you thinking, getting involved with a man like him? If you’re lucky, he’s gonna break your heart. If you’re unlucky, he’s gonna break your spirit.”
The only thing keeping Waylen from completely writing Kovan off is Luka. That’s the sole saving grace. Even my overprotective brother can see that this little boy needs someone who’ll fight for him.
He just doesn’t understand why that someone has to include me.
I’m so lost in thought that it takes me a minute to realize Luka has gone completely silent. He’s sprawled on the carpet in front of me, surrounded by an explosion of Legos that started as a train, then became a spaceship, and now looks like colorful plastic carnage.
“What happened to the spaceship?” I ask, sliding down to sit cross-legged beside him.
Luka hurls a red block across the room, lower lip sticking out. “It was stupid.”
“Hey.” I bump his shoulder with mine. “Want to tell me what’s really bothering you?”
He shrugs noncommittally.
“C’mon,” I insist. “Penny for your thoughts. Two pennies, since you’re that special to me.”
He fixes me with a side-eye that says I’m laying it on a little bit thick. “Nothing’s bothering me.”
“Luka.” I touch his chin softly to make him look at me. “I was eight once, too. I know that look. You’ve got thoughts in that big ol’ noggin of yours. Go on, spill. I’m listening. This is a safe space.”
Those gray eyes study my face like he’s deciding whether to trust me. In the end, he swallows. “I’m nervous,” he finally admits.
“About meeting Waylen?”
He nods, picking at a loose thread on his jeans. “The tutors Mom hires are always mean. Or boring. Or both.”
My chest tightens. “This is different,” I tell him. “Uncle Kovan picked Waylen himself. And guess what?I’mthe one who recommended him.”
Luka’s eyes widen. “Really?”
“Really really. I give you my word: Waylen is nothing like those other tutors. He actually makes learning fun.”
“What if he doesn’t like me?”
The question comes out so small, so uncertain, that I have to swallow around the sudden ache in my throat.
“That’s impossible,” I say firmly. “You’re the most likable kid in the world. But hey—if for some crazy reason you don’t click with him, just tell me. I’ll kick him out myself.”
Luka’s jaw drops. “You would do that?”
“In a heartbeat. No questions asked.”
For the first time all day, he smiles. Really smiles. “Okay. Cool.” He goes back to toying with the Legos.
