Page 98 of Toxic Temptation
“Or because his idiotic charm appeals to eight-year-olds.” He pauses. “Tell me again how you two met?”
“Vesper!” Luka saves me from answering. “Waylen says you can touch your nose with your tongue!”
I catch Kovan’s expression. He looks personally offended that Waylen knows anything about my tongue. I have to bite the inside of my cheek so he doesn’t see me smiling.
Jealous, he claims he’s not. I disagree. think he’s turning dollar-bill green with envy.
“It’s true.” I demonstrate, and Luka erupts in applause like I’ve performed magic.
“That’s so cool!” he cries out. “I’ve been trying forever, but my tongue isn’t long enough.”
“I bet you have other talents,” Waylen encourages.
“No.” Luka’s face falls. “I’m boring.”
Waylen pokes him in the ribs. “Vesper used to say the same thing at your age. Trust me, everyone thinks that when they’re eight.”
“I still think it sometimes,” I admit, sliding into the seat next to Waylen.
“Only because you refuse to have any fun.” Waylen stretches his arm over my shoulders.
Kovan goes rigid. His hands clench into fists, and panic twists in my stomach. Am I going too far? Or not far enough?
“Like what?” I try to keep the conversation moving, to ignore Mr. Bad Attitude over there.
“The stuff we used to do as kids. Remember when?—”
“Shadow puppet shows!” Luka interrupts. “Like Waylen used to do when you snuck into his room at night! He told me about it.”
If Kovan looked angry before, now he looks murderous. Pretty sure if I cracked an egg over his head, it would boil.
“I didn’t sneak in that often,” I mumble.
“Please. At least twice a week,” Waylen declares. “It was a fight getting you out of my bed in the mornings.”
Kovan’s scowl could turn me to stone. I’m reconsidering every life choice that brought me to this moment.
On the other hand, I’m also thoroughly enjoying the danger.
“I wish I had a brother,” Luka sighs, oblivious to the danger. “Or a sister. Then we could sneak into each other’s rooms and do shadow puppet shows like you two did.”
Kovan freezes.
I freeze.
I believe the technical term for this situation is “busted.”
“Have you shown Waylen the koi pond yet?” I ask desperately.
“Not yet!” Luka grabs Waylen’s arm and drags him upright. “Come on!”
“Easy, easy, no need to pull. I’m coming.” Waylen shoots Kovan a wary look before following Luka outside.
I start re-clearing the already-cleared table, which is a pathetically transparent coping mechanism, but I need something to do with my hands.
“Maybe we should order pizza for dinner,” I suggest, my voice coming out unnaturally high. “Or we could do Chi?—”
“You lied to me.”
